The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-06-09 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

THE FALL OF ROME.-INSTRUCTION FOit

ENGLAND

(From Blackwood's Magazine.)

THE ROMAN EMPIRE IN ITS DECLINE, AND GREAT
BRITAIN IN THE PRESENT DAY.—This constant ten-
dency of wealth, in the later periods of the Roman em-
pire, to accumulate in the hands of the great capitalists;
accompanied by the progressive deterioration of the con-
dition of the middle and working classes, is amply proved
and forcibly illustrated by Sismondi, in his admirable
work on the Decline of the Roman Empire. " During
the long peace," says he, " which followed the victories
of Trajan and Marcus Aurelius, those colossal fortunes
were accumulated, which, according to Pliny, ruined Italy
and the empire. A single proprietor, by degrees, came to
buy up whoie provinces, the conquest cf which had in
former days furnished the occasion of many triumphs to
the generals of the Republic. While this huge capitalist
was amassing riches, wholly disproportioned to the capa-
city of man, the once numerous and respectable, but now
beggared, middle class, disappeared from the face of the
earth. In districts where so many brave and industrious
citizens were to be seen in former times, alike ready to
defend or cultivate their fields, were to be found nothing
but slaves, who rapidly declined in number as the fields
came to be exclusively devoted to pasturage. Th,! fertile
plains of Italy ceased to nourish its inhabitants ; Rome
depended entirely for its subsistence on the harvests
which its fleets brought it from Sicily, Africa, and Egypt.
From the capital to the farthest extremity of the provinces,
depopulation and misery in the country coexisted with
enormous wealth in the towns. From this cause the im-
possibility of recruiting the legions with native Romans
was experienced even in the time of Marcus Aurelius.
In his war agair•st the Quadi and the Marcomanni, which,
had been preceded by a long t eace, he was obliged to re-
cruit the legions with the slaves and robbers of Rome."
It is impossible to give a stronger proof of the extent to
which this enormous evil of the vast fortunes accumulated
in the towns, and the entire ruin of industry in the coun-
try. had gone on in the last days of the empire, than is to
be found in the fact already mentioned, that when Rome
was taken by Alaric. in the year 404 after Christ, while
Italy could furnish no force to resist the invaders, the ca-
pital itself contained seventeen hundred and sixty great
families, many of them with incomes of £160.000 a-year,
equal to £300,000 of our money, whose expenditure main-
tamed an urban population of 1,200,000 souls.

