The Express.
London, England, 1848-06-17 00:00:00

MPERIAL P ki;LIAMENf.

HOUSE OF I.oltl)S.—.FilokT, JUNE 16.
The Lova, 4 iimlciLLoa took hi. A- At at 6 o'clock.

PRIVATE rraNFsi.
SE: ONI READINGS.—WeiI BhuidelVo I -istr ; Fullerto, 'i Es.
tate ; I...unelenle RAM. ; Selrbury and Tiovi it olway ; Brien I anti
Exeter lisilwey (lilestonbury Nadaono and Cowl.; Whitande
Juoetian Itailaly ; Cara Western Railway (Edwin:an of too Berke
and Hants Railway from liongerford to Westbury, ebb a Brsi,di to
Devizes); Norfolk Railway (Amendment of Ae's end Extent:or of
Time far eaminenciug keyed:a and trim Railway); North Weston
Railway (Diversions a-fikipton, Criterion. end ealbargh): master.
Yeovil, and Dorchester Railway end Braucher.; Forth end cry.!* Nu-
vigetion spa Airdrie sad CoMbeidge Water; Tyne Arent len,:
(beater (*moiety; Malan', Clink bleymy, and Cardelm across
Roads; Rills.
TILISID BEADlNG.—Erentford Gas Light Acts Amendment.
THE NATIONAL DR AMA.
E al FITZHARDINGE, on prestatin-' the yeti!' r. from
the lessee of the Haymarket theatre and the ;Keener= at
the Lyceum, said that the petitioners stated that the patro-
nage which foreign artists received in this count:), was com-
pletely ,e-tructive of the petitioners inte-eats, and rt,dered
il their eleints to support the national drama unsuccessful.
They did nut wish to oppose the ortnal Italian opt r or the
performaoce of the French company at the St. James's
theatre, but soother Italian opera was now open e.itirely
maisitaiued by foreign artists; and there had late:), been •
French equeatrisn troupe at Drury-lane, and now tl:( re was
a French company performing dramas at that theatr Un-
der these circumstances, the petitioners stated +hat they
could not support themselves. He (Earl Fitzloree'':ice) did
not wish to be considered u an adv ,cate for proh c; on to
English performers any more than to the English
producers of food, but he must call their lordships
attention to the fact that the tater ea, more
entitled to consideration than any other cl 61 ot
;serious, because he could not, like other asti•;e, dis-
pose eof the produce of his talent—it must perish ei ith him.
Na persm condemned more strongly than he ditf the infa-
mous conduct—for he could call it by no milder iionse—of
certain persons in code ,Touring to put clown by force the
performances at Drary-lzue Theatre, but he was l• r ppy to
say that the respectable portion of the dramatic profesmon
repudiated it In the strongest terms.
Lord BEAUMONT thought the petit'ons were conceived
in a most 'nitwit. spirit. The petitioners acted like the dog
in the manger; they were not able themselves, h./ their
talent to attract perton• to the theatre, end yet wished to
drive away those who could. It war tatter that the master-
pieces of English dramatists should be represented at the
national theatres, if such performances could he supvrted ;
but he though, there ought to be free trade in these matters.
Lora BROUGHAM had been caked to support these peti-
tior.s in favour of native talent, but he could not eon:emir
tiously do so. The petitioners had no right to complain of
the interference of foreign talent, when the theatre would
otherwise lai aloud. It must be rementhered that if twenty
foreign cetera were engaged at Drury-lane Theatre, they
*mai afford employment tor some 21,0 English wstiemen.
(Hear, hear.) He felt disgusted at the scenes which had
trey taken place at that theatre, and which wee, so dia-
crediudAe to Englishmen. (Hear, hear.) Every one was
cryime out against the treatment of English weal:men is
France. bat if these things were permitted to te..sor they
wouldbe for ever quoted as a kind of had justifis I.ion far
the dismissal of our countrymen from their engage meats in
France. (Hear, hear.)
