The Sun.
London, England, 1825-11-15 00:00:00

INVERNESS-SHIRE FARMING SOCIETY.

(From the Caledonian Mercury, Nov. 10.)

This Society had tin' honour of entertainin;
the Right Hon. Sir JOHN SINcLAin, Bart. that zealous friend
to agriculture, in his way from Caithness to Edinburgh. Dr,
Ntcor. was in the chair, and Capt. Shaw acted as croupik.
The evening was most agreeably spent in the• interchange or
much kindly feeling, and of marked regard for the labours of
their distinguished gue.t. A great deal of very interesting con-
versation passed on the subject of agriculture, and Sir John read
to the meeting the following remarks on the contemplated alter-
ation of the Corn Laws.
Sir JOHN SINC Lanes Address to the Inverness-shire Form-

ing Society on the Agricultural State of the Country.
The Hon. Bart. stated his " deep conviction that the greatest
exertions would soon become necessary,,to prevent the agricul-
tural interests from suffering as great, if not greater distresses,
than those which they had lately experienced.---That if the sub-
ject were thoroughly investigated, it would appear, that the
owners and occupiers of the soil, and those who directly, or in-
directly depended upon them, formed the most numerous, and
he believed, were by far the most valuable part of the commu-
nity. Their interests therefore, were to be protected, in pre-
ference to those of every other class. They were fixed and per-
mament residents, whereas the manufacturing and commercial
classes were of a transitory nature. They were frequently emi-
grating to foreign states, and the connexions they formed with
other nations, necessarily rendered them less anxious to promote
the interests of their Own country.—That Doctor Adam Smith
the first of political authors, had ably inculcated the doctrine,
that wealth obtained from manufactures or commerce, was of
little permanent utility, unless when realised in the improve-
ment and cultivation of the soil.

" That if we wished to be either safe at home, or respected
abroad, and above all to maintain our military fame and cha-
racter, it was our bounden duty, not only to protect our agricul-
ture to its present extent, but to augment, by an increased uol-
tivation of waste lands, the numbers employed in that branch
of industry. That those who work in manufactures, however
useful in other respects, are in general but little capable of un-
dergoing the fatigues of warfare. Whereas those who have been
bred to a country life, have both strength of body and firmness
of mind, to carry them through the toils and dangers of war,
without inconvenience cr distress.

" That tlie great object which the agricultural interests ought
to have in view, at the present moment is, to preserve, (unless
a scarcity is apprehended), the system of exclusion against the
adrnissien of foreign produce. That though it were possible to
ascertain, at what prices grain might be raised, in ordinary
cases, in Poland or Russia, (which it has been said has recently
been done) it is impossible to foresee, the reduced prices at
which grain would be sold, by the masters of such miserable
slaves, as the Polish and Prussian boors, in order to get money;
for in these countries our manufactures are but little sought
after, or totally excluded.
" That now a new competitor for supplying us with corn, is
likely to arise, namely, the Pacha of Egypt. That he had al-
ready sent immense quantities of cotton to the British market,
with the profits of which, he has been enabled to bring the un-
fortunate inhabitants of Greece to the brink of ruin. That he
next intends to supply us with silk ; but if his corn were ad-
missible, however high the duty that might be imposed upon
it, there arc nO bounds to the mischiefs it would occasior•..—
That Egypt formerly maintained eighty millions of inhabitants;
and besides, with its surplus produce, fed Rome and Italy.
There are, now in it only four millions of people; hence, were
the irrigation of the. Nile restored to its Cornier state of perfec-
tion (which, with the aid of European engineers, might soon be
accomplished), Egypt, with its double crops every year, and
so cheap a mode of raising grain, might furnish our commer-
cial speculators with wheat, at so low a rate, that our British
husbaodmen, who must follow a more operose. and a more ex-
pensive mode of cultivation, could never riwil or resist. Hence
an additional argument arises for adhering to the principle of
exclusion.

" That the wretcbedness of depending on a foreign country
for food, is most happily illustrated in Scripture history. That
the commercial towns of Tyre and Sidon, though they purchased
their grain from Judea, had ventured to disoblige Herod the
King. Whereupon we are told, "rhat Herod was highly dis-
pleased with them of Tyre and Sidon ; but they came with one
accord to him, and having made Blastus, the King's Cham-
berlain, their friend, desired peace, because their country was
nourished by the King's country.'—(Acts xii. verse 20.)
" That such is the state to which the friends to importation
would wish to reduce this country, namely, to the necessity of
bribing the chamberlains of foreign potentates, to save the inha-
bitants of the British isles from the miseries of -famine.

