The Sun.
London, England, 1851-02-12 00:00:00

GERMAN V

The Landtag of the Grand Duchy of Baden was
clonal on the 4th by Baron von Marschall, the
Minister of the Interior, with the following address :
" Hid Royal Highness the Grand Duke has charged
me-to express the regret he feels at being prevented by
illness from appearing before you, as it would have given
him the greatest pleasure to have completed in person
the task begun with courage and goodwill, continued
with perseverance and mutual confidence, and completed
lc the spirit of unity and peace—and thus fitly recog-
milled your beneficial labours for the prosperity of the
eauntry.

" It has, indeed, been impossible so soon to obliterate
all the eonsequenoes and traces of the time of disorder;
the fortune of men and the welfare of states are more
easily destroyed than founded anew; principles of morals
and religion are more easily undermined than re-estab-
lished again. But the path of improvement has been
entered upon, and if it is pursued with zeal, firmness,
and unity, the future may be looked forward to with
eonfidence.

" The support you have given the Government, and
the spirit of justice and moderation which has animated
your proceedings, have already reacted favourably on
public opinion, and his Royal Highness sees, with great
satisfaction, thati after the late deep agitation a calmer
and more settled state of affairs begins to prevail, with
that respect fox' the law and recognition of the higher
moral power of the civil order of the State, to support
which is the duty and condition of individual as well as of
general prosperity.

" feel thankful that by your assent to
the nuinerous Bills laid before you, you have given
strength to order and legality, regulated the public, ex-
penditure, raised general confidence, produced a more
favourable condition of commercial affairs, and thereby
in so many branches increased the general welfare. The
people will be especially grateful to you for having, without
*lcing the rights and the essence of a rational free-
dela, given the. means of acting energetically against
the abuse of liberty, and of exercising the public autho-
rity with effect.
" His Royal Highness can therefore so much the more
capeet from every organ of the administration of the
state, that, strengthened by these laws, they will con-
seientiousirp discharge their duty, by putting them into
operation, impressed with the conviction that only when
united with proper firmness can a real good will towards
all be rendered of any activity.
" Baden, united and strengthened within, and rely-
ing on the newly created armed power, will take the
place which the confidence of the German nation and
fbe respect of other states secure to it.

" Gentlemen, you return after your completed and
saccess!'ul labours to your homes. The best wishes of
our Prince accompany you. You will continue to act
among your fellow-citizens in the same spirit in which
you have worked here. The blessings of Providence
will not be refused to the united exertions we dedicate
to the happiness of our native land.
" By the authority of the Archduke I declare the
Landtkkg closed."

DENMARK AND THE DUCHIES.
A letter from Copenhagen of the 3d. says—
" Yesterday morning the beating of drums and salvos
of artillery greeted the troops returning from the duchy
of Schleswig. At the Western Gate, which was orna-
mented with flap and trophies, they were met by the
Prinee, who is heir presumptive to the throne, the mu-
nicipality, the staff of the national guard, &c., and a
great crowd of people shouting for the King and
the brave Danish army. The troops then proceeded to
the triumphal arch erected to their honour in the old
market place. The King waited for them there and
st:;dre.tsed them thus—' The whole nation unites with
me in praising your patriotism, fidelity, courage,
and indomitable perseverance.' These words called
forth bhunts of Frederick VII. for ever! "Long
live the King!' The King then passed them in
eview, and afterwards led them to a banquet prepared
for therm in the riding-school of the palace of Chris-
tiaiwborg, the largest establishment of the kind in
Euro,pe. After the banquet, three toasts were drunk—
one to the King, proposed by the president of the muni-
Sip Aity; a second to the army, proposed by the King
himself ; and a third to the country, proposed
by the President of the Council of Ministers. Each of
these toasts was saluted by a flourish of trumpets and
a salvo of artillery. After this, the King walked round
to every table, and spoke to several of the private sol-
diers. He then saluted them all in an affectionate man-
ner, and withdrew amidst shouts of ' Long live the
Xing !' from every part of the vast banqueting-room."

