BRIEF REMARKS 
 
 ON THE 
 
 PRESENT STATE 
 
 AGRICULTURAL DISTRESS: 
 
 SHOWING 
 
 SOME OF THE CAUSES THEREOF; 
 
 SUGGESTING A FEW HINTS BY WAY 
 OF REMEDY. 
 
 BY JAMES DAVIES, SOLICITOR. 
 
 PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY T. T. DAVIES, HIGH-TCjWN. 
 
 MDCCCXLIX . 
 
 Price One Penny, 
 
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BRIEF REMARKS, &c. 
 
 At the present period, when all classes of the community are 
 so affected by the depressed state of trade and agriculture, 
 it is fit that some stir be made towards obtaining a redress of 
 those grievances under which they have so long laboured, and 
 which oppress, so heavily, the agriculturist and trader. 
 
 In taking a view of our statutory enactments, it must be 
 admitted, that they evince the fact, that we are essentially 
 governed by a Landed Interest ; and that our laws are so 
 based as to protect the landed proprietors, without that re¬ 
 gard to the mercantile portion of the community, which free 
 and honest representatives ought to entertain. 
 
 Doubtless, there are many in parliament, who gain and 
 have gained their wealth by mercantile and manufacturing 
 pursuits; but the majority of members of the legislature being 
 landowners, it is natural that the greater part of our statutes 
 should be favourable rather than detrimental to their interests. 
 
 The time is, however, now arrived, when both the agricul¬ 
 turist and trader must work hand-in-hand towards throwing 
 off a yoke which has so long oppressed them.—The cry has 
 long been made, but hitherto very partially responded to.— 
 The oppressive system of aristocratical sway has been too 
 heavily felt; and now is there a determination upon the part 
 of the industrial portion of the community, to lie no longer 
 under those burdens to which they have so silently sub¬ 
 mitted. 
 
 As regards the depressed state of agriculture, many may 
 attribute it to the Repeal of the Corn Laws; and, perhaps, 
 there may be some truth in supposing that the alteration has 
 been felt by the farmers. But is that any reason, I would 
 ask, why we should advocate the system of “ Protection ?”— 
 
Certainly not. If tlie agriculturist is to be protected, why 
 not protect the tradesman ? Does the tradesman sound any 
 alarm when a tax or duty, which formerly raised the price of 
 his article, is repealed ? He knows full well, that it is for 
 the benefit of the public, and he submits.—So must it be with 
 the agriculturist. It is true, there can be no statute passed 
 for the common good, without affecting private interest. We 
 sympathize with the agriculturist, but we forget the thou¬ 
 sands of our fellow-countrymen in the manufacturing districts, 
 struggling amidst squalid wretchedness to obtain the bare ne¬ 
 cessaries of life; and we pass by the poor agricultural la¬ 
 bourer, who is compelled to maintain himself upon a pittance 
 which scarcely supplies him with bread, and which renders 
 him as servile and depressed as any object of most feudal 
 bondage. 
 
 The only question which has to be inquired into is, the 
 remedy for the present state of the agriculturist. The cause 
 may he attributed to the unhealthy system of competition in 
 the hiring of farms, which has raised the price of land to 
 a rate unequal to its produce.—To the ready procuring of 
 money, which has enabled men of no capital to offer reck¬ 
 lessly an exorbitant price for farms.—To the present stag¬ 
 nant state of the money market, owing, in a great measure, 
 to the want of confidence which now so generally exists ; and 
 which makes bankers and money brokers unusually careful 
 in making loans.—And to the oppressive taxation, under 
 which, not only the farmer, but every individual of the com¬ 
 munity, labours. 
 
 What then is the remedy? not the clamorous cry for “ Pro¬ 
 tection,” but the natural system of Free Trade, both in agri¬ 
 cultural and all other articles of life ; and such a reduction of 
 rent and taxation, as will be equal to the produce of the far¬ 
 mer, and which fair and average crops will enable him to pay. 
 
