The Statesman.
London, England, 1822-06-05 00:00:00

AGUICULTCHAL DISTRESS.

Mr. COKE presented a Petition from certain Land.
holders in Norfolk, complaining of Agricultural Di s
tress. The Petitioners complained of the inadequate
relief afforded to Agriculture, by the measures brought
forward by Government. They attributed a great part
of their distress to the alteration of the currency in ISI9,
and pr rayed for a Reform of that House.
Sir T. LETiIItRIDGE rose to corroborate the senti.
mews expressed by these Petitioners, by those of Lis
own constituent., and of all the Landholders and Agri-
: culturists that hr was acquainted throughout the king.
dom. There was a general dissatisfaction throughout
the country arising from an opinion that the lauded in-
terest had not received that relief from the legitimate
course, his slajesty'S Uoverninent. that they had a right
to expect. Hr protested against the indifference, which
lie saw with pain, in his Majesty's Ministers on this cut -
jeer. lie knew there were many who supported Mini..
t..rs. as lie had dune, upon general principles,
upon this particular question, could not in justice con•
tinue to go along with them. lie could net now 4.011. •
tinue his support of them. They were p.inming a tout
which must lead to time destruction of the country;—
(Hear)—which must lead to the opliftia.; of one inan's
hand against another; and whilst they cantina d in
that course, he would speak thus crorg his disapproba•
tion.—(Bear.)—lie maintained that the bunko' of tho
country were two-fold on the agricultural Interest. ThAt
class ought to ;are tome more protecting me:wires —it
was impossible they coati go on as they were a: re.
oat. If some such measate did not emanate from the
Other side before the Session closed, lie wool,' codie for. •
iward with a proposition of that nature. tie use con.

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I.

