The Sun.
London, England, 1834-02-21 00:00:00

:hat the butter which was formerly sold for Is. 61. and

Magistrates.
Mr. LITTLETON said be was aware of tha,
meeting, the requisition for which was signed by
one Magistrate, and at which a resolution was pro-
posed by another Magistrate.—(Hear, bear.) He was,
however, not aware that the meeting was illegal, or that
any unwarrantable language was used at it, and therefore
it was not the intention of the Government to take any
steps with respect to those magistrates.—(Hear, bear.)
Major BEAUCLERK put a question to a Noble Lord
opposite, relative to the contemplated employment of the
new police force in a parish in Surrey, which had been
protested against by the parishioners, but he spoke in a
tune that was nearly inaudible to the reporters.
Lord HOWICK said he could give no answer to the
question, as from the want of previous notice he had not
any information upon the subject. If, however, the Hon.
and Gallant Officer wished he would make the inquiry.
Major BEAUULERK then gave notice that he would,
at another time, put the question.
On the motion that the House do resolve itself into a
Committee of Supply,
Lord CHANDOS rose, and, after that part of his
Majesty's speech relating to the distress of the agricultural
interests had been read by the clerk, the Noble Lord
said that he was about to call the attention of the
House to the subject of the agricultural distress.
He believed that be was about to call the attention of the
House to a question of the greatest importance, and one
which, in his bumble judgment, was not exceeded in im-
portance by any other. It was admitted that distress per-
vaded all the agricultural classes. He was unable to do
justice to the subject, but he trusted in what he brought
before the House, however humble his efforts might be,
that the House would go along with him, for they were
all satisfied that distress existed, and be was sure
they would he all ready to relieve it. Distress bad
existed amongst the agricultural classes for a great
many years—it had extended with great rapidity, and at
one period with greater rapidity than at another ; but
there was not one portion of the agricultural interest
which was not, more or less, suffering under distress. In
the year 1821, a Committee was appointed to in-
quire into the agricultural distress, but he believed
that that Committee did not do great credit
to the agricultural interest, or give any relief to that
body. Certainly distress existed in 1821, though
not to such a degree as it existed at present.
Last year his Majesty's Government appointed another
Committee, in order that this House might be made
acquainted with the present state of the agricultural distress.
It was but due to the Right Hon. Baronet, the Chair-
man of that Committee, to state that no person was better
able to inquire into the subject than he was. The
report, which was so clearly drawn up, went along
with him (Lord Chandos) in his assertion that distress
to a great extent existed amongst the agricultural in-
terests.—(Hear, hear.) He would read an extract from
the report of the Committee in 1821, which expressed a
hope that the great body of the agriculturists, though
suffering from distress, might, from the increasing prospe-
rity of the times, from their credit, and from the resources
which they possessed, be able to meet the difficulties which
surrounded them. But the Committee of last year
allowed the full extent of the difficulties which pressed
upon agriculture, and expressed their opinions that the
agricultural credit was falling, and that their resources
were exhausted. Was it then possible for any man con-
nected with the soil, and relying upon it for his indepen-
dence,• not to sympathize with the distressed state of the
farther, and to take the earliest opportunity to assist him
in his distresq He felt, and he stated with feelings of plea-
sure, that he depended upon the soil for his independence.
The reports of the Committee of 1821 and of 1833 con-
firm the opinion, to which there can be scarcely a dis-
sentient idea, of the general distress of the farmers.
This distress arises from different causes; from local
and general causes. Some farmers, to be sure, are
in a flourishing condition ; but those were such as have
other resources besides their lands—resources upon which
they are obliged to fall back. These are resources
which the generality of farmers do not possess.—(Hear.)
It was well known that the destruction of crops has
been very general. It was well-known that in the lowlands,
where, in the year 1815, rents were 535. they are now
reduced to '7s. and 14s. The landlords made every ex-
ertion to meet the coming difficulties, as they increased
from time to time ; but every contrivance tended only to
increase the difficulties, and diffuse them through all
grades—from landlords down to labourers. Daily
charges are brought against the farmers of a wish to
enjoy a monopoly to the prejudice of other classes.
He (Lord Chandos) on every opportunity would disclaim
this.—(Hear, hear.) They did not trench on the interests
of any other classes. They endured their distresses, and
did not clamour as other classes, for relief.—(Load
cheers.) They bore them patiently—they did not
resist the King's officers. They manifested a degree
of patience which entitled them to the consideration of
all who were willing to award redress, when it was sought
for peaceably, and when their claims to it were derived
from the spirit of loyalty they exhibited, and the forbear-
ance they evinced, under all their grievances.—(Cheers.)
The Noble Lord, on bringing in his Budget the other
night, had alluded to the distresses of the agricultural
classes, and stated his hope that he should Le able this
session to relieve them by his proposed alterations in
the poor laws, and the tithe system.—(Hear, bear.)
So far as these two measures went, they would certainly
benefit the farmers, but they would by no means relieve
the entire class. The Noble Lord was himself a firmer,
and knew what the state of the farmers was at that
moment. At all events, the plan, as proposed by
the Noble Lord regarding the commutation of tithes,
was prospective, and they could not obtain
any relief from that for a certain time. But
before the farmer got that relief, a great many of those
who were now able to go would sink. In the county
where he (the Marquis of Chandos) resided, such was the
amouutof the poor rates that one large parish wasin the hands
of the poor. That was not the state to whieh the whole
country was to be brought, because whenever that should
be the case it was past legislation, and no Minister, no
matter who he might be, could save the country from
utter ruiu and destruction. It was necessary for the
House to look to the state in which the agricultural
interest, now stood with regard to produce and its price.
He bad heard an Hon. Member, a few nights since, allude
to the monopoly the farmer's enjoyed in the articles of
butter, bacon, and he believed he added eggs.—Laughter.)
He meant the Honourable Member for. Middlesex. But
he could tell that Hon. Member, that the farmers
did not enjoy any such monopoly. If the Hon. Member
for Middlesex-held a large dairy farm, he woold be aware

