Star.
London, England, 1822-01-21 00:00:00

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THE HIGHLAND PATRIARCH..

In the•course ul .a.t +uromer a Oentleinan travel-
ling in north of Scotland, was told at the manse
of ./ft of a Highlander; living in that parish,
who reached the unusual age of 108, and still
pre•ci vc,i the faculties of his mind unimpaired.—
Curiosity induced him to visit the old man's cottage.
He found him, as had been represented, still vigor-
ous of mind, though greatly enfeebled in body. He
had been out, he said, in the Forty:five ; a phrase by
which the survivors of that unhappy period are in
nit to express their having taken arms in behalf of
the P. et ender. Where had he fought? «I stuck to
the in; t•.' said Patrick Grant, for that ii the old
Inan's name, "frae first to last; I was we him in
England, and I was we him on the bluidy field o
Culls den: Oh! waefu', waefu' day !" He proceeded,
at his visitor's request, to relate the particulars of
the battle very nearly as they are represented in the
histories of that period, and brought out the " braid
sword" which he had used on the occasion, and,
waving it over his he.id, chewed how "other fields
were won." On inquiring into his circumstances his
visitor was sorry to learn that he depended entirely
for support on the charity of his neighbours, and
was destitute of all the comforts which declining age
reunites. " But for mysel', said Patrick, I lia'e
rae melkle now to care for; it 'ill no be lang now till
I'm below the eird. But there's my puir lassie there,"
pointing to a silent old woman sitting by the ingle-
check, "I am unto fear's! they'll forget her whan
auld Patrick's dead and gene." "Never fear, Patrick,"
said the worthy Clergyman of the Parish, who ac-
companied the stranger, " while I am Minister of
Lctbnot she shall never want."
On leaving the cottage the stranger suggested to
Mr. S—, the Clergyman, that weir a representation
pf the old man's patriat dial age and destitute situ-
ation ,aid before the KING, there was everything to
Lope from his Man:ivy's generosity, never more
strongly hewn that* it has been to many followers
r.f the esiled house. Mr. S—ri— approved of the idea,
utsi, since the stranger's return to the metropolis, the
P.ev. Gentleman forwarded to him the Petition to
kis MAJESTY, of which the subjoined is a copy. It
was immediately submitted to the LINO through the
rr.editini of Sir BENJAMIN BLoomstEDD, Batt. and
an :lamer as promptly returned, stating that his
as v has been most graciously pleased to Or der Out
f his private purse, a pension to Patrick Grant and
daughter, and the survivor of them, of one guinea
,er week. His MAJESTY had the generous comic-
cension to add that be was only sorry he had not
ado an earlier application.
PETITION OF PATRICK GRANT TO MS MAJESTY.
urn inmate 'runny or EATRItt SUNT, axsme.'e
!!DE, ?AMISH Or LETIINOT, county or roam.
" MAY IT ?LEASE TOMS MAJESTY,
" The E:me of your Nlajesty's distinguished generosity and
benevolence having reached your Petitioner in this remote cor-
ner of your Empire, he is therefore emboldened to approach his
S.tverdgn with a Representation no less urgent than true.
" ls.ev IT CLtASE vont MAJESTY,
" The year; of your Petitioner are many, being no less than
one hundred and eight ; and he is, perhaps, the oldest enemy
your Majesty la; now alive, luring fought at Culloden. &lo-
cated a Ilonlan Catholic, at-:1 in 411 the prejudices of tie times,
he drew Lls sword in behalf of another Family, and fought with,
all the energy of a 11011m:der ; but time and experience have
corrected his views. Under the mild administration of your
Y.oyal predecessors, he has seen the Nation Sourish, and its
glory ~;d1.:11 by their wise, able, and vigorous measures. With
equal zeal, then, would he gladly draw the sword in defence of
that 'Monarch who now fills the throne, and who be trusts in
ins, for the good and happiness of his People, will continue to
do so for many years to come!
-" But, alas! my Royal Sire, though the soul of the aged
highlander is still ardent, the frost of age has chilled his vigour.
Me who in former times had experienced all the luxury of a com-
fortable independence, is now, in the evening of his age, reduced
so poverty and want ; for he has tot even strength left to travel
in search of his daily bread: and to aggravate his distress, to
one affectionate daughter, Ann, the only solace of her aged and
surviving parent, your Petitioner can only bequeath poverty
• ard rags.
" May it, therefore, please your Majesty to take your Peti-
tioner's case into your Royal consideration, and to grant such
',lief as his circumstances may seem to merit ; and your Peti-
tioner shall ever pray. " PATRICK GRANT.
" Au. Sysives, Minister, Witness.
" JAMES Yucso, Elder, Witness.
" TWOMAS Mottrsoa, Lido-, Witness.
isstes Goanot:, bider, Witness.
" Janes Ssxw, Elder, Witness."

