The National Register. — London, England, 1812-08-30 00:00:00

~~ 530 corn dealers that degree of credit, whether deservedly or ' not it is not for us to say, that it has been thought a kind of political sacrilege to meddle where they were concerned, and hence it has holden out to the exactions of avarice the encouragement of impunity. We do not deny that it is the interest of the people that their daily, weekly, and monthly • consumption should be proportioned, as exactly as possible, to the supply of the season ; but it is not so clear to us that it will not appear to the corn factor to be his interest to charge the dearth .price at the commencement of the season, when there is no chance of a fa.nine at its. close. It may be that the dealer mistakes his interest; but the circumstance of his having a quantity of corn left on his hands at the close of the season, affords but slender consolation to the consumer for having been compelled to pay au unncessarily high price. Much more of system appears to have been intro duced into the arrangements of the dealers than was formerly to be observed. There is more of combination in all their pro ceedings; and their numbers are SO far reduced and ascer tained, that their acts carry with them more the air of a body corporate, than it was formerly supposed possible for them ever to bear. They have their circulars and other means for conveying intelligence, with almost the rapidity of a telegraph, to thoSe concerned in keeping up the prices in the market, to enable thent to proportion the supply .to the demand, so as to guard against any serious reduction. Their provident anxiety to save us from the evils of a famine, seems always to exert itself sutllcieutly early. That extreme danger which might otherwise he apprehended, is thus con stantly averted. This may be a subject of rejoicing, but it unfortunately goes to make the dearth price the common price. It ensures us the inconveniences of a dearth, when it may very fairly be doubted whether there is any chance or reasonable probability of our being exposed to the horrors of a famine. To us, therefore, it is not quite clear that the interests of the corn dealers are the same with those of the people. It is the interest of the people that the market should be as abundantly stocked as possible. It is the interest of the corn dealer that it should be as scantily supplied as possible to meet the actual demand. That a scanty supply may in years of scarcity have a tendency to lessen the consump tion, is probable, and that by this, the public may be in some degree be benefitted we admit, though we cannot attach to this argument ail the importance which in the estimation of some writers of eminence belongs to it. It may prevent flour being used for purposes of luxury to the extent to which otherwise it might be employed, but the final saving does not appear to be of that magnitude which it has been represent ed. fewer tarts, pies, and puddings, may probably be made, but the flour which is not thus consumed is not to be considered as altogether saved. Used in the most ex pensive luxuries, the flour would still contribute to human susteoance. In some iostances it would undoubtedly be consumed in waste, but in others, if it lessened the stock for bread, it would also lessen the consumption of that necessary article.* This argument, we must therefore repeat, has not all that force which some have appeared to imagine ; and that the interests of the public and . the corn dealers are often.widely.different we cannot entertain a doubt. Let us suppose, for instance r that. that which is represented to be so Injurious to the corn dealer, should actually take place in consequence of his endeavouring to keep the price of corn above what it would naturally be: that is, let us suppose, that al the time the new crop comes in, a' considerable quantity' . of the old one should-remain on his . hands. - . Let - tis suppose, too, that the-stock so ramaining, should. be. liable - to 'cleray before Is ei rjallidtattif—it-•nay, let us suppose, that. it • e.- "bv ~sv !, ~,,c . ....''.,.. 4 , j t. , , 9 ^ "r ! .~ti:• , . AUG. 30. would be totally lost to him—what is the result ? lf , by dis. posing of half the crop at a dearth price, be can get as much as he could have got for the whole of it, or even only as much as be could have got for three-fourths of it, at thena tural price, he may still be considerably a gainer, though the lemainder should rot in his barns. The returns will pio bably he greater in the first instance, than under other ch. cumstances they would have been, had the whole crop bet disposed of, while the out-goings must be considerably less. lie is relieved from a pa2 . t of the labour and expense, as welt as from the care and anxiety to which he must have been expoed, and which it was impossible to avoid, had he brought the whole to market. We think it unnecessary to say another word, to prove that the interests of the corn dealer may be wholly incompatible with the interests of the public. With every disposition to abstain from casting an inju rious reflection on the farmers or corn dealers, we cannot but incline to the opinion, that the price of corn has been artificially. raised above what it ought to be. It may here be proper to take a view of the prices it has borne; and the fluctuations of those prices at various parts of our history. Doing this, we are actuated solely by a wish to enable the public to form a correct judgment of the. advance which has taken place, and of the probable causes of that advance. (To be continued.) FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. [FROM THE FRENCH PAPERS.] ELEVENTH BULLETIN ' ITFPSK, Anti. 4.—lntercepted letters from - the camp of Migration speak of the losses sustained by his corps in the battle of Mohilow, and of the number of desertions from which it has suffered on the route, Every Pole has remained in his country, so that this corps, which including the cossacks of Platow, amounted to 50,000 men, is now reduced to less than 30,1)00. It will juil the gland army on the 7th or Sth of August, at Smolensk. The Wowing is the position occupied by the army on the 4th of August. Head-quarters at Witep4, with four bridges on the Da ina. The 4th corps at Samai, occupying . Veluj, Porietche, end Ousirath. The King of Naples ut Roudenu, wi-h the three first corps of cavalry. The first corps, commanded by Marshal the Prince of Eel:mold, is at the mouth of the Beressina, on the Burysthenes, with ttvo bridges over this last-mentiened river, and 011'2 bridge upon the Veressina, with double totes-de-pent. The third corps, commanded by Marshal the Duke of Elchingen, is at Liozna. The Bth corps, commanded by the Duke of A brantes, is at Orcha, with two bridges, tens-'!e porn upon the Borysthenes. The sth carps, commaeded by Pt ince Ponia towsky, is at Mohilow, with two bridges, and tetes-de-punt upon the Borysthenes. The 2d corps, commanded by Marshal the Duke of Reggio' is upon the Driau, advanced before Polotsk, upon the road to Sebi. The Prince De Schwartzenberg is with his corps at Sienne. The Vth corps is upen Itozans. The 4th corps of chvally, with a division of infantry, commanded by General Collin Manberg, is before Brobunsk and Mozier. The 10th corp', commanded by the Duke of Tarentutn, is before Dtmaberg and Rota. The ninth corps, commanded by the Duke of Belluno, is assembled at Tilsit. The eleventh corps, commanded by the Duke of Castiglione, is at Stet tin. His Majesty has sent the army into quarters of refreshment. The heat is excessive. greater than what it is in Italy. The thermometer is at 26 and 17 degrees. The nights even are warm. General Skamenskoi, - with two division et of the coro of Bagrntioo, having been cut off from that corps, and not being Ode to rejoin it. • has entered ‘Volytillia, effected a junz.tion with the division 9f recruits commended by General Tormazow, and marched upon the 7th corps lie surprized and cut off the Saxon Brigadier-General Mengel, %slits had under his command an advanced guard of two battalions, and two squadrons of Prince *Clement's regiment. • After a resistance. of six hours duration, the greater part of this advanced guard were killed or taken. General Count Itegnier could not come up to their assistance sooner than two hours after the affair was over. Prince Schwartzen berg. marched on the 30th of July to join General Reignier, and push the war with spirit against the enemy's divisions. On the 19th, the Prussian Cieneral Grawert attacked the Russians at Tskttu ,in Zourland, overthrow them, took YOU prisonets, and killed o' rr7N, THE NATIONAL REGISTER. _