The Sun.
London, England, 1840-03-23 00:00:00

NEW POOR-LAW.

The Report of the Poor-law Commissioners on the
further amendment of the Poor-laws, just published,
gives the following statement relative to the amount of
poor-rates for the five years ending 1834, and for the
five years during which the Act has existed :
The total saving in the expenditure for the relief of
the poor since 1834, as compared with the total expen-
diture in the five preceding years, is 10,933,013/. Ac-
cordingly, the total saving attributable to the Poor-law
Amendment Act, as worked by the Poor-law Commis-
sion, to Lady-day 1839, was 10,933,013. The total
expense of the Poor-law Commission, to Lady-day 1839,
was 182,679/.
The saving in some subordinate branches of Poor-
law expenditure since 1834 has considerably exceeded
the total expense of the Poor-law Commission. For
example, the average expense of Poor-law litigation for
each of the two years ending March 1834 was 256,508/ ;
and the average expense of the Poor-law litigation for
each of the five years ending March 1839 was 132,080/.
The saving under this head in the latter five years may
therefore be estimated at 662,138/. ; which is more than
three times the expense of the Poor-law Commission
during the same period.
Consequently, if the Poor-law Commission is expe-
dient on other grounds, its
(a view which, we confess,cxpenseisnotasufficint
moneymeans
and
erroneous), it has been success-
ful. It does not follow that an office which costs a con-
siderable sum of money is on the whole expensive, or
that an office which is performed gratuitously, or even
produces an immediate gain to the Government, is on
the whole cheap.
Average Annual Expenditure of the five
years 1830-4 £6 754,590
Ditto of the five years 1835-9

Average annual saving
-E 186
-„602

REPRESENTATION OF SUTIIILRLAND.--Mr.
David Dundas, the English barrister, has published an Ad-
dress to the electors of Sutherlandshire, on the understanding
that Mr. Howard, the present Tory. Member, is about to retire
from Parliament. Mr. Dundat is a well-known Reformer
and will, if returned, give " his cordial support to the pre:
sent Government."— Glasgow Chronicle.
COTTON MANUFACTURE.-111e length of the
thread which is annually employed in the fabrication of cotton
goods in Britain, equals fifty-one times the distance of the sun
from the earth (fifty-one times thirty-nine millions of leagues),
or about two thousand millions of leagues.—Baines

The crust of the globe is found to consist of
fifty-four different substances, and every form of
matter which we see is composed of one or more of
these elementary substances. Twenty-two of them
only enter into the composition of organic bodies,
of which the existence of one, namely, arsenic, has
only lately been discovered. Carbon, hydrogen,
and oxygen enter into the composition of all organic
matter, and arc, therefore, termed essential elements :
the remainder are called non-essential. The bulk
of plants is formed of the carbon, oxygen, and hy-
drogen ; and of animals, of nitrogen. Notwithstand-
ing the inorganic includes so many elementary bo-
dies, we find a much greater variety of combina-
tion existing in the organic than the inorganic
kingdom. Thus, there are only 500 species of
minerals, whereas upwards *1150,000 species of
plants and animals have actually been discovered.
Life is a perpetual struggle against the forma-
tion of carbonic acid and water. The oxygen which
is contained in inorganic bodies is in a state of rest ;
whereas, that which enters with the composition of'
animal life is constantly in a state of motion. The
one remains unchanged, owing to its change of
quietude ; whilst, on the contrary, organic bodies
are continually receiving an accession of new sub-
stances, and giving off those of which they were
previously formed. Plants will live in hot springs,
and the human body will exist when living in an at-
mosphere many degrees above the boiling point ;
whereas, when dead, it would soon be destroyed. If
we take a crystal and divide it, we find it to be homo-
geneous throughout ; whereas, organic bodies do not
consist of homogeneous aggregates. But no por-
Lion of animal organization is placed in place with-
out some relation to the rest. All the parts of
organic bodies are dependent upon each other, and
any portion destroyed, the rest cease to perform
their functions. We find two species of life to exist
in animals, namely, the organic or vegetable life,
and the animal life. By far the greater part of the
organs which belong to the organic life are singie
and unsymmetrical ; whereas those which belong to
the animal life are double and symmetrical. Thus
the stomach, lungs, and liver are single and not
symmetrical. But while the organs of the organic
life are thus constituted, the organs of the animal
life arc double and perfectly symmetrical. Thus
the brain is a double organ of thought, and the
spinal cord, the great organ of voluntary mcion, is
perfectly symmetrical. The nerves go off in pairs.
The action of the organic apparatus is irregular, and
-)
that without injury to the animal system. But there
is nothing more essential to the performance of the
functions of animal life than a harmony of action in
the two portions of the organs. There is reason to
believe that the more closely do the position of the
intellectual faculties assimilate to each other on the

