The Express.
London, England, 1847-01-22 00:00:00

hon. gentkussn promised to Rise his best cnnsidrration to
the matter, which was one of eonoiderable importance to
tie people of Scotland. H. now wished to ask him whether
any, and what measures, wore to be brought in; for it would
be very satisfactory to the people to know what they were u
son as poorible.
The LORD ADVOCATE said the subj. et had received
his best attention ; and he hoped to be able, at an early
period, to lay before the house various measures for carrying
into efro et the most important r. lommendations of the rota.
missinners, particulorly with regard to the law of real pro
petty and the 4..1 security.
CORN LAWS AND NAVIGATION LAWS.
The order of the day being read fur the house to go into
committee on the corn-laws,
Lord J. RUSSELL moved that the house should go into
committee.

Mr. Gamier having taken the chair,
Lord J. RUSSELL said: So favourable an inclination
was shown by the how, on the first day of the session, tn
adopt the unities' of which I gave notice, that I shall not
trouble the house with many details which, otherwise, I
should think it umeuery to lay before teem. I will, how-
ever, state, as well so 1 am able, what ha. been hitherto, and
what is now, the prospect of ti.e supply of this country ; and
the reasons why I peewee, at this time, to advice the house
to 'lament], fur a time, the duties on foreign corn. I 'hall, in
the same eau-anent, give my n.mons with respect to the
navireation laws, the whole subject being el facie connected
bgether : and immediately after you have quitted sive chair,
air, I shall propese that the home do go into committee on
that subject. I should state, that upon Ott termination of
the harvest, the pro-peels and the statemeres Generally were,
that the harvest of wheat would he somewhat below an ave-
rage, but that it was of a very fine and sup. rem quality ; that
barley and cots were in many part. deficient in produce ; el-
though in some district* there was en abundant crop of oats.
But the mimics failure that was feared was the failure of the
potato crop.- a fai.ure which wee considerable in England,
which was far more considerable in some parts of Scot-
land, and which in Iceland has been stated at threeetturths
the amount of tee whole crop.; the amount cannot be ae-
eurately ascertained, hut I should have no doubt in saying
that it wan eonsiderably more than one -half the whole pro-
duce. of course this great failure of the potato crop must
have had • material influence upon prices; it was impooaible
not to expect that the prime of corn, which would be re-
quired for the consumption of Ireland, would he materially
effected by the deficiency of potatoes which had taken place.
On the otter hand there was, in the course of last year, •
very large importation of fureem corn, and acorn and flour
Run Brittell efilentie, amounting, altogether, according to a
paper which has been laid before the house, to the very
large amount of 4,800,040 quarter.. This very large supply
did not, for some time, enter into consumption. The harvest
wee a remarkably early one ; and it was calculated that
there was six wicks supply still in store, when the last
harvest was brought forward for consumption; this circum-
stance, and the existence of the four shillings duty, pre-
vented meth fors ign corn from earning into consumption
at that time. It wa• for this remote I conceive, that for
some time shire was a very oweidernble decline of prices;
and there was not g‘ nerally the apprehension which has
been Mum entertained, that there would be such a deficiency
as very greatly to raise prices. The prim in October and
November did riot show any very considerable apprehen-
sion as to the wheat crop. In the twat week of Oct., the price
was 545. ; in the second week, 54e. 10.1.; in the third week,
595.104. • in the fourth week, 60e. 10d. ; in the fifth, 61s. 9d.
In the tit week of November, the price was 620. 3d. ' • in the
second, 61s. 3.1.; in the thine 595. Bd.; in the fourth,
59e.; the, showing rather a decline of prices from the mid-
dle of October to the end of November. But from that
time there has been a considerable rise in prices; very con-
siderable indeed when we consider what were the prices at
the time of the harvest. In the first week of August, the
price of wheat wan 475. ; in the first week of September it
was 4%. ; but it had rem, in the first week of the present
month, to Gls. 4.1. ; in the second week to tfis. 10d. ; and
the week's avenge ending the 16th of the present month
was 70s. 3d. • • being a rise of 21s. since the first week in Sep-
tember. That ri•e in the price of wheat showy I conceive,
a very considerable apprehension as to the deficiency of the
NW- y. The rise in the price of barley has been still more
remarkable. In the first week of January, 1842, the price
Gourley was 295. 7.1.; in the fine week of January, 1.43, it
was 266. 5d.; in the filet week of January, 1844, it was
32u, 7d.; in the first week ofJauttary, 1845, 34..2d.; in the
first week of January, 1846, 31s. 11d. ; in the first week of
the Fount month, 445. 3d. ,• in the second week, 46e. sd. ;
and in the third, :N.. And this 50s. does not at all repneent
the prices that have been given for malting barley, those
prices having been 665. 675. and GSs., and I am told up to
70e, still higher pem having been paid for the beet quali-
ties. Now this rise of price is very remarkable, as
compared with the prices of other years; and I have
not compared it so:ely with yeah of great plenty, which hap-
pened a few years before, but during those years
when scarcity was 64t to a considerable degree. I have said
that this rise of price has been, to a great degree, unexpected
by those who are engaged in the trade. I should say, also,
with regard to the neiehbourine kingdom of France, where
there is at present very cooluderable apprehension, and a
very great rim of price, that there did not appear to be, in
November, snorting to the beet are ewe government could
ane, the fear that such would be the cam. I hold in my
trandation of a circular from the minister of agricul-
ture and commerce, dated the 16th of November. It does
state • deficience ; he sap-" In the first six divisions,
which comnriae- 57 departments, the amount of produce of
wheat, maize, and barley is generally below the average cf
ordinary years ;" and in another passage, he says :-" But,
as last yeer, the traits-producing districts are three which
have suffered the least• particularly the two divisions from
which Porn is principally supplied, where the harvest may
be considered as productive min good ordinary years." lie
then makes a statement with regard to the failure of the
pota:oes, observing that there were but fifteen departments
where this crop had not partially failed; but, he says-•' The
total low does wit sppesr to be more than one-fourth or one-
third of the produce of ordinary imam" Thus, it appears
that there was in France, as in the. ei untry, a belief that
the harvest sees generally deficient, but not such a material
rise of price, until lately, as to lead to the belief that the
deficiency would be very en ricues. I have mentioned that in
meb of Ireland and Strident!, there was an almost total
frame of the potato-crop, which we all act much deplore.
