Star.
London, England, 1816-04-02 00:00:00

'Tit EVENING STAR.

1.01N.1)()N.
TUES D V, APRIL 4, 1816.
41(7, or b I'OCKi THIS DAY Al I WELVIL O'CLOCILi
(,hut)..-Curie. it0:6141.40r acc. tit
a ptr taut. Cikut)-3 per Cent. lei !U-1 pets par, 23. pr.
lot—Eseb. Bilis a.. g die.
The

remarks which me have offered on the present
digressed circumstinces of the country have not been
riggested from any doubt respecting their reality.
On this point .we take it for granted that the 'slalo-
m:, 01 our Readers have informed themselves. To
thou who have not yet bestowed proper attention to
due part of the question, we Would resommenda
Phrasal nt Mr. Pitecro
" Review," published in
the Panyphleteer—itut as agreeing with him in all his
r'ev's, but as containing many facts necessary to a
g'ght understanding of the subject. Oa the distress
'Mit we content ourselves With quoting
this *ricer a page from

serer leas around himat the present moment, anJ view.
finetOts in which, the etmotry is involved from the inability
Wehrle Part of the population to answer the demands of Go•
ram; 'cheerier eaant:nes the great change which has taken
6.11 rtle condition of a large part of the tom:vanity hurled
VW
t to Poverty front &Mueller to distress; whoever
teitirel lux
dtp.k. 0 the $
fact, Ends that taxes are levied from a consi-
tv7ini:rt of the penple by 'Leans of legal process; or who.
Ibis the." the feel is, the poet -re increasing dully in number,
of she rsons who are by law holm ! to co. in:
mtts yot
is diminished—whoever *bail kneads

• '
as the tact is, that a large part et the emsnsialty are lit want
employment though willing to Meer, and that their former itoo
*yen are unable to afford ee pay their wages t that even SO anal
are to be met In different parishes asking for entpittenalat; and
urging it to be the intere't of the fernier, rather to pay them for
actual labour than to pay them in estate of idleness from the poor
rate, while the farmerobough convinced of the just* of the ap-
peal, is totally unable to meet this appeal to his interest; further,
that a large portion of that Industrious part of the community, the
little farmers (the favourites of the ancient system,) with their
large families ('he beet hope of the state, and most vinuous part
of the community) are ceasing to be farmers from necessity, and
becoming pensioners an the poor rate, w'lle its some town'
ships the persons who formerly contr bitted to the poor, are ap-
pealing for relief on the ground of their own poverty; and numbers
of them obliged to abandon the cultivation of their farms, are be-
come burdens on those parts of the parish which atone are cut:l-
isted, thus taxing the industry of their neighbours, and hut:llln
them to the same extremity of ultimate indigence—must admit
there is something wrong in the system; and that necessity, and
not the spirit of com?laiut and dlsaffec nett, Im?oss eche duty of
examining into these evils, that thty may be understood and
lately Met.
T:te person whttaupposes this picture to be overcharged will
find himself mistake... As far u extensive and diligent enquiry
and research, and commuui:ations from thffereet districts and
from person, of the highest respectability residing in counties
distant from each other, have afforded information to the writer
of these observations, this picture is not coloured too high 1 all
these evils exist in a greeter degree than he has painted them
particularly in Ireland and in Wales, and iti some of the western
counties, and even in Norfolk, and other improved districts. In
someplace' the lands are actsially deserted, and groiving no other
crop than weeds. In Ilunengtionshire It is sail, that a circuit of
3000 acres is abandoned, and in other places, and ic mime not far
distant from the Metropolis, the like occurrences may be wend ;
and Mall prudent proprietors of the soil are consent to forgo their
rents rather than suffer. their farms to be me enanted and throwta
out of cultivation, and the labourers deprived of employment, and
the poor of their allotted means ut support."
Can it surprise any one that such a state of distress
should create alarm ? that means should be sought
to avert or remedy the evil ? that many mistakes
should be entertained respecting the cause or causes
of the calamity, and, in consequence, many vague,
crude, and impracticable sug•gestions be thrown otit
in the shape of remedies ? The evil has not been the
growth of a night, nor will it be rooted out in a day ;
but it is ever the bias of shallow politicians to per-
suade themselves that by legislative enactments they
can perform any thing they may desire. Let this
be put to the test in the most direct way imaginable,
and they will soon perceive that, in spite of them-
selves, they must wait the result of some more tedious
process. For example, 41 Corn is too ekap." W,iy
do you not„at once, for this is what you aim at, de-
clare by law, that it shall fetch a certain price ? You
startle at this. Take another remedy. " A large
:crop hat produced the present distress whethei
the Corn for sale be kept to yuur scale of quantity I))
short crops or by any other means, the result must see:
the same. Why not enact then that every farmer in
the kingdom shall, On it specific(' and early dal, burn or
other a destroy every fourth or third or secoi,d
stack in his barn-yard ? This to a certainty wouid
enhance the price of Corn. When you have exami-
ned this propisal you ferh•sps find that it would
not reuledy the present evil.