 But, perhaps, the rich landlord will inquire—“ What am I 
 to do, if my rents are lowered ? ” the reply is, the burden is 
 mutual, and must be equally borne; and all will, of course, 
 be naturally affected by the change ; and there is no reason. 
 
5 
 
 why the landed proprietor should not bear his portion of the 
 national grievance, as others. 
 
 What would he said if house proprietors were to ask for 
 protection, and solicit parliament for a heavy impost upon 
 bricks and timber, to deter parties from building, and prevent 
 an increase in the number of houses.—Are not the owners 
 of houses obliged to reduce their rents ? Instances there are 
 in our towns, of houses being reduced to one-half, and even 
 to one-third, their former rent.-—What says the lauded pro¬ 
 prietor at his income being thus proportionately reduced.— 
 The only answer is, that he mnst submit to the changes and 
 exigencies of the times, and the effects of increased popu¬ 
 lation and taxation. TTis lot is no harder than that of the 
 house proprietor instanced above; and he has had, moreover, 
 the additional advantage of unhealthy competition, by which 
 the price of his land has been exorbitantly and unnaturally 
 
 As respects the comparative ease of the landowner from 
 taxation, regard has been always had, in our legal enactments, 
 to the landed interest; and the taxes and duties connected 
 with real property have always been considerably less than 
 those upon commerce and industry— of the equity thereof, 1 
 leave my readers to judge. 
 
 As examples, I would quote the exemption, from duty of 
 the heir or devisee of real property, whilst the legatee of 
 personal property is taxed in a manner comparatively unjust.— 
 Let any impartial man examine the duties upon land, witli 
 those upon trade and industry, and see how comparatively 
 light are those of the former to those of the latter. As an 
 instance, I would take that of an ordinary tradesman or far¬ 
 mer, with a stock or capital of (say) from fifteen hundred 
 to two thousand pounds; upon his death, his representatives, 
 before they can legally take possession of his property, are 
 liable to a probate duty of forty pounds, if he die leaving a 
 will; and sixty, if he die without. In addition to this, the 
 legatees are liable to a further duty upon the sum bequeathed 
 to them, before they receive their bequests.—At the same 
 
6 
 
 time, bow stands the man of real property ? he is totally free 
 from any such imposition —and yet far better able to bear 
 such a tax. To do justice to all parties, real property should 
 not only be liable to similar imposts as personal property, 
 but even upon an increased scale ; for the former is real and 
 fixed, whereas the latter is uncertain and fluctuating. But, 
 perhaps, some will say, that real property is liable to stamp 
 duty upon sale or mortgage. True it is, but in a proportion 
 far below the duties payable upon personal property at de¬ 
 cease. I noticed above that the probate duties upon the ex¬ 
 ample which I adduced, would be forty and. sixty pounds, 
 according as a party died testate or intestate.—And now what 
 is the duty imposed upon a mortgage or conveyance of similar 
 amount ? only six pounds in the former, and twelve in the 
 latter case.—Is this then justice or equality of taxation ? 
 Is this a system which ought to be tolerated ? and yet the 
 landowners say, they cannot afford to lower their rents, when 
 they are the men that are least taxed; and they know the 
 rental to be in general, so high, that the honest farmer cannot 
 
 Again, the present system of Income and Property Tax is 
 equally unjust.—That income, derivable from property, should 
 be assessed in the same manner as income derived from trade 
 and industry, is unfair and disproportionate ; yet, to all this, 
 have the trader and professional man, as well as the agricul¬ 
 turist, to submit. 
 
 If we are to be burdened with Income Tax, which, by the 
 way, is as unjust as it is inquisitorial, I would contend, that it 
 ought not to be altogether assessed upon the income, hut upon 
 the capital employed in the raising such income. —It is grossly 
 unfair for the tradesman, earning five hundred pounds a year, 
 upon, probably, a capital of one thousand or fifteen hundred 
 pounds to be assessed in the same ratio with the landed propri¬ 
 etor possessing the same income, derivable from a capital equal 
 to ten or twelve thousand pounds, or even more ; and that fixed 
 and certain, and not subject to those risks to which even the 
 most industrious and attentive man is frequently liable. 
 
