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It is again reported that Lord Palmerston is about to quit the Foreign Office, and that he will be succeeded by Lord Durham.

The Marquis of Stafford has been created Duke of Sutherland.

UNITED STATES.

The accounts from the United States continue to give an unfavourable view of the dispute with South Carolina. A proclamation on the subject has been published by the President of the United States, which shews, beyond doubt, that the refractory State has manifested symptoms of resistance and contempt for the Union, which it would be dangerous for the Government to neglect. Troops and ordfor taking the most decisive measures for enforcing a due nance have already been ordered to Charlestown, preparatory observance of the tariff, so long as it remains a part of the law. The Nullifiers, the term by which the refractory party are known, are represented as having been a good deal calmed by the moderation used in the President's message, and it is said the Unionists of South Carolina have begun to bestir themselves in diffusing a better spirit among the people.

DUKE OF SUTHERLAND.-The newly created Duke of Sutherland is married to a Scottish Peeress, in her own right the Countess of Sutherland, a Scottish peerage of A.D. 1275. By this marriage he unites in his own person the greatest wealth of any nobleman in the empire. He was heir to the Duke of Bridgewater's rich estates; and, through his duchess, he is possessed of the rich principality in the north of Scotland. We have heard that the Duke of Sutherland chose that title for his dukedom, in consequence of its being borne by her Grace the Duchess, who is Countess of Sutherland and Baroness Strathnaver in her own right. The earldom of Sutherland is the most ancient of any in Great Britain, having continued learn that party feeling was still carried to a great pitch By the accounts from Jamaica to the 13th ult., we without interruption in the lineal course of descent, for near six centuries; while nearly all the other ancient neral attack has been made on the press; and in a late In the House of Assembly, a gethroughout the island. titles have been changed in their destinations by resigna-sitting, two persons, proprietors of the Jamaica Dispatch, tions and new patents, this earldom has remained unal- named Shannon, were committed to prison for what is termed an outrageous breach of privilege. The whole of the press in Jamaica is stigmatized as licentious in the extreme, and many of them are likely to get into hot water. The following is an extract :

tered.

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.

HOLLAND AND BELGIUM.

The King of Holland, in his counter-project, demands a tonnage-duty on the navigation of the Scheldt, a transit-duty for merchandise sent from Belgium to Germany, and immediate payment of the instalments on the Belgian portion of the national debt. The Belgian Ministry declare that they will not pay the tonnage-duty until all other points have been arranged, that they will not pay a transit-duty at all, and that before they pay the instalments on their portion of the national debt, they must deduct all their war expenditure.

BRUSSELS, Monday, January 14.-The King of Holland is now playing a desperate game. If the Dutch people should, on seeing the folly of his system, be forced by the measures of France and England to revolt against him, as soon they must, he will call in the Prussians to overthrow them, as his father did in 1787, when the Stadtholder wished to seize the crown.

PORTUGAL.

JAMAICA.

"JAMAICA, 7th November.-That his Excellency was somewhat at fault is evident; and we regret that it should be supposed that he was in a passion when he met the Legislature; but the fact was so, and we lament it exceedingly. We have the highest respect for Lord Mulgrave's talents, and we are sorry to be obliged to find fault with any part of his Lordship's conduct: but we do say, that his demeanour was any thing but dignified in meeting our Legislature. The address was, perhaps too long; but the reply, instead of meeting the question fairly, convinced us that the Earl was more anxious to show that he could write than to reply to an important state document."

There had been some stormy debates in the House of Assembly, chiefly respecting breaches of privilege. The committee, to whom the reply of the Governor to the address of the Assembly had been referred, had recommended a hostile resolution, expressive of their regret at the doctrines contained in the speech.

SOUTH SEA ISLANDS.

We learn by letters from the islands, that war has ta The Marquis Palmella has, it appears, resigned his ken place between Tahaa and Raiatea. A sanguinary

functions and retired from the service of Don Pedro.

SPAIN.

