The Sun.
London, England, 1822-09-12 00:00:00

CITY, WEDNESDAY EVENING.

In the four corn counties, Essex, Kent, Suf-
folk, and Norfolk, the harvest is concluded, and the farmers
are already bringing the new crop partially to market. During
the gathering, the weather in general has been extremely fa-
vourable, and every kind of grain has been secured in the best
possible condition. It is impossible to describe in too favour-
able terms the new wheat crop. In quantity it is most abun-
dant, and in quality it is equal to any, and superior to many of
the antecedent seVen years' productions. The average weight
will not be under 60, indeed it will be more generally -611bs. a
bushel ; and in this respect alone it will be superior to the
growth of last year, by at least 15 pee cent. The season has
not made one bad field of wheat, where a good one ought to
have been produced, and it will be difficult to find a quantity
of inferior quality. The first sales in the Norwich market have
been from 345. to 40s. a quarter, but as yet the farmers have not
had time to make extensive deliveries. So soon as the samples are
brought freely forward for sale, a decline must inevitably take
place ; for until its value finds a proper level with the other
European corn states, no vent for the super-production can be
opened. The latest letters,from Leghorn (28th August) quote
the Italian prices at front 20seto 30s. per quarter, from which
must be deducted freight and insurance charges, amounting,
from England to about ..7s:' a quarter. As the winter ap-
proaches, however, the.prices in' the South of Etirope may be
expected to—adVarice;' and a farther moderate decline in Eng-
land will ine that case encourage exportation, the proceeds of
which will N:real.v.Toath procured for the Agriculturists.
Inconsenquence of the extreme drought whilst barley was
getting into 7the .ear; the produce of this article may be
one quarter less in quantity than an average crop The
quality, however, is uncommoniy• fine, and the weight 50
to 521 b. a bushel. lii produce, this year's crop is no doubt
greatly below:the growth of last season, but this defi-
ciency will, be_ fully remedied by the finer quality and
the greater weight. At present there are large+ stocks of
old barley remaining in the farmer's hands, and both brewers
and di4illers, also hold pore than their usual quantities as well
of this article, as of Malt. Last season the opening' price of
malting barley was in London 405., but it afterwards: fell to
20s. a quarter. This season it has opened at. 28s. and advanced
to 32. 'The present laW for the sale of beer and the distillation
of spirits, are asqnjtiriousto the growers of barley as they are
to the community, and imperiously demand the interference
'of the Legislature.—There is a .Brewery not one hundred
miles from Blackheath, in which the enormous sum of 60,0001.
has lately-been invested. The present power of this Brewery
is from 15,000 to 20,000 barrels annually, and the clear
profit on brewing at the present prices of Porter and Malt,
cannot be under ten shillings a barrel, -but is probably con-
siderably greater. —Were this capital absolutely necessary
for the production of 20,000 barrels of strong Beer, the
profit is certainly small enough for the risk of so much pro-
perty ; but at least two-thirds of this suns have been expended
in those vested iniquities called public-houses, and the consum-
ers of the beer are obliged to pay a fair profit for the unnecessa-
ry capital of 60,0001. instead of the really necessary one of
20,0001. Were it not for the interference of these. vested
nuisances, 3s. 3d. a barrel of profit would be as beneficial to the
public brewer, as 10s. can be under the present system. Were
it possible to point out one benefit produced to the comunity
by the present licensing system, some excuse might be formed
for its continuance ; but the argument used by the proprietors
themselves, of .these vested rights in their favour, ought to be
considered the strongest proof of the mischief which they hourly
do to society. The proprietors of these licenced houses argue,
that if the beertrade were thrown open to public competition,
no master of family would permit either his wife or daughter
to call at their houses for beer. Nothing, surely, excepting
the notoriously bad character of a great proportion of them,
could produce this effect. To repeal the Beer Duty on the
public brewer altogether, and, if necessary, to place a farther
duty on malt equal to this reduction, to grant licenses for the
sale of beer and spirits, to every man who could give security
for the regularity of his house, and to permit any one to
sell beer and spirits not to be 'consumed in his own house,
would entirely destroy the present monopoly enjoyed by a few
wealthy Brewers
.and Magistrates, of supplying the poor and
needy with these necessary articles, at an exorbitaut rate—
The Excise Laws render the distilling trade in an equal de-
gree injurious to the landed interest as it is to the community.
