The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-05-03 00:00:00

I of the community to suppose that their interests were to be sup-
. ported by the fail of another class of the population. in (Hear.)
Mr. ROBERTSON said that he did not concur the propriety
t of the measure proposed, and he, therefore, intended to suggest
, some-ether and better-mode for remedying the !Metter of the coun-
t try. The grand cause of the distress which prevented was to be
t found in the want of employment, and it 'Mould he the care of his
s klajeety's Ministers to provide against its results. The distress
which the country lieffered was shored in common with the ('anti.
S , pent, where similar !Macey prevailed in consequence of the glut of
t manufactures. It was therefore in vain to expect that • remedy
. could be derived from exportation of the manufactures of this coun.
• try to foreign ports. America and the North of Europe were an glutted
that they presented no opportunity as receptacles for our goods.
The only place where grain could he expected, and that not much,
t I was from the coast of the Mediterratutan. No relief was to be
I expected from foreign quarters under existing circumstances, for
it would be utterly hopeless to expect relief from exportation.
! The effect of the unlocking the bonded corn would be to produce
' a very slight alteration, and to change the current of distress to the
. occupants of laud. That diversion of the mischief would be of
r greater detriment than that which it was intended to relieve, as
it would spoil the market and reduce the prices to the agri.
; culturists, thereby involving them in the general ruin by a
, temporary expedient in favour of the manufacturers. Such a purse
. would be only making bad worse, as it would render the distress
more extensive. Mr. Colquhoun had estimated the landedro pper: y
of the country at 2'26 millions, and all the remaining species at not
more than IRO millions. That comparison ought to be sufficient to
induce the House to regard the landed interest with attention, and
to pause before they :adopted any measure likely to interfere with
them. 31r. Jacob, whose authority was certainly very great and
li equeanttlny
arenttezric was s
red to. osn.
per
qnuarsutbejr, ecatsn,dhaelthatetaittedcoitillide price of
corn
brought to this country at a less expense than 40s. That gentle.
ratan, though undoubtedly very competent, was not without his
prejudices. The House was in possession of documents. Pent by
the Consuls stationed at Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and
other pieces. By these returns, which had been laid on the table,
contradictory statements were furoiehed. The returns thus given
stated the price at Dantzie at only Ins., at Rotterdam at not more
than 215., and the tethers at similarly low quotations. What he
should propose would be, the% kialf a million of money should
be devoted by the House to the pauchase of bonded corn, free of
duty, under the woos:tut of his Majesty's Government, or perhaps
a greater sum ; and that the corn so parchased should be given tor
the relief of the distressed districts, and that those who subscribed
for such relief should also he allowed to purchase free of duty. The
House would thus, at an expense of 30s. the quarter, obtain corn
for the sufferers without affecting the landed interest ; fur that mode
did not present any prospect of interfering with the autumn demand
fbr agricultural produce. The distress of the country required
an immediate application of the salutary remedy which he had
suggested.
Mr. WHITSIORE hoped that the House would excuse him
from offering his opinion on a subject which was in connexion with
the Corn Laws. Ile did not hear from the Right Hon. Gentleman
(Mr. Canning) any Muse which should be deemed adequate to the
partial abolition or suppression of the Com Laws, which did not
apply to the total abrogation of their principle. The time for ef.
fecting a wholesome regulation in that respect had not only ar.
lived, but was almost past. When it was said that nothing but
the necessity, resulting from the distress of the country could have
caused the present ;immure to be introduced, he was of opinion
i that the necessity which existed for the partial operation should be
I t tnsitter.d to apply, with a proportionate increase of urgency,
to the whole question, of which the presser measure was but a
branch. He would, however, go as far as he was permitted, and
anent even to the curtailment of the principle, which lie advocated
on a wider scale, as if the Parliament were dissolved without some
provision of the kind now proposed, it would be found extremely
dangerous to relieve the apprehended misery which a pease.
verance in the system was so likely to add to the present load.
In his opinion the quantity of cotn at present in the country was
very small, and if the coining harvest was bad. nothing but what
was now recommended would prevent the recurrence of a very
serious evil which all must deprecate. The present Corn Laws had
destroyed the internal trade in corn, and if that system was per.
listed in, at no distant period it might be found impossible to get •
sufficient supply of corn, in case of' need. He would now proceed
to 'tate the grounds on which he founded his opinion that the stock
of corn in the country was email. In tl:e ordinary state of things
the produce was not quite equal to the consumption, and this was
proved by the effect of the Corn Laws in raising the price of
corn. If the produce, upon ordinary occasions, was more than the
country required, the Corn-Laos would be of no avail in raising
the price. In fact there must be a deficiency in the production to
render the Corn Laws influettial upon the price. It appeared
from calculations of the use age importation s of corn for the last
forty years, that the amount imported had increased every year; I
certainly it had increased to a large amount every ten years.
From 1780 to 1789. the average importation was 23.330 qrs.
From 1790 to 1799 320,60 qrs.
From 1800 to 18119 574 753 qrs.
From 1810 to 1820 6114.643 qrs.