The King is again recovered, and has published a decree, dated 4th January, in which he announces his resumption of the reins of Government, and strongly approves all the measures of the Queen during his illness. He has ordered a medal to be struck "to perpetuate the memory of such splendid actions." The King is said to have recovered his health and strength in a very surprisingm anner.

PRUSSIA.

The Prussian troops forming the corps of observation on the Meuse are to return to their usual cantonments in

Westphalia, and the war reserve of that corps are to be dismissed from active service, and retire to their homes. We need scarcely point out the connexion between these military movements, and the return of the French army from Belgium; facts which all tend to prove the mutual faith and good understanding which have guided the councils and measures of the powers necessarily most interested in the settlement of the Belgian differences, in the way most conducive to the maintenance of a general and salu

tary peace.

The engagement ensued, in which fifty men were killed. war was still raging when the Zebra left Otaheite, and the Missionaries were alarmed for the consequences, as it was feared their influence was on the decline. We much regret this, as every well-wisher of these islands must do ; the Missionary influence, in the absence of direct agency from Britain, being the only means of diffusing civilization amongst their inhabitants. This war is the first which has occurred since the change of religion of Otaheite and the adjacent islands; and from the ferocity with which it is conducted, it proves that the warlike and barbarous practices of these ingenious people are unsubdued.-Sydney Herald, July 23.

MADAGASCAR.

The Queen of Madagascar has lately manifested a disposition to cut off all communication with Europeans, and it was supposed she would interdict the cattle trade between her subjects and the Mauritius. This, however, is now of little consequence, as a very successful trade has been opened for live stock with the settlers of New South

Wales and that island. The cause of that interdiction was supposed to be, that the slave trade was effectually stopped, and her Majesty had thereby lost a considerable portion of her revenue. She had no objection to sell a bullock and a human being together.

NEW SOUTH WALES.

SWAN RIVER SETTLEMENT.-Extract of a letter from the Swan River Settlement, dated Freemantle, Aug. 8, 1832."Yon no doubt will be surprised to hear of Governor Stirling having left this place. The object of his visiting England is to represent the true state of the colony, as every settler supposes the home Government, from their great neglect, have entirely forgotten there is a settlement in Western Australia. I am certain if they knew of the importance this colony is likely to be to the mother country, they would at once give it the support it merits; and it would then be as flourishing a settle. ment as they have belonging to the country. The capabilities of the soil have been clearly proved by every person who has gone upon their grants, and wheat has been grown this year which has weighed as much as 70 lbs. to the bushel, and much finer than any that has been imported from the neighbouring colonies. The local situation of the place is far beyond either Hobart Town or Sydney, and, above all, it possesses one of the

best climates in the world.

The King of Tucopia stated to Captain Russel of the Lady Rowena, that when the French ships lately visited his island, Inany of the crew died of a sickness by vomiting and pains in the bowels, and that the sickness continued amongst the natives after the vessel left the place, by which a great many individuals, and three Kings in succession, were cut off. At the same place was seen a China fish strainer that had belonged to the vessel

of the unfortunate La Perouse.

HOLY LAND.-A Jewish family left Woolwich a few weeks back for Jerusalem. There are now above 25,000 Jews in the Holy Land.

TRADE AND MANUFACTURES. We are glad to understand that the trade of Hawick and Galashiels has been, for the last six months, uncommonly good; and it is highly creditable to the manufacturers of those places to state, that while they have been realizing good profits, they have not been unmindful of that useful class, the operatives, as their wages have been in consequence considerably augmented.

REVIVAL OF TRADE. MANCHESTER, January 12.We are happy to be able to announce a most decided improvement in the cotton trade, which has given a stimulus to every branch of our manufactures. During the week the markets in this town have been in a state of great activity. The price of printing cloths has risen from 7s. 7d. to 8s. 3d.; the advance is from two and a-half to three per cent.

of by the first houses in the West India trade.-London New Prices Current.

FREE TRADE.-It has been remarked, that the return of Mr. P. Thomson for Manchester, and the rejection of Mr. Sadler at Leeds, serves to demonstrate pretty clearly the sentiments of the inhabitants of those impor. tant towns on the subject of free trade.

