The Sun.
London, England, 1840-04-02 00:00:00

ADRN-LA NV DELEGATES. \in addition to this a great many actually perished, to which' He won
id lei
--+-- !own
a great many were now progressing. He knew from his I they should ;
u own experience in the town of Birmingham that this was Mr. LEES,
ales again met yesterday at two o'clock.
the fact. He did not mean to say they were entirely without that Mr. Gr
h, Esq., being absent for, a few days pon
SS, food, but the quantity and quality was such that the least \ tshoemeHopuasretso
accident destroyed them. That gentleman from Leicesterc
roe. of Glasgow, was called to the Chair, imomdye.cliate c
had said the distress there was occasioned by the or,n-t
,utes of the two last days were read* and con-
laws, and this was their effect in Birmingham as
Mr. Gias
this moment there were from 200,0001. to 300,00.0/ owing
Mr S. qMITII stated that the Petitionsaid the agricul
tart', . a- , •and the Americans
the to Birmingham from America ;
ad made another report, which was up to _ well. At b
The number of petitions for total and imme- they were willing to discharge it at once, 'f the Corn-laws phoßrrtrwcaesto
were repealed,and they were allowed
e. thaw
imaginq
now amounted to 487, the signatures were
ainst the Corn laws 492 petitions, signaturescharge of it ; but otherwiseflour in dtihs
Mr. LEE;
bile those in favour of the bread tax were,they wer e touns :abide
debt, which they acknowledgel.-( Hear. )
, signatures, 51,456.-( Laughter.) Mr. AVIS, of Staley-bridge, ey- r ,
House of Lords, in under pres;
DAvls, S 1 b idge said that the Duke of say that mu
Richmond last night intimated in the
ember of letters from all parts of the country
early showing that the agitatiois was gaining hanswerehad deceived the people in order to obtain petitions ; Mr. RAM
to the eloquent appeal of the Earl of Radnor, that tention to it
rery quarter, and more especially amongst the
agricultural labourers, and also amongst the
his particular localities were 12s. a-week. better exam
the
dykesides that, he had stated that the wages of the work- here some t
from Bedminster inclosed a piece of the bread rounditigctizsebslo
Duke ha also attempted to turn the address Mr. S. l
labouring classes ; it was as black as coal, and That
e. of the Earl of Radnor into ridicule, by stating that they ing to the I
DYD wished to be allowed to make a few obser- Put the question to the peop
i taking up The Sun of that morning, he saw le as one of cheap bread, but Mr. J. P
had told them that question was, whether they Mr. RA
that the Duke of Buckingham said last night
on
if
theyouldhave cheap bread and no employment, or dear bread would hops
eof Lords, uon the Earl of Radnor saying and good wages, they would not be so willing to After a
p
gpetitions. He had also attacked the Noble were intro(
rs in the parish in which he lived, the agri-
Eigaarl's manly support of the repeal of the Corn- Joseph I
)urers, bad 9s, per week, " If they were so well
laws, by stating that It was impossible the condition of the six miles b
use of complaint had they against the Corn-
labourers could be what had been represented when the time last ym
fear.) Now, no one, be ho peer or commoner,
state of the Savings' Banks was looked to. He called beer; at of
to have his own argument used against him :
these things to the attention of the Meeting, in order that general rat
e Hon. Duke could not object to what he was
means might be taken to answer such unfounded assertions. the gentle
He found that, in 1706, the average price
Mr. S. SMIITII said that the assertions had been answered worked ab
a 645. 10d. Now, in the same year, Sir F.
by Mr. Waklcy, who had clearly proved that it was not tact There we
made a minute and personal inquiry into the
working men who placed their money in the Savings' Banks. hamshire.
sixty-four families engaged in farming labour
Mr. LEES wished to know what part of the country the the next
parts of the country, which averaged 14s. 1d
Duke of Richmond spoke of when he said the wages 20 years
mile his wages amounted only to Sc. 111.1
were 12s. work for a
week. Now, that difference they a
Mr. GREG said that the wages in the North Riding of paid very I
be made up from some source-they all knew
Yorkshire were fully that amount ; and in some parts near would rem
it was made up out of the poor-rates.-(Hear,
the Railroad they had more than that. fair avers
at system was now abolished ; but the expenses
Mr. LIVESEY had been on the Board of Guardians atPreston, since Octc
atenance of a labourer's family had not de
and the lowest statement ever made of keeping the paupers his second
l that was profit thrown into the pockets of
was 2s. 4d. a head per week. He would suggest to the ages were
.ds. By the showing of the Noble Duke of
League, that they should open a depot at Manchester, to wife could
ri, he had brought forward an argument of the
exhibit first the bread eaten by labourers in different parts The tilde
iture in favour of the repeal of the Corn-laws,
of the country, in order that that bread might be circu- worked
mold be impossible for him to explain away.- fated over the manufacturing districts, where they were earned si
ar.) He had forgot to state the fact,
anxious to produce agitation. He would suggest also, school,
a was now six shillings dearer than it
r 96, . that the garments and bed-clothes used by the labourer -when y
t that it clearly app which made hise argument the strongerared that our agricultural should also be sent to the depot. This would show to 4s. a-v
the wretched condition of the people with respect teen to tv
:ould not be so satisfied as the Duke of Bucking-
to clothing and bedding, and would more deeply impress grown wm
sod. He thought that all that would be feces-
uon all the necessity of something being done to alleviate Those WE
sat they should enlighten the labouring classes
itp. The. Corn-law, in his opinion, was the landlords' trade anything
cal circumstances of their present position.-
union ; they had determined to claim exclusively the mo. pleased, 1
''r.D)l3 N said that there was a very importantP
no poly of supplying the country with bread, and although . paid 9s.
