The Sun.
London, England, 1852-04-26 00:00:00

TENANT-FARMERS AND THEIR

"FRIENDS."
(From the Derbyßeporter.)
No one can look fairly at the state of agriculture
for the last six years without feeling much sympathy
with tenant-farmers. For many years, in conse-
quence of legislative interference, they received prices
for their produce which were oppressive on the con-
sumers, and incurred in consequence some obloquy
which they little deserved. But even with this assistance
they were by no means a thriving class. Tax, tithe,
rate, and rent ever trode close on the heels of ad-
vancing prices, and showed by no means the seine
alacrity in following their downward course. This
has arisen , from the strong internal competition
which affected the occupation of land sooner than
other pursuits, for this reason, that a great deal of
land in England is occupied for fashion, or for plea-
sure, or for convenience, or for some other reason
than mere profit. If amateur hosiers bore the same
proportion in their trade, which amateur graziers do
in their pursuit, no doubt the making of stockings
would yield as small a profit as the making of beef.
But, as the case has stood for the last half century, if
we take equal numbers of hosiers and farmers we
shall find ten hosiers who have realized a retiring
competence for one farmer; though the farmer sup•
poses himself to have been for nearly the whole
period the pet of the Legislature. And if we corns
pare trade and agriculture in general, every large
town will furnish more instances of the acquisition
of large fortunes than the whole agriculture of Eng-
land can produce. The agriculturists have gene-
rally been engaged in political strife, originally as
aggressors, but of late years in vain attempts to
maintain untenable positions. As every. position
fell, the tenant-farmer has suffered. When the
\
landed interest were beat out of 803. a quarter fors
wheat, the tenant-farmer suffered; the same when
they were driven from 653.; then from sGs.—and
when they were finally reduced to the natural price.
In no one of these instances were the charges on the
tenant-farmer reduced in the proportion of the price
of his produce. Strife and defeat are the necessary
results of protection in a free country. Where there
is no general pressure on the population protection
may be maintained; but general pressure and protec-
tion cannot co-exist in a free country. The tenant-
farmers have been loyal to those who aspired to be
their leaders, and professed to be their friends. They
have been docile to their own injury. A retrospect
over ten years will show them nothing but
vain boastings, bad advice, delusive promises,
and disappointed hopes. They were called on
to exert themselves, under the assurance that
the sliding scale should be maintained. And
they did exert themselves, and as they were
told, with honour and glorious success ; but the scale
slid from under their feet. They were told to reject
with scorn a duty of Bs. on wheat, and they did re-
ject it; and they have been told since to sue humbly
for a duty of 55., and they know that they shall sue
unsuccessfully. They were told that to talk of a
reduction of rent was absurd, for that they could not
cultivate to profit even if they paid no rent ; and
they now know that to that source more than to any
other they must look for relief. They were told
that relief to arise from a' reduction of rates, or from
a remission of taxation, was quite beneath their
notice; protection, and protection alone, could be
of any avail. And now every county Member who
addresses his constituents as a supporter of Lord
Derby's Government, tells them that they must
give up the idea of protection, and that some un-
defined and unexplained relief is to arise from these
very sources which were so much derided, But they
are to confide in Lord Derby's Government. Con-
fide ! Why ? Is it because these are the very men,
the very party, who have deceived and deluded, even
if they had not betrayed. them. Let the tenant-
farmers remember that though the struggle for pro-
tection has been a losing game for them, it has
suited these gentlemen admirably. Many a man now
enjoys place and power and rank who in the ordinury
course of Parliamentary service could not have at-
tained to them, and who has only attained to them
now by bawling for protection, and deserting it
when it had served his turn. Toe tenant-formers
deserted Sir R. Peel because they thought that he
had betrayed them; but at least ho spoke out and
defended what they supposed to be his treason ;
but' they are now told to confide in miserable sneak-
ing traitors, who won't speak at all. Probably
agriculturists are beginning to discover that their in,
terests have been miserably managed in the House
of Commons ; and the truth is, that where their
interests clash with those of other classes, they fail
to obtain bare justice on account of the quality of
their representatives. Trading constituencies choose
their Members simply on account of their ability,
activity, and industry : men whose voices are heard
in every debate; whose names are seen in every
division: men, provincial perhaps in their manners
and in their'dialect, but who • thoroughly understand
the interests which they represent, are able to com-
municate information, and have consequently the
ear of the House of Commons. Two-thirds of the
representatives of agricultural constituencies are
mere dilettanti legislators ; seen much more regu-
larly in the hunting field and in the Opera House
than on the benches of the House of Commons:
men chosen on account of their possessions, or on
account of their connexions, or even sometimes on
account of their mediocrity; men whose voices the
House neither knows nor desires to know. We are
inclined to hope that many landlords will not endea-
vour to coerce their tenants at the coming elections,
some from good principle and feeling, and some be-
cause the practice iejustly regarded with increasing
odium. The advice which we would tender to
tenant-farmers is not to place a blind confidence in
an Administration which shrouds itself in a mist :
not to commit their interest to a class of men who
have proved utterly incompetent to their protection.;
but to follow 'the example of the trading and
manu-
facturing classes, and to select as their representatives
men of ability, knowledge, and industry; men who
h_
shall not be ashamed to speak with their ene.mo
turi:
the gate. They will then assure for the agric is
interest equal justice and equal privileges, which
all that it ought to desire.

INFANTICIDE IN SPITALFIELDS.--On Friday fore-
noon an inquest, adjourned from' Wednesday last, was
street
re-
sumed before Mr. Baker, at the Ten Bells, Church-,
Spitaifields, on view of the body of a newly born male infa2 2nt,
aret W hitman, aged
the illegitimate 'offspring of Marg , a
single woman, who is in the female workhouse of Whit
chapel Union, in the custody of the police. The mother of
the accused, who resides at No. 38, Dorset-street, Spitai_
fields, was on Tuesday last charged before Mr. D'Eyncourt
at the Worship street Police-court, with the murder of the
deceased, but there was not sufficient evidence to implicate
her, and she was discharged. Additional evidence was given
yesterday, and the jury, after a short consultation, returned
a verdict of Wilful Murkier against Margaret Whitman. The
coroner issued his warrant for the committal of the accused,
and the witnesses were bound over to prolecute.
SERMONS NOT COPYRIGUT.--The Case which oc-
curred two years ago in the Paisley court, between the Rev.
John Macnaughtan and Mr. Wilson, of the late lien freutshire
Advertiser. in which effect was given to the plea maintained
for Mr: Wilson, that sermons delivered from the pulpit to a
congregation were not copyright, will be in the memory of
most V our readers. Professor Shank More has introduced a
notice of -the case into the lectures on Scotch law, and has
intimated) ex cathedra, that he concurs in the opinion that
serm ms and speeches, once delivered and spoken in an as-
serubly, are no longer the exclusive property of the speaker,
but passintO the possession of the publie, who may print and
difilme of P 100011" Glasgow chromic/4