The New York herald., 1879-07-06
BRITISH AGRICULTURAL DEPRESSION.

BRITISH AGRICULTURAL DEPRESSION.
ROYAL COMMISSION TO BE APPOINTED TO
INQUIRE INTO THE CAUSE OF THE AGRIcUL-
.TuRAL DEpREssIoN-EFFEcr OF AMERICAN
coMPETITIoN--JoHN BRIGHT SPEAKS.
[BY CABLE TO THE HERALD
LONDON, July 5, 1879.
In the House of Commons Friday night the
government agreed to the motion OF Mr.. Henry
Chaplin CONSERVATIVE, member for Lincoln
shire, for the appointment of royal commits
sion to inquire into the causes Of the agrcul-
tural depression and how far they were created
by OF are remediable by legislation. The
matter caused great debate. All sides
agreed that great cause of the
depression was American competition. Mr..
Chaplin, in his opening speech, said he regarded
free trade as question definitely settled, but
he could not shut his eyes to the failure of many
of the predictions of the advocates of free
trade. He did not propose a remedy now, but
only asked for an inquiry. He pointed out that
the future fate OF British agriculture de-
pendent upon the cost of production in America.
If the cost of importation fell below the cost of
production at home the ruin Of British agri-
as Messrs. Brassey, MacDuff and Duff, blamed
the British land system and the game
laws for the depression. Their arguments were
summed up in speech by Mr. Bright, who
warned the land owners that the competition of
the United States would go on increasing, and
the only way of meeting it was to get rid
of the stupid and mischievous legislation regu-
lating the tenure and transfer of land. Messrs
MacIver and Bentinck advocated protective
measures, but both the Marquis Of Har-
tington and the government, as represented
by Viscount Sandon, President of the Board of
Trade Conservative, member for Liverpool
and Sir Stafford Northcote, Chancellor of the
Exchequer, declared that no cause had been
shown for such measures, which certainly
would never be sanctioned. The Marquis of
Harrington attributed the depression primarily
to the bad season.
ENGLISH COTTON TRADE.
The Manchester Guardian says:-"The ruin
ously low prices obtainable for cotton goods is
leading to a very decided eurtament of produc-
ton. There signs of the extensive adop-
ton of u system of short-time working in the
factories at Oldham, and it seems very probable
that this movement will rapidly spread"
THE CONTINUANCE OF AGRICULTURAL DEPREs-
sIoN--THE MEETING OF THE GOLDEN CLUB.
The agricultural depression in Great Britain has
been felt long time very severely by the tenant
farmers. Reports from all parts Of the United King
dom speak of hundreds of farms remaining unlet in
spite OF the reductions that been made on num-
erous estates by the landlords The subject
has been treated at considerable length In
letters published in the HERALD. wherein our
fad ont ifv ~
taking legislative measures for improving the
condition of the tenant farmers. The depression In
the agricultural districts has made itself severely
felt Of course the landlords, and. consequently
the landowners sitting in Parliament have
siderable interest in the discussion the question
The Pail Mall Gazette said recently: The prevalent
belief the severity of the depression existing in
English agriculture will be confirmed by the figures
recently produced before the Devices Union ASSESS
nent Committee The room in which the committee
sat is stated to have been crowded with farmers
anxious to obtain reduction of their assess
ments, on the ground that their rents had been
lowered. OF this they produced incontcstable
written evdcnce-evidence which showed most re-
markable state of things. Thus landlady owned
two farms occupied by the same tenant. The rent
of one f600 lit had now boen reduced to f40O)
and of the other 1850. which had been reduced to
f25O This ladys income. therefore, from her
landed property has suddenly decreased from E95O
to $780, In nine other rents had been reduced
from fGsO f445. fs6s $780, f35S f25O f3Oo to
f24o, E45O to f4O0, $3.50 to 1880. f225 to flsO
clio to ESQ, f20O to f165 Roughly, the
reduction seems to have averaged about "a
third. Such sudden loss of income cannot but
seriously interfere with the expenditure of the
owners Of the land: and that again will react upon
trade already suffering by the decrease of farmers
custom. II woud be extremely interesting IL some
member of Parliament would call for q return of tho
assessments thus lowered throughout the country.
A deterioration In the value OF land this extent
IL II is ut all general is question OF national con-
cern.'
coBpRS GATHERING.
The subject also discussed at the recent gath
ering of the Golden Club. and although all the
speakers naturally spoke Enthusiastically OF free
trade peace and good will among nations" there
were many admissions that the depression in
tho manufacturing and agricultural districts
needed TO be taken into consideration. The Earl Of
Northbrook said that hut for free trade the present
depression In England would have been much more
serious. "As regarded agriculture" he said ''he
did not think that it's present condition in any
degree to be attributed. by any who had really
considered the subject. to the passing OF the repeal
of the Corn laws. There was one who did not
remember the condition of the agricultural
interest about the year 1915. when Richard
Golden in tho House of Commons moved for the
very committee which those who were advocating
the interests OF tho farmers were moving for
viy.s committee to inquire into the condition
of the agricultural interests-and when no said
upon the highest authority that from all parts
of the country the cry that the farmers were
ruined. That before tho repeal of the Corn
laws when protection to British agriculture ex-
istod and Mr.. James caird. who was probably the
highest authority they had upon agricultural
subjects in this country. in 1851 wrote
book. in which he venturcd to say. in the
teeth of all the prophecies that made
at that time. that the British farmer and
the landed interests would be perfectly ablo
to meet competition of the foreigner after the
abolition of protection. Mr.. Card the other day
wrote ano book In which lac showed most clearly
AnA .rhnA Ln had said I'm 1870 Ind turned ut 10 In