The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1826-05-03 00:00:00

.iAor4war•lllimrsionsiol ;~;'~ might consider that they must, to be consistent, extend those prin. ciplea, which were at best but speculations. to corn ; but he thought ey would find it difficult to carry them into effect, when the ex. penditure they must submit to was considered. A cheap web. lishment, however, he believed they could not have. If he had not entertained such a conviction, he should not have voted for its Ampere as he had. He was upheld In this opinion by a reference en the 30.000,0001. of interest which must be paid to the public cre ditor. This was an Imperious obligation. Rather than the na. donel character should suffer by any breach in this respect, he would sell the coat off his back. He would' refer to the interest of the debt they must pay, and then ask. could they indulge in specu. 'anions on free trade? If they persisted in those measures they would not be able to pay their labourers. Other countries could live cheaper than owe. The lower claims here had been bred up bi accustomed to luxury, which they made an outcry for the mo ent they amid not obtain. The clamour was, indeed, °literati f or breed, but it was not in reality the quartern loaf they wante d—it was the taxed articles, for which fifteen shillings out of every twenty went to the Government. He (Sir T. L) had made this statement, in order to show whit made the difference in the price of Tabour. If he voted for the proposition of the Right Honourable Secretary he should feel he was tying his hands, and by aside wind admitting the print iple to which he objected ticcitles'....y. This was the only Inference he could draw. Ile did hope the Right Hon. Secretary would not press his measure; that he would see it was of too hasty a character; and that there was another way of alleviat ive temporary distress, more fitting for temporary purposes. If the master maaufactueem had the means of employing the men they would do so. lie felt he was incurring a great responsibility by his present opposition ; but he must tell the (louse, if the landed interest were plunged into distress by the Meß•UrCal content. plated, they would require much larger sums as relief than would be sufficient on the present occasion. He said this, on the calcu. lotion that the agriculturists amounted to three.ff.ths of the poit. lotion. Ile trusted, after the statements he had male, that the House would vote for the amendment lie felt it his d uty ti. move. The lion. Harm , :t concluded with moving, '1 hut • Select Committee be appointed by the House, to inquire Into the cause of the distress is the agricultural districts of this country. Mr. BEN CTT, in consequence of the noise in the House, was inaudible for a few minutes ; we understood bins to say, lie rose r , second the motion. Ile objeett.i to the question being di e . turbed after having been settled by a large majority only a tortnight ago, and the whole country was unshed with the decisioo. The present measure was calculated to derange the enemata which had been made fur the purchase of corn end land. Thom who repressed a wish for the alteration of the Cora Laws, did not say they were the cause of the distress; and he could not therefore conclude, that the manufacturing districts 'were in die. tress in consequence of the high price of corn. In his opinion, if the currency question had not been agitated , the distress now ex. feting would not have been known. Before they legislated in Terrence to the distress, he thought it these duty to inquire into the cause. If they established the present system with twelve shillings duty, he felt persuaded that in essence they had re. pealed the Corn lA's. He wished it to be understood that he was as ready as any to relieve the distresses (hear, hear), and be should have no objection to • vole for the purchase of corn, to be gold at a diaper rate to the euffering districts. Ile should prefer this method, because he thought it wrong now to disturb the Coro loslll,, or to interfere with the contracts the country haft made. There were the poor's rates, ton, which ought to be made available; they were the legitimate source of relief. 'l'his measure would be either useless or to one party an act of injustice. If it did not greatly reduce the price of corn, it would not benefit the manufacturers, and if it did, then the agriculturists would suffer. Ile would wish it remembered, too, when the landed interest suffered, the manes. facturing interest was sure to sink ; and the moment the former be. Fen to revive, in consequence of an increase in the price of corn, there was a greater consumption of the articles of manufacture. The present measure was also objectionable, because it tended to 'ill 'he manufacturers with a notion that their distresses anise from Bur high price of corn, and instead of destroyirg their looms, their machinery and tools, they would fly to the ricks and barns. This ignorant spirit of counteraction was something like that which characterised the Irishman who burnt a nember of :mink nates with a view to weaken the bank. (A laugh.) lie should have no oh. jeetion to foreign corn being admitted, with a ecutain permanent duty ; but he objected to the measure meetly propelled by his Hon. Friend, on two grounds. The first was i because 3lititsters thought the question ought not to be brought forw ard during the present Session ; and the second because he did not think the Protecting duty he contemplated would be found sufficient. The law, as it stood at present, said that for the first three months that the importation of corn was permitted it was to pay a duty of tss. The duty, therefore, proposed by the Right lion. Gendenno, Instead of 12s. ought to be 17s. If the duty were 17a, the whole of the 400.000 quarters would come into the wicket, which was at present uverstocked. Mr. Jacobs had been sent into foreign coon. tries to make a report, but it should be received with caution ; it was an ex-parte statement, as he had not ascertained the amount of stock in bond in this country, and they could not therefore form a fair estimate of the produce. The amendment of his Hon. Friend might Involve a loss of time, but there could be no objection to eh!, if the necessary relief were sent to the disturbed districts. He wished to guatd himself against its being supposed be hail no feel. iee fur the distress existing. (Hear.) Haying been a :llagist rate SC years, he was well able to appreciate the amount of suffering that must prevail ; what he objected to wan the source from which relief was to be drawn. lie trusted the Right lion. Secretary would not allow this Parliament to separate before sane relief to the extreme distress waa afforded. On the amendment being put by the Speaker-- 114 r. Secretary CANNING said when he took the liberty of giving. notice of this motion last night, he did so, he could assure the lion. Member for Sontersetshire (Sir T. Lethbridge) not from any disrespect for those who held opinions opposed to the Corn haws, but from a conviction of the Imperious necessity which ex. isted for the present measure. His proposition was divided into swo puts, to one of which these appeared to be but little objection. Before he proceeded to the subject. however, immediately before the House, he would offer a few words by way of explanation, that he might disencumber the question of some suspicions which ap. paired to hang about it. Ile did assure the Hon. Gentleman, that he ( Mr. Secretary fanning) should consider himself moss unworthy if he sere capable of bringing forward the measure with the object which had been ascribed to it--with an intention of getting rid of the question of the Corn Laws by a site wind. He trusted the (lon. Gentleman would at least do him die justice to remember he had never taken any part In the previous discussions oat the goe s . lion, and he had therefore on his mind no such feeling as is gene. rated by discussion or conflict. Ile stood there unbiassed ; he was tree to look at it on its own peculiar grounds, and in relation to the peculiar circumetanees of the country. He