The Sun.
London, England, 1823-01-21 00:00:00

HEREFORD COUNTY MEETING.

On Friday last a numerous Meeting of the
Nobility, Clergy, Gentry, and Freeholders of the County of
Hereford, was held at the Shire Hall, in the City of Hereford,'
pursuant to a requisition addressed to Lord SOMERs, the Lord
Lieutenant of the County, for the purpose of taking into consi-
deration the propriety of a petition to Parliament on the sub-
ject of the Distressed State of Agriculture. About 12 o'clock
the Lord Lieutenant arrived and took the Chair. Mr. Cobbett
appeared in front and at a little distance on the right hand of
his Lordship ; the remainder of the raised, platform was occu-
pied by a numerous assemblage of the Magistracy and Gentry
of the County. Immediately on taking the Chair, Earl
SOMERS addressed the Meeting, and proposed that the Requi-
sition for calling the Meeting, addressed to him as Lord Lieu-
tenant, should be read ; after which his Lordship again ad.
dressed the assembly, and said that in pursuance of that requi-
sition he had thought it his duty immediately to assemble the
county, for the purpose of considering the propriety of address.
ing both Houses of Parliament on the great and increasing
distress of the agricultural interest. A previous requisition,
very respectably signed, had been addressed to the High Sheri
but he had refused to comply with it. 'Be (Earl Somers) would
ray very little at retard their 'entering Upon their proceedings
but having been placed^in the chair, he felt an imperative duty,
as the only ineansof renderingthe meeting useful to the avowed
object for which it was assembled (the relief of agriculture),
most earnestly to recommend them strictly to tulhere to the
support of that object. He hoped all extraneous, or even doubt-
ful, matter, would be avoided ; • above all things, he hoped, on
that occasion, and in that plac:, there would be no introduction
of party feeling: " We meet for the relief of agriculture—
let us adhere to that point." There were,
,no doubt, many
present, who disapproved the general line of conduct pursued
by his Majesty's Ministers; he would beg of them, if
they really meant to obtain assistance for agriculture, to
give no expression to their sentiments: they might be
very proper for them to entertain and express on other
occasions, but it could not contribute to forward the
object which they had ' in view 'at present. On the other
hand, • he would address himself to those who with him
approved the general conduct of his Majesty's Ministers, and
would beg them also to restrain their feelings. Ii they thought
that all which might have been done for agriculture in its pre-
sent unhappy state had riot been done, they ought not to stif-
fer their partiality to interfere with the present question,
which ought to be discussed on its own merits, without any
party feeling; and he for one, 'Auld so consider it. One
other topic there was, which he would state, to prevent that
meeting being perverted, ns some others had been, which had
been summoned on sirnilar occasions. " Let us, agricultural-
ists," said the Noble Lord, " avoid any divisions among our-
selves. The most ruinous disunion, and one which will ren-
der relief impossible, is a disunion between landlord and
tenant." • The 'interests of the landlord .and tenant were
the same ;—if the landlord were relieved, lie could do with
less rent ; if 'the tenant, he could afford to pay more, their
interests were obviously the same, and any attempt to divide
' would only ruin' both. It appeared to him that landlord
and tenant were like mariners embarked: in the same vessel ;
'they had different ports, but all were interested in bring-
ing the bark safely into port..' Unforturiatt events, such as
shipwreck, had happened, and then the crew, so friendly whilst
the vessel was prosperously proceeding, had been driven to the
'wretchedness of devouring each other. Unless they were driven
'to that extremity, the interest of landlord and tenant was the
• Same ; let them avoid coining to such a lamentable catastrophe.
They had the highest authority for the truth that a house
divided against itselVcOuld not stand ; and it was a maxim
also of politicians, diuQe et irti:periri, u divide and command."
If any attempt was Made to divide them they might depend
upon it, it was for some purpose of the party attempting it.
-His Lordship concluded by saying, he had thought it his duty
to say thus much, and should now wait to hear any gentleman
who should think fit to address the meeting. • • .
• Mr. PATT7FIRALL said; as,the individual who had flak pro-
posed the meeting, he was induced first to present Mimi& to its
notice. lie had been urged to do it by 'the knowledge he had
of the unexamined distresses attic country and the awful con.
Sequences of further &lay. • After what had Wien front the:
Noble Lord in the chair, lie would not delay them long, but
would propose to read the whole of a series of Resolutions which
he had prepared, to put thnineeting in possession of the tenor of
them, and afterwards he would move that the Ist resolution be
approved.
.The lion. Gentleman then read his Resolutions.
" That it is the opinion of this meeting that the agricultural
Interests of this country are at this, time in a state of unexam.
pled depression and distress.
" That such depression and distress may, among other
causes, be attributed to the sudden return to cash payments,
and to an excessive over-proportion of .public burdens pressing
upon land. That the measures most likely to lessen such de-
pression and relieve such distress would be some or all of these
hereinafter suggested. Ist. 'Perseverance in strict attention
to general retrenchment and public econotny. 2d.' Repealing
taxes which press directly on land and agricultural produce ;
and with a view to seine immediate relief this country, the
repeal and remission of half the hop duty, a measute content.
plated in the last Session of Parliament, obliging personal pro.
perry to contribute its due proportion to the maintenance of the
poor, and otherwise amending the Poor Laws in conformity to
the letter and spirit of the 43d of Elizabeth, upon which statute
those laws are founded ' and further to contribute to other ex-
pences incurred for the benefit of the public at large; which are
now exclusively thrown on the' proprietors and occupiers of
land. 3d. A legislative re-consideration of the Currency Act,
with a view to some modification that may tend to relieve agri.
culture. The introduction of a more simple mode of collecting
tuxes by which millions might be saved by the public, and the
substitution of a justly modified property tax in lieu of assessed
tuxes not affecting any gains in course or acquisition, whether
professional, mercantile, or agricultural, to be imposed equally
on all actual vested property, real and personal. 3th. A re-
duction of the legal interest of money to four per cent.
" That it is the opinion of this meeting, that the aforesaid
suggestion of means for relieving agriculture are justified by
the tact, that whilst the aggregate property of this kingdom
arises from the following sources, namely, land; money in the
funds, 'money on mortgage, and on other securities, besides
capital employed in trade, commerce, and agriculture; the
land being one only of those sources, bears nearly two parts in
three of the national burdens, and that at a period when land
and its produce 'are reduced to less than half of their late ye-
he,' which late value alone enabled them to bear such weight
of taxation.

