The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-05-12 00:00:00

Lonl EI.LENBOROUGH said it was to be desired that those
who had spoken so much of the necessity of adopting the present
measure, hi order to relieve or prevent distress in the ceuntry, had
taken the trouble in the lint place to considet whether any such
necessity mined. Nothing bad yet been mated to prove Its ex-
istence. It had been recommended in adopt the measure an a sort
of conception to prejudice, and lie niiglit be content to admit such a
concession, if it would tend to weaken that prejudice; but them
was not • single instance in which a concession had bcen found to
have that effect. Ile was in no came disposed to grant a dispensing
power to the Crown. It was usual when a Noble Lord wished to
persuade their hardships not to clop.. a measure. to persuade their
Lordships that no one could agree to it ; but the Noble Earl in the
I present instance had pursued a totally different line of conduct, and
had made it his greet objection to the inquiry, that any one might
vote without it, that none could lied any objection to the measure.
The question row before the House was the simplest and most In.
lelligible that could he imagined. Having enacted the Corn Laws
only tour years ago, after a full consideration of the subject, It was
necessary bed' ire they altered these laws, to consider whether ears
commences bait al eyed sit.ce that eeriod. Ilia Majesty's Ministers,
instead of finding fault situ at' inquiry, should have considered
themselves complimented by it. The Noble Earl (Liverpool) had
been the drat to propose these laws as they now existed, and if he
could not Myriad') the nature of these laws, who could be expected
Ito do so ? They might be absurd, but it was very extraordinary to
witness the oppesition of the Noble Earl sgsinst an act of his own
creation. All that they asked was to allow :he:n to inquire before
adopting his proposal. Ile was surprised at the conduct of the
Noble Lords, who ought to have had more experience than to set
I fire as It were to • crowded theatre. Prices were low. The pro.
duce of Ireland was in a state of contimied increase, and he could
see no reason whatever few the Noble Lord's proposition. instead
of the COIIIIIIOII books of reference for ordinary men, his Lordship
actenied to have been consulting the Vox Stellarum, or I'uor
Richard's Almanack." A lamer instance of a similar nature
List year had been alluded to on this occasion ; but the
circuinetalicens were entirely different. The corn wan then
I in bad eondi•ion, and would have been lost if hie Majesty's
lAlinisters had not permitted he sale. It was therefore a
measure of mercy to the impoeer. The prices too at that time
were six or seven shillings higher than at present; and, therefore,
he did rot consider himself as acting inconsistently when he void
against it at present. though he voted for a similar meanuie on
the former occasion. What was innovation one year became pre.
cedent the following, and a rule on the next, and thus they would
conic at last to admit bonded rOlll continually at the discretion of
his Majesty's Ministers. Ile was well aware of the importance of the
landed interest to the State, and he would never consent to place
I the granaries of the country in the hands of hostile powers. He
would never consent to hamper our foreign policy by any such nies.
sure.. Bur if evemy other objection were entirely removed, the
manner alone in which the measure had been brought forward
would oblige him to oppose it. Ministers had given a pledge
, on the subject, which they had been induced to forfeit by commotion
! among the people. Though he might have yielded Ito reason, lie
I certainly never would yield to outrage. The measure was unjust
to the agriculturist, unjust to his,interest, and still more unjust to
character. It was unjust to his interest, because, instead of
relieving the disrsen of a portion of the community by the general
contribution of the whole, it was proposed to throw the whole
burdens upon the agriculturists alone; and it was unjust to his
character, because, whaiever might be the words and the explana.
lions of his 11 ajest,y's Ministers. they were understood, in the House
and out of in a manner highly calumnious of the landed in-
terest. Whatever might be the cause of the distress, it seemed the
whole was 111 be relieved by the agriculturist. it wits objectionable
also, as giving his Majesty's Ministers a discretionary power. Ile
did not deny that the Noble Lord (Liverpool) deeetveri such con.
Bdetxe, hut he was not alone. le circumstance' should occur, Go-
vernment must act according to the necessity of the case; but he
would not consent to give them a previnus indemnity. This was
like granting them absolution for a sin not committed. With re.
gard to this dispensing power, the fully of granting it was obvious,
from the consideration of the various circumstances by which the
price of corn might be altered, such as the nature of the seasons,
or the quantity of country in corn cultivation. The consequence
would be that the power would be conferred on Government to
act according to the opinions of its Members. It would not be
conferred on the Noble Lord, but on a Committee of the Privy
Council, and it would at the sante time be conferred on his
successors. Ile was therefore unwilling to min any step without a
full knowledge of the eircumsunces. It was necessary, for the
credit of the House, for the dignity of its proceedings, for the
efficiency of its conduct, not to legislate blindly on so important an
occasion. _