CONDITION OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE ON THE EVE OF
ITS FA LL —S uch , on a nearer survey, was the condition
of the Roman empire which preceded its fall. From it
may be seen how widely the real causes of its decline dif-
fered from the vague generalities of Montesquieu, that the
ruin of the empire was the necessary cons-quence of its
extension ; or the still vaguer declamations of the scho-
lars, that it was the corruption incident to great and long-
continued wealth which enervated the people, and ren-
dered them incapable of defending themselves against the
northern nations. In truth, both these causes did ope-
rate, and that too in a most powerful manner, in bringing
about the ruin of the empire ; but they did so, riot in the
way supposed by these authors, but in an indirect way,
by inducing a new set of evils, which destroyed industry
in the most important of its provinces, by depriving the
industrious of a market for their industry, and rendering
the public burdens overwhelming, by changing the value
of money. The operation of these causes can now be dis-
tinctly traced by us, because we feel them working among
ourselves : their existence has not hitherto been suspected,
or their effects traced by philosophers, because no state in
modern Europe but our own, in recent times, had come
within the sphere of its influence. And to see what :hese
causes really were, it is only necessary to recal, in a few
propositions, to the reader's mind, the general result of
the foregoing deduction :—I. During the Republic, and
till the commencement of the empire, agriculture was in
the most flourishing state in Italy ; and it was in its stu•dy,
free cultivators, that the legions were recruited which con-
quered the world. 11. From the time of Tiberius, cur. i-
vation declined in the Italian and Grecian plains, and
continued to do so to the fall of the empire. Pasturage
came to supersede agriculture ; populatio❑ disappeared in
the fields; the race of free cultivators, ►he strength of the
legions, were ruined ; the flocks and herds were tended
only by slaves; the small proprietors became bankrupt, or
fled the country ; and the whole land in the European
provinces of the empire fell into the hands of a limited
number of territorial magnates, who resided at Rome or
Constantinople, and mainly upheld, by their profuse ex-
penditure, the prosperity of those capitals of the empire.
111. In the midst of the general decline of rural industry
in all the provinces to the north of the Mediterranean, the
wealth and prosperity of the great cities remained unde-
cayed. The small provincial towns were in great part
ruined ; but the great cities, especially such as were on
the sea-coast, continued fliurishing, and received in their
ample bounds all the refluent population from the coun-
try. Rural industry languished and expired, but com-
merce was undecayed ; the in-tunes of the great capitalists
were daily accumulating; and in no period in the history
of mankind, were urban incomes so great as in the city of
Rome, on the eve of its capture by the Goths. IV.
While this was the state of matters to the north of the
Mediterranean, that is, in the heart of the empire, the re-
moter agricultural provinces of Spain, Sicily, Lybia, and
Egypt, were in the very highest state of prosperity ; they
fed all the great cities of the Roman world by their im-
mense exportations of grain, and yet enough remained.
down to their conquest by the Vandals under Genseric, to
maintain a vast population at home, greater than has ever
since existed in those countries, in a state of affluence and
comfort. V. Taxation, from the tine of its first intro-
duction under Augustus, was at first chiefly indirect, and
by no means oppressive. Gradually, however, the pro-
duce of the indirect taxes failed, or became inadequate to
the wants of the empire, and recourse was had to direct
taxes, levied chiefly on landed prperty and successions.
But these direct taxes were at first light, and not a third
part of those levied in Britain or France during the war;
and the public establishments of the R .man government
were not a fourth, in proportion to the population, of
those now maintained by the great European monarchies
during peace. VI. In process of time, however, the re-
sources of the people, in the principal provinces of the
empire, and especially those to the north of the Mediter-
ranean, declined to such a degree, that though the mili-
tary and naval establishments of the empire were reduced
to a third of their former amount, and became inadequate
to defend its frontiers against its enemies, the direct taxes
required to be continually increased, till they became so
oppressive as to destroy industry, and prove the imme-
diate cause of the depopulation and ruin of the empire.
Such are the facts, as established by the unanimous and
concurring testimony of all the best-informed historians ;
and now for the causes which produced these facts. They
are set forth and supported by an equally clear and indis-
putable array of authorities.

CONTRACTION OF THE CURRENCY ASSISTED THE
FALL OF ROME.—The immense importation also of Afri-
can and Egyptian grain, which continued from the time of
Tiberius to the very close of the empire, must have occa-
sioned a great additional abstraction of the precious me-
tals from the Roman world. It has already been shown
that a very small proportion of the grain imported from
these distant provinces was remitted in the shape of tri-
bute. By far the greater part, probably nineteen-twen-
tieths of the whole supply, was imported by private mer-
chants for sale, as it could be got from them cheaper than
it could be raised at home. This imported corn, of course,
required to be paid for in something. But the inhabitants
of the countries from which it came—Spain, Sicily, Africa,
and Egypt—for the most part slaves, blessed with a fine
climate, requiring little covering, and nearly destitute of
artificial wants, did not require, and could not consume,
any considerable amount of Italian or Grecian fabrics.
Thus, by far the greatest part of the price of the importer]
grain was paid in gold and silver, for which there is a con-
stant demand in all countries, savage or civilised. A na-
tion which imports foreign eta n largely, must in all ages
export the precious metals as largely ; because the corn,
of course, is brought from those countries .hehe it is
raised the cheapest—and the countries where this is the
ca'e, are those where labour is cheap, money scarce, and
artificial wants unknown. Money is what these countries
want, and money is what their surplus produce is nearly
all exchanged for. And this explains how it happened,
that in the decline of the empire, Spain. Africa, and Egypt,
Igoe retained their flourishing aspect. and were the only
Wbinces from which money and soldiers could he ob-
tained, while they regain d none. The whole commerce
betwet n them and Italy, or Greece, was one in which
grain was exchanged for the precious metals ; and when
they once got these, gnat part was hoarded, as it now is
in the East. and very little ever returned.

