The National Register.
London, England, 1816-10-14 00:00:00

t

No. 453.—V0L. IX.

AGRICULTURAL DISTRESS.

Having in Our preceding Numbers extracted Evi-
dence, suflicient to put our Readers in possession of a
knowledge of the State of the Agricultural Interest,
we shall now confine our Extracts from the Agricul-
tural Report to those passages, in the various letters,
received from the country gentlemen, which relate to
the CAUSES, thut are supposed to have produced the
present distress ; and to the REMEDIES, that have been
proposed, to effect the cure of the evils complained of.

bt'SSEX.

Jowl Woons.—Yonr font tie question seems to comprehend
a groat deal. We flint none more grievous than the property
tax ; especially as the clerk to the Commissioners has a power
to assess farmers at his discretion to the property tax, al-
though they can deduct no mere from their rent than 2s. to
the pound of what they really pag, and are obliged to pay
3*. 6tl . to the pound themselves the all they are assessed more
than their meal rent. I speak this feelingly, for I rent a farm
myself, on a lease of 21 Vicars, at 1741. per annum, land tax
included. But tam charged with the property tax 2801. per
anima, which, at 3s. 941. to the pound, amounts to 491.; out
of that I ran deduct only 161. Ws. from my 'Tilt, and the re-
maining 331. 4s. I am obliged to pay myself, which is if. 12s.
more.
Jolts ELL/MAN.—if, as in my idea is the case, the circula-
tion of country bank paper is dependent en the price of agri-
enlittral produce, and not the verve, I should say—No. If
this query means to ark, whether from country bankers with-
holding their advanees from the tenantry the latter are com-
pelled to crowd the market and dispose of their corn nt any
prier l I have no doubt that, in many instances, this is the
case ; best, generally, where the farmer could offer good se•
(tufty. I believe the bankers have assisted very mates-hilly,
thongh, of course, not in the same degree as they would have
done formerly, front the ',aloe of that security being so mach
lessened.

NORFOLK.
Joint Mnser.ev, Esq.---Ist, A superabundant
Id, foreign iinpoitation.-3d, Tithes.—gth, Poor and other
rates.-sth, Property, and other war t .-6th, Want of
credit.--Ttb, Decrease ot' circulating medium.
Rev. T. Joint PRIEST .•••• Many farmers, who have hired
farms within four or five years, are linable, under the present
circumstances, to reap ouch prodnce from their farms, as to
pay the necessary outgoings, expellees of their farms, tie. :
and particularly he those instances, which I fear are too
moray, where farmers hired without capitals large enough for
their undertakings; anti (I am sorry to sayl I believe this is
an error, which too many tenants have been guilty of at the
time I have stated, when farmers were so eager to get farms,
that although they had not sufficient capitals, they borrowed
money to carry on their engagements. This I believe to have
been a great and miserable cause of the present distress of
the farmers ; at the same time I must also add, the want of
leases on the part of the landholders, upon fair and average
prices, consistent with the probable produce of land, and
upon proper lengths of time, proportioned to the quality of
the land to he cultivated.
Jon eveLL.—The distressed store of the farmers
arises, in a great degree, front an unprecedented tall in value
of their property having weakened their credit, and is quite
apparent in the paralyzed ettorts of every part of the hus-
bandry of a very large majority of them, particularly in not
employing the necessary number of labour( rs, %staid, can only
be front the want of money to pay them, as the labourers thus
discharged become a burden on the poor-rates, a great part
of which must be paid by the fanner; it is evident also, from
the diminishing 'umbel of stock kept this year, from the last
yi ars return for erasing having yielded very little for he
crop of turnips sod hay, and front ;ire want ut Mesh!, to pm,
chase, 1 am of opinion this county does suffer materially from
want of circulation' as all confidence is at an cud, and sin one
• tan bay from week to week, and country bankers have with-
draw n every accommodation to all classes of persons.
DEVONSHIRE.
•

PALL S. SAlkilitV.—l have my doubts, if too great a circu-
lation may not, in some manner, have contributed to the dis-
tress. Tithes, expence of manure, paroehial and parliamen-
tary taxes, low price of corn cattle, dress and other luxuries,
leave the fainters destitute of means to pay their tent.
Mn. 'Dorton .—At this time, a proportion of seven-six•
let:Mils out of the annual value of every estate in this county
1., taken from the Os nets and occupiers in direct taxes; and
V lit n the Property Tax, and such Asscss-d 'faxes as affect
tin lamer, shall be taken off, there will still remain the old
and Tas, Tithes, ( hutch Kates, composition for iiighwa, 4,
wry cures. and the poor and enmity rates, being altogethi r
charge of five-sixteenths on the annual voila, without includ-
ing the necessary repaint. From hence it will clearly ap-
pear, that your petitioners maintain the cm ligions establisit-
inebt, the pubtic and private roads, the police, the bridges,
and above all, the poor of the comity ; whilst the merchants,
the manufacturers, the monied men, unit the holders of public
securities (mho eejoy an incomr equal it not superior to that
derived from the bind), cunttibutt little ur nothing towards
these great objects, although they fully partake with the pub.
lie at large in the benefit arising therefrom.
Mr. R. HAW Al Ng.—Aitbough I do not think this immediate
neighbourhood sullen* from a diminished circulation of paper.
yet, so very great is the want of confidence, owing to the
great failures which have taken place among the farmers,
that men of the most respectable character and known pro-
perty, find it impossible to command accommodations in the
away they could obtaiu it a few years since, even for the most