objected particularly to the inference drawn by the Hon. Member fur Somerset. He had r.o idea of connecting this measure with the greater question of the fern Laws, and he had been the more anxions to avoid it, because, in reference to individuals out of doors, he was most anxious the House should on this occasion be united. In hie opinion the measure was quite distinct. The Hon. Gentleman who spoke last conceived that the high price of cons had not produced t!:: distress now suffered, and ergo, that lowering it could Dot tend to alleviate that distress. There might be distress from two totally different cause'. They might say it proceeded from the system of tree trade, which the Honourable Baronet made it so convenient to charge him with ; admitting this, to say the let t big out of corn at present, locked up in the very neighbourhood of the suffering dii. erlets, could not be productive of benefit, because the want or it (tad not produced the distress, would be as true as to say, that be- Ouse a person was diseased from the want of a particular medicine, it was impossible that any other could effect a cure.' On the same prrnciple. a patient might be afflicted by the operation of one cause, and could not obtain relief by the operation of AIIOIIIIM Then too. the physician were to neglect to prepare the prescrileion, w hat was to cure the patient ? The mines! of delay might pee ciude the application of any remedy to the disorder. It wo u ld p re . item too wide a field of discussion to pursue the Hon. Gentleman through all the matters which he brought forward in support of the p sitions that he had advanced. The House ought to direct its regard to the fluctuations which might occur in the country, if it wanted any proof of the necessity for adopting those measures which Government suggested, in alleviation of the misery which must be admitted to be now prevalent. They could not, indeed, prudence, adopt a different course to that which had been sub mitted. By allowing the evil to proceed, it might acquire a de. pee of magnitude which It would be Impossible eve,ntually to coon. tercet. He thought it was sufficient for the House to be amassed ghat the distress existed. and the conclusion that necessarily tole lowed was, the most effectual mode to alleviate its dangerous efftetw He should therernre proceed to the consideration of the two branches of the proposition which his motion comprised. He agreed with the Hon. Member for Somerenalthe (Sir Jsth. bridge), that the distresses of the cottony required the most imme diate relief which could be afforded. For that purpose, therefore, lie was of opinion that the cunt which was laid up in the stone should t e liberated, and constitute part of the provistiun of -hich the people stood so much in need. The greatest distress preyailed almost in the very sight of those granaries where the corn was thus useleuly lodged. If those quantities were to be sent into the mar. bet, the result would undoubtedly be highly beneficial in mitigat. log the severity of those sufferiegs which were keenly felt in va rious districts of the country. He therefore would ask, whether it would not he better and wiser to afford a relief, which, under the circumstances of prevalent distress, would be of vast utility, and procured at so small a cost lie did not mean to argue lha whole of the question affecting the Corn I.aws with the Honourable Member fur Somersetshire, who seemed to concur in opinion sa to the expediency of the particular application of some tem. porary expedient suited to the diffi.otties of the case. With the lion,mr,thle Baronet. tincture. he had no difference sd opinion; and 1.-tween him and the Honourable Member fur Wiltshire (Mr. Benett) there was but a alight discrepancy of sentiment, for that Bonouratile Gentleman stewed to think that curls %Iseult be par. chased at the public cost, and resold at reduced prices. 11r. Boleti observed across the table that he dal nett differ with the Right Honourable Secretary in the principle which dictated ri l.rf, but, in fact, how it should be best achieved I Ifs (Mr. Canning), in that case, did not conceive that h e differed with either of the Honourable Gentlemen, as it was for theetrinci. pie of temporary relief which lie mainly contended, rather than fcr tire mode by which it was to be effected. He should now proceed to the consideration of the second branch of the pmpositirm—that pare which regarded the investing his 7.ldiestr'.4 Governmert whit a discretionary power of allowing the Importation of men during the recess of Parliament. That was a immune which Government deemed to be requisite under the circumstances in which the come. I tee was placed, but the exercise of that power would subject his Majesty's Ministers to many difficulties during the absence of Parliament. That would in fact prove a moat inconvenient boon, and which the Government, if it had the option, would most tingly decline. (Hear, hear.) If was of that character, and was not considered in any to 'pen as • desirable acquisition ; for the con duct which the Government might be called on to pursue, in the event of any change. would subject it to invidious censures from those classes of the community on which its operation might really, or by prejudice, be supposed to bear too heavily. However some Gentlemen might think and express themselves of granting so great a privileg e to the Government, he could assure the House that his Majesty's Ministers would receive such a trust with the utmost re luctance. They were fully aware of the odium which its exercise ' might bring on their proceedings, and did not court the trial ; but while the Government was aware of what inconvenience and annoy. ance they were likely to endure in that respect, they did not allow any such anticipation to prevent or to excuse them from claiming that discretion which it might be requisite and indispensable for them to possess, in counteraction of the contingencies that might arise to the community during the absence of Parliament. Ile did not mean at that time to argue the propriety or Impropriety of the cessation of the Parliamentary function'', but as it was the practice that the Parliament did not always sit, liovernment was anxious to guard against any casualties which might occur during the vaca tion. lie was not an alarmist, but the fact was that the price of corn had been progressively rising in the market for the last six weeks. (Hear, hear.) lie did not pretend to account at that time for the clones which had produced that result, but he thought he ' might assert, without any great affectation of sagacity, and in per fect accordance with truth, that the effect of allowing the hooded corn to get into the market would be to reduce the pt ice. In treating of that part of the subject, he did not speak of high and low prices, as he conceived the application of those terms was frequently erroneous. In truth, the words " high" and " low" were re lative, and not positive ; and • price which in one year might be deemed low, would, under a change of circumstances, appear high in another. As, for instance, the price of corn per quarter averaged, during the last year, sixty-seven shillings, and yet corn at that time was not consi dered so dear as it is now, when the puce' did not exceed sixty shillings. Thus sixty, which at the present time was deemed high, would, in the preceding year, have been ' considered low. It was, therefore, to avoid the ambiguity, that he did not employ the terms high and low. (Hear.) The House should therefore not he misled by the highness or the lowness of ; the price, but should direct its attention to the steadiness. (Hear.) Let it then be supposed, that during the absence of Parliament there should be such a rise in the price of corn as he contemplated to be probable or possible, he would ask whether it was advisable, ; when there was no opportunity of Parliamentary interference, that the course of the evil should not be controlled, and that the Govern. went should confine itself to the vanity of regret, instead of being enabled to confer the benefit of correction ? Stich was not the opi. nion