What is the evil unuer which yon la')onr ? A
drain upon yi.ur Estates beyond your 1112 illS•10
Jc-
-Iray ! This is tile real tact, argue upon it as I,ing a.
you wid. You nave but •one of two vinedies—
Either increase your means, or diminish the drai I*
If you cannot du the one you must effect the other—

or you MUsL be ruined.—Wouht you d. b‘ith ?
cic.rse the income and lessen the czp-ildsluie ? T I
is not in your power—by any enactin nts. You c
neither enhance nor redacr thy price of Cwin. L..
every other niarket..biecourniidity, the price wel

influenced by circuaiseances, ~verwhichyoa have ne.
controul. Nay more. It is not for your linear,.
eventually, that the pree of Carr, should he high ;
ft rif lucid and sustenance generally be
must the price of sahour—ont merely that be,troi, •
on your own lan.fs, but all the taly•ur and ingenuity'
bestowed upon' the manufactures of the cotritry :
and, coos, quelitiy, you mast pay a higu price fur
, your necessaries.
But this is the smallest part a the evil that would
ensue. The present is not a question between diff,
rent classes in the same community ; nor sli. utd .1
merge into a trial of strength and sk:11 and address,
netted to shift the load from one,class to anov.er.—
It is a question between Britain and the Worl,!.
Whence have we hitherto derived our prosper, ty ?
From our spirit and enterprivr—from cur suile'rior
industry as a Nation. NO system which would in
its operation 'restrain the diliusion of our blanufac..!
tures can promoa the Agricultural Interest. On the
contrary, the sure—the only way to restore your tin-.
mer prosperity, must have for its object to turn the
balance of trade with other countries ih favour of !
your own. In no other manner can you increase the
general stock of the general community ; for ally
thing short of this will be found to resolve itself into
the mere transfer of money from the right to the ltit
pocket, and the community must still labour under'
the sante difficulties. '

But though the question, on its broadest prinCi-
pies, should be viewed in relation to ourcommer-
cial intercourse with other countries; and in this view
it is undeniable that . low prices, compensated by re►
treochment of expenditure, is fur the general good.'
it will not follow that, therefore, no atcempt•sltould be
made to equalize the pressure of the distress as much
as possible. On the contrary, though quackery is to
be execrated as dangerous, the workings of the ma
lady • should be well examined, and every prudent
remedy should be stmight. Among these, the opera-'
tion ot the system ot the Poor rates and Trtnes calf
loudly for a cool, deliber.te, and deep investigation.
Is it true, th4t, by law, a purt(iii 0' the tithes eitiold
go to the support of the ? On wh•nt grou.id,
then, can its present apl•lication be •ustifiest 1 We
'say not, (bat it cannt,t be I:viirtied; but we tab that
justice may be done to ltik)4e Wt O receive tithes Atli -
out robiutig the occupiers of law!. • in ..tom w(ni. sac
sra:Fas of tic•.es is preillitCl.ll q 3 'the
,cuabpav
any. Qls Ibis, boweVal we dad 'miaow OW