The Sun.
London, England, 1822-05-22 00:00:00

however these circumstances may operate in
rnit►aation of censure, they are no justification.
Et is not by such means, we believe, that
nations are usually gover►►ed, or Legislatures
conducted, or even addresses, freedoms and
snuff-boxes obtained, in rational times.

[MORNING CHRONICLE.]
The conclusion of the proceedings agail..st The
John Bull Newspaper, for Libelling the late
Queen, demands some observation from us. It
is-observed by Mr. Bentham, in his admirable
work on Judicial Establishments, that Libel,
under the English law, is " art offence of which
there is no definition by law, against which, in
fact, there is no law, but of which the definition,
as far as it is to be collected from ju.licial prac-
tice, is the publishing any thing concerning a
man, whether in a private or public character,
n hlch a man would not like to have published
concerning him. I fever Newspaper was a Libel,so
is perhaps every Newspaper that ever was publish-
ed.'' As the truth of these observations will be al-
lowed by ail who know any thing of the law in
question, when we say'thata man Las committed a
libel, we say nothing. What he has committed may
be either highly Meritorious or highly culpable.—
Inadvertencies and expressions of undue warmth
have, untler this pretended law, been frequently
visited with great severity of punishment, while
calumnieS of the most Rtrocious'Arscription have
as frequently -he'enallowed to pass unpunished,
or been subjected to a comparatively trifling
pun's-him-M. The law is arbitrary, and the
punishment arbitrary ; every thing depends on the
feeling of the Jury, and the inclinations of the
Judge.--With respect to the Newspaper to which
we alluded in the outset, there can, however,
he but one opinion. Its appearance formed an
era in modern Newspaper literature. It did not
leviate into libels through inadvertency or the
at of argument. It has-always had solely '

‘iew the dissemination of calumny and detiac-
tion, and that in the most cruel and merciless
manner. It rose by detraction, it has always
subsisted, and still subsists', by detraction.

[BRITISH PRESS.]
The second reading of the Roman Catholic
Peers Bill is fixed for Friday, the 31st inst. and
not Thursday next, as stated in our Paper of
yesterday. It wodld be absurd to suppose that
the late disturbances in.lreland, or its present
depressed state, have any actual connexion with
the Catholic question, or should.. in a rational
view have any influence, upon it. The distur.
bances were local, and totally free from all
political or religious feeling. The present
famine is the visitation of
,Providence, and
not the act of the Whiteboys. These truths
are undeniable, and yet' it must be confessed
that these adverse circumstances have pro-
, duced a tone and temper in the public feeling
unfavourable to the cause. We have been accus-
tomed to regard Ireland as a land of plenty,. the
granary of England, stored for it with golden
grain, and filling the place in wuich Sicily once
rood in relation to Rome. Nothing was want-
ing to complete the system but the removal
of its civil and political imperfections. Em-
braced principally within the Catholic question,
it engrossed the public alt?ntion; but now that
pestilence and famine in the island stare.us in the
face, the attention thus engrossed by political
subjects is divided, and diverted to the more ur-
gent and pressing wants of human existence. It
will not, therefore, surprise us if, under these
adverse circumstances, the Roman Catholic Peers
Bill should be thrown out upon the Motion for
the second readieg. In such event, however, the
merits of the question will not suffer by the de.
feat. It can only be said that the time was un
favourable.

[MORN.ING HERALD.]
It has scarcely ever happened that, while Eu
rope was in so interesting, if not critical a po-
sition, the Continental itvelligence was so flat as
at present. It is only with us, however, thatre-
ports falsified by the event, and predictions un-
fulfilled, have worn out all curiosity. On the
Continent--7particularly in Germany—rumours
of the marches of armies, and the movements of
great Monarchs, inuendoes about the designs
of Cabinets, are stilt plied with indefatigable
zeal. The reports of the departure of the Emperor
of Russia for his armies on the Truth, is mere
r 4 p.tition, without any additional claim to credit ;
—and, in truth, if lie had advanced without
delay or deviation, since the first announcement
of this important circumstance—for important
it certainly would be—instead of reaching, by
the date of the last accounts, the frontier river
he would have found h'rrvelf at Constantinop!e,
—The last rumour issued from the Germar
Mint, spurious or genuine we cannot say,
is, that a misun:lerstan.ling has taken place
at Constantinople between the English and
Austrian Ministers. The circumstances are
detailed with imposing minuteness, and stated
to be contained in commercial letters. It would
appear that a coldness began between Lord
Strangford and the Count tie Lotzow, upon
the tatter's observing that his diplomatic col-
league in the business of mediation had se•
veral secret interviews with Reis-Effendi, of
which he rendered to him (Count Lutzow)
no account—although it was arranged between
their respective Governments that the mediatory
proceedings should he carried on in concert. Fur-
ther, it appeared that ‘xhilst the remonstrances of
the English Ambassador, relative to the visiting
of vessels under British colours, were treated
with every attention by the Divan, the Austrian
Minister could obtain no satisfaction for the
seizure of some Austrian merchant vessels by the
Capitan Pacha. Should this be true, which we.
think there is great reason to doubt, it would
give a very unpromising, appearance to the pro-
gress of the negociations.
ks