From what has now been said, it is evident that the two
circumstances which occasioned the fall of the Roman
empire, were the destruction of its domestic aoriculture,
by the importation of grain from its distant provinces,
and the accumulation of debts and taxes, arising from
the contraction of the currency. It these causes be at-
tentively c.oksittered, it will he found that they not only
afford a perfect solution of its fall, but explain Low it hap-
pened at the period it did, and had not occurred at an ear-
lier period. They show whit it was which, slowly but
steadily, wasting away the vitals of the etrip're, succes-
sively destroyed its rural population and agricultural in-
dustry, and at length crushed its pronerty under the in-
creasing load of debts and taxes. They explain how it
happened that the indirect taxes, which at first were suf-
ficient, with a moderate imposition of five per cent. on
inheritances, to support the large military and naval esta-
bli-hments of Augustus, became gradual y enproductive,
and were et length succeeded by direct taxes on land, of
severe, aid in the end destructive amount. They show
what every page of contemporary history demonstrates,
that it was nei her the superior military power of the bar-
bariatia, nor the di,. inished skill and courage of the le-
gions. which occasioned the overthrow of the mighty fa.
brie, but the wasting away qf its internal resources—
which was the real cause of its decay. They tell us that
it was not the timidity of the legions, but the inability of
government to array them in sufficient strength, which
rendered them unequal to the contest pith an enemy
whom, during the vigor of the state, th, y had so often re-
Pi lied. They explain how it hat pened that Italy and
Greece bad become dest its in their rural districts, before
one of the barbarians had crossed either the Alps or the
Htemus, and how Africa, Spain, and Egypt, alone of the
province, retained their prosperity, when rural industry
was welloigh extinct in all the other parts of the empire.
Lastly, they explain how it happened, that while the ru-
ral districts of the north of the Mediterranean were so ge.
nerally relapsing into a state of desolation, the great ci-
ties of Greece and Italy long retained their prosperity,
and the wealth of the capitalists and great proprietors who
inhabited them, was continually increasing, %bile all other
classes were ground to the earth under the weight of pub-
lic or private burdens.

SALE OF WOMEN —" Yesterday, (August 7, 1752)
about 90 women of d4ferent kinds and ages, who had sold
themselves for four sears to a captain bound Philadel-
phia, were carried Iron the Bolt and Tun in Fleet-street,
and put on hoard a lighter in Blackfriars, in order to be
shipped for that colony.—Old Newspaper.