" That further delay. in affording aid to the agricultural in.
tercets must be productive of ruinous and awful consequences.
" That it will be highly expedient to petition both lious;:s of
Parliament in conformity to the foregoing resolutions, most
respectfully but most earnestly imploring them speedily to
adopt such measures as in their wisdom` they may deem best
calculated to relieve the suffering agriculturists, without in.
justice to any other class of society.
" That two petitions be accordingly prepared forthwith, and
that the Lord ,Lieutenant of the county be requested to pre.
sent the one to the Muse of Lords, antf the Members of the
County the other to the louse of Commons, and to support
the prayer of the petitioners."
Mr. Pattishall then moved the first Resolution, declaratory of
the distressed state of aviculture.
Sir IlvamEn Form IlosicY,rs begged to second that Reso.
lution ; which he did, not merely because the agricultural in.
terest was reduced to the state described in the Resolutions
which they had heard read, nor because he entirely concurred
in opinion with those who thought the agricultural interest on
the brink of ruin, but because he thought that in all ranks and
in all situations, it was the duty of every one who had the
slightest controul over the public revenue to advocate the
duties of retrenchment and economy.
The GliAlll mai( then put the Resolution, when Mr.Cobbett
prepared to address the meeting.
The Cititinstax—" I take it for granted you are a free-
holder ?"

Mr. CORDETT.--" Yes, my Lord, I am."
Mr. Cobbett then turae'd to the meeting, and was saluted
with a mingled peal of hisses and cheers ; the Chairman hav-
ing obtained silence, .
Mr. CODUETT addressed the assembly. He said, it was
impossible fur him to say a word before he htul called upon the
meeting to join in applauding the conduct of the Lord Lieute..
mint of the county. Ifthat conduct had not been pursued, the
meeting would not have .tuisembled,though the occupation of
every farmer and the stock of every tradesman was at stake.
The Gentlemen who had drawn up the Resolutions just read
were their neighbours, with whom they were well acquainted.
It might appear, therefore, somewhat of presumption to him
to raise any thing in the way of Opposition or obstacle to what

had been presented. He should have been glad to have seen
measures proposed calculated to relieve the land ; but he was
sorry "to say he had not. In the first place the Petition to be
founded on the Resolutions would be inexplicit; it would not
call for what would answer the end proposed ; and in the
second place, it did not ask it in an explicit manner. It was
a pity the Gentleman who proposed, that the Hon. Baronet,
who seconded the Resolution had not acquainted them-
selves with the intentions of his Majesty's Ministers.—They
had explained explicitly enough, that they intended not to
do what their Resolutions intended to ask. He agreed with
his Majesty's Ministers in their resolution relative to the cur-.
rem,. The Resolution now proposed is aimilartuMr.Western's
proposition, which he (Mr. Cobbett) had endeavoured to show
would 'be totally ruinous to the fanner, landlord, and trades.
man, 'and if carried, a convulsion would inevitably follow ; but
it was impossible the Parliament ever could carry it. The
circuitous mode of getting at the fundholtier would fail them.
A property tax was pretty plainly pointed out by the Reno-
lotions proposed, but from such a tax the Jews and jobbers.
would only get a more firm lien on the landthan they had at,
present, and if such an Act patted, he (Mi. Cobbett) should
not be surprineti In a twelvemonth to see the Jews and
jobbers obtain an Act of Parliament fur ,the sale of that Income
Tax. Without coming from theZreasesa, he would tee them.
40 WM- Al if he had come from thence, what the'TreantAy
*ould do. For he knew there was a book put out which he
(Mr. Cobbetr) declared was written by Mr. Thos. Courtenay
the 'Secretary to the Board of Control, and issued under
the sanction of Lord Liverpool. Above a thousand copies
of that work had been taken out of Hatchard's shop by the
Mirnsters to circulate among their supporters. It was the nil.
nisterial expose. He didnot blame them for it—it was their jus.
titication. Throughout the whole of these discussions he never
had bkuned the Ministers any inure than the Parliament. They
could not have intended the distress, for no persons could
mean to ruin theniselves s they were good sort of people, but
they did not know what to do, and the meeting must inform
them. What he now said would go forth to the whole king-
mom ; would not be bid under a bushel, for he had some
worthy friends in London who would be sure to be informed of
all, and if he said aught unfounded, it would be immediately
detected. What, then, did the Ministers, in that book, say
they would do ? They said they would not repeal Peel's Bill ;
they would not make bank notes a legal tender; but they said
they would have done it last winter, if it had nut been for hint
(Mri(;obbett.) They said they would not give any more fa-
cility to country bankers ; that they should pay no gold on
the Ist of May next. Of taxes they said: they would not
take. off' more titan two millions, and that 'not with a view
to die relief of the landlord or farmer they having been suffi-
ciently relieved last Session Parliament.- The basis of
their error was what was of importance to the meeting he did
not blame the Ministers for it particularly ; he believed the
Opposition would have done the sane, if they had been in the
same situation: Ricardo had got it so firmly into their heads
that nothing could beat it out; and they said after him, " the
landlords and farmers are always supposing they pay all the
taxes, but it is not so ; they are paid by the consuma s" that's
their error ; this was their postulation, "Things will come about
beeauseeverytrade niust pay, or it will not be followed." That
was the principle of Ricardo, Adam Smith, and the Scotch poli-
tical economists.' But how was the landlord or farrier to change
his trade when it failed ? It was true as to traffic, but not at
all applicable to real property, or what
.sprung from real pro-
petty. s. Taxes," they say, • fall on the consumer." Mark the
fallacy l Suppose I make 'candles, and sell them for 6d. a
pound t he Government lay a tax of a shilling a pound on
them to day. You, as the consumers, pay it; but shall I sell
as many as Wore ?, Will not some of my consumers go
without, -and I must necessarily sell' some for lets than they
cost me? If the landlord can get sufficient rent, and the
farmer got sufficient profit, then the consumers' pay; but if
there be neither rent nor 'profit, then the fanner and landlord
pay the taxes to be sure.' Small as the point was, and grass
as was the .error when stated, it was that error from which
sprung the ruin which now desolates the country. The Mi-
'tutees were in the right not to change the currency; they
believed ;hey should not ruin the country, hot neither could.