After a few words from the Earl of GLENCALT , which
were inaudible in the gallery,
The Duke of CLEVELAND said he was surprised that
Mr. Wcb,ter should have signed aura a petition as that
which had been presented by the trble earl, breAues, al-
though the national drama had long been at a low ebb, his
theatre, which was admirably conducted, had always been
well supported.
Earl SPENCER condemned the recent disturbances at
Drury-lane Theatre, but thought ate matter ought to be left
in the hands of the police magistrates.
After a few words from Lord BEAUMONT in explanation,
the subject dropped.
THE CORN LAW.
Lord STANLEY, in calling the attention of the govern-
ment and parliament to the present state of the importation
of foreign corn, begged to say that he had not modified his
opinions upon the subject of protection to British agriculture.
but he did sot then wish to invite their lordships attention
to it. During the general distress and dissatisfaction .shish
had prevailed it had been observed that it was well the corn
laws were not in existence to aggravate it It was not, how-
ever, a very happy remark, to there was in existence
at this moment a corn law, under the eperation
of which duties on the importation of foreign
corn, and especialiy wheat, were in process ot pay-
ment considerably na.re than were paid during this existence
of the cora law in 1810. Upon the re; sal ot the old corn
law a temporary measure was introduced, which was in-
tended to opera,e for two years, and to be similar in prin-
ciple to that which it abolished—namely, on the pricciple of
the eliding scale. Under the op. ration of that to aporery
law a duty was now paid on the importation of wheat of 91.
a quarter; and after the two years during which this expe-
-1 riment wasto be tried it would be for parlia-
ment to determine whether any modifleatien of tbe
Ilaw should he made. The there of the potato crop
rendered it desirable that no duty should stand in the way
of a temporary importation of provisions; but in cunvequerce
of that general opinion and the temporary law whim was
enacted, instead of having had the experience of two years
as to the operation ot the moderate eliding scale, they had
, only had the experience of little more than three month.—
namely, from the first of March last. Ii parliament should,
therefore, clam at the eud of July or the beginning of August
they would only have bad the experience of about five
months, and before the u ectiog of parliament the act would
expire. A sbcrt time ago he moved for a return of all grain,
meal, and flaw impacted iota the Voted K ingdom since the
first of March, 1843, the period at which the tempo; wry duty
was revived, and also or the month previous, commencing
en tie: tint of February, with toe amount of duty re-
ceived dining each week. Tula return was for a
period of 11 weelca ooly ; and during, that period, under the
operation of a duty of from 75. to 95., there had been brought
into consumption 993,348 quarters of wheat, of which there
were 191,000—say '20,600 quarters—which, having been
imported previously to the Ist of March, did not ply the
duty. But upon 800,000 quarters there had been paid duty
in 11 weeks amounting to 127,9301. Now, supposing he
took the amount of duty received during the 11 weeks, and,
assuming that it formed a fair average of the year's con-
sumption of foreign corn, that consumption would jive a
revenue alienating for the yeer to 604,7601. ; and if ho
might fairly take into calculation the additional filth which
had Lem, brought into cunsumpt Mn, though it had not paid
duty, the amount would be 755,917/. in the year. It Wee to
the financial part of the question that he wished to draw the
attention of the government, because here was a duty not
causing any dissatisfaction' not ag.ravatiog the price of the
Mod ot the people, sod bringing into the revenue at a
time of deep depression and delalcation (and it must be re-
metutered paid by the foreign importer), a sum of money
amt tinting to nearly three quarters of a million in a year,
which they were about, unless parliament should interpose
in the present session, •_biolutely TO throw away, and deprive
the exchequer cf three-quarters of a million in the next
year. A most important fact was 'bat this duty had been
realised without affecting the price of corn. During the
month of February there had been no duty, or merely a
nomiesione; hut on the Ist of March there was a duty of 75.;
and it would naturally be supposed that the price bad then
risau. Wheat bad Callen from dls. 2.1. to 60s. 2d. so Fe-
bruary, and oats and barley had also fallen in proportion;
and in the week subsequent to the 7s. duty being put on the
price of wheat was identically the same—namely, 608. 2d.