CORN TRADE.-Though the trade has of late assumed a firmer tone, yet prices generally have sustained no improvement, and any advance realized has been entirely confined to selected parcels. The purchases also effected, have been in great measure made merely to meet the immediate consumption.

SHEEP. We are sorry to learn that the Lancashire farmers in the fens round Boston, complain of the very heavy losses they are sustaining daily from the prevalence of rot in the sheep, which extends fearfully; added to the very defective yield in the crops of corn, and the bad condition in which a great part of it was harvested.

SILVER MINES.-The Intendancy of Coquimbo-Serana, 7th of June, 1832, to the minister of the interior :—A wonderful discovery of silver ore has been made in the mountain chain of Topiapo, called Chanarcilla and Mole. It is affirmed that the veins are immense. Since the 224 of May, sixteen, more or less rich, have been discovered. the gentleman who has distinguished himself by his efforts STEAM COMMUNICATION WITH INDIA.-Mr. Waghorn, to shorten the communication with India, will leave England early next month for the purpose of procuring the erection of some depot or halting place in the desert, between Grand Cairo and Suez, so as to facilitate the land journey from Alexandria. If his exertions are duly seconded at home by the Government and the East India Company, much time cannot elapse before the desirable object is accomplished of a regular communication monthly with Bengal, occupying at most 60 or 70 days.

in which more attention is given to the instruction of the UNITED STATES.-There is no portion of the civilized world lower classes than in the States. Every individual who has a dollar to spare, contributes towards this praiseworthy object; endowments in land are liberally granted to support the free schools; and many of the States contribute large sums for the same purpose. Connecticut, for instance, has appropriated a COTTON MANUFACTURE. --The amazing cotton manu-capital of one million eight hundred thousand dollars (above facture continues to increase. The reduction of the pro- L.400,000) towards it, and New York yearly a grant of fits has sharpened the wits of the manufacturers, and men, L. 40,000. The example has spread even among the Indians; women, and children, as well as machines, throw off an a chief among the Creek Indians has set aside his yearly allowincreased quantity of work. ance of 2000 dollars for ceded land, for the benefit of their We perceive, from the evischools; the Choctawa annually expend ten thousand upon dence on the Factory Bill, that the weekly quantity now them; and the Chickasaws have carried their liberality in spun by one spindle is 21 hanks of No. 40 in a week. respect of them, to as much as twenty thousand. The num The cotton spun in Great Britain last year amounted to ber of youth, of both sexes, who are educated gratuiton-ly in about 288,000,000 lbs. Of this vast quantity a tenth was the United States, exceeds 1,200,000, on a population of spun in Scotland. The United States supply 3-4ths of 13,000,000. the consumption, or 213,000,000 lbs., the East Indies about 20,000,000 lbs., the West Indies 1,600,000 lbs only. All the cotton, except the growth of the East and West Indies, pays a duty of d. per lb. This duty would, last year, exceed L.690,000, and would be as nearly as possible ten per cent. on the return of the cotton in bond.

CHANGE OF THE SUGAR TRADE CONTEMPLATED.-An ingenius plan to alter the whole system of the sugar trade has been submitted to his Majesty's Ministers, and to the principal houses connected with the colonial trade in London; it has produced a great sensation. It is contemplated that only one process should take place in the West Indies; that after the boiling of the sugar-cane, the proceeds, in a fluid state, should be shipped for England, to be manufactured here. By a Patent taken out the fiuid by one process is to be manufactured into refined sugars. The process of making Muscovado sugar and distilling rum would all be in England. The person who has submitted this plan has taken out a patent for the refining, by one process, the fluid into lump sugar, in most of the European countries, and, we believe, in America. The plan will create a complete revolution in the sugar trade. It is entertained by the Ministers, and approved

SCOTS BANKRUPTS.

Peter M'Kinlay and Co. merchants, Kirkaldy, and l'eter McKinlay, sole partner of that Company, as an individual. James Hume, of Carolside, in the County of Berwick, cattle dealer, grain dealer, and builder.