The vexatious opertion of complex and unintelligible legis-
lative enactments prevents the English distillers from ma-
nufacturing the quantity of spirits which is equal to the
consumption of the kingdom. No doubt some may say that
the less encouragement it given to the consumption of spirits,
the more will ahe morals of the community be benefited.—
Spirits will,, Itowever, 'continue to be used, whatever may be
the opinion of these moralists, and if the English distillers
are not allowed to manufacture of such quality as generally
can be used, the deficiency will continue to be imported, and
a great proportion of it will b# smuggled into the kingdom
without the payment of any duty. It is an undeniable axiom in
Political Economy, that no nation ought by unwise laws to give
a preference to the productions of other countries, when its own
can be obtained cheaper. English distillers can manufacture spi-
rits at the present time lower than any nation hi Europe, hot even
excepting the Dutch, and if the law would permit them, the
. quality would be in an equal degree superior. There is, there-
fore, no reason why the consumers of spirits should be com-
pelled to pay snore fbr French brandy and Dutch gin,
than they would do'fbr an equally wholesome and palatable
British spirit, if the law would permit its manufacture, and
the consumption of British barley would be increased by an
alteration of the present brewing system and distilling laws to
a very great extent, whilst the public would obtain their beer
and spirits at a much cheaper rate, and of far better quality
than they do at present.
Oats, Beans, and Pease, arc likewise short in produce of
an average crop, but their quality is extremely fine, and will
in part make amends for the deficiency in quantity. A more
than usually large- stock of every description of grain and pulse
remains over froni last year's crop; and the consumers have a
moral certainty of enjoying low prices for the necessaries of life.
—The agricultural
,interest will, before long, have abundant
proof that their future profit must be obtained by such a re-
duction of prices, as will encourage a free exportation of the
surplus growth to foreign States, for a monopoly of the English
market, and the reaping of prices higher than their countrymen
can afford to pay, cannot increase but must diminish their pros-
perity. The Parliatnent, however, may enact many new mercan-
tile laws highly favourable to them, without injuring the com-
mon good. Tho,home consumption of agricultural produce
may be very much increased, and freedom of trade will encourage
extensive exportation, at the same time that it will enable the
population to pay for what is consumed 'at home, not out of
Poors' rates, but out of productive labour. The public tar es must
yet bd greatly reduced, tithes inquired into, and the poor Clergy
provided for out of the superabundant means of the richer
members of the church. These are. however, weighty conside-
rations, and will require the force of the most powerful talents
and cultivated minds to render them practicable. The Right
Honourable -GEOItGE CANNING'S Liverpool oratory, which '
can only be compared to the cackling of a hen in search of
nest, must be very different in the House of Commons, if
the necessary reform of old abuses be thought adviseable for
the pubiic prosperity by its -collected wisdom. The Agricul-
tural Interest can have far finer lectures on patience, by read-
ing a few chapters inthe Book of Job, than any which this lo-
Cuacious.; Gentleman gap furnish them with, and many:of the
itizens will be much disappointed if his ministerial conduct
does not very speedily produce results widely different from
those he did intend to produce.
The English Fuuds,eontinue rather to a6lvance. The Con-
sols for the Aecourit closed at 81A gS ; the New Fours were sold
at 1004 ; and Bank Stock for the Account at 248 a 247.
In the Foreign Securities much business has been again done,
and the Spanish have been particularly inquired after. The
prices of all descriptitnis are as follow :
French • Five per Cents. with Dis, from 22d March, 95 25.
Spanish * Five-per Cents of 1820, Dividend from Ist May,
68 87i•
Ditto Five per Cent: Bonds of 1821, (sterling) Dividendfrom
Ist May, 654 416 5 i 5 41 5.
Russian *Six per Cents. Dividend from lstJuly, 62.
Ditto * Five per Cents. (metallic) with Dividend from Ist
March, 811. • -
Ditto New Five per Cent. (metallic) Dividend from Ist Sept.
8718
Prussian Five per Cent. Bonds of 1818 (sterling) Dividend
from Ist April; :90f.
Ditto of 1822 (sterling) Dividend from Ist July, 88A.
Austrian * Five per Cents. (metallic) Dividend from Ist Fe-
bruary, 80i. • •
Neapolitan • Five per Cent. Bonds, Dividend from Ist July,
77i.
Danish Five per Cent. Bonds (sterling) Dividend from Ist
July, 89f 4.. •
Ditto • ditto Banco Marks, Dividend from Ist July, 86k.
Colombian Six per Cent. Bonds (sterling) Dividend. from Ist
May, 86a a.
Chilian Six per Cent. Bonds (sterling) Dividend from. Ist
April, 832
American Bank Shares, 22.
Ditto New 6 Six per Cent. 1812, 93i ; 1813, 93i ; 1814,95 f.
Ditto Three per' Cents. 69i.
Ditto Five per Cent. Loan, 1820, 954.
Ditto Five per Cent. Loan, 1821, 96. i.
Marked • are subject to the rate of Exchange.
—(Mortising Clirthelek.) •
•