The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-02-23 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR.

Sta—To ascertain the true rinse of the present dis-
tress, is of all things the most important ; for if we at-
tribute it to causes from which it does not proceed, in
eideavoitring to remove it, we may add to itaseverity.
Not Withstanding the ability you have displayed upon
that subject in your paper of the !9th ult., I think you
are not correct in attributing it solely, or even princi-
pally, to the national debt.
It will be readily allowed, that the distress presses
with much greater severity on the manufacturing dis-
tricts of Yorkshire and Lancashire, than it does on the
nation generally; consequently, if we attend to the par-
ticular circumstances of these districts, they may serve
as a clue to the cause of the distress, which more or lees,
affects almost all classes and
The most intelligent and best informed men calculate
that full two-thirds of all the woollens manufactured in '1
the West Riding of this county. are exported, and I be-
lieve that a still larger proportion of the trade of Laura-
shire is foreign. Now commerce, whether foreign or
domestic, is nothing but an exchange of equivalents,
and that nation which refuses to receive the produce of
other countries, destroys the market for its own ; and
any nation which prohibited importation altogether.i
would put an end to exportation also. Since the cos,
elusion of the late war we have increased the restrictions
on the importation of corn, butter, cheese, seeds, wool.
Ike., in fact, on the principal articles produced by one
customers, and, consequently, hare destroyed the de-
mand for our manufactures to the same extent. This
cause is quite adequate to produce the distress experi-
enced in the manufacturing districts, and I believe it is
also the source of the sufferings of the labouring classes
throughout the nation. For though I think tt is set
correct to ascribe our sufferings to the national debt.
land am firmly persuaded, if it could be cancelled le-
morrow, if we persisted in the present systeit, little
relief would be experienced ; yet I hare no doubt that
our distress is caused by a species of taxation. The
Isame laws which destroy our commerce, ensue the
agriculturist to charge q mmoopoly price for all e pro.
ductions of the soil, sad thus virtually to levy allies en
the other part of the community. of that magnitude that.
in comparison, the interest of the national debt is a
mere trifle. We hear a great deal of the low price of
provisions, and how inadequate that price is to the re-
nianeration of the farmer, and though the necessaries of
life are cheaper than they have been for many years,
yet it is understood that even now they sell for double
the prices in this country to that which can be obtained
abroad. We may form some isles of the amount which
is thus wrested. principally from the labouring classes,
when we find that. estimating wheat at 70s. per quarter.
Mr. Colquhtinn calculated the annual value of the agri-
cultural produce of Brea( Britain at upwards of two
hundred and sixteen millions. It is agreed by all
writers on political economy, that the price of wheat re-
gulates that of every other production of the soil, be-
cause every fanner will produce that article which pars
him best. soil consequently, if wheat does not pay as well
as any other crop, he will grow something else in pre-
ference. Now, as wheat at present dues not sell for 70s.
per quarter, if we suppose that the annual value of agri-
cultural produce in Ureat Britain is reduced to kit mil-
lions, it is evident that if instead of wheat selling fur 64a.
per quarter, it only aold for 32 per qnarter (which 1
believe is more than its average prices on the Continent),
that produce would be worth no snore than ninety mil- 11
lions, and consequently the farmers of Great Britain are
selling their produce for ninety millions per annnm
more than it would sell for at the continental price. It
Is therefore evident, that if high prices benefited the
agricultusists, they would hare no reason to complain of
lhaving to pay their proportion of a taxation of fifty mil-
-1 lion., when their produce sells for more than it does
abroad he nearly double that sum; and it is only upon
the principle that they antler in common with the Ilia-
nufacturing classes, under the pressure of a taxation of
not 50 millions but 140 millions, that we can account
1 for their distress.

Ido not ow-an to say, that our excessive taxation to
the State is not a renewed & on the contrary, I am full
aware that it is, and that without any • additiout
would press with great severity on the country, loot that
it is not the only, nor even the principal cause of our
sufferings. If thin opinion be founded in troth, it is
not to paying off the national debt alone, or to domestic
oolonisation and spade hnshandry that we are to look
for relief, hut, in the words of 'the lediabwrels Retitle
(No. $4, page 47:9, we must " give freedom to cow
metre, and lighten the pressure of taxation, sod we shall
have no romplaining in our streets. As commeror is
always an exchange of equivalent., a nation that will
not Itny cannot sell ; and restrictions upon Import are
prohibitory defies upon export. On the contrary. the
wore we admit the production. of foreign countries, the
more extensive becomes their demand for our commo-
dities. Let the absurd system of our Coro laws be cau-
tiously and gradually abolished, and allow the cheap
lagrictiltural produce of the north of Europe. and of
Ithe continents of America and Africa, to be freely
introduced, and we shall obtain an unlimited vent
for our manufactures; the profits of stock will be re-
stored to their level in other countries ; and the reuse-
meent accemulation of capital will canoe the increasing
demand for labour to bear a bearer proportion to the
ipereasing supply of labourers." MaIIICATOIII.

