Oh

very doubtful whether the Report a milk-and-water petition. of the "Collective Wisdom" did no! our prayers would be big furnish any such reasonable with dangers if we stated what we grounds of hope. Upon this, and wanted! He took great pains to after some observations were made assure them that nothing could be recommending to specify modes more unadvisable than to recomof relief, such as graduated du-mend any particular means of reties on imports, prohibiting duties, lief, or to state particular causes rectifying of the present Corn- of distress, as from his own expeLaws so as the better to take the rience he found that their repreaverages, graduated property tax, sentatives, in supporting such and the like; and after some con- recommendations and statements flicting parts of the Report had were most likely to be turned round been read, first by Sir E. Knatch-in a Committee and left without bull, to show that it did hold out a leg to stand upon; he thought, hopes of relief, and by Mr. Ham-therefore, in prudence, that their mond, to shew that these parts petition could not be too general in were in others wholly contra- its terms. With regard to the dicted.

Report, and the hopes they might Sir E. Knatchbull presented found on it, he declared that he himself (appearing to fear for the dissented from it altogether, seeing result of the proceedings), to re- that he had voted against it; and commend that course which in his yet some parts of it had his apopinion it was most expedient to proval (" and yet she is a maid,") pursue. He disclaimed all inten- for he regarded the admissions tion of dictating on this important they contained as of the utmost occasion (but evidently expected consequence, and which admissions to be attended to with great de- he assured the meeting had cost ference,) and expressed his strong himself and other gentlemen in hopes that the discussion which the Committee great pains to prowas to take place and the result cure. (Of the utmost consequence, of their deliberations would be certainly, tending, so far as they such as became so respectable an are calculated to encourage the assemblage. He seemed very farmers to hope, to encourage apprehensive of any thing specific them to go on taking leases and being prayed for, and disappoint-paying the present exhorbitant ed that the Meeting did not relish rents.) He "would cling" there

fore, to these parts of the Report, | than they were now, it followed "looking over" the other parts that the importation of corn could which has been pointed out as not be the main cause at present unfavourable to them, trusting for of the fall of prices, seeing that such relief as the times allowed of, at one period since 1819 there we understood him to say, to the had been an importation of corn, wisdom of the Legislature! Here and that now there was no im

sideration of Parliament (as we understood him), and upon it he thought proper to offer no further

Sir E. could not conceal his sar-portation, and that probably there castic turn in speaking of Reme- remained of that corn then imdies; there were, he said, no less ported comparatively a very small than three different persons who quantity. He hesitated not to professed to be in possession of admit that the free importation of the only remedy; one of these corn was incompatible with the persons was a noble Lord (Stan- interests of agriculture, but to hope) who had lately addressed a such importation could not be asletter to them; how, then, was it, cribed the present distress; unthat we had never yet heard of any doubtedly he must look to the one remedy, if infallible remedies currency of the country for the could be pointed out by so many cause in a great measure, but this different persons? The farmers was a subject more fit for the conwere not radicals, or this question would not have been put. Sir E. now, by divers compliments, prepared the way for a few words opinion. Something still rather which he confessed he feared more disagreeable followed in might not be agreeable, but which he said he felt it his duty to address to the Meeting. The disciples of Mr. W. Hall he thought were in error, indeed (though he admitted that Mr. W. Hall had rendered essential services; where-serve all the enjoyments which in we could not understand,) he any improvement in their lot differed with him materially as to the remedy he proposed: unless, he said, prices had been lower at some period or other since 1819,

concluding, in words nearly these; he allowed it to be laudable in persons of all classes, and in none more so than that respectable class who occupied the land, to strive to maintain their stations and to pre

might have afforded them; but that if their elevation in life and their enjoyments were but to be temporary, he exhorted them to

make up their minds to the change, I thought, and he did think, he said, and to meet the alteration of cir- that this was not the time for such cumstances with that prudence propositions being made, partiwhich the exigencies of the times cularly from, that class, who, if required. This was pretty well the landowners had had their for a lecture coming from a good times and their superfluities, landlord; and a landlord, too, had had their good times and who had lately only shifted off superfluities likewise. He was, from himself the honour of being he declared, as willing as any Receiver General of Taxes for man, to give up his superfluities, the county, in favour of a rela- and to bear a share of the sacrition! fices, necessary for the good of the state; but, were not the tenantry equally bound to bear with temper their fall of fortune? If this was too explicit, he excused himself on the score of being frank, speaking as a man and a Briton. He was not averse, he said, to the public burthens being fixed on the

A gentleman, after making other observations, mentioned several modes by which relief would be obtained; in alluding to the burthen of maintaining the poor, this he thought one great source of distress, to remedy which a means occurred to him which would have a practical [right shoulders; he wished to see effect he meant a graduated pro- all those deriving benefit from the perty tax for the maintenance of the poor, by which this burthen would fall not only on the occupier but on the owner of the land, and in that proportion in which his possessions enabled him to contribute to that burthen.

In reply to these observations, Mr. Gipps rose, his feelings somewhat agitated, to speak his sentiments as a landlord. These observations met, and always should meet, with his decided opposition. He professed to speak fearlessly always that which he

laws of the country, contribute their share of support; but, did not the justice of a property tax apply more to the Fundholder than the Landowner? He could prove that it was now quite possible to enjoy all the advantages and, protection of our laws, and yet not contribute one farthing to the maintenance of the state and was it just, was it tolerable that those who were never called upon for more than their share of support to the war, should now not contribute in any degree to the

continuance of the blessings of peace? This gentleman seemed to feel very acutely.

