Star.
London, England, 1825-12-26 00:00:00

LONDON.

(MONDAY, DECEMBER 26. 1825.
ST. STUSTII.-14011.1DAT AT TNT SANK.
STOCK EXCHANGE, TWELVE O'CLOCK.
The Cresol Market bas been much agitated this morning, Con-
sols opened at s2j, and were done at 1121. Soon after they went
down to elf for the Ammar. without any seeming cause, only
that large sales were effected ; since which, they have returned
again to es; ; the Hebrew party have sold largely.
In the Foreign Market little is doing.
Current Prices: Old Spanish 121, Russian 771, Mexican 64
64f. Austrian Se $9, Brazilian Scrip 16 16. Greek Bonds £7 Is,
Guatemala 15 13.

EXCHANGES.
%mum, Doc. tn.—Metalliques 93 3-5. Bank Shares 1198 4-5.
Asurnanain, Dec. 23.—0 n London, 39. 8. IM. 39. 4.
Hasesinson, Dec. 20.—0 n London, 35. 8. 2 Us. 35. S.
St. Psnasavaoit, Dan. 6.—On London, 10 546.
Larne, Dire 16.—0 n London, 3 M. 6. 15.
&nun, Dsc. 17.—0 n London, 3M. 6.23.
FOREIGN FUNDS, TWO O'CLOCK.
Austrian lids 5 p Cr 90 Alex. Scrip,
firazillan floods, 674 Neapolitan Bonds,
Do. Scrip, 5p C. 111t5, 15 dis Penre. Has, 6pC.4! 44
~.Ditto Aect. Ditto Scrip, 182.5,6 p C.
... 04Aniis. 44[m Bomds-701 - PoitoSuest &vial
Chillan Bonds, 6 p Ct. 53 5S Prose. Ms. 5 p C.
Cokinibian lids,6 p C. 584 Ditto Acct.
Do. Bch 1224, 591 6111 62 614 Do. Bonds, 1822,
Do. Ace. 60* 60 62 614 4 [Russ. 13d5,1822, S p C 4774 Sh i
Danish Minds, 1024 * Ditto Acct. 784
Du. Marks (Span. 5p Ct. C. 124 4
Dittoßends.3 p Ct. 1825, 584 Ditto for Am
Ditto Acct. 59 I Ditto 510,
Greek Hoods Span. 5 p. Ct. C. 1823,
Do. Bds, 1825, 17 French Rents*, 5 p C. 95f 94f 50c
Ditto Acet. 171 Exchange, 25f 15c 25c
Mex. Goods 5 p. Cr. French ltates. 3 p C.
Ditto Acct. 5 p C. Exchange.
Do. 8da,11165, 6 pC. 64/ 54 4 1 Guatemala Bonds,
Do. Acct. 114/ 4 Si 6 6 56 1 1 Ditto Acct. dis.
BRITISH AND FOREIGN SHARES, TWO O'CLOCK
MARL PAID.
Anglo Mexican Spin. 100 35 371
Angli. CO= ' 'lOO 6 4
Bracikao 100 5' Of 7
Chilian 100 5 8
Bowel. La Paz, & Peruv. SO 5 . 24 4
Lanni Mexican . 40 SO
Ditto New 40 10 151'161
&kith Rock St Patent Salt 10 6 6

_

, .:.t.
As if .the distress and terror impending over ifte
labouring and middle classes throughout the land, in
Consequence of the' scent destruction of mutual confi-
dence, were all insufficient •to excite iw the minds of
those having families to maintain, the most anxious
forebodings in respect to the means of weathering the
troubled season which is. At hand, we perceive, with
sorrow and intonibliment, that the Landed Interest
are combining, in County Meetings, their powerful!

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efforts to add to the alarm and despondency which al
ready afflicts the Nation.

The Agricultural proprietors of Linclnshire, in addi•
tion to the MeeCogs held in London, have convened,
through the High Sheriff, an assembly, at which several
Members of Parliament attended, fur the purpose of
peCtioniug the Legislature against the admission of
Foreign C ■n. at fixed duty. They say,

" Such a mea"are ill endanger the ruin of the agricultural pops-
" lation, and eveu of the Constitution itself, of which they believe
" that part of our population to constitute the firmest soonest j ass-
" much as it is utterly impossible for this country, under its present
" burdens, to compete in the Corn trade with the rest of Europe."

