The Sun.
London, England, 1822-04-05 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MaxsroN-Hou SE.—Yesterday two brothers, named George
and Richard Biggs, underwent an examination before the LORD
MAYOR, on a diarge of having stolen 6451. the property of Mr.
Richard,, a respectable woollen-draper on Ludgate-hill.—Re-
minded for further examination.
Bow-STREET—Yesterday two well known thieves were
charged with having stolen thebody of a child, about four years
old, from the Church-yard of St. Pancras, and It was suspected
that they had been connived at, if not actually assisted by, a
watchinan. The prisoners escaped with difficulty from the
violence of the mob in the street, when their offence was known.
MARLBOROUGII-STREET.—Capt. R. B. .J a man of
fashionable appearance, was charged with stealing a 201. Bank-
note, the property of. Mrs. P ---, a Lady residing at Hamp-
stead.
The evidence of the prosecutrix went to prove that the pri-
soner was a confidential visitor at her house, and the note in
,question was deposited with two other notes of 201. each, and
two smaller ones, in a pocket-book which was placed in a basket
in the drawing-room some months since. The note was missed
one morning when Captain J. took Mrs. P.'s son out for a walk,
he knowing the property was in the basket, and on his return
she made him acquainted with her loss without suspicion at
that time. The prisoner was under some pecuniary obligations
to Mrs. P..and she often entrusted him to pay her bills. Wit-
ness stated that she made an entry in a book (which was pro-
duced) of all sums paid or lent by her, and the disposal of two
notes of 201. each was proved to have been paid to Mr. Brookes,
a schoolmaster, and an ironmonger, which was corroborated by
two items in thel book. The 201. note lost was reserved for an-
other purpose, and never advanced to the prisoner.
The lost note was traced to have been paid at the shop of
Mr. Dobree, pawnbroker, to redeem some pledges, and the
.prisoner was identified as the person who had paid it.
Miss Sophia P.— was called upon by Mr. Alley for the
prisoner. She stated herself to be the niece of the prosecutrix,
and was on a visit to her when the note was missed, but is now
a resident at Worthing. She had lent her gold ,watch.to the
prisoner, who told her he had pawned it; and expecting her fa-
ther in London, she pressed on him to redeem it, which he did,
and she believed the prosecutrix had lent him a note upon that
occasion. She did not see the note, but she believed that the
Captain brought her back some sovereigns in change, which he
laid down upon the dining table.
Mr. HARMER, for the prosecution, cross_examined the wit-
ness, and submitted that a clear and palpable case of felony
had been made out against the prisoner, whose conduct was the
more culpable, from the sphere of life in which he moved.

Mr. ALLEY suggested bail, which Mr. ,Harmer objected.
Mr. DYER, the Magistrate, said, he had but one course to
pursue.—The prisoner was fully committed for trial, and the
parties bound over to prosecute at the ensuing Old Bailey
Sessions.

DUEL.—A meeting took place at an early hour
yesterday morning, on Blackheath, between Mr. A—, at.
tended by Colonel M---, and Mr. C—, attended by Mr.
W---. The first fire nearly proved fatal to both parties, Mr.
A—_ being struck on the elbow of the pistol arm, and Mr.
C__- being grazed on the breast by his adversary's bullet.
The seconds then interfered, and a satisfactory explanation took
place.

- It appears CARLILE is determined to fight it
out, as we understand he has opened a new Temple of Reason
at No, Water-lane, fleet-street, only a few yards from his
late scene of action, conducted upon the same plan of operation,
with all the machinery and invisible agents behind the curtain.

AGRICULTURAL DISTRESS.

FOR THE SUN.

