Star.
London, England, 1830-11-20 00:00:00

STATE OF THE COUNTRY.
--.1•.-,-

INTERESTING STATEMENT lIT A SUSSEX GENTLEMAN,
In the Morninq Chronicle.

On Monday. the lith of Nov. I accompanied a gentleman on A
shooting party to a place about three miles distant from my ordins: .
residence. When we reached it, i found all the servants had be •
-
taken away from the estate,
.except the bailiff and gardener. W.,
thought little about the matter at the time, supposing it only son, •
ordinary question as to wages; but about three o'clock in the ate
noon a boy came up to the bailiff and stated, that the King's ttoo. •
had cans to Battle, abriut three miles distant, and that the labouret •
of Battle had sent to all the places around to put themselves instant .
In a state of preparation to ream the troops. The surrounding Ail .
had been illuminated by fires of barns at different placap, for three 7
four days before. Knowing the resolute temper of the people. anti t' •
amoral straw* of the country, which is woodland, and quite a
{busier, I did not like these symptoms of preparation, and thong
eta ,if dist got themselves into anything like orgenisatio_
find should Owe into contact with the troops at a tie •
. when the military fora was particularly weak. (inter:owl:
hiving withdrawn all the disposable from London. the mis-
chief might be exceedingly serious. I therefore deemed •
advisable to lose no time in assisting to stop the regress of
evil in that neighbourhood. I proceeded hattently to the village, te.
entered the assembly of labourers. I observed to-them. that t .dished
know the cause of their assembling, and that, if their demands were re :.-
sonable, I should endeavour to serve them. They instantly put in .•
my hands a petition, in which dissatisfaction was expressed at tl.-
present rate of wages, Is. 9d. a day, and a demand was made of 2 .
3d• a day during winter, end ss, Gd. during swimmer, with Is. kid. p .
week for each child exceeding the number of two ; that they should I,
constantly employed either on the land, or on the mails, it willing I •
work, and receive this rate of wages, whether work was given the .
or not. I said I would see what could be done to obtain high
wages for them ; " but I wish first to know," said 1, " what are yo.
feelings on the subject of the outrages daily committed around WO.
They answered they were determined to protect the property of their ell..
ployers, and would protect it at all hazards, if justice were done to them. !
said, if that were the case, why did they not state in their Petition th.
disapprobation of the outrages, and that they had met here in order .
protect the property of their employers against strangers (deeming
prudent to assume that the incendiaries were strange's), and that th
would form themselves into guards and would watt h the property. Ti. .
I said, a!I ghat was very reasonable, and that they would be glad to
sen it in the Petition. ;wheels I could not shut my ey. s to the co.• -
pulsory nature of their ings, yet I deemed it advisable to h
it appear. that the increased allowaha was given as a remold for - •
good behaviour in assisting in the protection of property. They beep :
that I would frame a Petition for them agreeably to these views. 1 t • -
told them, that the farmers were about to have a meeting, and that el
should send a deputation to the farmers, who should enter into a disci -
slim of terms with them. When they had assembled, the depti.a.i
made their appearance, and lakl the petition before teem. (The petit:.
was shown on Tuesday night to toe Lord Cnanc.llm, who obaere, •
that it was unique in the history of the country) When the deputati- .
had withdrawn tor a time, I addressed the fanners, and ;Laid it v .
for them to consider the terms of the labourer+, and to delern.:-
how they should act. They answered : we are in dreadful .imettl
pistol is applied to our heads—it is in vain for us to think of hold t .
out. Our properties, perhaps the lives of our families, are it. doui
They obeerved,• however, there was one advantage, they had get
pledge from the men dat they would protect their properties. I •
deputation was then called in. The farmers remonstrated with then,
to their demands, which, they said. exceeded their ability to cow!
with. The labourers then entered into a discussion with them, anti .
must say, that it was impossible for men to conduct them/Ayes it
more proper and respectable manse". • The tanners said to them.- -
You koaw the situation in which we are phemd—wha: the claims Ili.
us are and that it is out of our power to meet these demands
of our property. The men answered,—We see that very well ; litt• -
you agree now to our demands, you shall get rid of tithes and tax •.
and we will join you to a man in residing Me payment of them T •
farmers, having no alternative. contplitdi with the terms, and thus
proceedings closed. As I rode homewards, I. foetid on one nt the 1.
a number of fire's burning, and boys around them. The tit I was ho:• •
bitter and other rubbish, and it occurred tome, net the reh of Novemi•
had been some time past, that these fires were Intended as a means
communication with other parts of the country. l turned bark to the-
who were assembled, and remonstrated with them on the improprie...
of the measure. I rode to the neighbouring pariah of a•
there called on --, sad asked him what had been done there. II
told the the Rector had set off; but that the farmers had signed 11
paper which the labourers laid before them. The terms were the mi-
ll at the place which I had quitted. One of the farmers, a man of
spectability and good property resisted, and swore that be would si
no such ent. They brought a rope, and told him if he heeita
they would hang him before his own door, and he then signed it.

