The Statesman.
London, England, 1822-01-14 00:00:00

, 7

how Vier, Goiernsseat men, and regularly voted for all
the estimates, and Mr. Gooch was made the Chapman.
His Hon. colleague could tell them better t►an be
could the names of the gentlemen on that committee.
It might have been expected that he himself, as a large'
landed proprietor. and the representative of an agricul-
tural county, would have made one of the members ; bet
that compliment was not paid to him. Indeed, if It
bad, he should, es be told Mr. Hooch. have desired his
name to be struck eat. for be never wished to hold oat
any hopes to hie constituents which be knew could
not ultimately be granted.—(Cheers.) The com-
mittee beteg formed, all the petitions on agricalteral
distress were laid upon the table without diseussloa.
If be bad attempted to bare said one word upon
oral, be would have been met by cries of "Wait till
the report is published;' and when did it appear?
And of what nature was it ?—a ministerial report
brought in at the very close of the 'mks ; thus env-
leg the purpose for which it bad been origimally is-
troded--nassely, the prevention of all discussise. He
grind say, that if be had thought that he should have
sat in such a House of Commons for 46 years, he

would have washed his band: of it, on the very day
on which be entered it.
Mr. B. Wooer:oyes then came forward, and was re-
ceived with ronsiderable applause. He observed that
is steam himself to their notice, he should begin
by observing that be was folly sensible that their only
hope of relief was to be found in the shape of miti-
gated taxatioa.—(Loud cheers.)—He was also equally
aware that this &aeration came rather late from a
man who bad advocated every means* that had made
taxation necessary. Be that, however, as it might, he
should submit to every charge of inconsistency that
could be made against him rather than advert at pre-
sent to the particulars of his past conduct. He then
stated his views of the causes of the present distress
which the county of Norfolk felt so severely, and said
that if be was of opinion that if an effort was made
to relieve it, it ought to be made simultaneously by the
proprietor and the occupier of land, becalms their cause
was common. He thought that a temperate remon-
strance, as to the general state of the empire, and the
particular pressure on sgricniture, must be beneficial;
but be feared that the present remonstrance was much
too violent to do any good. The Hon. Bentham*
then declared that he had not (as had been asserted
by a Rer. gentleman) voted for the three millions of
additional taxes; that, on the contrary, he had voted
against them.—(Cbeers).—He professed himself hos-
tile to imposing duties on foreign coin, which was lay-
ing the world under an interdict.—(Chars).—He
condemned the Agricultural Report for its stupidity
and absurdity, and for its chaotic coafssion of ideas.
After stating that he agreed with the resolution for re-
pealing the malt duties, and also those on salt, lea-
ther, soap, and candles, he proceeded to observe, that
be could not agree with the resolatioas relative to the
necessity of Reform is Parliament. For his own past,
be could say as well as Mr. Coke, that be never de-
ceived his constituenta.—(Cries of " You have, you
have : Coke never did.")—" Show me tho man," con-
tinued Mr. Wodebonse, " that dares come from the
crowd, and say that I have deceived my constitattots."
Mr. N. Ramon, of Yarmouth, them stepped for-
ward and said, I say you have deceived them : and
will trove it, if you will answer me one question ho-
nestly. Yon told ■s (here an interruption from Mr.
Wodehouse's friends)—l auk yea, whether, though
you voted against the malt duties, yea did not vote
for the establishments which these malt duties were
to support ? This was a deception ; sad 1 tell you so to
your fate. If, when our representatives come and
beard us to our faces, we are not allowed to catechise
them as to their conduct, we ha►e nothing to do but
quietly bead oar necks to the yoke.—(immense ap-
plame )—One mien of the distress suffered is the
country was, that fir the last 20 years the country re-
tie nits had, inst ad of dispensing blessings to the
tenants on their matt s, been dancing attendance at
levees, and playing the part of sycophants at Court.—
(Loud cheers.)
Mr. W01)101011.1 then continued, and observed that
he had certainly voted for the establishments alluded
to by Mr. Palmer, bat it was on • thorough cootie-
tints of their necessity : and he had t►ought the taxes
for their support might have been raised on other arti-
cles than malt and soap.
Lord SMICLD, just before the meatiest concluded,
reminded the freeholders that they had all been born
free, and enjoined 'bean never to forget that the freedom
which bad been gained by At vigour, activity, and de-
termination of their ancestors, might be lost by their
enpineness.—(immense applause.)
After a vote of thanks to the High Sheriff, who
courteously acknowledged it, the meeting was dissolv-
ed at five o'clock.