TO THE

FARMERS OF THIS KINGDOM.

Kensington, 1st January, 1822.

GENTLEMEN,

I have received no answer to the above letter to Mr. Hall. As towards

The petition finally agreed upon could not be said to speak the sense of the Meeting, though con-myself this is nothing; but, as towards siderably altered from that agreed on by the Committee, and urged by Sir E. K. and other gentlemen. It is worthy of remark that the word owners of land, as being petitioners, was not inserted till after repeated suggestions from Mr. Moulden and others, and till it was observed “ you know, gen"tlemen, it is more your petition "than that of the farmers."

WEBB HALL.

THE following is a second letter to the Farmers of this kingdom,

The

you it is a great deal. Thousands of pounds, and, I dare say, many thousands, have been subscribed by you for the purpose of obtaining, under the guidance of Mr. Hall, relief from your sufferings. To have shown you the other side of the question; to have laid before you the arguments opposed to his schemes, would have cost you next to nothing. How, then, is he to justify himself for not attending to my proposition? To be sure it was a refutation of his errors that I called upon him to circulate; but, it was not his well-being that was at stake, but yours. He was an agent acting for you, and by means of your money! Mark this, Gentlemen; and, then ask yourselves, whether he have acted with fairness, and with a desire to serve and to save you.

Gentlemen, in my former letter to you I abstained, as much as possible, from a particular description of the errors of Mr. Hall. My object was to do you good, and, in doing that, to avoid as much as possible, giving him pain; and, I think, you on the errors of Webb Hall. will allow, that I effected this object The first was published in the Register three weeks ago. two Letters are now moulded a pamphlet, and called "the Farmer's Friend;" and sold as follows: two pence for a single one; 8s. 4d. for a hundred; £1 for three hundred; and £3. 2s. 6d. for a thousand, to be sent to any part of the country.

into

in that letter. But, now, Mr. Hail stands before me in a very different light from that in which he then stood. Now he is not to be viewed as a person who has misled you from merc error, anxious all the while to do you good; but, as a person disguising from you to the utmost of his power, the arguments opposed to his schemes; a person, in short, ready to make a sacrifice of you, rather than suffer you to discover that he is a very weak and incapable person.

This being the case, Mr. Hall is entitled to less ceremony; and it

becomes the duty of him who calls | seventy millions less has been in circulahimself your friend, to shew what tion in consequence of the degradaportion of understanding Mr. Hall tion in value of our agricultural prohas; or, in other words, how very weak and shallow and wild a man

ductions.

"Do you, in your conscience, believe that we paid for the corn which we have imported by the exportation of coin or bullion?--I have no knowledge, and therefore can have no belief upon the subject; it is only from report I know any thing.

"But according to the general knowledge you have on these subjects, does not it appear evident to you, that no great quantity of corn could be imported into this country without a corresponding exportation of commodities to the same value?-Certainly not; though there has been no corresponding export there may be a partial one, but by no means a corresponding one; I do not think our exports to all Europe ever amounted to any thing like the value we have im

1

he really is; and, of course, how very unfit a person for you to rely on as to matters affecting the well-being of yourselves and families, so many of whom his errors are still leading en to utter ruin. I shall, therefore, show you this; not by any assertions of mine; but by laying before you certain parts of Mr. Hall's Evidence given before the Committee, and also certain parts of a pamphlet of his on the Report of that Committee. The whole of the evidence and the whole of the pamphlet are masses of absurdities, which could not possibly have proceeded from any mind that was not either insane, or inflated with a portion of wildness and self-ported in corn. sufficiency bordering upon insanity. "Do you think that corn was given But, I shall content myself with se- to us for nothing?—No, I do not believe lecting a few passages as a specimen. it was given for nothing; but, if it had The first passage relates to the been, and had been used in this counalledged injury that imported corn try to reduce the natural price of corn does to the home-market. The Com-grown here, it would have operated most mittee, in order, apparently, to show injuriously upon the industry of the country; the shallowness of this great cham- and one of the greatest calamities which I conceive could by any possibility be pion of Corn-Bills, proceeded thus: inflicted on Great Britain, would be to have corn for nothing; the calamity next in degree would be to have it below a remunerating price.

"Have there not been great importations of corn from Ireland? -Very great.

"Do you not think it desirable to 'impose a duty on the importation of corn from Ireland?-Unquestionably not; by no means; any more than I would on the importation of corn from Devon

shire.

"Would it not act as a protection to the British farmers? CERTAINLY NOT; they are one empire, and what they receive for corn they lay out in manufactured goods.

"Do not all other countries do the same? I believe not; certainly not; as far as I have understood they are paid by the coins of the country.

"How much coin of late years have we had in circulation, by means of which we have been enabled to pay for the importation of foreign coin?

I have no means of knowing what we have had in circulation, but I calculate that

You have still not given an answer to the question, which is with respect to what was given in exchange for the corn we have imported? I HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE; I never bought a single grain of foreign corn in my life; I have no knowledge.

"Have you no belief on the subject? I cannot BELIEVE a thing I do not KNOW.

"You have stated that it would not

be beneficial to a farmer to be protected against the importation of corn from Ireland?-I do not remember stating that; I stated that we did not desire it; that they were part of the same empire, and that we were no more desirous to be guarded against imports from Ireland, than we were from imports from

Devonshire.

"You were understood to say, in