Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1848-10-13

| niiu an enumeration OF some of the NOR
prominent political grievances that affect the pee
pie OF Great Britain and Ireland, in the draft of
proposed national address to the Queen. publishe
IN the last number of the Westminster Review
One OF the greatest of these is the custom of pri
mogenlture, which, by producing an excessive in
equality IN the distribution of landed property
has contributed more than any other cause. to III,
impoverishment of whole masses of the peonle
The entailment of estates and their settlement or
parties not IN existence, have so encountered this
species OF property, as to prevent an outlay OF
| capital requisite to full DEVELOPMENT of the re-
sources of the soil. The result is. in Scotland
the gradual depopulation of the Highlands. and
the conversion of large districts into extensive
wastes. The Duke of Athol has shut m n bun-
afed thousand acres for red deer. In Ireland tho
| SOIL Is chiefly cultivated by pauper tenantrv.
numbering hive millions, who hold their farms at
high rents and without leases and have no motive,
II they possessed the means to make improve
ments, the benefit of which would inure 70 others
Every enhancement of the value of a farm Is
maze pretext for increasing the rent The in
sutuuon OF primogeniture also weakens the respect
LOT property, which is legitimately the hard-earn
Cd 1ruit OF industry and labor by securing its pos
session often to the spendthrift and the prodigal
And the effect of this is apparent in the growing
prevalence OF the doctrines of Communism and
Socialism, which are the natural offspring of the
distress resulting from great inequality in the dis
trlbutlon of wealth. and of the pressing necessity
for remedy
But the reform most urgently required by tire
people of Great Britain as the indispensable pre-
urinary to the redress of every other grievance,
is such change in the electoral laws as shall Sc
cure to the people real representation in the
mouse OF commons. AT present the majority of
The House of Commons is returned not by the
people, but by the upper classes; and opinion, its
legitimate channel being thus DISTRACTED is forced
to announce itself by public agitation At the
period of the passage of the Reform Act, the in
justice involved In maintaining the ascendency
OF one class over another, and in a system of ex-
elusive privileges, acquesced in for time
by people relying on the progressiveness of their
institutions, under the belief that time would rem
edy these defects, notwithstanding the trainers of
the Bill avowed the design of securing predom
NANCY to the landed interest But their expecta-
tons have proved illusory, and they are no longer
disposed TO tolerate a system which gives to
village population as many representatives as to
the great cities of Liverpool and Manchester and
to one-sixth of the electors majority of the mem
bers of the House The address referred to de-
mands such an immediate extension of the SUI.
irage, and Encouragement of electoral districts as
will effect enlargement of all n.rrow constitu-
encies Especially in cities and boroughs) sufficient
to secure electoral independence; and that the
measure to be framed for this object shall include
fair representation of the intelligence of the
working classes, and be subject to periodical re-
vision, with view to its further improvement.
and progressive adaptation to the wants of the
community" AT present the franchise is limited
IN England to one male adult in seven; in Scot
land to one in eleven; and in Ireland to one in
seventeen.
Even the press itself in Great Britain cannot
be relied on as the reflex of the public mind and
the adequate expounder of its sentiments The
operation of the stamp duty on newspapers pro-
duces come of the worst effects of censorship.
by combining political discussion to privileged
class, and by limiting the diffusion of political and
general intelligence in proportion to the conse-
quent enhancement of its price The imposition
of similar tax here would raise the price of the
penny sheets to the present price of the large COM
mercial papers, and materially diminish their ex-
tensive circulation.
The enormous public expenditure which to-
gether with the cost of collecting the revenue
amounted for the year ending OH the 9Th of JAN
las
burden of taxation upon the people of Great Brit
aim OF this large sum, S57 .2s5.OO was expen-
ded in maintaining the army and navy upon war
footing in period of profound peace. This ex-
ceeds the sum appropriated TO the same object in
1885, by thirty-fve millions of dollars.
While these and many other grievances exist,
which we have hot now space TO enumerate, it
may perhaps require the whole military power of
Great Britain to repress the turbulence of domes-
tic discomfort. But at how much less expense
could order be maintained, by the prompt remov-
al of every just ground of dissatisfaction with the
laws and institutions of the country.
PRODUCTS OF THE UNITED STATES.
Quantity of the different Grains produced in the
United States in 1s47. patent Office for 1s47,
Issued in 1s4s, p 545.)--The following is the |!
amount of the different kinds of grain produced |
in the United States in 1s47, according to the es
innate contained in the table preceding the Agr-
cultural report of this Office for the present year,
viz:
Breadstuffs. Bushels. Total bushels |
Indian corn or MAIZE 500 100000
Wheat 114,245,500
Rye, 29222, 100
11,673,500
G94, 491, 700 |
Grain not used for breadstuffs.
Oats 1G7. $4,000
Barley, 5,G49,e30