The Sun.
London, England, 1821-03-08 00:00:00

not fail to consitth whether; if 'savings should be
made by means of retrenchment, the amount of
those' savings ought not rather to be applied to
a reduction of the debt than to an immediate di-
minution of the taxes.—(llear, hear.)—lle great-
ly feared, therefore, that unless the House was
prepared to give up all hopes of reducing the
debt, it would be vain to expect any great relief
to the agricultural interest by means of diminished
taxation. He threw this out only for the purpose
of expressing a confident opinion ,that the Com-
mittee would take a judicious, a comprehensive,
and a statesmanlike view of the whole subject.
Still there were many persons who maintained
that the only permanent relief was to be derived
from the establishment of high protecting duties
on every species of agricultural produce..
Indeed it could not be doubted that this
was the direct object of the petitioners; it was
almost in plain terms avowed to be so. Great pains
had been- taken to produce a conviction amongst
landed proprietors that it was the only system
under which the interests of agriculture could be
promoted. He had said, during the last Session,
that he could not assent to the principle ; but
great exertions had been made to mislead the
public opinion on this point. Many persons be-
lieved that there was now a free import of various
kinds of agricultural produce, which had been
actually subjected to duty since the year 1812,
and now yielded a considerable revenue. Such
was the case with foreign sheep and other live
stock, with a great variety of seeds, on which a.
duty was imposed, that, without prohibiting their,
importation, rendered it highly advantageous to
the Revenue. It was so with cheese, butter,
and a long catalogue of articles too various to be
enumerated. If all these were to be excluded,
the Revenue would sustain a loss of about
600,0001. raised from what was generally sup-
posed to pay no tax at all. He could not
conclude these few observations, without ex-
Pressing thanks to his Honourable Friends,
the -Mover and Seconder, for the, temperate and
able manner in which they had introduced
and treated this important subject.—(llear, 1)
Cntering upon the inquiry in this spirit, they
night be enabled tb accomplish much that would
be useful ; but if they entered upon it with feel-
ings hostile to each other, and to the interests
Which they espoused, it could produce no public
advantage, and must terminate in disappointment.
In the other case should their endeavours fail of
realizing any great improvement, they would at
least be attended with "the good effect of showing
.that the. grand specifics which were sometimes
.so loudly vaunted, were either impracticable, or
if practicable, inexpedient. Perhaps if this con-
l'iction were spread, and there were no means so
effectual for spreading it as that of showing that
it resulted from the inquiries of a Parliamentary
Committee, an object of no small value would he
attained. With these views he should support
the motion of his Hon. Friend.—(Hear !)
Mr. CurtweN was not disposed to reproach the
President of the Board of Trade with inconsist-
ency, for not acceding to the appointment of a
Committee in the last year. • Considering the
view of the question taken by the Right Hon.
Gentleman, he was not surprised at the course
hich he had pursued on that occasion but he
did not think the Right Hon. Gentleman'argued
the question fairly, because the Right lion. Gen-
;man thought the object of the advocates of the
etitioaers was to prevent the importation of fo•
reign corn. He disclaimed
.any such intention.
ihe object of the Petitiouers was to put the
English farmer on a footing with the foreign far-
iller• This was the only object of the advocates
f this cause, though he would agree with the
;lon. Member, that granting a Committee would
"e grateful to the feelings of the country at
large ; but he could not agree with that Hon.
'lv,Tember, that no blame could be attached to his
illajesty's Ministers for -not proposing some re-
Medy. His Majesty's Ministers were. in a situa-
tion in which- they could have the best possible
advice, and- they had sources of information
. Which no other man had. Having these re-
sources,. and not having proposed any re-
medy, he must think them ignorant or the extent
of the distress. He considered the distress of such a
nature, that if a remedy were not applied in time,
before long it would be out of the power of Mi-
nisters to apply a remedy. 'He did not intend to
exaggerate, he disclaimed such an intention ; but
'lie called upon the Noble Lord for retrench-
/neat, as the only means of saving the country
from ruin ; and in doing so,, he could assure the
house that he (Mr. Curwen) had not in his
Contemplation any violation of public faith by
reducing the national debt. The taxation upon
the income of the country paid in taxation 50
Per cent. In that income of 400 millions,
there was a reduction of 100 millions, and yet
4411 this reduction the country was called upon
(Pay in taxation upwards of 60 millions. If
, •as some persons thought would be a remu-
i'rating price to the farmer, and that a reduc-
fan of one shillinga bushel would make a dif-
zs
reilet .of five millions to the agricultural- in-
,e
"rc•st,it was clear that a reduction of 3s. a bushel
'`ould make a difference of 15 millions.. This
'f'duction having taken place, there was a de-
ficiency of ten millions in wheat alone ; in barley
aad oats 15 millions, and on other stock ten mil-
lions. Here was a reduction of 40 millions, from
'hat the Legislature thought would be a fair re-
munerating price. It was thought that the
amount of the agricultural property of the whole
empire was 200 millions, and taking the diminu-
tion in Scotland and Ireland at 15 millions, there
"tas a diminution of 55 millions on the whole
agricultural property. If a tax of 20 per cent.
Were laid upon agriculture as a remunerating
Price, and that the capital, though being reduced
by one quarter, still paid the same tax, it was
tvident that agricultural property now paid at
the rate of 261 per cent. It was this enormous
taxation which the country was unable to hear,
and it was the duty of Ministers to look to its
diminution. Hon. Gentlemen.said, " lower your
rents." The rental of the kingdom was about
four hundred millions, and a reduction in the
value of the lands had taken place equal to 14 yew.
of that rental. What alarmed hirn more than any
thing was the statement which had been made out
at the other side to show the increase of the revenue