On the formation of the Lawyers' Corps of Infan-
t-7 in Dublin, it was whispered to the Regiment that
a certain popular Barrister, who was lame, and with
whom Mr. CVRRAN was particulary intimate, in-
tended to offer himself as a recruit. This so chagrined
)Ir. CURRAN that he was determined, if possible, to
save him from the mortiScation that he knew must
inevitably attend upon this application, namely—
getting himself laughed ist for his vanity, and rejected
as unfit. The day following that upon which Mr.
Ceitnas: obtained this information, he stepped up to
the blemished Barrister in the Hall of the Four Courts,
whilst }:e was in confab with an eminent Attorney,
and with his bewitching, but incorrigible vivacity,
accosted him, " Ha ! L—, so you're going tolist?"
I believe I mitzt join," said the other consequen-
tially. You :cc in a great hurry to be shot was
;Le replication. " For what ?" demanded the other.
" for disobedience of orders," said Mr.Cwiuu N, " For
by G—, when you're ordered to ;french you'll halt:'—
All present were confounded, save the wit himself,
who wheeled of to another grcup, with whom he got-
sippcd as gaily as if he had never said "halt !"
THE ANNUAL REGISTER.—Messrs. RIVINGTON re-
vectfully inform the Public, that their Annual,Re-
aiger for 1820. commencing with his present Krauxv's
will be ready for delivery on Wednesday next the 23d, price
in boards, either at No. 62, St. Paul's Church-yard, No.
Vieerloo-place, or by any other Booksellers. A Prospectus may •
gratis. Two Volumes, in continuation of the ferule.
Sew %, are nearly :emir for publicutlon, WA will be dny an-,
uw:ctile—January 19, ME.

~~

PM?

• LETr‘ ER 11.
•
.. . •
iwring YROMANRY AND FARMERS OF TDB
COUNTY MP •HUNTINGDON.
a *Awn Abbey, January 11, Isft.
ChiNTLEKIW-1-Lee as now pass to other plans of
relief popularly agitated. It is said; that es we can-
not raise corn to the price required by taxation, we
hmouwst? The
eg down taxation to the price of corn. But
borrowed money was in a debased currency,
it is said, and we ought not to pay it in a currency
of higher value. This is easily said, but to make the
distinction thus laid down, I conceive to be .in prac-
tice impossible. Half of the debt was contracted be-
fore the Bank-notes were depreciated, and the interest
upon that part was paid, during the latter part of
the war, in the debased money ; the other ball was
contracted when money had sunk in value, and we
are now paying the interest in the restored currency;
so that some of the public creditors get too little, and
others are getting too much. But the different parts
are so mingled and confounded together in the course
of trade and business, that to separate them is quite
unpracticable.
" There are persons who advise a large reduction
of interest on the whole debt. But this is a measure
only to be resorted to in a-case of extreme necessity'.
The nation thereby declares itself bankrupt.
" Consider what it is for a country whose greatness
is mainly founded upon commerce, to proclaim itself
insolvent. Reflect upon the national dishonour ; the
extensive ruin; the embarrassment of all dealings
between man and man ; the difficulty of restoring cre-
dit; the danger to the peace of society that a bank-
ruptcy implies. I think you will then agree with me,
that every other resource ought first to be tried.
" Among these resources, there are two very obvi-
ous. The first is, a severe system of retrenchment;
a spare regimen for all who live upon the public
money. When an individual is unable to pay his
debts, he does not, or ought not to say, " My car-
riage and horses are necessary to me, I must keep
them;" he says, " I have no money, and cannot keep
my carriage and horses." In the same way, the Go-
vernment ought to renounce every species of luxury.
Mr. Hume stated last year, that we might save by
economy £3,000,000 yearly. I will suppose only
L 2,000.000 of this retrenchment to be practicable,
and £500,00Q to be saved in other ways that Mr.
Hume did not contemplate, we have thus £2,500,000
taken off our expenses.
" The other source from which some relief may
be obtained. is the Sinking Fund. The operation of
this Fund was very clearly explained in a Paper
written by the Earl of Lauderdale some tame ago.—
During the war, an artificial prosperity was created
by an immense expenditure of capital, which raised
the price of all produce ; since the peace, on the con-
trary, the Government, instead of raising 00,000,000
or 1.343,000,000 alrear, by a loan, to be laid out in
the food, clothing, and pay of our army and navy,
have been raising as much as they could collect be-
yond their immediate wants to repay the holders of
Stock. Thus capital or money, 'instead of being ex-
pended with profusion, has been collected and ac-
cumulated in the hands of the capitalists or monied
men; and inasmuch as the one excess created artifi-
cial prosperity, the other tends to produce artificial
distress. I know, indeed, that Mr. Vansittart, ar d
the Agricultural Committee after him, have held, that
the accumulation of money, and the low rate of in-
terest consequent thereon, will enable the landlords
to relieve themselves in part from the heavy burden
of their mortgages.
" It is unnecessary to say that to encourage men
to pay their money in taxes, that they may after-
wards borrow the same money from merchants and
broke' s, paying interest for the use of it, is but sorry
comfort. It is, indeed, merely a scheme for making
one set of landlords come to the relief of another set,
through the agency of the monied men, who are to
be enriched by the transaction. But dirk as such a
hope must be, in point of fact, the landlords are likely
to be deprived even of this resource. Instead of lend-
ing their money at a low interest to English land.
holders, the monied men find it more profitable to
get seven and eight per cent. by the purchase of
Danish Bonds, Prussian Stock, Shares of the Neapo-
litan Loan, &c. &c.
44 But the money which is extracted by the hard
gripe of the exciseman from the English farmer and
labourer is placed in the hands of the Commissioners
of the Sinking Fund, who buy Stock with it: the
seller of the Stock purchases with his cash a share in
Mr. Rothschild's Neapolitan loan, and the English-
man's tax is then sent off for Naples, to pay the Aus-
trian troops for preserving the Neapolitan nation
from the horrors of a free Government. And this is
the manner in which Mr. Vansittart and a Committee
of the House of Commons propose to relieve the dis-
tress of the farmers of England !
" I think you will agree with me, that k would be
better to abolish the Sinking Fund, and repeal the
taxes which go tO its support. With respect to the
amount in 11119, the House of Commons voted, that
there ought to be au effectual Sinking Fund of five
millions; but it cannot fairly be taken at more than
two millions and a half. In twenty years of peace,
this Sinking Fund would pay but a small proportion
of our Debt. It would be much better, certainly, to
relieve our present embarrassment, and provide for
the Debt by other means.
"If we add the two millions and a half,which we had
before saved by retrenchment, to the two millions
and a half of the Sinking Fund, we have five mil
lions that may be taken off the taxes. The next
question is what taxes ought to be taken off? For my
own part, I should clearly say, take off the taxes on
salt, candles, leather, soap, and part of the Malt
Tax, which press upon the farmer and agricultural
labourer. Political economists will tell us, that these
taxes do not affect agriculture more than any other
taxes, for they are all paid by the consumer. That
is, indeed, very title, if you can persuade people to
consume; but the difficulty lies in this, that men will
not be consumers of an article that is over taxed.
.---Thus, if A, a farmer, wishes to sell his corn to
Li, a consumer, B having no longer the same quan-
tity of paper money at command, has retrenched the
quantity of puddings and pies with which lie regaled
his friends, and has laid down two of his horses.—
Thus A, the farmer, is unable to sell his corn at the
price which would pay him fur the taxes and wages
lee has laid out in producing it. But if these cases
are taken off, the farmer can afford to sell his wheat
at a lower price. and evesa if he does not. obtain any