The idea of establishing Banking Companies
upon the plan of the Scotch Banks has received a great shook
in consequence of the failure of a Scotch Banking Company—
the subscribers to which are called upon to subscribe 250 per
cent. to-make good the deficiencies of that establishment.
A reduction m the price of ale and porter took place in Ro-
chester and Chatham last week. Ale is now retailed at sd.
and porter 41d. per pot.
The total number of acres of land under the cultivation of
hops, in the year 1821, was 45,662, so far as relates to England.

FOR TUE' SUN.

AGRICULTURAL DISTRESS.

TO THE MARQUIS OF LONDONDERRY.
MY Loan—At a period like the present, when
one half of the community is groaning under dis-
tress from the depression of Agricultural pro-
duce ; when every Member of the
,Senate has a
theory peculiarly his own ; when only one can be
correct; and all the rest erroneous, I trust that I
shall stand excused should I venture to offer to
your Lordship's consideration my opinions ; im-
pressed as I am (like all other men) that I may
be nearer the truth. Our judgments of course
are liable to vary, yet each gives credence to his
own. The nation, my Lord, has for a consider-
able time been on the decline, from bad to worse,
in regard to its Agricultural concerns, arising
from some error in the system ; and none has
ever appeared to my mind so glaring as the hav-
ing our ports opened at a moment when there was
no scarcity or want of corn in the kingdom ; on
the contrary,.when every granary was overflow-
ing. I shall therefore urge on your Lordship's
consideration that the ports having been twice
opened, and their being again. liable to be ;,o,
have produced the inconvenience under which we
labour, and that the high price of grain is the
pivot on which the whole system turns ; whether
the kingdom is to exist in a state of felicity, or
that it is to run into the other extreme, and be-
come a theatre oidiscontent and' confusion. That
the ports ought to be closed I shall endeavour to
establish by my arguments, without a liability to
their being re-opened, unless called on by urgent
necessity, and then only by the King in Council.
I shall premise my observations by laying
down as an incontrovertible principle, that it is.
the -imperative duty of every country (which
may possess the mea•ns) to supply from its soil
the articles of prime necessity. That the origin
of our present distress proceeded from the ports
being open to foreign corn, I believe few will
be hardy enough to deny ; even the Earl of Li-
verpool himself contends that a superabundance
of supply over demand is the cause of the in-
convenience. What has caused this superabund-
ance but the quantity imported, when it was not
required, added to the superfluity then in store;
and ,so glutted the markets that they are still
influenced by the pernicious effects ? This po-
Sition admitted, how ill-judged was it, and what a
want of foresight, to admit the introduction of
foreign corn (when, from the state of our own
agriculture and improvement therein, we can
Supply ourselves at home), and that corn admit-
ted duty free My object is not to censure the
past, but to guard against future misery, to
which no act will more assuredly tend than
closing of the ports ; the key lies within the reach
of the King in Council, and may be resorted
to at a moment's notice, should occasion re-
quire it. The experiment is surely well worth
the trial. By many it is contended that, as the
ports are now shut, all is obtained that can be
required, and that their having been opened
does not influence our present markets ; they
further contend that, from the present low
price of Grain, they are, not likely to be re- •
opened. What reflection or foresight can lead
them to such a conclusion, I cannot discover,
but of this I am certain, that while they remain
liable to have Foreign Corn thrown into them
(should it be found expedient to increase the
quantity of our circulating medium for the pur-
poses of general facility towards the payment of
taxes, &c. &c.) the ports would not remain shut
even at a duty of 20s. per qr. on wheat. As the
quantum of the circulating medium becomes in-
creased, whether of gold, silver, or paper, the
price of corn is augmented, money is of less value,
corn of more, and ten millions added to our cur-
rency would instantly raise the price above that at
which your Lordship has proposed the Ports shall
open. Without an increase of currency, the af-
fairs of the Kingdom, viz. the payment of taxes,
rent, and the ordinary transactions between in-
dividuals, cannot with facility be carried on; here
must be felt a deficiency of numbers, which are
to preserve the equilibrium between national
debt and the expellees continually incident to
Government on the one hand, and the value of
commodities generally on the other. The num-
bers which we use or calculate with, I submit
must rise from the soil, and that if only 40s. per
quarter is obtained for 20 millions of quarters
sold, the numbers for use will only be 40 mil-
lions, whereas, if the same quantity is sold for
80 shillings, 80 millions will act on property, and
take off foreign articles, which may pay duty to
the State. There is a general prevailing opinion
that a high rate of wages to the manufacturing
labourer interferes with, and injures the foreign
market, and that our goods cannot, therefore,
enter into competition with those of foreigners ;
it is not so—the facts will not hear out the posi-
tion. Did the English manufacturer trade for
money, there would be grounds for the reason-
ing; but he does not trade for 'the precious
metal, as I shall attempt to illustrate. That the
manufacturing labourer only works for his wants,
few will deny ; were it otherwise he, would ac-
cumulate, which is not the case ; and if he did
accumulate, would he continue to work at a low
I:rice ? he would he better:lig his condition daily,
and would soon cease to work. Admitting tire
foregoing position, can it be of importance to
him, Whether his wants are supplied at one
farthing a day, or after the rate of 51. per da-,
hi; wants in either case are supplied, and he has
no further to do with that which is produced ;
he has exchanged his labour for his food; and
it ought to be the home market which is to
supply him ; whether at a high or low rate, the
difference to him is not felt ; but it is not the
same with the farmer, who supplies him with
food, wool, &c. &c. .The price at which the
farmer sells his 'food, &c. is to regulate the ma-
nufacturer's labour, and so, vice versa, they cut
on each other—yet, the establishing a high or
low rate of prices of agricultural produce is not
the same to the farmer, although it would be so,
had he no otbeipurchaser than the manufacturer,
of whom he takes in exchange the manufactured
article ; but the prices being established between
the two, if high, the farmer will succeed, and if
low, he will fail : so that the fundholder at pre-
sent gets more food for his dividend than he

