The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-04-14 00:00:00

had been founded. At present, if an emergency, arising from the'
distress of this country, were to arrive front en unsuee.ssful season
here, it was not to he expected that our wants could be immedi-
ately supplied, or if supplied, that supply would be at a great
pecuniary loss to this country, beyond what it would be if we. were
to encourage the growth of such a supply by. the removal of the
existing restrictions on the importation of foreign corn. The lion.
Gentleman, after baying adverted to the deficiency of returns from
foreign ports to the manufactures of this country, which he consi-
dered attributable to the present operation of the existing Corn Lima,
begged to conclude,he observations he had offered hr reading a
Protest of certain ..oble 31embers of the house of Lords, who
then laid down the principles which ought, in his opinion, to gp-
rent the Legislature in enacting laws on this subject. He would
read (with the permission of the Meeting) that protest, which wu,
indeed, prophetic of the consequence, of the Bill that wu then
I adopted and passed into a law. He attributed it to the pen of Lord
Grenville, whose name was affixed to it, and from whom prin-
ciples so luminous, and so appropriate to the interests of the court-
try, might, from the part he then took, most naturally be ex-
Pec"' -

" In the House of Lords, March 20, 1818.
"On the third reading of the Corn Bill it MRS moved, that this
Bill be rjected e which motion having, on a di% ision, been nega.
dyed, the following protest was entered :

o
" TIOTEST.
" Drags NTIEWT.-1. Because we are adverse in principle to all
new restraints on commerce. We think it certain that public pros-
perity is best promoted by leaving uncontrolled the free current r,f
national industry ; and we wish rather, by wtill-con.lderell steps, to
bring back our commercial legislation to the straight and simple line
of wisdom, than to increase the deviation, by subjecting addl.
tional and e‘tenalve branches of the public interest to fresh systems
of artificial and injurious restriction.

" 2. Because we think that the great practical rule of leaving all
commerce unfettered, applies more peculiarly, and on still stronger
grounds of justice, us well as policy, to the Corn Trade than to any
other. Irresistible, indeed, must be that necessity which could, in
our judgment, authorise the Legislature to tamper with the suste-
nance of the people, and to impec the free purchase and sale of
that article MI which depends the existence of so large a portion of
the community.
" 3. Because we think that the expectations of ultimate benefit
from this measure are founded on a delusive theory. We cannot
persuade ourselves that this law will ever contribute to produce,
plenty, cheapness, or steadiness of price. So bog as it operates it
all, its effects must be the opposite of these. Monopoly a the
parent of sscnriiy, of dearness, and of ucctrtaint7. J'oscarcity, cut off
any of the sourcts of supply can only tend to lessen its abundance;
to close against ourselves the ....hespest market for any commodity.
must enha.lce the price at which we purchase it ; anti to confine the
consumer of corn to the produce cf his own country, is to refuse to
ourselves the benefit of that frorision which Providence itself
has made for equalizing to man the variations of season anti of
climate.

'• 4. Bat whatever may be the future consequences of this law,
at sonieidistant and uncertain period, we see, with pain, that these
hops must be purchat.l at the expense of a great and preseit
esti. To compel the consumer to purchase corn dearer at home
than it might be imported from abroad, is the immediate practical
effect of this law. In this say alone can it operate. Its present
protection, its promised extension of agriculture, must result (if at
all) from the profits which it creates by keeping up the price of
corn to an artificial level. These future benehts are the conse-
quences expected, but, as we confidently believe, erroneously ex-
pected, from giving a bounty to the grower of corn, by a tax levied
on its consumer.

" S. Because we think tint the adoption of any permanent law,
for such a purpose, required the fullest and most laborious investi-
gation. Nat: would it have been sufficient for our satisfaction could
we have been convinced of the general policy of so hazardous an
experiment. A still further inquiry would have been necessary to
persuade us that the present moment was fit for its adoption. In
such an inquiry we must have had the means of satisfying ourselves
what its immediate operation will be, as connected with the various
and pressing circumstances of public difficulty and distress with
which the country is now surrounded ; with the sate of our circu.
lation and currency ; of our agriculture and manufactures; of our
internal and external commerce; and, above all, with the condi-
tion and reward of the industrious and labouring classes of our corn-
munity.
On all these particulars, as they respect this question, we
think that Parliament is almost wholly uninformed ; on all we see
reason for the unmet anxiety and alarm front the operation of
:his law.

" Lastly, Because if we could approve of the principle and put.
pose of this law, we think that no sufficient foundation has been
laid for its details. The evidence before us, unsatisfactory and
imperfect as it is, seems to us rather to disprove than to support
the propriety of the high price adopted as the standard of
portation, and the fallacious tr.ode by which that pike is to be
ascertained. s