SINGULAR ILLNESS.—Miss Lucy Harrington,
formerly a resident in Amesbury, and daughter of Mr. Moses
Harrington, died recently in Conish, N.H., under the follow-
ing distressing circumstances:—She was sick three rears and
a half, and confined to her bed two years and five months.
Several months previous to her death her right hip was dislo-
cated by a contraction of the muscles, while she was sleeping
quietly in bed. Immediately after this event her bones began
to break, and before her death they had broken nineteen times
or more in different parts of her body. At first her ribs broke,
then her collar bones, then her lower limbs, her under jaw,
and the bones of her hands and feet. Their breaking was
sometimes attended with noise, and at others not ; and was al-
ways preceded and followed by the most acute pain. The oink
of the broken bones would sometimes for a day or two grate
together, on being moved. Upon a post mortem examination,
not a sound bone was found. All were so softened, as to be
easily cut with a knife. When her bones began to break, the 1
muscles of her lower limbs so contracted that they lay di-
rectly across her stomach and bowels. In this position she re-
mained until her death. Iler body was so contracted, that at
one time she measured, as she lay in bed, only two feet and
four itches. She gradually lost all strength in her limbs, until
she could only move slightly the ends of her fingers. She was
43 years of age.—Aymesbury (America) Transcript.
Walking is the best possible exercise. Habituatebut I doubt
whether we have not lost more than we have gained by the use
of this animal. No one thing has occasioned so much the de-
generacy of the human body. An Indian goes on foot nearly
as far in a day, for a long journey, as an enfeebled white does
on his horse, and he will tire the best horses. A little walk of
half an hour in the morning when you first rise is advisable It
shakes off sleep, and produces other good effects in the animal
economy.—Jefferson's Memoirs.
WOODSTOCK ELECTION.—This election took
place en Friday, when Mr. Thesiger was returned without
opposition.

BREECHES POCKET LEGISLA-
TION.

Alexander Baring, the landowner, is one of the
least arrogant, and perhaps least dishonest, and most
clever of the advocates of the Corn-laws. What he
said on Friday evening, and what he will hereafter
say, will no doubt be considered by the Corn-law men
of great importance. He has modesty enough to
see that a reason twist be given for plundering
the people, and subtility enough to invent very
plausible reasons. We think it our duty, there-
fore, to quote the language of Alexander Baring, the
merchant, that it may at least serve to show, if it be
not held to be conclusive against the Corn-laws,
that the authority of a man who can so contradict
himself is of little importance. Our Corn-law
loving contemporaries may say that the experience
of age is more to be depended on than the asser-
tions of youth. We reply, that we prefer even the
inexperience of youth to the sinister interests of
age. In our extracts from the speeches of Alex-
ander Baring the merchant, it will be seen that he
was not backward in attributing a bias to the land-
lords from interest : it is because he now has that
bias, and as a merchant had an interest, coincident
with that of the whole community, that we prefer
his doctrines when he was a merchant, to his doc-
trines now that he is a landowner.

The very Alexander Baring who stepped forward
last Friday as a volunteer in the Corn-laws, was
one of the most forward and strenuous opponents
of the Corn-law of 1815. Ile took the lead in op-
posing it—moved amendments—complained of the
indecent manner in which it was hurried through
Parliament ; and, on June Gth, 1814, gave this
forcible view of the effects of those restiictions which
he now upholds :