of the House. he felt convinced ; and he was assured that they would 'infer the production of the advantages which might be de rived from the grant of the power, to the continuance of the cola. chief, and anticipate the time when it might be n . yto act without the direct assistance of Parliament ; for if, before the 13th of August, when the statute provided for the contingency, it should so happen that the price of corn should touch the extreme verge,— which was not contemplated by the proposers of the statute,—or , that it might so rise as that the expediency and necessity sonic measure to retard its progress would be evident, in that case what could be done to relieve the country ? The Government proposed to arm itself with an immense responsibility, the exercise of which would subject them to vast inconvenience. They were so aware of the consequences to which the power would render them liable, that if they consulted their individual feelings, they would be exceedingly desirous that the (louse should refuse to invest i them with the invidious task, than which he did not con. ceive that a more troublesome commission could be granted. He hoped it was understood that the present proposal was not in. tended in any respect to interfere with the principle of the Corn Laws; and though he might be supposed to strip it of its protecting duties, yet what he proposed to take was not in fact a variation, nor did it evince any indication of a change. Honourable Gentlemen might ask why Government would not take away the rate of 80s. and 17s. duty? 10 that he would not assent, because the highest rate of another year might not be so great as now. Circumstances might occur to produce a favourable alteration ; the state of trade and commerce might revive, and cause a correspondent improvement in the capability of the consumer to pay. It appeared to him timers. Bible to define, with any degree of precision, what the fixed price should be, for it was continually affected by numerous causes of fluctuations, but he thought that it should not exceed fills. with I7s. duty per quarter . The Honourable Member for Somersctshir e h a d said that the agricultural interest was to be considered in this case, and that it should not be neglected. Ile agreed with that Honour. able Member, but he could not see how the injury would be in flicted. He did not think the agricultural and manufacturing inn rests were to be considered in • different view, as if the one could not receive any benefit unless at the expense of the other. They naturally concurred. and mutually promoted the interests the one of the other. Ile was, therefore, much surprised that th e lien. Baronet should draw aline of distinction between the two classes, as possessing incompatible interests. He was sorry that the lion. Member should object us the motion on that particular ground. That Hon. Gentleman was entitled to great commendation for his exertions and the purity of his motives; but when he (Mr. Can. ring) gave that deserved credit to the Hon. Baronet, he differed materially with him as to the propriety of introducing discussions of such a nature as were then advanced. lie was convinced that such topics were not only irrelevant, but that they would produce conflicts between the two classes. The result would be, not to he. netit the sufferers, hut to exe'te feelings of animosity and hatred, which It would be afterwards found difficult to allay. He was sure that such consequences were not contemplated by gentlemen, when they spoke on the affairs of the country ; for they trust be well aware that the debates in that House derived from the sober con. sideration of the subjects discussed, not only the value which they possessed in the House itself, but throughut the country. The ne cessity, therefore, of avoiding the introduction of inflammatory sub jects, must be apparent ; and he therefore hoped, as the lion. Ba ronet had goner. the credit of fair and honest motive'', that lie would, in requital, admit that the Government was actuated by principles of similar candour and sincerity in the assertion, that they would accept with reluctance those powers which the necea soy of obviating dangerous casualties during the absence of Par- I 'lament merely caused them to require. Ile should therefore re. peat, that his 'notion was brought forward for the good of the State, and to provide against a particular contingency. lie also trusted, that the Hon. Baronet would acquit his Majesty's Ministers of any sinister motive in urging the present measure for the adoption of the House. They considered the power fur which they asked, to be an infliction rather than a privilege, and a grant which, if they could do so consistently with their duty, they would be much mote gratified to refuse than to accept. Mr. BANE ES thought that the distress which had been con sidered as a good ground f u r th e mot i on , did not afford sufficient reason for its introduction. It had been gradual, and therefore did not arrive with that sudden rapidity which imperatively called for prompt measures, and might justify the grant of such power as Ministers demanded from the House. Ile could allow for cases affecting the foreign relations of the country, in which it would be necessary to preserve silence ; but in such instances as that now under the contemplation of the House, it did not nppear to him that any cause existed for suppressing all the information of which the Government was in possession, and with which the Parliament ought to be made acquainted. Those details of the circumstances of the country should have been submitted to the House. As to the statement which the Right lion. Secretary made of his objection to interfere with the Corn Laws, it appeared strange that though the Right Hon. Gentleman was unwilling to get into direct contact with their principle and spirit, and that he denied that the distress of the country originated in their operation, yet he thought that the remedy to be applied to the evils and misery which prevailed, should Ise extracted front an interference with the result of the Corn Laws prohibition. It was a curious admission, when conpled whit the mode in which the mischief was proposed to be relieve!. Persons differed as to the price at which corn could or ought to be imported. Some maid 395. a quarter, others more and leas. But the Right lion. Steretary stated that he could not assign any fixed scale to which he would reduce it. The extraction of the bonded corn, to which he looked as a preventive of the scarcity and dearness which he apprehended, did not amount in the whole kingdotn to more titan 3.0041000 quer ten, and of the,. about 1,290.000 were bonded in time London warehouses ; so that they were not exactly situated. as the Right Hon. Gentleman hated, in view of the starving and distressed dia -1 nicht. %Vint he wished to know was what e ff ect win proposed to I be produced by the cont e mpl ate d rel ief? Was It intended to !e -duce the price, or what other object was proposed ? If the price were as low as at Odessa, it would be useless uitleas the people had the means of purchtuthig. Iledid not approve of the present mode of partially tampering with the Corn Laws on the pa-t of the State, for it led to conclusions by the sufferers that the misery and disinter' was sae. e atoned by those laws. The manufacturers were naturally excited to exclaim. " Oh, 'tilt the fault of the Corn Laws." (Hear, hear.) But if the price of the corn was reduced to the consumers, how se ricu t must be the injury to)bte growers ! It would ultimately caese the labourers to trust for their maintenance to the poor rates. (near, hear.) Thus, In addition to those manufacturers who now depend ' on that Warta of support, there would be the additional man of unemployed husbandman. It should be considered that the poor rates were supplied by the land and by nothing else. ()Tear.) By impoverishing that class, therefore, which was connected with the cultivation of the land, they would be involving all the community in ruin. It would be estate or univertad pauperism. (Hear.) ft was a bad principle which induced Ministers