" And on all these grounds we are anxious to record our dissent
from a measure so precipitate in its course, and, as we fear, so in-
juzious in its consequenecs.
(Slimed) •• A cot:weirs FREI/ERICK (Duke of Sussex),
•• WILLIAM FREDERICE (Duke of Glooester),
" GRENVILLE,
" WELLESLEY,
" Essex,
" TORRINGTON,
" Du'rrost (Marquis of Douglash
" CU/AMOS BUCILINONAY,
" NIONTYORD,
"KING,
" CARLISLE."
Mr. W. WARD Aecoolled the Resolution. He approved highly
of the free and liberal principles in trade and camirerce which
were adopted and recommended by the present inisters of his
Majesty, but thought that their measures would be incomplete,
unless oceompanied with a revision of the Corn Laws. As to the
expenditure of it large quantity of bullion : • a particular period,
he only obleeted ton so far, that instead of a sudden and extraor-
dinary outlay in one year, there should be an established and re-
gular standarcl of expenditure, which would ha equal in each year,
and not exorbitant in any. In the years 1822,'_.3, and il4, large
quantities of corn kad been exported from this country, yet the
country felt no inconvenience from it arising from the dilference of
currency of the two countries. He bad equal exi,iectatiens that
the importation from the Centinent would be attended with as little
inconvenience. That the change might be attended with some
inconvenience and difficulties it was impossible to deny, but those
difficulties hail, in his opinion, been greatly exaggerated • the in-
convenience in the present instance would be slight—the advan-
tages great however, he would prefer to tense it to the Legislature,
who had fully proved themselves competent to the task, to determine
the particular alterations, which, on a revision of the Corn Laws,
ought to be adopted.
Mr. SOLLY rose to propose the third Resolution. He wished to
call the attention of the Meeting to a recorded fact—that the
greatest quantity of corn ever imported into this country within
the period of twelve months, was only sufficient to supply the con.
sumption of six weeks. Taking this to be the accumulated quan-
tity of the surplus produce of four preceding years, it would not
amount to more than the supply of the aonsumption of a week and
a half per annum. The supply was therefore but inconsiderable front
foreign nations; but he thought the present restrictive system
should be altered, in order to give a spur to the industry of our
manufacturers, by increasing the consumption of the manufactures,
and thereoy, in dof exporting our population, we should have
means of emplaiiient for them, which w.o:Itl enable them to re-
main at home, anti to work for that corn which the increased op-
iasrtunities of labour would enable them to procure.
Mr. IloastEs regretted that he should feel obliged to trespass
again noon the attention of the 3leetiog, to express a difference of
opinion from the sentiments of his Worthy Friend who last ad Are s.ed
them. He stated the supply from foreign countries to be very in-
cossiderable ; it it was so small as he stated it to bo,he thought there
was no occasion or necessity for alteration in the existing laws, Ile,
however, thought the supply would be greater than was contem-
plated, and as foreign supply was encouraged, in the same praror-
um would our native growth decrease. Th:,4 would necessarily
plare a great portion of our land out of cultivation, and materially
injure and affect the agriculturist, whom it was their bounden ditty
to protect and uphold. (Rear, hear.) Ile was far from widen's-
lido; the advantages which this country derived fruit machinery,
or detracting from the importance of its cutntnercial and ma-
nufacturing importance, but he could not at the same time but feu I
that the strength of the country ley In its agricultural resources.
In the hour of danger—in every emergency, they were most to be
relied upon, and the Meeting should be exem:dingly cautious in
adopting arty mmisures which should detract from their importance
or interfere imperiously with their interests. (Wear, hear, hear.)
Mr. Alderman Warr it MAN agreed with the Honourable Gen-
tleman who spoke last, Is the sentiment that the manufacturing and
agricultural interests of this cautery were ene and the same—that
they were inseparably united, and that they should go hand in hand
together. There was no intention on this occasion of injurious
intarierenee with the agricultural interests; it was only sought that
justice should be done to those of the manufacturer. t Ilea:. hear.)
Hu was glad to see sh many gentlemen of intittenee route forward
Ott the present occasion, and he rejoiced at it :he inure, as, when in
the ytaar 1815, he took a very active and laborious part in this ques.
tion, he did not see individuals then, of equal importance, come
forward to co-operate with hint. la the sentiments of the protest
read by au Honourable Gentleman It t fully concurred ,• he remem-
bered the discussions on this important question in tire House of
Lords; he remembered the good principles—the right and just max-
ims stated net that occasion by Lord Grenville, and embodied into that
protest, which lie believed tube the composition of that Noble Lord,
than whom he considered no person more calmlde of forming rational
and enlightened views oo so important a sulocet of legislation. At
that time it was said that commerce and manufactures had the Ise_
refit of protecting duties, and that the agriculturist should Ise pro.
tested also. When they held this language, and adopted it in legis.
Wive enactments, he felt that they were only selling another statute
to their errors. (Ilea, bear.) flowerer, all pretexts for holding
such an argument had now vanished, and, by the late alter ttions in
the ragniat :one of male and commerce, we found GUI/NiVel approach.
iqg a new oats of things. As mention of the war had been made,
he would ask on whom did the burdens of the war principally fall
Certainly on the trailing interests ; and in the some proportion that
rents rose did the manufacturing interests decline ; landed property
even docile:l, and the protecting duty in farm, of the agricul.
turista doubled for no other reason than that it had so doubled.
Tbe manufsetoung Interests suffired great depreciation !hen, but
they bore it patiently. Even recently reductions had been made
froom sixty and Btu per cent. to ten per cent. 011 various maid as of
manufacture and commerce. This was reit with peculiar hardship
by the trading part of the cooununity, yet rot one murmured
against the recent alteraiiolll.-11Ot one attempted to clog the wheels
o,,,mpent by 01,200ti00 er exiiplunt—they wore contented