The Sun.
London, England, 1822-02-16 00:00:00

AGRICULTURAL DISTRESS.

Petitions complaining of Agricultural Distress, and praying
for relief, were presented from the following places by the fol-
lowing Honourable Members : Froth Lancaster, by Lord
STANLEY ; from Huntingdon, by Mr. PFAHAm ; from War-
wickshire, by Mr. DUG DALE; from Buckinghamshire, by Mr.
R. SMITH; from Oxford, by Mr. WETHERELL ; from Hun-
tingdon, by Lord J. RUSSELL ; and from Buckingham, by
Mr. FREEMATLE.

Mr. WYVILL presented a Petition, signed by several hun-
dred persons, Owners and Renters of Land in the North Rid-
ing of Yorkshire, complaining of distress (which the petitioners
attributed to taxation), and praying for relief.—Ordered to lie
on the Table and lac printed.
Lord NUGENT presented a Petition, signed by 400 per-
sons resident in the Vale of Aylesbury, complaining of dis-
tress. The Noble Lord stated, that, among the resolutions
upon which the Petition was framed, were two, attributing
that distress to a lavish expenditure of the public money, and
a defective state of the Representation of the people in Parlia-
ment. The Noble Lord, at some length, supported the state-
ments in the Petition, contending that the expences of the
Court ought to be diminished ; and observing that the Peti-
tioners were assured that so sure a cause and effect were rele-
vant to each other. The proper state of the representation of
the people in Parliament was essential to a just regard of the
financial situation of the country. He thought much of the
distress was occasioned by the altered state of the currency; but
he was convinced, as well as the Petitioners, that a Reform in
Parliament was the principal source to which they should look
for a remedy. The Petitioners were no•wild theorists, nor did
they ask for relief at the expence of their fellow-subjects._
Neither did they ask relief at all from his Majesty's Ministers ;
but they asked it from the House, which, in compliance with
its form and its orders, he called the House of the Representa-
tives of the people.
Sir ISAAC COFFIN said, that as so much stress had been
laid on the necessity of a Reform in Parliament, he would give
his opinion on the subject—" I think," said the Hon. and gal-
lant Member, " that the best qualification consists in the pos-
session of talents and property. Now the sooner the House is
weeded of those who, like myself, have neither one nor the
other, the better."—(.A laugh.)
The petition was then read, and ordered to lie on the table.
Lord NUGENT said he had another petition to present from
the same part of the country, and on the same subject ; in pre-
senting which, he would avail himself of that opportunity of as-
suring his Gallant Friend that no Reform which he (Lord Nu-
gent) advocated, could possibly contemplate the loss of his Gal-
lant Friend as a Member of that House.

This petition, and a third to the same effect, presented by the
same Noble Lord, were ordered to lie on the table.
Mr. SPRING RICE gave notice that on Tuesday next, he
would move for the production of certain papers connected with
the Administration of Justice in Ireland.
Lord ALTHORP presented a petition from the Farmers of
Perth, complaining of distress, and praying for the repeal of the
Tax upon Leather. He thought the distress, not of this class
in particular, but of all, was to be attributed to taxation. By
taxation he did not mean this or that tax, but the pressure of
taxes generally; and unless the plan of relief, which the Noble
Marquis was that night to submit to the House, included a great
reduction of taxes, and among others that upon leather, which
he thought pressed more upon the consumer than any other he
knew, he thought that plan would prove abortive.—The petition
was ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. CURTEIS, in thing to present a petition from the
Owners and Occupiers of Land at Bramber, in Sussex, took
that opportunity to refer to an observation which had been made
on a former evening, respecting his views of affording relief to
the Agriculturists. He stated that he thought permanent pro-
tecting duties upon foreign produce were necessary to work
that relief; and he was told by the Hon. Member for Coventry
that his (Mr. C.'s) constituents entertained, on that subject,
opinions different from his. Now, as he was an admirer of the
old-fashioned doctrine that it was the duty of Members of that
House to follow the instructions, and if possible, express the
opinions of his constituents, he had been at some pains to as-
certain those of his own. The result of that inquiry satisfied
him that their opinions accorded with his ; in proof of which he
had to state that the petition in his hand prayed for protecting
duties, in order that the Agriculturist might be placed upon an
equality with the manufacturer.. Indeed the petition spoke al-
most the language of the Agricultural Report. •
This Petition was also ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. DICKINSON presented a Petition from the Owners
and Occupiers of Land in the Vale of Taunton, in Somerset-
shire, and two other Petitions from other parts of the same
County, complaining of Distress, and praying for Relief.
Mr. TYNTE, in supporting the Petitions, said, he was, un.
fortunately, able to bear testimony to the truth of the state-
ment in these petitions. Whatever diversity of opinion might
fairly exist as to the cause of the present distress, he was con-
vinced that it was excessive taxation ; and that the first stage
towards relief would be the abolition of Sinecures and unme-
rited Pensions—of course he meant no allusion to those who
devoted their time and health to the public service. As the
present was no party question, he trusted all Honourable
Members would join in supporting every measure which had
retrenchment for its object.
Sir THOMAS LETHBRIDGE presented a Petition from
the Bath and West of England Society, for the encouragement
of the Arts, Commerce, and Agriculture, complaining of the
distress which prevailed in the latter of those branches of pub-
lic property. He stated that so strong was the reluctance of the
Petitioners to apply to Parliament, that a considerable diversity
of opinion had existed in the Society, before they could bring
themselves to the measure. He mentioned the circumstance
to shew how strong must have been the feelings of the Petiti-
oners on the subject, seeing that they had at last resolved to
petition the House. Their Petition prayed, in general terms,
that the House would take the case into its most serious consi-
deration ; and as great expectation had been raised with regard
to the motion of the Noble Marquis on this important subject,
he thouht it would ill become him at present to offer any opi.
nion of his own.—The Petition was ordered to lie on the table,
and be printed.
Mr. LYTTLETON presented a Petition from the Dairy
Farmers of Stafford, complaining of the tax upon Salt, and
praying that it might be repealed.—Ordered to lie on the table.
Mr. GOOCH presented a Petition from the Owners and Oc-
cupiers of Land in the county of Suffolk, complaining of Agri-
cultural Distress, and praying for relief. The Petitioners, the
Hon. Member said, had, in his opinion, very properly forborne
to mix up any political matter with their complaints; and he
was sorry to find that when all sides of the House must be so
desirous to give this important subject every attention, many
petitions called for a reform in Parliament.
Mr. BENNET said that the Petitions of which the Hon.
Member complained were perfectly correct. Had economy
been observed in the public expenditure, the disgrace would
not have originated ; and it was for a reform of that Parlia-
ment which sanctioned the want of economy that the Peti-
tioners prayed.
Mr. COKE said there might possibly be a difference of opi-
nion as to the propriety of introducing the question of Reform
into these Petitions. He (Mr. Coke) intended that night to pre.
sent a Pitition of cert sin Constituents of his on the *ubject of