one side, looks over a very fine country; Coming from Ipswich to Bury St. whereas Ipswich is in a dell, meadows Edmund's, you pass through Needhamrunning up above it, and a beautiful market and Stowmarket, two very arm of the sea below it. The town itself pretty market towns; and, like all the is substantially built, well paved, every other towns in Suffolk, free from the thing good and solid, and no wretched drawback of shabby and beggarly dwellings to be seen on its outskirts. houses on the outskirts. I remarked From the town itself, you can see no- that I did not see in the whole county thing; but you can, in no direction, go one single instance of paper or rags from it a quarter of a mile without supplying the place of glass in any winfinding views that a painter might crave, dow, and did not see one miserable hoand then, the country round about it, vel in which a labourer resided. The so well cultivated; the land in such a county, however, is flat: with the exbeautiful state, the farm-houses all ception of the environs of Ipswich, there white, and all so much alike; the barns, is none of that beautiful variety of hill and every thing about the homesteds so and dale, and hanging woods, that you snug; the stocks of turnips so abun- see at every town in Hampshire, Susdant every where; the sheep and cattle sex, and Kent. It is curious, too, that, in such fine order; the wheat all drilled; though the people, I mean the poorer the ploughman so expert; the furrows, classes of people, are extremely neat in if a quarter of a mile long, as straight their houses, and though I found all as a line, and laid as truly as if with a their gardens dug up and prepared for level in short, here is every thing to cropping, you do not see about their delight the eye, and to make the people cottages (and it is just the same in Norproud of their country; and this is the folk) that ornamental gardening; the case throughout the whole of this walks, and the flower borders, and the county. I have always found Suffolk honey-suckles, and roses, trained over farmers great boasters of their superio- the doors, or over arched sticks, that rity over others; and I must say that it you see in Hampshire, Sussex, and is not without reason. Kent, that I have many a time sitten But, observe, this has been a very upon my horse to look at so long and highly-favoured county: it has had so often, as greatly to retard me on my poured into it millions upon millions of journey. Nor is this done for show money, drawn from Wiltshire, and other or ostentation. If you find a cottage in inland counties. I should suppose that those counties, by the side of a by lane, Wiltshire alone has, within the last or in the midst of a forest, you find just forty years, had two or three millions of the same care about the garden and the money drawn from it, to be given to Es-flowers. In those counties, too, there ser and Suffolk. At one time there is great taste with regard to trees of were not less than sixty thousand men every description, from the hazel to the kept on foot in these counties. The in-oak. In Suffolk it appears to be just crease of London, too, the swellings the contrary: here is the great disof the immortal Wen, have assisted to heap wealth upon these counties; but, in spite of all this, the distress pervades all ranks and degrees, except those who live on the taxes. At Eye, butter used to sell for eighteen-pence a pound: it DOW sells for nine-pence halfpenny, though the grass has not yet begun to spring; and eggs were sold at thirty for a shilling. Fine times for me, whose principal food is eggs, and whose sole drink is milk, but very bad times for those who sell me the food and the drink.

sight of all these three eastern counties. Almost every bank of every field is studded with pollards, that is to say, trees that have been beheaded at from six to twelve feet from the ground, than which nothing in nature can be more ugly. They send out shoots from the head, which are lopped off once in ten or a dozen years for fuel, or other purposes. To add to the deformity, the ivy is suffered to grow on them, which, at the same time, checks the growth of the shoots. These pollards

Saint Austin in Kent. The land all round about it is good; and the soil is of that nature as not to produce much of dirt at any time of the year; but the country about it is flat, and not of that beautiful variety that we find at Ipswich.