...Treed that the emusiriptmeemog greetviebos and great
mirage( wealth, ulabb maid be made available to the
parent of the tam. rrightly lisabanded ; sad he
Moped the leaded WINO la dmitlione would staid for-
ward madoliy, and empgere Wm in his sodnvoen to
*Maio that relief tiwiy stood is mach in seed of, sad
wen se fully entitled to.—(Hear.)
The Marquess of LONDONDERRY felt himself
failed epos to make one or two observations spa Mies
bad Wes from the Hon. Baronet, in coo
tome with which he bad delivered himself. He was glad
the day was sot far distant, whes they would learn M •
more precise manner what was the Hon. Baronet's AMP
el thee:endues of his Majesty's Ministers, in the mom
dies they bad adopted fee the agricultural dimeesm
They 'should thea learn so doubt what was the beat
way—at all events they would have is some men
istelfigible shape the substance of all they were daily la
the babit of hearing from the Hon. fluent. which he
would take the liberty to say, was net always inset ep
prsiriate in point of time, and, without offsets to him,
given rather is a tone of as indammatory character.—
err.s. bear.
des, )—But
was read to
iiii:ustothcolales juarstesineatretri
adopted by Ms Majesty's Ministers in competition witi
that projected by the Hon. Baronet. They bad anew
plithed a mist to the public of two millions of eased
espesditure, and 1,400.0001. by the great redaction of
interest. And these bad been dons, leaving to the coas-
ter the bends of the Sisking Fund.—(A lingb.)—Tbe
Honorable lientletnen opposite, .he observed, were in
the habit of amusing themselves on all measles, of the
discussion of these subjects, and *otitis', he perceived,
so soon called forth their jocularity as some sweesre of
actual relief to the country. The Hestleson,d the
other side could hardly forgive his Meleeties Ilihsbeers
fa the relief which they had actually aled the mem
try. The Hon. thronat, however, wassotsatleled with
what had beep done. He wished, as hr as he was able,
to understand' his meaning for protecting dudes for dig
freest article. of agricultural produce, which, be
thought. wire sot soffleintly (Needed by legislative
enessents. He wanted them to bring forward sea-
son fur the protection of batter sod cheese, and lio-
vernment was charged with being supine sad indiffer-
ent, because It had not come forward with such mea-
sures. If the lion. Baronet would have the kindness
to suggest some measure, by which the price of con
could be raised from 47a. a quarter to what he would
rails rentenerating price, they would thank him for his
assistance. He supposed that is his vocabulary. protec-
tion meant price • but in the opinion of the country.
those weeds bail distinct signification. He was glad that
they were soon to have an opportunity of coming to close
quarters with the Hon. Baronet—a proposition in every
wit, suited to the intrepid and mealy character of the
Hon. Baronet's general conduct. They would then have
something of a decisive nature to deal with, u to the
Hoe. Baronet's sentiment.. In the mean time he pro-
tected against the system of diurnal attacks which the
Honourable Baronet had of late so aureasittlegly par-
sued.—(llear. hear.)
Mr. J. BEN ETI (Wilts) said, that in consequence of
the Noble Marquess having charged the land-holders
of the cosotry with being in an inflammatory state—
The Marquess of LONDONDERRY begged to pat
the Hon. Member right before be proceeded farther in
error. He bed spoken of the inflammatory sodomy
u: the lion. Member for Sumersetshire's laosaage in
the preseat state of the Landed Interest.
Mr. J. BENETT resumed. He could no more ap-
prove of Members of that House being charged with in-
flammatory language uttered in that House, is merely
rating their sentiments into strong language, than on
tEe supposed charges on the land-holders. He thought
the landed interest had borne enough. and patieatly
enough. both in and out of that House, to entitle them
to weak of their grievances le strong language. The
Hones must expect this to be the ease. Petitions weak(
come In stronger language, and if rejected, as one had
been the preceding day. he knew not what would become
of it next.
Mr. G. BENNET rose to protest against the often pro-
pounded doctrine of the Noble Marquess opposite, that
the time of presenting petitions to that noose was sot
the time for discussing the subject of which those peti-
tions treated. In his opinion it was the best time; for
they the, were sure to have the last expression of the
feelings of the country through the Members who were
sent there to represent those feelings. The Noble Mar-
quess would, no doubt, rather wait till be had the train-
bands and battslia around him, when be would consent
to bare a field•day, to use his own expression in that
Hesse. He (Mr. Bennet) confessed be cared less for
the discussions in than fur the discussions out of that
Hesse; and therefore it was, knowing that it would pro-
mote the latter that he desired to see the discussion on
Petitions encouraged. It was by that very practice that
his Hon. Friend on the door bad managed to defeat Mi-
nisters on the Property Tax. With regard to the jocu-
larity complained of by the Noble Marquess, they
laughed at the powers of face possessed by hint and Its
colleagues in declaring that the Sinking Fund was not
welched, at a time when he had one set of Commission-
ers beside him for the creation of debt, and another for
retieemiog it. They laughed to see them taking that
by filching and larceny, which they did not dare take
mienly. He maintained that it was the intention of his
Majesty's Ministers, in spite of all they said, to break
dews toe Sinking Fund altogether.
Mr. MONCK deprecated the spirit of any measure
that might be is the contemplation of the Hon. Member
for Seinersetshire (Sir T. Lethbridge) for the introilim•
tion of protecting duties. The plain meaning of pro-
tecting duties was, to raise the price of bread to the
poor.
Mr. LEYCESTER said. be Lad beard of a very sensi-
ble observation of our late Sovereign which bore upon
thepreseatquestion. Reviewing a regiment of yeomanry,
his fete isimate# Majesty obesend la&Noble Friend of
his, " I like these men--aerfor whet they here in thfr
hauls. but far what they-haseehimbeie-poishetri"--The
pockets of these same mea, be it remembered, were now
tamed inside oat—the y had no longer any thing is
them; and be should leave his Majesty's Ministers to
draw the inference.—(Meer!)—Those Right Hon. Gen-
tlemen groaned and moaned over a loss of 10 per cent.
on the salaries of placemen and pensioners, but they
had no such feeling for the suffering classes of the com-
munity.
Sir F. BCRDETT said, with reference to the censure •
of the Noble Marquess on the language of the Hon.
Member for Somerestshire, that lion. Baronet had used
language which, if the tounuy gentlemen in that house
had not been so long backward in using, the landed in-
terest would not now have so much reason to complain I
of the state they were in. He hoped that a lien thej
Hoo. Baronet came forward with his motion for the '
re-
lief of the seffering Agriculturists, Hon. Members would
not permit any bashfulness arising from inexperience is
addressing that assembly, to restrain that expression of
their sentiments which they had so long in direlection,
of their duty to their constituents withheld. Ile begged
to assure them that they would find themselves backed
by the country at large, sad that a reaction would be
produced by it, which would be most beaeficial to the
country. he thought that moderate course was all that I
was wanting to restore the country to that state of pros-
perity to which, it was his comfort to think, in the
midst of prevailing distress, it was still able to do. It
was sot pleasant to charge say gentlemen with lsa
hifity ; but he meet say, that be ingitt the existing
distress was owls% to alio:utter Ignorance of Ministers of
the state of the country over which they bad so long
podded. He referred. as a prod of this, to the Bill el