" That in one respect our present system, for the exclusion of
foreign corn, might be improved by punishing those fictitious
sales, which prevent the average prices of grain from being
fairly taken. That this source of error might easily be correct-
ed, by rendering_ it necessary, that all sales shall be bone fide
transactions, and that when any doubt on that head may arise,
it shall be necessary to prove, that the price agreed upon was
paid—that the delivery was real and not constructive, and that
the grain had been actually placed in the manual custody of the
purchaser.
" That our internal enemies. however, are still more dan-
gerous than cur foreign rivals; that among the manufacturing
and commercial classes, agriculture has many friends, who are
convinced that the interestsof the three great branches of national
industry are not at varience, and that the prosperity of the. one
tends to promote the advantage of the others. But, unfortu-
nately, that a species of conspiracy seems now to have been
formed, for effecting the degradation and ruin of the landed and
farming interests. That formerly it was considered the boast of
the British Government, that the police of the country was
carried on without public expence. Now, the unpaid magis-
tracy has become the constant theme of obloquy and attack.
Formerly nothing was considered more useful than the residence
of proprietors on their estates—now, that practice is reprobated
and it is contended, that the presence of the owner is a nuisance,
nay, that tenants would give more rent to absent than to resi-
dent proprietors.—There are not, it is believed, many farmers
who would subscribe to such doctrines, and none could approve
of them, but those who would wish to enrich themselves by
exhausting crops, and thus destroying the fertility of the land
they occupied. There is an old saying in which the tenantry
of Scotland are more likely to concur—That of all forms of Go-
vernment, the pure factorial, (or the management of estates by
agents, independent of any superior controul,) is, in general,
the most exceptionable.

"'That the tenantry are not treated with more favour than
the proprietors of the soil ; for if by their skill and industry,
and the favour and indulgence of benevolent landlords, they
aquire a competency, they are exposed to unceasing ridicule
and abuse, it they presume to live in a comfortable and well
furnished house—if they take occasionally a few glasses of fo-
reign wine—or educate their children in a manner superior to
their oppressed brethern on the Continent.

" That the daring attacks on the character and the utility of
the landed and farming interests, when joined to the combina-
tions now so prevalent in all parts of the kingdom, must in-
evitably lead to some species of revolution. That any attempt
to convert Great Britain and Ireland into a republic, cannot be
successful; for we will never exchange our well poised and
temporate monarchy, and the blessings which we have so lohg
enjoyed under it, for the turbulence and the miseries of a po-
pular Government. ' The great risk is, that the nation, to avoid
the horrors of anarchy, may submit to despotism.
" That we must not consider the present, as a common era ;
or imagine, that the great vessel of the State 1,611 right itself,
and that the storm will soon blow over. We must on the con-
trary, prepare ourselves for some great exertion The stand
must now be made. Wo-mast maintain that invaluable con-
stitution—The King, the Lords, and the Commons, under
which the country has so long prospered ; 'and protect that
agriculture from foreign intrusion, which is the only perma-
nent source of national prosperity."
The Meeting expreSsed its full approbation of the sentiments
contained in this address, and resolved that it should be printed
and circulated.

COMMERCIAL. EMBARRASSMENTS.—We regret to
state, that the recent failure of Mr. SAMUEL
WILLIAms has occasioned a suspension of pay-
ments on the part of a house largely concerned
in the purchase of goods on American account,
whose chief residence has hitherto been in Lon-
don, and who had a very heavy amount of paper
running on Mr. Willimns at the time of his stop-
page. IVhether this suspension may ultimately
be attended with loss, is yet uncertain. We be-
lieve, however, that the inconveniences it may
produce will affect chiefly the manufacturing
districts of Yorkshire. There have also this
week been two or three failures of London houses,
connected with the Alanchester trade, one of thetn
of very ofd standing, but the amount of their
debts, we understand, is not very heavy. In this
town two or three insolvencies have been made
nowt), bUt not for very large sums.—(Manchester
Guardian.)