The Sun.
London, England, 1821-02-13 00:00:00

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tioti

EEKL Y- RETROSPECT.

If some of our Manufacturers are cramped in
their-operations, -the PAST WEE has shewu that
the triLtanfactur,e of Petitions is by no means at a
stand. The arras would indeed be tremendous,
if e were to consider the matter exactly ai re-
presented by-the presenters of these Petitions,
by the. Whig and Radical Press—nay, even by
the-mode of expression used by those Prints
which the Whigs denominate " Ministerial," or
" Treasury."
Wilk the liVntes chase to af&x, that appella-
tion on the few ,independent Papers of the Me-
tropolis, it is difficult to say, except upon the
_principle of the old pro,-erb, Give a dog, &c."
or, perhaps, MorC lii oliabf:y,frow Ocir orctiltittnc-
ledge, whether TN or of) T, of what briber-v.- 411f1
Corruption can do,. even with the Palladium Te
British Libertg !
But leaving that point to be discussed in their
own ." Hole and Corner" Conclave, we shall
proceed toinotice the very important inaccuracy
of expression, intentional on one side and un-
guarded on the other, above alluded' to : for in-
stance, up starts a talkative M. P., and offers
‘C the Petition of the inhabitants of " any particu-
cular place which the preparers or manufacturers
may chose to insert in the preamble—this mode
of expression is copied off into all the daily.
Prints of the metropolis, and goes forth to the
world in full force, %%lien, perhaps, the truth
would have beef) overstepped even in calling it
" a Petition from some inhabitants," &c.
Hence it is that'-the people of BATH, of Ox-
FORD, of LIVERPOOL, first hear of " the" Bath,
Oxford,. or Liverpool Petitious from the Londo,
Papers !

But a more extraordinary mode of proceeding
now presents. itself!' We are loudly told, that
these. Petitions express the will of the nation, and
that the nation's Representatives are bound to
obey them ; but that Act, if it is one, remains
yet to be proved ; and as for the inference, what
does ABSOLUTE Wlsnom say ? Why, it isscarcely
a week since he told his London Constituents in
Common Hall, that he would carry up and sup-
-port their Petition because he approved of it, but
that he would not have supported it otherwise!
Yet that which an individual of that Honourable
House is not bound to do, we are told becomes a
duty in the aggregate!
We leave, however, these political logicians on
'lids point, to notice one even more remarkable. Of
the distress of the country, every one has heard.
ft is a subject wfiich will always have supporters
at any period of public prosperity., indeed, it
may be recollected, that it was a never-teasing
theme during the whole period of past warfare,
which is now held up as a season of national ad-
vantages. But what says the advocate of the
" Operative Brass--founders and Brass-workers "
of the metropolis? Why, it is scarcely eight-and-
forty hours since, in denying that any part of the
" expenses of the Queen's Trial" went to pay for
getting up Addresses, that he, as boldly as any
worker in brass, declared that the Petitioners
had expended 7000/. in preparing their pageants
and getting up their processions to Hammersmith !
Yet we are told that the " poor Operativ" are
starving ! WHERE THEN CAME THAT MONEY
FROM ?—and from whence are to come the TWO
'rU.
o us AND pounds proposed to pay a recent fine ?
The " London Operatives" do not appear then
to suffer much, whatever may be done at Bir-
mingham! But even the Birmingham Petition
was drawn up in August last; and are we to.be7
lieve that no amelioration has since taken Pla'e
even there? That Birmingham must feel the
effects of a,cessation of warfare more than any
other place in the Empire, is obvious to every
One. It is therefore by no means a fair criterion
to judge by.. We trust that our feelings for the
really distressed are as acute as those of . the
loudest Whig declaimers ; but when we are told,
as a proof of distress, that the Masters in Bir-
mingham and in other places can now only em-
ploy their workmen three days in the week, we
cannot forget that there was a time, and that not
long past, when these very workmen, even with
the temptation of high wages, would not work
more than three days in the week, and spent the
remainder in the public-house !
This is a fact that can neither be denied nor
forgotten ! We mention it not, however, in de-
rision of, the distress under which the prior fel-
lows now suffer, but as an answer to the com-
'plaints_of the Whigs upon that part of the Peti-
tiOn. That general consumption is less than it
was a few years ago, we lament to be forced to
acknowledge ; but is it less now, in proportion to
the population, than before the French' Revolu-
tion ? That is the fair criterion, and not the
" morbid improvement" during that extraordi-
nary state of commercial warfare, a phrase which
some of our wise politicians apply to the gradual.
improvement and amelioration now taking place,
of the general depressing revulsion that ensued
upon the cessation of hostilities.

-But, bow futile to tell the Legislature that
part of the present distress arises from unfortu-
nate speculation ! Can the Legislature interfere ?
If,. as we base seen, people will send out po-
lished stove grates and, tire-irous to Trinidad,-
where there is not a fire-place hi the whole
island—if thefwill send cain-furniture to the
firazils, where the dead are buried without cof-
fins, what has the Legislature to-do with that-?
Then comes a lamentation over the sad effects
of a return to CAS/J- PAYMENTS ! But who cried
out so loud for that as the.,llrnics, when they
well kneW that every guinea must instantly go
over to Nitro LEON, is hose brandy and
Patriots would buy, though they knew that he
would take no British produce in return ?
" Wace and 'Plenty," too, formectanother cry

[PRICE StVENPENCL.

