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

,••• - NATIONAL REGIST E R. ear Wits, Constitution, au Edo. PUBLISHED AT NO. 357, STRAND, CORNER OF EXETER 'CHANGE. SUNDAY, AUGUST f3O. 181c2 PRICE 9d. degree, as having the etrect of setting proper bounds to the extravag.lnce and debauchery of the rich. It is very dif ferent when the price of food is generally augmented. When this ta!zes place, it is sensibly felt by the wealthy, but it makes lamentable inroads into the comforts of the poor. it is truly afflicting when the !price of bread be. comes so enormous, that the utmost exertions of the la+ bourer can produce little more than bread. Such a state of things ought to call forth the exerti , mq of every friend to humanity to ameliorate the situation of the lower classes. Happily the reproach of viewing the sufferings of the poor with apathy does not belong to this country, and the part recently taken by some of the most distiognished men in it, will, we are confident, have the effect of satisfying those in the inferior walks of life of this fact ; it will successfully counteract the effects of that venom which pretended pa triots make it their business to diffuse, and bid the placid smile of hope succeed to the frantic ravings of despair. We have been told that no class of men arc more entitled to the protection of the law than the corn dealers, as no class require it so much, because no other is so frequently exposed to public indignation. It has also been laid down as a poli tical axiom, that Govern ment should never interfere with them. We are told, " that the interest of the inland dealer, and that of the great body of the people, hcav opposite soever they may at first appear, are, even in years of the greatest scarcity, exactly the same. That it is his interest to raise the price of his Corn, as high as the scarcity of the season requires, and no higher. If by raising it too high, he discourages the consumption so much that the supply of the season is likely to go beyond the con sumption of the season, and to last for some time after the last crop begins to co me in, he runs the hazard not only of losing a considerable part of his corn, by natural causes, but of being obliged to sell what remains for much less than what be might have had for it several months before. If by not raising the price high enough, he discourages the con sumption so little, that the supply of the season is likely to fall short of the consumption, he not only loses a part of the profit which be might otherwise have made, but he exposes the people, before the end of the season, instead of the hard ships of a dearth, to the dreadful horrors of a famine. 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." This reasoning, though, considering the authority on which it rests, it cannot be approached without reve,eoce, is not to us altogether satisfactory. \Vc cannot indeed but fear that it has had an injurious effect. It has exetniited the corn dealers from that interference which mr4ht, beneficially for the public, have been occasionally exerted It 1.4, given to the THE No. C 44. POLITICAL lIICII PRICE OF CORN., • When any great calamity psses heavy on the popula tion of a country, though nothing can be more obvious than that no human wisdom could by possibility have wholly averted it, it is still rarely seen that the great body of the people arc sati , fied that thCir affliction arises solely nom the visitations of Providence. Though no•doubt can exist tha , the seasons have proved unfavourable, or that other circum stances beyond the controul of man have in part produced the evil, still it is suspected that that evil is aggravated by human means, and that a portion of the community arc ac tively employed in-endeavouring to build their fortunes on the general distress. At such a period, the writer who wishes to be popular has only to give an object to public indignation to make clamour appear rational; and outrage not unjustifiable. We trust that our general conduct will wholly exempt us from the suspicion of being actuated by such a motive, when we call the attention of our readers to the present high price of corn, and we wish it to be con stantly borne in mind that it is our object to enquire, not to condemn ; that if the statements we shall have to make, and the observations which may accompany them, should appear to bear against the interests, or against the conduct of any class of men, it is not our wish to throw on them unmerited obloquy, and it is hardly necessary for us to add, that if any one thinks he has reason to complain of an attack, our columns will be thrown open to his defence. We have chosen the present time for the discussion of this subject, as being that at which it is least likely to inflame the public mind ; as being that at which it has the best chance of being calmly listened to, and at which the defence qf the party, in some sort accused, will have every probability of being dispassionately heard: The sl►ouls of triumph in which all classes have joined with the patriotic enthusiasm characteristic of Englishmen, combined with the joyful, and, we trust, well•founded anticipation of an abundant harvest, have happily, in a great degree, done away those heats, and removed those differences which had previously kept the public mind in a state of dangerous ferment, and put an end to those divisions which had disturbed the great family. The public feeling, thus restored to its proper tone, will be mote impervious to the effects of suchlen irritation, will • be prepared serenely to weigh, and deliberately to judge. The high price to which the necessaries of life have ►isen in this country, and more especially that of provisions, is a subject of great importance, and one which calls for the most se► ious consideration. N% hen the price of articles of luxury is encreased, the augmentation is not only to be borne, but it may even deserve to be encouraged to a certain Va. V. No CCILTV. _: