PERPLEXED AGRICULTURISTS.
LORD DARLINGTON told the Shropshire farmers, the other day, that although a majority of the Members of the House of Com- mons were disposed to relieve the agricultural interest, yet they disagreed on the means of administering that relief. On one point, indeed, they were united ; and that was, to maintain the Corn-duty at its present rate. Yet a glance at the price of home- grown corn, and the enormous duty on the foreign product, proves that the Corn-laws are inadequate for their intended purpose—they cannot keep up the price permanently beyond four or five shil- lings a bushel. The East- Suffolk farmers have discovered this; and therefore they clamour for a depreciation of the currency, and protest that the ounce of gold should be coined into six sove- reigns,—which would be the same thing as paying their creditors about 13s. 4d. in the pound. It was stated by Mr. IV. A. SHULD- BAM, one of the orators at a numerous meeting of the landed gentlemen of East Suffolk, that on the 21st of July last the East Suffolk Association passed a resolution instructing the County Members to move that the Supplies be stopped until the demands of the agriculturists were complied with. Thus it seems that extreme measures are not in favour with the Radicals only. These same gentlemen, in conjunction with others in the Metro- s olis and various parts of the country, are busied in the formation of a Central Society—an Agricultural Parliament—to hold its sittings in London. They also passed a resolution that no Go- vernment deserved support which was not prepared to depreciate the currency. How like you this, " Peel's-bill PEEL ?" You gained no favour with the Landed interest by demonstrating that the Malt-tax was economical, productive, and indispensable; but when you come to deal with the Currency-doctors, you will be still more offensive. Not merely the Suffolk farmers, but those of Yorkshire, Kent, and Cambridge, were stated to be of the same mind regarding the currency—all of them attributing to you their ruin.
As a constantly progressive depreciation of the currency is scarcely contemplated, but merely a miraculous return to the state of things in 1 sin, it is plain that the debtor portion of the landed gentlemen would alone be the parties benefited. This they do not yet exactly comprehend,—and we trust that they will not be enlightened on the subject at the expense of the rest of the community; but they must now understand that the Corn-laws are of little service to them. Why, then, adhere to them so ob- stinately? Let the Anti-Corn-law people have a " spell," and see what they will do for the country—farmers and all—with a free trade in corn. Let them have their twenty years' turn; and it may hapyen that at the end of that period, he would be reckoned consummate blockhead who proposed a return to the protective system. The increased rent of land for building, gardens, and ether urban uses, might more than compensate the proprietor for the cost of " laying down" tillage-ground in permanent pasture ; while the tenant might find the breeding of cattle a far racre profitable business than raising wheat at 40s. the quarter. And this might be brought about without cheating any one.
Previous page
