Star.
London, England, 1831-02-10 00:00:00

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STATE OF THE COUNTRY.

The following is part of that Series of Original Letters,
which we are enabled to lay before the Public, from various
parts of the Kingdom.
Near Falmouth, Feb. 5, 1831.
It is gratifying to be enabled to address the STAR, from
a part of the kingdom comparatively exempt from the excite-
ment of these momentotts times. Reform in Parliament has
certainly engrossed the minds of the majority of the well-
informed, and its fruits are about to be laid before Parlia-
ment. It is a subject now as strongly advocated, as, two
years since, it was deprecated, in this county : the
cause—no doubt the pressure of the times, and scarcity
of money—even in a county more blessed than most others
by its subterranean riches and its fisheries. Still, however,
we boast the absence of the incendiary, and I do not know
of any instance in this county of the folly or madness of
destroying the staff of life for the gratification of private
revenge, or some more idle cause ; no machine-breaking, or
other act of violence, though wages are low, and have been
so for some years.
I may safely say, that nine shillings per week is the utmost
on agricultural labourer, with a family, gets to support him-
self and them. In Cornwall, however, there is much
waste land, the farms are small, varying from twenty to
one hundred acres, and the majority not exceeding
forty or fifty. Each farm has generally a fifth or sixth
part waste land. This waste land is a source of comfort to
the labourer : he and his children scrape together a suf-
ficiency of manure to lay on a quarter, or half an acre of
ground ; the farmer, for the sake of the manure, permits
him to take a crop of potatoes free of rent ; the peasant gets
wherewithal to fatten a pig or two, with manure for ano
ther crop of potatoes. From the smallness of the farms, and
the necess'iry personal exertions of the farmer, there is a
communion of feeling between him and the labourer, and,
universally speaking, pence reigns between the employers
and the employed, hether it be aglicultutist, miser, or
artisan.

The TIT ti Es have a little ruffled the tempers of the farmers,
and the great agitation of the question in the Eastern coun-
ties creates some oscillation at this extreme point,without much
surprise ; but no act of outrage has yet taken place, nor do 1
think there will,for the natural good sense of the lower orders
is improved by education throughout the county. Had it not
been so, the temerity of some tithe collectors of fish near
Penzance would have been met in a different manner than it
was a fortnight since. You would suppose, sir, the most
obtuse brain would pause at the present moment, before
making claim, and endeavouring to enforce a disputed tithe.
But such was not the case at the Mount's Bay. -an ancient
free• will offering of fish by the fishermen has been construed
into a right, time mystifies ; the tithe is commuted for in
money. It is doubled ; it is increased beyond bearing, and
the fishermen resist.

The women are active ; the tithe collector is stripped of
his clothes ; the attorney who comes to back him, is glad to
escape in the same way; the reoult is—a young man is sum-
moned before the magistrates of Penzance, to answer for the
assault, who are intimidated by the presence of a few hun-
dred of the fishermen, from convicting the offender, who
marches off with his comrades in triumph, and there ends

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the matter.
With the above exception, no strong popular feeling has
manifested itself in the county on the tithe question ; but it
is universally canvassed, and a strong feeling is ripening
into resistance. B.

OXFORD, 'Pas. 8.
The Bishop of Exeter has instituted the Rev. Henry
Nicholls, A.M. to the Rectory of Goodleigh, in this coun-
ty, on the presentation of Wm. Churchward, of Goodleigh,
EsThand void by the death of Wm. Churchward, Clerk.
e Rev. J. Lowe, M.A. was installed on Saturday last
to the Canonry and Prebend of Ricca'', in York Cathedral,
void by tho death of the Rev. John Dolphin. The ceremony
of reading-in was gone through on Sunday.
The Rev. Wm. Rees, M.A. has been instituted to the
rectory of Talbenny, in the county of Pembroke, by the
Lord Bishop of St. David's, on the presentation of Sir John
Owen, Bart. M.P.
The Rev. Mr. Lowry, of Greystoke, has been appointed
to the curacy of Brougham, near Penrith, vice the Rev.
Mr. Hutchinson, deceased.
On Sunday last, the Rev. MR. Bty LTEEL, late Fellow of
Exeter College, and Curate of St. Ebb's, preached before
the University. Every part of St. Mary's large church was
filled, and many were unable to gratify either their piety or
their curiosity. Several were ao much inconvenienced by
heat or pressure, that they were unable to remain during
the whole of the sermon; the subject of which was GRACE,
from 1 Cor. ii. 12. " Now we hare received, not the spiiit
of the world, but the spirit which is of God, that we might
know the things that are freely given to us of God."
Although Mr. Bulteel spoke with rapidity, yet his dis-
course was upwards of an hour and a quarter it deliver-
ing. In the course of it he launched out with zeal against
" all the Doctors, both the Proctors, the Heads and Gover-
nors of Colleges and Halls, and their respective Societies."
--None were spared, and very unceremonious epithets
were applied to the fellows and tutors. They were
charged with want of due discrimination in giving out tes-
timeniums for holy orders. The drunken and the wicked,
he said, too often obtained them ; while the pious and the
moral were frequently refused. He pointed out the abso-
lute necessity of reform in the church, and spoke of other
university and ecclesiastical matters in the strongest lan-
guage of censure. Never was curiosity more excited, and
never was St. Mary's Church so full. Mr. Bulteel's ser-
mon has since been the general topic of conversation. On
Sunday, when finished, the High-street was nearly as full
as it was at the time the King was proclaimed, when the
University assembled on a platform at St. Mary's.
Mr. Bulteel was for some time a tutor as well as Fellow
of Exeter College, and was not particularly distinguished
for talent. A few years since he entered into orders, and
I took the curacy of St. Ebb. Soon after he commenced
preaching the church was always crowded with auditors ;
and it is now with much difficulty that admission can be ob-
I He preaches extempore at his own parish church,
• but his sermon at St. Mary's was a written one. His doc-
bine is that which is usually called Evangelical.
In a few days we shall probably give some extracts from
Mr. Bulteel's University Sermon, which, we understand,
will be printed.