This included the Irish importation, but if that was deducted, tie
amount would be 508,583 quarters. For a number of years, there-
fore, until 1820, we had been importing large quantities to meet the
increased consumption. Since that period elapsed, however, there
was no importation ; the ports hind been closed. Now, the harvests
since 1823 were not remarkably abundant ; they were harvests of
average aroducir. It could rot be said that the consumption had
dimiolehed. From 18Z1 up to the present month, or at all events
up to the conclusion of the year 1825, the consumption had rather
increased than diminished. The years 1824 and 1825 were years of
the largest consumption ever known, and be it remembered they
succeeded a period of great agricultural (limiest' and years of ordi-
nary produce. There was no importation from 11)20 to the last
year; anti with increased consumption, and only an average pro.
duce, he asked, was it to be wondered at if the steel; on hand was
small? The highest price during the last year was 87s. a quarter ;
it was down to 545, during the present year ; but the House would
perceive that the price had advanced considerably within the last
month. At the close of Mardi in the present year, it was Ms. 11d.
a quarter. On the Ist April It was 511 s. Id. ; on the 15th April
58s. 6d.; on the 20th, 595. 41, and on the 30th April 601. Id. a
quarter. Knowing the state of the money market, did not this in-
crease of price lead to the conclusion that the stock of corn on
hand could not be large? In truth, he believed it was very small,
and this he knew to be the opinion of the best-informed persons.
This smell stock was in the hands of the wealthy farmers, for the
poorer class of farmers were not able to retain any part of their
stock, but had already brought It to market. The stock, therefore,
was in the hands of fcw pereone, and would he in the hands el
fewer. Olean) It was therefore that he should contemplate any
untoward appearance in the coming harvest with sentiments of
great alarm, because he thought it must inevitably have the effect
of raising the price. The power now asked for by his Majesty's
31inisters was certainly one a hich the House would not be justified
in granting on ordinary occasions. It was a power which ought
not to be confided in 31inisters, except under very peculiar circum.
stances ; but the present state of the country was such, that the
power might be vested in Ministerswith advantage to the country.
With respect to the proposal for letting in the bonded corn, he
thought it would not have a violent effect in lowering the price.
The market would be fed sparingly, and she present price would
Slot be materielly altered. As to the intention of letting In the
corn in bond as a remedy for the existing distress, he did rot think
it would be !sound very effective. He did not contemplate much
front that measure as to the actual relief which it would afford.
The best result of the proposition, he thought, would be the moral
feeling it would ',reduce. It would, lead to the conviction that
though Government and Parliament could not off rd ample relief
to the eufferere, though it was scanty, they had affitrded all the
relief in their power. MINI, touching on this point, he would
take the opportunity of observing, that in his opinion the pre-
sent slate of the Corn Laws was not in any degree the cause
of the existing distress. He agreed with the Right hot,. Secretary
for Foreign Affairs, that when parties came coolly to consider the
question of the Corn Laws, they would mintier for how little they
had been contesting. By acceding to the proposition of Ministers,
however, he thought feelinge of irritation would be allayed, and
the growth of disunion be prevented amongst classes which it was
most desirable should be united. The advantage of such a union
would be most advantageous if the coming harvest should not be
one of average produce. As to theyower asked for by Ministers,
in the event of • bad harvest, coming, perhaps, *hen there would
be no Patliament in existence, such a power would be most useful
in the hunds of Government. On these grounds lie hoped Minis-
ters wonld be allowed to carry the proposed measures into operation,
and he trusted that the measure would not meet any delay else-
where in passing into a law. As to the general question of the
Corn Laws, he wax not 'maid to meet his opponents on that topic,
but he abstained froin entering on the general question, knowing
that opoortunity would hereafter occur, and that he best consulted
th s feelings of the House by confining his observations to te
precise subject then before it. (Hear.)
Colonel NV001) claimed the attention of the House whilst he
offered a few observatums In reply to the Hon. Gentleman who had
just sat down. The answer to the Hon. Gentleman's observation,
that this country did not produce sufficient corn for its eonsump.
tion, was simply.ehat for the last seven years there had been no
importation of wheat it we had been existing entirely on our own
produce. (Hear.) When the ports opened, oats and barley were
admitted a ithout incoevenience, and, in his opinion, if it was ne.
emery to open the ports for wheat, n' inconvenience would be pro-
duced. Ile thought we had grown enough of wheat, and would
continue to do en if agriculture was not discouraged. The Hon.
Member (Mr. Whitmore) stated that the internal trade in corn
was de/MOyed; but d:.I the Hon. Member know that in 1822 there
was • greater quantity of corn sold than in any preceding year.
The Hon. Gentleman's alarms were no reason why the House
should go to overturn the present system, which in his conscience
he believed was the safest. He regretted exceedingly the distresses
of the country, and would go far to alleviate them; but he did
not think the measures proposed calculated to Milted any great re-
lief. (Hear, from time Opposition benches.) It was an unfortunate
monlent to ensue with such a proposition, beesuse it would give the
distressed population an idea that their distreeees arose out of the
era Laws, than which nothing could be more fallacious. (Hear.)
Tire present distresses were not occasioned in any degree by the
Corn Laws; and, in his opinion, the proposed measure, would
tint Minn! any coneiderehle relief. Ile had no objection that the
bonfire' corn should be let et liberty upon paying a duty of 125.,
but there was timelier question not at all touched upon, hut which he hoped to hear alluded to in the course of the debate. It was the
wield/nation at what price Englielt corn ought to be when Minis. sera exerrieed the power left at their discretion, supposing them to
be Invested with dm power by Pediment. The present law was !
that the ports should remain closed until time average price was 80e:
a quarter, that they etiolate then remain open until the price fell to I
766, NW that coin should thenceforth be admitted upon payment

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