and they 'have got them both, vet are not satis7
tied.! Tie ogricultui•al Whigs now tell us that
a fall of 'vase pt.i: bushel is equal to five
annual loss; but if so, is it not equal to
a reduction of Taxation to tire' same amount to
the ration at large?. if five tnillions iire paid to
the farmer or to the lax-gather.er, they come
equally into general circulation: and if the; fall of
'ONE Snii..,r,lNG per busliel is a loss of EiTa TAIL-
140Ng, what nw.,:t haye been the agrieuTturdip:'c-
fits, whe'ii the bitshel of v.heat War; FIFTEE'
Snuarilyers instead of Sol.? the Agricul-
turist.,l need not cry out Upon the Funtiholders,•
who lent their earnings and satiing-.1
went upon the national faiths to expend in
protection of those acres. whin achnow-,
i•qedgfd'llle .144ar:rieri-s -View' then Iluyiug
.agricultural prollts!
One word, more,. and We close:---On Friday a
Petition Was presented -front 500 oioners and
Occupiers. of Land in Derbyshire,-who are stated
to possess or -6Cciit)y - 470,000 acres of land
amongst them ; that is on an'averiake, 940-acres
each ! To that Petition we Would answer, " Di-
vide your farms,. and entrust theni to '2004 occu-
piers, and you will strike at the root of theevii,
reduce yourpoor's.-rates; and,' instead of a few
Farmet-s keeping hunters, and their Wives ridin4
in carriages, you will have -a • stibstantial. 'Yee::
meaty and a happy population !"

1. G. N.

ILLICIT DISTILLA.TIOIN:

COUNTY OF Do'NLGAL.—On Wednesday, th 4.
31st ult. Mr. Whittlel that very active Officer of
Excise, wills a detachment of the Ist Revenue
Police, conunanded by Major Dawson, seized
three Stills at full work, together with upwards
of 1000. gallons of pot-ale and singlings ;on
Townland of Kilmacrennan, two ;gone ,- ditto, cis
tipper Lossett, and 40 Vessels ; also 13 Pri-
sonerg.---This is nine Stills taken within 14 days,
by that very fine, zealoui and vigilant Corps of
Revenue Police.

Funnutt SiuzuitEsThe Ist Revenue Police
or Loyal Greys, under the command of Major
Dawson, on the 2d instant, with -Lieutenllit
Rutherford and Excise Officer Malreed, destroyed.
two distilleries at full work, and 300 gallons of
pot-ale and singlinis at Lope!), in the Parish of
Kilinacrennan, and on the sante day also seized'
two horses and 40 gallons of whiskey, made tett
men prisoners, and des.troyed 280.barrelS of rriait.
On the 3d inst.:Arthur. 0. Whittle;. Esq. that
most active and excellent officer, made another
full seizure in the townland of Gartan and Glen-
cloven, destroyed four d;stilleries, and upwards
Of GOO gallons of potale and singlingsi and ar-
rested six prisoners. -Nothing can escape the
vigilance of this very fine corps of Police.
Great credit is due to the ExciSe Board ton
their discrimination in appointing that invaluable
Officer William Miller, Esq., Assistant Inspector
,General, whose unceasing and indefatigable-
dons for the interest of the Revenue deserve
highest praise. We have grea.t ph,; sure to state,
that notwithstanding the various privations Sur-
feted in•this wild mountainous country by the
Police since their arrival (Which is now upwardi
of two years), when They Were formed and 'ON
ganised by Major Dawson; not a single complalue
has been madeligaiest any individual of the corps
or Revenue OflicetS; and indeed we should be
much astonished if .such a thing could exist, when
this vast district is so ably directed to the adVita=
tae end interest of the Crown and good of the
public, under the chief direction of that highly hod
Enna esteemed 'Character, Daniel W. Logie,
Inspector General. •

DURHAM AGRICULTURAL REPORT

FOR JA.NUARY.

I _..._ .
It is with pleasing satisTaction, in commene!ng`
a new series of Reports, that we have to record
tjie benignity of Providence in suffering this.
month, to steal over our heads, tinaccornpanic-cl
with any of those severities, usually experienced
in the month of January. At this dull and un-
interesting season, there is little. to.be observed in
our fields ; the - young wheat looks well, and
very. flush, where the soil is sound and 'dry ;
but "on ,wet ground; the ' nipping . frost .in
December injured the plant. severely, from.
the extension of the surface. :depriving. the
young plant of • many of its tender roots.—
Turnips are by no means so deficient in be:;.
• and quantity as was feared, and there Will be as
much subsistenCe derived from 'them as last T..ca--
son ; but in speaking of this esculent root, we
advise Agriculturists not to spend their
_times
and labour in endeavouring to raise Swedith
turnip without good land and a favourable si-
•
tuation. llay• is also more 'abundant - than
the possessors of it held Ott and may be bought
at. a less price than it could be 'procured' for
a month ago. It is in general .sound and good,
From the opeliness of the weather there has
been a great saving in this necessary article of
food. The corn-market has kept declinine
g
through-the month ; and grain is at present at. a
price that wilt not repay the tillage. and poor-
rates. The ports have 11.0 w been shut abcve a
year without producing army effect on the .1.31.i-
-th.h - market, so that we dare intt kohl .out
any prospect of an. advance. The cattle.:mer-
ket continues a little upen.the advance, ..Sheep
are rather better than cattle to dispose of.;. in
,fact, •the dealers knowing the want of 'money
among the' farmers, fix their own prices7-7-but ;lie
demand in the soUtkerit . markets 'is very!itnitied.
P;gs are very ,high, and :readily fought n p-. t 411,
iticrenctitliNnand is occasioned by the gie:it M.s;
m !deli has been sustaine.d in bacon b.): its prov;..z
unsound. , • . . ....