A correspondent calls our attention to a letter from "A
Farmer" in
the Staffordshire Examiner on the Corn-laws, and requests a reply to 'its arguments. But argument it has none ; and its misrepresentation of facts, and blunders in the attempts to deduce impossible consequences from nonexistent and improbable occurrences, have been over and over again exposed. We hope our Staffordshire friends do not really require
ignorant "Farmer," assistance to put down the very conceited but profoundly " Farmer."
Mr. Jellinger Symons has addressed a letter to Mr. William Hopson, of Stroud, in which he states that a series of attempts are making to extend the Charter agitation into the Southern counties of England. Mr. Symons advises his Radical friends of Stroud to discountenance the Chartist leaders, whom he designates as "men whose doctrines -would disgrace the political economy of savages, and pollute the morals of Botany Bay."—Cheltenham Gazette,
Earl Spencer has caused the weekly wages of his numerous agricul- tural labourers to be increased two shillings, in consequence of the in- clement season and the high price of bread. The Earl's benevo- lence has not stopped there ; for since Christmas he has distributed meat and bread to two hundred and ten poor families on his extensive estates in Northamptonshire. The poor on his Yorkshire estates have also participated in his bounty. The old adage, that "it is an ill-wind that blows nobody good," is st the present time exemplified at Sunderland. In consequence of the high price of corn, numbers of our large first-class vessels are leaving daily laden with coals, having obtained excellent grain freights back, most of which would otherwise have been laid up, and their crews thrown out of employment. This proves that the abolition of the Corn-laws would greatly improve the shipping trade, independently of the consideration that with lower-priced provisions the British ship. owner would be better able to compete with the foreigner.—Sunderland Herald.
It is now an established fact, that some agents of the Russian Govern. meat have recently purchased, in the ports of Newcastle and Sunder- land, five large vessels ; and that they would have purchased several more, but for the outrage and falsehood with which they were assailed by the Tory press of Newcastle. The Journal and its proprietors have therefore the merit of disgusting and driving away one of the best cus- tomers that ever presented himself to the shipbuilders of' the Tyne and Wear. The excuse set up for this mischievous proceeding is, that Mr. Bell's friends were of opinion that Russia was making preparations for the invasion of this country ! * * * The ships are destined for the conveyance of troops to the coast of Circassia • with which country, as it is well-known, Russia is carrying on an inglorious and unsuccess- ful warfare. Last winter, the Russians lost no less than fourteen trans- ports, one frigate, and a steam-vessel, in the Black Sea ; and we under- stand that a communication which has taken place between the Mayor of Newcastle and the Government, on the subject of the Russian pur- chases, describes the ships in question as intended to replace the losses of last year in acting against the Circassians. Assuredly, we have little pleasure in the efforts now making by Russia to crush a gallant people, struggling for national independence ; but Russia would have had no difficulty in procuring transports from America or other maritime nat:ons, if they were not to be purchased in England.—Gateshead Oh- am ver.
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