The Sun.
London, England, 1830-01-29 00:00:00

DEFEAT OF THE AGRICULTURISTS AT

BRISTOL.

Meeting of the inhabitants of the City of Bristol, and
of the Counties of Somerset and Gloucester, for the pur-
Nee of petitioning Parliament against the Beer and
Malt Duties, Thursday, Jan. 28, 1830, at the Guildhall
of the City of Bristol.
Jomx SCANDRETT llAaroan, Esq. in the Chair.

The CHAIRMAN said, he came to that Hall without
any thought of being called to the Chair. He would never
have consented to take it, but for the conviction that
,these meetings
.tend to the benefit of the country in ge•
floral. Our aaricultural population are at this moment
in a very depressed state, and every thing that conduced
to lead back the people of this country to the use of malt
liquor tended to the moral improvement of the popula-
tion. He then requested the business of the meeting to
proceed.
Mr. W. P. TAUNTON (a barrister) then read the requi-
sition fer calling the Meeting, which had no signature to
it. Some objection was made on this ground by a person,
but it was overruled, as the Mayor had granted the use of
the Guildhall, and therefore the respectability of the re-
quisitionists could not be doubted.
THOMAS Kisraxow, Esq., moved the first Resolution,
which being seconded was carried unanimously.
W. P. TAincrosz, Esq., moved the second resolution ;
which was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
Mr..Jonsr. Hawsox moved the third, which was also
carrried unanimously.
Mr. Wxaa HALL rose to more the 4th, Bth, and 6th
resolutions. This subject, he said, was highly important
to all the great interests of the State, but more particu-
larly affected the welfare of the labouring classes. He
would endeavour to show to the meeting first, that the
taxes were in themselves bad, and secondly, that in the
present times of unparalleled depression they were parti-
cularly oppressive to those least able to assist themselves.
Under a more prosperous rate, these and various other con-
tributions were paid without a murmur ; but when, from
the change over which the present meeting could have no
eontroul—when employment became abridged, profits
diminished, and wages necessarily reduced, the expendi-
ture of the country was in a degree paralised—the atten-
tion of all those who had the welfare of their country
earnestly at heart was imperiously called for to relieve the
incumbent load. Great as was the general pressure, the
situation of the agricultural labourer was still more trying
than that of the artisan—at least it had hitherto
been 110--the wages of the manufacturing work-
men were formerly much higher than those of the
Peasantry in the country, but in a nation densely
PoPulated as this was, this could not lung con-
tinse ; the period had nearly arrived when the remune-
ration of the manufacturer bad become, from re-action,
even less than the wages paid to the labourer in the
country, and they were therefore together interested in
obtaining a reduction in the price of the article of beer.
It had been said that a reduction of these duties
would tend to an increase of drunkenness ; but
with such diminished means this was not very likely
to occur, and it was idle to reason on the use of
any principle from its occasional abuse, and when
thousands were now unable to procure the beverage at all.
It had been estimated that the aggregate duties on these
articles amounted to 175 per cent., what would:be said to
a duty of 12s. per bushel on the article of wheat, and for
much of the labour of the country beer was to a certain
extent almost equally requisite. He would come next to
the diminished consumption of malt, and ask how this could
arise amidst a regularly increasing consumption of all other
articles? Frauds to a certain extent were, no doubt, commit-
ted, notwithstanding the vigilance of our excise regulations ;
other articles may, to a certain extent, have superseded the
article of beer ; but those connected with the country must
know that inability to purchase it was the leading cause of
a diminished use. This Meeting was assembled to petition,
in co-operation with numerous other parts of the country,
for either the partial or total repeal of the duties in ques-
tion. For a partial repeal much might be said ; for, in
the arithmetic of the Custom-house, two and two, instead
of making four, sometimes make only one, that is, an
increase of tax is not always followed by increased reve-
nue; but, on the other hand, a diminution of duty may
not unfrequently lead to a change beneficial alike to the
Government and country; but with a partial repeal alone
all the expensive and vexatious machinery for collecting
theca taxes would still remain—the exciseman would still
retain the power of entering the houses of those en-
gaged in the pursuit by night as well as by day,
and the same restriction and controul over the mode
of carrying on the operation of the trade would still
eontiuue—the benefit of a partial reduction of the leather
tax has not yet reached the consumer—the benefit of the
repeal of the salt duty did not fully extend itself until its
total repeal, and therefore, if there were a question as to