to propose measures which tended to destr oy indeed of assisting the agricultural interests. Ile should not he . t o t h e I nst i tut i on of a Committee of in. qu ry. into the effects whic't the liberation of the bonded awn would produce, because, though he did not conceive that it had much to do in the matter, Set he hoped it would give the Ministers an in. sight into the business, and eventually lead them to adopt proceed. ings more solutary to the county. lie h met! Vial the Goveniment possessed more knowledge titan they were Inclined to avow; tor, if they did not, he did not expect that, with the information and PCP. sons which had been presented to lila view, intuit good would be effected. He should he sorry to present any impediment to theses!. feting Morino in the procuring of relief, and lie would nut, there fore, oppose changes which might be elm toed necessary for the pur. pore. Yet he did not reel such confidence in any Government, (though he allowed merit en the prevent Ministry.) as to permit stern the exercise of such arbitrary power is it was proposed to son. ter on them. It is/1.1 a flange-roue et:pertnient to entrust any fin. ' venionint with an unlimited diteretuss to nullify the effect of the Corn Laws, which IMP admitted to use dip Low „r ri t e w il l. wi t h the first part of the proposition lie load nn otip talon m CMICIIP t bu t when the Remand rams In he debated, be should, as he felt ohs I osibr.recngttehooilf. slop ln Iv y be eer f if u ni s whhh might advanced again s t i t , the limn,. (In that point he differed wit's the 11 able Newrotrivit, and Its would therefore wish eith o c ti ge t k th is e Gimtlerttan should endeavour to put existing evils, by moving for a ~,,, ?tin to impure In the causes which produced them, sod rust 14 glee cause to cote pat S ' A... THE BRITISH PRESS. of two dittica—a duty of 12s. and a duty of 55... in all a duty of Us. if, at the end of tip^ first six weeks, corn was found still ris. i'tg, the ss. was to he taken off, and the 12s. to remain fur the other six weeks. This arrangement was intended to prevent a glut in the market. _ _ Mr. 11USISISSON observed, that the operation of the duty of 1 ss. continued during three months, and not six weeks, as stated by the lion. Gentleman. Colonel WOOD resumed—He had understood that six weeks was the appointed period. The present law, however, had not crime into operation. nor would not, until the ports opened. Eighty shillings had been fixed on at a season of calamity. when the agricultural interest was in distress. Some Hon. Gentleman thought 70s. would have been sufficient, hut 80s. was settled upon to asis could . however, was now extricated from its difficulties. Ton much praise n d o i t str be esse g d agriculturists. Thr agricultural interest, given for the perseverance with which they id it was a fa that they were on their struggled in dialect's ; b ct kgs again. The average price of wheat during the last five yeats st the was little under Ws. Now he (Col. Wood) would say he had no • objection to opening the ports at firm The agricultural hums. he thought, would be contented with this, for the agriculturists did not wish ten high a price; they only wanted a remuneratirg , price. The duty, however, might be abandoned ; if corn ever rose to what was called a scarcity price, the duty must be abandoned. Corn was different from any other article of commerce, and he was one of those who had no wish for foreign importation. We were now at peace, hut a different state of things might arise, and involve us in serioue difficulties' If we depended upon foreigners fot *supply ofcorn. Lie had never read Mr. Jacob's Report, nor seen it until he had seen it in that House, but he thought it would have been much better had Mr. Jacohe been sent to Ireland instead of to Poland, ' to observe the capabilities of that country, which laboured under great disadvantages, but was gradually improving in agriculture, in ceneemusece of the privileges she enjnyed. In conclusion, his opi. ohm was, that if a C e pmnottee sat, the result of their labours ought to he a proposition to admit foreign corn duty free, and that the ports should open when the price was fiefs a quarter. Lord MILTON said, that as the speech of the Honourable Gentleman who had just sat down ought to have been spoken on Tuesday the 18th of April instead of Tuesday the 2d of May, he would not enter into the Honourable Member 's arguments. But he could not help regretting the course adopted by Ministers. , Since the rising of the House on Friday until its sitting last even ing. every person was anticipating a communication from Minister*. Different persons had different expectations of the course about to he pursued, but he believed no persons but his Majesty's 31inisters, and the Honourable Member for Bridgenorth (Mr. Whitmore.) thought that the existing distress was to be met by such mea sures as were propounded by his Majesty'n Ministers. He did not mean to enter into common-places upon the adaptation of remedies to diticasett, but he Felt that the proposed remedy had no connexion with the disease. (Hear.) The Secretary for Foreign rlfteirs said he did not intend to tamper with the Corn Laws, and whilst litakin4 this declaration, he called upon the House to allow the admission of bonded corn, and to invest Ministers with a power with which they ought not to be invested under any circumstances, and cer tainly not under the present. If the population of the manufac turing districts were 'about ing under the want of that most neces sary article of subsistence, corn, and that large quantities were locked up in the warehouses of London, Liverpool, and Hull, he could understand the proposition that those warehouses should be opened, and the people suppled with food. But it was evident that the want of food was not now the grievance under which the distressed districts were labouring. (Ilier, hear, hear.)_ It was his lirm conviction that the manufarturers were now suffer. ing the extremity of that distress which first affected the ammeter. cent interests. They were now feeling the effects of that embarrass. merit under which so many great commercial houses fell about six months ago. It was not food that was now wanted, nor was it capital ; it was neither manufacturing nor agricultural capital. It was the want of credit was the present complaint. But the mea sures of his Majesty's Ministers, instead of reviving and maintain. ing, had a tendency to destroy the remaining credit, and to prevent its revival. It was most important that the House, and persons out of the House, should comprehend that the proposed rues. sures could not remedy the evils tinder which the manufacturers of Lancashire were groaning. Even in the opinion of the Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Canning) the proposed measure was not intended so much to remedy the present evil as to prevent those which might occur. It was said that those evils might arise after Parliament had been dissolved ; but what necessity was there that the country should be left without a Parliament, if the di.