I ant speaking new aa to the effect which that failure must
bare with revert to the general supply of food. There are
various etatemente as to the total amount of potatoes lost, but
la the money value there is a general aaerage statement that
the amount boat in 12,000,0001. sterling. Front 4,000,000qr5.
to 5,000,000 qrs. of corn, er food of some kind, would be re-
quired as an equivalent to supply that deficiency. We have
had a supply during the past ye or amounting to 4,000,800 cps
of corn, but with regard to the supplies that we may obtain
during the temainder of the year before next harvest, it is to
be eousiderc d by the house that there are but very few party
Melte world from whence that supply can he obtained. A
delleiency in the harvest has been Rhin France, Germany,
ad a very great part of the west of Europe. Measures have
been taken in many countries to supply that elf licieney by
admitting free importation. A law was lately passed in
Franze by which the importation of wheat was allowed at
the duty of 7d. per quarter, and otht r grain in proportion,
and admit ins ships of all foreign Cations to enter
their ports with grain. In the countries on the Rhino
similar lows were passed, and in many of them laws were
enacted prohibiting the exportation of corn and sugar. The
stork in these places in so low, that they would net furnish
a supply to this country, and the last information from the
west of Europe was, that the holders of grain were retaining
it in the expectation ef high prices. There are quarters
from which considerable supplies are expected. One is
Odessa, from which place a very considerable quantity was
lately imported into France, where great encouragement
was given. The quantity amounted to very nearly 700,000
quarters. It is expected tnat in next spring fair supplies of
corn will be had trim Odessa, which may be made as &liable
fur the supply of this and other countries. There has been,
likewise. a very abundant harvest in America of all sorts of
grain. The harvest of wheat there has been abundant. and
t • harvest of Indian corn the largest perhaps that ever was
down. It seems that we have nut had, hitherto, any eery
gpraat part it that supply rent to this country. There are,
however, ships in America, and other ships bane been
sent there from Liverpool, for the purpose of bringing
over wheat and Indian corn and ether necessary grain.
It appears tn sue. that such being the state of the
supp' e in this country, such being the deficiency that
has been, we ought to remove every impediment which Iles in
the way of supplying the country se eb foreign cora. It appears
at first that the duty of 4s. per quarter as not considerable,
and that the large importation last year shows that it did
not prevent a considerable supply ; but there an circum-
stances and cues in which even that duty may, to a certain
extent, limit the supply which may be brought to this coun-
try. For instance, there was for some time • very nice
balance between the prices in this country and France. For
• shut time English wheat was sent Rem eastern counties in
this country to France. That exportation lasted for a very
short time, of er which the balance became the other way,
and then they kept the corn in this country. The prices
rose then in France, a'ter which the prices of corn in bond in
this country mu to within one shilling of the price paid
under the 4e. duty. It is evident, with prices so nicely
balanced, that those who look for profit which they
may obtain by the sale of a cargo of wheat, may
be Mowed by the 46. duty. It is said that
when the price was 625. in London it was 60s. is
Sure It was then worth the importers' while to bring it
to the latter place in consequent-a of the 4s. duty. Suppos-
ing there had not been a want in France; in ordinary cir-
cumstance/I, supposing there existed such a calamity, a U.
duty would hardly prevent any quantity being imported
into this country. Bat when there I. a competition for the
fiend to be had from America, a restriction to that amount
may make a considerable difference in the quantity brought
into this country. It is hardly in our power to 'peculate
what that quanely may be, and some mar say that it is se
small a quantity that it to not worth our while to suspend the
46. duty ; hut I say, that under circumstances of this kind
it is enough to say that it is • restriction that would prevent
• quantity of grain being brought here which other-
wise would come here, ar,d, being a restriction, it
ought to be taken off. I shall, therefore, propose, that all
duties on foreign corn shall be suspended by law to the Ist
of September of the present year. That period I consider
sufficiently long to enable us to bring in the corn that may
be had from other countries. I shall leave at to parlia-
ment afterwards, at any other period of the semen, to
decide whether they shall continue it or alto* the
present law to take its place. From the Crposition
shown by the house the other night I should au
expect any opposition to this proposal. ':out I do not think
that any party who, according to their principles, advocate
proteMeon.ouaht to put forward any such opposition. (Hear
and Acura.) \Vela regard to the advantage of the corn-laws
at, all times when the declared policy of parliament was in
favour of restriction Ikea protection, it bad never been denied
. by,a, have on ypartbcyethn suspended,attheremawyhbeileciatreutheaste
same tams
ought
to induce to suspend the duties on corn. In 1756, in
1766. in 1791, in 1800, and at various other periods, thee,
k
' d their suspension were advocates
; Vileth regard to those who take the view 7.11
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