" All the petitioners wanted was not to see laws esta-
blished which should cause them to pay for their bread
more than was necessary. It was said that the Bill before
the House would be beneficial, in as far as it would have
the effect of making the price of bread steady. Now, he
could not see that it would have this effect. Steady prices
were never produced by restriction. Apply the doctrine of
restriction to any one county in England, and it would bo
found that the doing so would not have the effect of steady-
ing the prices in that particular county ; on the contrary,
the bread would be alternately high and low according as
there was a good or bad harvest in that particular spot,
deprived as it would be of intercourse with the rest of the
kingdom. As the whole of England was to any particular
county in England in this respect, such exactly was the
whole of Europe to England. The evident effect of re-
strictions of this kind was, that ingenious artisans and
mechanics would go abroad, and would settle where they
could get cheap bread. His object waA to get rid of the
question entirely for this Session of Parliament; and if
any proposition was made to that effect it should have his
support

On the Gth of July, in the same year, he thus
correctly predicted what would be the effect of the
Corn-laws then proposed
_ _ _

" Being aware of the importance of this subject, he had
taken pains to inquire i:.to the state of the manufactures
of the Continent ; and, from what he had been able to
learn, it was his opinion, if this duty were continued, that
the cotton manufacturers of this country IN ere in very con-
siderable danger of bring soon driven out of the continental
market.

" There was no doubt that, from capital and other cir-
cumstances, we had long been able to undersell foreign ma-
nufacturers, notwithstanding their advantages in other re-
spects ; but there was little doubt that in time the persons
of this country possessel of manufacturing capitals would
emigrate to other countries, where they could be settled
more advantageously."

On February 15, ISIS, he thus spoke of the
landlords :

" lie trusted that the same year in which the great pro•
prietors of the country were relieved from the burden of the
property tax, would not witness their success in inducing
Parliament to transfer the burden to shoulders much less
able to bear it."

On February 17 of the same year, the merchant
made these sensible observations :

EVENING EDITIONR

tries, he could not avoid seeing that the laws protecied:
them in a peculiar manner, and gave them a greater ads
vantage for their land than was obtained in other parts rt
the world. In France, for instance, might be seen per,
sons of large landed property, living on the produce of
that property, in the manner of the country gentlemen,
and even the nobility, in this island in former times. But
it was only in this country where landed gentlemen could
go to great towns, and have great disposable incomes to
spend wherever they chose. Any person who had con-
sidered the relative situation of gentlemen of landed pro-
perty in this and in foreign countries, could not but be
struck with the advantages they enjoyed here.'
Colonel Thompson never more happily pointed
out the effects of the bolstering system than did the
merchant on the same day, Feb. 22, 1815 :
lie hod heard that one large farmer had been obliged to
give up h:s system of hand-hoeing in consequence of the
depression in the value of corn ; but if the gentlemen who
supported this measure proceeded, a system of hand-raking
might also be adopted, and farmers might even, at a future
period, find it worth while to employ immense watering-
pct.s for irrigating their lands in seasons when there was a
deficiency of rain. But while these experiments were
making, the consumer would be suffering, and the result
mistinevitably be to reduce the price of corn that had
been raised by these artificial means, to its proper level."
Here ar.! some passages from the speech on the
same day reflecting on the motives of the landlords,
and showing that the bread-tax raised rents without
benefiting the farmer
He wished for no evidence but that already before the
House in the report of the Select Committee ; for, not-
w;thstanding the obvious bias with which the witnesses
gave their testimony, they had made out a story that
would be the ruin of the case they had been adduced to
support. lie did not mean to accuse them of being ope-
rated upon by any motive that was not extremely natural ;
but no man could read the testimony of a single indi-
vidual, witho'it discovering the fact, that his information
received at least a colour from the influence of his own
interest.

