The Sun. — London, England, 1815-02-08 00:00:00

CORN LA S. The alarm excited by the recent discussion on the Corn Bill covered the table of the Houseof Commons with Petitions, expressive in general of apprehensions of consequent high prices, and indicating much anxiety for the comforts of the labouring classes, predicting the decline of our •, manufactures, and finally the total annihilation of owr export trade, as the inevitable result of its , adoption. 'lt was asserted, that•the rates o( hour and of taxes, higher in this than in, 'certain other•manufacturing States on the Cont.'atent, ne cessarily required the free importaii on o f C orn , subject only to the restrictionsetr ae tehby th e ex isting laws; and that, by the Continuance ofsthose laws without alterationa-dAteap subsistence would be secured to the labr'mrer, and' those evils be averted to which, 4 4 am apprehension of the Pe titioners, the con,. tuercial and."Manufacturino..in , teres:s of tber.ountry would be exposed by any addition trx . 'the :prices now regulating• the im portation", dr:es not, however, appear, from the 4;;Ai.. , (1 , ‘.1.r ; e taken before a Committee of the House of •(;onntions,- that these opinions rest on any very. graUuds, or, that seburityagainst the pre. dieted evils would be effectually attained by cwt .., • tinning the existing Corn Laws, r, aitst, on the other hand, there is reason tp•apprehend an oppo site result, Notions to commerce and animator- • tures, and fatal to our agricultural prosperity.— . By a statement of numerous facts add.aced in evi dence, 80s. appearS to he the minimum, which can be us . sumed as a fair price for wheat, at the present renti.ot land, together with the taxesr expellees attendant on 'cultivation. If under that price, a 'great breadth of land-of middlin,' and itt ferior quality must necessarily cease r „ be culti vated for the_growth of corn, for the" ouvions rea son, that the average producewr :uld he less than the cost. But the consumpti• on of the 'existing population requiring a stip;y -- equal to the pro (ince of the whole-brea, e n now under the plough, : that supply woupl of course fall short of the. cot iu s "'" Pt: "' a d e r cee propoitionate to the extent o f land directed t 'other objeets: evi.' a P ( '- u k ohly of the evil to be alipteheilded. )r soils cannot, indeed, be cultivated certain loss, and will, tlierefore,.4e con ;-crt .N 1 jg.° g rass .; but arc arc thence tc) infer. that .19SC ot a superior quality will he :i•eliitereci • the snore productive, by a greate6ocer.iiou of skill, and by a more liberal application of capital, without such a protecting price as shall yield an adequate reinuneratinu ? It SOs. be the minimum price at which the Farmer and Land-owner can be so pro tected, is it 'possible that be can calculate upon obtainntg it, in the face of rcgAations which per mit importation at a lower rate, expose him / to the competition of the iii•fiiiitely cheoper markets of &mope and o America. Under such circum stances, agricalt ure becoming an unprofitable pursuit, will he again abandoned, as it was fifty years ago, to,pc;rsorts deficient in knowledge, and destitute of capitol, and the important trust of providing for the %rants of the people ted to the feeble bands of poverty and of igno •,rance. IMportation must then be resorted to, even in seasons the most favourable, to a consi , derahie extent, but in those which prove unfit ;rntirable, to an a.mounl sciticely to be calculated. 'he . 11"ttited Kingdom, thus reduced to a state of dependence on other countries, would exhaust its treasures with singular intpolicy, iii the encon . ragcment of foreign cultivators, by - deptiving do mestic apiculture of the protection sail support essential to its progress. With the demand, the • prices abroad must advance, and be regulated by the neces.sities of the 111 itish public. Thus tray the cost of importation on the average of years equah or even greatly exceed, the prim at which the Vritiih Farmers, enjoying a just share off encou titgentertt and protection, would have been en ;Able(' to continue thqie tl,xertions, and to meet the consumption of the country. • Another risk is connected with this precarious conditiou of dependence—Foreign C.lovernments m.!y choose to impose . a duty on the export ; and as the fact did actually occur a few years ago, in the Prussian dominioris, the point