The Statesman.
London, England, 1822-02-27 00:00:00

1111TIVERIIIIPS DISSOLVED.

F. Jones sad Co. Hotywoll, Flintshire, colliers—A. !Bae-
na, and P. Staart, Olasnow—W. Heyward, see, and J.
Booth, hlanahester, ehememongers—J. Irle and H. Wood,
see. Taunton, coal-merchants—J. H. hlaktt sad T. Bishop,
Boeotian Market, Norfolk. plumbers—R. Baines and Co.
Liverpool—R. C. Cross and W. Elliott, Gattor-lase, WS.
dealers—l. and J. Heroine, Halifax. Yorkshire, esrpeatsrs—
F.. sad B. Smith Smith, Wellintoo, Shropshire,
booksellers—T. W. Barker and Co. Graeookureh-street,

I. Barclay •od W. Conning. Cambridge,
i—II. Trigg and I. Reknit Hertford, coal-

IMPERIAL PARLI4AIEXT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, TURSDAY, Fll. 96.

AORICCLTURZ.
Earl STANHOPE presented a Petition, complaining
of Agricultural distress, which was understood to be the
same withdrawn last week on account of the informality
and to proceed from certain occupiers of land in the
county of Kent. He was aware that the Petition could
only be received as that of the individuals by whom it
was signed. But if there ever was a time when the peo-
ple ought to express their sentiments with firmness and
vigour, it was at the present moment, when the burdens
of the country bad become intolerable.
The Petition was then read and received.
lITATR Or Tilt COUNTRY.

The Order of the day haring been read,
The Earl of LIVERPOOL rose. He assured their
Lordships that, on this and all ether subjects, he had
always been of opinion that the Petitions of every body
of men who stated their grievances to Parliament, and
applied for relief, were entitled by the Constitution to a
fair and fall consideration. He had no doubt, that those
who had come forward on the present occasion laboured
nmler the heavy pressure which they described, however
mistaken they might be with respect to the satyr, of the
remedy which they pointed out. It was for their Lord-
'ihipi to attend to the statement of the Petitioners--but,

Lion laid last year on their Lordships' table with respect
to the state of agriculture, and read several passages of
Mr. Jacob's evidence, to show that be had found agri-
cultural distress existing in Holland, Flanders, tiermany
and France. The Noble Earl also read those parts of
the Address of the French Chamber of Deputies. and of
t►e King's answer. which allude to the same subject. In
the kiogdom of Hanover wheat sold at 3s. 7d. a bushel,
the other kinds of grain still lower, and butcher's meat
equally cheap. The prices were in most instances above
half what would have been considered a fair price. It
might be supposed that this arose from excess of tax-
ation, had there not been a country, Switzerland, where
there was no national debt. no standing army, and
scarcely any taxes, and where distress was as great as
is any Giber state. A letter from those parts stated that
the people were suffering under abundance, and the low
price of provisions. Superabundance was not confined
to this emantry. It extended generally throughout Eu-
rope and to the United States of America. Ile now
came to the question of the measures proposed to en-
counter thew evils. As immediate and complete remedy,
from the nature of the case, was beyond the reach of
any enactment. The house bad heard last year nume-
rate complaints against the great importation of fo-
reign corm The question of the amount of the Lases
was not thew started as the cause. of the ezistiag
dingoes. It bad also thew been generally admitted
that agricaltw►e and commerce had been sa a most
thriving condition during the last war. Then, however,
the taxes were meek higher than they were at present.
Sines the close of the cosiest one-fourth of the whole
taxation of the country had been reduced. La 1815 nun
less than 18,700,0001. of taxes had been taken off, and
though 3,100,000/. of new ones had been imposed in
1816. the reduction upon the whole could not be esti-
mated at much less than 17 millions, And what was
the nature of those taxes, the Property 'fax and others,
which were direct imposts and gave immediate relief.
He did not mean to say that the reduction of iseltreet
taxes did not produce an ultimate relief, but three-
fourths of those repealed were direct lases and wentiin-
mediately to the pockets of the consumers. It was stated
that although the country paid only 50 millions now,
whilst she bad paid 70 millions before ; yet under the
eircusastaaces of the times 50 millions formed a more
grievous charge than 70 millions had been. And to
support this position the depreciation of the currency
was brow ht forward. But making the amplest allow-
ance kir that depreciation, still the relief obtained was
(ally equal to the leas which the state of the currency
had occasiooed. The alteration in its value had never
asoseented to more thee 6ve per cent.; and when Noble
Lords talked of the depreciation which bad take. place
daring t►e war, they talked unfairly, bermes@ they re•
torrid to a period when the depreciation was the high.
est. lie cooteoded that the country had gained loose
,relief, sod that O. great mass of anded proprietors
, were net is a wens situation than they bad been.—