- ' tress continued ? If Ministers counciled the ('rown to dissolve Parliament under such cirtumstanege in his (Lord Milton's) opinion, they would incur a fearful responsibility. In his opinion individuals ought not to be called on to subscribe for the relief of the present clistrmes. This country ordered that the poor ought to be supported by parochial aid, and to but it ap peared that the distressed manufacturers might be considered as the poor, and the ()wish to which they belonged was the state. In this opinion he was confirmed by the consideration that the conduct of the House had tended to groduce or to increase those calamities, in refusing nr neglecting to supprese the spirit of over-speculation. Mr. PIIIIoLIPS approved entirely of the views and conduct of Ministers, and said he should lament if the measures proposed by the Right Hon. Gentleman wete not completely successful. He believed that the impartation of foteign corn would be of great int. portance to the manufacturers, although they were not generally deluded into the opinion, es was believed, that their distresses were wholly attributable to the corn law.. There were many of the lower classes, who, if admitted into that House, would puzzle many of the lion. Gentlemen; at public nieetings, at Manchester, many moderate and sensible speeches were made by Artisan.. He trusted that what had occurred to-day would have it good effect among the manufacturers; the liberal subscriptions made u:nong all classes for the relief of die distress would have the t fllrct of uniting and conciliating all parties. There was no doubt that employment would return ; the great object, therefore, ought to be to find im mediate support for the distress ed. Mr CALCRA IT wished he could agree with the Right lion. Gentleman that the prop ose d measures were ca l cu l ate d to introduce union and cordiality among the various classes of the kingdom. He believed rise the question, as brought forward by the Right Hon. Gentleman, was more likely to produce dissatisfaction and disunion. He had been persuaded by the arguments of his Majesty's Minis ters that it was more expedient to postpone the discussion of this question, and he had voted accordingly ; but what was hissurprise to hod that the reasons then alleged for its postponement were now alleged for bringing it forward. (Hear.) A few days ago the intention of Member for Sh a f tes b ur y as k e d w h et h er i t was the of Ministers to let out the bonded corn, and lie was answered In the negative ; but what changes bad since taken place in the pricer of corn or in the circumstances of the country, to justify such a change in the policy of Government ? As to letting cut the bonded corn, if that could afford relief to any one, he would not object to it ; but with respect to the second proposition, he dill not think i: prudent to entrust a discretionary power with vacilating gentle men who did not know their ewn intentions. Although he were ever so willing to give his vote to Ministers, yet he could not do it on account of their vacilatiotis. Ile ap. pealed to all, whether there had ever been a Ministry of more unfixed and vacilating counsels ; but lie objected to the manner in which the question had been introduced. The artisan in Lan cashire would have to bay that he had triumphed over the landed interest, not by petitions, while the loaded Interest would feel that they had been deluded out of a law which the Ministers tied refused to discuss wi.h the usual solemnity. Such a proceeding was not calculated to promote a good understanding between those classes. (Hear.) But what would the Irish proprietors say to this mea. sure, or what would the Canatias say ? These parties had very serious interests in the decision, and they ought to be consultem His principal objection was to the manner in which the measure was brought forward. It woe:ld be better if Ministers would say— Circumstances, have induced us to alter our sentiments, and we will take the question into solemn considetation. Whatever might be the result of such a solemn discussion, 110 dissatisfaction would en sue. But the method of proceeding which Ministers had adopted was in every respect unsatisfactory. We heard much of the dis tress of foreign agriculture, lout nothing of the means of restoting prices at home. But what could supplies from abroad avail us at an indemnifying price of sixty shillings, when the average price of borne-grown wheat, for the last seven years, was only e. 7 ? The benefit derived to the distressed population from letting out the bonded corn would be next to no When this country had contributed so amply to the relict of the suffering Russians and liantiverians, it would be strange it' exertions were not mede to alleviate the calamities of our fellow-subjects. If some measure to this effect were not brought forward in the House, he would do it himself; but lie hoped the Right Hon. Gentletnan would proense a vote of public money for the relief of those wretched and unfortunate creatures. Sir JOHN NEWPORT objected to the doctrine of the Hon. Member for Somerset, but he agreed that it would be advisable to give instructior.• for a Committee above stairs, to consider in the Met instance the poifey of admitting foreign corn, and then to pro ceed to contingent measures. He thought there ought to be an ad. vance of public money, and he did nut think that any measures could prove beneficial without it. Lord JOHN RUSSEL!. began by observing, that on a former occasion the Chancellor of the Exchequer had refused to g rant money fig the relief of p u bli c di stress, because it was a bad pre cedent t; but he wou ask how tat argument tre being d could ssedapply to the Corn Laws ? A number of p h ersons, is, became riotous and tumultuous ; the Corn Laws were made the object of their odium, and they were attempted to be relieved by a partial abrogation of those laws. The next time that those persons felt the evils of distress and insubordination, they would come again and any, it has been admitted that the Corn Laws are the source of our distress, and we expect front their repeal to experience fresh relief. The landed proprietors were held out as the persons who withheld bread front the people. The Right lion. Gentleman had wished to make the question relate to the distress rather than to the Coin Laws, but that was impossible. Wish respect to letting out the bonded corn, the efflect of it would depend on the stock of corn in the country ; and he believed the only of It wes likely to have would be to prevent any rise, not to cause any deereeeien of prices. . But why had not that question been taken into consideration before by the President oldie Board of Trade? (Hear.) As to the measure of relict, the Right Hon. Gentleman had said that those store houses of corn were all in die neighbourhood of the dietrtsi.ed corn niunity. If those storehouses were to be thrown open to the people, dint circumstance might be of some importance; but if the corn were to be purchased, and retailed by dealers at a price moderately, , if at all, reduc e d, h e could not see th e great benefit to he derived from so small a supply. Ile objected wholly to the second propo shawl, which went to vest a discretionary power in itliteisters. Ile (Lord J. Russell) would say, that if the corn visa to be ad- ridded at too low a price, it would be most unjust to the man u- factoring interests. What was the natural course that ought to have been pursued T. Why, the Mi n i sters ought to have come clown to that House, anti have shown the general heeding of the I question, so as to secure the safety of tile country ; to leave looked use t o y n_w re hi p ehe u: l e ,l : l l, : t r i t t.u t n l i ens . ; . •at It as repented the manufacturing and agricultural intense' eee to here devised the best meatus fur making an alteration, and i' aa t t l d i l e : ic y :a had be rgi gross ly:ipoweri ng oruallpobluanse that tt t the ipen d rt u ijodo t comegive iiengodownsthem ver. hail inn been their line of comlect ; they e e l n;"' was not likely to last more than a tortuight, and ask the 11,, INme ' lul of all questions, the subsistence of the pestle. (11 right. ear. ) j f such was the result, and if hia Majesty. Ministers shoolit ref use Select Corm:dote, be would gladly seize the opportunity e j,n n ing out tor Rome b etter gu i des than the Hon. Gentlemen opp At the same time he must say he had voted with them, and do so again, if there was any apparent wisdom in the conduct:hi:cid they purposed to pursue. It had been said that the cause of th il present distress arose frown the want of credit. If such was ein e tact, that the mischief did arise from that source, then an advance — e of public money might be of great benefit. An increased r ear would, under these circumstances, impart capital to the ma n e . lecturers to employ workmen, and the increatied demandn. tee occasioned would set them to work. But on the oth hand, if the supply was too great, and that there was u e wat.t of demand, then a grant of money would be int%c 'ent. For that reason it was why h e should c o nsent to the pro i p non of the Honourable Baronet (Sir