is well worthy of consideration. I.:trense fluctuation in the prices of Grain, has ever teen considered an evil cal the most serious nature, and of a tendency to disturb the order and •ct the peace of society. To that evil, whilst . IVe depend upon iinportntion, mast we evidently . be more exposed, than by relying on the produce of our own soil, which by means of improved col t i ion, anti the employment of increased capital, by the exercise of greater energy, and a larger bread di under the plough, has been found capable of - viel:ling a supply adequate to ,the extteme demand. We must'also recollect, that large st u trill be drawn froni the ewimitry, that the b•a• [:Bice of trade in the course of exchange will .be materially a' Ireeted, an,l he prodoctive of conse quences, to the preventiou of which, the enlight cued Statesman will ever direct his utmost efforts. The gratuitous injury thus inti.tted on the ireuide•i Interest, the great mass of Farniers and Proprietors, is pregnant with incalculable tins , _eitiet to the public rereutic:t:•; the body politic will L)se just Proportions, and present to the re -' tlecting wind certain sunning bt . diminished vigour and of approaching decay. W4lll all the persons iocludecl is those 61-OA'S ability to el , ..pentl• will dintioish is the ratio of the'r:redoced income 3, and • many, very many be consigned-4o poverty ,al . O to indigence. Ilow then s iii it ;are with the Millions of iacornes a'reanr.lll'.lat;:il, the - lion and circtilation of which furnished to the la,- tourer, the artificer, the 'tradesman, the lactur.vr, th,e tnea.ni an 4,.• the reward Of tlit.lr re sirective pursuits . . Arrested in the ),,I:ocr i .ess-d tisef ! il oer:up:tawo, they become a 'prey to indi gehce, a tiolitile,:t spirit is ulferated, acts of vio. , fence 3 of depreclatian e;fstte, - aiid.crowds, thus hurr ? .ed into 144 eotinuisicm of crime, beemne . the of the offended laws. The detna - nll for la bout falling short of the. supply., the parishes will, in consequence, be oppressed with enormous poor-rafes. Willi such a diminution-_6f the power of eartstimption, is it possible to copeeixe that the' public l'eventi6 trill not sustain .a corresiagnticut .defection ? L e t us . suppose:, for a Moment, the revcitUes of the State to consist entirely of dtities, Phu( other • taxes levied ad ertiarent, and.the prices of all ex changeable eoloinediti9,s,"no matter from what cause, to be _reduced lo one-half ; in tliis event, the revenues of tb. - e State would also'necessarily he reduced to- P:Ae-half of theii - former•amount.— Let tis,* the Saint; time. supPPse the annual ex- How of that State, and the interest of the publ i c .0 1 5 t, to require the izhole undilninished revenne.. Under•these circumstances, with a 'revenue equal only to one-half the requisite expenditure, em barrassment is the inevitable consequence. The expenses, of the State arc necessary, tact the Claims or the public creditor areitiSt ; it: lyrist in such- a cii-se, •eonid he discharged. ivgy he said answer, that •the• statement is hypo :- thetic4, an 4 .altogether .strained, and that; ili . fact . , the supposed circumstances , do not exist. • Bt it ere we decide, -let us consider a little the-ef fects naturrdliito be expeeted - from the annihila tion 0± to amonnt whe ther similar consequences Will not e,:sue in the prvoortion of the amount anuniilated„ No other yesalt is ,nossible. It isi in vain to . ure, that with the prices of conimodities, the,.exoences ut the.Oovernotent ..oultl be gra:inally thi - s to he admitted to the 101 l extent, the relief is partial, only, antl-will not in the sligtovst degree diminish die amount payable for the iPte rest of tire public debt, which Must in all cases be discharged in full. • The parties, ,it is evident, against wheal im mediately this war of 'prejudice and of injustice is waged, are deprived of: the power of cunstoning ; but the recoil will assuredly be ultimately test by those with whom this Violeta iirocedure originates. All classes will finally be involved in the conse quences of a state of things thus fatally disorga-. pized.