The Sun.
London, England, 1823-04-17 00:00:00

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ways, are burdens exclusiitly borne by the owners and own.'
piers of land:
" That it is the opinion of this meeting that the adoption of
the following measures will materially conduce to the general
welfare and relief of the agriculture community—namely, a
direct tax upon all monied property in the same proportion as
the tax already levied upon land; a fair and equal distribution
among all classes of his :Majesty's subjects, of the expence in-
curred in the maintenance of the poor and the reparation of the
highways ; a general revision and amendment of the laws re-
lating to the currency and the importation of agricultural pro-
duce ;. a system of strict economy and retrenchment of the
public expenditure; and lastly the abolition of all places and
pensions excepting those conferred as rewards for meritorious
public services."
The Honourable Gentleman then read the petition.
These (continued Mr. Williams) were his opinions. The
Frincipal objection which he had to the resolutions of his Hon.
riend (Mr. Gwynre) related to those parts where he spoke
of ,the currency. His own opinion was, that the act which
produced such an alteration in the currency was premature;
but he thought, and this was the opinion of men most conver-
sant in the commercial world, that the repeal of the act at pre-
sent would only tend to reproduce the evils which it at first
created—would cause a revulsion as much to be dreaded as that
under which the country had already Suffered.
Mr. GWYNNE here begged to explain. His object was not
the repeal but the revision of that act, for he admitted that the
repeal at this moment would again plunge the country into
many and serious evils.
Mr. P. WILLiAMs, in continuation, said, that his object
was the same as that of his Honourable Friend. He had no
party views to gratify. He admitted the distress, and he ear-
nestly sought. for the means which were in his opinion best f;al-
culated to relieve it.
The Reverend CHARrals GRIPV'ITII now seconded the
Solutions and Petition of Mr. Williams.

Mr. H. BOLD seconded (pro forma) those of Mr. Gwynne,
that they might be read, though he did not concur in them.
The Resolutions and Petition of both Gentlemen were again
read.

. .
to H. Bo nosoowlostai
ohot,ti.ithasathleietghaovueglhi it
s hearty concurrence
they
would be more
effective if acted upon in relieving the distress which prevailed.
To enter upon any discussion as to the nature of that distress
was now unnecessary, as it was well known and severely felt
by all who heard him : but he might be allowed to say a word
or two as to the mode by which it might be remedied. He was
one who would sincerely reprobate' any plan of relief which
went to dupport'the agriculturalists at the expence of any other
class of the community. If any plan of that kind, or any
which involved even the slightest violation of the nationatfaith,
were pro Posed, he would be among the first to oppose it. If,
however, 'it could be shorn that the agriculturists bore a greater
portion,of theburdens of the country than any other class—that
they only were pressed down by county rates anti poor rates-r-
-that a landlord of moderate income had to pay a large proportion
of these; while another; having tens of thousands in the funds,
was exempt from them, he thought there was a just.ground
of coinplaintt and that the petition to put all property upon
the same footing in this respect, could not be deemed unreason-
able. The fiindholcier had the same protection from the civil
and military institutions of the country, and he ought in fair-
ness to contribute his equal proportion. It might be said that,
they had taken their estates subject to such burdens. He de-
nied the justice of the argument. If they went back to 1792,
it would be found that the increase of the burdens of poor rates,
county rates, and Other lines on land, had been enormous, and
out of all proportion great as compared. with the burdens of the
other classes of the. community. He therefore repeated, that it
was by no means unreasonable to ask that all the taxes should be
equalised. He held in his hand a document whichhad been mov-
ed for in Parliament by Mr. Chetwynd;.-a statement of the ex-
pences of the county of Brecon for 7 years; and it there appeared
that the county rates of last year were 3,141/. making a large pro-
portion; somewhere, he thought, about-1
-17th of the rental of
the county. Was it, he would ask, fair that this should be borne
exclusively by one. set of men ? 11e was aware there' was a
great prejudice against such meetings as the present ; but surely
nothing could be snore natural than that they who felt them-
selves aggrieved should complain and seek for redress. AMong
other objections to agricultural meetings, it was said that their
object was to raise the price of agricultural produce. He had
no such wish; buthe did wish to lower the cost of production ;-
to give to the farmer a fair remunerating sale for Isis produce
by lessening-the burdens under which he laboured. If these
burdens were spread equally Among all classes, it could 'nialte
no difference in. the ministerial budget, as the returns would
be the same. If this took place, audit certain taxes applicable
to.the landed interests wero removed, there could be no altera-
tion in our financial system, except,
Fund might be reduced from five millions to three.:-.4 circum-
stance from which no disadvantage could accrue to public cre-
dit. If he thought it would, he would not support it; for he
would give his sanction to no measure which would in any way
infringe upon the national credit.—(Cheers.)
After a few words in explanation, between Mr. WILLIAMS
and ,Mr. Ow YSTNE, the latter consented.to withdraw his reso-
lutions and petition.
Major PRICE said, he would repeat here what he had said
eleswherc, that they who called the comity together on this
occasion ought to be prepared with some practicable plan of
relief. He saw none in any of the resolutions before the meet-
ing: If the object was to say that distress existed among the
agriculturists. or Breconthire, they. were borne out by'the ex-
perience of every landholder in the county. However, as it
might be of
aome advantage to let the House- of Commons
know the particulars of that distress, he would support the
resolutions of Mr. Williams. He, hoWeVer, would not con-
sent to any measure which would press on the funds only. If
there,were to be any alteration, let the pressure on all classes
be equal.
'Mr. Ifoictikss suggeeted, that as bounties had been given
by the legislature to different branches of trade,' to encourage
enterprise in those concerned, the granting a bounty, to the ex-
porters of home-grown corn would be a great relief to the agri
cultutists ; and at the same time such exportation, confined to
British shipping, manned with British seamen, was a nursery
for that valuable class of men.
The Reverend 'CHARLES GIiTifITIIII opposed this, as going
against the spirit of the resolutions already before the meeting,
which condemned the taxing of one part of the country at die
expence of the other.--(Bear, hear !)
The HIGH SUEILIFF, observed, that as the addition which
the Gentleman proposed was not seconded, it must fall to the
ground.

T The H tau SHERIFF then put the Resolutions of Mr. Wil-
liams seviatini, and they were all unanimously adopted ; as was
also the Petition founded on them.
It was then moved and carried, that the Lord Lieutenant of
the County (the Duke of Beaufort) be requested to present the
Petition to the Lords, and to support its prayer ; also, that Co-
lonel Wood, the Member for the County, be directed to present
the Petition to the COIIIIIIOIIB, and to support itsyrayer.
It was then moved, that Arthur Wilkins, Ls?j., M.P. for
Radnorshire, and William Alexander Madocks; M.P.
for Chippenham, be requested to support the Petition by their
vote Lind interest. , ,

On the motion of the Rev. THOMAS WILLIAms thanks
were voted to John Gwynne and Henry Williams, Engrg., for
their exertions in bringing :about this meeting; and also for the
zeal they had shown in their endeavours to procure,sonie relief
to their suffering brother freeholders.
.51r. J. fiwieNg moved that the thanks of the meeting be
given to the High Sheriff, for his impartial conduct in, the
(Muir, and for his readiness in convening thefreeholders on the
'present occasion—an example worthy of imitation by all per-
sons filling similar high official situations. This was put and
carried by acclamation. The High Sheriff briefly returned
thanks, atter which the meeting separated. ,