TTNBALE'S ENGLISH VERSION OF THE NEW TESTA-
MENT.-At the conameneement of the sixteenth century
there lived in the Manor-house of Little Sodbury, in
Gloucestershire, a worthy knight of the name of Sir John
Walsh. His dwelling belonged to that class, of which a
few relics may still be seen in the quiet country nooks of
Old England, displaying, in picturesque beauty, their fan-
tastic gables and twisted chimneys etribosomed among
shrubs and trees. There was abiding in this mansion a
humble priest, who filled the office of tutor in the family.
He was a perso❑ of quiet and retired habits, devoted to
study, and exemplary in his moral and religious character.
But no one could look on him without perceiving at once
that he was a man of no common stamp, for his expansive
forehead indicated a comprehensive mind, his eyes beto-
kened quick and penetrating thoughts, his whole counte-
nance was expressive of extraordinary firmness, while
round his lips there lurked something of quiet humour.
He often mingled with the guests who gathered round the
social board in the dining-hall of Sodbury, including the
neighbouring ecclesiastics, and even some wealthy abbots ;
for Sir John was a hospitable man, and fond of company,
a courtier, and a favourite with his prince. It happened
sometimes, that the conversation of these parties turned
upon theological topics, when our tutor was wont to ex-
press his opinion with some freedom. " As he was learned
and well practised in God's matters," says John Foxe,
" so he spared not to show unto them simply and plainly
his judgment; and when they at any time did vary from
his opinions, he would show them in the book, and lay
before them the manifest places of Scripture, to confute
their errors, and to confirm his sayings." When he ac-
companied Sir John and his lady to the tables of these
dignitaries, be scrupled not to talk with the same bold-
ness, till deep suspicion of his heterodoxy began to be felt
by his ecclesiastical brethren. Even the knight himself,
and his fair spouse, entertained some fears on the subject,
and thought it right to expostulate with the tutor re-ipect-
ing his sentiments. But he was not the man to yield any
point which his judgment approved, and he firmly main-
tained his opinion. 6` Well," said Lady Walsh, " there
was such a doctor there as may dispend a hundred pounds,
and another two hundred, and another three hundred
pounds ; and what were it reason, think you, that we
should believe you be.ore them ?" Her ladyship's logic
was of a kind to which our tutor knew not how to reply,
and he therefore politely held his tongue. But there were
deep thoughts at work under that capacious brow, and
mighty purposes springing up within that dauntless breast.
On another occasion, a priest observed to him, " We are
better without God's laws than the pope's." " I defy the
Pope and all his laws," he replied ; and added, " If God
spare my life, ere many years I will cause the boy who
driveth the plough to know more of the Scriptnies than
you do." The man who thus valorously threw down the
gauntlet at his holiness was William Tyndale, and such
was the commencement of a work which has given immor-
tality to his name. A deep interest lingers around the
remains of that old house in Gloucestershire, and we fully
enter into the spirit of our author's remark after visiting
the place :—" The halls of our colleges, wherever they
stand, have never given birth to a design, so vitally im-
portant in its origin, so fraught with untold benefit to mil-
lions, and now so extensive in its range, as that which ri-
pened into a fixed and invincible purpose in the dining-hall
of Little Sodbury manor-house."—British Qua, tf,rly.
FREE TRADE INJURIOUS TO THE FARM. R AND THE
LABOURER MORE THAN TO THE LANDOWNER.--I am
satisfied that never was there so great a delusion as that
the loss caused by this measure will fall solely upon the
aristocracy. A fall of 10s. per quarter on wheat is 40s.
per acre on wheat land, and if that price is accompanied
by a corresponding reduction in the price of other arti-
cles, it will eat up all the rent of the land. But the fact
is, the loss will fall—and they know it will fall, on them,
as they showed by their meeting the other day—the loss
will fall mainly on the temint-farmers. (Cheers.) And
the first step they take will be to suspend improvement,
to discharge their labourers, to reduce wages, and to force
their population into the manufacturing districts, there to
enter into hopeless competition will the population of
those districts. They will carry their own wretchedness
and misery into the manufacturing towns, and will press
down the wages as well of the manufacturing districts as
the agricultural. (Cheers ) I will assume the case of a
landlord who is entirely encumbered, and free from debt.
1 don't know whether there are any such cases (a laugh),
but I willSassurne there are. He discharges a certain por-
tion of this establishment, and turns upon the labour
market those whom his fortune had formerly enabled him
to employ. For it cannot be laid, I think, to the charge
of the landed proprietors of this country, as a class, that
they are given to accumulating and hoarding wealth. So
far from that, I think they will be found to spend it at
least as fast as they get it. (A laugh.) We are told how
their losses are to be made up to them, if they will only
adopt the real principles of free trade. They are to dis-
charge their useless and unprofitable hands; they are to
employ no labourers beyond what are absolutely required
to make a profit to themselves. They are to have no con-
sideration for tenant farmers who have been on their es-
tates for fifty sears. They are told it is more profitable
to have one large farm than several small ones; so they
must pull down the hous s of their present tenants and
turn them adrift. Their tenants have no capital, they
must let them go. There are 600,000 tenant farmers in
the country under £2OO a-year,—at least there were in
1814. Turn them adrift, bring their successors from a
distance—bring them from the Anti Corn-Law League
—(hear)—encourage them to expend their capital, and
then you will be able to recover from all the effects of the
injury you have sustained from a reduction in the price of
corn. Perhaps you might, but the law imposes the bur-
den upon you of maintaining all the poor of the manufac-
turing districts as well as their own. I have too good an
opinion of the landlords to believe they will take this ad-
vice. They will go on giving employment to the poor on
their estates, for they have to deal not with stocks and
stones, but with men having the same affections and at-
tachments as themselves, and I won't believe they will
adopt the cold, calculating, and selfish doctrines of poli-
tical economy and tree trade. (Cheers.) But if you
adopt these doctrines in England—•if you venture to re-
commend them in England—will you also dare to put
them in execution into Ireland? In Ireland the bulk of
the population are small farmers—hardly what we should
call homers in England ; the majority of the holdings are
from Ito 15 acres. They have no capital, and very little
skill. 1 admit they exhaust the land ; they don't pay half
the rent a large farmer could. Carry your political eco-
nomy into effect there, and see what would be the result.
I think I hPve heard it advanced that the clearance sys-
tem is at the root of half the evils of Ireland. But tree
trade requires it, arid you must o ake more money. Turn
them out, and when the existing generation are starved
off, you may, perhaps, see your system in successful ope-
ration. My lords, he must be a bold minister who would
advise such an experiment to be made, but he must be a
bold as well as a hard man who would act upon it. And
then to tell me that this measure has been brought in for
the relief of Ireland! (Cheers.) England is an import-
ing country ; it may be for her benefit, but I doubt whe-
ther it is in the long run. But Ireland is an agricultural
country—an exporting, and not an importing c'untrv—
and if you reduce her exports by £1.500,000, or £2,000,000
you do her the greatest jury.—Lord Stanley's Speech.