STATE OF THE COUNTRY.—The disorders and outrages still con- tinue;
but, like most diseases, the longer they continue, the more their virulence abates. Few cases of extended damp, though many of great alarm, have occurred during the week. On Sunday night, a fire was seen on the London road, some miles from Canterbury, which at first occasioned much terror ; but it turned out to be only a faggot-stack. At Beetles, on Saturday night, the barn, stables, outhouses, and extensive inalthouse,and nearly the whole of the contents of the stackyard of a farm occupied by Mr. Lamming, were burnt, notwithstanding the most strenuous efforts, in which all ranks seem to have cheerfully assisted, to save them. A barn belonging to the clergyman of Preston, near Fever- shanawas destroyed by fire on Tuesday night. The valuable woodbelong- • ing to the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury was exposed to great hazard on Sunday, by the firing of a furze-stack ; but fortunately the direction of the wind saved it. From some accounts which, however, are rather vague, it would appear, that the fires were approaching the metropolis. It is said that three fires were seen from Hampton on Mon- day ; one in the direction of Egham, one towards Bedfont, and the third apparently near Moulsey. Lights seen by night are very deceptious; the bonfire of a few schoolboys, at five hundred yards distance, where there is no intervening object visible to correct the illusion, may be easily taken for a formidable conflagration eight or ten miles off. On Tuesday, some stacks at Augmering, near Arundel; and on the same night, several stacks at Wallington, near Farehana, were consumed. Fires have been seen nightly in the neighbourhood of Bagshot ; but what damage was the consequence, or if any, has not been ascertained. Throughout the greater part of Kent, the threshing-machines have either been 'destroyed or tacitly given up ; and in one instance, not content with destroying the threshing-machines, the rioters or their humble imitators seem to have attacked the ploughs: three ploughs at East Church, in Sheppy, were sawn asunder on Sunday night. The above are the greater number of the authenticated cases of out- rage; but though the damage is comparatively trifling, the terror is great and the danger not small. The primary cause of the riots and dis- turbances is pretty generally sought in the long, and, as they deem them, tuunerited depression and poverty of the agriculturallabourers. The im- mediate agents in the burnings are suspected to be few, and it has been affirmed that they are strangers ; the machine-breakers who, in many cases pursue their taxation in open day, are notoriously the peasantry. The theory of the incendiaries being strangers, loses ground. It never had much appearance of probability to support it. On this point it is suspected that the landlords who talk a great deal know very little, and that the farmers who talk very little know a great deal. The object of the labourers is increase of wages—it matters not from what quarter. The demand for an increase of wages has been retaliated by the farmer on the landlord by a demand for a diminution of rent, and on the clergyman for an abatement of tithes. The interest of the labourers and of their imme- diate masters, the farmers, are thilegtot only not opposed, but in perfect ac- cordance with each other ; and the parties which are borne to the wall in the strife are the landed proprietors and the Church, of which both claim.. ants for relief make equal prey. It does not seem over-uncharitable to sup.. pose that the farmers, who have long been ground to the earth as well as their servants, should tolerate, if not wink at not a few irregularities by which they might purchase permanent relief. It seems incredible that, if they had been as zealous to detect the offenders as they pretend to be, so little progress towards their, detection should yet have been made. The destruction of machinery was probably suggested by some of the many stupid declamations in which not a few of the landlords themselves have on occasions indulged; and it may be (though this is not so pro.. liable) that the rioters were partially influenced by the tales that were told them of the conduct of the Parisian workmen : but the fires seem to be more calculated. The peasantry—for we must maintain, whatever Marquis Camden may argue to the contrary, that they are the incen- diaries—seem by these engines of terror to be determined to compel the farmers, who have hitherto submitted to high rents and exorbitant tithes, not without grumble, but without resistance, to make common cause with them in effecting what they consider a more equitable distri. bution of the public wealth of the kingdom. So far they have suc- ceeded—for, instead of eighteenpence, they now, partly from compulsion, partly from concession, receive two shillings, and, in many cases, two shillings and threepence a-day. It is impossible not to deprecate the meads by which this increase has been sought; but it is equally impossi- ble not to deplore the folly by which it has been left to be sought by such means. Whoever is at the trouble of opening his eyes, must see that, by the absurd and mischievous system of taxation pursued during the last forty years, the burdens of the state have been so irregularly imposed, that while the middle and lower ranks have been constantly sinking, the higher have been as constantly rising in the scale. At this moment it costs more labour, more constantly applied, than it did in 1793, to pox.. chase a much inferior living : while, with all the much-talked-of depres- aeons, there is not an estate in the country that is not one hundred—two hundred—five hundred per cent. more valuable than it was then. The remedy to the disorders of Kent—the remedy to the sufferings of Eng- land, sa to be sought—not in Watch and Ward Bills; not in Special Cores stables—asot in Yeomanry Corps—but in an equitable distribution of the taxes of the state. If the burden be not suited to the back, the steed Must tumble it in the mire, or lie down beneath it.