The Earl of WESTMORLAND observed that the measure
before the House did not imply that the distress arose from the
Corn Laws. It might as well be said that the suspension of the
Habeas Corpus' Act implied that th- Act itself was not beneficial.
It was proper to grant the power required by Government, under
the present circumstances. It was proper for his Majesty's Go-
vernment to demand such powers, and he traria little surprised ai
some arguments which had been used on the opposite aide. It had
been maintained that the measure gave Ministers a discretionary
power which ought not to be given, and at the Frame time it was ad-
mitted that circumstances might occur winch would render it proper
for them to exercise such a power, without being authorised to do so
by the provisions of the Corn Bill. If the price of that commodity
was frOse. on the lath August. were we in consequence to suppose
that the mice acorn would be proportionably low at other times of
the year ? The low price of corn in the month of May was no proof
that it would be low in the month of October. The year 171 X had
been alluded to. In the month of September of that year, corn
was from 130 s. to 701., and in the month of December las. In
that year an embargo was laid on to prevent the exportation of corn.
That exercise of the prerogative of the Crown was considered dan-
gerous, but others argued that it was indeed an act of power, but
used to a good purpose for the " solos populi." He complained
of the improvident conduct of Ministers, who, had they acted as
statesmen—had they looked before them, those distresses which
now prevailed would not have come unforeseen ; they would then
have felt it their duty, with such knowledge, to have prepared for
such a state of things. With respect to the discretionary power
which was to be vested in the Ministers (should the country concur
in granting such a power) the Ministers should consider that if they
got that power they were responsible for a discretionary use of it. If
they. possessed that power, they were bound to exercise it with dis-
cretion, and in such a manner that no dispassionate man in the
country could disapprove of it
Earl GROSVENOR said he had, on a former occasion, declared
his acquiescence in the measure Which had at that time been
brought forward by the Noble Earl who originated that then before
their Lordaltips. He did not, however, in consequence of that ac-
quiescence, feel himself bound to acquiesce in that which would
vest a discretionary power in the Ministers to allow the importation
of 500,000 quarters of corn. He thought, if they went into the
consideration of that measure, they should take a larger view of
the question, and enter into all the other considerations connected
with the subject, without which it would be impossible to aniveat
any distinct or correct knowledge of the mate of' the question before
them. It was said that though the distress which prevailed among
the manufacturing classes had not produced insurrection, yet it had
given birth to a considerable degree of commotion. It was thought.
in the opinion of Noble Lords opposite, to have reached to such
a height as to entitle it to some notice. The Noble Mar.
quis (Salisbury) recommended a grant of money as a relief for
the distressed part of the community ; and he founded this opinion
on the state of excitation which prevailed among the manufacturirg
classes. Ile thought the eommotions of those districts in which
distress prevailed had risen to such a height as to demand this
pecuniary assistance. The Noble Earl opposite (Earl Bathurst)
argued the measure in that House as a means of rebel, while his
Majesty's Ministers, in the other House of Parliament, argued the
measure on quite different principles. It was difficult to recount
for such discrepancies; for his part he could not imagine that the
Corn Laws had any thing to do with the distress, nor could he
think that the distress which unfortunately existed by any means
affected the question of the Corn Laws. As the measure had been
brought forward, though it could not be said formally to affect
those laws, yet it was quite clear that it virtually affected them ;
For we man could deny that the duty which was to be affixed
would become the standard duty. That was the view which he
took of the proposed limitation, and, in that view, would object to
it. He thought the limitation plan by no means go d. Ile would
prefer them to hare a power of importing corn without limitation.
He confessed he load not muck confidence in Ministers, and he
thought their conduct, during the last year, was calculated to dimi.
nigh the confidence which oaten might have felt in the consistency
and prudence of their measures. The entire conduct of Ministers
had been marked by the most palpable vacillation. There were so
many instances of vacillating conduct in the whole of their pro-
meetings that it was unnecessary to adduee an instance. It was
such in his opinion as ought to Induce those who before had any
confidence in them now to withdraw it. Ile thought the price was
Heed too high. There could not he notch doubt but that the price
of corn would rise in the course of the next three months, and then
they world see the inconvenience arising from that high price
affixed by the prevent measure. Allueinn had been made to the
administration of Lord Camden and Lord Chatham. The Go-
vernment of their day was exceedingly popular. It was said that
discredit was endeavoured to be thrown on his opponent% by Lord
Mansfield • but why ? he would ask: because they would not pass
an Act of Indemnity, that was the reason. He met they had acted !
unconstitutionally. Thee was one circumstance which struck him
very forcibly. It was, that it was stated in a petition that had this
measure been brought forward earlier, it would have been suggested
that this measure should be coupled with, a request that the ex-
penditure of the country might be decreased. He thought, had it been
brought forward earlier in the House of Cominona,the country Gentle-
men would have risen up as one man to demand that retrenchment of
the expenditure of the country. They would have said yr u must re-
duce this expenditure to the lowest ebb ; you most lessen it to the
very quick. It was well worth the consideration trilling. Noble Lords
who placed confidence in Ministers, to reflect on their indecision.
They had come to a determination to carry the measure of the
Scotch and Irish notes ; yet they were induced, by the arguments
brought forward in the Committee, to change their opinions.
There was no security now, but that when they went into a Com-
mittee upon Ode measure they might recede from their present de-
termination. He would go with them in the present instance.
The Earl of FALMOUTH addressed their Lordships in so low
a tone of voice that we found great difficulty in catching his obser-
vations. As well as we could collect, his Lordship said he re.
gretted the measure had been brought forward at the present
period. lie thought the effect of the measure would be to prolong
and increase the panic which already existed, and calculated to
carry Ministers farther than any friend of the country would wish.
He had come down to the House with an intention to oppose the
nieseure.

kArl DARNLEY s lid, if the opinion he ghoul(' entertain on
the present measure should diffa frotu that of his Noble Friends