,13
a greate deal was said against physical force, he had na parish tm
an to be drawn from the remarks of the Duke of
doubt if an attempt was made by the people to trade with bourers
cm, and that that remark would afford them a text
other countries, they would have the Excise-officers at not eat
fora longtime. People had hitherto been anxious
their ports, and physical force would be used to prevent parish.
,in who were the parties who benefited by the
bread being brought into this country.-(Cheers.) He tree in hi
arm-laces, and what was the division of the spoil
thought the Executive Committee ought to be prepared them any
I there certainly must have been. They know
with a spirited address to the country, meeting every proves tl
,a present system a vast deal of money had been
argument in print against them. That should be rent at f
of the pockets of somebody, and put into the
done as early as possible, the probability being that in two expects f
if some one else.-( Hear, hear.) But no
or three days many of their friends would have left town. gives.
yet been able to determine what were the
The first thing in that address should be the money neces- principal
wefts of the landlord, the farmer, and the
sary to enable them to carry on the great work ; the next they live
They had now, for the first time,
the appointment of lecturers ; the circulating of not go pc
of forming a judgment on the subject from a
their publications. But there was one point which no oppor
itted by one who was a landlord himself. It
had not been sufficiently dwelt upon, which was have no
that the agricultural labourer was to be content the establishment of Ant i- Corn-law Associations. parishes
week, while the best Essex wheat was selling at
Unless they could persuade the great mass of the people men co
arter. ihe Gentleman who preceded him had
to join them in their movement their cause would never ing beet
ni a statement of the relative amount of wages
succeed. He had been fortunate enough to establish an apply to
at pr sent and forty years ago. The condition
Association in Preston, and he expected if Mr. Villiers' relief.
:rs had not improved since the last-mentioned pc-
motion should be negatived in the House of Commons, when it
I they should see if the rent of landlords
that there would be such a movement in Preston on the tural lal
remained unchanged. Was it not well known,
part of the working classes as had not been witnessed rative s,
that rent had doubled and more than doubled
even under the reign of Chartism.-(hear, hear, hear.) then, tt
se period to which he had referred.-( Hear,
There ought to be demonstrations made throughout labour
He thought, therefore, that it would be easy to
the country-they had all heard of the Kendal dinner, and the hall
were the parties who alone had shared in the
of the number of petitions against the Corn-laws that had have I
which was derived from those laws which it was
resulted from that demonstration. There was no cause in since C
ect to repeal.-(Hear, hear.) The Chairman of
which he felt so great an interest as the cause in which he -the e
ord Poor-law Union bad told him that the charge i
was then engaged.-( Hear.) It was with him a question the la
staining each of tl:c poor in his workhouse
lof humanity.-( Hear.) Not being engaged in trade he food-t
d to two shillings and three pence per week,e did no; feel the pressure of those difficulties in the same than th
lowever, been ascertained that the average of cacti
way as the manufacturers did, but he had been compelled are afc
o thi country was four persons and a half ; so
to visit such a scene of misery, poverty, and wretchedness, there it
condition of a working man receiving 9s. a week
m-ality somtg worse than the paupers of a work- that he felt himself bound by every Christian principle to the bre
-( Hear, her.)ea He should repeat, that he thought join the League, and do all he could to obtain the repeal of should
the iniquitous Corn-laws.- ( Cheers, ) He had delivered additio
:rvation of the Duke of Buckingham a valuable
1 that they cvuld make use of it for the future. a few lectures in his own neighbourhood on the subject, which
and he was ready to act on the hint thrown out by they ar
IMITH said that there were parts of the country in
Mr. Prentice yesterday, namely, that besides subscribing bushel.
is condition of the labourers was much worse than ah
to the funds of the Leagee, they ought to have lectures get
c old Poor-law, but in which, however, land had
delivered in every locality, He pledged himself that he butter,
,tie the change in that law, from 23/ to 601. an acre.