The landowner forgets that professions and trades are taxed, 
 not only with Income Tax, but have other imposts upon each 
 particular branch.—Thus is the solicitor liable to an annual 
 payment of twelve pounds if resident in London, and eight 
 pounds in the country ; in addition to the sum of one hundred 
 and twenty pounds upon indenture, and twenty-jive pounds 
 upon admission.—The banker, too, is liable to a payment of 
 thirty pounds; the pawnbroker, to seven pounds, ten shillings; 
 the auctioneer, to ten pounds; the dealer in foreign wines, to 
 ten pounds, ten shillings; the vinegar maker to jive pounds, jive 
 shillings ; and L may go on to instance the many duties upon 
 innkeepers, beer and spirit retailers, stage coach proprietors, 
 and vendors of different articles—such as stamped patent me¬ 
 dicines, game, tea, coffee, tobacco, &c., &c.; all which fall 
 heavily upon the commercial and industrious man, and not 
 only materially lessen his profits, but, added to the further bur¬ 
 dens of local and assessed taxes, surround him with difficul¬ 
 ties, which frequently end in disappointment and despair;— 
 and lead to the loud outcry for reform in every branch of the 
 national expenditure ! 
 
 Tile honest well-wisher to the common weal, who advocates 
 a system of Financial Reform, is not unfrequenlly reproached 
 with the names of “ Chartist ” and “ Republicanbut let it 
 not be forgotten, that if a man feels from experience the bur¬ 
 den of taxation and refuses submission to the unjust yoke, is 
 he in no way less patriotic to his country or less loyal to his 
 queen. All he desires and expects is, an amelioration of his 
 grievances, by such a reduction of the national expenditure 
 as will induce a decrease of taxation ; and whilst it will render 
 unnecessary the waging of aggressive wars abroad, will, at 
 the same time, (end to promote happiness and prosperity at 
 home. 
 
 I feel that I need add no more : what I have adduced will 
 sufficiently convince every right-minded man, that we are 
 governed by a landed interest, and that the burdens upon 
 real property are light compared with the heavy imposts upon 
 industry and commerce, 
 
8 
 
 This fact being apparent, it is the duty of the landowners 
 to go hand-in-hand with their tenantry ; and under a convic¬ 
 tion that the interests of the one are naturally interwoven in 
 those of the other, to elfect such a fair reduction of the rent- 
 roll as will satisfy the agriculturist; and whilst it will enable 
 him to gain a comfortable competence, will also induce him to 
 employ an increased number of labourers, and decrease the 
 present heavy burden of poor-rates.—Thus will the land pro¬ 
 prietors render the agriculturist portion of the community 
 important and influential members of the state. 
 
 In conclusion, what I have addressed has been from con¬ 
 viction that some measures must be adopted to preserve the 
 agriculturists, or sad may be the result both to landlords and 
 themselves. It is folly looking to parliament to adopt steps, 
 which, though beneficial to a smaller portion of society, is, 
 doubtless, prejudicial to the greater. Regard must be had 
 to the welfare of the bulk of our population ; and laws, bene¬ 
 ficial to the majority, must, at all times, be submitted to by 
 the minority. England is, essentially, a commercial and tra¬ 
 ding country. Her vessels traverse all parts of the wide 
 ocean; and whilst her mercantile transactions are so great, 
 every measure must be taken to throw open her harbours, for 
 the free export and import of domestic and foreign manu¬ 
 factures and produce. 
 
 The remedy, then, for the present distress in agriculture, 
 does not rest with parliament. It rests individually with the 
 landlords; and it is tlicir duty and good sense to consider 
 their interests bound up with those of their tenants; and, being 
 convinced, that they must yield, in some measure, to the 
 changes and exigencies of the times, to meet their tenants 
 upon such fair and reasonable terms in reduction of their 
 rentals, as will, in the end, preserve the agriculturist from 
 loss, and restore the blessings of quietude and contentment. 
 
 FINIS.