Hoome, Wilson, and Company, manufacturers, Glasgow, and Colin M'Lachlan Wilson, William Hoome, and James Maxwell, as partners of said Company.

Mrs Agnes Dow, silk mercer and haberdasher, Edinburgh.

David Budge, innkeeper and coach contractor, residing in Dundee.

William Couston, grocer and spirit dealer, Leith.
Andrew Hutchison, merchant, Cupar Fife.

Daniel Charles Cameron, comb-manufacturer, Iron side
Court, Edinburgh.

John Thomson, auctioneer and general merchant, Green

ock.

James Frew, junior, grocer and spirit-dealer, Coatdykes,
Lanarkshire.

Thomas Watson, innkeeper at Spittal of Glenshee.
James Harper, distiller at Clynelish, Sutherlandshir

SPIRIT OF THE PRESS.

THE BALLOT.-TRIENNIAL PARLIA-
MENTS. THE ASSESSED TAXES.

Of

proportion to the duration and violence of the previous excitement. We have suffered greatly for our madness; and the loss to the country by the the Joint Stock Companies then instituted, prowild speculations of 1825 must be enormous. bably nine-tenths of them have disappeared, and Of the numerous Foundry Companies, Water Comsevere losses have been sustained by the partners. instituted in Edinburgh seven years ago, the Na. panies, Loan Companies, Dairy Companies, &c. &c. tional Bank, Scottish Union Insurance Company, and Equitable Loan Company, are all that remain. But the losses by these Joint Stock Companies are tions in foreign Mining Companies, and in Foreign nothing to those which were sustained by specula Stocks. For example, the present selling price of shares of the Anglo-Mexican Mining Company, on which £100 a share has been paid, is £8; of the Columbian Company, £48 paid, £7; of Real del these prices are in a great measure nominal. The Monte, on which £400 has been paid, £19; and Chilian 6 per cents sell for 16, the Colombian 6 per cents for 10, the Peruvian the same, and the Spanish 5 per cents at about 15, and the payment of the dividends on all these Stocks is for the pre

A MOST important meeting of the constituency of London took place on Monday forenoon, in Guildhall, to consider the above questions. There were upwards of 2500 persons present. The Lord Mayor took the chair. On the hustings were Mr Alderman WOOD, Mr GROTE, and Sir JOHN KEY, three of the City Members-Mr Alderman WAITHMAN, the fourth, being prevented from attending by indisposition. All the resolutions were carried with the utmost unanimity. Mr GROTE was instructed to bring a Bill into Parliament for the Ballot, Mr Alderman Woon a Bill for the Repeal of the Septennial Bill, and Sir JOHN KEY a Bill for the Repeal of the Assessed Taxes, duties which the respective members stated they willingly undertook. Both the Whig and Tory press seem alarmed at this meeting, and have said every thing in their power to lessen the effect it must necessarily have in the country; for they are aware it only requires to be backed by other meetings in the large towns to secure the passing of the above measures. It is therefore very desirable that other meetings, for the same purpose, should be held without delay. Not-sent suspended. The distress which we have so withstanding all the attempts to throw a stigma withdrawing from the country, if not the destruclong suffered must have been aggravated by the on the Vote by Ballot, its advocates are daily in- tion, of the immense capital these numerous specucreasing in numbers, and already, in all proba-lations required. There are now, however, we bility, they form a majority of the Electors in all think, symptoms to be observed of our having parts of the country. The experience which has been had of the evils of open voting, has convinced passed the lowest point of depression. The acthose on whom arguments had little force. With counts from the manufacturing districts are nearly all favourable; for although complaints are geregard to Triennial Parliaments, little difference of