ONES said that he thought it should go forth to the , would agitate, every town in North Lancashire, and would 1833 li
visit it at his own expense. (Cheers.) Less than that now ;
that it been asserted that labourers should remain
with 9s. a week. -( Hear, hear.) In the county Ihe should not conaider his duty as a Christian.-(Cheers. ) as che
sy he had reason te know that the costs of main- The DELEGATE from CIIORLEY stated that a gentleman then al
1 from Huntingdon, who had come up with some Corn-law time tl
prisoners in the county gaol amounted to 2s. 3d. a i
nd he believed that their maintenance at present petitions, had told him this mornin that about five years son be
i ago the value of land in that neighbourhood was only 301. again i
a a week. Those labourers, therefore, who, in the t
of or 401. an acre that latterly it had got up to 501. or 601., eff sin
of the Duke of Buckingham, had such reason to
and that there was a farm of seventy acres, for which he bccatu
rat were, in reality, worse off than the prisoners had bid 5,000 t ~, but that offer
was refused, and that a few Ido n
rhy gaol.-(Hear, hear.) months ago it was put up to public auction and sold for before
Bolos. of Leicester, said that he wished to state a i
6,0001. or 7 0001 . which was nearly 100/. an acre. That with
:t S 115 the results of the Corn-laws on the town from \
tact showed how *the Corn-laws operated.-(Hear.) ' their
he came. That town contained about 50,000 in-
Mr. lisirwou'ru observed that it had been several times midd
nts, and one-fourth of that number were now sub- I
mentioned in that room that considerable subscriptions petit
on charity.-( Hear, hear, hear.) A sub- I
were going on in the manufacturing towns where great die. thin;
on of 4.000/. or 5,0001. had been lately raised
trers existed. It had been stated that about 4,0001. or , trict
e there almost exhausted, and he could rot say f of the distressed cf the sewn, but he believed :
, 5;000/. h I had been raised in Leicester, that similar sums had Fol.
10as I)°°' been raised in Manchester and Bolton for the same bent:- they
,e, portion of the inhabitants of Leicester would i nevolent object. It would be of the greatest importance .very
onwardbe enabled to live. The labourers of Lei-Ito know correctly the whole amount that had been raised hen(
had until now been employed during a great part of
in different towns to relieve the existing distress, because ceca
ar in working for the American market. From that. ,
, it would be much better that the Corn-law League should mac
t, however, there was now no demand, and though j have
that amount so as to prevent the possibility of a re- plot'
kaiericans owed us large sums they were pre- eurreece of those evils, than, after they had happened, to whom
I by the Corn-lases from paying those "ms apple only a temporary cum-( Hear. ) The evils and rem(
the corn of their abundant harvest last year.-( hear,
;distress in manufacturing districts arose from the pernicious therm
The population of Leicester had not taken up the
' operation of the Corn-laws, and it would not be difficult to run
law question till of late, and they had now a Work- prove that.- hear, hear.) If there was no Cern-law, a fes
fin's Anti-Corn-law Association which comprised
1 there would be cheap bread-if there was cheap bread, min
than 1,000 perems.- (Hear, hear.) He thought
I torery labourer throughout the country would purchase rents
he termination of their efforts as an Anti-Corn-law
their manufactures, and then there woui dbe ample work pole`•
le they should address themselves to the promotion
and labour for all the working classes.-( Hear, hear.) hour
1 and religious liberty, the obtaining of household
He should also very much like to know what had been the B,
e-( Hear)-vote by ballot, the reduction of the pro-
amount of increase of local taxation in - the shape of pa- relic
qualification of Members of Parliament, and the pro-
rechial relief, because whatever the amount of that taxa- uncle
m ef the greatest heppiness of the greatest number.-
lion had been, it was merely compensating for the injua. new
a ) He trusted they would allow him, as a private
tice that had been dune to the poop) .-(Hear, hear.) '' men
er of society, and as a political character in Leicester,
The CHAIRMAN observed, that if those suggestions were larni
serty to recommend this course, and by so doing, he
made to the Executive Committee they would be duly tho.i..