M. EDITOR-Seeing in one of the public
papers of the 2d a strong and pointed Address
of Mr. WESTERN, Representative of the County
of Essex, than whom a more honourable or more
enlightened Country Gentleman is not to be
found in the kingdom, to the feelings and good
sense of Parliament and Ministers, I conceive it
so much to the point, and so perfectly justified
by melancholy facts, that it may not be improper
to re-state it at length, through the medium of
your valuable Paper :----" Mr. ‘VESTERN said, it
was very natural that the Menibers for York-
shire, and Somersetshire, should have turned
their minds to the causes of the present distress.
Agricultural property was under the heaviest
pressure. It was his firm conviction., that two
thirds of the Farmers of Essex would be found
insolvent if they were called upon to settle their
accounts. Ile called upon Ministers, therefore,
seriously to consider what the situation .of the
country was. Such a case never before occurred
in this or any other nation. So far was this state
of things from being natural, thaithey had every
reason to expect the very contrary. If it con-
tinued, the consequence would be to bring down
the Nobility and Gentry, from their situations.
The truth was, that landlords hud been liv-
ing for two or three years on the capital of the
tenants, and, the distress would go on increasing
every hour, unless some remedy were found.'
The causes of it, it would be no easy matter to
assign, and to point out.an effectual remedy was
still more difficult. The violent and sudden
change made in the currency increased the bur-
thens of the country between 20 and 251. per cent.
The Act of 1797 was most objectionable: it was
a breach of faith with the public creditor, but it
was a great breach of faith with the public
debtor, to make him now pay 20 or 251. per
cent. more than he ought to pay. Ilis con-
viction was, that if the present state of things
continued it would have the effect of shaking the
whole frame of society." The worthy Member
states but too truly the dreadful situation, not
only of the districts above particularly specified,
but of the whole landed property in the kingdom,
to which some speedy remedies must be applied,
or, as I have before repeatedly taken occasion
1.6 observe, all the lands of this fertile and noble
country must shortly become one barren and un-
profitable waste, the landlords not only with di-
minished rents, but without any rents at all, and
the farmers, even lately, of the highest opulence
and credit, reduced to absolute beggary.. But the
worthy Member adds that the causes are not
easily assignable, and to point out the effectual
remedies, a matter of still greater difficulty. But
when he says this he distinctly states, as one of
the principal causes, the sudden change of curren-
cy, which has increased the burthens of the coun-
try from 20 to 251. per cent. Now this is in
such full and perfect conformity with what
your correspondent has so repeatedly urged
and stated on the subject, through- the 'me-
dium of your generally circulated paper, that
it would be but a waste of words further to re-
state and enforce it. But surely the worthy Mem-
ber might have seen that what was done by one
stroke of the pen, by one vote of a Committee,
might easily be undone by another. It would
be at the most but a magnanimous confession of
error; and though possibly rendered a subject
of ridicule, and held up to the derision of the
public by a certain very inconsiderable Party
in Parliament, would be greatly more than com-
pensated by the approbation and applause of
every enlightened and honourable Member in it,
as well as by the public at large. By that vote,
taxes were, in fact, nearly doubled ; and the
whole landed interest of the kingdom absolutely
laid at the feet of the monied and the funded.—
Whilst the landed proprietor cannot pay his
taxes to the State, or his debts to the Mortgagee,
the monied portion of the community has its
income substantially doubled, being enabled to
purchase at market price as much with the same
money as he could before, and is besides to re,
ceive his dividends and the interest of his mort,
gages in metallic currency, the capital of which
he advanced under a paper one. Such a state 01
'' •

things must necessarily disorganize the whole
frame of society, and cannot be sustained for a
single twelvemonth without the total ruin of thou-
sands, and those by far the most useful and sub-
stantial members of the whole community.—
What has been said of relative demand and
supply in the article of grain, and that when
they were somewhat equalized, things would
find their natural level and come round, has
been shewn to be wholly fallacious. The
supply has been less as our harvests ha-ve
been rather below than above the common
average, whilst the demand of an increased and
increasing population could not have suffered di-
minution ; but, had the principle been applied to
a circulating medium, it had been perfectly cor-
rect : for of that the supply was scanty in the
extreme, whilst the demand remained as former-
ly. The same commodities at market, with half
the money to purchase them, necessarily lower-
ed prices, and caused that almost immediate'de-
pression which is now so severely felt. To state
that depression at 2 or 3 per cent. the supposed
difference between gold and paper, was the
grossest error that could have been fallen in-
to. For, had there been no difference between
gold and paper, but each on a perfect equality
with the other, the withdrawing so large a portion
of the circulating medium had alone sufficed to
produce all the mischiefs that have been expe-
rienced. It has been represented by some per-
sons, ignorant, as it would seem, of the first prin-