opinion exists as to the expediency of reverting to nerally made of the lowness of the wages, still them, and many of the Tories profess their appro- are idle. The rise in the price of lean cattle, and work is plentiful, and few if any of the workmen bation of such a measure. It is now universally admitted, that the statute by which Septennial Par- which is also beginning to take place in butcher liaments were substituted for Triennial, was un-meat, may be considered a favourable symptom, constitutional, and that the Parliament which passed it might as well have declared their sittings perpetual. With regard to the mischiefs which it is anticipated would arise from more frequent elections, we believe they are wholly imaginary; more especially if the electors were protected in the exercise of the franchise by the Ballot. The experience of the United States of North America shews that elections, when the constituencies are much more numerous than they are likely to be for many years in this country, may be carried on without the slightest disturbance, or even unusual bustle; and it is likely that the more frequent they become, they would excite less sensation, and be carried through with less expense to the candidates.

STATE OF THE COUNTRY.

It is now seven years since the mania of Joint Stock Companies was at its height, when many considered the country to be in a state of high prosperity. But in the political, as in the natural body, periods of high excitement are always followed by periods of depression, of longer or shorter duration, or of more or less severity, in

manufacturing classes are generally out of emfor butcher meat hardly ever rises when the ployment. They spend their whole wages on their living, and the butcher markets experience a rise when their wages rise. When they are low they are forced to live on potatoes and oatmeal, but whenever they get more than is necessary to supply them with these articles of food, they pur. chase animal food. The grain markets are undoubtedly low, and have been declining since harvest. This is to be attributed to two causes; the abundance of the harvest which is, at the least, a full average crop, and to expected changes on the Corn Laws, which prevent all speculation in grain.

The late rise in the funds is also a favourable symptom. It may, no doubt, have arisen from withdrawing funds from active employment, but it is much more probable that it is caused by the investments of money which was lying in the Bank of England, and in other quarters unemployed, and which the proprietors were afraid to invest in the funds until they saw the chances of a continental war diminished, and the result of the general election. What the country princi

pally requires to secure its prosperity, is a gradual and judicious removal of the restrictions on trade and commerce, which could be effected not only without injury, but with a positive benefit to the revenue; and were these restrictions once removed, we hope the Government will attend to the maxim Laissez nous faire, for the less the subjects are meddled with in their manufacturing and trading concerns, it is the better for the country.-Edinburgh Chronicle.

Ireland is also free from tithes; and in Scotland that impost is little known, for the proprietor o the soil is in most instances owner of the titles Where he is not proprietor, he is entitled, except L a few cases, to purchase them at a low rate, in cas sideration of their liability to be appropriated the clergyman of the parish, in which the land. are situated, in payment of any augmented stipend to which the Teind Court may, on due application, consider him entitled. But it is erroneous to im utterly unknown in Scotland; for it is far from gine, as many English writers do, that tithes an unusual for one person to possess the teinds of an. other's lands; and the revenues of some of our Universities are derived, to a considerable extent, from this source. And the great variety of situa tions in which tithes are placed, shews the impos sibility of making the relief from them a boon for the removal of the Corn Duties. What is to be done, for example, where the tithes are payable to a layman, or where they have been recently pur chased by the proprietor of the soil? Are they to draw their value from the general revenue of the