ht they would not clash with the principle or design
attended to. with
association. This lie proposed to do himself, andho Mr. SIDNEY SMITH had received a letter from an frier
mended other gentlemen to do the same in their re- agricultural labourer in Essex, who stated that be paid Lan
ive localities. Ile thought if they returned home and
yearly 11. 4s. for poor rates. He also begged to observe, He
ed this course, they would attach to them all that
in 1750 the gallon of wheat cost 4s. 5d., and that the yeas
otter part of the working ceases of the couetry,without poor-rates for all England amounted to 692,0001. In hav,
n it would be in use for them to go year after year
1815 the gallon of wheat cost 12s. Bd., and then the my
Le Legislature. Since, then, they would feel assured
poor-rate amounted to 6,590,C00/ It was worthy of note sort
did not go there as manufacturers for the promotion
seir individual interest, but were actuated by a desire that France, as well as England, was under acorn-law, to t
and the result was the same there as here-that the menu- hiri
!lie advancement of society, and the diffusion of li-
e-he thought he should not discharge his duty if he facturing population were in the utmost distress. And so the
far from the working it being better off, they were by pla
net express his gratitude to the men of Man- thousands out of employ.
ter for the obligations. they were under to to.
He He was too old a politician not to know tae ad- Mr. L. HEYWO:ITII wished to add that sufficient atter:- mu
.ge of attendiag to their advice, which he earnestly lion had not been paid to the positive, in addition to the cm
negative advantages of a repeal of the' Corn-laws, Eng- Be
etc would be done, on this important business. land was well fitted to become not only the emporium of agt
Ir. Seueeit said he should be sorry to say anything
manufsctures, but of trade-(Hear, hear)-and if the no
would take away the effect of the recommendation
Corn-laws were repealed might well become the depot of git
the last speaker, being one of those who, al 1 -
corn for the world.-( Hear, hear.)
;h satisfied with the ground they had made, rei
The Mayor of CARLISLE concurred in believing that the sa'
feesed he had little hoped to see a change effected positive advantage of the repeal would be immense. He 10
the House of Commons as at present constituted. was firmly persuaded that the result would be such an in- he
came before them in consequence ef having that
crease in the demaed for labour, as to afford employment an
-ring received a letter from a friend at Stockport, to all the unemployed labourers not only in England but gc
wining, some valuable statistics relating to dear bread, Ireland.-( Cheers.) The towns would increase with time ril
cif he would read to the meeting. There were, no augmentation and improvement of the population. And of to
Ile. gentlemen who differed from them respecting the that what would be the first effect? Beyond all doubt, the w
re-laws, in conecquence of their own interests, but who
land round the towns would gradually be engrossed for
ald, nevertheless, be sorry to he implicated in starving building, and for gardens, &c. Thus there would be a hi
it fellow-subjects. Tliat this was the effect of the greater demand for land, its value would increase, and hi
rn-laws, he thought was clearly shown by the 2d and perhaps of all classes the landlords would benefit most by to
Tables He would, however, allude, first of all, to the repeal.-( Cheers. ) of
ale No 1., which was- Mr. GREG was about to observe upon some fallacies he in
cement showing the proportion of the Wages of the said he had seen reported of the speeches made last night et
Country-Labourer to the price of Corn :-; in the House of Lords, by the Duke of Richmond, when A
Periods. 1 Weekly pay. Wheat. i Wages in Wheat. Mr. PRENTICE interrupted, and suggested that the agii- 81
to 1752
m 1... 1770 7 6
s. ii. 1
42 6 1 pints.
90 cultumrr.al luaaobouoKrEer(sobfemeaanlleehde6itrei.r76(aHeaidar,fhriecanrd.)
an important statement to make, and he introduced -
of
of his had th
30 0 102
10 ... 1790 8 0 51 2 80 Mr. NORTON (of Lincoln), who said he, though not a w
15 ... 1799 9 0
\7O 3 65 Delegate, came to offer his mite to the good cause-
maa ... 1808 \ 86 8 60 ( Cheers)-and he wished to make
11 0 this simple statement. la
He was in trade, in a large agricultural district. In 1835,
a had not got the last tables, but there had
since and he had no doubt that the wages
auction si been a ereet at the lowest prices, his returns in a population of four- tl
bourer were less than 50 pints at the esent o •
"f
the teen thousand had increased seven thousand pounds.
!vile the landed proprietor received moment, The landowners had stated as an illustration of the benefit d
.cond table was- . double rent. The of high prices, that it gave additional wages to thetvliath. ea
bourer, thereby enabling him to expend more money
dd. I
'able of the Mortality in Seven of the Manufacturing the tradesman, and that these high prices became an a 1-
districts in England, at four different periods, with alas, tional stimulus to trade. Yet, for the last two years, he .
Average Price of Wheat at each of those periods.-(From had found the greatest difficulty in keeping up his returns
o Barton's Essays on the Condition of the Labouring to what they were in 1835, and in Manchester goods and '
Clauses.") manufactured goods of that description, he could not force.
