The National Register. — London, England, 1822-04-07 00:00:00

•W 7 K AGRICULTURAL li E.POR 7'. PARIJAMENTARY PAPER. The Select (: ))))) mince appointed to isolate into the alle gations of Cie several petitions winos have been ;pre sented to the house in the last and precept sessiwis of Pa:Hainaut, coinplainia; of the distressed state of the agriculture of the Visited Kingdom, and to report their ouservations thereupon to ilk anise. Coitsideied that among all Ilse important olijet is refer red to Them, none could be more deserting of tads ea nest Attention than an itiquiry into any 'oratories that valid be suggested for ;dialling some temporal y relief to the tits tresses of which the tames ens petitioners with so non reason complain, and which appear, from the returns of the averages prices Of ruin dui Atig the late weeks*, to be ogressively increasing rattle' than diminishing. Your committee do not vet the to determine, whether the present state of the corn non kit is owing to an excess -of ps eduction, or to what extent that excess may reach, beyond the usual and requisite Supply or eiliether the necessities of the occupiers of land cause an unprece dented eagernesa to dispose of noir produce at almost any price: but it appeal - , Irmo ass official retorts, that the yellowy of tarnish wheat and oats eat slot of barley) sold is Mai k-latie, between the let of November wad tile lot of March last, ltd, very considerably exceeded the spoo -1 lily sold in the corresponding months of the 20 pi eceding years. Such an excess of supply beyond demand can have no other etlect than to continue the depression of price, and increase the oceisinulatiwi of the stock anima hood t while it is evident, from the piesent very low rate of pi ice Oil the continent of Europe, as Cotlipaied with prices in this count' yohat then• is no chance of resorting to the natural expedient of rebeving the mat ket by expoiiing any por tion of cur ono cot is, even with the aid of any bounty Which wOnt‘l not he excessive. Two other modes have the, cfore been under the consi deratioss of y our committee; by the first (Si %shall it was proposed, that one nulliuu of Excheipter Bills should lie applied to purchasing, through the agency of Govern ment, and las big op in souse, a certain potion of wheat grown in tile United Kingdom; and by the second, that facility and eacourageseteot should be offered to individu als to deposit a part of their stuck in wet eliouses, so that they might not be forced to come into the market simul taneously, anti melee the disadvantage of excessive com petition, but might be enahl..d to non until the supply, Laving approached nearer to the wants of the eons 1111 l Might atidrd, if not a remunerating, at least a 'nice some what less matins fur their produce. With regard to the first of these proposals, the general objectiuns against making the plate, Intone' the execii. live government, a dealer aid speculator iii Celli, the ruspiciona to which it might give lige, and the uneasiness ill the public feeling which it might eveutually excite, the danger of its being drawn into precedent, the claims winch it might be anpposed to give to other important articles of domestic produce, whenever they might be %posed to similar depiessioin and the moven:al stile of a'llow'ing all articies,as 1111161 us possible, to hind their own natural level, by leaving the supply to adjust itself to the demand, discourage your Collillinit e ft oni recommending it, even under this extiaordinai y emergency, and with all ii.ss guards and qualifications of a temper:sty expedient.. lint wills regard to the second, althuugh much less elli cations in its operation, the objection of government becoming a puichaser does nut apply, as indisitluall Isould in this case act for thesisselses, aid according to f f their own discretion, the Goveisintesit iiiterfering no otherwise than Icy snaking advances upon the commodity depurated, which would be repaid, mint a low rate of in terest, as Saudi as the article should be bionglit to market. Fur effecting this object, two different modes have been taiggestrd ; by one of which it was proposed, that when the weekly average pike is under bus. (the impost scale aetuaasdug as at present) wheat should be aimed, subject to a monthly allowance of sexpt iiee per quarter, until the errge price should reach 655. The %%bole quantity slot to exceed 600,00 d quarters, and the time for %stitch the allowance should be payable LIU/ to exceed ig or lb months. Nut more than a certain number of quarters, nor less than another specified number of quarters, to be Awed on the part of any individual or firm. Toe owner of the corn so deposited to be at liberty to ithdraw it at any time, waving his claim to allowance, or rrtwitting it. The wind proposition was, that for the purpose of re lies iug the glut which at peseta presses 'poi the grain snorkel, the (love' anent, whenever the average pi ice Of Si heat shall be wide, Cons. should grant advances oh money upon rash corn of the grow th of the I:ilited Kingdom, as &Mould be deposited in tit and ' , toper vsareliossses upon the rivet Thanes, and in the pats to be het rafter speci fied, to as extern not exceeding two thirds of the Illaiket •altie of such cos'; the quality of the corn and the listless LA the warehouses to be apps used of by cancels to be als• pointed by the Guyer ttttt eitt. Tot luau to be at toe rate of 2 per cent. and the period of deposit lout to exceed 11 Months. l'lse corn to be withdraw It at the will of the depositor, noon pay mein tit the battiest, WdletiOUbe scut, Mild tinier The sum of one million so applied would probably be fully adequate to give a temporary check to the eleess which is coast:eddy puttied tutu the all tally use/stocked Ina tket. It' the house about,' be inclined to agree with you committee in evouleitancing the latter of these proposi t tuns, it is widest that it ought to lead to some immediate pito:ceding t Wid idllionell no *cry peat etiect . call he contemplated !loin adopting n, its opei at tun, as far as it shay !mixed, can hardly tail to Ala d some temporary !relief. 