The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-04-14 00:00:00

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away which he had in view, his ohject was not to inju'e
tiny other interest in the couLaunitv. He would not di.
stray or disturb any thing which had ken guaranteil
by the national faith, bet he thought tint., without
any violation of that faith, a remedy might be
found.. It was absurd to think that the evils ender which

the agriculturists laboured. could not be in a great de-
gree removed, without injury to another class. He then
read the followlig resolutions, and a petition founded on
them

" That the

ne resources of the king-

don are in strict connexion. withthe welfare end pros/rig),
of the people, and tbat any advantage exclusively enjoyed
by particular interests amounts to a national injury ulti-
mately ruinous to the state.
"That the landed, commercial, and manufactnring inter-
ests are the great sinews of the nation, which should he
united by the wisdom of Pa-liament to meet the distresses
'of the times bra genets! and equal participationof burdens.;
but,unfortunately,at this moment the burdens of the Country
tree more exclusively borne by the landed interests than by
, lay ether of his Majesty's subjects.
'44•That ever since the year 1819, the agricetteral distresses
hare become progressively ruinous, and are at the present
moment so alarmingly great, as to scourge landlords and
tenants with the dreadful consequences of poverty, hank-
ruptey, and the foreclosure of all estates mortgaged pre-
viously-to the push', of the Curve-cy Act.
".That subsequently to the conclusion of peace in lOU,
the landedinterests, notwithstanding their efforts In suppers
of along and expensive war, still continued to prosper; bet
unhappily for the interests of Viis useful class of his Maje,-
ty's *objects, a spolieting obangain the currency toolcplace.
whit* involved landlord and tenant in total ruin, by placid;
their estates at the disposal of mortgagees, and the enriched
Ind still enriching fundholder.
• ." That severely as the distreises are felt mad patiently
btree by the landed interests, they are induced to expect
that Parliament can and will afford their assistance, and in
the present session devi-e and adopt measures of relief."
Mr. (IWYNNIC then observed, that he underst.iod an-

other set of resolutious would be presented to the meet-
ing—he would not say to them which they ought to
adopt. He had read what were in his opinion proper for
the occasion. When the meeting heard the uthers, let
them decide. All he was ensious for was, th they
should agree that great distress existed, and (which inset
fellow) that it required a remedy. Let them cry aloud
to the Legislature that distress existed among them; or
if they did not, great miseonstraction would be elsewhere
put opon their silence. It would be said that they were
wallowing in luxury and comfort, and therefore did sit
complain; but if it so happened that the 'freeholders of
Brecon felt no distress—if they had escaped films the
many evils which fell upon the landed interest in all
other parts of the country, let them at least hare some
feeling for those who did suffer, and let theta on this oc-
' elision lift op their voices for their relief. But he knew
'that they, in common with others in the country, felt the
prevalence of distress—that they had not the means of
selling their corn at a fair and remanerating price—that
as a neural consequerce of tenants not getting a market
for their produce, the landlords were without rents. Theft
were troths which every man who heard him felt, and, as
they did feel, he called upon them to join in a petition for
relief. He begged it might be distinctly understood that
this was no party question—it was no contest of one set
of political opinions against another. Fur his own part,
he yielded to no man in loyalty and affection to his King
and the constitution of Isis country, but neither the use
nor the other was compromised iu praying fora relief frosn
what he felt to be a grievance. He would mit up no party
feelings with this qnestion. He felt as all who heard
him felt the pressoreof distress, and he was net ashamed
to avow it. The distress which was now weighing
down the landholders did not concern them alone—the
other classes must eventually be involved in it ; for if the
landlord got no rent, the tradesman's bill must rbmais
unpaid, and thus, as links in the general chain of society,
they must all suffer. l'hc relief which lie sought went
not, as lie had said, to the hp's), of any other class, and
therefore could not be opposed by them. Let them, thee.
all petition to their representatives for relief, which
would be given. Their representatives would listen to
their voice, or, if they refused, let them have the mant-
ness to avow it, and, at another election, freeholders
would choose representatives who would attend to their
petitions. (Cheers.) He concluded by moving the reso-
i
Before any gentleman seconded Mr. Gwynne's mo ion,
lIIINRY W►LLmaiis, E•q., came forward. He said.
though he agreed wilt the hon. gentleman who had just
sat down, in the existence of the distress, and the neces-
sity of a speedy remedy, and also in many of the opinions
embodied in his resolutions and petition, yet he could not
concur with him in the whole. He would state• to the
meeting what were his opinions, and for this purpose
would read to them certain resolutions, and a petition
founded on them, which he had sketched.
Ile then read the following resolutions, and a petitices
founded on them :
" That the agricultural community of the United Kingdom
is in a most unprecedented and alarmingstate of depression;
and that it is use conviction of this meeting, that unless
speedy and energetic measures are adopt. d by his Majesty's
Government, that a large isroportion of the owners and oc-
cupiers of land, together with their families, will be involved
in inevitable ruin.
"That it is one of the first principles of political economy
to distribute tie burdens necessarily imposed for thegenerat
welfare of the State impartially among the different classes
of individuals composing such State, who are entitled to
equal protection from the laws and institutions of the Uo-
vernment.
" That such impartial distribution does not exist under the
system at present adopted for raising the supplies, inasmuch
as the landed Interest contributes in a much larger propor-
tion towards the exigencies of the State than any other class
of his Majesty's subjects: as, for instance, the laud tax,
the maintenance of the poor, and the reparation of the high-
ways, ere burdens exclusively borne by the owners and oc-
cupiers of land.
•That it is the opinion of this toasting that the adoption
of the following measures will materially conduce to the
general welfare and relief of Um agricultural community—
namely, d direct tax upon all monied property in the same
proportion as the tax already levied upon land; a fair sad
equal distribution among all daises of his Majesty's sub-
jects,of the expense incurred in the Maintenance of the poor,
and the reparation of the highways; a resters' revision and
amendment of the laws relating to the currency and the im-
portation of agricultural produce; a system of strict econo-
my and retrenchment of the public expenditure ;and, lastly,
the abolition of all places and pensions, excepting those con-
ferred as rewards for meritorious public services."
The lion. Gentleman then read the petition.
These (continued Mr. {Williams) were his opinions.
The principal objection which lie had to the resolutions
of his Hon. Friend (.tlr. liwynne) related to those parts
where he spoke of the currency. His own opinion was,
that the act which produced such an alteration in the
currency was premature ; hut he thought, and this was
the opinion of men most conversant iu the commercial
world, that the repeal of the act at present would only
tend to re-produce the evils which it at first created—
would cause a revulsion as much to he dreaded as that no,
der which the coun'ry had already suffered.
Mr. °WY:SICK here begged to explain. His object was
nob.the repeal but the revision of that act, for lie admitted
that the repeal at this moineut would again plunge the
country into many and serious evils.
Mr. P. Wi Lt 3 awe, in continuation, said, that his ob-
ject was the sae, as that of his lion. Friend. He bud
no party views to gratify. lie admitted the distress,
and he earnestly sought for the means %hie!' were in his
opinion best calculated to relieve it.
The Key: Cuts. Gan-rims now seconded the resolu-
tions and petition of Air. Williams.
Mr. H. BOLD second. d (pro forma) those of W.
Owy Roe, that they might be read, though he did net
Genoa is them..