THE AUTI-TITHE AGITATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 6261, 7 March 1882, Page 3

THE AUTI-TITHE AGITATION.

A SCENE IN BEIIKSHIRE. {Christian World.)

Politjcal p!)ilosO])hers have long accepted it' as a commonplace- that tithe, in every age and country, lias been a most unfortunate and ill-fated species of property. Always and everywhere thoro has been something in its nature, in the mode of its imposition, in the manner of ita payment, which has made it tho prolific source of difficulties and dissensions, if or well-nigh half a century since tho second Iteform Ministry took it in hand, there lias been comparative peace regarding- it in "England, though the exaction has always been foft as irksome and heavy. Before that time there wero what Dean Swift described as constant " frauds, _ branglos, and difficulties" connected with it. The weight and sharpness of tho present agricultural distress, the palpable defects and blunders in tho existing law, which are vividly illustrated by tho present condition of things, along with tho harsh,"rigid, and peremptory manner in which the Tithe Commissioners work the faulty mechanism with the administration of which thiiy are entrusted —all conspire to make it probable thero will bo a recurrence of those days, unless the speedy exercise of legislative providence urn! K!:.ilJ.'should Jcwsen and readjust the intolerable pressure that is now inflicted. Let tho chronicle of a proceeding1 which happened in Berkshire on Tuesday demonstrate the prevalence of this temper, and the grounds of it.

Mr John "Wingfiekl, of Whistlcy Mill Farm, in tin"! parish- of Hurst, near Twyford, had refused to pay what ho deemed the unreasonable sum asked from him, had been distrained upon in eon.wquenec, nine young steers being impounded and put in charge of two caretakers, and had been informed that if ho did not cash up a couple of valuers wauld be brought down on Tuesday who would put a prise upon tho cattle, at wliich sum he might have them back, otherwise they would pass into the hands of the men who estimated their worth, Mr AVing-

