Star.
London, England, 1822-01-31 00:00:00

tines, said he perfectly speed in the sentiments of
his friend, Sir IL Bunbury. •
Lord HWITHIGIVIELD next addressed the Meeting.,
He said, upon the censer of the -distress he believed
there was but hide difference of opinion, but the re-
medies by which it was to be cared wertnot so easily
ascertained. One great means of curing it was re-
trenchment in all the expenses of the &ate—a sub-
ject width be was sorry to -see lightly touched upon
in the Resolutions. By retrenchment he did not mean
the mere lopping off of. subordinate clerks, with in-
ferior salaries, but retrenchment in the many mil-
lions which were expended in building ships Of enor-
mous calibre with foreign timber, and in erecting
Breakwaters at Chatham and at. Plymouth, not for
the safety of British vessels, but for the accommoda-
tion of foreign traders. The expenditurt of such enor-
mous sums upon such objects convinced him of the
regardlessness of Ministers to the distress of the
country; and incited him* to urge the Meeting to
insist upon some measures of strong retrenchment.—
He next animadverted to a plan which he had formed,
which had for its object to give the Government a
power of going into the market when corn was under
SOs. and there would be thus created a spirit of spe-
culation which at present was much wanted—(Die-
approbation ).—He would shut the ports entirely, or
otherwise we should be in the-state that Ireland now
is. The Noble Lord concluded by hoping that the
Resolutions had met their approbation—(Cheers).
Lord DUNWICH (eldest son of the Earl of Strad-
broke) supported the Resolutions, and said, he thought
the best plan for alleviating the present agricultural
distress was to get rid of the present Corn Laws, and
restrict the importation of foreign grain.
'Mr. Mitassr considered the cause of the distress
to be in a great measure owing to the operation of
the Bank Restriction Act, which had enabled Ministers
to carry on an unnecessary war, and contract a debt,
the very interest of which created an overwhelming
taxation. Ile animadverted strongly on Mr. Peel's
Bill, and the visionary plans of Mr. Webb Hall, and
said, a reduction of the public expenditure and a Re-
form in the House of Commons, could alone relieve
the distress of the country. It was the system, and
not so much the men, that cried aloud for Reform—.
(Cheers), Ministers had shewn no willingness to meet
the question of agricultural distress, as they ought to
have met it. The Marquis of Londonderry had said
that the agricultural interest was in a state of repose.
He would tell that great Leviathan, if he might be
allowed to use that term, that within a short period a
great change of opinion had taken place throughout
the country; and he trusted that he should live to see
the day on which they would meet with just con-
de,nnation from the people of England for all the mi-
series which they had entailed upon them—(Cheers).
Lord CALTITORPIC said, that from the tone and
temper of the Resolutions, he felt himself called upon
to express his regret that he hai withheld his name
from the Revistoon, which.he openly owned he had
done, lest he should be held personally responsible
for the Resolutions which might afterwards be pro-
posed to the Meeting. It was, however, a needless
alarm, for they were drawn up in such a tone of mo-
deration, and were so well calculated to further the
objects of the Meeting, namely, the relief of the agri-
culturist, that be should not have hesitated to render
himself responsible. lie expressed his satisfaction at
the opportunity thus afforded him (though he wished
some points of the Resolutions had been others' ise
stated) of joining in an earnest and ardent prayer to
Parliament for an increased retrenchment in the pub-
lic expenditure. Ile was the more glad that such a