s. 7d. was now down to Is. ld. and Is. 2d.

With re-

Bard to the price of cattle, the Hon. Member knew more
about that than he (she Marquis of Chandos) did.—
(Great laughte,.) There was nothing extraordinary

in the prices of auy description of agricultural produce—it

was no more than the farmer ought:to have in order tope

able to pay his labourers, and in fact it was under a fair
remuneration. The prices of labour which were formerly 6
and 7 shillings were now up to 10 shillings. When lielooked
back to the period of 1823, when riots and fires took place
throughout the country, he could not help bearing in
mind that these excesses took place from the distsesses
of the agricultural population, and their anxiety to have
rents reduced. He hoped the country would never see
those things again, and he hoped that the House
would assist him in bringing about some relief to the
farmers and the labouring classes. As Mr. Burke said
the trade of the farmer was a poor one, and his capital
more precarious than any other. He would now call
the attention of the House to the condition in which the
middle class of farmers were. A farmer who held 750
2a c3roe of
for good
labour,g r a sas land h
epna id
the
el7O
King's fo r po
taxes,
axaers, parochial rates,other
incidentalexpenses were added, the whole charges upon
750 acres amounted to 769/. 12s. The farmer alo paid a
considerable duty upon malt—he also paid the duties upon
was
the in employed
xmfie pde od ys e
Tdf
hen o
s ha ge
came
ammtu
hel te t
or
ee
xa,
st a
sr ni a s dot r thdl
e
servant
is whotahn
edwHuoprookunes del
nary increase that has taken piece in the poor rat!s
he had taken the amount at two periods of sixd
years, from the year 1787 to 1792 they average
765/., and the average of six years from 1828 to 1833
was 3,677/. This was in the county of Buckingham, in
which the price of wheat was 10s., and labour was from
9s. to 10s. In another parish the average fromthe
1787 to 1792 was 2,600/., and the average for six years
from 1828 to 1833 was 7,139/. In another parish
the poor rates averaged in the former period the sum
of 2,1511., and from the year 1814 to 1819 they
averaged 9,777/. In another parish in the eame county,
year
in the former period, from 1787 to 1792, they averaged
2,155/., and they now averaged 6,297/. If a stop were
not put to this system, the prrperty would soon be in
the hands of the paupers ; they would have the fee-
simple of the land. When these things were stated,
the Noble Lord would see that it was necessary to give
the agricultural interest relief by some other means than
the prospective relief to which he had alluded. lie bad
received a letter from a farmer in Somerset, and although
he (the Marquis of Chandos) did not know him person-
ally, he was a man who was well known and respected.
The letter stated that the produce of a farm in
the vale of Taunten, for which he paid forty shillings
per acre amounted to 5841., and that his outgoings
amounted to 58'7/. This was a first rate farm. In
a second rate farm, for which 28s. an acre was paid, the
produce amounted to 7661., and the outgoings to 883/.
He did not think that looking at all the circum-
stances in which the agricultural classes were placed
they could make; the two ends meet in any part of the
country. In the instances to which he had alluded
the farmer having other means and resources, would
perhaps be able to get on for same time longer.
The Noble Lord had stated that be meant to give the
householders the remission of their taxes. He (the Noble
Marquis) was one who had voted for the reduction of
those taxes, and he would have done so again this year had
the question of vote had been brought forward. He con-
gratulated the househo!deis on what they had received, but
he would have been better pleased if the Noble Lord had
given the remission without accompanying it with the
statement that he remitted that tax merely because it was
unpopular, and there was a clamour raced against it.
But why give up the house tax, and impose the malt tax?
Lerd ALTHORP.—I did not impose the malt tax.
The Marquis of CHANDOS—Yes, indeed, you did,
because the House voted its abolition, and you c ime down
in four days afterwards and imposed it again.—(Hear and
laughter.) He had rejoiced to hear the flattering statement
made by the Noble Lord of the state of his revenue. With
respect to the 800,0001. which the Noble Lord said he had
to appropriate in payment of the interest of the West In-
dia giant, he did not understrnd that that could be wanted
till next August at the soonest.
Lord ALTIIORP said the money had been all trans-
mitted.
Ths Marquis of CHANDOS—The whole of the
capital.
Lord ALTHORP—Yes.
The Marquis of CHANDOS then doubted that the
Commissioners would not be ready to receive it,
but still he thought the Noble Lord Lord might have
retained part of it here awhile, so as to have enabled him
to take off the window taxes.—(Hear, hear.) He was
not one who wished that there should not be a strict at-
tention to good faith in the payment of that large sum of
money now that it had been granted, but still important
claims of the inhabitants of this country were not there-
fore to be rejected.—(Hear, hear.) If the Noble Lord
would only impose an additional duty on gin and
on French wines, he was quite sure that the Ex-
chequer would enable him to make these further
remissions of taxation which were so loudly called for.
The Noble Lord was extremely mistaken, if he thought he
could go on another year, without giving assistance to the
farmers. They bad long and patiently suffered, and never
attempted by clamour or improper interference, to call
upon the House to reduce their taxation, but they had this
night begged through him to lay their case before Parlia
ment. In doing so he knew the jury of which the
House was composed. There were many country gentle-
men in it who well understood the subject, and be had no
doubt they would conduct themselves on this occasion in
such a manner as they would be enabled to go back to their
constituents with confidence and satisfaction. He would
not have felt that he was doing his duty to the farmers
or to the public, bad be not taken the earliest possible
opportunity of bringing forward this question after the
the notice that bad been taken of it in his Majety's
speech. After that notice every one thought an ex-
pected that Government would have brought forward
measure for the amelioration of the farmer's con-
tion, but all had been grievously disappointed'
He implored the House not to separate this night without
showing the farmers that they would listen to their
prayer. Ho brought forward the subject from no improper
motive, not because he was opposed to the present Ministry,
but because he considered it absolutely necessary that at-
tention should immediately be paid to this class of society.
—Hear, hear, hear.) He hoped it would not be said
that because the farmers had not given way to clamonr
they were to be neglected, and now told nothing
could be done for them, because the Budget was closed
for another year. Shouid their prayer be rejected,
their distress would be augmented, and the
Noble Lord's difficulties beyond all doubt increased•
He trusted, however, his humble tale on their behalf
would be listened to ; he implored the Noble Lord to
accede to his request. The Noble Lord concluded
by moving the following resolution, as an amendment :
" That in any reduction of the burthens of the country
which it mighepe practicable to effect by the remission of
taxes, a due regard be had to the distressrd condition of
the agricultural interest, as adverted to his Majesty's
speech."
Sir EDWARD KNATCHBULL rose to second the
amendment, and said that he should ill discharge
his duty to his constituents, if he hesitated for sne mo-
ment to express his concurrence generally in the senti-
ments of the Noble Lord who had preceded him.
(LEFT SPEAKING).