THE CORN LAWS AND THE MALT TAX. THE question of the Corn Laws is one of the most difficult which is likely to come before the new Parliament; and we can collect from the election speeches of Ministers, that no plan for their alteration has yet been under consideration. For while Sir JAMES GRAHAM decidedly approves of the present law, and Lord ALTHORP seems desirous of postponing the discussion of the matter, Mr. POULETT THOMSON does not hesitate to avow, that the principles of Free Trade should regulate the importation of our food, and that the question cannot be too soon set at rest. Some of the London jour-country, in the same way as it is proposed that the nals seem anxious to discover the means of com- clergyman is to draw his stipend? How is the vapensating the landowners for the destruction of lue of tithes in the possession of the proprietor of their monopoly, from which we infer, that it is the ground to be ascertained? What is to be thought to be in vain to attempt to make even a done where, as is not unusual, one has long leases Reformed Parliament perform a great act of jus- of the tithes of his own lands, or of those of antice to the people, unless its members can be con- other person's, and who has a right to obtain a vinced that they will not be losers by its perform-renewal of his lease on its expiry? The ques ance. And when it is considered that nearly the tions which the proposed measure would occasion whole House of Peers, and probably three-fourths would be innumerable, and they would not be saof the House of Commons, are landowners, and tisfactorily arranged in the course of half a cen interested in the maintenance of the monopoly tury. But there is another impost, the repeal of which it is sought to destroy, we admit that our which would not only relieve all owners of land, expectations of seeing any thing like a Free and even their tenants, but would prove of the Trade in Corn, for many years to come, are far greatest utility to the middle and lower orders: from sanguine. We cannot for a moment think We allude to the Malt Tax, the net annual pro that those who have so long enjoyed the benefits duce of which, in Great Britain and Ireland, has of of the restrictions on the importation of corn can late years rather exceeded four millions. The tax ever claim any thing like compensation for the is most oppressive, and it has in a great measure removal of the restrictions which have been bene- put an end to the consumption of malt liquor ficial to them, only because they have been injuri- among the lower classes in Scotland. A quarter of ous in a tenfold degree to the other classes of the barley may be purchased for thirty shillings; but community; but if there is any change in our fis- the Malt Duty is twenty shillings and eightcal regulations which may render a relaxation in pence, a tax of nearly 70 per cent, and which bethe prohibitory system more agreeable to the land- comes still more severe by being collected indiowners, without being mischievous to the people rectly, and not from the consumer, but from the at large, such change should be made, in order to manufacturer; for, in malting grain, there is a expedite the settlement of a question of vast im- considerable increase in the bulk, and that inportance, and which the manufacturing classes, crease goes so far to pay the expense of manufacand the inhabitants generally of towns, will never ture. Thus, by the old Scotch Law, only two shilcease to agitate till settled to their satisfaction. lings Scots, or twopence sterling, were allowed to It has been proposed in England, that a compro- be charged by the maltster for the malt more than mise should be made, by relieving the landowners of the selling price of barley; and we believe that, tithes, on their giving up the duty on foreign even at present, two shillings a quarter would be corn. But there are serious, and apparently in- a sufficient remuneration to the maltster, were he surmountable, objections to such an arrangement. relieved of the annoyance of being under the exOf the land in England, little more than two-cise laws, and of the risk and outlay which the thirds are subject to tithes; the remainder is tax occasions. But good malt cannot be purchas either tithe free in whole or in part, or liable in ed for less than fifty-seven shillings, the additional payment only of a modified sum. A great part of four shillings over the price of the barley, the

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duty, and the expense of manufacture, being charged by the maltster for his outlay and risk, and the expense and trouble occasioned to him by not being the master of his own premises. It appears to us that the repeal of the Malt Tax, in conjunction with the Corn Laws, would be of the utmost benefit to the country, and that the relief which the great body of the people would thereby experience, would be much greater than could be given by any other measure. The landowners could hardly object to the measure. The whole increased rent derived by them in consequence of the Corn Duties is calculated by Mr. Macculloch at L.1,800,000, and the immensely increased demand for malt which the repeal of the tax would occasion, would tend to keep up the price of barley, and, consequently, of other agricultural produce. Every labouring man would have it in his power to enjoy a wholesome and nutritious beverage, which would go far to make up for an insufficient allowance of food, and a taste for malt liquor would soon become general, and tend, more than any scheme which has been devised, to stop the consumption of spiritous liquors, the abuse of which is the great cause of misery and crime.

3

The

rest.

THE CORN LAWS.