T. beitibridire). lyi th ' respect to the Corn Laws, lie admitted to the Riese Honourable Gentleman (Mr. Canning) that the law might be eltered with great benefit to the state. But if t h e Ri g h t Honourable t eentleman - w: of opinion that he had come to that point at width an alters. tion might be made, he ought to have proposed the eheration of The law, and not by any other means. Ile wished the Right Honour. able Gentleman to look at th e anx i ous f eeling that existed on the subject. It was known to a ll, t h e o di um to which the agriculturists were exposed for their resistance to the alteration of the law. Fr om what he knew of the state of alarm that existed, from his own ob. eavatiou, at.d from his communication among fanners, they be. Hewed that the measure would be ruinous to them. He would ask his Majesty's Ministers if that was a state in which the country ought o be kept ? Ills objection to the measure was, that it was a piffe• meal legislation, which ought to be viewed with the greatest jet'. lousy. He did not vote against the Right Honourable Gentlem an the President of the Board of Trade, tot delaying the discussion o/ the question on s former occasion : at the same time he felt con. winced, that if he had brought it on this year lie would have cat. tied it through Parliament. The gentlemen of landed Inte rest did nut wish to consult their own views against that or tl:eir tel. low-subjects, for their interests were essentially and indivisibly connected, and could not be separated without a degree of suffering to both. Mr. III:SKISSON said that he had mad the greatest attention to what had been offered by the Hon. Members, and he had not heard any thing which had been offered that could alter his opinion. Ile admitted out a former occasion that the present was not a fit opportunity for going into the Cum Laws, and he must say that since he had given that opinion in that discussion, he was con. firmed diet he was right, and if anything further were wanting to establish that opinion, the debate of that night would mutt eere taint," do ea. Ile owned he was not a little surprised, that after his !light Honourable Friend had stated last night his wish to go into a Committee on the subject of the means of allevi dieg the present distress, which proposal did appear to have met with the oat cordial sanction,' and indeed with the unanimous concurrence of that House—he must confess his surprise at the course which had, been taken, and of which the Honourable frentleman opposite must have taken a very different view than that which reticle his mind. Those concurrent circumstances certainly tended to show to the country that the House was disposed to entertain the question of their distress, and that it was the wish of Government to& every thing in its power. The concurrence so expressed was a happy omen that they bad concluded so to act; but it seemed now Mat new lights had arisen upon the subjece—whether they were net concocted from another quarter—be would not stop to inquire, but the object of which was to promulgate to the people and to the country, that the present condition of the Corn Laws was the cause of their distress. If it should be impossible to come down to the House with a measure embracing the whole question of the C. rte Laws, with all the alterations attaching to the law, and of witith there were many, and that the only course to be pursued was to let out the bonded corn, was it file to state on that account that his Majesty's Ministers were the cause of the distress of the coun try ? He would ray that Ruch was not a logical or proper opinion to be arrived at from the circumstances of the case. lie (31r. Ilus klsaon) denied, and had always done so, that the Corn Loss had any thing to do with the distress of the country ; it was not a fide and logical interence, that because his Majesty's Ministers intended . to afford a means of' relief by the measuie in question, that therefore the Corn Laws were the occasion of the distress. Ile would ask what were the facts in respect to the state of the mane. lecturing population at the same period of last yenr, looking at them with respect to the state of the C orn l aws ? font year, at this nerjod, there was a most active trade, indeed—a system of overtrading to an enormous extent, bad pervaded every deparunert of manufactures; the credit was not adequate to it : and yet all those circumstances were said to be brought about by the price of torn; at that period the price of corn was 71. or its. a quar ter more than at present. At the present period, under such very different circumstances, could such an enormous proposition be maintained, that the Corn Laws were t se cause of the present dis. tress? Corn was much lower at some periods than others, and it must be Waned that it had no reference to the distress, seeing that the diffeeeoce of price was in direct opposition to the principle so laid down, which was apparent from the circumstance that last year corn was Jo. or Ile. a quarter dearer than at present, teed other cons. modifies were then at a proportionate dearer rate. This year the state Of things was precisely altered, and therefore he must think that it was a conclusion to which every gentleman must come, that there must be a sensible difference between the value of laboue when at 2s. lid. and the price of corn in return for that labour 6s. and sire villa. The reasoning of such philosophers did not carry conviction to Ids understanding. What were the two questions which were to avoid the general discussion of the Cunt Laws? The one was to admit bonded corn at a duty, and the other to allow the power of imponing more in ogee of necessity. The-Noble Lord (Lord John Russell) had said that the distress was perhaps from a want of credit. No doubt the want of credit was an evil of great magnitude. Ile knew no other means of remed irg that than by an increase of soles; and theugh the Noble Lord had mated the evil, he had not pointed out any means by which it might be remedied. There was no doubt that credit would revive when prices (coked up. The necessary circumstance of want of credit, which grew out of want of demand, had the effect of throiring out of employ a certain number of the manufacturing classes. In whatever way they looked at the difficulty, they could not say the Manufacturing classes were altogether out of employ, because many of them were at low wages, and the object was to take measures to prevent the price of corn from rising, and thereby to mike the wages, more commensurate to sustain them : to do that would be to do what policy had dictated, and what former Parlia ments heel 'done. It was admitted that front letting out the bonded corn it would prevent corn from getting higher than it then was. He could not suppose for a moment that It could be the wish of any Honourable Mettler that the corn should be allowed to go to decay in the warehouses, because he would object to tie measure in principle, lie would beg to c... 11 the attention of the House, and particularly teat of the lion. Member for Dorsetsbire (Mr. Bankes) to what had taken place last year. He (M r . Huekitoon) had taken the opportunity of con:paring the prices of ecru for the six last weeks, with the same period of 11125; and it appeared abut the price for the six weeks, between the 19th April and die 231 June , was—first week, 68e.: se con d wee k , 61k. 93.; third week , 69e. ; fourth week, 68e. ; little week, 67e. ; sixth week, 665: 61 . ; so that it would be seen there was a d.c.ease in the cerreepoading period of I st year -of two shillings per quarter, and yet what did his AI. jestynt Ministers do? 11 It,' they teL out 450,00 quoneis of bor.ded corn, not because it could not pry the prjce, but because tit re was a feeling that the honest ought be untoward; and these we e heroin des on which that ma sure was stipporied, and which he (Mr. Huokisson) had the honour t :e to in r eluce to the House, ants which had been most cordially a Int tern ll'as it to much, therefore, to ask the house do to that in Debi which 'they had agreed was a proper measure in 1825, under suit diffe-ent circumstances, and when such different interest* were ernierned. He would ask what would be the feeling of thole persons is they saw that 'there was a dienolitation to do that in 11126 which was done in 1825? Would they not look at Mech. cumetancee and think it a great h ar d s hi p, that then when cern ors falling, the rising they were not to have that advantage. In respect to the average price% for the six weeks of the year 1316, it had gradually increased from tiles. Ild. to 60e. Id. while there was a depression in Ilse prices or every other article. surely, then, there was some reason for the present meastee of letting out the bonded cora. hi eat then eecame of the opinion, that this was endeavouring to attack the Corn Lays by a side wind, and of not being able to look at it in all its hea rings ? 