The Sun.
London, England, 1835-05-30 00:00:00

AGRICULTURAL RELIEF.

ON THE MEANS OF EFFECTUALLY RELIEVING THE
LANDED AND FARMING INTERESTS

FROM THE
DISTRESSES WHICH THEY NOW EXPERIENCE, BY ISSUING
• 'EXCHEQUER BILLS;
EXCLUSIVELY. APPLICABLE TO THEIR RELIEF.
BY THE RIGHT HON. SIR J. SINCLAIR, BART.

Exchequer Bills were first created in the year 1696-7, on
the suggestion of Lord Halifax, then Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer. They were issued for five and ten pounds, as a
substitutiOn for money, and they have' since been found, on
other occasions, a most effectual mode of restoring confidence,
and, relieving public. distress.

•-• •
A similar scarcity of public credit having taken place in
,1193 (an account of which is given in the History of the Re-
venue, vol. 11. p. 295), Sir John Sinclair was induced to re-
commend the same plan to Mr. Pitt's attention. That able
Minister immediately saw the utility of the measure, and lost
no time in carrying the plan into effect. A report'in its favour
was presented to the House on the 29th of April; and with
such celerity was the business conducted, that an Act, sanc-
tioning the plan, (33 Geo. 111. C. 29,) quickly passed both
Houses, and received the Royal assent on the Bth May fol-,
lowing.
The success of the measure exceeded the most sanguine ex-
pectations of those who proposed and supported it. There is
not, indeed, in history, an instance when such essential benefit
was rendered to the commerce and manufactures of a country,
in a manner so sudden, and so easy in its.exectition, and from
which indeed the public derived some pecuniary advantage, in-
stead of its being productive of expense.
The Government has at the present time nothing to do but
to adopt the same measure, in order to restore at once the
agricultural prosperity of the country. Let an able intelligent
Committee be appointed without a moment's delay, and let an
Act be passed for the issue of Exchequer Bills for the relief of
the landed and farming interests, and.consequences equally be-
neficial will he the result. And surely the agricultural inte-
rests are as well entitled to the attention and support of Go-
vernment, as those of Manufactures and Commerce, however
important they may be.
In order that some idea may be formed of the deplorable
state to which the landed and farming interests are•reduced at
the present crisis, the following statement of the gradual de-
preciation in the value of wheat, from the commencement of
this century, to the present period, is submitted to the' reader's
consideration. _ _

Annual average price of Wheat per quarter, in England and
Wales :

Years. s. d. Years. s. d.
1800 llO 5I 1812 122 8

(Years. s. dr
1824 62 -0
1825 66 6
186........ 56 11
.1327 56 9
1828 6O 5
1829 66 4
1830 64 •
3,
1831 66 4
1832 53 8
1822 53 5
1834 44 8

1801 ll5 111 1813 lO6 6

1802 , 67 91 1814 72 1

1803 57 11 1815 63 81
1804 • 60. 5 1816 76' 2
1805 '
1806
1807 73: 1 1819 72 3
1808' . '78:111 1820.- ...... 65 10

-1809... 94 5 1821 54..5
1810 lO3 3 1822 43 3

1811......... 92 61 1823 .. 51 91 -
Since the Ist January, 1835, the price has gradually receded
frOm 21. Is. sd. 'to IL 18s. 6d. per quarter, on an average of
all England and Wales; and in the Berwick market, it has-
been as low as 1/. 15s. 10d.
Is it then to be wOndered at, that the farmers should be
brought to ruin, when the value of their principle' crop has
been reduced, since the commencement of the present century,
from six pounds two shillings and eight pence, .to one pound
fifteen shillings and ten pence per quarter?
It cannot be justly contended, that There a sufficiency of
circulating medium, when the most valuable article produced
by the soil, is so materially depreciated in its value ; and the
agricultural classes can never be restored to their former
prosperous state, until there is a sufficient amount of capital

itrgeneraltirculation„ to revive confidence,-and to give that
remunerating price to the farmer to which he is so justly en-
titled, by which means alone the agriculturists can possibly
sustain the heavy burdens under which they are now labouring.
It is impossible ,to suppose that .a. British Parliament, who
voted twenty millions stertmg for the relief of the planters in
our West Indi:t settlements, should hesitate a moment, by a
similar grant, to relieve the distresses of the proprietors and
farmers of •Great Britain and Ireland; who haie dill stronger
claims upon their friendly exertions, and without which their
utter ruin seems inevitable.

THE DUCHESS OF MARLBOROUGH

AND MRS. MASHAM.

( From " Cooke's Memoir;of Lord Bolingbroke.")