- The pow . ers- of cousomption and Of re .prodoction will be generally diminished, and thits• will be assailed the vital principle',` tis'"wilich the strengulf:and independence of the United King , dour, and the. happiness of the people, under the bleSiings...of a free Constitution, and the favour of Providence, are to be-mainly attributed. If then it be true, that`fhe prices of grain are likely to be equally high on the oneschente as on the that of importation or-of non-import ation ; if the cahmities attendant on extreme fluctuation be the consvpience of neglected agri culture, anti he price of laboila. be tint on the average of years materially reduced, the mantific- . turing.as well as the agricultural , interests will be affected, and each will have suffered by the expe riment : the public revenue will be impaired,. and the country - reduced to a state Of dependence on . foreign Powers, fur a precarious, supply Of the ne cessaries 'Of life. If, however, the Chancellor of the Exchequer coal dev,ke the means of paying the public creditor, and of defraying the experices of the Government, anal St the same time dispense, - with two-thirds of our taxes, then - indeed, a:id then otify, alight we cease to Consider' an amend ment of the Corn Laws to be necessary. '1 he prices- tin all commodities would fall in a jasCpro portion, and the dpger - apprehended iron im portation, under the exiftiog circumstances, would be, removed by our ability to cultivate on equal terms with the foreign agriculturist. BURN. By - the Act of the 45th Geo. 111. if the avenge price of the - twelve Maritime Districts be, found, on the 15th of, Pehrjiary-, under G3s. per quarter, the high duty prescribed' by that Act is . to take place, and be continued for three months, till the next aggregate average appears in the Gazette. As the high duty way-beconsidered equivalent to a prohibition, this, .together with tile expecta tion among the Earmers - of some alteration in the Corn Laws, probably caused the rise.kvhich took place in most kinds of grain in the London mar ket on Monday. • • The .following Duties are payable on Ii iportation. except from the Province of Quebec, and the other l3ritish Colonies and Mutations in North America, viz.. TP7wat, if the aggregate average price at the port Of im portatiou is urnter tAs..per ouarter—high duty per quarter, 11. rA. permanent duty-,•qs..la. temporary or war duty. -If at or above 635. hut under CUs. per 'quarter—first low duty the (pallor, 2s. Gd. permanent duty-1(111. temporary or, war duty. • If at or above GGs. per quarter—second low duty, the 'awry ter Gd. permanent duty-2d. temporary or war duty. Rye, of ;he a4greate average price at the port of importation i. under per quarter—high ditty the quarter 11..25. Gd. permanent duty s. Gd..temporaly Ur war tlui _ 11 at or above 425. but mitler 445. per quarter—first low duty the quarter ls. lid. permanent duty--U•1. temporary to war duty. If at or ahm•e 445. per quarter—second lon duty the quar ter 3J. permanent duty- 7 1d. temporary or w.tr duty. The'following ditties are payahle on importation from the province of Quebec, and the •other Colonies or l'lantation3 in North Aioe- rtca, viz. ll7irrit, if the aggregate average price at the pert of impar tation under'33s. pee quarter---high duty, per quarter, 11. ss. - permanent tltity--8..14. temporary or War duty. • It at: or afore f):•is. hut under 565 . . per quarter—iirst low duty, per quarter, , 2s. penhanent•duty-10d. temporary or war duty. • . If at or ahuv.e'r,f;s. per quarter—second low duty, the quar ter, Gd. permauent duty-2d. temporary or war duty. Vytte, or Bows, if the aggregate average price at the port efiiiwortalion is under 335. per quarter—high duty, the qu.utcr it. 25. 6d. permanent duty-75. Gd. temporary or •war duty. ' If or abOve :45g. 'hut und , r :375. per crvirtei7—first lutY duly, the quarter, Is. (id. peimaneut duty—dd. tempurayy or tittly. • . ;fat ur . :l l ;,we 37,;:ver quartrr—Second.l9v.: daty, the guar.. f.l ••.:tkrinirnra , t'. fir 1)13JCI1 4I id. BRUSSELS FRANKFORT PAPERS. . [RECEIVED MORNING.I • :13'RUSSEL•s, JAN . . the 26th, ante Fy severe measures have been procialiteci it the k . beighbouring 'French Departments, to "Taake all French so!diers returning as prisoners war, all those absent on furlongh,• and even tive Beset tens; join the array.' '!'hose who neglect to comply are to be severely . ptinished - , as well 4s / those who af fork prntcctiPn to a desela ,. .. 113 y these means the French army will be eonsiddably strengthened. On the other hand, all iiquiet,'and the 'trade with : France increases daily".