1819, for the restoration of the currency, snot-
companied by a remission of taxes to a able extent,
was meet unjust and cruel. And when dstNeltle Mar./
guess stood up, aid called upon the Heise fir patinae
for his management of the public money, and the user
wires of relief introduced by the Goverameat this Ses-
sion, he begged to say he for Orbe owed him no grati-
tude, nor did the House, doe the contort. They had
reduced so 'sabres hut what that aids of the Numbed
forced them to do. Besides which they would bendy,-
ble if they upset one shilling more than they ought to
do, and therefore deserved no thanks for tieing their
duty. Bat what right bad they to expect gratitude frees
the agricultural classes or the country ? Whatever mein
sires they bad introduced for them, they bad set relieved
die= of the distress under which they 'sheered. If,
however, they had restored the prosperity of the raw
try—if its isterests were as 'factualist as they were is
reality decaying—if the state of the country were the
reverse of the fact, he should not feel grateful to hie Me.
jesty's Ministers. When they passed that Currency Bill
of 1819, they ought to have taken off taxes to the patent
of the depreciation Irons which they emerged in eats-
blishieg that measure. This they would have foresees,
bad they been wise and taken time to eossider,and eves
then be should think that they only pat themselves in a
state to consider wtere they should exercise retrench-
weak to make up for the difference betwixt a state of
peace and a state of war. As to the inflammatory la=
lean used by the Hos. Member for Semenershire, the
Roble Marquess mast make up his mind to bear mush
of that kind of language, if he expected lastoweers to
pay taxes without rents.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. Secretary PEEL expressed his surprise at the laa-
gmage reed by the Hon. Baronet who had just a
doi•e, in speaking of the measure of 1819, for disaster,
of the currency. He had often beard the Hoa. Baronet
pursue the same course of remark upon that =awe r
and he bad beard it always with surprise; fop le pro-
perties as the condemnation of the Hen. Banat was
true and deserved, did he pronounce a strong enure
on blmaelf.—(Hear, hear, hear.)-11, as he said, the evil
tendency of it was obvious to him, he was guilty of a
breach of duty in sot window the House of the are=
of its course.—(flear.)—lf the principle of the Bill wave
obviously iniquitous, it most have been so in ISlS—po-
licy might vary, but principle could not; and as the
Hoe. Baronet did sot or could not speak when be ought
to have done so, it was too much, that having as he
thought, become wise, be should come to that Rouse at
this period, aid maks a holiday speech upon this sub-
ject like that which they had jest heard, to excite a cla-
mour most unjustly against the Government of the
country.—(Cheers.)-1( the measure was deserving of
reprobation, it was sot the Government that was charge-
able. No measure ever passed with greater unanimity
than that measure had.—(Hear, hear, hear.)-1t was
not a Government measure, and if it were, still it had
bees received better than any measure coming from
that side of the House ever bad been. He for himself
peculiarly regretted any share that he might lave bad
is a measure which could by possibility aggravate the
distress of the country. But be was perfectly satisfied
with the course he on tint occasion pursued, and be so-
lemnly declared that with all the experience he had of its
operation, were the country in the same• =tastier' of
dieter, on the brink of a (earl= precipice, as be yea-
tended it emu at that period, he should advise the MN
change in the currency which had been effected in 1819.
—(Hear.)—He regretted be bad permitted himself to K.
se far into the question, when a specific motion qa the
subject eras about to come before the House; bat it was
impossible to tolerate without remonstraece the unfair
attempt which had been made to inflame the country
against the Government, for having departed from its
duty. As to gratitude spoken of by the Hoe. Baronet,
who claimed angiratitude ? Was it impaseible for an
ladividul a that side of the House to emprese.eppre-
beta of any nears of his Majosty'a 0.11M8111%1
Withal= being anted by the abject lid gratitude.
They did sot ask for gratitude ; but
that justice which ens Englishman a slight to
receive at the buds of every ether,-(Hear, hoer,
hear.)—No Gentleman, he contended, was open to
each remarks, for having paid a merited tribute due in
justice to his Majesty's Ministers.—(Cheers.)
Sir F. BURDETT exprained.
Mr. DENMAN did not feel the less inclined to make
observations because of the lecture they had received.—.
Last year the people were instructed sot to petition, aid
new Members were told not to discuss their Petitioss.—
He agreed with the Right Hon. Gent. opposite that they
owed no gratitude to his Majesty's Ministers for what
had been done in the way of-relief; for it was net until
after they had been beaten by successive majorities that
they bethought themselves of taking off taxes. But so
anxious were they of all the credit due to this, that
last night his Honourable and Learned Friend (Mr.
Brougham) was taunted with appearing in borrowed
feathers, and described as skulking away with all the
glories of a stoles leaf from the book of the Chancellor
of the Exchequer.
Mr. BENNET begged to disclaim, for himself, any
participatiou in that gratitude which the Noble Mar-
was opposite seemed to charge upon the House. He
never sawn rthing since he load been in the Hones
entitling the Ministers to gratitude.
fbe Marquess of LONDONDERRY was not aware
that be bad eve: imputed such a feeling to the Hon.'
Member.—(A laugh.)
After a few words from Mr. James, the Petition was
brought up. On the question that it be read,
Sir T. LETHBRIDGE rose to declare that be did sot
believe any sentence littered by him would bear the con-
striction of being inflammatory put Roos it by the
Noble Marquess, and be was sure that he had so such
intention. He begged, however, to state that be should
continue diurnally to state his sentiments, eves at the
risk of offending the Noble Marquees.—(A laugh.)—
The whole clout', had become reformers. The yew.
misery nue twfleuers; and be imselfiru a convert to
the doeteimaudiumforear.4ll.las 4, * 'Phu house-werite