'lade is another measure also to which it is fit to call the sully at cotton 01 the house. I lie foreign grain and Boor of all soils in different warehouses under the King's luck, appeals to have asmonuted, on the sth of January last, to 691,15 ti quarters; with iegard to wadi, although there is little piouabilley tieet it can soca come into competition with our home pitidtee, yet 414;11 hangs Over the market in a !wadable It ast., 'ratty to be poured in at once, cat:alien 110 small de• ;;are of panic as to its future °perdue's, acid invested with a sot of cleillil (which is or the utinust itlii.OrialiCe) to Le (roe how duty, whenever the pus is shall be • r tux.. It, March —Os. I id. 9 +Cs. 101 the highest prise of any one 2 N 3 Feb 47s. itl. I gIF TOB I T ." TilE NATIONA L REGISTER opened tinder the existing law, even supposing any dirty Shall be imposed by Perliamuit, under a ) alteration of that law, upon all corn hereafter to be imported from foreign parts. To relieve the market from bolls these inconveniences, it may be proper to permit the holders of such corn now iu uareltutises, under certain adequate regulations and testrictiont, to have the same ground into flour fur the purpose of exportation i and •also to provide by legislative enactment, that in future any foreign corn warehoused in this kingdom shall be considered as corn coming from abroad, and subject to all such ditties and regulations as are or may from time to time be imposed upon corn com ing directly ft oat a foreign post. A proposition, which u - as submitted to your committee, for advancing luaus to pat lakes un the credit of tin. rates, Appeared to be attended with so many difficulties, and to be so little applicable to the purpose or alleviation the distresses which are plained of, that they do not deem it necessary to enter into any caawinatiou of it, nor to lay it before the house. . Much as your committee lament that so little prospect of immediate relief can be held out to the urgent distresses which have been anbmitted to their auxions consideiation, they think it material to obviate and counteract any un founded alarm which may have beeu, either casually or industriously, circulated, that there was ever the least intention emelt:tined by your committee of rendering the present condition of the British cultivators worse than it is under the existing law ; and they therefore subunit, with ghat confidence, to the house, that the Art of the 55th of the late King, c. Yti, which regulates the input lion of fureigio corn, might to continue in force until the average price for wheat shall be 80s. per gr., and other kinds of grain in proportion. It is impossible to carry protection farther than mono poly ; and it cannot be dented, that this monopoly the Bt iti‘h grower has possessed for more than three yearn, that in, ever since February, 1819, with the exception of the ill-timed and unnecessary input white of somewhat more than 700,00 J (ratters of oast, which took place doting the summer of 1620. It st be considered fur ther, that this protection, iu consegoence of the increased valise °four currency, and the present state of the supply of corn combined with the prospect of au early harvest, may, in all probability, remain uninterrupted for a very considerable time to come. Hot for the purpose of obviating the dangers in which this law can hardly fail, sooner or later, to involve the cut:iv:tier. of the soil, and in conformity to the reasoning contained in the report of the committee of the last session upon the same subject, sonic material change must be contemplated: your committee, therefore, Cannot asoid suggesting, whether, tinder a full view of all the circum stances, it may not be the duty of Parliament to turn its Mate attention to the ruinous emsequenees which must follow an unlimited importation and tree sale of the surplus produce of the whole agricultural world, which is known at this time so be in a state of glut, at least equal to that which prevails within this kiugdom, no less impa tient for, and unprovided with a market, with a commo dity raised at much less charge than our own, which the proprietors would he really to sell even at a considerable taw, rather than not dispose of it at all. The excessive inconvenience and impolicy of our pre sent system have been so fully treated, and so.