they if they would, for men would mount their horses and
say, " You shall not take away my land." Landlords had
been, he would not say
.the roost Ignorant, but the least in-
formed and most submissive of mankind. If he inherited an
estate from his ancestors, would he let the Jerre and jobbers
from Thange-alley come and take it away ? for was it not
notorious that the tax-gatherers came and took three times as
much as they ought ? Was it possible, therefore that the land.
lords should not lose their estates ? Well, then, how were they
to proceed? It was said, miend the Poor Laws. The natural
source for the relief of the poor was at hand, but there ought to
be less poor, if England were as it ought to be. What, then,
was the way to Ban the estates, for that was' the point ? To get
rent. An estate without rent was like an eggshell after the
meat had been taken out of it (A Laugh). They must go to
the findholder ; for, as Mr. Western said, truly, they had kept
faith with every one but the landlords and farmers; See the
progress of information ; only twelve months ago the worthy.
gentleman who now brought forward these resolAtions would
have been very far' from proposing any thing which would
meddle with existing interests.
Mr. Parr TISRAI.I.--." Mr. Cobbett, I insist upon it that you
will not be personal to me. Recollect what passed last night at
the hotel."

Mr. Counryr resumed. Re would not interrupt the
course of his argument to say what did pass last night, and
he wee sure los Lordship would approve of his conduct.
Ile was not aware that he bad been personal, he had only
called them worthy Gentlemen, and desired the Meeting to
mark the progress of opinion. , He was for the meeting being
as forward to express their opinion es any other county, and
not be lagging behind, coming. twelve months hence to say
that which they ought to say to-day: for they might be well
assured, that unless the counties backed themselvee well up
nothing would be done. There were KO many excuses whic:,
Ministers might make if they were not unanimous. They
would say," AVe can't tell what these gentlemen.ask for ; most
likely they want nothing, or they would have tad us plainly
what it was---(A laugh.) Ile (Mr. Cobbett) would read to them
a petition such as he thought they ought to have forwarded.
It was the echo of the petition which was agreed upon in the
county of Norfolk. The counties must press together. llis
Lordship had admonished them to unanimity. Nothing more
wholesome. Let them unite end march together. This was
the first after Norfolk ; if the meeting agreed to it,' there would
be two, and that would goon be twenty-two, and then what
they prayed for would be granted. It was said Ministers
ought not to be attacked,, but it was not to attack them to criti.
cise their sentiments and examine their opinions. The meeting
would observe the Norfolk petition recommended an equitable
adjustment of the debt. What did the resolutions propose ?
Why, the proposition. of Mr. Western to take away two-thirdr
of the debt. What would that do ? Plunge a great number
of persons in misery and ruin. When Parliament assembled,
Mr. Western's proposition wcmld be brought forward. The
landlords would come forward, and an animated discussion
would take place, but it would be lost , by a great majority.—
Mitt during the iscussione, a proposition would be made of re-
' clueing -directly the interest at the national debt. Perhaps it
might be bad news to sonic in the assembly, but the conse-
quence would be that Ministers would go out of office, new
Ministers would be appointed, and the thing would be done.
On the ,proposal tn his petition to sitspeud all proem for
recovery of rents and tithes, what, he asked, was there
of violence in it ? Was there any thing revolutionary in
asking tor. the suspension of an Act of Parliament P They had
a precedent for it. Last year Ministers by an Act of Parlia-
ment suspended the law as to Ireland. What was their ex-
CutiC P—lmperative necessity. And was there nothing of im-
perative necessity in the situatioe of the farmer ? V ould he
not feel comfortable in being secure for one year ? (Mr.
Cobbett) would have been, glad of such a relief, for he had
lost 13,0001, by mortgage. Idis Lordship had talked of the dis-
tress as an act of Croa,likeribig it to a shipwreck ; but it was,
purely the act of man. The term revolutionary had been ap-
plied. It was useful to examine the meaning of words. Re-
volution meant change with violence, but the Government
was now carrying on a revolution as complete as ever was
urged on. " Confiscation" and " Plunder," Mr. Western and
Lord Stourton called it, but he (Mr. Cohheto would say, ttie
change had produced a greater transfer of property, and more
extensive robbery than was ieflicted frOrn the beginning to
the end of the French Revolution. To put a stop to that re-
volution was the object of the petition he proposed to them.
They could not call upon the fundholdet to reduce hie interest
without calling on the great pensioners to give up their use-
less places. 'The crown lands, he wee assured, might be made
to contribute 100 millions tti the reduction of the debt, and
when they had done that, and taken from the church what it
never wanted, anti when they had reduced the army, then
they might go to the fandholder and say, " You must re-

duce also." Mr. Cobbett concluded by proposing to read his
petition.
Earl SOKEIIS—" You may read it as part of yOur speech."
Mr. COBBETT—" I purpose reading it, and then to propose
it as an amendment to the resolution.'
Mr. Connt:TT then read the petition, commenting on it as
he went along. It was, as he stated, nearly an echo of the Nor-
folk petition. Ile declared upon that patagraph, which spoke.l
of reducingthe debt, that lie would not take a single shilling
even from the Jews, much as he detested them, tin every miler
retrenchment had been made. As to reform, It had been urged
by some, that the' people, if left to themselves, would choose
-persons unfit to make laws (no great compliment to those who
were chosen- by the people.) The Noble Eitl (Somers) he
knew had an objection to universal suffrage. Ile (Mr. cob-
bat) cared nothing about it; what be wanted was, that the
people should be truly represented. As to improper persons
being chosen, he remembered when he was a naughty boy, be-
fore the passing of the Six Act's, saying, that he would engage
to catch at random 50d or 11410 persons in the streets, by the
leg, as fit as those-svho sat then ; but, mind, he did not say so
now. Ile did not desire to bring them into contempt, nor him-
self,within the Six
.Acts; but he thought it impossible to
get' another Ilbuse of, Commons ' who would give a mil-
' lion 04 of the taxes to build churches in London, Briatpl,
and Bath; for the use of the fundholders, who, having_ got
the landlord's estates, were become mighty piouti; and' rite.