AGRICULTURE AND CURRENCY.
, (From the Journal of Industry.)
The state of agriculture in this country is now that
which Adam Smith defines as " misery," vices state of
" low prices and scarcity." The yield is found, for the
most part to be decidedly defective, while the average
price of wheat for the week ending 17th of January,
was 38s. id. a quarter. Now when it is remembered
that 1,200,000 men are engaged in agricultural
pursuits in Groat Britain, the depressed condi-
tion of so large a class becomes a most
sessions consideration to the country at large.
Their distressed state must necessarily react on trade
and the manufacturing interest. But, independently
et this, it is impossible to regard the increasing depres-
sion of the once powerful agricultural body without
feelings of deep concern. The land was originally the
snares of the mation's wealth. The Barons of Runny-
mede were the representatives of the landed interest
of their day. The country party has again and again
stood forth to protect the rights and liberties of the peo-
ple of England. And what are the present prospects of
tke country party? " Already," said Sir James Gra-
ham, in 1825, " Mr. Peel's Bill has occasioned an im-
mense transfer of property." " Estates, which have been
held from generation to generation in the same family,
are rapidly changing owners; and as the country gentle-
man retires, the fundholder advances. Both the nobility
and gentry-must fall from their high estate under the
operation of this Act; their reduced rental must
be absorbed in the necessary outgoings, and
fixed charges on their property, and nothing
will be left to sustain the dignity of their
rank and station. The occasional expansions of
the circulating medium which Government has suc-
tioned and encouraged, whereby a temporary prosperity
has visited all interests, and the ingenuity with which the
mercantile class has availed itself of commercial money to
supply the place of coin and bank notes, together with the
partial advantage derived from the corn-laws have en-
abhei the agricultural interest to delay the evil. But the
neeessieitek of our vast population have now exposed the
agrioulturists to the competion of the world, and that
evil day ish fast -approaching. With mortgages, and in-
cumbrances fixed in money payments under a high scale
of prices, the landowner must gradually sink under the
burden. Lord Brougham has correctly defined what is
meant by the ruin of the landed interest,—an
expression which is often treated with derision.
It is not, he says, that " the proprietors
would be destroyed, that the land would
become sterile, or sink into the sea, and the owners be
exterminated. No : what is to be understood by the
ruin of a great class, and by the destruction of the
most commanding interest in the country, is shortly
this : a change of property; much individual misery ;
the whole reladone of that class to the rest of society,
and of its members to each other, destroyed, Such may
be caned the destruction of a class ; when it happens
to a community, it becomes the destruction of a state."
Already the middle class of agriculturists, the tenant
farmers, are "king under the pressure of the monetary
system. Many of the smaller farmers are already ruined,
many more are on the verge of ruin, and the most pru-
dent, successful, and enterprising portion of the body—
nela of slrill, capital, and energy—are witnessing the pro-
visions made for their families dwindling away, their capital
depreciating, and the fair remuneration of their labour
annihilated. And the pressure is reaching also that
more numerous class, whose lot it is to labour for their
daily bread. The winter has, so far, been favourable to
this class. The farmers, much to their credit, have, for
the most part, manifested an unwillingness to lower
their wages. Food has been cheap, fuel has not
been en urgent a necessary of life, as usual at
this period. But is it possible to imagine that
the agricultural labourer will not speedily ex-
perience the ill effects of the ruin which is seizing on his
employer? landlord, tenant, and labourer, must, if
the present, system continues, be involved in the same
severe distress. Now this is the time to consider,
calmly and deliberately, what should be done for the
agricultural body, and also what should be done
by them. - We
say that the existing depres-
sion calla foe immediate relief, as far as it
is practicable. The severe depression of any
large class of the community should never be regarded
by a statesman with indifference. Where distress cannot
h* Prevented, it should be relieved ; where suffering can-
-10 be remedied it should be mitigated. That hard-
leaerted abuse of the principles of political economy,
which leaves a class to "find its level," though that level
be the dust; and proclaims that our fellowmen,whose errors
or mistake of judgment have brought them to distress, are
to be left to r the punishment of nature," is abhorrent
aiike to row:alio- , religion, and common sense. But
where a large, ilaPhetant, producing: class is struggling
agstiost tile effects of laws which have reduced the
puce of their produce to an extant never contem-
plated, and at the same time increased the
vetght
of their mortgages, incurabrances, taxes, rents,
and all money payments, they' arejutly
laimeeiate relief is what ihesy-wanetn;
titled to relief.
and all practicable relief by lessening the heaviest bur-
dens oe land, the land tax, the hop duty (a grievous
tax), all ratesunduly
pressing on land, and by causing
all the payments which coma against the land to undergo
a careful revision, should be effected. g
Bit let the ragriculurai body be assured that all such
relief, however it may alleviate present suffering, is a
m'-re xte e tier t•, •is not the remedy. The laws which
e
have ereught teem to their present coudithes,
avid which terearen them with worse consequences,
which the late Sir
are the roatetary bee;
Robert Peel established. .To these laws are owing
repeeted peri+el® of lc,piTs,..ii,rl which, With
productive daty 'first up t,805. a quarter, then down
70h, to 64e., cod to 56.aShave visited them, in com-
wlth all the industrious interests of the country,
do rig the last tnirtv yonrs. These money laws were
the immediate cause of the corn-laws being, at last,
r pealed. They r:ridir a' return to protection impos-
sible. And these:. law's; as the wants Of an increasing
population become more urgent, will, when com-
mercial and , me/lulu:luring depression are added-
-113 a"ed thi'Y bh, when the " cycle" brings their
arrival—seiil proince changes, fineneial, and
political, greater 'than any wiehave yet seem If the
ageiculeurel body wish to save themselves they must
learn to under end the true cause of their suffering;
they must do more—they must combine and unite,
they must exhibit that determined energy of purpose,
that abrogation of selfish and 'personal feelines, with-
out which even a good cause cannot prosper. They