The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1821-12-29 00:00:00

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..-,strLDERS THE'COUNTir-OP:.
SENT. 4 I'l itstavim
vines. • t ,xtiq. rrt
Giliertesent gsring recently wmpiohmosidiiv,
cuumy ',fur the bf peeniontag Parliesi
went on the i..• sent sgrleaftweal illtiems," I ovot it 46 mesh
and to myself explain the eireethalleseee whets useeyymb. •
vent me from o• nxevering in that measure. That expiated
lion is partieolirry aim to these Freeholders who beeiestetil
with their ettwo.rt the Requisitions which were (teeth'. led%
myself sod uthers throughout the county, in order to (Malmo
that object.
Ceder the imps-acted distress which now sleets this •
coolly,a ..11 as every other part of the Itiodloss, souk
which might. by its continuance, modoes diaorgieittios is ,4
the State, 1 e..tdel not entertain • doubt that a general wish.
would betel! by file owners as well as the occupiers of had
to petition Poelranteat on be subject, 'which ix of vetal im-
portance to all classes of the curnmensity. OM such an oe.
ca,jon 1 hard that all party Gramme would be laid aside,
and that presto's who differed in their political opisioas
might cordially •co.operute from a sense of their common
danger, and front • desire to promote the public welfare sod
their own. I thought oho, that measures might be pro-
posed which ought to unite in their support all classes and
descriptions of perilous, and even those who were sot im-
enethalety interested in the cultivation of the soil. It seemed
also Very requisite to dispel the &kenos which exists in ,
aunty traders, that relief could be Inns,' only in high
prices, witch are neither desirable nor attaiwable.
Some persons who agreed with me in 'ldeating that peti-
lioun ought to by presented to Parlissiest fir relief, would
not air, the Itergobeittoo, tresonom they were of opisioa That
the object would be bed pronnuted by private meetings and
" Agricultural Associations." They might, indeed, have
learned from observation, if nut from their own experieuee,
that those petitions meat be the most effectu•l which ore
supported by large numbers, and by the weight aid cowls
tutionnl influence that belongs to a Cloudy Meeting. They
might also have reflected, that private aseuciations, however
respectable the Individuals are who compose them, may be
viewed by the public with indifference, because they are
tboukbt to he Inefficient; or with mistreat, because they
may be supposed to have foe their object some measure which
might tend to raise the price of corn, mid which might be
considered onfavourabk to the geode' Interests of the coun-
try. Os the other hand, I found that the yeomen and the
farmers were, as they ought to be, and as might naturally
he expected, most anxious for a Connty Meeriat, at which
the whole subject might be fully and publicly discussed.
lf, indeed, the object of such associatioss were, if possible,
to reader provisions dear, I am ready so allow that private
meetingeare beet lilted for a purpose which is so unpopular.
It would be well, however, fur the advocates of such a mea-
sure to consider whether it would be practicable to effect it,
wheeit is manifest that the protecting duty which they re-
commend could have no effect whatever upon the price of
core, mid that the prices of almost every other article of
produce have also experienced a similar depression. For
rumple, it was stated by • wituess who was examined be-
fore the Committee oar the depressed state of agriculture,
and it must be well known in thin country, that u in the dis-
tricts where the cultivation of bops is Tory mush relied neon,
the price only just pays the doty." 'though the present
peicea of produce are not oath an eta Is geeeral remunerate
the farmer and enable bins to pay the tattooed other charges
to which he is 'abject, the distress which is now so generally
and so severely felt is sot occasioned solely by low prices.
A similar distress did rot exist at she commencement of the
late war, when priors were very low, sad 'when the' lases
were low also; bet the prices are sow nearly the same as
they were dies, and perbapa lower, while the mites ass now
wearlyfoor times as great as they were at that period. The
prelim distress arises from the damp/ono. which now ex-
ists between the present prices of produce nod the present
amount of taxes; sad it ea, its appears to me, a clear and
oudeniable proposition, that such disproportioa cue be re.,
moved only by increasing 'hose mica, or by diminishing lbowe
taxes; and that if the former alternative is impracticable,
