The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1822-04-04 00:00:00

THE BRITISH PRESS.

_

LONDON,
THURSDAY, APRIL 4. ISM

The Mimic of Lords silibisNitl4-yeelettlsy titer,
leg to Thursday, the ISA. And the House of
Commons in Weehominy, the 17th of this month.
The Agricultural Report wets made the eubject
of some inter...tee: and ineperiont' Observations in
the noose of Commons, from which may be col-
lected the drasppoiutment which ,esast be generally
felt throughout the country at (he result of the
labours of the Committee. High howee..we fear,
had been vwert.i.ii of the benefits which were to
be derived from the investigatiou of the petitions
relating to the distressed state of the agriculture of
the country ; but if these hopes looked to an eleva-
tion in the price of corn, they must of necessity have .
been disappointed. The plan proposed of enabling
the Governmem to odvslice money upon (he depo-
sit of corn, is not altogether free from objection;
but conaiderieg every circumstance, it is perhaps
the most advautageous method that could be de-
vised of accomplishing the purpose of diMeibutiog
loans of money wmung the suffering agriculturist..
It might, indeed, be presumed that etea now
fanners could, without much difficulty, Obtain loans
of mooey upon the deposit of emu from private
persons; and if such could be elected, no doubt
cao be entertained that it would Alitifseich better
for the country, and even for the .dirostied farmers
themselves, that the prices elf trivia/Imhof produce
should be suffered to .find their proper level, and
the farmers to work out their men pteseevatiop,,t
then that the Goverument should be enabled to in.:
terfere in the private concenis of individuals. Ww,
are not fond of leaving recourse to these extrtelhillo:
nary means, and nothing but a very unusual con-
currence of circumstances—some nodes triadic(
digtnto, can ever justify so wide a departure from the
esto.Siished principles of free trade and self-adjust-
ing markets. It may be well to consider whetherthe
tamest desire now evinced by the landholders ‘, to
dispose of their produce at any prices," arises from
the pressure of necessity, or from an apprehension
that by the operation of some trick or speculation
the averages wiU be so much raised es to bring the
permissive part of the Act of the 55th of the late
Km into action, and thereby overwheins.domestic
agriculture with a fiJod of foreign corn. The land-
holders labour under a constant panic; they never
cease to dread the sudden influx of foreign pro-
duce, so that their operatio; can never be ',holly
free from embarramiment end alarm. nit is one
of the evils of the present corn law ; • ouoiressful
epectilatien lvy some few interested individuals may
derange the natural prices in the markets, alter the
average', sod open the ports without duty, limita-
tion, or condition, to the unrestrained importation
of the surplus or the low-priced corn of the Conti-
nent. Speculations with this object have been in
unremitting activity daring the greater pert of the
last six months, and it has been the continued la-
boar of the farmers to counteract them. They
bore sold their produce far below not only a
remunerating price, but such price as the mai-
lets would probably have afforded ?f the sup-
ply hod been gradual and proportioned to the
demand. It may become a question, therefore,
whether the ferment will be disposed to take
advantage of the proposed scheme, which may
have a tendency to facilitate the projects of
these persons who would nod it their interest to
raise the market prices of cora, that the avereges
might be forced op beyond their natural and proper
height, The Committee themselves feel and lament
that even this proposition offers but 'little prospect
of immediate relief to the 'urgent distresses which
have been submitted to their consideration. it is, we
think, mien to be lamented that the Committee did
not turn their minds to the obvious mode of relief
which might be expected flout reducing the bur-
dens of the farmers by a diminution in the amount
of taxation. Tne eepediericy of commwting tithes
might also have been made a substantive subject of
discussion, with a view to the relief of agriculture.
The Committee admit as distinctly as possible that
protection, is it is called_eaunot be extended
beyond that which is now enjoyed by the British
fernier against the competition of foreign grain.
Our farmers hsve an absolute mosopoly of their
own markets, bat the condition of the agricul-
turist., notwithstanding this monopoly, spews how
[ exceedingly injudicious are the provisions of the
law which accompany it. There are at this
moment in the King's stores no less than 897.136
Tarter. of foreign grain and dour ready to take
advantage of the first excess in the average., and
the terror of this ktxps down the prices of the home
produce below the fol.( and just level. We have
never hit any difficulty in saying, theta perfectly
free trade in corn would be far more productive of
good, even to our farmers themselves, than the ab-
surd aystem that now exists, and we sincerely
',meld that the Committee. who feel " the incouve-
iiienre and impolicy" of that system. should yet
`v.'s to establish a temporary expedient, founded
utto4 the principles that govern it. Their grads-
Ated 'vale of 'lathes, superinduced upon the 55111 of
'"e bite /into. effects a difference but in
name from the object of their own just striated-
v. '"an ; it would be wiser cod more munly