" It was vet y easy for any set of gentlemen, in framing a
report, to set down any statements they pleased, since no
contradiction could at Vie Ville be given ; but he would be
glad to hear any Hon. Member rise in the House, and
upon his own responsibility, in the face of the country,
maintain that the ;:mount of rent paid by the tenant had
actually no bearing or relation to the subject of discussion.
In the documents before the House one instance was given
of Brodie, a great Scotch farmer, who rented land to
the amount of 6,000;-,. per annutt ; some years ago he had
only paid 2,000/. or 28s. per gore ; and would it be se-
riously argued for a moment, that if from the rent of
6,000 which he now paid, he were reduced by the effect
of peace to 4,000/ , it would not have a material operation
upon the price of corn he should grow ? He was convinced
that only a moderate sacrifice on the part of the owners of
land would produce all the advantages sought by the pre-
sent measure ........ . . .
01 the bOs. per quarter he would calculate that the
landlord obtained 2W. as his proportion, and the re-
mainder went to the tenant for profit, and for the dis-
charge of the expenses of tillage. Suppose instead of
20s. the owrcr of the land were to receive only 155., and
the profits and expenses of the tenant were to be reduced in
the same proportion, one-fourth, that would leave 00s. as
the price that ought to be named after which grain might
be imported into the country, that is, if a farm were now
let for 2,000/. a-year, that the landlord should only re-
ceive 1.500/. in future; and it would, he admitted, be
reasonable to reduce the profits of the tenant."

On Feb. 27, 1815, he repeated the same doc-
trines :

" In most instances he was satisfied the interests of the
nation were best confided to its great landholders, but
n hen they came to discuss a question so immediately affect-
ilig their own perional interests as the state of rents, and
the value of the produce of the land, it was fit they should
be cautioned against taking a narrower view, from the bias
they must neecssariiy have, than they were accustomed to
take, of the tendency and effect of measures submitted to
their consideration."
Again, on March 6, he said :

‘• lie entirely concurred in the sentiments stated in that
petition (the London petition.) He believed that the
measure uow in progress through the House, was substan-
tially a measure having no other effect but that of raising a
considerable revenue from the consumers of bread for the
purpose of raising the rents of land.—( Hear, hear.)
" The distant parts of the country had been taken by sur-
prise ; they thought the subject bad been set at rest last
year; and many of the towns, from the precipitate manner
adopted, had not yet been able to express themselves. It was
not enough, in an important question of this kind, in which
the whole community were so deeply interested, to have
long discussions in that House, it was their duty to give
the people time to express their sentiments. To every at-
tempt he saw to hurry this measure, he should give his de-
cided opposition. _

Now
" he would maintain, for he had had communications
from various respectable quarters or, the subject, that the
tenantry, and labourers in general felt no interest what-
ever in the price at which the protecting duty should be
fixed.—( Hear, hear. He would repeat it, that the la-
bourers in agriculture, and even the tenantry, had no inte-
rest in the present question. He believed the prevailing
sentiment among the tenantry was that this was the land-
lord's affair and not theirs, for they could only pay to the
landlord what they could afford after defraying their other
expenses. But to talk of the labourer was altogether ridi-
culous. Whether wheat were 120 s. or 80s. the quarter,
he could only expect dry bread in the one case, and dry
bread in the other; and he, therefore, had no interest
whatever in it."

Such an incendiary against the Corn-laws was
the merchant considered, that the following cccnc
occurred on March 8, 1815, which probably will
be imitated in the House of Peers, Baring, the
lcndlord, playing the part of Mr. Huskisson :
Ma. licsKissoN.—The greatest danger had resulted
entirely from the mode in which these debates had been
conducted. This night he had heard with indignation,
that he could scarcely repress, the basest motives and
lowest designs attributed to the supporters of this measure.
The Speaker here interposed, and reminded the Right
lion. Gentleman that there were several Orders of the
Day to be disposed of.

Mr. Baring rose with considerable warmth, conceiving
that he bad been personally alluded to by the Right Hon.
Gentleman who had just sat down.

L was the keen reproach of the elder Pitt to Sir
Robert Walpole, that experience had brought him
no wisdom ; and a Pitt might now say of Lord
Ashburton that the experience of the world had
annihilated in him the wisdom which nature had
bestowed. The creeping avarice of age has not only
chilled all his generous sentiments—it has extin-
guished his mind. He has lived till his own pro-
phesies are fulfilled, and in the face of them he ds-
nies his own sagacity. To such wilful self-de-
struction he adds self-condemnation. The man who
in 1815 proved that the landlords wanted " a Corn-
law to keep up rents"—that they legislated " with
a bias"—that they " acted from self-interest"—
stands convicted, on his own showing, in 1840, of
having assassinated the great reputation of Alex-
ander Baring, the merchant, from the mean and
despicable motive of adding to the rents of Alex-
ander Baring, the landlord, by taxing the bread of
the poor.