The _ disposition of Anne was peculiarly susceptible of
flattery, and prone to induce her to allow those who studied
her pleasure an unrestricted influence over her conduct.
During the reign of William, she had been entirely guided by
the Earl of Marlborough and his countess. Their influence
continued after she had ascended the throne ; and cnc of the
first acts of her reign was to create Marlborough a duke.
Her :partiality for her friend, who had not then achieved those
exploits which afterwards silenced his enemies, exceeded that
of her 'Commons, who refused to concur in some grants which
she proposed to confer upon him. His duchess was the most
favoured of her female attendants; and, together, the influence
of the Marlboroughs was all-potent. Long enjoyment induced
a security which alone could have afforded an opportunity for
opposing favourites so firmly established. The close at-
tendance and the constant adulation which had raised them to
'power became irksome when the object was gained ; and
while the attentions of the duchess became less assidtious,.her
tone of remonstrance or advice became more haughty. In
order that she might retain an undisputed asceudeney over her
mistress, while she relieved herself from the necessity of per-
sonal attendance upon her, she introduced info her service a
Mrs. Abigail Hill, who, being a creature of her own, she con-
sidered
as entirely devoted to her.
The Duchess of Marlborough was herself the most scheming
and successful practiser of court intrigue of her day. But in
this instance she was fatally foiled ; and a discovery of the arts
by which she had been herself outwitted, seems to have led her
to indulge in moral reflections, which seldom intruded while
those arts were only employed in furtherance of her own deSigns.
Since she was unquestionably the victim of ingratitude, she
may be allowed to relate the history of this transaction her-
self. "It was about this time," she says, " that .I discovered
the base returns made me by Mrs. Masham, upon whom I
.had heaped the greatest obligations. The story of this lady,
as well as of that gentleman who was her great adviser and
director, is -worth the knowledge of posterity, as it will lead
them into a sense of the instability of court favour, and of
the incurable baseness which some minds are capable of con-
tracting.

" Mrs. Masham was the daughter of one Hill; a merchant
in the city, by a sister of my father. -Op grandfather, Sirs
John Jenyns, had two-and-twenty children ; by which means
the estate of the family, which was reputed to be about 4,0001.
a-year, came to be divided into small parcels. Mrs. Hill had
only 5001. to her portion. Her husband lived very well, as
I have been told, for many years, till, turning projector, he
brought ruin upon- himself and family. But as, this was long
before I was born, I never knew there were such people in the
world, till after the Princess Anne was married, and when
she lived at the Cockpit ; at which time an acquaintance of
mine came to me, and said she believed I did not know I had
relations who were in want ; and she gave me an account of them.
When she had finished her story, I answered, that indeed I
had never heard before of any such relations ; "and imme-
diately gave her ten guineas out of my purse for their pre-
sent relief, saying I would do what I could for theni. After-
wards, I sent -Mrs. Hill more money and saw her.. She told
me that her husband was in the same relation to Mr. Har-
ley-as she,was to me; but that he had never done anything
for her.