After all, what is the reflection now called for? It is that this fine county, for which nature has done all that she

become hollow very soon, and, as tim- the greatest in the kingdom; and was so ber, are fit for nothing but gate-posts, ancient as to have been founded only even before they be hollow. Upon a about forty years after the landing of farm of a hundred acres these pollards, by root and shade, spoil at least six acres of the ground, besides being most destructive to the fences. Why not plant six acres of the ground with timber and underwood? Half an acre a year would most amply supply the farm with poles and brush, and with every thing wanted in the way of fuel; and why not plant hedges to be unbro-can do, soil, climate, sea-ports, people; ken by these pollards? I have scarcely every thing that can be done, and an inseen a single farm of a hundred acres ternal government, civil and ecclesiastiwithout pollards, sufficient to find the cal, the most complete in the world, farm-house in fuel, without any assist- wanting nothing but to be let alone, to ance from coals, for several years. make every soul in it as happy as people However, the great number of farm-can be upon earth: the peace provided houses in Suffolk, the neatness of those for by the county rates; property prohouses, the moderation in point of ex-tected by the law of the land; the poor tent which you generally see, and the great store of the food in the turnips, and the admirable management of the whole, form a pretty good compensation for the want of beauties. The land is generally as clean as a garden ought to be; and, though it varies a good deal as to lightness and stiffness, they make it all bear prodigious quantities of Swedish turnips; and on them pigs, sheep, and cattle, all equally thrive. I did not observe a single poor miserable animal | in the whole county.

provided for by the poor-rates; religion provided for by the tithes and the churchrates; easy and safe conveyance provided for by the highway-rates; extraordinary danger provided against by the militia-rates; a complete government in itself; but having to pay a portion of sixty millions a year in taxes, over and above all this; and that, too, on account of wars carried on, not for the defence of England; not for the upholding of English liberty and happiness, but for the purpose of crushing liberty and happiness in other countries; and all this because, and only because, a septennial parliament has deprived the people of their rights.

That which we admire most is not always that which would be our choice. One might imagine, that after all that I have said about this fine county, I should certainly prefer it as a place of

To conclude an account of Suffolk, and not to sing the praises of Bury St. Edmund's, would offend every creature of Suffolk birth; even at Ipswich, when I was praising that place, the very people of that town asked me if I did not think Bury St. Edmund's the nicest town in the world. Meet them wherever you will, they have all the same boast; and indeed, as a town in itself, it is the neat-residence. est place that ever was seen. It is airy, it has several fine open places in it, and it has the remains of the famous abbey walls and the abbey gate entire; and it is so clean and so neat that nothing can equal it in that respect. It was a favourite spot in ancient times; greatly endowed with monasteries and hospitals. Besides the famous Benedictine Abbey, there was once a college, and a friary; and as to the abbey itself, it was one of

I should not, however: my choice has always been very much divided between the woods of Sussex and the downs of Wiltshire. I should not like to be compelled to decide: but if I were compelled, I do believe that I should fix on some vale in Wiltshire. Water meadows at the bottom, cornland going up towards the hills, those hills being den land, and a farm-house, in a clump of trees, in some little cross vale between the hills, sheltered on

every side but the south. In short, if burden: the beer tax only one of its Mr. BANNER would give me a farm, the branches. The country people, who house of which lies on the right-hand are suffering the most, will receive no side of the road going from Salisbury benefit from the taking off of this tax: to Warminster, in the parish of Norton the malt tax would have enabled every Bovant, just before you enter that vil-man to brew his own beer; the greater lage; if he would but be so good as to do that, I would freely give up all the rest of the world to the possession of whoever may get hold of it. I have hinted this to him once or twice before, but I am sorry to say that he turns a deaf ear to my hinting.

part of countrymen would have made their own malt. I showed, in my "Cottage Economy," how destructive this tax was to the morals of the people, and how ruinous it was to the owners and tillers of the land, and what stupid and base fools the landowners were to So much for the country: now, let us suffer a tax to exist which compelled see a little what the folks in the WEN the people of England to give their mohave been doing, and first, with regard ney to the negro drivers for their sugar, to the taking off of taxes. On the 4th and to the Scotch jobbers in India and of March, our noble Prime Minister Leadenhall-street for their tea, instead said, that with regard to the taking off of giving it to them for their barley; of taxes, all that could be done con- and I remember when these tame repsistently with the safety and honour of tiles silently heard the impudent CASthe country had been done; that the TLEREAGH observe, that it was a happy conquests that we had made during the change that the people of England had war must be paid for, must be main- taken to drink tea instead of beer! tained at the nation's expense; that, in But what have these base men not enshort, all the taxes must be continued, dured, and made the people of England or the conquests must be given up. endure, from Scotchmen and from IrishThis our prime cock said on the 4th of men? The taking off of the beer tax On the 15th of March (only is a sop to pot-house politicians, and to eleven days later) came this prime the sots of great towns, the Wen in pargentleman's Chancellor of the Exche- ticular. To be sure it is a part taken quer, and announced the Duke's intention to take off three millions four hundred thousand pounds of the taxes! So much for consistency. Well, and now let us see what the taking off of these taxes will do. The taxes are those on beer, leather, and cider. That on cider amounts to much about a fifth part of the sum annually sent to Hanover, and other foreign parts, to give half-pay and allowances to the foreign officers (and their widows and children) who were employed in England during the last war. The leather tax, which amounts to about half a million of money annually, is so much of burden got rid of; the beer tax it is good to take off; but if the licensing system be at all continued, if the trade in beer be not quite free, here will be little more than a putting the amount of the tax into the hands of the monopolising brewers. The malt tar was the thing to take off: that is the root and the trunk of the