tield issued u general invitation to those interested to attend and sou what they should see. 1 determined to bo present. The Great Western railway carries one down to Twvfovd in an hour. Hurst is only a iuik, oit. It is a lint and low-lying bit of country. At wesent it is greatly flooded, oven the devaied and .sloping ground, whore thesoilappeari-'gra-vullv showing much surface- water among tl°o vouii" wheat. Whistle;,- Mill « ;i pleasant homo*stuad, surround jd by meadow*, but- almost unapproachable, for parts of them have been converted by the rainy into mere swamps and the r^id has for a good way been turned into a watercourse. The farm is small, and it. does not strike a stranger it would be possible hi vai.se from it in su-h a season as the last £500 worth of produce. Yet the _ iitncs Commission sought £-18 Us 3d as their share. On getting there I found a goodly company assembled. It grew till tho hour of noon. Well-nigh 100 persons were present, consisting' almost exclusively of farmers, who with much animation and shrewdness, and an entire unanimity, talked over tho .subject that had brought them together. At 12 o'clock a common impulse moved everyone to the barn, when Mr Wiu"hold moved that Sir Running-, a gentleman tney all knew and respected, should bo asked to preside over them. Mr Dtinnm" having consented, proceeded to address the meeting in an admirably lucid,, forcible, and moderate speech He expressed a hope that the occasion tot- such a meeting would soon be done away At present, however, he said it was a grievous thing that many of them should have to pay more tithe than rent. He did not deny that tho Act of ISG3 introduced a great iuv Si'?iT e?i eni: ou tho Previous state of affairs, btill the Act itself is cranky and defective and its provisions have not been observed It contemplated returns from millers and dealers m three hundred towns. That number had been reduced one-half, and the schedules were not filled up as they ought to be. Vain the system of lv septennial average told most disastrously in a bad year. He had worked out his own liability for his last crop, and found it to "be £70 odd, against the £107 10s ho was charged. Were he a needy man, labouring betwixt wind and water, that difference might be of enormous value. It would buv for him from his bankers the loan of £1200 with which he might hold on till the better time they all look for shall arrive. Another hardship is, the Commission will not wait for their money. They force.one to thresh out and realise at once. These, and other disadvantages, must strike every practical man, and incline him heartily (to support a resolution that the lithe ivct should be repealed, or (what ho considered to be the right course) thoroughly amended. A resolution to this effect was cordially proposed by Mr Heath, a farmer, and seconded m a rather 'diffuse speech by Mr Laker, a barrister. Tho Rev. J. S. Eeanay, of Heading, followed in a very weighty and tolling address. He deprecated attacks on tho o ei-gy some of whom, largely dependent on glebe lands are follow sufferers, while others nave made liberal remissions of tithe They' ought., to combine for the purpose of' forcing this question to the front in tho coming, session* A o question had precedence of it. Let them writs to their representatives : ho ventured to say their resolution would be approved by any public meeting they chose to call in Reading Thus the votes of the borough members without whom they could not hope for success would bo won. 'Bio fact is that, if ti-uo to themselves, they have M° w P fl Wi, °f all P°litical Parti*. Mr Wingfield followed. He is an ■ excellent speaker, clear, copious, and self-possessed ■ <-U the outset he observed it was a serious thinthat he tillers of the soil should be hampered and burdened with such an impost. How could they compete with America or Australia when both it and the load of poor-rate are unknown? Ho felt very grateful to the large and influential gathering which had assembled and the unequivocal tokens of sympathy and support ho had received. -Ho might tell them how lie came to fill the position ho occupied Ihe year "/9 \ras a black'one for farmers generally. It had been specially dismal to him. 1 hey saw the situation of his form. In that year £200 worth of hay was suddenly swept off, or made fit only for manure. He earned nothing from his other crops. He had } U nfaGj' -ul(? st I1' 3 working capital. His andlord behaved with a noble generosity; but tho Tithes Commissioners, to whom he represented his case, would hot abate one iota of their claim. He paid, but afterwards'he resolved never to do so again. His motive was simply to drag tnis grievance into light, to coucenurate attention upon it, and to "stimulate, a legal and constitutional agitation such as Would bring a remedy. He moved a vote of thanks to the Chairman, who, in response said there was one thing he had done they could all do. lhey received year by year papers to fill up as to their acreage and crops. Why should they not be trusted also to return their sales and prices ? He had declined to do the one unless he was held competent to do the other and ho advised them all to follow his exacnple' Air .Lane, of Wokington, suggested they should appoint a committee to meet next market-day at heading, and arrange for a public meeting, inis was enthusiastically approved, and straightway suggestions wer<* made that other towns should likewise be visited. Mr Holmes as a landlord and a tenant, desired to say how pleased he was with tho spirit and proceedings of the meeting. He balanced hi.s books from harvest to harvest, and he did not mind tellin°them that last year his return hardly paid his labour-bill For himself he had determined in future, unless this tithe imposition was readjusted not to pay it, but like his friend Wmgheld, to say in answer to tho demand, • You can come and take it." With this announcement, which was hailed with hearty plaudits, tho meeting, which throughout had been exceedingly cnthusi.-istic, came to an end. With, one coil sent the company repaired to the straw-yard, where the impounded beasts— young, shaggy-coated, but promising animals— wero on viow. Very soon three persons were descried approaching—a dapper, gaily-attired, little man, who proved to be the auctioneer, and two more burly and bucolic companions, the valuers. After some colloquy they approached Mr Wingfield, .who invited them to the barn, whither the major part of die company followed. The man of the hammer did not like tho throng, and somewhat sharply asked "Where is the money?" To which Mr Wingfield replied, "In my-pocket and you shall have it." He then intimated F hat ' ie iVas to "et baok llis beasts on paying too lps, and, taking up a sieve, which lie placed on a barrel, prepared to tell tho gold into it, saying, "You have sifted us, sir, till the wheat nas gone, and only the clnff remains." Ho was interrupted by a shout •Don t pay ; you need not take their valuation ; you are entitled to compare it with a report from valuers of your own/' At first he was rather staggered by this loudly-seconded counsel; but soon recovering, said " But 1 have promised," and began to count verv leisurely. When he had deuosited 30 sovereigns, lie said, "That, I suppose, will go to the luxurious gentlemen who ride in coaches, wear mitres, and arc. called 'My ■ Lord. Ten more were laid down, and then came the exclamation, "That's for the poor curates who do the drudgery, and are so paid that they are glad to accept the castofa clothing of -a- respectable parishioner." ■°, .Jm, tale of 50 b^'S completed, hs said: /'These six will probably go to my own vicar; the balance, save the few shillings 1 have to get back, will pay the tools who have made my calves into these golden images. A roar of laughter greeted each comment;. Meantime the destined receiver keeping an unlit cigar betwixt his teeth' strove to appear cool, though betraying plain symptoms of nervousness. Summoning aU his nerve lie proceeded to recount the money, amid jeering exclamations of ?°T»S a«Tr°n, look8!" "Where will he Pi r, ™M tab thrao one," and the like. When ho had finished he spent a long time m fumbling over the form of receipt while fresh hootings and taunts assailed him .This ousmess concluded, Mr Wingfield handed him an account of £3 12s for the keep of the cattle during the timo they had been out of his possession. The young man was disconcerted and the clamorous advices to pay, even were it under protest, which rose from all sides did not- tend to reassure him. After a time lie said "If I had kept them elsewhere it would have been at your expense," and buttoned up his pocket. Some further carlo y ensued, whereupon Mr Wingfield meekly au<i gested, But you'll give me my change?" J.ne pardonablo obliviousness thus rebukedprovoked another volley of derision. Hurriedly taking out four shillings arid, some coppers, ho turned and pft-.mrnd to Jeave It was a task of some difficulty. I regret to say he was unmercifully hooted and hustled and but for the few friends who formed a sort of body-guard—the valuers and the bailiffs—ho might have been subjected to very rough usa"e In the doorway a fight was narrowly averted' and even when outside hi.s persecutions did not end. Ke and his myrmidons wero escorted off tho farm by a hooting crowd, largely augmented by tboso who had gathered outside. JNor was this all, for someone had hired three strolling- musicians, who walked closo behind, discoursing music from brazen in struments ; so that the procession irresistibly suggested t/ie leave-taking of a soldier expelled from his regiment, being drummed out to tne tune of tho " Rogues'March." More than once during the brief journey a scrimmage apomed imminent, but it was happily prevented till, the boundary of the farm being reached % loud parting yell was uttered at tho obnoxious hvo, who thereupon took their way by a footpath across the fields at a- siiglitly accelerated rate from tho funereal pace thev had defiantly maintained

Ifc was a .sight such as I never saw before— such an i. never expected to sec in rural England. It betokens, lam persuaded, tho kindling'of an excitement which will spread far aud be difficult to extinguish.—Lam, &c., A lU.mbi.eii.