'The measure had b e e n a d o p te d l ao year, and Mere was no material differencef at the present. The fact was. that the whole objection arose out of imaginary evils out of doors, and which heel unti rtur ately been introduced into that House that night. He would conic now to the other part of the measure, and to which the re a pp eare d a more determined obje . t on. Ile was quite pr e p are d to state dun he did not olt to give any opinion as to the it te of the supply of nen it the country. It would be highly improper so to do in t' e absence of all statistical information and knowledge on the subject. it wooed, tinnier, be very rash for any Member of Parliament so to do, inure particularly in him, filling the situation he did,--and be WAS particularly anxious not to be considered as giving any,—as to whether the supply was or was nut equal to the subsistence of the country until next harvest; but it behoved the Government always to be on its guard. A gentleman of the Corn H: urn Office had brought it under his (Mr. Huskitoon's) notice, that, taking all the corn Insekete in England, thete had been a considerable detieorev within theiast year—of several hundred thousand quarters. When in 18,3 something like die present stagnation of credit tusk place, tliere Ives a greater depression than at this moment, and corn wits down to thirry.eight shillings. It' the price of corn was looked at in 11W, it must be mien that there were other elements in the question ; one was, that of the t and there 'mint also be a state of' supply. Ile wiehe 'to press upon the attention of diode who prosecuted the question of the Corn Laws, what was (tic state of the case last year ? .7a 0.990 qv.. of corn came into the market between June and harvest, a , 't Ito happy ned that the hareem was one of the earliest and nln.; abueda t ever known, and therefore the cons was available for mmedia c consumption. That bonded corn going then into the market, a' fl an early harvest taking place, occasioned the advantage of the por s not betng Opened ; if they had, the price would hare exceeded at d he would isle it that would have been IA desireble measure, and whether—looking at the price of labotu and the glue of money-- tale. was a price that could not have been paid, and whether it an Id not-have gone to the shaking of even society itself, as sell as every element of property in the country % Rut was that all that would be :faked ? And what would be the consequence of the I of the community to suppose that their interests were to be sup . ported by the fail of another class of the population. in (Hear.) Mr. ROBERTSON said th a t h e did not concur the propriety t of the measure proposed, and he, therefore, intended to suggest , some-ether and better - mode for remedying the !Metter of the coun t try. The grand cause of the distress which prevented was to be t found in the want of employment, and it 'Mould he the care of his s klajeety's Ministers to provide a g ain s t i ts resu lt s . The d i stress which the country lieffered was shored in common with the ('anti. S , pent , w here similar !Macey prevailed in consequence of the glut of t manufactures. It was therefore in vain to expect that • remedy . could be derived from exportation of the manufactures of this coun. • try to foreign ports. America and the North of Europe were an glutted that they presented no opportunity as receptacles for our goods. The only place where grain could he expected, and that not mu c h, t I was from the coast of the Mediterratutan. No relief was to be I expected from foreign quarters under existing circumstances, f or it would be utterly hopele s s to expect relief from exportation. ! The effect of the unlocking the bonded corn would be to produce ' a very slight alteration, and to change the current of distress to the . occupants of laud. That diversion of the mischief would be of r greater detriment than that which it was intended to relieve, as it would spoil the market and reduce the prices to the agri. ; culturists, thereby involving them in the general ruin by a , temporary expedient in favour of the manufacturers. Such a purs e . would be only making bad worse, as it would render the distress more extensive. Mr. Colquhoun had estimated the landedro pper: y of the country at 2'26 millions, and all the remaining spec ies at not more than IRO millions. That comparison ought to be sufficient to induce the House to regard the landed interest with attention, and to pause before they :adopted any measure likely to interfere with them. 31r. Jacob, whose authority was certainly very great and li eque a n t tl n y arenttezric was s red to. osn. per q n uar su t b e j r, ec a ts n , d hael that eta it ted coi t i l l i d e price of corn brought to this country at a less expense than 40s. That gentle. ratan, though undoubtedly very competent, was not without his prejudices. The House was in possession of documents. Pent by the Consuls stationed at Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and other pieces. By these returns, which had been laid on the table, contradictory statements were furoiehed. The returns thus given stated the price at Dantzie at only Ins., at Rotterdam at not more than 215., and the tethers at similarly low quotations. What he should propose would be, the% kialf a million of money should be devoted by the House to the pauchase of bonded corn, free of duty, under the woos:tut of his Majesty's Government, or perhaps a greater sum ; and that the corn so parchased should be given tor the relief of the distressed districts, and that those who subscribed for such relief should also he allowed to purchase free of duty. The House would thus, at an expense of 30s. the quarter, obtain corn for the sufferers without affecting the landed interest ; fur that mode did not present any prospect of interfering with the autumn demand fbr agricultural produce. The distress of the country required an immediate application of the salutary remedy which he had suggested. Mr. WHITSIORE hoped that the House would excuse him from offering his opinion on a subject which was in connexion with the Corn Laws. Ile did not hear from the Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Canning) any Muse which should be deemed adequate to the partial abolition or suppression of the Com Laws, which did not apply to the total abrogation of their principle. The time for ef. fecting a wholesome regulation in that respect had not only ar. lived, but was almost past. When it was said that nothing but the necessity, resulting from the distress of the country could have caused the present ;immure to be introduced, he was of opinion i that the necessity which existed for the partial operation should be I t tnsitter.d to apply, with a proportionate increase of urgency, to the whole question, of which the presser measure was but a branch. He would, however, go as far as he was permitted, and anent even to the curtailment of the principle, which lie advocated on a wider scale, as if the Parliament were dissolved without some provision of the kind now proposed, it would be found extremely dangerous to relieve the apprehended misery which a pease. verance in the system was so likely to add to the present load. In his opinion the quantity of cotn at present in the country was very small, and if the coining