The Sun.
London, England, 1829-03-27 00:00:00

tater. And for one that dreads agitation so very
much, he seemed to describe that agitation with
tolerable complacency. " Such (he said) was the
state of agitation in the country that though the
petitions might be described as hole-and-corner pe-
titions there was not a single corner of the country
from which petitions would not come to Parlia-
ment." His Lordship is not in the least mortified
that the attempts to create agitation have failed,
woefully failed. In this metropolis, where a hun-
dred thousand inhabitant householders have peti-
tioned against the calamity of the sun of Britain
setting for ever, we can contrive to exist amidst all
the agitation. Indeed, if his Lordship and his
friends were not to tell us that the people were agi •
tated, we should know nothing of the matter.
Any thing was greedily laid hold of that looked like
agitation—half a dozen ragged boys were magnified
into an enormous multitude, from whom the Duke
of Wellington was in danger of his life. Earl Grey
endeavoured to calm the apprehensions of the Noble
Lord for the tranquillity of the country. " Ile be-
lieved (he said) that attempts to create agitation
had been made for some time past.—(Hear, hear.)
—But he believed those attempts had failed. He
admitted that a great number of petitions had been
sent to their Lordships, but he believed that in
general the sober and staid sense of the country was
favourable to a full consideration of the question."
Those then who have failed in producing agitation,
will do well to deprecate agitation.—Morning
Chronicle.
We have to congratulate our fellow-citizens on
the appointment last night, on the Motion of the
Marquis of Londonderry, of a Committee to in-
vestigate the State of the Coal Trade, with refer-
ence to the prices at the pit, the charges of carriage,
the charges and delivery at the wharfs, and all the
charges connected with the supply and consumption
of the Metropolis. We believe there are few who
will not subscribe to the opinion of the Duke of
Wellington, that by as investigation into all parts of
the subject much good might be dine, without any
injury to the public revenue, or to the revenue.of the
city of London. We have already hinted our opi-
nion as to the main cause of the extravagant price of
coals in London. The city of London forms but a
small fraction of the Metropolis, but yet it has a com-
plete contrOul over the supplies of the whole which
arrive by water. The privilege of any Corporation
should always be placed in harmony with the good of
the people. But so far from this being the case with
the City Corporation, their power of regulating mar-
kets operates most injuriously to the interests of
the inhabitants of the metropolis. Were the Coal
Trade open, and people left to take care of them-
selves, nothing can be more clear than that, by the
immerse capitols in this country ready for any
enterprise that promises even moderate profit, coals
would be brought to every man's door for a very
small addition to the price at the pit, with the car-
ria(se and duties. It is obvious that the enormous
prices now paid are the consequence of obstructions
to the freedom of trade. 'I he most of the City re-
gulations, with respect to markets, are worthy of the
dark ages. Nothing is left to individuals, but a
municipal officer must have his hand in every thing.
And then the mode of operation is so ridiculous.—
If a farmer and a citizen were willing to agree re-
specting a quantity of potatoes in the market, with-
out the trouble of measurement, they would not be
allowed to do so ; the buyer, forsooth, must be pro-
tected whether he will or not ; and then large arid
small potatoes must not be together, &c. With
the fittest river in the world, London might have
fish in any quantity at reasonable prices; but
here again the City Corporation interpose, and
insist on the supply being received through their
one market, and the consequence is that fish
is generally food only for the rich. The chief
cause of the prosperity of the towns of the north
of England it the liberty allowed to the operations
of the inhabitants, from the absence or limited
powers of Corporations. The example of those
towns, and of the towns in the United States,
proves that the fewer the restrictions imposed by
authority, the greater the general prosperity. The
powers of Corporations in the middle ages were ne-
cessary for the developement of civilization ; in our
days they are oppressive. Hence the state of decay
in which most corporate towns now are. London
is so advantageously situated that it cannot be de-
stroyed by corporate privileges. But it is well that
it should be borne in mind that these privileges are
rather an obstacle to the general prosperity than
conducive to it. When justice is administered, and
persons and properties are protected by a good po-
lice, all the rest may be left to the people them-
selves. Wherever there is a demand there will be a
supply, if things are not interfered with. The evil
of the City of London is, that its local legislation
hampers those whom it pretends to protect. The
light thrown by the evidence before the Committee
en the abuses of the Coal Trade will serve to ex-
plain the working of other parts of the municipal
system, little less injurious to the public. We do
not entertain a doubt that the investigation will be
productive of the greatest benefit.—lbid.