WHETHER the Ministers choose it or not, the Corn Laws will be discussed in the first session of the new Parliament, and in every session afterwards until the matter is set at will be a sufficient number of Members to bring forward Powerful as the Ministry will no doubt be, there this question, and many others of vital interest to the people, on which the Whigs, according to their own account, have not yet formed any decided opinion. In such circumstances nothing but evil can arise from delay. From the uncertainty in which this question has been allowed to remain, much injury has arisen, not only to the agricul turists, but to the landholders themselves. Agriculture is in the most depressed condition, and those engaged in it have been deprived of the greater part of their capital duce could not afford, but which the hope that the depres by paying rents which the low prices of agricultural prosion was only temporary, induced them to continue. On the other hand, a change in the Corn Laws having been seen, for the last two years, to be inevitable, and the effect of the change on the value of landed property being uncertain, the consequence has been, that land has become in a great measure unsaleable, and its proprietors have, in many instances, relinquished the attempt, however anxious they may be to effect sales. Matters must continue in this state until the Corn Laws are placed on a permanent fairly experienced. We are convinced that the protection basis, and the effect of any change which may be made, that these laws afford to the agriculturist, and the injury they cause to the other classes of the community, have been much exaggerated, and that much less difference than is commonly imagined would take place in the price of grain in this country were the Corn Laws entirely reported by this country could be very materially increased pealed. It is very doubtful if the quantity of grain imwithout a great rise in the price. In every country the best lands are first cultivated, and if an additional quantity of grain is required to be raised, recourse must be had to ferior lands can be cultivated only by means of an increaslands inferior in fertility to those in cultivation. But ined expenditure of labour for the same or a smaller return; and, consequently, the price of grain raised on such lands must be higher, in order to remunerate the cultivator, than that of grain raised from lands of greater fertility. price, not only of the grain grown on such lands, but of But the having recourse to poorer lands increases the the whole other grain produced in the country; for a commodity of a uniform quality cannot have two different prices in the same market. The price of the whole is in way regulated by the price necessary to remunerate pose that the fertility of the poorest soil which produces the cultivator of the poorest soils. If we, therefore, supgrain for the British market, at present, is such that it yields five bolls of wheat per acre, and that, to raise an additional quantity, recourse must be had to land which bolls, the result must be, that the whole quantity of grain with the same quantity of labour, will produce only four sent to the British market will be increased one-fifth in price, and thus a great check would be given to importation, and to the fall in the price of our own produce. have not considered such subjects, it will be found to However remarkable this result may appear to those who stand the test of the most rigorous examination.

this

With regard to the diminution of the revenue, which the repeal of the Malt and Corn Duties would occasion, we hope a Reformed Parliament would have no difficulty. Great retrenchments may be made, in every department of the public expenditure, by a Parliament which sets seriously about it. The waste of the public money in the collection of the taxes is enormous, and there is hardly a government-office in which an immense saving could not be made, by conducting the business in a more efficient manner. The expense of the management of the national debt, by the Bank of England, which exceeds-when every thing is taken into view-L.300,000 a-year, is most disgraceful; more especially when contrasted with the management of the national debt of France, which only costs one-thirtieth of the above sum. spending of eight millions a-year, on an army of 100,000 men, is another specimen of the necessity of retrenchment. In this single department, Parliament may, in the course of a few years, if peace continue, save at least two millions. But the only mode of obtaining retrenchment is by diminishing the revenue. Our Government never yet thought of saving the public money, so long as they could get it to spend; but after they have no other resource, it is wonderful how they continue to carry on the business of the country with the diminished re- It is no doubt true, that agriculture is improving rapidWhen the property tax was repealed inly on the Continent, but population is proceeding with 1816, in spite of the exertions of Ministers, it was still greater rapidity. The total population of Europe declared, that, no government could carry on pub- cannot be estimated at present at less than two hundred lic affairs; but although they were deprived of a millions, and the period of doubling may be taken at fifty tax yielding fourteen millions by a single vote, no population of Europe. Suppose, therefore, that the Conyears. Every year, then, four millions are added to the embarrassment was ever experienced by Ministers. tinent were at this moment able to supply Great Britain We doubt not, therefore, that if the Malt Tax with the whole grain of all kinds which she consumes, in were also repealed, means would be found to make the short space of three years and a half, the whole quanthe revenue meet the expenditure.-Edinburgh therefore rid ourselves of all fears of the pernicious tentity exported would be required at home; and we may Chronicle. dency of the removal of the restrictions on the importa

sources.

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