harvest was bad. nothing but what was now recommended would prevent the recurrence of a very serious evil which all must deprecate. The present Corn Laws had destroyed the internal trade in corn, and if that system was per. listed in, at no distant period it might be found impossible to get • sufficient supply of corn, in case of' need. He would now proceed to 'tate the grounds on which he founded his opinion that the stock of corn in the country was email. In tl:e ordinary state of things the produce was not quite equal to the consumption, and this was proved by the effect of the Corn Laws in raising the price of corn. If the produce, upon ordinary occasions, was more than the country required, the Corn - Laos would be of no avail in raising the price. In fact there must be a deficiency in the production to render the Corn Laws influettial upon the price. It appeared from calculations of the use age importation s of corn for the last forty years, that the amount imported had increased every year; I certainly it had increased to a large amount every ten years. From 1780 to 1789. the average importation was 23.330 qrs. From 1790 to 1799 320,60 qrs. From 1800 to 18119 574 753 qrs. From 1810 to 1820 6114.643 qrs. This included the Irish importation, but if that was deducted, tie amount would be 508,583 quarters. For a number of years, there fore, until 1820, we had been importing large quantities to meet the increased consumption. Since that period elapsed, however, there was no importation ; the ports hind been closed. Now, the harvests since 1823 were not remarkably abundant ; they were harvests of average aroducir. It could rot be said that the consumption had dimiolehed. From 18Z1 up to the present month, or at all events up to the conclusion of the year 1825, the consumption had rather increased than diminished. The years 1824 and 1825 were years of the largest consumption ever known, and be it remembered they succeeded a period of great agricultural (limiest' and years of ordi nary produce. There was no importation from 11)20 to the last year; anti with increased consumption, and only an average pro. duce, he asked, was it to be wondered at if the steel; on hand was small? The highest price during the last year was 87s. a quarter ; it was down to 545 , durin g th e p resent year ; b ut the House would perceive that the price had advanced considerably within the last month. At the close of Mardi in the present year, it was Ms. 11d. a quarter. On the Ist April It was 511 s. Id. ; on the 15th April 58s. 6d.; on the 20th, 595. 41, and on the 30th April 601. Id. a quarter. Knowing the state of the money market, did not this in crease of price lead to the conclusion that the stock of corn on hand could not be large? In truth, he believed it was very small, and this he knew to be the opinion of the best-informed persons. This smell stock was in the hands of the wealthy farmers, for the poorer class of farmers were not able to retain any part of their stock, but had already brought It to market. The stock, therefore, was in the hands of fcw pereone, and would he in the hands el fewer. Olean) It was therefore that he should contemplate any untoward appearance in the coming harvest with sentiments of great alarm, because he thought it must inevitably have the effect of raising the price. The power now asked for by his Majesty's 31inisters was certainly one a hich the House would not be justified in granting on ordin ar y occasions. It was a p ower which ought not to be confided in 31inisters, except under very peculiar circum. stances ; but t he present state of the country was such, that the power might be vested in Ministers with advanta ge t o t h e country. With respect to the proposal for letting in the bonded corn, he thought it would not have a violent effect in lowering the price. The market would be fed sparingly, and she present price would Slot be materielly altered. As to the intention of letting In the corn in bond as a remedy for the existing distress, he did rot think it would be !sound very effective. He did not contemplate much front that measure as to the actual relief which it would afford. The best result of the proposition, he thought, would be the moral feeling it would ' , reduce. It would, lead to the conviction that though Government and Parliament could not off rd ample relief to the eufferere, though it was scanty, they had affitrded all the relief in their power. MINI, touching on this point, he would take the opportunity of observing, that in his opinion the pre sent slate of the Corn Laws was not in any degree the cause of the existing distress. He agreed with the Right hot,. Secretary for Foreign Affairs, that when parties came coolly to consider the question of the Co r n L aws , they would mintier for how little they had been contesting. By acceding to the proposition of Ministers, however, he thought feelinge of irritation would be allayed, and the growth of disunion be prevented amongst classes which it was most desirable should be united. The advantage of such a union would be most advantageous if the coming harvest should not be one of average produce. As to theyower asked for by Ministers, in the event of • bad harvest, coming, perhaps, *hen there would be no Patliament in existence, such a power would be most useful in the hunds of Government. On these grounds lie hoped Minis ters wonld be allowed to carry the proposed measures into operation, and he trusted that the measure would not meet any delay else where in passing into a law. As to the general question of the Corn Laws, he wax not 'maid to meet his opponents on that topic, but he abstained froin entering on the general question, knowing that opoortunity would hereafter occur, and that he best consulted th s feelings of the House by confining his observations to te precise subject then before it. (Hear.) Colonel NV001) claimed the attention of the House whilst he offered a few observatums In reply to the Hon. Gentleman who had just sat down. The answer to the Hon. Gentleman's observation, that this country did not produce sufficient corn for its eonsump. tion, was simply.ehat for the last seven years there had been no importation of wheat it we had been existing entirely on our own produce. (Hear.) When the ports opened, oats and barley were admitted a ithout incoevenience, and, in his opinion, if it was ne. emery to open the ports for wheat, n' inconvenience would be pro duced. Ile thought we had grown enough of wheat, and would continue to do en if agriculture was not discouraged. The Hon. Member (Mr. Whitmore) stated that the internal trade in corn was de/MOyed; but d:.I the Hon. Member know that in 1822 there was • greater quantity of corn sold than in any preceding year. The Hon. Gentleman' s a l arms were no reason why the House should go to overturn the present system, which in his conscience he believed was the safest. He regretted exceedingly the distresses of the country, and would go far to alleviate them; but he did not think the measures proposed calculated to Milted any great re lief. (Hear, from time Opposition benches.) It was an unfortunate monlent to ensue with such a proposition, beesuse it would give the distressed population an idea that their distreeees arose out of the era Laws, than which nothing could be more fallacious. (Hear.) Tire present distresses were not occasioned in any degree by the Corn Laws; and, in his opinion, the proposed measure, would tint Minn! any coneiderehle relief. Ile had no objection that the bonfire' corn sho u ld be let et liberty upon paying a duty o f 12 5 ., but there was timelier question not a t a ll touched upon, hut which he hoped to hear alluded to in the course of the debate. It was the wield/nation at what price Englielt corn ought to be when Minis. sera exerrieed the power left at their discretion, supposing them to be Invested with dm power by Pediment. The present law was ! that the ports should remain closed until time average price was 80e: a quarter, that they etiolate then remain open until the price fell to I 766, NW that coin should thenceforth be admitted upon payment MOm ~~