They admitted that agriculture was in a most flourish.
ing state during the war; if it bad suffered since, they
had their equivalent for it beforehand. Previous to
1792 the whole Revenue was between 16 and 17 millions,
it was now 50; let their Lordships consider what air in-
crease that was. Geld it be denied that the wealth of
the country had Inereased in a greater proportion then
taxation ? Taxation, be submitted, was an evil oily as
it bore upon public prosperity; and the question most
be viewed in all its circumstances, in order to ascertain
'whether that prosperity had increased or not. There
were few among his hearers who could remember all the
idscamstances of the country previous to the war with
France. so as to compare them with those of the present
day. There were, however, &cements upon their
Lordships table, which clearly proved that a great
tion of the national wealth bad accumulated since the
period be had mentioned. Indeed, the whole appear-
ance of the country had altered to advantage. He would
bring some of the circumstances be had mentioned be-
fore their Lordships; and that be might deal as fairly
as possible with the argument, hr would take the
of the three years preceding the year 1790, and tire
average of the three years followi or the year 1919. The
annual exports upon an average of the years 1787, 8, and
9, were twelve millions; and upon an average of the
yaws 1819,20. and 21 (including a very unfavourable
year), were forty millions. The imports upon the for-
mer of these averages were seventeen millions; upon
the latter. thirty-six millions; so that the exports bad
more than trebled, and the imports had nearly so ; in-
dependent of the improvement in the various other
branches necessarily and inseparably connected with
these. Looking at the state of Agriculture, was it ne-
cessary to brine under their Lordships police the number
of Enclosure Bills which bad passed since the year 1790,
and which bad bees the means of enclosing immense
tracts of land, formerly waste or sheep walks at the best?
This was a new source of public as well as of individual
wealth. But be would desire their Lordships to look
even at the state of the old lands. He ventured to say
that rents had considerably increased. notwithstanding
the late reductions, which he sincerely wished bad beta
made before. There was another solljod to be nastier-
ed, principally with rinses re the periation, and
upon this he thought them et be little. or so differ-
race of opinion. He mesas the enosempaioa of exam-
able articles. He abonlollollll on semi to the in-
creased consumption el
Mk was dill:nit to draw
any conclusion frost . ante, aid more diffi-
cult to draw a earripeljellfe. Mach was to be attributed
to the altered bible, gibe people (no matter at present
whether that oliception was for the better or the worts),
and to an artificial eiresseption. But respecting the
increase is the emisimption of articles most taxed, sod
the taxation of which bad increased since the year 179 b,
he had obtained as accurate &mutts as possible. Ho
found, that 011011 the article of Tea, the tax Isad-ito-
creased since the year 1769, from 13 to 100 per met.;
aid yet bad the consomptioo increased slue that pre
riod from 16 million to U millions of periods; brig
as increase folly propeed to the increase of porn
laden, netwilbeinsall jig Wrimsramme *Agin et the tan.
liorpecti rig tbevrtlele of tkmailee, there would, he ap-
peellends4 be lies difference of opinion than-there
tepid be respecting that of tos. He woad beret Waif
state, that in the year 1792, being a period 'hardy
subsequent to that which he should take for one of
ges, a duty of ono half-penny in the peand
bail been taken off by Mr. Pitt. So trifling an abate-
ment could not be (the Earl) thought materially
affect the consumption, but in candour he mentioned
the circumatanee. It appeared then that in the
years 1797, 1798, and 1799, the average annual con-
sumption of Candles was fortymiae millions of pentads;
and for the years 1819, 20, sad 21, 83 millions of
pounds ; being an increase of one-third more thou could
be expected from the increase of popuLatioa. The next
article of consumption to which be should refer was
Soap ; for the years 1787, 8, and 9, the average. consump-
tion was 292.11110 cwt. The duty had bees increased ;
and vet for the years 1919, 20, and 21, the average an.
mud consumption was 643,963 cwt. being also an in-
crease of one-third more than could be expected from
the increase of population. Upon the article of Leather
taxation had increased, but the consumption bad kept
up nearly with the population, the increase, upon the
same averages, being the difference between 32 millions
and 43 millions of cwt. It was difficult to estimate the
consumption of Salt, bet he might confidently state the.
increase at 10 per cent. per manna. The consumption
of bricks had increased from six hundred thousand to
considerably more than a million, being an increase
upon the same average of upwards of a third, allowing
fur the increase of population. Upon these details. he
would ask what was the actual state of taxation. COO..
pared with the increased wealth of the country? He
would not ask the question with reference merely to the
currency, but with reference to the state of the nat on,
just before the French War, and its state at the
.present
time. He would ask any man seriously, aid desire him
to put the question to himself. seriously and in his clover,
what relief could be expected, after such a detail, from
a practical lessening of taxation ? He, of coarse, as-
sumed in his question that a violation of public faith
worth' not be contemplated; because such a violation
would ruin one branch of costumers. The truth was
that the farmer wanted merely a market, and Parlia-
ment had it not in its power to And him one. He was
aware that he should in this peat of the question be met
by an argument of his Noble !!fiend opposite; an squ-
arest he by no means undervelsod. It might be sail
that we created the market for the fanner, and then took
it from him. It was true, that daring the war an ex-
risilitare bad been made which, if continued. would be
fatal to the country; ante) this ha/ caused an immense
market for the produce of the farmer. Bat it *iambi
not be forgotten, that much el this market consisted in
the demand of Government for tinriarrer's Predate—%
demand of course enormously manned by the war.—
ring the last yearsof the war,thedesamil of Government
for flour only amounted to we millions annoally, and it
seas now, upon an average, but 6,0911.000/. This reds.-
tion of the tiovernineat demand hail undoubtedly been
caused by the reduction of the public expenditure; and
to create sit the present time an artificial marker, trout,'
therefore be to aggravate rather than lessen the evil
complained of. It was not then a question whether this
was a state in which we could wish to have no poblio
wing-age upon the lands; nor was it • question as to
what we might wish if we were about to became a new
community. This was our presser situation. Here
were two great classes of the community; those who
held the land, and those who bail a mortgage upon it.
It was not denied that to injure the latter would be to
injure a considereble body of consumers. It was agreed
on all hands that faith should be kept with the public
creditor; and that the public es•ablishmenta should be
reduced as much as possible, consistandf with the safety.
of the State, and the nature of a Monarchial Constitution.
How far this reduction might be carried was a particalsir
question. It would best be answered be au raantinatioo,
and to this he would readily agree. -Rat the broad and
g I question was, whether we shoal.] remit in tax I.
tion the excess of revenue user the expeaditure‘urairply

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