ought to have—the same to the sailor and soldier,
whose rates of pay were regulated under a full
efficient currency ; and the fariner is compelled
to give two bushels for one, to discharge his taxes
and his rent, provided he is in a condition to pay
any. That the English manufacturer does not
trade for money, is self-evident ; did he, and that
England exported 9.0 millons value in goods; that
quantity of the precious metals would be receiv-
ed in return, and two or three years would drain
all Europe of every ounce of-gold. We have
from experience seen that seven years having
elapsed since the war, we have not now exceed-
ing ten millions of gold in circulation, the greater
part of which has been released from private
stores, which, from my own knowledge, I can
pronounce has in no small degree been the fact.
flaying contended that the high price of labour
in our manufactures does not interfere with the
foreign trader, I shall assume as data that the
manufacturer labours but for his wants, and
that having exchanged his labour and manufac-
ture for his wants, it is the remaining quantity
of manufacture which is to be exported, to
pay the master manufacturer for the raw ma-
terial, the carriage from ports to manufactory
back again, import and export, freight, taxes,
machinery, interest, and profit. The manual la-
bourer,therefore,bears but a very small proportion
to the several other expences in producing, even
were it as high as two shillings per day ; admit-
ting the article is made and sold (as contended
by some it is) for money. Should, however, my
position be true, and that England does not
trade for money, it must be admitted that two
countries bartering any commodity, reference is
had and consideration given both by the buyers
and sellers to the article given in exchange.—
The English merchant, if the prices are high at
home (in the consuming market) will sell the
manufactured articles low, the prices being high
at which the foreign articles can be disposed of,
and if, on the contrary, the numbers are low at
home (for the consumer to take off the foreign
goods) he will sell his manufactures dear in
foreign markets, that is, he will expect a larger
or lesser quantity in return from the value of
money at home, and that value of money must
be regulated by the quantity in circulation, and
the prices of food and labour ; when high, both
the one and the other, the prices will be high for
the manufactures and merchandize ; when low,
a corresponding diminotion will be felt, it being
from the soil our numbers are to rise. If high,'
they tend to national prosperity, if kept with-
in our own country, and that we supply our-
selves with food ; and if, low, on the contrary,
with high taxation, they must tend to distress,
confusion, and anarchy.—Let us suppose that
one quarter of Corn is raised in England, and
sells for 10s. per bushel, and that one bushel
is sold to the manufacturer to answer to his
wages at 2s. per day, and that he works five days
and sells a piece of muslin for 10s., the farmer
will receive 80s. for his quarter of corn, or 70s.
and a piece of muslin, and there will remain 70s.
to purchase a cask of French brandy coming to
England, say at GOs. ; and, on the contrary, let
us suppose that in Russia the price of corn shall
be Ws. per quarter, and that the labouring ma-
nufacturer in that country obtains 2s. 6d., and
labours five days also at 61. per day, the num-
bers which will rise in the respective countries
will stand thus: 70s. to take off commodity in
England, while in Russia there will only be
17s. 6d.; the brandy will be sold in one country,
England, for 31., while in Russia it will only pro-
duce 155., consequently the Englishman can
barter four pieces of muslin at 15s. per piece for
the cask of Brandy; while the 'Russian can only
barter one at the same price, because the num-
bers used in England are higher than those of
Russia as four to one, and thus it is that the
Englishman can afford to barter more English
merchandize for Freud: commodities taken in
return.—Should the ports chance to open un-
der the present state of our currency, what must
be the consequence, wheat at 41. per quarter, at a
moment when a farmer cannot afford to employ
his men, and when, from the reduction of money
and credit, the price of labour is reduced to ls.
per day, and that only a limited number can be
employed even at that low rate. Will not then
the manufacturer feel a greater difficulty to sup-
port himself and family, than he would had
agriculture been encouraged, accompanied with
a liberal quantity of currency ? lle mast rise or
fall ultimately with the agricultural condition of
the country.--I shall not enter into that wide
field of discussion, of whether the reduction of
taxes will benefit the agriculturist, yet this I
know, if 20 millions of taxes were taken off, it
would so disorganize and unhinge every thing,
and so interfere with the transactions between
man and man, that little short of a revolution
would be expected. Nor shall I canvass that
question, of whether the Poor Laws are good or
bad. any further than to say, that I consider
them as the ornament of our system, that the best
laws may be badly managed, and that it is pos-
sible so to regulate the poor as to have scarcely
any Poor Rates.--I know from experience, it
may be clone, that in the parish of Chettle, in
Dorsetshire, belonging to myself and in hand,
the rates I paid last year amounted to only QS!.
occasioned chiefly by sickness of the poor requir-
'ng medical assistance.
J. H. CHAMBERS,Bank er.
Bond-street, May 20, 1822.
v ,
mingemomnieme Formamosessem