• 'Excess of Deaths ------------------- a sale even at a sacrifice of 40 per cent., which proved 1
Average Price above the Number that the labouring classes were not able to afford them-
Average
Wheat , Deaths. in the Year 1804,
Data. selves these cornforts, more especially in clothing. which
per Quarter. when Wheat was they had been able to purchase in 1835. Ho was
kLeiepeolrnssibnirtt
at 60s.perQuarter. engaged in a small wholesale business, and had
..---- -----_- ---- ________ travelledLincolnshire,
through Huntingdonshire, Cambridgeshire,
d. and Norfolk
agricultural ,
districts and h e
ofhad
those asked
counties
s,
howlBol 113 3 55,965 11,171
much they took of a Saturday night now, as compared
1804 60 1 44,794
with what they took three or four years ago. Saturday
night was the great market
1807 73 3 48,108 3,314
1810 106 '2 54,564 10,070
nightto thisqueasgtiroicriu
- bourers, as they received th • of the
TABLE 111. night, and the answer returned Saturday their wages on the
statement of the Total Number of Burials within the Bills oef e
Saturday night, they now only.to_okShwltuagr,althl la-
bourers,
wuere, four years ago, they took four
roere five
shillingsshillings
or
threeof a
Mortality, as Reported in the Official Lists of each of th
and sixpence. The present high prices, also, had created
Four Years as under, with the Average Price of Wheat in
each of those Years, a degree of speculation in the taking of land, of which
„moor of Excess of Burials above those of those who resided in manufacturing districts could have b
Average Price , a
aboutlittle idea.. He knew a person at Dover who haduat
Date of Wheat per
\
Quarter.
s. d. Burials, thewas yaetar 18.04, when Wheat
per Quarter. small efostuarteyoeafrafoaugrtoe;enheacerxeps,ouwdheidchabwoasut
bleu tl. forup 04111.
itl 0
isa.
1801 118 3 19,374(1aying it, and then with some difficulty he let it for 101. ;
1604 i 60 1 17,038 2,336 since that be had expended 2001. upon the same property,
16071 73 3 18,334 and it was recently let by competition for 501. a year, and
lalo 106 2 19;893 1,296
an increase in popula-
-2,835
the
eisy was not an isolated fact. He was a member of the
It would be slid probably them was • - Corporation of Lincoln, and in several instances in which
had let their lands the rentals had been nearly trebled.
lion, but this effect was not derived from that source, but, These lands were ~ .
let by tender, and the difference in price
P of bread.--( Hear.) the effect of the offered by those wishing to take land was immense. If he
Mr. BOCLTBEE said the gentleman from Leicester important
went to Manchester to purchase cotton goods, he con_
said that one-fourth of the population of that Place
cester had sidered 6d. profit upon 255. a very object,
living on charity. He did not know what was the proper_byper acre for the same land. Now
den in Birmingham, but he could state that in that town but in letting theirlan3d3ss.tender, Seine persons oared 235.
per acre, and others.
three thousand six hundred persons were in part sup_ di;fearge rin
difference
lot
fu rsios t s must be very bad calculators to make a
per cent. in their calculations.-( Cheers.)
ported by the poor rates; but that was not the The CHAIRMAN said that Mr. Greg had been exposing
extent of the evil. When men were out of work they were some of the fallacies of the Lords in the debate of last
obliged to get into debt to the shopkeepers; when these re- night, and that Mr. Prentice bad moved that an agricul
used to tiust them longer they were obliged to pawn, and tural labourer who was in attendance should be examined

He would leave it to the Delegates to decide what course
they should adopt.
Mr. LEES, of Saddleworth, thought it was of importance
that Mr. Greg should be heard, because the statements in
the House of Lords were looked up to with attention in
some parts of the country, and it was important to give an
immediate contradiction to fallacies emanating from that
body.
Mr. GIBSON thought it was of more importance to hear
the agricultural labourers-it was certainly of great im-
portance to refute fallacies, but he did not believe that
there was quite such respect paid to hereditary wisdom as
was imagined.
Mr. LEES had been misunderstood ; he did not mean to
say that much respect was paid to hereditary wisdom, but
unuer present circumstances they were obliged to pay at-
tention to it.
I . Mr. RAWSON thought that as the labourers had been
here some time, and were anxious to go home, they had
better examine the labourers.
Mr. S. SMITH wished to call the attention of the meet-
ing to the motion of Mr. Livesey.
Mr. J. HOLFORD, of Halifax, seconded the motion.
Mr. RAWSON thought it was premature; he himself
would hope to the last hour. •
After a short conversation, the agricultural labourers
were introduced, and examined by Mr. Livesey.
Joseph Field, a farm labourer, from Buckinghamshire,
six miles below Aylesbury. During the hay and harvest
time last year his wages were 103. a-week and two pints of
beer; at other times he had 9s. only. That was about the
general rate of wages in his neighbourhood. The best of
the gentlemen gave 10s. a-week to those servants who
worked about the cattle, and so on ; the others got Bs.
