The Statesman.
London, England, 1815-01-30 00:00:00

E'E TING.

COUNTY OF BEDFORD M
At a numerous meeting of the Proprietors of Land
in the county of Bedford, held on, Saturday sennight,
at the Severn Inn, in Bedford, to take into conside-
ration the distressed state of agriculture, the Earl of
UPPER OSSORY was called to the Chair, sad stated
the object of the Meeting.
. Lord Sr. Jontt said, that nothing was so painful
to him as to see honest industry in distress; nothing
was so heart-rending as to see the industry and
prospects of so great a bulk of the community going
into the pockets of others. He trusted there was no
one in the room but would ngree as to the necessity
of petitioning Parliament. Corn had not been regu-
lated by the necessity of the markets, but by the ne-
cessity of the growers ; he hoped he might be per-
mitted to nthise those present, as he had done his
own tenants, not to sell their corn, but wait and
see if Parliament would not adopt some plan for their
relief, and he would not distress them. It was
a circumstance well orthy the reflection of every
one present, that we now received corn from France ;
the result was, that France was a nation of farmers.;
they support not only Great Britain, bat Spain and
Portugal. lie then proposed the Resolutions.
•
Mr. FOVIEIt said, the present system made us de-
pendent upon foreign countries in two ways: de-
.peadent upnwthern for feeding t. , and dependent in
finding money to pay for it, and we were putting
power into the hands of our enemies. If the present
system is continued, agriculture would no more
flourish here ; it may flourish on the banks of the
Vistula, on the plains of Normandy and Picardy,
b‘t no more in the country of Graft Britain. When
corn is so!d at a price that will not pay cultivation,
how are landlords, taxes, tithes, &c. to be paid
This year he knew good land would not produce 15
bushels per acre, for which the farmer sowed three
bushels of capital grain, worth double the price of
that produced, which, with harvesting and thrashing,
this year would about balance the account. Mr. F.
concluded by seconding the resolutions.
Mr. Witt ratte.to was at all times open to convie-
thin, and he was sorry nothing had been said to
convince him that the steps they were about to take
would bring them to the desired goal ; he was of
opinion every encouragement ought to be given to

agriculture, and we ought not to be dependent on
any but ourselves ; he wished again to see us an es-
porting country. Mr. Foster and Lord St. John
had said, if we allow France to import, we are en-
couraging France to the injury of British agricul-
tore ; and we are told France has so improved the
culture of its soil, that she is enabled to overwhelm
the English market. Now give me leave to ask my
Noble Friend, whether France has not been blessed
with a most bountiful harvest, and whether we are
not taking that as the work of man, which is in fact
the work of God ? We have not in England wheat
enough to keep the country, and if the average of
20,C00 quarters has not been brought in weekly, the
' metropolis could not have been supported. Are we,
therefore, to look up to the Legislature for redress?
They are always ready to assist, but sometimes they
I are improperly led to interfere, and then they do
mischief. If you go to Parliament, and importation
is prevented, would that make the lean corn plump?
I —would it be put in competition with the plump fo-
reign corn in the market? It is a delusion that you
cost Imre redress in (hat way from what at present
asetwiteless you. How long, Gentlemen, has this
!existed? flow lot - have we fallen back in •