The Sun.
London, England, 1830-01-30 00:00:00

CUNIBERLAND COUNTY MEETING.

A meeting of tliv geNtry, clergy,. and
'reeholders of ti;.. erant.y 4 Cumberland, convened
iT the nigh Shet ON 1 e requisition of a numerous
body of the frechot-r=, took place at Wigton, on
Tuesday, the 26th inst.
A hustings was erected on the Market-hill, and
'he High Sheriff Ind most kindly provided accom-
modation for the persons connected with the press.

On the Hustings appeared the following Gentle-
men :—Sr James R. G. Graham, Bart., Henry
Howard, Esq., Corby Castle ; W. James, Esq.,
Barrack Lodge; W. Browne, Esq., Tallentine ; 111.
Atkinson, Esq.,, Temple Sowerby ; P. H. Howard,
Esq., Corby Castle; Rev. Mr. Benson, St. Helen's;
Rev. Mr. Lowther, Distington; Rev. Mr. Heysham,
Tolingliam ; R. Ferguson, Esq., Balker Lodge ;
John Dixon, Esq., Knells; Peter Dixon, Esq.,
Warwick Bridge; James Parkin, Esq., Maiden-
hill; C. Parker, Esq., Petteril-green ; F. Wilson,
Esq , Brigham ; W. Blarnire, Esq., Thackwood-
nook ; Captain Graham, Settle-house; T. Fergu-
son, Esq., Fisher-street, English-street, &c.
A little after twelve o'clock the High Sheriff
took his place upon the hustings.
WILLLtst 11LAMInE, Esq., of Thackivoodnook,
came forward and addressed the meeting. He, said
the present distress of the country was apparent to
all; and he would endeavour to explain to them
the state of it, as contrasted with other years, when
the expenditure of the country was not so great,
and when we were not burdened with an enormous
and overwhelming debt, and then draw their atten-
tions to the prospect of the future. He knew it was
much the fashion for the philosophers and political
economists of the present day—be they Scotch or
others—to cant out, in their writings, that things
are but settling down to their natural level as in
1792 ; and he should therefore show what the state
of the country was previous to that time, and in
1813, after nineteen years of most expensive war,
when it was admitted that the price of money had
depreciated in value to its greatest extent. After
the death of Mr. Pitt, in 1806, it was allowed that
the depreciation was fully from 30 to 40 per cent.
below that of 1797, when Government had to in-
terfere and shield it by a Bank Restriction
Act. In
.1797, wheat, by the Carlisle bushel,
was selling at 19s. ; and in 1801, at 11. I Is. 6d. ;
and yet he would maintain that for seven years fol-
lowing every thing went on with consistency and
regularity. His object was to show what effect
the prices had upon the farmer in 1792, 1813,
and at this moment, and leave it to them to
draw their own inferences. In 1792 Government
demanded 16,000,0001. to carry on the, expenses of
the State, which, supposing it had to have been
paid in wheat—and it was then selling at 16s. a
bush( I—would have require.] 20,000,000 of bushels.
In 1813 the expenditure amounted to 81,000,0001,,
and wheat was selling at that time at 2/. 10s. a
bushel; anti, of course, it would have required be-
tween 39,000,000 and 40,000,000 bushels. Now,
in 1829, since the small paper currency was taken
out of circulation, and the price of money enhanced
to a great degree, unaccompanied by a necessary
reduction of taxation to haVe equalized it,—since
the sth of April last, then, 20s. a bushel is a fair
average for wheat; and by an official document, be
perceived that the total revenue, including the land-
tax and expense in the collection of it, amounts to
.57,000,0001., thus requiring 57,000,000 bushels of
wheat. Thus we find that the King, in 1792, de-
mands 16,000,00 W., and in 1813, 40,000,0001.,
whilst now he dues not think 56,000,0001. burden
too much for him. So much for him. Next comes
the parson—(Laughter)—with his draw. He did
not mean to ray that the parson had increased in
his demand since then, as he only gets a tenth.
Well, a tenth is only a tenth, and cannot be made
any more; yet it is the easier felt when the other
9-10ths are not taxed. But now, when they are so,
be meant to say that the parson demanded more of
the farmer than he had hitherto done. Then
comes the overseer of the poor for his items.
In the year 1792, the poor-rates amounted to about
2,250,0001.; he believed he was correct; but he
would not say to the quarters or thirds; in 1813,
4,000,0001., whilst in 1829 they amounted to
8.500,0001. He believed, in the former periods,
the overseer returned the amount:assessed ; now only
the amount which is actually levied is returned, and
he had a right to assume that the former ones would
not be so heavy as stated. He by no means wished
to deny, that with an increase of population naturally
follows an increase of poor, and want, and misery;
but no reasonable man could look npon the scene
without horror, and biaring evidence of the distress
of the country. Next come the Bench of Magistrates
and county rates ; and here we have an awful and a
fearful appearance. In 1792, they demanded 16
.purveys, which were about the value of 100/. each,
making the total amount of 1,600/. Now, 13,000/.
a-year is demanded. Curiosity drew him to a slight
inspection of one or two of the items in the expendi-
ture, and he found that for the bridges alone 5,4001.
had been expended yearly, and no less than 72,0001.
had been expended upon them for the last few years,
excepting the well-remembered and costly biidges of
Carlisle. He would not have been so particular here
had it not been with this hope, that so long as the pre-
sent great distress exists, the Magistrates would be a
little more frugal, and .look to the expense as well
as the necessity. Then there is the road surveyor,
who takes another heavy draw. In 1792 there
were very few roads, and those roads were generally
repaired at the spring of the year; and such was the
little care shown for them, that the gulleys and ruts
in them rendered them almost impassable with any
vehicle for many months, and the farmers carried
their goods on horseback. Lastly, though of the
most import, come the labourers. Mr. Blamire
went on to prove the situation of the labourer, and
the many other drawbacks of the farmer, and the
dreadful situation of many of them, in the loss of
their capital; and afterwards proceeded to detail
the hardships, the wants, the miseries of the poor
mechanic; concluding with an ardent wish to see
some measure for their amelioration, contending that
nothing but a great reduction of taxation alone was
the only apparent relief.
Mr. WANNOP, of Holm-gate, said, that the gen-
tleman who had preceded him had proved the ex-
tent of the distress now existing in this country, and
had pointed out the causes of that distress, and its
remedies. These were a repeal of those taxes that
pressed heavily upon every branch of productive in-
dustry, or a return to a small paper currency. It had
been said that a repeal of the malt and beer taxes

