Hunt, Henry, 1773-1835; Social reformers -- Great Britain -- Biography
Thus it clearly appears in this parish, within the last 30
years, labour has risen from 6_s_. to 8_s_. per week, 33 per
cent., the quartern loaf from 5_d_. to 10-1/2_d_., 105 per cent.,
the rent of land from 400_l_. to 1,260_l_., 212 per cent. This
proves that bread has risen within this period more
than three times as much as labour, and land more than
twice as much as bread, and more than six times as much
as labour. At the present price of land, corn, bread, and
labour, the landlord is benefited three times as much as
the farmer, and six times as much as the labourer.
Mr. Benett said, that he had, since the period mentioned
by Mr. Hunt, purchased the tithes, and added
them to the farm, which was included in the present
rent. Mr. Hunt replied, that he was perfectly aware of
this circumstance, as well as of another circumstance
equally important, which was this, that Mr. Benett bad
taken a considerable portion of the best land from his
farm, and added it to another, which produced a greater
rent than the value of the tithes, therefore the balance
was more in favour of the landlord than be had
stated. He had mentioned this particular farm, as it belonged
to Mr. Benett, the proposer of the present measure;
but from his own knowledge (having an estate
himself in the same parish) he could state, that the land
had risen in the same, and, in some instances, in a higher
proportion. He, therefore, particularly enjoined the
farmers to pause before they gave their sanction to a measure,
which had only for its object the benefit and aggrandizement
of a few rapacious landholders, whilst it
was calculated to shift the odium of a dear loaf off their
own shoulders, and fix it upon the back of the farmer.
Let the odium rest where it was due, upon those who
were the supporters of the war, upon those who have fattened
upon the miseries of the people.--Mr. Bleeck followed
on the same side with Mr. Hunt, exposing the fallacy
of attempting to palm upon the meeting a petition,
professing to have for its object the welfare of the tradesman
and the mechanic, whilst the operation of it would
tend to perpetuate the misery they had so long endured;
he called to the recollection of many of the meeting, the
scenes which they had been in the habit of witnessing in
that hall, the walls of which had so often resounded with
the professions of those gentlemen who were now complaining
of the present times, the effect of that war, to
support which, they had so often solemnly pledged, not
only their last guinea, but their last drop of blood. He
called upon the Chairman not to blink the question, because
the majority of the meeting appeared against the
petition, but let it fairly meet its fate.--Paul Methuen,
Esq., one of the representatives for the county, said, that
seeing a meeting called, signed by a number of respectable
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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