•atistaeto• city exposed in the report already alluded to (p. 10 and 12), that it is unnecessary to do more than refer to it ; adding only, that every thing which has happened snip. Sequent to the presentation of that report, as well as all our experience since 1815, has more and more tended to demonstrate how little reliance Call be placed upon a regulation which contains an absolute prohibition up to a cella - in price, and an unlimited competition beyond that price ; which, so far is out affording steadiness to our market, may at one time reduce prices already too low still lower than they might have been under a tree trade, and, at another, utineeessailly enhance prices already so high ; which tends to aggravate the evils of scarcity, and render wore severe the depression of price trout abundance. . . ...... 'the mode in which these excessive inconveniences may re ceive some modification (lay tug for the present out of the question what permanent basis may be ultimately the fittest fur our corn trade) appears to consist in the imposition ofu duty upon all foreign curo, whenever upouopeuang our ports it should be admissible for home consumption. The occupier of the land would Our obtain, in proportion to the amount of such duty, a protection winch is a itlilield from him under the existing law ; but in return fur such protection, it is au more than i paint:able towards the consumer, that the import price should tie fixed at II rate somea hat lower than Oos., because the new duty would other wise mat only check the sudden and overwhelming amount of import, but atm entitince the price beyond that which it might reach :miler the present system; nor must it be lost sight of in any luture regular ion, that owing to tile great alteration in our currency, 110,- may and do not represent is different and comiderably higher value than in 1515, us measured by toe price of all iirtieles of consumption. Should Parlianteut decide to legislate during the present SClSiull, your committee would recommend, that, after our heat s hall have re a ched ;Ws. wht never circumstances, nut slow to be foreseen, may have effected so great a c hinge, a lira er price may be assumed for the future import, sutticct to a ditty. When the importers know that their grain can in no ease come into the mat ket wltliuut paying a certain SUM us dirty, besides the charges of importation, warehousing, and other incidental expenses, they a ill he less ready to adventure rashly than under lasi entirely free trade; they will also withdraw their corn, which may be lodged in warehouses gradually, and with inure circumspection, than they do at present, and will naturally endeavour to tied the market rather than inundate it. It is UI/IN their interest to take their whole stock, immense as it may be, at once from node: the King's lock ; butt %%hen they must pay duty for every quarter which is removed, they will prudently calculate the time th it any !urge stmt k may remain on hand before they • can dispose of it to advantage. The foundation of any future hill should be the principle of so far modifying the operation of the existing law as to obviate, as fur as may be, by the imposition of re:ignitible duties upon the ado:vision of foreign grai i fur home con. suniptiou, the builders and irregular manner in %Inch smelt foreign grain may now be introduced upon the opening of of the ports under oven ustuucrs lIICUIISIACIA WWI the spirit a id intentions of the lass. Fur carrying this purpose in effect. it would be expedient, sifter the pints shall have opened at softie* t to a scale of July lies tatter to be fists') to preserve the principle of an im,rort price at a rate somewhat lower than the existing 44D1 - 011 price 1.11 tO:., and you curnwitt,e are of opitriou ' t .at TO.. would not be an improper limit to aAiga to th it That a duly from 14=. to 15% slmuld he imposed upon f )reign wheal for home colibuno s itio.i, when the price io bum 7th. to 804. A'st, that it duty of 3s. should he iropoted upon such u lie..t, when the price is from Bth. to 855.; after whicu the duly should be reduced to Is. And that a further additional duty of 51. should be ims posed upon wheat imported or takru out of warehouse fur home consumption, for the first three months after time puts open, and w hen the price is halm 70, to 85.,. And fur the purpose of rectifying the scale which governs the import, the general ptitpurtion in melt the price of way hears to the price of wheat, appearing to e steed the p. st port hum which was as-timed It, exist, when 275. sins taxed .ts the import price of oats, your committee •ur{e,l, that it would be expedient to increase that price, su as to bear more accurate proportion to the price of wheat. The scale at wlitc It bailey is estimated appearing to lie more correct than that of oats, the same propot tout %%hi, it it now bears to wheat, appears tit to continue, under ;:oy future alteration of the import p, Ice. The 6th, 701, Imith, end 91h clsu.t . .ll of the net, which re gulates the unpin tattoo of corn, make pi osiHun for admitting corn, meal, or daur, tieing the growth, prodare or mauttfite. lure anti, British colony or plantation iti North Anarru•;t, fur home consumption, is hen British w heat is at a loner price than 80, ; with regard to which colonies, It will he eonsist.nt with good faith and sound policy to preser•e the same relative preference above foreign curt, tin the event of any future alteration being applied to the scale of prams or of duties. In compliance with an application mule to them by see, - rid of the owners of the