Star.
London, England, 1826-10-17 00:00:00

HUNTINGDONSHIRE AGRICULTURAL

ASSOCIATION.

A meeting of the above Association was held On Sa-
turday last, at the George Hotel, Huntingdon, for the
purpose of taking into consideration the recent measures
of Ministers, as affecting the present prospects of the
farmer, and the permanent interests of agriculture.—
About 70 Gentlemen were present, including Lord Vis-
count Mandeville, M.P. the Marquis of Tweeddale, and
the principal owners and occupiers of land in the county.
James Torkington, Esq. of Stokeley, being called to the
Chair, opened the proceedings with a few appropriate
remarks on the present suffering state of agriculture.
They had, indeed, he said, met to benefit themselves,
but so intimately were the agricultural and commercial
interests of the nation blended together, that a benefit
could not be conferred upon the farmer, which did not
at the same time extend to the manufacturer. A series
of resolutions was then produced, and the Chairman
was about to read them, when Samuel Wells, Esq.
Registrar of Bedford Level, entered the room, and said,
he objected to the meeting in Coto. Why had not a re•
quisition been sent to the Sheriff to convene a county
meeting,where all interests would be fairly heard, and the
subject fully discussed? The Learned Gentleman then
launched out into a glowing description of the distresses
of the country, and• miserable condition of the labouring
poor. He concluded by proposing a string of counter
resolutions, in which a large reduction of taxation was
held out as the only effectual means of relief. The re-
solutions being read from the Chair, a spew of hands
was demanded, but only four were hehl up, including
Mr. Wells himself. He then left the room, satisfied, he
said, with having performed his duty. The original
resolutions, which were afterwards embodied in the
subjoined petition, were then read. Tithes being stated
as one of the grievances under which the farmer la-
boured, a conversation ensued as to whether they should .
be mentioned in the resolutions. The Rev. Mr. Nash
objected to such a declaration, tithes being, in his
opinion, no more outgoings than rent ; they might as
well specify the latter as a grievance. Mr. Wildes
said, it appeared, from the report of Mr. Jacobs, that in
Poland the tithe was not felt as a burden by the farmer,
being compounded for by the proprietor ; in France,
there were no tithes. Lord Mandeville said, as the
tithe was now collected, it was a great grievance to the
farmer, and a bar to agricultural improvement. The
clergy did not lay out so much in improvements, and
every shilling that the farmer laid out in this manner
was taxed With a tenth. His objection, however, only
went as to the mode of collecting the tithe, not to the
abstract principle. The, Chairman remarked, that in
nineteen enclosures out of twenty, there was no tithe ; a
certain quantity of land having been given in lien of it.
He disclaimed any imputation upon the clergy; the
tithe was only one of the burdens of the country, which
fell upon the farmer. On the suggestion of Colonel
Piofold, which seemed tt meet the wishes of all present,
the objectionable phrase was ordered to be expunged
from the resolutions. It was then agreed that the fol-
lowing petition should be regularly written out, and ex-
posed for signature, previous to the ensuing meeting of
Parliament. A subscription was also entered into, to
defray the incidental expenses, and to enable the Asso-
elation to correspond with the other Agricultural Asso-
ciations formed for similar purposes.
"To the Hoy. the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland in Parliament assembled.
The humble Petition of the Owners and Occupiers of Land in the
county of Huntingdon, whose names are hereunto subscribed,
I 44 Sbeweth—That yoor petitioners Dave invested large sums of
money in the purchase or occupation of land, fully expecting to re-
ceive a fair remuneration for the capital, skill, and labour so em.
ployed, and on the faith of basing that Legislative protection con-
tinued which your petitioners have heretofore enjoyed.
" That the agricultural interest is at this time labouring under
great distress, in consequence of the interferences with, and Infrac-
doss of, laws enacted and intended for its protection.
" That your petitioners view with feelings of intense concern the
efforts now making to prevail on the Legislature to sanction the un-
icted importation of foreign corn, the consequences of which
your petitioners conceive would be, that not one half of the corn now
grown In the country would be produced, and the subsistence of our
own population be made to depend upon the mercy of foreign powers
" That, in addition to the other burdens which press upon the
land, the repair of the highways, the assessments for the relief of the
poor, and the county rates, fall almost entirely upon the occupiers
of the soil, over and above their contributions to general taxation.
Your Petitioners, therefore, humbly pray that their case may
. be fully considered by your Honourable House, and adequate pro-
tection afforded to interests of such vital importance to the tona-
-1 munity at large. And your Petitiotsers will ever pray, &c."
C,

The Turkey Mail has brought accounts from Smyrna
to the Bth, and from Constantinople to the 12th ultimo.
They state that if The Sultan will never give in to the
Russian claims, and that the most vigorous military
preparations continued." The letters from the Turkish
capital also allude to the movements of the Persians.—
The Greek war is looked to with little interest, and con-
sidered as settled. The Turkish force under the Captain
Pacha, it is said, still intends to make a descent on Sa-
mos. Trade continues to be well protected by the En-
glish vessels of war.
The military survey of Ireland is making _great pro-
gress. The greater part of the counties of Deny and
Antrim are finished.
CHILIAN MINING A saocranow.--Yester day a Meet-
ing of the Shareholders of the Chilian Mining Associa-
tion was held at the City of London Tavern, for the put.
pose of adopting the Resolution passed at a meeting held
on the 27th ult. the object of which was to dissolve the
Company. After some discussion, the Chairman read
the Resolution for dissolving the Company, owing to a
want of funds, which was unanimously agreed to.
Such is the fatality of the fever raging in Rooney
Marsh, that thirteen persons were last week lying dead
in the small parish of Warchorne, which contains about
400 inhabitants.
Immense fortunes have been lost in the bop trade in
the present year; Last year the speculations were very
extensive, when new hops were bought at about 141. or
151. which will now fetch from Si. to 44. Old hops last
season sold for 61. to 71., and are now worth about 251.
The present is supposed to be the largest growth ever
known, and far exceeding the consumption of two, if
not more years.
The Malden coach, on its return from London, on
Thursday last, was overturned within two miles of the
town, occasioned by one of the horses shying and sud-
denly starting out of the road. The coach was heavily
laden with passengers, inside and out ; several of them
were injured, and amongst others, a Gentleman who
was going on a visit to Henry Coape, Esq, of Maldon ;
Charles Wbods, Esq., solicitor, was also hurt; and a
Gentleman, whose name we could not learn, bad his
arm dislocated. On Saturday evening, the Safety
coach was accidentally overturned between Melbourn
and Hanton, Cambridgeshiie, when Mr. Tuck, of the
latter village, who was on the coach, unfortunately bad
his leg broken, and a child's collar-bone was fractured:
t No other serious injury was sustained.

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