There were three classes of labourers in Bucking-
hamshire. Elderly people got from Qs. to Bs. ;
the next class were the young men, from 16 to
20 years of age ; many of them did not get a day's
work for a month, but when they were in work, they were
paid very low wages. A man of 30, in the prime of life,
would receive from Bs. to 10s. a week ; 9s. was a very
fair average. His age was 67. He had not worked
since October, being incapable. His wife was 37. She was
his second wife. They had six children, their respective
ages were 15, 12, 10, 7, 21.5. years, and 7 weeks old. His
wife could nut earn anything after attending to the family.
The eldest daughter earned about ls, a week. She
worked at the lace trade. The next two girls
earned sixpence a week each. He kept them both at
school, for which they paid 3d. per week each.
-when young people are in work they get from 2s. 6d.
to 4s. a-week-by young people, means people from six-
teen to twenty years of age-95. a-week are given to full-
grown working men, because in general they have families.
Those wages were given to them out of pity rather than
anything else. Farmers might pay them less if they
pleased, labourers are so abundant. Those who are now
paid 9s. might be got at 6s. or 7s. Lives in the next
parish to the Duke of Buckingham's estate. La-
bourers on the Duke of Buckingham's estate arc
not exactly in the same condition as in his
parish. The Duke of Buckingham lets people live rent
free in his cottages, and allows them fuel ; he does not give
them anything to eat-his allowing them to live rent free
proves they are too poor to pay rent ; his cottages would
rent at from Is. to 15d. a week; does not know what he
expects from them in return for the gratuity which he
gives. Young men, when they can get no work, live
principally on their friends-v,hen they have no friends
they live as they can, or they go about poaching ; all do
not go poaching, but some bad characters-such persons have
no opportunity of drinking-they go poaching because they
have no other means to live. There arc two persons in his
parish who arc now in gaol for felony. Believes these young
men committed felony, and got into the habit of poach-
ing' because they had oot bread to cat. If they. were to
apply to the Board of Guardians they would be refused all
relief. There is more poaching when bread is dear than
when it is cheap. Remembers what the state of agricul-
tural labourers was forty years ago. Knows their compa-
rative state then and now. They were in general better
then, though some might have been worse. The wages of
labour 40 years ago was about 9s. ; they paid 14d. then for
the half-peck loaf ; the 41b. loaf now cost Sitd. it would then
have been got for about 7d., has not been able to week
since October last-has 4s. and six loaves from the parish
-the entire is worth about 75.-he has had it all only for
the last seven weeks-bread and potatoes were his
feed-the bread he gets is very fair bread-it is not better
than the bread of those who get no parochial relief-there
are a few with large families who eat barley bread, but
there is hardly any barley in his part of the country now-
the bread he gets from the workhouse is about the same he
should buy for himself-buys about four loaves a week in
addition to what he gets from the workhouse,
which cost about 2s. 4d -grows his own potatoes-
they are all gone now-they coat at present Is. lod. a
bushel. His family could eat about a bushel a week-they
get aboat a pound of meat a week-they get no milk, nor
butter, nor cheese-they pay 7d, a pound for the meat. In
1835 labourers were a good deal better off than they arc
now ; they got the same pay, and bread was Dearly twice
as cheap. Does not think there was as much poaching
then as now. The two men in prison had not work at th'e
time they committed the felony ; one of them was in pri-
sail before-he came out, got no work, and was committed
again in about a week or ten days. Labourers are worse
off since the New Poor-law than they were before-it was
because he was diseased that he received out-of-door relief.
I do net very often buy clothes, what I have got I had
before I was a pauper. There are able-bodied labourers,
with four or five children, near me, living entirely by
their own earnings. They arc not well clad, but very
middling. The children have generally got shoes and
petticoats ; they work at the lace trade and ;,;ct some
things that way. We have some advantages in our dis-
tricts over districts purely agricultural, hut still the
people are out of employment ; can scarcely get meat ;
they also want clothes. The shopkeepers complain
very much. There is very little said in cur neighbour-
hood about Corn-laws. People say the depression is
cccasioned by the high price of bread, but they do not know
much about the nature of it. I believe if bread were cheap
people would be better off. We always were better off
when (bread was cheaper-we always got more food. I
remember in 1835 and 1836, when bread was cheap
there was little land abandoned by the farmers and
run wild-they grazed it. A labourer could get
a few poles or an acre then if he applied for it, but he
cannot get it now. The land I raised the potatoes on I
rented at ed. a pole, or 2s. Sd. a chain-there aro 160
poles in an acre. There is no other trade in the neighs
bourhood than the lace trade.