(Hear, hear.) The same observation applied to all
ethet grain accept rye, in which there was a trifling rise in
price. And during the wh. le time since the duties had
been in operation, from the Ist of March to the 20th of May,
when the return closed, the price of corn had fallen. (Hear,
hear.) He thought, therefore, that he was juatified in say-
ing that this amount ef duty had been levied without being
the cause of an incr. ase of price or a pressure on the con-
sumer hers, and that what had been gained was at the ex-
pense of the foreign importer. (Hear, hear.) Well, then,
had the effect been to check and discourage importation ?
So fir from it, a considerable increase had taken place in the
quantity of cora imported. In the first four weeks there
were altogether brougheinto consuairion 97,000 qrs. ; hut
in the last four weeks up to the 20th of May the quantity
had increased to 141,000 qrs. The amount of duty realised
in the ti at four W(6:,1 had been 12,4111.; but in the last
four weeks it had been 46,6b91. (Rear, hear.). Such was
the state of things ; and although ho d:d not wish to mike
any motion, he thought it was his duty at this period
of the session and its the present state of the Seances
of the counu y, to call the attention of the
government to the fact; because, unless they. inter-
posed by some step, this large amount of income
would be *holly lost from the Ist of February next to the
revenue, which was row suffering front a state of great de-
pression, and without producing the slightest corresponding
benefit to any human belt g. (Hear, hear.) The period at
which it was most important that there should be an impor-
tation ot foreign corn was in the winter months, because it
was liere:er than oar grain and moat useful to mix with it.
In the mouths of Nay. Daher, December, and January, it was
most required; but, with toe prospect of the duty of 7c.
being takeu off on the fat of February, 1949, it was
.1 quite clear that a direct impediment would be placed
if in the way of the introduction ot foreign corn. (Hear, hear.)
k No general bill could be introduced into their lordships'
8 : hou,e on the subject, bat he asked the government whether
be
. it would nut 111 accordance with sound policy and their
• I
own sense of public uuty, that a shun bill should be intro-
g dueed to allow the existing duties as they now stood to be
, continued fee five or six months, which would enable parlia-
ment to meet together again, and not with the experience of
six months, but of a whole year, censider who thee it would
o not be desirable to continue so small a duty which relented
so large a revenue ; and even if the bill were ex• ended for a
i long.'. period, to give parliament time for further cousidera-
I lion, lie did not think her Majesty'a government could be
taunted with inconsistency ; because, although they gave
th. it consent to the bill ler the about ten of the corn laws,
_0
the wbig goverumeut more than once contemplated
a 7s. or Se. duty. He was of opinion that the
operation of a sliding toile was more advantageous
then a fixed duty; yet he confined, u between
- I a fixed duty of Ss., and a duty fluctuating from 10s. as a
maximum to 48. as a minimum, the continuance of such a
measure could not justly subject the government to any
charge of inconsistency ; and he hoped the government would
• state whether they tncught such a course would not be de-
, strahle 1
Earl GREY said he bad heard with great surprise, and
object
thatio speechtbe bad . e
: also with beams satiefaction, the speech of Lis noole friend,
been
prtao t eeptriaosn ba,
thuatt oa
because
... Irevenue—a duty approximating to a fixed duty—that t. duty
euctallieda tinbj corn,
th
ec
ot ct.f
not 0
of such a description which, he said, old not, in the slightest
• degree, raise the price ot corn to the consumer, while
' it produced a large sum to the treasury—was a meteor°
c, of great importance. (Hear, hear.) He was bound pl-nt/
that the facts upon which his noble friend WOO'
MI MI were a little too narrow to warrantA coaeltaldern it
which Le had arrived. He thees,ht bp ft/acted'
t.-4,
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