fol eiga grain non• stored in Aare houses, your committee have ala ends recommended, that permission may be granted, under P Alit and adequate regulrtions, to eoneett it into liar, and export it in inat shape, by which means some portion ul this large sun 'a will be carried out of the kingdom, and remove all oppreliemuna that the quantities so ground down cats ever enter into 101!1 pi litho) with our blame produce ; but in the t vent of as Mtge portion not belt% thus disposed uf, and still remainiate ns tore, it appears practicable to ;adopt a method which may render this remainder also advantageow, raltu•r than dela :- fecund. in its effect upon the value of Ballasts cum, whenever the average price of our British wheat shall have a Isms Io 70s. and fluctuate between 10s. mad lilts. ; for if it he theta allowed to be taken out for home consumption, stdiject to a duty of Us, per quarter for the first three months, and Oi ter wards to a duty of 125., the interest of the props ietors of this grain will be brought • ly into unison wills that of tile British agriculturist, unit into de:ect hostility to that of all oilier impanels of fuleign grain; so that every endeavour will he resorted to, out their part, to utisaiice Ilse ;vier tss 70s. that they may liberate their own stock; but to keep it below 80s. that lacy may exclude all foreign competitors. The equitable claim which the holders of the grain, already deposited under the act of the 53th, of the late Kiug, app. ter to possess, will thus be beneficially preset ved to them, and the danger of an immense iiifiut of foreign produce situ be mitigated and preferred if not wholly prevented. It must of course be left optional to the pauprielors is question, to avail themselves of this permission, or to Maine by the couditions of the existing lass, under which they Un ported ; but in the first case, the enyilient of a moderate duty will enable t hem, at an earlier period, to entei a market over w hick they may exercise some COlllrotil Cllij.111111) scan all the dealers in British corn : whale• in the other, tises coo hardly expect to stern the torrent of foleacn produce poured in upon our existing supply,aud the immediate depre•srou tat value which must unavoidably accompany if. if the circumstances of this scantily should hereafter allow the trade in corn to be pm inattently settled masa a footing constantly open to all the wink', but sultiect to such a fixed and uniform duty us 1111,11+ compensate to the British grosser the ditleretice of ex pence at whirls his ruru COO he raised and brought to market, together with the fair rote of profit upon the capital employed, compared with the caps lice of productiou, and other charges attending coil grown and imported from abroad, such a system would in many respects be preferable to any noudifieteiou of regula tions depending upon average prices, w ills an ascending and descending settle of duties; because it would prevent the cll.:els of combiliation and speculation, in endravourine to raise or depress those averages, and to rt niter immate•riai these inaccuracies which, from inanagetueet or negligence, have occasionally produced, and may again produce, tacit mischievous elf.-ets upon our market: but your committee rather look forward to such a system as lit to be kept iu view for the altimate tendency of our law, than as practicot.l-. ithin any short or definite period. A protecting (ivy O bids might at this day be hardly sufficient 110 guard oar home market fawn the most mem lactating conyetitatio, might, when the excessive abundance un the continent have been absoi bed, operate against the real wants of !els kingdom, and subject the gross eis, us well as the constuners, to the gl eldest incoseveuience. Years of deatth may again make it iadispensuble to have r. cunt - wit) foreign prodare for a part of our supply, although iu seasons of ordinary plenty it may be hoped that our own agriculture has been so Un proved and extended, us to secure this kingdom from a state of dependence upon other, and eventually hostile, territories tor the sunsistenee of its population. Your commitme bate telt it their duty, for obvious reasun•, to lay without further delay before the House, the result of their deliberations ; but they would consider that they had omitted a most material pr.rt of the task imposed mom tlicai, if they neglected to enquire into the system upon when foreign corn is warehoused. Your gomutittee arc now en gaged in carefully investigating this important sulqect, and they vs ill not fail to report the result to the House as eat ly as the nature of the enquiry will permit. Aptil 1, 1822. General Alava, the Spanish officer who distin guished himself under the Duke of Wellington, at Waterloo, and who subsequently had a pension of 8000 dollars granted him by the King of Spain, for his gallant conduct, has generously relinquished the whole, in aid of the exigencies of the Government. General Alava is Deputy to the Cortes fur Vittoria. —A unanimous vote of thanks was passed by that Assembly in acknowledgment of the sacrifice. Viscount Chateaubriand, the ambassador from the King of France to the British Court, arrived on Wednesday at Calais from Paris. There was A reprt at Calais that his Royal Highness Pinto.: Leopold might be shortly expected there on his re turn to England. _ • ....Ctn.