By DELEGATES-Very few able-bodied men have been
relieved by the pcor-rates since the new laws. They were
under the old when they had no work, but not under the
new. Our farmers employ most of the able-bodied
men now. There are no able-bodied men with
families out of work now, only ycur.g men, and
those who had only wives. There are able-bodied men,
without families, who have no work. They live on their
friends, and them that have no friends go out at nights.
Land lets at 15s. to 41. an acre. I took mine of a farmer.
Ho ploughed it for me. I don't know whether, forty
years ago, it was the practice of the labouring man to
have credit from the shopkeepers. I always paid for
my clothes then when I got them. Very few farm-
servants live in the houses now. They give credit
to those in the houses for twelve months, and they pay at
hiring or harvest time. There is no Savings' Bank in
the parish. I should not think there was any saving in our
place. There are two clubs which a good many belong
to. If there was a Saving Bank they would riot lay
much money by ; they have not the opportunity. I buy
coal for firing. I had a son working for the Duke of
Buckingham last year; he is about twenty-one ,;ears of
age. He gave him twenty-pence a-day. He had
STATE OF TRADE.-There continues to be a
tin house beside. I do not know what he very fair demand for yarn, and a considerable amount of busi-
baslenofot
gives his own labourers. He lets all his labourers live ness seas done yesterday, but without any advancedand
with
hf prices.
rent rent free. I know nothing of the wages he gives. I can For goods thenr
skirtings suitable
nothing of that ; but what he gave my son, which was for the so
ondifaono good, and,
in whicl-i
(tiperi:r•ils stills a fair business doing, the market did not exhibit
10s. a week, and nothing else. I don't think a man with
much animation. Still there is a more cheerful feeling in the
his wife, arid three or four children, could live on 10s. a market than existed a few weeks ago, and a pretty general im-
week ; he might exist, but not live. Those tbat did not itre3iches
ssilonnthattebr Guardian.othgools
and yarn have seen their lowest point.
get work went among their friends ; others lived on cha
rity ; and some went a-begging. The Union had enough DEATH OCCASIONED BY EXHALATION.-
to do to support men with families, without supporting those A medical journal contains a notice of a ease in which four ho-
who were nutria:tied. dies had been placed in a tomb or cemetery, into which it was
By Mr. S. SMITH-Before he got out-door relief he discovered that water had penetrated. Two sextons undertook
had five children to keep, together with his wife and to remove the water and the dead bodies. From the corn-
himself. Had not always a bellyful ;he often had inencement they were struck by the foetid odour which cx-
to leave off before he had enough, and his children very haled from the water, but continued to work. '1 hey had
often cried to him for more bread. That was not the case already removed a large quantity of water and two coffins,
in 1835, when bread was cheaper, but he had not so many when, in attemptingete
duid rs
to seithird, the their feet slipped, and
the remainder
a violently agitated by
children then. He got the same wages forty years ago. One
of
themen f h
fell immediate
lylifeless. His comrade made
At that time he paid for the half-peck loaf, which weighed
several attempts to raise him, but on the third effort also fell,
Sib. I toe., Is. 2d., and now he gave Sid. for a 41b. loaf. do rived
soon arrived, and the men were withdrawn from the
rived of cosciousness, upon the body of his fellow-labourer.
-( Cheers.) At that time it was the general practice for Ass
the poor people in his parish to get land for the cultivation
tomb. The first was dead. The second recoveeed; but for a
of potatoes, but they could not get it now because it was month afterwards he suffered from considerable difficulty of
wanted to grow wheat. breathing and weakness of the legs.
-The Lady Jane left
By a DELEGATE-Got no advantage now from common
land. THE WHALE SHIPS.
the
extraL Lord Gambier. boife ri.l.e
wEhaacrh-
this port on another Arctic voyage last week, and was followed
By Mr. LIVESEY-Wages were about the same before
of yesterdaythese vesselsb yth the
areG rscunp‘pillileedßyyt
hanadn
the Poor-law passed as they were now ?
By a DELEGATE-The poor-rate had lowered a great
deal since the Poor-law came into operation. It was theimproved
By
the numberGrenerthis) ear,
opinion of the labourers that the Poor-law had done them town, is the main cause of iucrea g
• sin
mvements Mr. Greene;
a great deal of harm ; and they based that opinion on theirFuhave ver materially in-
e
refusing to relieve the able.bodied paupers. has introduced into these implements . y. .