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LONDON:
WEDNESDAY EVENING, FEIRVARY 23, 1820.

The following intelligence from South America,
of so recent a date as Nov. 1, has been received
this morning:—

OFFICIAL DISP.►TONES OF GENERAL PAM TO 11111 lIXCEL-

LIMY TUI vtcg-raisiusx

Mo/sT EXCILLEYT SIO-11 have just received from
the Commandant of the frontier of the town of St. Fer-
nando, in which he announces that the enemy evacuated
the aforesaid place, in the night of the 15th inst.; be im-
mediately set out on his march, and after having cauti-
ously reconnoitred it, took possession of thesatne, where
he found two quintals of powder, ten thousand nails for
constructing vessels, eighty aerobe of iron, and the stores
full of provisions, and all sorts of grain. Their preci-
pitate retreat was evident from their not having offered
to set fire to the town, and throw the artillery into the
sea. The parapets remained intact; for although un-
dermined in various parts, they did not blow them up;
they likewise burnt the best vessel they had built. De-
willows have been dispatched in every direction, to
ascertain the route they have taken, and of which your
Excellency shall be advised.
JOSE ANTONIO Pin.

Achoquis, 20th Oct. 1919.
(LATI FROM LAGUIRA.)

Extract of a Letter, dated Jan. 2 :—" Capt. Hampton,
of the schooner Cecilia, arrived from Laguira, states.
that at the time of his departure there was no news at
that place, there having been no communication with
the interior for the last fifteen days, in consequence of
an incessant rain during that time. On her passage
from Porto Cavallo to Laguira, the Cecilia was boarded
by the Venesuelian armed schooner Almedia, and treated
with great politeness. The Alanedia was blockading
Laguira very closely, hut did not molest neutrals. She
has captured a Spanish schooner from Lapin, bound
to Curacoa, with a cargo of flour, and has sent the Cap-
tain on shore to procure the money to ransom her."
(111011 UATANNAII.)

Extract of a Letter, dated Nan. The British flo-
vernment schooner Primrose has taken, on the 22d of
last month, one of the great many privateers which in-1
fest our seas, and retook a boat called the Conception.l
from Bocha Calavers, bound to this port. Prices at
Havannah—flour, I 8 dollar.; rice, A ; beef, 10; pork,
20; lard, 19; hams, 20 ; cheese, 6; cod-Bab, I to 4 ;
black-pepper, 43; candles, 63, 3 to 4 cents per lb.; map,
10 dollars ; molasses (new), 7 dollars, 28 cents. per bore.
head ; coffee (now), 112; liftmen& sugar, 8; bee
irowo, 6; hides, 20 reale ; bills on Charlestown, 3 per
cent. premium ; ditto on Northern States, none on
London ; dollars scarce.

Extract of a Letter from Buenos Ayres, Nov.l4:—" I
have just received advice from MonteVideo,that Artigas,
assisted by Correra, late Director of Chili, is at the bead
of 3,000 turn, on his march against Buenos Ayres, and
has cut off all communisation between this city, Peru,
and Chili. The markets are dreadfully bad, and bides
scarce : a cargo of dour could be put off promptly just
sow at tij to 9.

PARIS.

The open declaration to the KING, that the de-I
struction of the House of the Bourbons is medi-
tated, has thrown all the Royal Family into an
abyss of despair and rage. The best friends of
Louts XVIII. arc afraid the sensation of distrust and
indignation, thus infused into the Monarch's breast,
should urge him to some measure which may dimi-
nish his reputation for being a mild, well-meaning,
but weak Prince. REVOLUTION—Resolution is in
every one's mouth ; but the Ultra-Mosterchk par-
ty are well described by The ConstiNtiowitei as the
only real Revolutionists. Their writings, their
speeches, their prejete, are all subversive of the
constitutional order of the State, and threaten to
renew the public and personal vengeance that oc-
casioned the shedding so much blood in the South.
The same justly esteemed journal above-named,
obery es—
We are assured that the majority of the Chamber of
Peers are duly sensible of the importance of their high
destination, sod that they apprehend that their exist-
ence depends upon the existence of the Representative
(lover nment, and the taus on whieh they are based. It
adds. that they condemn the conduct of the Ministry.
who only seek to draw from the public monrnlng the
means of favouring their own ambitious views or pri.
rate interest, and of establishing a dietartitre upon the
ruins of the national institutions."
But for the disaster which has befallen the
Royal Family of France, we doubt not their jour-
nals would have been full of conjectures on Spa-
nish affairs. Their columns are now Iliad with
what more nearly concerns them. Party nine
very high indeed; and which is calculated to be
followed by measures pregnant with events.
Although the Ultra Replies are not strong in
themselves; yet their principles are likely to be
adopted by the Government, even to the bawd
jof another revolution. The HaLeas Carrie is to
be sespended--evapeeted persons. of come, are to
be imprisoned without knowing when they are to
be tried. The extension of the time of the ChamH
ben' sitting—snd the narrowing the bastion which