Star.
London, England, 1822-01-19 00:00:00

~~1

~.

I.
'1

.
: I li

f`
I

i';

• .

It 1.

TALINPN. AartucULTURAL MEETING.
• • • • •••
"Wedoestay last, a Meeting of the Gentry, Magis-
-4 bit
,tvte,jreeholdqrs, and Inhabitants of Taunton and
111 itinikpbOulhoci:, was held in this town, to consider
the propriety of laying the present unparalleled dis-
tress of the Agricultural Interest before the Legislar
ture. Before twelve o'clock the Guildhall was com-
pletely filled, and the number of persons continuing
to accumulate. it was found necessary to adjourn the
Meeting to the Nisi Prius Court, in the Castle, which
was occupied in every part.
' • -EDWARD AYSHIORD SANFORD, Esq. wax invited
; ,
. .•
to take the Chair.
• • . WILLIAM AYSHIORD SANFORD, Esq. then rose,
and sai•i—Gentlemen, I am very sorry to hear that
Ministers are not 'aware of the situation of their coun-
try, and that they doubt, or affect to be incredulous
upon .that fact, which is unfortunately so well and
painfully known to you all. It is therefore necessary
. to show them, by the concurrent testimonies of Meet-
ings, legally constituted and respectably attended, as
• this e, to what an unexampled state of wretchedness
Vie country is really reduced. Would to GOD that
• the corn faints which are now issuing in tones loud
and deep from every quarter of this kingdom were
. . trerely the cries csf fictitious woe! Is this, Gentlemen,
ask, the state of things to which we must be re-
duced, after having successfully fought the battles
. which were to place Europe in the secure enjoyment.
of its liberty—after having prostrated the Despot of
France from his throne, is this to be the only country
which is not benefited by the contest Are we to
be the only people—are the bold yeomen of this
. count! yto be the only persons upon whom the Weight
of the heavy reckoning is:to fall? while Jews, con-
tractors, and loan-jobbersiare gmassing princely for-
tunes—(Great applause).—lt will therefore be the duty
of the Reptesentatives of the People, and unfOrtu-
Irately they are represented by too few,la theensuing
I'arliAment, boldly to declare to Ministers theseverity
of the condition to which we are reduced, and urge
an efficient remedy, if any remain, for our.distress—
(Applause).—lle then read the following Petition:
" 10 THE RIGHT MONOURABLI las lAMIDSSPIRIILIAL wrtl viorreasx
PARLILAIIEXT ASSIMILED.

" We, the Gentry, Clergy, Freeholders, and Occupiers of
Land, in the district of the once opulent Vale of Taunton, most
humbly represent to your Ilonourable Douse—
" That the cruel distress throughout the district in which we
reside has arrived at an unparalleled height, and is daily increas-
ing to an alarming extent.
" That the progressive decline in value of all the productions
of the earth, accompanied by an overwhelming burden of taxa-
tion, such as was never before endured by any country, has
swallowed up the capital of the farmer, and brought the greater
proportion of the independent yeomen to the brink of ruin;'
which, without the most speedy relief, must ultimately termi-
nate in the annihilation of that must excellent and invaluable
holy of men.
" That ) our Petitioners, therefore, pray that the strictest eso-
ncazy and retrenchment may be enforced in every Department
o: the State."
CI:ARLES ANDERDON, Esq. seconded the Petition.
The Bev. W. P. Triomas.-1 own, Gentlemen, it
was with much satisfaction I received the invitation
from my brother Magistrates to concur in assembling
this Meeting. I have long known, and as a landlord
have felt, the severity of the times; and can therefore
unequivocally state, that unless some measure be re-
sorted to, it is utterly impossible that the farmer can
live. The poor-rates ale everywhere an intolerable
burden on the land ; and these, co-operating with a
g: Bins; system cf taxation; disable the cultivator of
the soil troin tealizinti the fair fruits of his exertions.
I live in a parish where the rates, though less than
they have been, absorb what might otherwise consti-
tute the reasonable gains of honourable industry. In
1793, the poor-rates were £B2l ; in the year 1821,
they amilinted :o £2,000. Another source of the
present mischief appertaining to, and w• ighing down
the energies of the Agricultural Interest, is the in-
adequate duty on foreign corn. I am the last man in
the country that would wish to see my poor neigh-
bour badly supplied with the comfcrts, much less the
fi st nes.essaries, of life ; but protection to the corn-
g: ower of this country must be afforded, if any chance
is to be allowed him of contributing, without abso-
lute ruin, to an exorbitant taxation.
1)r. KINGLAKE.—Sir, I rise to bear to this very
numerous and respectable Meeting my personal tes-
timony to the great and crying distresses that do in-
deed afflict the Agricultural Interest of this country.
There can be no doubt entertained of the reality of
the grievances, a statement of which we are this day
met to lay bet Ore the Legislature. But there is no
mystery in this calamitous situation; the cause is as
glaring as the effects are evident. A ruinous expen-
diture of the public resources of the country, during
a war of nearly thirty years, has wretchedly over-
whelmed the landed interest with difficulties that are
at length become insufferable. No country, however
vast in its means, could have sustained the profuse
waste of public money attending a protracted war,
relentlessly carried on, and that, too, I will confi-
dently add, Sir, not for genuine British objects, but,
on the contrary, to uphold and advocate political
.views utterly repugnant to the true principles of our
constitutional liberty. The measure of Parliamentary
Reform is essentially connected with the subject un-
der discussion, because it is to a want of constitu-
tional representation that may be justly attributed
not only the prevailing difficulties, but also the
fearful prospect of still greater national calamities.
Retrenchment and economy must necessarily be prac-
tised; the time is come when the means of further
pecuniary extravagance are at an end ; they can be
sio longer supplied, or, if they be, we shall soon have
to compare notes on our actual instead of prospective
ruin. The constitutional objects for which repre •
scntation was designed were real public benefits—an
anxious watching over the individual and collective
interests of the community, which, if duly fostered
and protected, would impart to the teople of these
realms a physical security of happiness, as steadily
and infallibly operative, as is the influence of those
natural laws which govern the universe. But, in-
stead of this, it appears to MC that the representation,
as at present constituted, is anything rather thali that
which it purports to be— (Great applause).
Sir T. 13. LETHBRIDGE, Bart. M.P. said he had
listened with great pleasure to the beautiful speech
the Me • had heard from the worthy and
though he concurred in much
yet he could not coincide
the causes which he had
the sources of the distress
the Agricultural Interest.

IE.II which it purports to DC ••••-
Fj Sir T. Be LETHBRIDGE,
listened with great pleasure
the Meeting had just heat
learned Gentleman; but the
that had 'alien from him,
in opinion with him as to
bo eloquently insisted were
which at preseut affected
•