the keessems only be adopted. If that measure were *dos-
ed to a onlieleet eldest, low prices would mass to be a outs.
jed of eampinies, mad would steed general satisfaction le
the eoustry.
Same peseta mimed to sign the requieinoo, because they
Ihooght Ike ne ostler could he obtained: but it is somewhat
premature le ism that judgment before they had any !mow.
lease of deo aesasenis which would he proposed, *led Irbil*
'Diehl have eemiwed their cooeurrestee, when the subject bed
bees fatly expleimed.
,•01'
Other peewees declined to support the requisition, ma,.
vase they objected very straggly to the proposal of asp.
sorrilic measures is the Pentium; as if that Petition ought
to have been in the style of a '' begging letter," stating die-
trem, and asking severally for relief. 1 thought, on the con-
trary, that when relief is solicited, it ought to be shewu to
Ise predicable, which I firmly believe to be the case at pre-
sent. There might, however, exist circumatasces under
which so relief could be granted to the farmers; u.d such
could have bees the case if their distress bad proceeded from
• gcweral failure of the crops. Now we are gravely told
that their distress is occasioned by the crops being too
abundant, though abundance was formerly considered to he
a blessing.
la all disorders, whether bodily or political, it is neves.
nary to ascertain the rause, in order to effect the cure. If
the county meeting had been held, I would have endeavoured
to explain very folly the origin and causes of the present
distress, which, far from being of a temporary or transient
were, does not seem to me to have *endued its full height,
mid most increase by its continuance until it may lead to
censequences the most calamitous. I would have suited in
what manger the return to cash payments had in ee I the
fussy buirleu of the taxes, and rendered in all eases diffi-
cab, and kr some cares impracticable, the execution of pre-
late contract,. I would have represented the evils which
the present distress may being upon the laboaters, upon the
tradesmen, upon the manufacturers, and aloe upon the fond.
holders. I would have shown that as enormous redurtom
might. without injustice, he triode of those taxes which are
imposed upon several of the necessaries of life—spun beer,
salt, leather, candles, anti soap. I would have recoup-
seceded an equal, and, therefore, a just assessment of the
peres-rates, and of all other public boraces, upon all capi-
tal, hooded' invested. I would have rreommeoded the mho..
lam of such municipal regaletione as would secure to the
consumer the full adtrantsge which he ought to receive from
low prices. Above all, I would have recommended that tales
noel other payments should be /educed in the same pro.
portion as the velar of the currency has been increased.
The ex r. ana times and arguments is hie h I should have offered
'you the subject would very much exceed the limits of this
sdaiess,.but they may appear in souther form, to a pamphlet,
-sh,th will moon be published. I subjoin the Petition which
intruded to propose, and which would, I think, have
afforded au leafed example to other counties. It is sub-
rooira to your candid consideration. I must deeply regret
Celt the proposal of a coolie y meeting, istconsterted as it was
v:th soy party purposes., did not upon this occasion receive
'"di support and encouragement Goes the lauded people-
tiii% of this swum y, as would allow me to bone that it world
I'•''r. prospered as effectually as I wished the °Nees* which
Iho in view. I have endeavoured to discharge sty dilly,
PI 11 I kart others to perform theirs, if they are not blind is.
I.r dancers of the country, and to the awful crisis which is
I always continue to be 'oar most faithful Servant,
STANHOPE.

TO ?BE

COPY OF TIIE PROPOSF:D PETITION.
huratite Petition of the undersigned ()lepers and Occu-
piers of Iced in the county of Kent,
Slo neth—'l hat the unexampled distress se ith which yOlir
arc 1111 v, fltnieled, appears to them the more
""mal, because it i 5 not the (evilt or temporary ceusrs;
a" tl,. more grievous, because no efficieot inersures hare
3'16" adopted by Pas !lament for their reli,f
That this itimreas does not proceed, es has been strangely
I;:r"whted, from abontient production, whirl, is former and
"PP" Puhuls of our history was considered to be a bless.
I", and that the bounty of Providence caunut be depre-
"l"l by your Petitioners as a misfortune.
That the real caw* of their distress is an excessive bor-
der) pf taxation, such as was never yet endured in any nth. r
"11" th sod such MS cannot be cuotiotted in this estilluut