COURT OF KING'S BENCH-(THIS DAY.

The case of Allport v. Baldwin, which was an action
for libel, brought by Mr. Allporr, a highly respectable
tanner, at Bewdley, against the Standard newspaper, for
the insertion of a letter from a person signing himself a
Lover of Truth, reflecting on that gentleman's character,
came on in the Court of King's Bench to-day, and the
Jury found a verdict for the plaintiff—Damages 40s.
The late hour at which the trial was concluded compels us
to postpone giving a full report till to-morrow.

CITY, HALF-PAST FOUR.
A great excitement prevailed in the city this afternoon,
in consequence of the arrival of news lion) Lisbon, to the
10th, with the information of the resignation of the com-
mand of the army of Don Pedro by the Duke:of Terceira,
and that Miguel was preparing to attack St. Übes. The
Portuguese, Spanish, and other bonds have fallen consi-
derably, and the greatest alarm existed during the latter
part of the afternoon. The sales of Portuguese were very
great, and the prices fell almost immediately from 75-1
72, rallied to 74, and fell again to '7l, at which price
they have just closed. Such a state of excitement has
not been witnessed for a long time. Spanish fell from 37
to 35, at which they left off. The Consul market was
also affected by some large sales, and the prices fell from
91i to 901, at which they closed. The eagerness for
speculation was so great, that it was with difficulty the
Stock Market could be cleared at the end of the day.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, Fits. 20.
Mr. LITTLETON'S speech concluded from our Se
cond Edition of last night--
applications sent in, 2,216 had passed the Counrit
and been declared entitled to relief. He should tire the