Act actually passed by acclamation for a million to build
places for Jews to congregate in. That was on account
of religion, and another million is ,givers on the score amo-
rality for building Penitentiaries,'th4, was, largo buildings
for females who were not of a very resisting disposition,
where they had for male companions- bullies and thieves.—
(the farmers had thieves of their own, but the fundholders
being annoyed by the robberies cot mutted in their crowded
streets, appropriate(' one Million for building Penitentiaries,
wrung truth the taxes paid by the i:armers. Such things niust
go on unless the people chose their own Members of the Com-
mons flouse.

After he had finished reading the • Petition, Mr. Cabbett
said, it had just occurred to hint that there was in existence a
law for preventing the landlord distraining for his rent. When
that virtuous •Nooleman, Lord King, in 1802, wished, as he
was entitled, to have his rent paid in gold, an Act was pissed
to prevent his distraining for it, if a tender were made in bank
notes. That Act is still in force, and the Meeting, by asking
a suspension of proceeds to enforce the payment of rent and
tithes' would be only asking that for the purposes of justice,
which was then passed for the purposes of injustice.
ConnETT thin proposed, as an amendment to the reso-
lution Proposed, to leave out all the words • ,except the first
Word, Resolver—(a laugh,) and to insert the following :
" That the Petition now read be the Petition afthis nieenng."
Mr. PaL)grat said lie seconded that Retiolution from a con-
viction that the it,nl cause of their distresses were there stated.
He thought j,twould lieproper also that landlorditand proprietors
of tithes shinid loSirthem.dOwn to the state ornuo; and then
he thought•the Pbor farmers would have some chance of getting
a maintenance. He had heard of patience, but if a men
preached patience to him whilst he was lasing his last shilling,
by IL-- (Order, order !)--he would serve him aiSampson
served the Philistines.

'l'he MAN objected, that Mr. Cobbett's petition had
not been formally read, and he could not therefore put the ques-
tion till that were done.
COHBE T begged then that it should be put as an
amendtnent to the resolution, and after the word , resolved, the
words, " that the petition be read," and afterwards it Might be
moved that it bet',;e petition of the meeting.
The Rev. Mr. SMYTH TES said, it had been proposedthat ell
the resolutions be read seriatim, and he therefore did not under-
stand-how, upon the first resolution being set aside,, all the
others should share the same fate. He should not huVe risen
thus early, surrounded as he was by all the Wealth and talent
of the county, but he could not allow a petition to be put sud.
denly by a man who had no interest in the county. (Loud ap-
plause and some hisses.) lie hoped for the same patience and
attenthm with which Mr. Cobbett had been heard. He had rasa
feeling but in common with the meeting ; for as he was one of
the largest ocenpiers land for the couuty, it followed that
what was proposed would first affect friinselt. He did not pre.
tend to cope with the practised eloquence and sophistry of "AIL
Cobbett, but if it were the last word he was to speak ire could
not sit still and stiffer a petition to be propoSed to the comity of
Hereford by an itinerant political tinite!! hdud cheers.) Had
the meeting never heard of him before, thz.,y might have been
j captivated by the eloquence and great abilities which he un-
doubtedly possessed ; but when it was known that these great
abilities had been prostituted to the purposee of every, party—
when it was known that he had commenced his political career
as the servile tool and creature of (iovernment in America--
' and when his services were no longer Wieful there, he left the
sons of liberty, tted on his return to England' he adopted a new
set of principles, and commenced Whig. Be was then the
also of Sir F. Burdett ; the friend he never was of any man :
he then became Radical, and if the meeting believed hint' he
now produced his measure to prevent` revolution. But they did
not want Mr. Cobbett to state, in intelligible language, their
grievances to Parliament. He would be glad to adopt any
measure which would be likely to redress their grievances, but
he could not think that the case. With most of the .proposi.
tions of Mr. Cobbett, many of them, if they would at all avail,
would beat too distant a period to benefit any of thetu. He
agreed with Mr. Cobbett that the debt must be attacked, as it
was impossible, with such a millstone round their necks, too:.
pect any return to prosperity ; end lie also agreed that the mea.
leure of 1797 wits the cause of nil the distress;. the debt without
that measure would not have been above half the amount.—
: Where then was the injustice of paying back in the same me.
idium its the money kit ? He felt with Mr. Cobbett, that it
'vas impossible to pay the interest of the debt in gold, anti if
Parliament insisted' on it, the evil would work its own cure.
lie thought the county would be dis=graced unless some one
.who had an interest in it were to originate their Petition. Mr.
(~obbett himself seemed aware of this, and having heard the
old adage, that it was better first to tall yourself Tom Foul
than that any one else should, lie therefore began by apologis.
ing to the meeting for the impudence of his proceeding, to pro.
,pose a Petition without having an acre of land in the county.
Mr. PA Mutt—" That I deny."
A tIEscrLEXAN---" A freehold of a few hours old, far the
purposes of the day, perhaps."
The Rev. Mr, YT II IRS said he should have wished that
some re dent in the county had proposed something for the
adoption of the meeting, and, if no one else, he would beg to
propole some short Resolutions.
The 1111104 '1)1.1t the amendment first, and
yeatcan then propose on amendment on the amendment.",
The Rev. Mr. Smt"rittns here read the following, which
be proposed as as amendment on the amendment already
moved
" The Petition of the Nobility, Clergy, °entry, and others,
of the County of Hereford, in- County Meeting as.
sanbled, th.o 17th day of January, 1823 :
" Humbly sheweth,
" That your Petitioners can no longer bear the overwhelm-
ing pressure of the times; that in consequence of the heavy
taxation upon 'antics} property, together with the extreme low
price of prodnce, the best land wilt scarcely reimburse the
cultivator his expence ; and that fotir-fifths of the land in
this county are at present yielding no rent at all. And your
Petitioners firmly believe that the principal cause of their
distrest arises from the facility of borrowing afforded
to 'the government by the Act of 1797, commonly called
the Bank Restriction Act, which enabled them to accu.
ululate a mass of debt, which never would have been in-
mired in a metallic Curreney, and the interest of which
debt we are now called upon to pay in specie, which, • from
raising the va% le of the ,currency, has in fact doubled the
burden, ;Already too grievously to he borne. This, together with
the enormous importation of foreign cairn on the eve of a very
productive hamest of our own, and the large sums annually
drained from the taxes and landed revenue. of .this kingdom
to he spent abroad by absentees, are considered by your Pe-
titioners to be among the leading causes of their distresses;
they therefore pray your Honourable House, at the earliest
moment after your assembling, to adopt such measures as
shall ailbrd them not only speedy, but permanent relief.