the expediency of repealing a portion of both taxes, or the
whole of one, he should urge decidedly the adoption of the
latter course. The beer tax was considered a more partial
tax than any other ; and although, if the malt tax were re-
pealed, it would be optional whether individuals incurred
the charge or not, yet a substantial benefit would accrue
from the remission of either. The great object was, that
beer, as an article of nutriment, as well as of invigoration,
should be attained in the cottages of the labouring classes,
and not that the labourer should obtain it abroad, to the pri-
vation of his family, and the idleness of himself. The increased
consumption of spirits was another reason for a remission
of these duties, and the Magistracy of Middlesex and other
places were deeply convinced of the demoralization produced
this pernicious course. He had heard that there were in-
dividuals who intended to oppose the object of the present
Dleeting—what motives could influence them to do so, he
Was at a loss to know—if maltsters and publicans united to
oppose this measure, he should think this an additional
reason for perseverance in the course they were pursuing.
--(This gentleman was cheered throughout his whole
speech, and sat down amidst great applause.)
Mr. HZIRAPATH (a maltstes) in rising to address the
Meeting, stated that though he was one of the persons al-
luded to, he yet spoke here, not as maltater, but as a private
individual. He agreed with the resolution as far as it went,
but it only specified one article of consumption ; he should
therefore move that it be extended to all necessaries. It
had been stated, that Bristol has not yet felt tie. distress
of the times, but this he strongly denied, for he had the
means of knowing that the distress had reached that city
m s,_°Y,months since, the number of appapplicants- lit St.
Peters Hospital having doubled within that time. The
duty on
_ sugar had occasioned that article to remain sta-
tionary since 1798 to the present time. The article of
tea
came into use only the last century, as did also coffee,
and therefore, instead of calling for a glass of beer in the
morning,
waa tea and coffee were the usual beverage. Here
beer the reason of the ion-increase in the consumption of
persons who
you reduce the price of beer, you will make the
,_he who now drink enough only, drink too much.
f price of all the necessaries of life are greatly enhanced
by the duties on them. If there is to be a duty on a ne-
cessary of life, let it be on that article which the abuse of
may tend to demoralize the people.—(Hear.)--The cheap
Price of spirits, occasioned by the duty being taken off, had
• caused a great increase of the consumption of those perni-
cious liquors; therefore let the Government put on the duty
they unwisely took off. The consumption of malt amongst pri-
vate families who brew beer at home is about one in every
seven. Now he came to the principle of the question ;
there is such a body as agriculturists, and that body act in
concert, and this is one of their measures.—(No, no.)
He could prove that whenever any duty has been taken off
malt, the price of barley has increased.—(Hear.) But
When the amount of duty has been increased, the price of
barley has fallen. After all the professions that have been
inido about serving the labouring classes, he would like
soinesecurity from the agriculturist, that he will not increase
t1.11,.0 Price of barley when the duty on malt is taken off.
You replace one tax for another as proposed, we shall
Only be enabling Ministers to lay on some few more mil-
ra to our present burthens by the exchange. Mr.
I "apath concluded, after enumerating the decrease and
increase of the several duties of articles of consumption,
-Peai6ed the same, by moving the following amendment :
, ` That the taxes upon malt, beer, sugar, tea, coffee, can-
diest, 'soap, and other necessaries of life, are severely felt
this period of distress, particularly by the labouring
Is
Your Honriart of the popul.
House for and
educe your petittheionerssaid taxes, therefoso asre imto
-
bring down prices of such articles within the present means
s.; Purchasing.
" That as one doss of his Majesty's subjects avoid paying
taxes levied in this terary, although they receive
their annual resources from it, your petitioners submit to
Your ar
House the justice of laying a tax upon absen-
ts, which shall be equal to their contributions, in case
they had continued to reside here."
Mr. Jomiw MILLS (of the Bristol Gazette) seconded
the amendment. He considered the whole affair as a
tarty job ; and that the measures proposed by Mr. Nall,
Jere only to benefit the agriculturists, and nothing had
"een said about the manufacturers. He recommended a
femoral of the Assessed Taxes, which would relieve the
country generally. If you repeal the duty on malt, you
11:00uld repeal the duties onevery thing that enters the mouth.
ay, why should we not make our own candles, when
the price'of fat is 3d. per lb., we are paying 7d. and Bd.
lie concluded by stating, that he thought the resolutions
untimely.
Mr. W. P. TAUNTON rose to reply to Mr. Herapath,