ciples of political economy, that it would be a
matter of great hazard in these times of almost
general dissatisfaction to adopt any measures that
should tend•to raise prices, as the manufacturer
could barely live on his present wages, whist he
purchased Iris provisions at the present reduced
rates. But such is not the fact, for the conti-
nuance of a system-in which the cultivator of the
land could not afford to sell -his conimodities,
must necessarily very soon deprive the manufac-
turer of Iris best customers in 'the home market,
for without means neither landlord. or'farmer
could continue to purchase the articles of his
produce, and he must consequently be left to his
foreign markets exclusively, which bear no pro-
portion whatever to what- he has hitherto derived
from home consumption. Were -it to be stated
as in a ratio of 10 to 1, there would not, perhaps,
be found considerable, if any, exaggeration. An
:ignorant manufacturer would be perfectly satis-
fied with his wages at 20 or 30 or 40s. per week,
and feel highly gratified-at purchasing- his quer-
tern-loaf for twopence ; but he must he not -only
ignorant, but stupid in the extreme, if he concei-
ved, on the slightest reflection, that he could
long be supplied, at the same rate, or that the
landholder would or could continue to cultivate
at a ruinous loss solely for his unreasonable gra•
tification.-
,Such are their relative situations at
this moment, and at least half the landed pro-
prietors and cultivators in- the island are on the
brink of ruin, because they cannot, dis Pose of
their produce at-prices that would in any man-
ner repay the cost of cultivation. To lanjent
over evils that will not admit of remedy' is per-
haps both useless and absurd; but it is the boun-
den duty of every enlightened and well-inten-
tioned man to look those evils boldly, in the face,
and suggest such remedies as niay appear most
applicable for the purpose. The writer of this,
though by no means unconscious of 'his 'own
insignificance-in the state, or his limited abilities
to provide effectual remedies for all those mise-
ries. into which, the country is at this moment
beyond all former precedent pressed to the very
earth ; yet, having maturely reflected on the
subject, and viewed it in all its immediate bear-
ings and reflections, he took the freedom of ad-
dressing the public, through the medium of your
Paper,and to what he has already said, he will
now take leave to add what measures he should
himself immediately' adopt were he at the head of
the Councils of this Kingdom, and possessed of all
the necessary means for the purpose. In
,a few
words, then, he would, in the first instance,. with
the least possible delay, do away the effects of that
unanimous vote of Mr.Yeel'S Committee, and re•
vert to that paper currency under Which the
country has prospered for more 'than these
last twenty years. would next take off
the Stamp Duties on all Bankers'' issuable
Notes, of whatever description. Ile would
then shut the ports of the kingdom- on all foreign
grain or provision, of Whatever description, not
to be re-opened without absolute necessity, and
then only by the King in Council, upon a_rea-
sonable prospect of dearth, well authenticated by
incontrovertible documents. These measures,
once adopted and carried into practical execu-
tion, would in a moment, as it were by a charm,
relieve all the pressures of the country, restore
things to their proper level, and probably satisfy
the wishes and secure the interests of every
reasonable individual in it. The Stock-
holder, it is true, would not continue in
the wholly unjust, unequal, and 'unmerited
state of elevation to which late impolitic mea-
sures have raised him, but he could have no
injustice or hardship to complain of; he would
receive his dividends precisely in' the same cur-
rency in which he advanced his monies,•and has
hitherto received their interest, and he would pay
in common with the rest of the community fair
prices for such commodities as he purchased at
market. The manufacturer could do the snme,
and if it should be found 'that his- wages were
not- equal to the purchase of provisions at the
raised prices, the master manufacturer must raise
his wages pr desist from that branch of business
which would not enable him to. afford it. A
manufacturer dismissed from employ can much
much more easily be converted into a cultivator
than a cultivator into a manufacturer. Put a
spade or a hoe or a whip into the hands of any
ordinary man, and he can very soon be taught to
use them with sufficient adroitness for any useful
purposes ; whereas a shuttle or a spinning jenny,
or any other instrument or tool of mechanic ma-
chinery in the hands of a common labourer be-
comes perfectly useless and wholly beyond his
powers to manage. It may he a matter of
astonishment to those who have not looked '
deeply into the subject, how much an exclusive,
possession of the home market for the. produce
either of agriculture or for the manufactures of
any country, is preferable to all the foreign com-
merce it can maintain with all other parts of the
world. This has been most ably stated and proved
beyond all possibility of rational contradiction by a
Gentleman of the name of Spence, in a 'pamphlet
written some years' since, . and which passed
through six editions, and is now nearly, if not
quite, out of print.—lt is entitled, " Britain in-
dependent of Commerce,"" and printed for Cadell
and Davies. The present writer strongly recom-
mends it to the attentive perusal of every thinking
reader, and is much mistaken if it does not pro-
duce entire conviction on the subjects treated of.
It was opposed by a Gentleman of the name of
Mill, and likewise by the Edinburgh Reviewers.;
but the author met them fully and manfully, on
their own ground in another pamphlet, entitled,
" Akriculture the source of the .Wealth of -Bri-
tain," published by the same Editors in 1808.—
To each of these the writer of this strongly recom-

mends the attention of his readers-; and .as there
may be a difficulty iii procuring these pamphlets
at this :distance of :time, he has much plea Sure
in having lately learned, that Mr. Spence is
living, and preparing to give all hiS tracts on Po-
litical Economy- collectively in one no very large
volume to the public. *To say more on the sub-
ject of his doctrines would be superfluous; the
author will speak better for himself than any one
can do for him, and if the attentive perusal and
consideration of his' work does•not produce the
same conviction on every unbiassed and impartial
mind that it has upon his own,your correspondent
will be greatly astonished. The times demand
this attention from every well conditioned member
of the community, for the crisis is great, and the
public danger imminent. National ruin or
na-
tional salvation are the objects before us. Lie
still 'on your Oars, on the fallacious' reasonings -of
'demand and supply, -and the hope that things
will shdrtly find •their level, whilst the errors
that have driven them from it' are obstinately
persisted in, and the former becomes certain and
inevitable, whilst the latter is open to facile 'arid
speedy remedy, if our Governors have the mag-
nanimity to confess. their error, retread their
steps, and adopt such measures as the Writer has
had the presumption to point out, or others
equally tending to beneficial effect- that may
strike their own more comprehensive and en-
lightened minds. J. S.