from the general burden, and so far it is good; but what is the amount after all? It is three millions and a half out of sixty millions, and I take upon me to assert, that this nation cannot pay thirty millions a year in taxes in the present currency for any length of time. Prices must come back to the mark of ninety one: all the shuffling in the world will not prevent it. Farmers are now living on their capital: every man of them says it: and, upon that capital, they cannot live any very great while. So much for taxes, the reduction in which will be felt as nothing. Even ten or fifteen millions would not have been felt; for, as my friend, Mr. DAVENPORT, very justly observed, the alteration in the currency has doubled the taxes. Sensible GOULBOURN, however, actually anticipates a return to prosperity next year. The sensible man does not recollect that, for thirty-four years England never has before been without one

pound notes; and he may be assured, | RICHMOND's motion, said, "that he that, without one-pound notes, we must" would allow two and three pound go back to the prices that existed be-" notes to circulate, and they would fore one-pound notes were made. Mind" carry the five-pound notes along with that, sensible GOULBOURN: mind, I say "them." I told sensible Goulbourn, that, and then, the rational question to in 1928, that the one-pound notes were put is this: Can the people pay fifty-six the legs which the five-pound notes millions and a half of taxes a year with marched upon; so that his lordship's wheat at four shillings and sixpence a figure is very much like mine; but he bushel? That is the question, sensible is very much mistaken if he thinks that GOULBOURN; had the two last been the two and three pound notes would average harvests, wheat would now do. They would give us the feast of have been four shillings and sixpence the gridiron, to be sure; but they the bushel; and it is not a bit the bet- would blow the thing up in a few ter for the farmer that it is higher, be- weeks, without a bank restriction; and cause the high price arises from the that would blow it up in a few months. smallness of the quantity; and, it is no The motion of the DUKE of RICHMOND, difference to me whether I have two" for a select committee to inquire into bushels of wheat to sell at four shillings" the internal state of the country, the and sixpence the bushel, or one bushel" condition of the working classes, and to sell at nine shillings. You observe," the effect of taxation upon productive sensible GOULBOURN, that timber, cop-" industry," led to a debate in which pice-wood, meat, butter, eggs, have all the ministers and their friends contendfallen since the year 1825, in a much ed that the committee would produce no greater proportion than corn has fallen. good; that it would excite false hopes, The reason is, sensible Goulbourn, that and would lead to a discussion about those articles have not been affected in the currency. In this debate JOHN their price by the seasons. So that, in LORD ELDON took a part, and from fact, the price of corn has come down him, as appears by the report, came the as well as other prices; and therefore following rather old-fashioned observathe question is, whether we can pay the tions: the EARL of ELDON said, that fifty-six millions a year with wheat at "if their lordships were disposed to four shillings and sixpence the bushel." satisfy the people that they wished I say that we cannot pay the interest" to relieve them, the first step should ot fhe Debt only, with wheat at that" be to inquire into the causes of the price. "distress under which they were sufferA fig for your Corn Bill, sensible" ing. This was a point he was anxious Goulbourn. The Corn Bill, a more ex- "to press most particularly upon them, clusive one than this, did not prevent the " because their own interests were infall of prices in 1822. Poh! therefore,"volved in the consideration of the for the Corn Bill; and to a stand-fast" question; for it had long been the you must come, unless you come to an "boast of England that all classes of its equitable adjustment, or to a return to" children were, as it were, dovetailed the small paper-money. Now, with together in a community of affection regard to the small paper-money, "for each other and the constitution. amongst the few sensible things that I" He remembered the mischievous prohave observed to be said in the House of " jects that were afloat in the years Commons, was the following by Sir" 1792-3-4 and 5, and how parliament had R. VIVIAN; that, sooner or later" succeeded in putting an end to them; "the Government must resort to a "and he hoped that their lordships "depreciated standard, or commit a" would, by the vote of that night, be "direct and open bankruptcy"; after" enabled to terminate projects of a this depreciated standard there seems to" similar nature which were then in be a continual hankering. LORD CAR-" agitation. He trusted, accordingly, NAVON, in the debate on the DUKE of" that there would be no longer any ob

