53 
Proceedings of Public Societies• 
1821.] 
sequel we leave to be applied by the 
reader, or by writers more remote from 
the errors and passions of the day. 
No man ever lived whose story is in 
every way so well calculated u to adoiu 
a moral and to point a tale. 1 ' It will 
become a fruitful theme, not only for 
history and biography, as involving the 
revolutions and wars of every country 
in Europe, but as connected with the 
foundation of the kingships ot Bavaria, 
Hanover, Saxonv, and Wirtemberg. It 
will also afford themes for the epic and 
the tragic muse; and interesting episodes 
for every species of literary composi¬ 
tion. We hope, however, that the poet’s 
license will not abuse the truth, and will 
not play the pander to successful and 
abused power; but will, by accurate 
discriminations, render genius subser¬ 
vient to the heroic virtues, and to the 
eternal sympathies of mankind in their 
cause. 
[It is so utterly impossible to do 'justice 
to this subject, in u sinyle article , that ire 
propose to give place to a variety of de- 
tached anecdotes, facts, letters , Spc. in an 
early Number .] 
PROCEEDINGS OF PUBLIC SOCIETIES. 
REPORT of the SELECT COMMITTEE Of 
the H 0 TJ&E 6f commons upon the Pe¬ 
tition complaining of the distressed 
state of the Agriculture. 
I T is with deep regret that the Com¬ 
mittee have to commence their re¬ 
port by stating that, in their judgment, 
the complaints of the petitioners are 
founded in fact, so far as they represent 
that at the present price of corn the re¬ 
turns to the occupier ot an arable farm, 
after allowing for the interest of his in¬ 
vestment, are by no means adequate to 
the charges and outgoings, of which a 
considerable proportion can be paid 
only out of the capitals, and not from 
the profits of the tenantry. This pres¬ 
sure upon the farmer is stated by some 
of the witnesses to have materially af¬ 
fected the retail business of shopkeeper s 
in country towns connected with the 
agricultural districts. But notwith¬ 
standing this diminution ot demand in 
particular parts of the country, it ap¬ 
pears, by official returns, that the total 
consumption of the principal articles 
subject to duties of excise and customs 
have increased in the last year, compar¬ 
ed with the average of the three pre¬ 
ceding years ; and also, that the quan¬ 
tity of cotton wool used for home con¬ 
sumption, and of cloth manufactured in 
Yorkshire, was greater last year than 
in the year preceding, although the ex¬ 
ports of woollens in 1820 appears to 
have diminished. Your Committee 
have not the same authentic means of 
ascertaining the consumption ot iron, 
but there appears every reason to be¬ 
lieve that has also increased. 
This revulsion is of the same na¬ 
ture as many which have occurred in 
different periods of our history, and the 
pressure has in many instances led to a 
diminution of rents. The Committee 
then offer some observations on the 
e fleet of the derangement of the cur¬ 
rency in deranging the markets, and 
express an opinion, that whatever may 
be the ultimate operation of the restor¬ 
ation of the currency upon the nominal 
rental of the kingdom, there is no rea¬ 
son to apprehend that the diminution 
can ultimately exceed that proportion 
of the increase which, during the war, 
grew out of the depreciated value of the 
currency. The Committee are also 
satisfied by the result of their inquiries, 
that, in the present year, the price of 
corn has been further depressed by the 
general abundance and good quality of 
the last harvest, in all articles of grain 
and pulse; more particularly in Ire¬ 
land, in which part of the United King¬ 
dom the preceding harvest of 1819, was 
also uncommonly productive. Several 
of the witnesses examined have stated 
their belief that the prices of grain have 
further been depressed, in the present 
year, by the very large importations of 
foreign corn which took place before 
the ports were closed in the month of 
February, 1819 ; but looking to the 
very high prices, and to the constant 
and brisk demand which prevailed in 
our markets so long as the ports con¬ 
tinued open in 1817 and 1S18, it may 
be inferred that the greatest part of 
those importations were necessary, and 
were disposed of during those years, to 
supply the daily wants of our consump¬ 
tion, and that it is therefore only in a 
remote degree that the present prices 
can be influenced by the occurrences 
of that period. 
It can scarcely be necessary to re¬ 
mark, that the growth of wheat has 
been greatly extended and improved ot 
late years, in the United Kingdom, but 
principally in Ireland, since 1807* 
The Committee then proceed to state, 
that it is their opinion, the annual pro¬ 
duce 
