§ Lord Erskinepresented a petition from certain occupiers of land in the county of Suffolk, complaining of the state of. Agricultural Distress. The noble lord began by observing, that the petitioners desired him to say that it was not their wish to encroach on the interests of any other class of persons. In his opinion, indeed, all the different classes of the country must thrive together, or not at all, and if any one class expected to gain an advantage by sacrificing the interests of others, they would find themselves grievously disappointed. The petitioners conceived this to be the principle which had been acted on in passing the corn bill. They did not call on parliament to add any thing to their present protection, but they: contended that they were deprived of the advantage which parliament intended to give them by the manner in which the average was struck. They merely wished that some data more fixed and certain; might be adopted for establishing the average, but they by no means desired 522 that any alteration which might be made should operate farther than what was intended by parliament. For his part, he wished that all obstructions to free trade could be removed, but the agriculturists of this country were had in a very peculiar situation, for they, could not, with the burthen to which they were liable, produce corn so cheap as foreigners. During the late war this country had stood like an Atlas on the shoulders of other nations, but what was the consequence? The agriculturists were subject to a weight of taxation unknown to the other countries of Europe. Such was the difference of price produced by the burthens of this country, that on the opposite coast corn could be grown for 32s. the quarter, and the freight on it would only be 1s. 6d. per quarter, so that the expense of import to the London market would not be more than that of carriage from the county in which the petitioners lived. He would on a future occasion take an opportunity of stating his views on tin's subject.
The Earl of Lauderdalefound that the present petition resembled many others on the same subject already on the table. In fact, it was no wonder that they were all of the same nature, for they came all from the same shop. They were all, he believed, the manufacture of Mr. Webbe Hall, a gentleman who had been circulating pamphlets among the members of that and the other House of Parliament. He could not agree with that gentleman in the principles he laid down. He had supported the corn-bill, but could not support the doctrines now afloat. It had been proposed to indemnify landholders for tithes; as if every man who occupied ground did not previously know that he was to take it. burthened with tithes. He could not help being astonished that the person who had taken so active a part in setting the agricultural interest against the manufactures, should be rewarded by being made secretary of the board of agriculture. Many were of opinion that that board had never done much good, and he did not know any thing that could be expected from them capable of compensating such an appointment. Much had been said about economical reform, with which he did not agree; but if a motion for suppressing this board were to be brought forward, that was a question of economical reform which he should be very much inclined to support.
§ Lord ErsKinesaid, he knew nothing of Mr. Webbe Hall, and could not see what that gentleman's opinion had to do with the petition.
The Marquis of Lansdownpresented a number of petitions from the occupiers of land in the county of Wilts. His noble friend must not expect him to be able to say whether Mr. Webbe Hall had any hand in these petitions. He could, however assert, that they came from persons of great respectability and the principal occupiers of land in the county. He had, nevertheless, the misfortune to differ with them, and when the subject should come to be discussed would consider it his duty to take a different view of it. The legislature had not the power of preventing the agricultural interest from sharing in the general distress which affected the country. He was, however, well assured, that those who had signed these petitions would only put their names to statements of the truth of which the were well convinced. To that extent, therefore, they called for their lordships attention, and he presented them to the House as the representations of a very respectable and numerous, and, he was afraid he must add a very distressed body of persons. Ordered to lie upon the table.