. .-.•

:;-

. .
Oat profit, Yet his-corn k way, of a value
maintain himeelf andhis family, and smite sutplus
will remain to lay oat on' ibanufacteres:
To resume what I haik said then; .it appears to
the that your exertions, if &fitted to petitioning for
Corn Bill, will certainly fail iif inccess, And in all
probability drag you into d ivrdrse situation: it sp.;
`ran. me, likewise, that itethbig ban be dbhe, with
justice or true policy, to lighten the pressure of the
debt. The only safe remedies that are at baud, see&
to consist in a retrenchment of the public expenses,
the abolition of the Sinking Fund, and the repeal of
some of the most obnoxious taxes. 1 have advised
you, without any factions motive, not to look for re-
lief from measures that the Ministers are likely to
originate; still more strongly would I advise you not
to place your reliance upon what is called a discus-
Ilion in the House of Commons of your grievances,
your interests, and your prospects.
" Too often bay, you looked ton debate as an occa-
sion from whence some specific cure for Your disorder
was to proceed ; but what has been'amally the event ?
In an assembly which is on these occasions,
" A Nadi of f3eadesnen who speak with ease."
one Member gets up' after another to state his pe-
culiar views and his peculiar nostrum ; but even
though each of these nostrums were endowed with
incomparable virtue, the mixture of so many pro-
duces nothing but confusion.
It is the Minister alone who can pass a measute,
and he must be impelled to do it.. I too have my
nostrum, but I see no use in proposing it to the incre-
dulous. I shall therefore conclude by advising. you
to resolve for yourselves, after patient meditation,
what measures are likely to be of service to you, and,
when you have done that, to embody your wishes in
a Petition, firm, strong, and resolute.
" I cannot conclude without reminding you, how-
ever inflammatory it may be thought, that the ex-
' penses of the country are closely connected with the
question of Parliamentary Reform. In 1816 and
1817, motions fur the reduction of the Army, and
the appointment of an efficient Finance Committee,
were supported by a great majority of County Mem-
bers, and negatived by a large majority of the House,
consisting almost entirely of Members for small Bo-
roughs The few County and City Members who
supported extravagance on these occasions, only retain
their seats from the great expense of elections. Is
not this a practical proof of the necessity of Reform ?
" I have the honour to be,
" Your faithful and obliged servant,
J. RUSSELL."