The Sun.
London, England, 1846-11-21 00:00:00

ffirmitint

LONDON, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1846.

The agricultural statistics of England, from their
paramount importance to ourselves, have generally
monopolised our consideration. They have not, how-
ever, so far monopolised that consideration as to ex-
clude from our notice the agricultural statistics of
foreign countries ; they have only rendered these
latter in a peculiar degree subordinate. It is, never-
theless, from the comparisons drawn between the cal-
culated resources of our own and surrounding
territories, that we can arrive at an adequate esti-
mate of the supplies afforded for the sustentation of
our community. It is only by analysing the provisional
tables of the continental agriculturists that we can
form any adequate deduction as to our relative
position, as to our advancement or retrogression as
cultivators of the earth, and especially as to the mar-
kets to which it would be advisable for us to make
the first application in the periods of national priva-
tion. From these extraordinary estimates, moreover,
we may by analogy form some accurate conception
of the physical advantages possessed by the population
under other Governments, of their social condition, of
their facilities for satisfying the primary wants of our
common nature, by clothing themselves with appro-
priate raiments, by feeding themselves with nutri-
tious food, and by residing in houses proportioned to
their several ranks, and suited to their average
necessities. From these inquiries into the
movements of various countries in the arts
of husbandry each nation would receive a wonderful
encitement to still greater exertion. We should
thereupon strive to emulate each other in extracting
the utmost amount of nourishment from the soil, and
in effecting a consequent improvement in the condi-
tion of our fellow-citizens.
A very remarkable document was forwarded on the
16th inst. to the different prefets throughout France,
by the Minister of Agriculture and Commerce. The
document to which we allude was a circular upon
the actual state of the provision supply in that
kingdom. A more interesting moment could scarcely
have been selected for its remittal and subsequent
publication; for it is precisely at this moment that
an unprecedented dread of scarcity is acting most
prejudicially upon many of the principal markets of
this hemisphere ; .it is precisely at this moment that
an unprecedented failure has really occurred in cer-
tain directions; it is precisely at this moment that an
unprecedented abundance of corn and other produc-
tions has inundated to overflowing some of the most
important granaries in the new and the old world.
We are induced to make this particular allusion to the
circular issued by the Minister of Agriculture and
Commerce, not so much, however, for the purpose of
analysing the mercantile incongruities of France, as
to direct the attention of the so-called Protectionists
to some of the deductions which must necessarily be
drawn from the facts therein contained.
Among the different objections raised against the
salutary doctrines of free trade, the most incessant
and the most specious was to the effect, that by re-
moving the barriers hitherto raised against the im-
portation of provisions, the markets would be speedily
glutted with foreign: produce ; that the interests
of our native growers of corn and fatteners of cattle
would be utterly destroyed ; that, in short, the
farmers of Great Britain would be ruined by this
disproportioned competition of the husbandmen of a
single country against the agriculturists of the rest
of the world combined. We say that this was
about the most specious of the numberless objections
raised against the measures of Sir ROBERT PEEL by
the cavillers of New Bond-street. It was only spe-
cious, however, to those whose ignorance rendered
them gullible enough to swallow any dismal pro-
phecy, providing it were only advanced with so-
lemnity and uttered with emphasis; such !individuals
as would have brandished their carving-knives among
the ragged regiment of the fanatic Tuom, vr would,
if that were possible, have rocked the cradle of
JOANNA SOUTHCOTT to all eternity. tinder the
scrutiny of common sense and an unbiassed judg-
ment that most frivolous objection " melted into thin
air," like the reprobate old ghost in the white waist
coat, as seen by EBENEZER SCROOGE.
If anything were wanting to demonstrate the
shallowness of this Protectionist argume at, the cir-
cular of the Minister of Agriculture and
,Commerce
would be amply sufficient. From that elaborate
official document it would appear that a harvest of
the most astonishing abundance has been gathered
in the ancient provinces of Poland and
New Russia ; that from Odessa may be readily ex-
ported, 6,000,000 hectolitres of grain; that a supply
of 1,500,000 hectolitres is derivable, on eraergency,
from the sea of Asof ; that 1,800,000 hectolitres
might be drawn immediately from the stores of
Egypt; that 49,280,000 hectolitres of wheat, and.
24,640,000 quintals of flour can be exported for Eu-
ropean consumption from the granari,n of the
United States. Here, therefore, is that en Mcmous and
accumulated peril which was foretold! Here is
something infinitely worse than the legen ditty sword
of DAMOCLES ! Here are prodigious qua ntities of
foreign grain, and vast bundles of foreign flour ready
to tumble down upon the devoted agric ul turists of
England and smother them with the cereal_ .calamities
of free trade ! Surely with these gigalati c terrors
hanging about their ears, our.tenant-farmt trs are pre-
paring to appraise their stock and to dispose 3 of their
implements and other appurtenances by- auction
Surely our landowners will have to disch a cge their
estate-agents forthwith ! Surely those tracks of
arable land, which have hitherto nurtured the roots
of rye and barley, will henceforth be prolific of dar-
nels and thistles ! Those would be the on ly conse-
quences in accordance with the prediction 123 of the
protectionists. But let us ask seriously is hat are
the effects produced upon our native agricui ture by
this pending torrent of foreign produce. Are our
farmers dwindling into a state of irreparal a a bank-
ruptcy ? Are rents diminishing with a rub z.ous ra-
pidity ? Are prices falling to such a miseral plzr unre-
munerative point that the cost of seed and cu It ivation
is not repaid? The contrary of all this *; noto-
rious. Rents, instead of sinking, are m ardfestly
rising; leases are being renewed incessant ly at an
amount sometimes double, sometimes trel ble, that
stipulated in the preceding arrangement. P, cic es are
sustained to a point which must afford the me )st, satis-
factory profits; and the tenant-farmers, not :merely
upon the estates of the Marquis of I .O:NDON-
DERRY, but elsewhere throughout the island,
are in a more flourishing condition th at t can
be remembered. Nay, our agriculturists them-
selves show that they are fully aware of their
safety by actually retaining large quantities o f grain
from the markets, notwithstanding this threw itened
competition from abroad. They are concl ms of
their superior advantages over the agriculttre ists of
foreign countries; they are concious that; they
themselves are not compelled to suppce t the
expenses of freightage; that their wheat and. cattle
are within the immediate reach of the consun at ;r, in-
stead of being beyond oceans and mountains. They
are satisfied of their local and scientific sup er iority
over the corn-growers of distant territories, a ii that,
notwithstanding the virtual orration of free trl .ode at
this moment, they are still protected from the d anger
of a superabundance of proviiions. Experie tie a will
in time change the protectionists into free-trade rs.

In the Free-Trade Hall of Manchester ( to Wed-

nesday last, a great mooing of the Liberal electors,
specially convened, pledged itself to take all requisite
steps for returning Mr. BRIGHT, M.P., as the' it repre-
sentative whenever a vacancy should occur, Wier by
a general election, or the resignation of his seat by
Mr. MARK PHILIPS, whose health has, f isr some
time past, rendered him desirous of rail.' log from
public life. Retire when he may, M r. MARE