goonad harpoon,gue nrnsg.anyn
asd, Thed as
that
manufactured successth e etnhdei
ter imp
Al er . use\v .of thee
By Mr. S. Siairit-The work that his son did for the 'erious and dangerous em-
Duke of Buckingham was draining, which was work of a has hitherto been considered a
very particular kind.will considerably ex-
dition, whichof ,•f we mistake not, . . ,
By Mr. Rawsost-Years back the labouring man who
rties concerned in it. W e heartile
creased the probabilities of sneceiashs • besides giving to what
had a wife and six children, and who got 7s. or Sc. a wish thateenergies of all
aproprietors of those ships may be re-
week, had relief from the parish, but now they got no warded . the spirited whales.-Tyne Pilot.
more wages, and had no relief. with abundance of
pelioteymthent, the character of a new and romantic sporting expe-
INCEND
Mr. BEAN wished to observe that their Legislators didmorning week, some evil disposed er..
night or
not appear to make it their business to inquire into the son attemeutle)d• on Friday' Y
to the steam-boat, Mary, of this place,th
state of the people ; and the Duke of Buckingham, who then lying
and displaced the machinery,
tositseet
Mr:. Gales's boat-yard ; but owing to awas the champion of the landed interest, appeared equally confined struatmosphere in the vessel's hold,dit 1
_e
of the k away some iron rods,
in-
to oppress the agricultural labourer. The mushroom arise jury was done. The miscreants also too .
tocracy, who had recently risen up, such as Lord Ash- lARIsNI AT WHITBY.- On Thursday
burton, Lord Lyndhurst, and Sir Robert Peel, the latter venting the working of the vessel. fir.d of 201. for the appre-
ob whom, by the bye, had risen from the ranks of owner of the boat, has offered a reeve
rncerely hope will be the
the people, and ought to pursue a very ddifftehrent course,
measniosnofofbrtihne
bringing them
tewh.nisteew......
Tyne pilot.
appeared to be the greatest oppres
snrs
Corn-laws '
. most arbi- The un-
THE COgiNnVgICTS INI Yon IC CASTLE.--
trary in maintaining the accursed - Hear. )-under the sentence
evidentl witThhtohtneadseNsvigrnigohft,ptrhese
They ought to serve them as they would the drone bees,
live the vitals
on
turn them out, and say they shouldof death in this pri and we helierveeeen,
by their relatives risen,
to procure a
Hear, bear.) or friends d (of which no hopes
happy convicts, Brown and Bardsley, still lie
been
the people no longer.-( , sentence. Should no reprieve be
Duke of Richmond had lastit is probable will he cxe-
Mr. GREG remarked that the
ne object
te
no tf •
are entertained), the unhappy men,
cutest on week. Coates, the angman, who was a
night Saturday no efforts havewho
made
the Corn-laws was that the nation should find (according to one
of any other country for bread. He (Mr. Greg) would the Governor willb have another man to
a)tionAnwohtheear
stated in the House of Lords thatthehegrtenadteopbej
not enter into details, but the fact was, that this country of the stipulations in his bond to perform that office.)
THE -LATE MELANCHOLY Loss OF LIFIZ
prisoner, having escaped from York Castle a few months ago,
did not produce enough bread.-(On Tuesday afternoon an inquest
fact was, that a large proportion of the popu ON THE RIVER AT PUTNEY.
s bread,
bread and view of the body of Mr. Radcliff John
Abbott, aged 25 years,
few years ago could obtain a sufficiency of wheaten was. held beforelllr. Carter, at. the Bells Tavern, Putney, on
could not now get enough even of black ,with two other Hear, hoarl.
Pratt, were
.drowne in the river
that a tlemen, named Staunton and
potatoes. Another fallacy of the Duke's was, galley on the
hundred, of thousands were obliged to feed on late a Proctor in Doctors' Commons, who,
d o ier gen-
great deal of land would be thrown out of cultivation. The
evening of Friudane- week. The particulars have already ap-
Editor of The Sun had noticed that absurdity in a leading
peared in The Suyn. The evidence was merely a repetition of
Thames, near P t bridge, by the upsetting of a
article, but the fact was, that a great deal of land did go that given on the former inquest, and the Jury, after remark-
out of cultivation before the Poor-law Act passed. The ing on the melancholy nature of the case, returned a verdict of
farmers could not cultivate their land and pay rent and ‘,
rates ; and it was given over exclusively to the labourers nephew of the late Lord Tenterden. .
to support themselves thereby. The same absurd argon- i a
Accidental Death." The deceased is said to have been a
CAUTION.-Me caution the publ e gamst a
means were used by the agriculturists in the time of Mr. band of swindlers who are endeavouring to cash flash bills of
Huskisson, relative to the monopoly in wool. It was well swi
exchange, &c. One of the letters of thel
known that in 1819 the agriculturists succeeded in getting Ilull, has been put into our hands, printed on firs, recene ved in
gilt letter
a duty of 6d. per lb. imposed on all foreign wool importe paper.-hull Observer.