---The Prussians are still all in motiefn, but the garrison Of Laxeinburgh, , which had been difoini,sha,l7-i artinreinforeed; BRUSSELS, FEB. I.—Within these few days se veral battalions..of infantry of the line aTri coating from theprovince of Luxemburg'', have arrived at Din ant, Marche, ilavela , .lge," and Huy, and other places on the Maese, which the Prus— sian cavalry, has left. It seems that the whole ca valry of the Prussian army will be stationed on both ;ides the Rhine. All leads us to believe, that the movements that are. taking place in the Prussian army, are intended to shew 'that the army is ready to take the field, if the interest of the Cabinet of Berlin should reqUire it. If we may believe accounts that have reached us franc Treves, a eery con'siderable corps of the army of Gen. Kleist von Nollendorf is to occupy the impot taut fortress of Bentz, the key of Lower Germany. The whole Belgian army is now uniformly cloatbed theinfantry in dark blue, With an orange cockade ; 'the Officers have an orange sash. The Itegiment of mounted Carabineers on horseback, garrisoned here, deserves all praise. The Hanovetian, Dutch, and Belgian • army on this side of, the Maese, is in tlie hit, , ,best states, of discipline"; the cavalry ,consists orthree Belgian regiments, and'fre regiments of Hanoverian dra goons'and -hussars. The infantry - is in propor intieh mote nutnerous.‘ If, contrary,to.al l expectation, it -should he necessary to augment this force for the..:Secnrity of our ,country, a few days . wou'ld 'suffice to reinforce it. Yesterday evening an English courier passed throsgli this city, who left Vienna on the 24th, and is to em- bark at Ostend.' It is reported he is the. bearer /of dispatches of the highest importanCe for the English Government. . VENICE, JAN. 14.—1 t is affirmed that the Je suits make a great progress at Tunis, where tbey •have a College; they enjoy ranch favour and meet with great protection in many cities of • Africa.--'.. Don Arrigha, Canon of the Cathedral of Terrara, who was here is gone to Rome. A General As sembly of the Order of the Jesuits is to be itch! on the Ist of Etbruary. • GENOA, J. 14.—The Anglo-Sicilian troops still Occupy our city, and a plan is . spoken of, tie : - carding to which England 'will effect a change in our political situation, and bring our affairs again before the Congress, in order that Genoa may ae tirade a free city, like the Manse-Towns. JAMAICA PAPERS. KINGSTON, DEC. 2 —Thefollowing vessels with troops, comprising the expedition to the coast of America, under- the co , uniand of Sir .ALEXANDER COCH HANE, K. B. I\l6or-General KEENS, proceeded front Negril Bay on the 29th ult. Gnus Commanders • • Vice-Admiral-Sie A. Cockrane, Tonn ant . ton ; Captain Kerr • . - Royal Oak ( Rear-Admiral Malcolfil ;" Captain 1_ West P• ,dford Norge -- It us Ilford - Sir T. 11. Hardy Asia . „ 70 - Sl:ene Dioaten• - Crofton llionlede - Kippen .-‘rinide '36 -'Si r T. Trowbriii. , e Belle Vue 19 -. Baler . . 't'rac'e . 3B - Monay Weser , • ''S ------ Sal!ivan Acasta 33 - Lawrence ; • 'litres 33 - Diobe .... Fax , j 6 Wilcock Cydnus 36 Langford • Thames - .- Hou. I. Irby Dore :34 ---- Rodgers ilueeplia Ins T2 • .--- D'Acta 4 Cp Rita • if; ' Cobb 2.1c3 amp - Wert hill llurer-. -.- l4 -- Rawlins Manly Meteor (bowl)) ' 6 ' Prince \Wean° (bomb) ---* ' Gardner /Etna (lionib) 6 -- Roberts -. Pigmy ( - cliuttiter) Jok: (cutter)* — Lieutenant Julinson. Speedwell (scl,ounerj . The Gordon store-ship, and transports Nor folk, Golden Fleece, Dianna, Active, Wandinan, Cyrus, Daniel Woodriffe, wittr several others, whose names are not ascertained, firm part of the Expedition. • • COEN' T. CHA,NGE, FEB. 8.--LOor Market 17as but thinly supplied with all kinds of Grain this morning. Fine Wheat, had •it appeared in any i w(" 1141 have obtlined better prices. Oats were dearer. Fine B a rlel, they Pease, and itia nti l t s y .t Tick Beans, wer e eac h I s ., de a r e r. Mort had a better sale, and the sales in general brisker. At the close of the Market on Monday, Flour ad-. vaneed ss. per sad:. An ingenious - Chemist near Bristol has disco vered, that a strong Itecoction of the common heath will tan leather without the useAtf bark. . alitnivED —1 floi:and, 1 Guernsey and .lesser . Dug—i La'' bon, 1 Malta, 4 Flaruburgh, 1 Waterford. ASII-WEDNESDAY.