The Sun.
London, England, 1845-06-11 00:00:00

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:Wernher for Northamptonshire if he wouls! exptiqn loo#. ahee
farmer had come into this position? Peeermated-him-t/
define the farmer's relation to his lanlof6,"tet't
•-4.7
how it was by paying a high price for his lant
he was to realise his tortoise. Now it was the farmers, who
were to distinguish the distinct relations which existed bet wen
them sod their landlords. He would beg to tell the Honour-
able Gentleman the Member for Northampton, that he (Mr.
Villiers) thought thet he was precluded from assigning reasons
for the present state of the farther, who was liable to high rents
and receive low prices for his produce ; he was threatened with
dismissal if he was not satisfied, and asked to be grateful for
being protected. The Hon. Member whom he spoke of was
perfectly master or the case, and the development of the case
was what he hoped for by this motion. There were two things
which precluded him from alleging that he had caused the
farmer's present position. One was, that it was not caused by
any measure of the recent Government.; and the other was,
that the landlords were in the same boat with the farmers. He
did not think that he could say that it was owing to the recent
measures of the present Government, because this was not the
first attack that the farmer had had. He had been now fur
nearly 33 years subject to them. It was a farmer that had
given him (Mr. Villiers) that hint; be said that he told
in 1836, when his position was quite as bad as now, that it was
owing to the Whig Government being in power.— ( rsauehter. )
The farmer, who had spoken to him on the subject yester-
day, said that he was old enough to remember when lie %sae
quite as badly off in 1822, suffering as much as in 1836, and
much more than in 1835 ; the farmer did not understand that,
becaose protection was much greater in 1822; and there was
more protection in 1636 than in 1835. He could not under-
stand that problem. He wanted some explanation ;so that he
would be extremely glad if he drew from some Hon. Gentle-
man belonging to the Protection Society what was the
matter with it, and how it was that it was so often indispowd.
He considered that the system was not favourable to the people,
because it did not afford them an alequate supply of load. lie
thought that there was great distrust upon the subject among
the agricultural interest. Meetings had taken place of the
farmers and the Agricultural Protection Society, and the
views taken at those meetings were exactly opposite. A' the
farmers' meeting they looked to agricultural distress, while at
the landlords' meeting they only looked to keeping up high
rents. The Hon. Member then referred to the meeting that
hail taken place of the Exeter Agricultural Protection Sonisqe.
At this meeting, J. Hope, Esq.. abused the Canada Corn Bill,
and moved a resolution, setting forth the peculiar and heavy
burdenswhich pressed upon the land.—( Hear, and a laugh ).The
same speaker spoke strongly of the necessity of the landlords
and tenants acting firmly together, and more especially that
the tenants should have full confidence in the landlords.—( Iro-
nical cheers). Another speaker, who had been one
of a deputation of the Agricultural Protection Society
to Sir Robert Peel, an extensive farmer, stated
that he had never paid out more than during the last three
years, and never received so little ; and that being the case,
he thought if the Legislature did not come forward to their
assistance under such circumstances, he did not know what
circumstances could arise that would entitle them to considera-
tion. After a Mr. Chappel had spoken against the policy of
Sir Bober.. Peel, the meeting wound up by a resolution to the
effect that the resolutions adopted by the meeting should be
forwarded to the county Members, as instructions as to how
they should regulate their proceedings in Parliament. He
would next refer to a farmers' meeting held in the same
county, in which sentiments were expressed, showing that the
tenant femers looked with a very suspicious eye upon the. Pro-
tection Societies, and had very little faith in what
the Legislature had done for them. 'lt was their impression
that the best way to insure protection was to protect them-
selves.—( Hear, hear.) Here the reporter remarked, that
" the Noble Marquis present, who had for some time beets
fidgety, had now become furious."—( Great laughter.) He
would now call attention to another agricultural meeting that
had been held in Derbyshire, at which a tenant farmer made a
speech, in which he said, " Let the farmers depend
upon themselves, and if they did so, they could not fail to pro-
duce an effect upon the landlords." The next meetipg of
this description he would call attention to was one that had been
been held in East Sussex, at which Mr. Derby presided ; but
the reporter remarked that besides the chairman, the judges,
and the reporter, there were but eleven persons present.—
( Laughter.) One of the speakers, Olson that occasion, observed
that no one regretted more than he did the absence of the in-
fluential landlords or the respectable tenant farmers. The
former might have absented themselves because of their differ-
ing in opinion with many who depended on them, on the sub-
ject of agricultural distress; and the latter might have re-
mained away rather than incur the displeasure of their land-
lords.—( Hear, hear.) He would not read any more of those
extracts; but he would contend for it that he had read quite
enough to show that there was something demanded by the
landlords which the tenants did not wish to yield, or some-
thing required by the tenants which they were justified in de.