whose ingenuity, good sense, and industry he much ad-
mired ; but he considered he bad stated some fallacies.
The measures proposed had not been done with any desire
to embarrass the Government. They had been told that
the reduction of the leather tax had not decreased the
price of shoes ; but the reduction had not been much, and
therefore it was not likely to be felt. The duties received
on foreign wines, spirits, and coffee, have increased in
amount since the reduction has taken place, in con-
sequence of the greater consumption of those articles ;
and why should it not be the case with the
duties on malt and beer ? A great deal of the
distress spoken of by the gentleman who had preceded
him, had been occasioned by the free use of spirits.
Lunacy had increased fifty per cent., and any medical man
would confirm him in the fact, that it had chiefly been oc-
casioned by the immense use of ardent spirits; this was
proved by the last report of the Middlesex Magistrates.
Beer was the natural beverage of Englishmen, and he
trusted we should again have it pure arid unadulterated.
The great change in the diet of the country had been
caused by the deleterious trash sold under the name of
beer; far different from the pure liquor of the days of
yore. It was this which had changed the diet to tea, a
liquor we paid dear enough for, by sending millions to a
foreign country to purchase it with;and to a country we
are not on terms of amity with. He concluded by oppos-
ing the amendment.
Mr. MANCHEE (the late Editor of the Bristol
Mercury) then rose to support the amendment.--
County meetings are called all over the kingdom,
to support this measure of repealing the malt and beer
duties, and why should the counties of Somerset and
Gloucester be called in for the purpose of bearing down
the city of Bristol? He then begged leave to contradict
the Learned Gentleman (Mr. Taunton) relative to the
duty on leather, which had been lessened one-half, and
therefore the public ought to have derived some advantage
from it. Mr. Manchee then alluded to the duties on the
Press, which he contended were greater than any other
article by 500 per cent.
Mr. WEBB HAr.L again rose to briefly comment on
what had fallen from the gentlemen who had moved and
supported the amendment. For himself, he thought that
a subject, common alike to town and country, was fitly
held in a public city, which was the only method of giving
to the contiguous inhabitants of those places an opportu-
nity of expressing their opinions without going fifty
miles to a county meeting. He (Mr. Hall) considered
that the pole-star of legislation was employment.; to
the labouring classes ; man was born to labour, and
whatever would contribute to so good an end he
would be ever ready to promote, whether it tended most
to encourage agriculture, manufactures, or commerce, those
could not be taxed by an assessment on property who pos-
sessed none. He cautioned the Meeting against being led
away from the direct object of the Meeting, by asking
more than they were at all likely to obtain, and con-
cluded by reading Dr. Adam Smith's axioms on taxa-
tion, against which the present duties were in decided op-
position.—(Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN then put the Amendment, when the
numbers in its favour were at least ten to one. The
Chairman then left the Chair, saying, that as far as he was
concerned the meeting was over, the object being defeated
fur which the meeting was called.
Thanks were then voted to the Chairman.

Mr. Marrcusx moved that another person should take
the chair. A great deal of confusion took place, and
several persons were proposed to the vacant seat.
After a short interval, Mr. JOHN MILLS, who had been
strongly urged to take that office, complied, but had
scarcely taken possession of his seat, before he expressed a
wish again to be exonerated from its arduous duties.
Mr. HERAPATH proposed that a petition should be
drawn up on the resolutions be bad moved as an amendment.
Mr. MANCHEE seconded the motion.
The resolution for the petition was then carried una-
nimously.
A vote of thanks was then passed to Mr. Mills, who,
in reply to the vote, jocularly said, " I am much obliged
to you, and I wish you in return a good appetite to your
dinner ; for I am going home to mine."
The Meeting then adjourned.
The following are the resolutions, founded upon Mr.
IlzaAraxit's amendment.

, Ist, That, in the opinion of this Meeting, the industrious
and labouring classes of the State are at this time suffering
under very general, undeserved, and great privation ;
2d, That the privations are the immediate consequence
of an immense reduction in the value and the price of the
articles which they fabricate and raise : that much reduc-
tion is produced by the causes over which neither they nor
their employers have any controul ; the demand for labour
is, therefore, notwithsta-Jiog, enormously abridged, and
the power of an expenditure, beneficial alike to all, is
greatly restrained ;
3d, That as every effort which has been made to pro-
cure these enactments, which arc calculated to restore prices
proportionate to the taxes of this country, has hitherto
proved unavailing, the only alternative remains in the en-
deavour to procure a remission of taxes, proportionate in
some degree to the defalcation of prices.