REVOLT IN CANTERBURY WORKHOUSE.—An order, it appears was issued by an extraordinary general court of the guardians, that tit paupers should attend, on Sundays, those places of worship most conge. nial to their creed, and for that purpose their names were to have beets taken down on Sunday morning last ; but the visiting guardian did not arrive in time, and therefore the men, young and old, were suffered to depart. In the afternoon, before service-time, the same gentleman via sited the wards, and informed the inmates that, if they felt disposed to go to any place of worship, their names would be set down. One fellow replied, "He was a Presbyterian, but he would be d—d if his name should be set down';" adding, " that it was not an order of court." This example was quickly followed, and not one person would suffer his name to be placed upon the list. The guardian, after remonstrating in vain, left the room, to arrange with the master of the workhouse as to the method he was to pursue with regard to the refractory individuals, when pre- sently a large body of them rushed into the yard. The ringleader, a shoemaker, would hear no observations. In the most taunting manner he pointed to the gates, and said, " There ! you see those gates : they shall come open in spite of you ; no confinement for us !" They were cautioned against the impropriety of their conduct ; nevertheless, the door being opened to permit the girls to go to church, one and all made a rush at it, and gained the street. We understand an order was given not to readmit them.—Kentish Chronicle.
STRATHFIELDSAYE CHAPEL.—" On Monday night late, great alarm and consternation prevailed in the neighbourhood of Strathfieldsaye, the mansion of the Duke of Wellington, in consequence of a great blaze of light being observed in the body of the church, which is near the seat. The alarm that prevailed soon gained circulation, and it was feared that the sacred building had been fired. Many persons ran for aid and assist- ance ; and the keys having been obtained, the doors were opened, when, to the amazement of all, it was discovered that a large fire had been lighted in the stove in the Duke of Wellington's pew, by some India viduals unknown and how, or by what means, they effected an entrance into the body of the church, remains in the deepest mystery, as all the doors and windows were found fastened as they had been left."—Globe.
When the Jester of Charles the First was told to take care of Laud, whom he had offended, he said he would hide himself in Laud's pulpit, because there was no chance of the Archbishop's seeking him there. Did the cunning rogues in the above case hope to escape the Duke's no- tice by a similar precaution, when they lit a fire in his Grace's pew
LORD SHEFFIELD.—It was stated last week that this nobleman had beers prevailed on by the threats of the country people to dismiss his steward, and that he had retreated to London to save himself from their anticipated attacks. Both allegations are groundless ; no steward has been discharged, and Lord Sheffield came to town merely to attend his parliamentary duties.
LORD MILTON.—This patriotic Peerhas resigned his seat for Peter- borough. The death of his lady has beets assigned.as the cause why he does not wish to mingle in the turmoil of the politics of time day; at the same time, he wishes that Isis political friends may not be deprived of the influence which his seat may give them. The electors of Peter. borough having requested him to recommend a successor, he has named Mr. Fazakerly. It is reported that the venerable Earl Fitzwilliam is immediately to be elevated to a Blarquisate. In that case, Lord Milton may possibly be called to the Upper House even during his father's life.
CARLISLE POLITICS—The Duke of Wellington and Sir Robert Peel were burnt in effigy by the Reformers of Carlisle, with every ac- companiment of mock ignominy, on Monday last. week. The Royal Speech was burnt in the mouth of the Duke ; and as one burning seemed insufficient to purge the stains of that unhappy document, it was again burnt in the mouth of Sir Robert. REPEAL or THE Limos—Thirty Peers, seven Baronets, and two hundred and sixty gentlemen of inferior rank, have subscribed a decla- ration against the repeal of the Union. O'Connell does not intend to move on the subject until all Ireland has spoken in favour of it. When will that be
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