mending, independent, altogether, of the Legislature.—( Hear,
hear.) The inquiry sought for by his Hon. Friend the
Member fur Stockport was refused. The Secretary at War
told them that these motions were very mischievous, and that
these matters had much better be kept quiet. He seemed to
think that was a remedy for everything, and addressedhis friends
upon that side of the House and his opponents upon this. He
seemed to speak with the confidence superior judgment gives,
or the confidence which ignorance sometimes creates. He
said to his friends, " don't talk about distress—don't come here
with your complaints, and your grievances, and you, Gentlemen
opposite, don't tale—don't say you want more food, and every..
thing will be as it ought to be..." This was the sum of what the
Secretary at War said upon tnat occasion. It was a very con-
venient way of reasoning, but more convenient than conclu-
sive. He did not think that was satisfactory to Hon. Gentler
men opposite, and he was sure would not be to the House.
Nothing would satisfy the people but an abundant supply of
food, which would only take place at a reasonable price.
The Hon. Gentlemen on the other side of the House
continually talked about improvements. They said that
the law must be left as it was, or they could not make any
improvements. The Government said to them " Protection
has never done you any good. What we have taken from volt
we will not give back, and we are not sure but we will take:
more from you." What say the farmers? The farmers say
to the landlords just what the Hon. Gentleman opposite said
to the Government; and what did the landlords say to the
farmers? Why just precisely what the Government said to
the Hon. Gentleman opposite. They had given the leases
to them, had allowed the game to destroy the crops ;
and then, when the farmers came and lodged their
complaints, the landlords said, " Oh, you foolish
people, only go home, rest quiet, don't trouble sour-
selves, and all will be well !" That was the state of agri-
culture at present, and that was the way in which the land-
lords provided for the protection of the tenants. The land-
lords did this from a necessity to obtain their political position.
Everything had been sacrificed for the sake of this political
influence; and it mattered but little what the tenants might
suffer, they only obtained the cool assurance that all would be
well; and it was thus that agriculture was left to take care
of itself at this moment. They had refused them inquiry.
They had relied on their privileges. They had claimed the
right to manage their property as they would. Thin, had
stated that improvement had been mails, and would be made.
But when the landlords told them that the friends of the peo-
ple of this country hada right to inquire what charge there was
of this improvement being carried out, the Central Agri-
cultural Protection Society seemed to give an assurance it
would be made, but it was an assurance on which, he wash
afraid, but little reliance was to be placed, and, in his opinion,
offered obstacles to any chance of this improvement being
made. He ( Mr. Villiers) wanted not to inquire into the privi-
leges of the landed gentry in this country ; he wisheu not to
meddle with the way in which their property was-managed.
They might neglect it—they might disregard it. They might
make parks of it from one end of the
allow
countryttohatthgeaontihee,rii
They might preserve game all over it; a
they would, to eat all the crops, instead of sending them to
market. They might use it for political influenve. He (Mr.
Villiers) could well understand how an ambitious man might.
be desirous of obtaining po itical influence, and use his pro-
perty for thatpurpose. He could well understand how t wealthy
man might be desirous of preserving the game on his estate.
He could well believe that it was very desirable
that a man through means of his property should, for the
sake of his family, seek for a good position in the county in
which he lived. He wished not to interfere with them on
these points. They might waste their property if they pleased.