" They think it a most dangerous experiment to suffer other
" Nations to undersell our farmers isitheir own markt.; thus di,.
" couraging the home production of the necessaries of life, and
" rendering their attainment precarious, and dependent on the
" will of foreigners. They pray, therefore, that such protection
" may be afforded to their just dans, as that the Landed and
" Agricultural Interests, and the welfare of the community, may
`4 not be sacrificed to theory and speculation."

Ow R-aders m*y probably de-ire to k now what theory
or speculation is alluded to ? The answer must be col-
lected from the speeches of those who addressed the
meeting. In the last Session of Parliament, Mr. Hue-
imam; promised, that in the ensuing Session a Com-
mittee of the House of Commons should enquire into
the effect of the existing Corn Laws, and report accord-
ing to the evidence they should collect. The object of
the PecitiHners is to forestal this enquiry, by preventing
any discussioni of the question at all. But it is an ex-
ceeding bad cause that will not bear discussion.
Considering this meeting, therefore, from its appoint-
ment of district assemblies, to be a branch of the local
associations of Kent, in every parish of which county
similar organizations have taken place, we are com•
pelled to open our eyes to the truth, and with sincere
reluctance to pronounce it in spirit, purpose, and ten-
dency, a disgraceful confederacy to overawe the Minis-
try, and thereby to deter them from entering even on
the consideration of the expediency of supplying corn
at moderate prices to the industrious poor of these
kingdoms.

For the sake of the layer, therefore, but still more
earnestly for the sake of the Landed Interest itself, the
welfare of which we readily admit to be of the utmost
importance to the nation at large, we would implore
themes they value the future happiness of themselves and
their posterity, to desist from the insolent assumption of
a right to feed the people of these kingdoms at what-
ever price they please—but to let their cause rest on
evidence and be tried by the sober maxims of sound
reason.

Do they mean by their "just claims," not to be un-,
dersold in " their own markets," that the Landed
Gentry and Farmers of this country have a vested right
in the monopoly of supplying, at their own pricti the
hungry cravings of every man, woman, Ind. 04'
composing a population of nearly twenty millions of
soul)? If so, let the right at once be conceded, and
let the country become openly tributai ies to them in a
given sum, equivalent to the incomes they expzet to de-
rive. But let not the industrious and ingenious artisan,
who is willing to labour, be deprived of the means of
sustaining his wife and children with abundant food.
They say that Corn, in Odessa, may be purchased for
thirteen shillings a quarter—while in England it cannot
be sold for less than six times as much, by the native far-
mer, if he would remunerate himself and his landlord.
Then give us the Corn from Odessa, and lay on a tax
of three hundred per end. to be applied directly and
openly as a revenue to the lords of the soil: We
shall still be enabled, with the same amount of la-
bour, to give our families six loaves a week instead
of four, as at present. But why are we called on to
submit to the privation of only one loaf instead of
six ? The Landed Interest reply, " because they con.'
stitute the firmest support of the Constituticin."—
Really I Not the Senators of Rome, in their highest
insolence, even when seizing on the lands to tlfeir.Own
use, which were conquered by the people, ever put-forth
a more unreasonable pretension. Why is Sir %Attar
HRAON to consider himself a firmer supporter srf the
Constitution than ALIX A NDERBA RING ? Or SirWtLWAM
INGOLEY, that he is more attached to 'our venerated
frame of Government than Sir ROBERT PICIL ?
We compassionate such weakness no less than Ave pity
the misinformation which could induce those Gentle-
men to utter statements which are self-evidently im-
possible. Sir R. !linos SUMS char-we can, from
our own agriculture, supply food to our •increasing
population for many centuries to come. 'That is,
when they amount to sixty millions, the barren heaths
will yield corn as cheap as the fertile plains are
now enabled to produce supplies to one third of the
number; while Sir WILLIAM INGOLBY says that there
is now in store, corn' in the ports of the Baltic, adequate
tofeedthe whole populations of these kingdoms for seven
years. That is, the farmers of Poland and ;Germany,.
b esides the corn for which they can find a market,
have on hand a surplus produce equal to the yearly
food of one hundred and forty millions' of people.
If this averment does not astound the, reader, we
have no more to say. We must be content t o believe,
that in Germany land is tilled, sown, manured.and
cultivated, and the harvest gathered in and ware housed,
purely that it then may rot.

We have this far touched on the assumption of
right nn the part of the Landed Interest. Reluctant as
we are to enter on the discussion of the Corn Trade at
the present moment, we deem it a duty to use every
nation to avert the fatal consequences which mast
inevitably result from. the attitude which the agrical.'
tural body seem inclined to assume. Bat we have no
objection to remsneoitith them on the expediency of
admitting or prohibiting foreign Corn, considered as a '
question of policy.

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