Among the measures most likely to effect this desirable entl,
your Petitioners must humbly beg to recommend, that you
should again restrain the Bank from paying its notes in cash,
till the national debt shall be reduced by the operation of the
sinking fund. to its extent previous to the year 1797 ; and in
order to accelerate the arrival of that wished-for period, your
Petitioners beg humbly to recommerul that you would Illy a
tax upon funded property eqtdvalent to those now borne solely
by the landed proprietor, such as tithes, poor rates, ehoSeh
rates, highway rates, and county retest and, that you would
also lay a tax upon the property of absentees. The sums
raised by those means would enable the Government to take

off all the assessed taxes and such other taxes as prase More
peculiarly upon the lancied and working classes. Your Peti-
tioners beg leave further to recommend, that commercial trea.
flea be entered into with other States,
,on the principle of ad-
mitting all such produce as cannot be grown within
.11rAeking.
doms, .duty free, oh condition that those States repave our
produce and manufactures on the same terms, and that prohi-
bitory duties be laid on all such produce as the soil and climate
of these realms is calculated to raise.
"If these measures are adopted, your Petitioners entertain
no doubt that prosperity and comfort will again revisit them,
and Great Britain will maintain that rank among the nations
of Europe, which her deeds have so Well entitled
,her to
. 4 ;. •
The Rev. Gentleman then exhorted the' meet: "'to unani-
..
mitt'. Ile, never could believe that it was inten- that the
interests of the landed proprietor should *ink before-the theo-
ries of David Ricardo, and the cold-blooded sopitilitri. of Mr.
Courtenay. lie would ask the landlord's present whether they
had been able to.maintain their usual hospitality in halls
of their ancestors, and if they had, whether the billapf those
were paid who furnished forth the cheer ? Mr...Cdurtenay
said it made no difference to the Government whim the taxes
were 'paid. The possessors bf the land would ',always pay
them but that made a material difference to the flgentlemen
there assembled ;- and it WAS most important thai'lliey should
agolor,tiratieit 6,---prapOSldan would bear the rim:AftOr good
sense and moderation on the face of it, and welt it', Parini-
meta would be likely to adopt, indite could notlliorthink, tike
proposition of Mr. Gobbet was one that Pathan:lent: was not
likely to ad0pt......(140nd applause.)
,•
, Mr. DAVIES SCConded the proposition of tb:: 'ltev. Mr.
Smythies. Be thought the meeting would iliagraCe itself,
and the county to 'which Belonged, if they taltipteitthepeti.
tion of Mr. Cobbett. Ile could not approve the take of that
gentleman, travelling; tram county to eourity,iand frf Au town
to town, the apostle of discontent and spoliation. Ile would
represent the most intimate union between the landlord
and tenant as necessary for their Mutual inteeesteand he knew
that if his plans were adopted, the county would he Islutiged
in tenfold misery and ruin. But was the nieeting:iiire that
Cobbett was sincere in their cause, when they,Vernem:
bered he had veered to every point of the polithail ComPass?—
(.pplause and, hisses.)--Ile was the friend Of
„Grenville and
Pitt, whose memory lie now insulted; he was the ftiend of
Sir Francis Burdett ; but how long boa the honest',i4orrianry
of the country enjoyed the friendship of Mr. Coltbett, who
only three years afro, in that nice little book which' he (Mr.
Daiwa) held in his hand, called the farmers " old raecals,"
" base dogs," and charged them directly with murder ; and,
by way or climax, denominated them fat jowled fellows ?"
(Loud 'laughter and applatise.) -,-- Bringing such opinions
among principles of much higher order; lie would haVe done
well when
,he found it out, to have slunk out of the rooin
amidst the execrations of the Meeting. 31iniatera themselves
'allowed that the country WSS in distress; and when it was
considered that the expenditure had been increased hien sixteen
to sixty millions, it was imphasible to believe such a transition
could be made without feeling 'great distress. It was hardly
credible, only that the account was in a public docuthent, 'that
in the last three years of the,war, we had expended .400 mil-
lions; and so Much as was spent out of the country was as
much lost as if it had been thrown into the sea.. When
ten millions were raised out of the produce
.of the land,
were repealed, how was it possible to say the farmer would
not be relieved ? But Ministers would not either reduce the
'army or suspend the Sinking Fund ; by the one 'tiny would
disoblige their friends, the Jew and jobbers, and by the other
they would lessen that influence without whi,..h they said the
government could not be carried on. Without smug reform
in the repreeentation, he was persuaded all pctitions would be
unavailing. Mr. Canning said they must have patience, but
they had shown more patience than he did who, when he was
kicked out, or, in courtly language, resigned_, he knocked
with impatience at the door of the cabinet,' and never carted
knocking till the door was opened. De now stood. j'figh. in
royal favour, and has the picture of his Majesty hanging .in
the same room with that of leer's whom he di :salami-wee
the grace and ornament of society. The llonourable Gent.
demon eniseltuled his speech by declaring, that unleas some.
thing wasdOne, the sun of Englad's glory Was set. to rile
no mina..

The CIIAIR MAX was about to put tho-nnienh• proiveds
when

_ .
1 Mr. CHATMETON rose, and after.. sonic prefatory observe,.
dons, texpressing hid belief, that unless something wpre done,
the country would be involved in one commaie ruin, :fie went
• on to say that. he should be ready, in cothinon with every ote
suffering such distress, to join in an application to !holsters;
but he believed if an angel with a trumpet were to stn.ind ffid
truth ffeini every corner of the land, they would turn ,4 deaf
ear to it. Such was the bigoted devotion with which 'tlicy ad.
hered to their system, that they would not listen even though
. one rose from, the dead. in the observations he was 'about to
make, he was very deeirous of avoiding any thing personal.
lie had not, till he saw him in that rOotn, ever beheld Mr.
