The Sun.
London, England, 1822-02-22 00:00:00

AGRICULTURAL DISTRESS.

Earl STANHOPE held a Petition, signed by 6
or 700 owners and occupiers of land in the coun-
ty of Kent, who complained of Agricultural Dis-
tress, and prayed for Relief and the Reduction of
the Taxes. Ile did not think it necessary to
enter at length upon those topics, as they were
to be discussed on Tuesday, and he hoped there
would be many opportunities to inquire into the
causes of that general and unexampled distress
which now prevailed. He did not agree with
those who attributed it to the great importation
of corn which had taken place some years ago,
for its operation could not have lasted so long,
and the prices were higher when it lasted than
they were now. Neither was corn the sole pro-
duce of the country which had been reduced in
value. Cattle was equally depreciated, and
yet there had been and could be no importation
of foreign cattle. Some maintained that ex-
cess of production and not excess of importa-
tion had occasioned the existing distress, but
the real cause was one much more natural and
more difficult to remove—excess of taxation.
—The prices were the same in 1792 as they
were at present, and there was no distress, be-
cause only fifteen or sixteen millions were then
raised in taxes, whereas the enormous sum of 55
millions was now levied from the people. The
same distress existed in other countries, where
taxation, hearing no just proportion to their na-
tural means, was imposed to support great mili-
tary establishments improper in time of peace.—
The only remedy was to reduce the public bur-
thens to the same amount as the value of the
currency had been lowered. For that purpose
the interest of the national debt must be reduced
30 or 50 per cent., and if any such proposition
was made, he should be ready to contend that
the measure was a just one, and involved no
breach of public faith. The revenue had been
described as flourishing, but it had not been
stated whether the taxes were paid by the people
out of their capital or out of its produce. He
believed that in a short time they would not be
paid at all. He called upon their Lordships to

pause and meditate before they ventured cn that
fatal measure, the resumption of Cash Payments.
If it were attempted to force it into execution,
nothing but national bankruptcy could ensue.—
intreated their Lordships to look at the state-
of Ireland, which did not arise from po:itical or
religious causes, but from the distress which had
originated in 1819, when the measure for resum-
ing of Cash Payments was adopted. He in-,
treated them, in justice to all the great interests';
which were at stake, in justice to the people, ,1
who were suffering so deeply, to turn their mind
to that abyss of ruin, now open at their feet.-1
They stood on the brink of a precipice, from
which it might not be possible to retreat without
difficulty, but beyond which they could not pro-
ceed without ruin and destruction. The Noble
Lord concluded by moving that the Petition be
laid on the table but on account of some infor-
mality,he was afterwards allowed to withdraw it.

The Marquis of LANSDOWNE presented a Pe-
tition from certain Occupiers of Ltnd in the
County of Dorset, and the adjacent parts of the
Counties of Milts and Wilts, praying for Agri-
Cultural Relief.—Read and laid on the table.—
Adjourned.