They might buy, or sell, or settle their property to their heart's
content—( Hear, hear) —but he could not help calling their
attention to a subject. which he had brought under their notice
last session. They might settle it on their eldest or their
youngest son, whichever they thought best, but the system
which prevailed in the settlement of property at present, was,
in his opinion, bad and injurious to agriculture. There was a
custom prevailing in this country, called the custom of primo-
geniture. Under this custom the owner of an estate was only
a tenant for life, and it was impossible that a tenant for life
could have the same interest in the land which the real owner
was sure to feel. He would naturally desire to enjoy as much
of the property as be could for himself.—( Hear, hear.) There
was also, unfortunately, another custom in this country, that of
having large families, and it was but natural that a man should
be desirous of taking part of this property in order to provide for
the younger children. This had grown to a great evil, and he
believed that in the other House a Noble Duke, who
was himself a great professed friend of agriculture,
had moved for a Committee to inquire what amount
it was right to charge land with out of the annual in-
come of the tenant for life, in order for its improvement. He
believed that there was a Bill also for the same object in that
House. Thus they had thetenant for life and the tenant at
will, the two persons least able to improve the property, the
only persons who were ostensibly engaged in promoting the im-
provement of agriculture. This was the system. But he did
not find so much fault. They might do with their property as
they pleased. They might do anything on earth with it ; make
parks of it, eat it up with game, do anything they liked with it.,
but let them not deprive the honest, industrious, and hard-
working classes of the country of the only property which they
pnssessed—the profit of their labour. The result of tha whole
system was that there was not that abundance of food that had
been described, and this was a fact so important, that it could
not possibly be overcome. When he alluded to the delusion
under which the community have been labouring as to the
corn-laws he had intended to apply his observations to the
la-
bouring population, but the delusioni h
been improved when food was high-priced andthir
e
hscarce
condition h
was
nowhad
Secretary,
completely exploded. After the- speech of the Right Ho-
nourable Gentleman the Home at had
been delivered last year, it was impossible that the
minds of the working-classes could any longer re-
main under a cloud on that subject. The opinion had very
generally prevailed that wages were influenced by the price
Of food, and that a higher reward for labour was obtained in
consequence of the high price of food. He would call upon the
gentlemen connected with the Protection Society to explain, if
possible, how they could justify what could only be considered
as something most extraordinarily untrue and deceptive. He
alluded to that opinion because it had not been expressed care-
lessly by foolish men, but had been uttered with due delibera-
tion. There had been a great effort made by men of wealth,
station, and influence, to interest the views of the working
classes on this subject. He had lately perused the whole of the
publications issued by the Protection Society. In them he
badfound the assertion that if food was made cheap the wages of
the people would be reduced. He really thought this was a strange
charge to bring against the influential classes of the country.
The corn-law was maintained by the majority of both Houses of
Parliament, and it was supported by them because they thought
the people did not care about its being repealed. In the pub-
lications put forth by the Protection Society, a charge had
been made and reiterated against the manufacturing classes
generally, that they had a sordid and mean object in view in
seeking the repeal of that law, which was to lower the
rate of wages for their w orkpeople.—( Loud cheers.)
The Ilonourable Members for Devonshire and Lincoln-
shire both cheered that sentiment. They are going to stand
forward and prove that all that has been stated is false alto-
gether—they will vindicate what they have done, and they
would tell the House that crime had diminished, poverty was
less, education was more generally diffused, and the poor were
contented in consequence of food being cheap. He would
listen to them with the greatest interest and attention to hear
in what manner the Hon. Gentlemen wnuid substantiate all
this. He could not understand how they would prove that
when food was high wages were diminished.....aendlii.ovn.on
agricultural interest
the contrary, food was cheap, wages rose.
.Th
Gen-
tlemen who professed to represent the . agrie
were bound to give an explanation of this. The Right Hon.
and congratulated
to a period when bread was dear and scarce,
Baronet at the head of her Majesty's Government had referred
ascribe to the seasons, but. in
improvement which he did not
._
himself on the improvement which had been effected—an
a great
he would call the attention of the Gentlemen who advocated
measure to the course of legislation he pursued. Yet
protection, many of whom, be admitted, were mu of great