Cobbett, though he hart read write of hissworke. When he
' had stated that he yeast freeholder, he Vine entitled`to make
any proposition he thought tit to the Meeting, Tojetvitre to
-the original requisition : "it . was originated by some country
gentlemen suffering under the distresses. Thy High Sheiitf
acknowledged the rectability' of the signatures was, es great
as could be expected, and. he would willingly have. cemplied
with the requieltion. only that he knew it wait not the geheral
Wish. of the county, and therefore he would nut di jt Far
dilferent had been the conduct of the Lord Lieutenant, wino
had instantly summoned the :electing; if the 111 1 Sheriff- knew
what he stated, he could Only have knoWn it through 'n public;
meeting, and there 'he 'ought publicly to have stated it;
so that he was in the last stage. ,of incorrigibility; he
had done those things which he ought not to 140 k done,
and left undone those things which: he ought to have
done. At the meeting at the Hotel there had not beta
all that unanimity which had been so earnestly; recommended.
One of their Members Would nut put his remit: to the requisi-
tion, and the other did, idler a great deal of heeiettion and
much solicitation. lie who did mot sign it, he (Mr. Cherie..
ton) was ready to admit, watt a most honest worthy country
gentleman; but he did complain of him for nut puffins-
his name to a retptieition bya which the distress of the
county Might be aseertaine . lie believed that Gen.
tleman had acted under the advice of those whom he
considered as hitt friends; but if he continued to listen
to them, they would prove his bitterest enemies.
those enemies to their /Umber bad told hirri it teas .3a:roe
gatory to him to put his name to a petition to the High
sheriff-4We unwittingly setting the Member tin- the county
above the Itepresentative of his Majesty. No doubt the ree
presentation of Mr. Cobbett would go a great way to the relief
of their present distress ; hut there were soma parts which he
wished expunged, and that the whole of there :should come
from some country Gentlemen better known in the county ; and
that he was persuaded was the opinion of Mr. Cobbett himself,
who would have been most happy if his Petition maid have
been so presented. lie (Me. Charleton) attrihoted all our
distresses to the dereliction and abandonment. of public duty
which existed in the higher classes of soeiety. it was ;teem:ea
by Sir Robert Walpole, that every man had hit price ; and
all his Successors, down to Mr. -Pitt and Lord 'Londonderry,
had entertained the same opinion. But btid as the higher class
of the people were, none were so despicable as the apeerate, as
he who would run away from his principles, merely to benefit
himself or his family ; such men should be received like diee
Severs from the army of an enemy ; hut Government received
such with open arms--they sing T' Drum and laud'hith to the
skies, receiving with more Joy the one sinner who seceded iotti
his party, than for ninety:nine honest men. The errors of
legislation which had been alluded to Oroceeded from the head,
but these were from the heart. The Ministers expend one mil.
lion for the encouragement of virtue, and they counteracted the
effects of it by some ridiculous end vicious sehetheil, like the
lottery ; encouraging .piety in one breath, and gambling and
depravity the next ; promoting :notably and. piety by one set
of Acts, and fraud soul dishonesty by insolvent Debtors! Aetse
encouraging perjury, aye, and fornication ttie, by the Marriage
Act Amenament Bill, and every other species of crime, by
permitting every species of (list yes.' .Sanlething hind been /aid
of revolution he would say 4 111"1411' "ha"'"
The reverse—loittity. lie Would., not karats uncle~ to tine marl
in attachment to the King and Constitution, and kr that rea-
son ho would raise his voice in snpport'brpublic meetings litre
the present. Ile would do every thing he could ; he had wine
200. miles to. attend that meeting, and be would go 2W) more
to-morrow, unless perhaps he should thereby be celled, an
itinerant political tinker."—(Applauee.)--lie would de all

;Ibis to oppose the.disgustingtmeasurcsiwhich *hail scelong chile
recterized•the meaeures of the Government—
The CHAIIIHAN—Order I Order ! —That is too strong. ,
Mr. CHASMETON—Yes, 1 meant it to be strong.
The CISAMMAN—I do not object to strong, but it is sin-
proper language. • ;
CHAIMETON.-4I say it is noeimproper.
The .CKAULALAN—I say it is ; and Levitt calfyoueto order.
Mr. Cumturrox said the* languor„ e, el% not improper; it.
'was the langitegeuf every constientainisohenest man who felt
the awful situation ineehieh weevere. IL wait not the language
taCtematt whose blood, wait like stioiv'tirofh, who never felt the
et/onions of sense; it was not thelaripoitige•of a man content to'
(at, drink, Acme, and die, but iregesthelanguageeofit man who
• would endeavour to avert the ruin,Which was so fast approach-
ing. Ile was sorry to -give'ofrence to any one, but his enmity
should not exist after he passed the threshohl of the hell.door ;
blithe would apetik his mind on public men and public melt.
tures. Those who were opposed to Min, be ,believecle were
isetnated by ',meet motives, and.he only requested they would
Niew his• conduct in the Skilnelight ; but no man should.ever put.
a gag in his mouthemd tell him that his cosiscientions language
• was improper. The Hon. Gentleman toneluded by reading in
• part aids speech the following•Pititionewhith he would pro-
- twee for the adoption of themeeting, as an amendment upon
.he amendment already moved . .
-** To the Honourableihe Commons of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland in Parliament assembled,
" The humble Petition of the Nobilltv,•Gentry,, Clergy, and
Freeholders of the County of Hereford, in County Meeting
assembled, this 17th day of Jinuaiy, . 11123,
" Most humbly sheweth, • •
*1 That the distress, under which. your !Petitionere , are now
• suffering is unexampled in the hietoryof eetmery, and is
• rapidly involving all landowners and persons eeiteged Agri-.
cultural pursuits in immediate and inevitable rums. That your
• Petitioners, called upon by the requisition and summons of
the Lord Lieutenant, to investigate the ciusee •df this distress,
is well as to suggest such measures as may, in their opinion,
• tend to the removal of it, feel it their„duty.huothly, yet strong.
ly, to state the result of their deliberations on tlieatq most mo.
mentous subjects,
" Your 'Petitionere have no hesitation., io.eteteedaHog their
- celatnitles to theptiiiciplee and 'mysteui wlitch the isdrainie
titration of public affairs has been'condticted atiritig the late
reign, and that or his present Most Gracionie-Moiesty ; ,to
the unfortunate ever( in which the *counireeldoi almost }aces.
sently been engaged, during that perfeel:o -to the prOiligate 'pro
Fusion and corruption which haveedittingoished everettlettart-
men t of' the State; to the incon dstent and Ceptradictery expediente
which the Legislature has lad recilarse to; to' supply the
;Means of an enormous and uncontrouled expenditure; to the
• ruinous And arbitrary measures;
.fit, , , debesed:piper.
