1S23.] 



be expected, considering their early ex- 

 posure to the frost, without the protection 

 of snow, which came too late, and was 

 tlien blown from the land, and drifted by 

 the high whids. Much hay and fodder 

 was consumed during the frost, and the 

 price enhanced in consequence. In the 

 distant counties, sheep have suffered con- 

 siderably, and many lambs have been lost; 

 not less, perhaps, from customary needless 

 exposure, than from the severity of the 

 season. Wheat, speaking of the crop, 

 has suffered no damage, but rather pro- 

 fited ; if any part has been at all injured, it 

 lias been the laie sown and weakly 

 planted. Potatoes, not carefully stored, 

 have suffered from the frost. If any 

 change in the price of wool, it is declining. 

 Nothing doing in hops, beyond the ordi- 

 nary demand for consumption. Pigs, 

 supposed to be on account of the reduction 

 of the Salt Tax, have had an advance in 

 price, beyond any late experience. Horses 

 are in great plenty, good ones excepted, 

 and thi.'y always bear a premium. Beans, 

 reckoned a short crop, are scarcely sale- 

 able, which seems to evince an extensive 



Political Affairs in February. 175 



culture. " Agricultural distress," if a 

 mel ancholy, is a stale topic. The country 

 markets, since Christmas, have in many 

 parts overflowed with corn ; yet botli 

 corn and butcher's meat have made a 

 stand, with some advance of price; and, 

 could a riddance of surplus on the corn- 

 markets be obtained, whether from real 

 consumption or speculation, prices would 

 rise, as certainly and as speedily, as in 

 former days, in ihe despite and defiance of 

 that terrible Turk, Mr. Peel's Bill, which 

 is so shamefully partial, as not to impede 

 the legitimate advance of any other 

 commodity. 



Smithfie'ldc—Jieef, 3s. 6'/. to 4s. 6d.— 

 Mutton, 3s. to 4s. 8d. — Veal, Ss. 4d. to 

 5s. 8rf. — Pork, 3s. to 5s. 4(i.— Bacon, 

 . — Raw fat, 2s. 2(/. 



Corn Exchange : — Wheat, 25s. to 55s. 

 — Barley, 25s. to 36s. — Oats, 17s. to 27s. 

 —London price of best bread, 4lb. for 8d. 

 — Hay, 55s. to 86s.— Clover, do. 55s. to 

 8-ls.— Straw, 40s. to 5ts. 6d. 



Coals in the pool, j7s. to 49s. 

 Middlesex; Feb. 21, 1823. 



POLlTICx\L AFFAIRS IN FEBRUARY. 



FRANCE. 



ON Tuesday, Jan. 28, tlie Kincr of 

 France delivered tiie following 

 Speech to the Two Chambers : 

 Gentlemen, 



The continuance of the two last ses- 

 sions, and ihe short recess they have 

 left you, would have made me wish 

 to be able to retard tlie opening of this ; 

 but the regular vote of the expenses of the 

 state is an advantage of which yon have 

 all felt the value, and I am bound, in 

 order to preserve it, to couut on tlie same 

 devotednos which was necessary to me 

 for obtaining it. 



The internal situation of the kingdom is 

 ameliorated ; the course of justice, exer- 

 cised with loyalty by the juries, wisely 

 and courageously directed hy the magis- 

 trates, has put an end to llie plots, and to 

 the attempts at revolt, that encouraged 

 the hope of impunity. 



I have concluded with the Holy See the 

 conventions necessary for the circumscrip- 

 tiouof the new dioceses, thecstabljshnient 

 of which was authorized by law. All the 

 churches are to be provided witii their 

 pastors; and the clergy ot France, com- 

 pletely organized, shall' contribute to call 

 tloun on IIS the blessings of ProviilPDce. 



1 have provided by ordinances for what- 

 ever economy, expenses, and as raiigeincnt 

 in the accounts, required. jMy niiiiihters 

 will siibuiit to the .sanction of the law (he 

 sucoiiutol theexpeiise.iof I82( ; tliey will 

 furnish you with the .«tqle of the leceipt.s 

 and dishiMsemeiilx eflecled in 182V; and, 



also, that of the presumed wants and re- 

 sources of 1824. The result of those 

 dociimeuts is, that all foiiner accounts 

 being liquidated, even those which the 

 military preparations have made necessary 

 hitherto, we shall enter on the business of 

 IS'-iS with forty millions of excess over 

 the credits opened for that year ; and that 

 the budget of 1824 can present a balance 

 of receipts with expenses, without re- 

 quiring the employment of that reserve. 



France owed to Europe the example of 

 prosperity, which people canuot obtain 

 l)iit by a return to religion, to legitimacy, 

 to order, to true liberty: this salutary ex- 

 ample she this day presents. 



But Divine Justice permits tliat, after 

 having made other nations lou^ experience 

 the leriihle etiects of our discord, we 

 should be otiiselves exposed to dimger.s', 

 which the like calamines among a iieigli- 

 bouiing peo|>le bring with them. 



I have tried every thing, in order to 

 guarantee the security of my people, and 

 |)reserve Spain hersflf from the last mis- 

 fortunes. The blindness with which they 

 have rejected the representations made at 

 Madrid, leaves little hope of preserving 

 peace. I h;ive ordered the recall of my 

 minister. One hmulied thousand French, 

 coniinandcd by a priiioe of my family — by 

 him whom my heart is delighted to call my 

 son — are ready to march, invoking the 

 Ood of Si. Jjonis, in order to secure the 

 throne of Spain to a grandson of IJciny 

 IV., to preserve that line kingdom from 

 ruin, and reconcile it witli i'^iirope. 



Oar station.'j will be re-inlorce.lin every 

 <(iiariLr 