state of the expenditure, orf bring down its expendi-
ture to"tbe low, state of it; tmeatip. Upon the rapt"
dies they weie sure t 8 e split into a variety of Opt-
nioac, On one handoeit was held that the agriciatu-
?zist's 641ksalwation. was.in.the price of corn being
mica by artificial means, namely, by Acts of Par-
liament which imposed high duties upon corn im-
ported into England; and by that means preventing
the foreign produce from competing with us, except
on terms that afforded a fair remuneration to the Bri-
tish grower. By remuneration, he did not mean that
''.rare of profit which enabled the farmer to support
his family, but also to pay high rents, rates, taxes,
and labour. Without stopping to combat these opi-
nions, he would only say, that however effectual simi-
lar plans might hare been at a time that the country,
was under the influence of a paper currency, it seemed
to be botany unadapted to the present state of things,
and could not restore the farmers ; for could duties
avail when there was no foreign corn in this country;
and when our own was not selling at any price? But
even admitting the efficacy of that plan, there were
still considerabledoubts as to the policy of applying
it just now. He addressed himself to the advocates
of the measure, and asked, did they think (assuming
both duties to be a protection), Parliament would
legislate 'for them alone—did they expect, in opposi-
tion to the interests of the manufactuting and com-
mercial classes—against the feelings of the country,
and in the teeth of all the writers on political economy
—to carry such a measure into effect ? But suppose
Ministers should take them at their words, and say,
" We agree it is better to have the ports open, but
we will fix the duty at' 20s: quarter of wheat,"
would not the result be, that the landlords and tenants
would be crying out louder thin. before ? and Lord
Londonderry would answer them as the Irish drum-
mer did the soldier he was Hogging, " Och, the Devil
burn you, hit you where I will I cannot please you."
!Lis opinion was, that high duties upon necessaries of
life, are in all respects impracticable, or if they were
practicable, they were most pernicious.. I He would-
always oppose them, if for no other reason than be-
cause they afforded a pretext tor bolstering up errors
in Nli.,isterial management, because-they perpetuated
taxe., and because they were a great means of check-
ing the progress of Reform. Then came the change
in the currency, which was an important question,
and closely connected with the cause of our distress.
Upon this subject he should say, that however neces-
sary it was, from the pressure of distress in 1811, to
reform the currency, the effect of the change, coming
as it did whilst we were labouring under great ex-
pense in government, and an im ense debt con-
traced iii a depreciated currency, was to increase the
value of fixed incomes, and to reduce generally the
plaits arising from every species of agricultural pro-
duce. It was needless to dwell upon the state that the
country wa, now in, when the labourers were totally
without employment, when they were living upon
the funds 431 parishes, and when the jails were over-
fl ;wing, and every species of crime upon the increase.
All these sad ell..cts were to be traced to the poverty
of the people, and the recklessness which it induced.
The condition of the labourer was seldom improved,
but these was :also a corresponding improvement in
his min al habits; aad what was true with regard to
an individual, was also true as to the whole. Bat
the farmers weir evea worse than the labourers ; they
were spe:iding not their profits, but their capit.d ; and
the day would come when they would be able to pay
neither the rent, the tithes, tale-, nor rates. The
Honourable Baronet then read a letter from a Gen-

tleman who had been present on Thursday last at a
Tithe Audit in the palish of Downliam, in the I-le
of Ely, and nine-tenths of the people were defaulters.
In some other parishes the pour-rates could not be
collected at all. This state of things required no
comment. Taxation, carried to excess, was the main
cause of our difficulties. It was alike the interest of
the landlord, tenant, and farmer, that economy should
be introduced into the public expenses, and a more
equitable distribution made of the public burdens.—
These were the only substantial means of relief for
the country—(Cheers). The Hon. Baronet concluded
by moving the following itesolutions:
1. That the owners and occupiers of land in the county of
Suffolk are now labouring under unexampled distress, which is
the more alarming because it does nut appear to result from
temporary or accidental causes.
that distresses

public expression of opinion in favour of retrenching
the burdens by which agriculture was depressed
should proceed from the county of Suffolk, because
such an expression would come from no other body
w kir sn much weight and importance attached to it.
lie was persuaded that such a public appeal, coming
from such a body, was necessary to overcome those
obstacles to retrenchment which were almost wound
up with the official habits of every Administration.—
It was vain to expect that the Ministers, whoever they
were, would adopt measures of parsimony without
such a public expression as they were now making.
The Noble Lord concluded his speech by declaring
his conviction, that great retrenchment would be
necessary before this country could be restored to that
state of prosperity which it had formerly enjoyed.
Mr. Gooch came forward, but from the clamour

2. That we cannot concur in the assertion . our
are owing to an excess in the production of corn; we cannot
consider plenty as a curse; but we fear that a decrease in the
demand has resulted from the lamentable poverty of the people;
and we desire to see the condition of all classes so much un-
proved, as to insure steady prices to the farmer, and employ-
ment to the labourer.
3. That excessive taxation is the main cause of that distress
which is crushing the landlord, the tenant, and the labourer, the
gross amount of the taxes rising far above that proportion whit*
the income of the maws is able to sustain, and their effect
having been aggravated by injurious effects upon the currency of
the realm.