would afford no sensible relief to the people. That
was not his opinion ; en the contrary, he thought
their repeal would be beneficial to the community,
and be hailed with general satisfaction. There was

a tax of 17s. 3d. on every bushel of malt—in other
words, 145 per cent. upon the cost of the raw ma-
terial. One acre would grow about twelve bushels

of barley, and upon every acre, therefore, there
might be said to be a tax of about 101. Were the
duty taken off, the price of malt would not exceed
15s. or 165., from which sixty gallons of good table-
beer might be made, which might be sold for ld. a
quart; or good wholesome strong ale for 2d. a
quart ; or, at all events, it might be sold for half its
present price, and leave a good profit to the maker
and the retailer. But it bad been said, that these
taxes were so heavy in amount, that it was quite
impossible the Government could spare them; that
they formed one-seventh of the revenue, and there-
fore their repeal was impracticable. His (Mr. Wan-
nop's) opinion was, that the Government could
afford to do without them, or without an equal
amount of revenue ; and then, when the reduc►ion
had taken place, there could be no doubt but the re-
ceivers of the taxes would be still considerably better
off than those who paid them.—(Applause.)
WILLIAM JAMES, Esq., of Barcock-lodge (hoe
M.P. for Carlisle), next presented himself to the
meeting. The remedy of the gentleman who spoke
before him, for the distresses of the people, reminded
him of the story of the man Nybo was knocked down
and robbed of all he possessed, but who received
from these who- bad plundered and ill-treated him