ed more of the interest itiltirefore justice could
be done to the country. He hoped, however, the Noble
Marquess would not accuse him of being inflammatory,
although he did wear a white hat.
The Marquess of LONDONIARRY bad only to
charge the lion. Baronet with having unduly executed
his owe intentions. With reference to the repeated u•
sections, that it was only at the instance of the other
side that taxi. had been taken off, he begged to remind
the house that they commenced in Hester to state their
plans for the remission of taxation, thus taking the ear-
liest moment that the pressareof public business offered.
Scot..

Sir F. BURDEl4gave;ofee,that lie would to
morrow move for the production of the Magistrates'
Journal, which on a former occasion bad bees refused
on the strange ground that it was a private document.
Mr.C. WILSON presented a petition from Blackburn,.
ia Lancashire, in favonr of • revision of the Criminal
Laws.—Ordered to be printed.
Mr. DENMAN presented a @hiller petition from the
Mayor and Corporation of di. Borough of Camelford,
in the comity of Corawall.—Ordered to be printed.

IFOSTMASTSS-OSNESAL, SCOTLAND.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER wished
to know.. HUI* Hon. and Gallas* Member opposite
(Sir R. Ferpson), whose motion relative to the Post-
ineseMieneral of Scotland stood for that eight, would
cosmos to postpone his motion until the result of the
ozandeation of the Commissioners of Inquiry into that.
as well es other @objects, was knows ?
Sirß FERGUSON yielded a reedy acquicseeace to
any legged's ken the Right Ilesearable Osmium,