• currency, and then a transition' to metallic payments
at the old standard, without reifereheee' to' • the - dna
• vial difficulties of the country, or .centracte_between•incli;
viluals entered• into during the previous system ; bit( above,
all, to the setbserviency of public men to the adthinistra.
tions of the day. That it is scarcely necessary for.your Peti-
tioners to enumerate the awful consequences evidently flow-
in;; from these causes--the property tit the country Mortgaged
• for debts borrowed, and engagements contracted; in "propoi-
, thin to the fictitious value of produce, and ,of rents .during a
• ; depreciated currency, its industry burdened beyond example
by a taxation imposed under similar circumstances ; impo•
verished aristocracy; a ruined yeomanry,; nod a silent rovolu-
• tion proceeding Steadily to its consummation:
" That your Petitioners, yielding to none other of , their fel.
'low-subjects in loyalty to their Sovereign, aodeinslihken, et-
tachment to the Constitution, are to snbMit to any
equal sacrifice which may be required of them to' avert so
dreadful a calamity e end . although they feel great difficulty
in pointing oat specific remedies for the prevailing distress,
• and- have little. confidence in any expedients which have hi-
.therto been resorted to for that purpose 'nevertheless they
venture to suggest to, your'lionoureble dowse such measures
to arrest the further progress of these evils, as 'are dearly
just and equitable,' and for the good,' however much
they may be supposed to interfere with the wishei of interested
individuals. They therefore pray that your Ileneurable,
House will forthivith direct an examination into the different'
• •effects produced by the different alterations in the currency,'
'with a view to a fair and reasonable arrangement of. contracts
, between debtor and creditor, both public and private, in all
-their various relations, particularly in those of tax-payer and
tax-receiver, landlord,' tenant, mortgagee, and ?annuitant; as
• shell replace all parties, as tar as practicable, on their former
'footing, according to the relative value of money and other
commodities during the late war, that by such means you
.will prevent, by Rome equitable adjustment, the entireiacrifice
gri
• of the aculture! property and industry of the country, to the
monied interest.
"That you will be pleased to suspend and apply to the pub-
lic use all pensions and (sinecures obtained without acknow-
. !edged service to the State ; that you will cause the strictest
economy to be observed in the collection nun 'Manage-
rnent at the Revenue; that the Army and Steil' in Great
Britain and Ireland, the diplomatic esteblistirnent, all civil
office*, with the salaries attached to them in every depart. smelt, be reduced to the scale of 1702; that you will be
pleased to pass is Bill excluding all pensioners and placemen,
except those whose presence may he necessary to the, manap,e-
tnent of public Wittiness, from the House of Corintions ; that
the clibrts of such representatives as are returned by the people
en the public canse,mey not be itnpeded and rendered.nuga.
tory by persons whose interests are directly at variance with
tliose of the public.
" Th at under the severe pressure of difficulties so over.
.9/helloing, you will be pleased, till such arrangement of con-
• ITANS as they have suggested can be decided on, entirely to
suspend the operation of the Sinking Fund, 'and repeal such
taxes, particularly the hop duty, as ell] restore to the agricul.
torah proprietors of the nation the prosperity and Confidence
they enjoyed when no such state of thing! as your Petitioners
have complained of existed. And your Petitioners will ever
J. PITT I.f.t PS, Esq., was sorry that no person of more corm-
quence in the county had risen to second the Petition of the
lest Speaker. lie, seconded it, because he thought it the best
adopted to -the circumstances of distress in which we •were
, Plated.
Mr. J. A. KNratur expressed his conviction that unless
considerable changes were made, the country must ever re-
,zriairt in distress. Ife•cmisplained'perticularly of the pressure
Rif the tithe LAWS though there wee one port of Mr. Cobbett's
• speech with which' he could not agreee_and thought he must
'have misunderstood him. He (Mr. Knight) was no friend to
'the church ; on the ctintrarye he "was hostile to it; but how •
could the notion beenstertained of reducing the clergy to beg-
goy ut once P ' •
Mr. COllllltT said he did not mean that.
Mr. KNIGHT continued. Ile thought the Government
Wei right to sell the crown and church landoesdhject to the
lifeentereets of' the present possessone As to suepending•the
legal process relative to rents, he thought 'there were few
landlords who would Avail themselves of the low now. He
was in arreer two years 'for his' rents, and they were low ; he
had set but one estate at a.- valuation, and had row taken off
Mt-per cent: from that. The only redress to the working farmer
must, in hie opinion, be the ferbearanceof the landlord. There
was some good in all the propositions, 'but none that lie could
entirely support. He believed. there was not a greet deal in
Air. Cobbett's speech thrit.they wail object to, and ho did hot
care who it wee that Mid. him the trutheanclif a MAll.told him
Ile, tholegli he was e Lord, he .was the greater scoundrel for
doing it. . • . •
. ,
The Rev. Mr: said, the purpose for which ;Immo,
e ing was convened was so. important to the landed, interest,, in,,
its most extended sense, .that lie should haVe felt himself,
negligent of a public duty. if Ittihad not-attended the eteinnmee
of the. Lasrd Lieutenant. lie had, for a long period Qt Ow,
viewed with the most poignant distress, not =slog period:
own difficulties, but from ,vie Wing the distress ends seiglee
• bourn, tenants, end she attotry aelarge; after knowitig,' the
• umney for fifty years, ,aral Using among them the greater part
,of that period, and knolineethat, of a
.population of 103,1100
persona, 73,000 wholly (Nipped en the culture of the soil;
and that that, and every. town •in tlic county, was connected'
with the prosperity of thelitrided class,. Whether he begeo,
• therefore, with the lateettrer, or, small , farmer, aril went up
to the greatest landed peetirietor, which ever end of the chain,
lie conunenced with (for 'Air were links of one chain) lie found'
; distress, deepondench and' depression afflicted them • all. A
great iiiinther of petitions had been brought before them, and
he did not regret the discussion which Lied taken place: but •
.he should have been happy if they had gone with one hand and
one 'iopeio l)arliament ;:for though 'they had all but one object,
•it had, lie thought, been alittie lost sight of—the relief of the,
interest. One gentleman had come forward and
propeeed an amendment, and entered into details of sitcom..