MOST DISTRESS, NG EVENT.-Information has
been received (as we understand) by the Earl of P,LEsysToN,
from his Majesty's Ambassador at the Court of Naples, of the
following occurrence, most distressing to all those who were in
the remotest degree acquainted with the subject of it :—On the
17th or lgth of last month, as Mr. Charles Burgh, third son of
Thomas Burgh, Esq. of the County of Kildare, and Mr. `Vat-
kin, a relation with whom he travelled, were sailing in the Bay
of Naples, a storm arose suddenly, by which their boat was un.
fortunately, upset; and Mr. P., after the most astonishing ex-
ertions on the part of his friend to save him, was lost, having
struggled till midnight in the waves. The agonizing sensa-
tions of his family, who were nn the shore,- may be conceivel
Mr. Burgh wa educated in our University, where he was dis-
tinguished by the highest literary honours, and was studying,
we believe, for the English Bar. To a more than ordinery
share of talent—to a sound and manly judgment, and deep, un-
affected piety, were joined, in his instance, a very peculiar gen-
tleness and humility of character,
.that made him loved as soon
as he was known.
,Thus, at the early age of 24, has been
snatched from this world—from his fond family and admiring
friends, a spirit so interesting, and a life so justly valued. Mr.
Burgh was nearly allied to Lord Blesintnn and- the Earl of
Clancarty.—( Dublin Patriot. )