Star.
London, England, 1822-02-05 00:00:00

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=Jar, AGRICULTURAL MEETING.

Yesterday a very large assemblage of persons ap-
pealed at Epsom, so early as eleven o'clock. Three
waggons were arranged opposite to the Spread Eagle,
for the accommodation of those Gentlemen who were
to take an active part in the business of the day. At
twelve o'zlock the waggons became quite crowded.
. Among the Gentlemen present were—
Lora& King, lalenborongh, and Stanley ; Messrs. W. Weston,
'rower (late !Ugh Sheriff), Drummond, 11. Townshend, 1.31-
brooke, J. Itlaberly, acne M.P. J. Maberly, inn. M.P. 11. 0.
Bennet, M.P. J. Denison, M.P. 11. Stunner, Lowmies,
and many others.
The Meeting was exceedingly numerous and highly
respectable.
J. SPICER, Esq. the High Sheriff, stated that he had
called thii Meeting in consequence of a Requisition,
numerously and respectably signed, which he begged
leave to hand to Mr. Under Sheriff, to be read.
The Under Sheriff read the Requisition, which was
. signed by Lord ONsLow, the Earl of TamcEttalLLE,
J. DENISON, Esq. the lion. H. G. BENNET, Mr. MA.
BERLY, and others, possessing lands in the county to
the extent of 20,731 acres—(Flear, hear).—lts terms
were confined tonricultural distress, and the means
of relief.

The HIGH SHEROF said the Requisition was signed
on the 20th of January, and he had granted its re-
quest on the c.ist--(6hecrs).—As soon as a Requisi-
tion, numetously and respectably signed, was pre-
sented to him, he lost no time in acceding to it; for
the person who brought it to him carried it back
signed by hint for the purpose of holding this Meeting.
A motion was then made, and seconded, that the
Truett SUERIFF should take the Chair.
The motion was unanimously agreed to.
The 111 Gil SHEltlrr having already stated the
readiness with which he had acceded to the wishes of
the county, had now only to request that proper at-
tention should be paid to those who might address
themselves to the Meeting. The subject was impor-
tant, perhaps of the greatest importance that could
come before a County Meeting. lie bored their at-
tention would be confined to the object which was
properly befOr e the Meeting, and that no other matter
would be introduced. Whether what might be said
should be in conformity with their opinions ur not, he
hoped they would hear with patient attention, for that
was a courtesy due to those who spoke—(.4pp/ause).
Mr. Wean Westox, its coming forward to move a
Petition to be presented to Parliament, declared, that
of all the questions that had ever called for the at-
tention of a nation, this was the most important—
(Applause). It was not possible that the landed in-
terest should sink, and that all others should not ;
all must sink or swim together—(Applause). It was
impossible that the other classes should exist if the
agricultural class should inl!—(Applause). Land-
s, farmers, householders, shopkeepers, traders,
fundholdets—who never could be paid without the
aid of the other classes, and particularly the icul-
turi,ti—he was ready to pay them, and to do justice
to all, hut they must have the means; all were in the
s.ore situation, and must stand or fall together. It
is an easy matter to o f high rents ; but before
he came to that topic, he would advert to another
suisicaa. It had been sometimes said that landlords
t,asants had not the same interests: lie maintained
they had. It was very bad management for a land-
lord to let his land at a rent which his tenant would
not be able to pay, after having had a fair com-
pensation for his capital, and a fair remuneration
for his oxen tiros—V.ard C,rf!i:Niti. No landlord who
was not a 1.01 would let leis lands otherwise. It was
Lterest of lanilords, and every man's feeling
of interest actuated his conduct more or less, to let
his lan.ls at a rent that could thus be paid. If he let
his lands otherwise, the tenant was obliged to n;•glect
his lands, and the landiord lost the nnreasonaale
rent he had imaoscd ; and afterwards he was obliged
to let his lands at a lower rent than he could have got
in the first instance. The present distress was of a
very particular nature—he hoped it would not last
long. The labourer was in unison, too, with the land-
lord and the tenant. Landlords, tenants, and la-
bourers, were but links of the %Mae chaia—(Applause)
....,they were all in the same boat, and must sink or
swim together. Anollier misapprehension was more
generally believed ; it was, that high rents and high
prices had enriched landlords and farmers. Ile be-
lieved neither of the assertions were true, and lie
thought he could prove it to demonstration. Land-
lords-were said to have doubled or trebled their
estates. He, for one, had doubled his rents, and
he was poorer than he had been before—(llear).
This was occasioned, not by squandering, lEst they
could not live iu the same state with double the income.
They had not more to spend ; they had not so much;
this he would say in his own case. When he had
come to this County he had laid a pipe of wine in his
cellar for £39, which now cost him from £lOO to
£l2O. The double, then, would not now pay it. The
carriage had cost him £110; k now cost him 0350.
But to get out of his cm riage, to leave luxuries, and
get to the necessaries of life, he had then bought a
pair of boots for £l. ss.—they now cost him £3.
at least so his sons told him-0 laugh).—Now the
farmer could state a case for himself better than lie
did as a landlord. The Poors Rates now were more
than doubled ; leather, every,hing, was in proportion,
but the room' hares were decisive, and they were
tripled—quadrupled. If, then, neither the landlord
sior the tenant had the money, who the devil had it?
The. Government," was answered by several voices.)
'lie thanked them. It was so. The Government had
got it for carrying on what they called a just and
tecessary war, but what he called a crusade. It was
a war which ought never to have been commenced
—(Loud cheers).—He had been among the dupes
who had been persuaded that the war was right—
(Applartze).—lrt consequence of that war the expense
had beconle enormous ; but the enormous expenditure
had not terminated with the war. Places, pensions,
and sinecures were created every day. Yes, they were
not only continued, but additional burthens of this
oseless nature were created every day. In the meant
time they found their money gone from them. They
could not raise the moneysequired, and those who
bad been fairly above the world were fallen below it.
.-Landlords were, generally, sensible of the change
which had taken place ; they had lowered their rents.
lie defied any one to say that rents had not been
lowered u every County in England. There were
individual exceptions, for there were foolish landlords
and foolish tenaots-r(.Applause).—lle had lowered