:dances, smile Of therm proper, and °there not calculated, to re.
ilea credit on the County to, adopt, or tend to remedy the evils
the which y laniented. That Ocedlemen had talked about the
• suspension of Tent— •
Mr. CoBBVTT--i'did not say that.
Mr. LILIN.—It was then the suet:rending all proceedings
• for the recovery of rent ; but he was not aware that Any sus.
pension of the payment of interest on funded property WAS pro.
posed, in tOmecure persons who might lie indebted to tradeetoen,
accounts which he could pot discharge. There was no cut,
penaion of the measures of distress, which might be urged
maintit him asa tended proprietor, and if he were indebt.
eiloind was pressed, what could lie do but surrender under
the 'advent -Debtors' Act lie would go as far as any man;
lie we did reduce his roue to any pitch—(applaur)—:lie had
already redured them 'needy 60 per cent., and not in a single
instance had he di/drained. ; but he told them, " You must

-assist me with what you an "(many -who stood before'him
could bear testimony to the truth of what he said); they
brought him what they could, and he received them with grati.
tude.—(Applause).—Mr. Cobbett had told them that he had
loot MOM. -It might bo proper for him to inform them of I
that, for though many had heard of hicwritixigs, but few had
heard of his property. Ile complains of acts of the Govern.
merit, though lie said hi did not comidain at' the Ministers. -It
was for the-meeting to draw the distinction, he. could not. 'He
(Air. • Lilly) had heard some things which, whether true or not,`,
he could have wished not to haveileard. They had heard much
decimation; but he would entreat them not to be led away by
the eloquence and sophistry_ of one unknown to diem, ant in.
deed hardly seen by some of them, -yet 'he had cisme thereto
carry that measure which in the county of Norfolk he was re-
puted to have said madeithe proudest day of his life. He trust.
ed they would not be led away by those who ought afterwards
laugh at them, and say they had gulled the county of Here.
Ord. The gentlemen had talked to them of his modesty, but
if' he (Mr. Lilly) were to go into a county, where no gentleman
lived with whom he was acquainted, he should have thought it
no proof of his modesty, if he had thrust himself among them.
The Rev. Gentleman then examined the series or resolutions
first proposed, and defended them from the charge of being in-
explicit, as, stated by Mr. Cobbett. He bad heard of two
triodeS of relief for agriculture, to- spring from the agricul.
turists themselves. One Was the alteration of rent, which he
trusted would be universal, and the other throwing out of cul..
tivation the poor lands, which lie deprecated on account of the
ruinous consequences to the capital and labour employed, lie
hid not much remarked on the other amendments proposed,
because they were embraced in that to which allusion had been
made. He was glad that his worthy friend (Mr. Charleton)
who came so far had not come in vain. lie cbuld not but ad-
mite-the talent and dexterity lie had that day displayed. The
Reverend • Gentleman concluded by reminding the meeting,
that on their conduct that day would depend the character
which they would bear in the page of history. .
Mr. CannEvethen presented himself, but a confusion of
sounds immediately ensued.
The Rev. Mr. LtLLV said, he believed Mr. Cobbett had al-
ready spoken. • • •
The Creatnstaw said he was placed in rather a *delicate 'si-
tuation. The numbo of propositions made seemed to him-to
place the matter in ,a state in which those who had spoken
could not, agreeably, to the spirit of order, have a right to
speak again, except the mover of the first proposition.
Mr. CLIVE begged to draw his Lordship's attention to the
order of debate* in the Houses of Parliament. Consistently
. with those ruleS, ,efter his Lordship should have put the ques.
two, Mr.- CharlpOn' had a right to reply. If his Resolution
were agreed to; then the business was neatly at an end. If' it
were not agreed to, then his Lordship might pat the question
on Mr. Smythies' Resolution, and he would have a right to
reply.; and If' not agreed to, then Mr. Cobbett's proposition
would be, put, and he would have the right.
. The CHAIRMAN agreed. that Would be the most regular way;
but 'the question was, whether they would ever get through the
business in that way.
Mr. CHAULETON thought that if that were the regular way,
it did not matter if they staid a week.
The Cunt aseare .said he was willing to stay a week if ne.
cessary, but if the question-were so put, any patty, whether he
he hail spoken before or not, would have a right to speak.
I.llr. CLIVE wished 'that the recommendation of the Rev.
Mr. Lilly to Unanimity should be attended to. lie thought
many parts of Mr. Cobbett's proposition worth attending to;
but the latter part,. relative to distraining for rents was in-
equitable, as it did not bear equally on every species of debts
due. In his'mind, the Petition.of Mr. Charleton was the best
which they had heard ; and as it embraced the good of all, he
hoped the Gentlemen would WithdraW' the others and that Mr.
,
Charleton's would be adapted. •
Mr. PATTISTIALL begged toWithdraw the resolutions he had
proposed in favour of Mr. Charleton.
Mr. CHARLETON said he had not intended to have said
another word, and whit he hadsaid was not to find fault with
Mr.'Cobbett's petition. He objected to it, because it came
from Is person unknown to the county. The distress was
frightful, and the remedies should be vigorous ; but, if they
adopted Mr. Cobbett's resolution in preference to his, they
would admit their own ignorance to address Parliament on a
subject which affected them the deepest.
Mr. CORBETT now presented himself, but the noise of
hisses which succeeded prevented a word being, heard.
The CHAIRMAN having obtained order, said, that as this
was a new question, every one had a right to speak on it, but
he suggested whether it was expedient to insist on it.
Mr. ConsET'r said he would not detain :he meeting three
minutes.
Mr. Clive, Mr. Charletonl and the Noble Chairman, then
endeavoured to obtain a hearing for Mr. Cobbett, but in vain,
The cries of "Question ! Question I" drowned every other.
The CHAIRMAN at length put the question, whether the
Meeting approved of Mr. Charleton's Petition ? when it was
unanimously carried in the affirmative. His Lordship an-
nounced the decision, and dissolved the Meeting.
'The thanks of the Meeting were moved by Mr. Charleton to
the Noble Earl for his impartial conduct in the Chair, which
was carried by acclamation. The assembly then separated.—
Mr. Cobbett lingered some time upon the hustings, and when
he at last withdrew, no testimony of applause was given by the
few persons who remained in the Hall.