Page:History of the Anti corn law league.pdf/436

420 5. That the farmer had been injured by the depression of trade and manufactures, which has greatly lessened the market for his produce, and, consequently, greatly reduced it in price.

6. That this reduction has not been occasioned by Sir Robert Peel's tariff, inasmuch as it has fallen heavily on cheese and butter, the import duties on which have not been touched.

7. That farmers suffer from the depression of trade by the increase of poor rates, occasioned by the return to agricultural districts of labourers who had previously found profitable employment in towns.

8. That farmers further suffer from the difficulty of finding suitable employment for such of their sons daughters as are not needed upon the farm.

9. That labourers suffer alike from the latter cause, that their wages do not rise and fall with the rise and fall of provisions.

10. That the land-tax is not an exclusive burthen requiring an equivalent, but a commutation, which, in common justice, ought to have advanced with the advance of the rent of land, and the increase of other public burthens.

11. That tithes are not an exclusive burthen on the land, tithes being a property held by an older tenure than the tenure of land and that their abolition would only tend to raise rents.

12. That poor rates are not an exclusive burthen upon land, all trading and manufacturing property being equally liable.

13. That landowners not only bear no exclusive burthens, but are favoured with numerous exemptions, in probate and legacy duties, on auction duties, insurance duties, taxes on farm horses, &c.

14. That they have already a great natural protection in the cost of import, ranging from 9s. to 20s. per quarter, equal to from 27s. to 60s. on the acre of wheat crop.