—HoIiday at tke Exchequer, Bank, East India and South ,Sea Houses, • EMU WATER AT-LONDON BRIDGE TO-MORROW . Morning, 28 mi mites after 2. I -livening, 51 minutes aacr THE SUN. QUIS FAL , WAI Al , PEAT ? LONDON, TrEDNESDAY, F'13.11 Rail?'" 8,4515. The contents of a Dutch Mail, , which I.l . l'.firiff this ihornimg, and are transplanted iRIM a preced ing column, are engrossed with , mti.itany move ;petits on 'the part of Prussia. .IVe ., afe still in ate• daric resrcting the tendency of these operations , bit beconie, from observation, every day more: and more• convinced that Prussia is determined not to accept her indemnities on the Left Bank of. the Rhine. The state and equipment of the Allied Belgia" forces arc also more spoken of than heretofore. -- We imagine that, all these things resemble tike• boasts of strerrath in persons who do not desir e '. 6 to haveit put to the test by fighting. The Jesuits are, it is said, converting - g thet° l sairs very fast. We wonder Sir S. SMITIi .doe s not attach himself to that fraternity: French Papers of the sth reached our Office this morning. The following is a summary of their contents : " VIENNA, JAN. 25.—This day the anniversai of the birth .of• her Imperial Majesty the Empres s of Russia, was celebrated at Court. " BERLIN, JAN. 23.--We receive frequent nett''' :front . Vienna, written by all the Prussians w ll° ' are now there. The purport is, that the indelu" nities of our Monarehy,are not yet seeded, but ar e the subject of much discussion. It has for some day! past been corisidered . s certain, that our Cabine t has rejeted the idea of indemnities on the left boll' • • of the Rhine, and on - the contrary has insisted 01 t having them on the right bank of , that river. , r is obvin'us thilt two near a contact with France ill provinces so distant 'from the centre of the Afr narchy, is not calculated to promote the interests, of this.: Country. , For these reasons we, wisl o6 have the Principalities' of Anspach and Bayrcu tik :• t , .inFranconia, united to our kingdom; that we In cis — • on'the. possessions of Saxony anti Thuringia our views are directed • upon ,tlit principalitY ° f • a 'Fulda, - -and that the tetritory.of Bamberg o Wurtzburgh, with the city of Nuremblrg, wout be accepted .with pleasure. -We Le .. rititv assu red that another project is on the tapir, the execution of which would be extremely .advantageous t ° Prussia. According to this plan, the twoDtle" u ieg of Meeklenberg. Schweriti and Mecklenberg-Stye' litz Are to be.united to Prussia, and the two Dulc cs of Mecklenberg are to obtain the Northern States on the Left Bank of the • Rhine, and the Kilig ° Bavaria the Southern. Prussia in that case wO O O ,have, no possession beyomttlie Rhine. It is si that England is More favourable to us than slj° W a s . " Letters from Venice of the 30th JannarY 11' s t present the Prince of Reuss'prOceedings agal li the secret societies of that eity,.as having, thr oS ch w it into a great ferment, in consequence of - the richest Inhabitants are withdrawing to l ltr. rcnce, and the Merchants to Leghorn. " The Gazette de France has an article fr °44l e s O - Corfu, similar to one which it inserts about a mouth, representing, that island as suffer ini; much under the .English Government. o i "-The death of General count NansoutY contradicta. , Funds 5 per Cents 'Bank Actions 77f. 7 5 f• ------- , We have insetted elsewhere an able Como -111°i', cation on the subject of the Corn Laws, wh ict' though it fails in converting us, is yet well No rtbi f Le of attention from the new view it takes of question. " As the meeting of Parliament draws: oi -l be (says the Morning Chronicle) anxiety. is 0, 0 t e • stretch to know' what substitute is to be r : sorted; to. for the odious measure of tire 1 0 e °111 ' . Tax. , Report says, that the Assessed Taxes are 116 be triplcd, taking the last year's returnas t.ce measure of assessment, according to the pO ett e , of that impost. Some people will quote the 10'11, ly proverb upon this, and say, that thisis, "1° 11 ' 1 ;1 out of the frying-pan into thefire ;" for:this o . ` 7° , f . be an intolerable Tax on all the middling classe s to the community,' and ,be almost a total rel ief 1s the great Land and Fund lioldels, as • ft ) t to merchants, bankers, and manufacturers ; ld 61 to the higher'claics of the nobility, what 0;5., be the triple assessment on their houses, wi° 4l°ll ," and ;:ervaPts, to the ten , per ee,l o ' • carria 1