• •
" On arriving at--, I found the individuals who tike
lead in the management of the•parish affairs, all in a state of great ale
They told me the labourers intended to meet uext day, and they beg
me to come downtothe meeting. Next morning a party of the labour,
went round to all the fanners, and took-all their men away with the
They visited' my ersidence alas, behaving with civility and respect,
still with great determination ; for the groom having hid himself
order not to accompany them, they entered the house, and forced I •
from his hiding-place. At ten o'clock, I met the gentlemen to wl,k. •
I have alluded, and I begged them to appoint a deputation to sued •
meeting of the labourers, to arrange matters with them, as they niki: •
thus get better terms. The deputation of farmers continued in discus., .
with the labourers from eleven to three or four. AU the change in
terms the); could obtain. was a reduction of the allowance fora third elk • i ,
hem Is. t#3. to Is. The farmers reinonstrated with them as to tht -
inability to comply with the conditions. One of the labourers, a n .
whO occasionally holth forth at Methodist Chapels---a man of meet r .
wettable character, and who conducted himself with great merit
was ippealetkut • 1.,w-tvk, what will all this end i, r said one of t' •
gesitlemen: Why really (he answered) I cannot say I see my • •
dandy in the bitsibees. I lee (Mainly, however, that you cannot ark
to pay for itUepren—,bat then yea must just come to the 'tithes nr :
We' i.' "Ahd now with regard to the working of the new system.
the Stittirthyloliewing, the lhtlyNovembet,tte had a Vestry Meetit
I was vfttairld to attend ft. When we came to the business of di•
herb* the funds, I soon began to see the strange position in which • •
were placed by the new agreement. The lint labourer who came bete
us was a Miller, a man who had been employed with a horse and cart, r
who had never been out of work till the day preceding the agreement. I
now appeared on the Saturday, as without employment, and demand
Mier act ording to the terms of the agreement. Hs was required •
leave us for a time. The clergyman then observed--" Oentlitne-
what are we to do in this ease ? This 03613 has employed all i;
summer, and he cannot be in want." We at the agreement, lc
knifed, that, having fivechlldren, be would live to receive, though it i .
13s. We were naturally startled : " Are we to be at the mercy," k •
exclaimed; "of this fellow, and people like him'? Let us call in k • •
Wenner& and endeavour to have an explanatiou with them." Ore •
the Deputies (the holder-forth) was called in. We asked him bow It •
oodiestood the terms of the agreement ? Ile answered, " I chi ;
it is hamper that this man *Medd be paid at this rare ; bat tis k• .
' (he added) you will observe, is the meaning of the art .
meat, and it would be expected that the terms of the agrk
ascot should be complied with ; for you will observe, that by the alter..
' ment, all, willing to work, must be paid whether they work or n•
21 3d. ada with an allowance for children." There *as no use L.
•
restating—the cue was agreed to, and all the ether CMS were
dud on the same principle. We are to have another meeting I .
fortnight, when; of cootie, we shall And nor situation ooe of great
adv. One of the Vestry, who takes a lead in the management. , •
" We shall never be able to raise these rates in the parish ; anti
&turf* 'Might, when all these people come to be 'paid, and fird li.
money is UK fOtibedaliftg, in what a situation shall we he 'Asc.( e
It is chair they will help themselves without scruple to our propert• . '
hobs 'What I have told you, that we are in a wate •
complete away ; that we're without government, and exit he is.
'natation with the labouring people. A v•ery sensible man, a .L.kennel la 'lthi'llflege, a aullWer of viten from This, observed tik
" Why, this is downright rubbery t yea mitt ark Clovettionikt 1.4 .
&tee to pewee; us against this.^ When I answered that we could •
tan no lekth, he said, *lolly and determinedly, " Then if (tort no, •
will not, or rwassot, protect us, tioveroment has no right to ti•m
taxes from us, and tames we will not peps'

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