" I think Mrs." Masham's father and mother did not live
long after this. They left- four children, two sons and ,two
daughters. The elder daughter, afterwards Mrs. Masham,
was a grown woman. - I , took her to St. Miens' 'where she
lived with me. and Ty children ; and I treated her with as
great kindness as if she had been my sister. After some time
a bedchamber-Women of the Princess of Denmark died ; and
as in that reign, (after the princesses were grown up,) rockers,
though not gentlewoman' had been advanced to be bedchamber
women, I thought I might ask the Princess to give the vacant
place tq Mrs. Hill. 'At first,' indeed, I had some scruples
about it ; but this being removed by persons I thought wiser,
with whom I consulted, I made.the request to the Princess,
and it was granted. As for the younger daughter (who is
still living) • I engaged ,my Lord Marlborough, when the
Duke of Gloucester's family was settled, to Make her laun-
dress to him, which was a good profision for her. And
when the Duke of Gloucester died, I obtained for her a
pension of 2001. a-year, Which. I paid her out of the
privy purse : and in some time after I asked the
Queen's leave to buy her an annuity out or some of
the funds ;" representing to her Majesty, that as the
privy purse money produced no interest, it would be
the same thing to her if, instead of the pension,to Mrs. Hill,
she gave her at once a sum sufficient to purchase an annuity;
and that by this means her Majesty would make a certain pro-
vision for one who had served the Duke of Gloucester: •• The
Queen was pleased to allow the money for that purchase ; and
it is very probable that Mrs. Hill has the annuity to this day,
and perhaps nothing else—unless she saved money after her
sister had made her depuq to the privy purse, which she did
as soon as she had supplanted me." 4*
The Duchess goes on to show how she provided for all the
rest of this family ; summing up the favours she conferred, to
increase our sense of the ingratitude with which they were re-
.paid. She tells us, that she got the eldest brother a situation
in the Customs ; and took the second, who was a tall boy all
in rags, and who was afterwards called by the bottlemen
Honest Jack Hill,' under her protection, and sent him to
school. Honest Jack Hill afterwards rose, by his sister's in-
terest, to be a general ; and the Duchess cannot sufficiently
express her resentment, that when Mr. Harley attacked the
Duke of Marlborough in Parliament, this once ragged boy
whom she had clothed, happening to be sick in bed, was never-
theless persuaded by his sister to get up, wrap himself in
warmer clothes than those he received from his benefractress,
and go down to the House to vote against her husband.
" As for Mrs. MaSham herself," she continues, " I had so
much kindness for her, and had done so much to oblige her,
without ever having- done anything to offend her, that it was
too long before I could bring myself to think her other than a
true friend, or. forbear rejoicing at any instance of favour
shown her by the Queen. I observed indeed, at' length, that
she was grown more shy of coming to me, and more reserved
than usual when she was with me ; but I imputed this to her
peculiar moroseness of temper, and for some tithe made no
other reflections upon it." - • -
The first circumstance which opened the eyes of the Duchess
to the plot which was so covertly laid to supplant ber, was the
discovery' that Mrs. Hill had contracted a private marriage, at
which the Queen was present. She was immediately alarmed
that this should have been industriously concealed from her,
who had:been usually consulted upon the most ordinary move-
ments of her royal mistress. It was the circumstances attend-
ant upon this marriage which gave Harley so absolute an in-
fluence over the new favourite, and enabled him by her means,
to' execute the ambitious designs he had in view.
Harley, although he had neglected his relation when she
was in want of his ass:stance, was assiduous in his attentions
now that she amid be of 'use to him in his projects. The
most fulsome' flattery was lavished upon a woman who was
not less influenced by it herself because she sari in the habit
Of. exercising it upon others ; and so thoroughly was Harley
master of the arts of dissimulation and address, that he soon
insinuated himself into her entire confidence, and drew from
her a secret which be well knew how to turn to his own
advantage.
Mrs. Hill, if we receive the somewhat suspicious testimony
of her indignant benefactress, was possessed' of few personal
charms, and still fewer intellectual endowments. She repre-
sents her as'ordinary- in person and morose, in disposition, ex-
cept when her interest compelled her to restrain or dissemble
her natural temper. We know that her hopes of fortune were
confined to the expectations she might entertain from the
favour of the Duchess. Mrs. Hill, therefore, was not likely
to make any impression upon the gallants of the Court. She
had fixed her affections upon a gentleman much younger than
herself, a Mr. Masham, then page to the .Queen. But she
appears to have distrusted her own pOwers of fascination to
obtain .for ber.the object of Tier preference; and she commu-
nicated her passion and ber'despair to her sympathizing cousin.
In obtaining this secret, Harley rightly imagined that he had
a means of establishing a strong claim upon her favour ; and
.he made her concurrence in his plans the price of his assist-
ance. He employed a veteran courtier to break the matter to
Masham, who aroused the young man's ambition, and fed it
with the most magnificent promises. Harley's plan succeeded :
Mrs. Hill became Mrs. Masham ; the Queen was present at
the private marriage, and Harley and the bride bad already
advanced far in the prosecution of their common purpose.
Whether the gratification of her passion inspired her with a
gratitude which no other kindnesses could kindle, or whether
she found that her own interests and those of Harley were
identified, it is unnecessary to inquire : certain it is, that Mrs.
Masham became entirely subservient to her new ally. The
Duchess, secure in her opinion of her relation's fidelity, had
frequently been absent from the Court for several weeks tope=
ther ; and these opportunities were not lost by her treacherous
rival. Gradually her absence was less remarked, and her
presence less desired ; so successful had been the waiting-
woman's endeavotirs to ingratiate herself with her mistress.
All her Influence was now employed to prepossess the Queen
in favour of Harley, and to give him frequent access- to her
presence. Once admitted, the address of the courtier soon
won the confidence of his weak and unsuspecting mistress.t
He entertained her vvith,conversation most adapted' to please
a woinares ear ; now detailing the trifling topics of interest,
'and the secrete gallantries of her Court; now descanting in
Strains 'of polished adulation upon the happiness and devoted
loyalty of her people.. So attached did Anne become to his
society, that she often remained long after. her usual hour of
rest closeted with him and her new favourite.

* Conduct - of the Duchess of Marlborough. • This work 'was
written'. by Hooke, under the immediate superintendence of the
Duchess. It is said that he received 5,000/. for his performance.
Hooke was a diligent compiler, but a poor writer.
t Bolingbroke bears testimony to Harley's insinuating address.
In his ironical dedication of his, Remarks on the History of Eng-
land to him, lie compares him to the serpent of the Old Testament:
—" Where anything was to be got, he could Wriggle himself in ;,
when any misfortune -threatened him, he could find a way to wriggle
himself out." • • . .

•
The Earl of Derby bas resigned to his son, Lord
Stanley, the entire management et his sporting stud. his
Lordship was at Newmarket during the lastraces.—Blackburn
Gazette.