"jection upon the part of the House to | Dungeon Bills; and in 1819 you passed "the motion for a committee." the Banishment Bill and the Blasphemy What the deuce could the good Lord Bill; and in spite of all these here is this mean? "He remembered," he said, abominably seditious distress come, cla"the mischievous projects that were on mouring and bawling from month's end "foot in 1792-3-4 5, and HOW Par- to month's end. In short, my LORD JOHN, "liament had succeeded in putting an if Parliament had not succeeded in "end to them; and he hoped that their putting an end to the projects of "lordships would, by the vote of that 1792-3-4-5, there would have been a "night, be enabled to terminate pro-reform of the Parliament, LORD JOHN; "jects of a similar nature which are there would have been no war against "now in agitation." What, then, did the people of France, if the projects of he expect that the Lords were going to 1792 had succeeded; and the nation vote for bills to put down the seditious would never have known its present distress! Good LORD JOHN does not distresses, and the peers would never seem to perceive that distress will not have been in that terrible alarm which be put down by sedition bills, nor by is evinced in all they say and all they prosecutions for high treason. Good do. It is odd that LORD JOHN should LORD JOHN has, doubtless, the political have chosen this occasion to disclaim Union of Birmingham in view; but, if having been the introducer of the Bank the good Lord were to get a vote for Restriction Act in 1797. He was Attorpunishing the gentlemen at Birming-ney General at the time, at any rate; ham, would that terminate the distress? and he supported the bill. He, as well and, if it would not, of what use would as LORD CARNARVON, seems to hanker the committee be? The good Lord after the small notes; and is reported seems to have no notion at all of any to have observed, that "the poor-rates remedy that is not of a coercive nature." in his native county of NorthumberParsons are always for preaching down" land were only eighteen-pence in the distress; and lawyers for hanging it, or " pound, while, in some of the southern putting it in irons. Set at it, good" counties, they were as high as twenty LORD JOHN: indict the distress; or file" shillings in the pound. He could an information against it. You re- 66 very easily account for this, for the member, do you, HOW Parliament" small notes would no more stay in succeeded in putting an end to the pro-" Scotland than any thing else would. jects of 1792-3-4-5? We all remember" In that part of the country the people it as well as you, LORD JOHN. We all" were too far north for the southerns, remember how Parliament succeeded." and they manage better than to But that was a different affair, LORD" want small notes merely because the JOHN ! Then we had a debt that re- "Ministers said they should not have quired only nine millions and a half a" them." Now, this may be a false reyear to pay the interest of it, and now port of his speech; for words so foolish we have a debt that requires more than as these certainly never could drop from thirty millions a year to pay the interest the lips of man. What! does this man and charges of it. We had then taxes think that these Scotch small notes come to the amount of about thirty millions a into Northumberland and prevent the year, LORD JOHN (1795), and we have distress there! And does he not know now taxes to the amount of fifty-six that the distress of the farmers in Scotmillions a year, LORD JOHN. In the land is greater than it is in England; year 1816 I recommended to the Attor- and does he not see, poor old genney General of that day to file an ex-tleman, that, if the paper were so officio information against that seditious abundant in Scoland as to cause it to devil, the debt, assuring him that it was keep up prices there, there would be quite useless to prosecute any body else. an exchange between Scotland and EngYou would not follow my advice; but, land against Scotland! Does he not see, in 1817, you passed the Gagging and that it is impossible that it should be