which prevailed, he could with difficulty obtain a
hearing. He said he had attended the Meeting with
great pleasure, and as an individual and a Member
of Parliament wished to give his opinion. He knew
his duty in Parliament, would execute it, and would,
without dereliction of principle, advocate economy
and retrenchment. During the time he was in Par.
liament he had always opposed one tax, and that was
the Malt Tax. That tax he always considered ob-
nosions, because it kept down corn, and made beer

4. That the return from a paper currency to that of gold has dear. He liked to seethe poor buy their beer cheaply.
increased the profits of all persons enjoying fixed pay, or salaries,
He was not an advocate for high p:ices, hut he wished
or places, as well as of the freeholder', at the expense of the
agricultural and wading interest. to see the farmers remunerated. He entirely agreed
5. That if further and more effectual measures be not adopted in what had been said before, that the change in the
for the relief of the Agriculturists, the proprietors and occupiers currency was the cause of the distress in the country,
el land, together with those traders and artisans who are chiefly and doubted whether protecting duties would serve
dependent upon the fanners for their support, must sink into
irreparable ruin. the farmers much.
6. That the decay of agriculture already disables the farmer Lord HENRY FITZROYSaid, he supported the Re-
from employing the labouring pour, and thus tends to degrade solutions on this ground, that they expressed nothing
the condition, to demoralise the habits, and to destroy the lode- that went beyond the plain matter of fact, and he-
pendence of the labourer, as well as to aggravate the overwhelm-
trig pressure of the Poore Rates. cause they applied, generally, for speedy and effec-
7. That the landed property of England is burthened exclo- tual relief from the grievous burden of overwhelm-
sively with the support of the unemployed poor, with the main- ing taxation--(Applause).—He disclaimed all artificial,
tenant of our (lurch, and with various charges to which ether he rejected all exclusive remedies—(Applause).—He
property is exempt ; whilst on the contrary, must of the branches
a our national industry enjoy immunities and protection, from disclaimed all applications for relief, if that relief was
which the agriculturists are excluded. Under this double inequa. to be obtained at the expense of others—(Cheers).--He
lity they find it impossible to bear that amount of taxation which returned his sincere thanks to the High Sheriff for
is demanded front them, on account of the Civil and Military the latitude he had allowed to the preceding speakers,
Establishments of Government, and of the interest of the Na-
tional 1);:ht. some of whom had offered their sentiments on sub-
s. That the expenses of the. Government ought to be reduced jests of great political importance; but how was it
immediately, and to the lowest scale possible; not merely by the possible to argue this question without a recurrence
dismissal of inferior clerks, but by the abolition of all unneces- Ito politics? 'f he question was intimately connected
say places, and by large reductions in the charges upon the , • •
perLiCe •• the present distress had grown out of a
i ,
Civil List, as well as in all official salaries, and in the expenses i with
of the Army, Ordnance, Colonies, Collection of Taxes, and other I particular system of policy ; and, to meet it, the re-
branches; and, if possible, so to regulate the finances of the ' medy must necessarily be of a political nature—
kingdom, that the gross amount of taxation may be lowered in ' (Cheering).—The causes of that distress were obvious
as large a proportion as the difference in value between our pre- •
and numerous. The late war,—the extended taxation
sent currency and that of the depreciated jives in which the i
greater part of our debt has been contracted. which was introduced to support it—the stoppage of
9. That these Resolutions be embodied in a Petition to the cash-payments by the Bank of England—the conse-
commoustiouse of Parliament, conveying our strong but respect- quent influx of paper-motley, which overwhelmed the
tut solicitations that its attention may be given, without delay, countyy, without which the war could not have been
to this most important subject, and that effectual measures may
be adopted for the relief and protection of the owners, occupiers, continued, and without which the Ministers could not
sod labourers of the land, as well as of the other profitable claws have entailed on posterity the present enormous mass
of ybe British People. of taxation—and, lastly, Mr. Peel's Bill, were the ac-
Sir ROSIRT HARLAND, iu seconding the Resolu- ' cessoryl if not the principal causes of that political