Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-08-16
+" HOW TO IMPROVE THE CONDITION OF THE
LABORING CLASSES"

This is the title of pamphlet published in Lon
don, and written by T.. ID. DAVENPORT, Esq, q
gentleman of large landed estate, who is certainly
highly interested in the subject upon which he
writes, and who is allowed by the public journals TO
have very ably advocated the opinions which he
holds.
Mr.. Davenport's main position is, that both the
soil and the mass of the agricultural population are
halfstarved, and that the application of capital to
land is the great remedy for both evils The soil
wants only TO be fed with manure, and tended with
competent SKILL to yield greatly increased pro-
duce, and this improved treatment would afford not
only increased employment to the people, but am
pie profits to the capitalist. These important truths
are enforced by Mr.. Davenport with many practical
arguments drawn from his own experience a
landlord. Upon the subject of Legislative protection
he has the following observations:
eve now come to consider what objections he started
against improved husbandy and FIRST the santy TO
what called miscaed Legislative protection, and the
sble tall in the price OF But the price OF corn is being
kept down already by the Canadian mporaons, and ike
y to be still The hest that such apprehen-
sions receive by reference to the comparative rents
and profits in Scotland where the farmers crops much
greater than they here as to make the selling price mat
of secondary consideration they get fl2 (or
quarters Of wheat five shngs the bushe per acre in one
years CROP they have great reason to complain either OF
low prices inadequate profit neither do they The Ian
OF habltua complaint
of protection belongs very different class Of farmers who
rely any thing rather than their own skill
They invoke legislative protection forgetting the change Of
circumstances which supposng ever to have been deens
ble) renders needless and consequently still more
odous the other classes who have long complained OF It,
This change has been effected partly by mechanical science
which produces good draining at onehd of the cost for
mery paid for bad Ones besides ough and other implements
on improved constructions Secondly the accidental discovery
of concentrated manure which all the purposes OF
horse and is brought upon the land at
third the expense So long lasts the tenant may
augment his crop proportion to the quantity he pur
chase and has already been shown that Of boiled
upon of grass land and ofrom f3 los
"a los, will double its value. With what face then, can
the farmers of such Soils representing they do
large portion OF the northwest well other parts OF Eng
land ask for protective duties when they have in their
power to double their at small pecuniary sacrifice
The authors tenants Giving manufacturing owns have
learned during the two or three years past that which they
doubted that the worst they encountered
that of commercial depression, when their produce fell for
Of purchasers and protection the refuge Of the idle and
hepnes has long ceased occupy their thoughts The very
word motto suggads who confde in its faa-
cious promise. What think they want whom their
representative lawmakers protect respectvey Of the quaint
y quality of their productions Therefore they trust their
soohayers and ruined they led expect protec
ton which should ensure them Sos the quarter for wheat
which when ripe brought only 4Os They have since been
told to expect 56s, and have to sell il at ass still they be-
eve, spite of their senses powers which neither do
ought to exist The believers every where dsce
pie oy uhern9 insignia you may KNOW the aiar OH ushy
fields of brown and yeew heritage, small crops and
rags than rents, bespeak the true faith"
This subject, we allow, has no very close connex-
ion with the state of things in this country, where,
fortunately for us, the laborng classes" they
are found in England do not exist. But the great
object Of Mr.. Davenports publication, the improve
ment of the soil by artificial means, and the intro
duction of superior husbandry, has bearing upon
every country where the plough is used and grain
is grown. There are some hints in the extract
which we give above that may be serviceabe to
our agricultursts and with that view we have in
al -