The Chronicle publishes this morning a long letter from Lord
Kin- naird to Mr. Sidney Smith, on the new agitation. The point of the communication lies in some facts respecting the cheapness of agricul- tural produce, which the writer attributes to diminished consumption : he " never remembers the agriculturist's interest in such a state of de- pression "— " That this is the case, I may give, as an instance, the town of Dundee, where not above a dozen head of foreign cattle have made their appearance, and where the quantity of Irish salted store beef sold as American has not been great; yet not half the quantity of cattle are slaughtered per week that there used to be, though the price of meat is reduced to 5d. for the best and 4d. the inferior. One of the principal bakers stated that he now only bakes a batch of bread three times a week, instead of one five days in the week and two on Saturdays ; the difference between three and seven, or a falling off of more than half in the consumption of flour, in addition to the greatly diminished quantity required for manufacturing. The number of inhabitants has cer- tainly decreased, but not in proportion to the diminished consumption ; many of the unemployed having returned to their rural parishes, and to Ireland. The fact is, no inferior quality of meat will sell, and even good not readily. I have a lot of Highland wethers, bought in this spring at 14s. which will not pay the summer's keep. Bay, which sold formerly with a good. demand at Is. or ls. 2d. per stone, is now selling at 8d. and 9d. Wool, which I have hereto- fore sold at 18d. per pound, though of inferior quality to what I have now on hand, I am not able to dispose of, though willing to take 11d. or 10d., the price which has been given when it has been sold. The same with every thing else. * • The coachmakers, being no longer employed, have ceased to be customers for hard wood; the same with the:ship-builders. Indeed, there is no-sale for any description of wood. Where, in former years, I could Bell in a day 1,000 worth, 1 could not now sell 10/."
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