The National Register.
London, England, 1822-04-07 00:00:00

TilE NATIONA L REGISTER

opened tinder the existing law, even supposing any dirty
Shall be imposed by Perliamuit, under a ) alteration of
that law, upon all corn hereafter to be imported from
foreign parts.
To relieve the market from bolls these inconveniences,
it may be proper to permit the holders of such corn now
iu uareltutises, under certain adequate regulations and
testrictiont, to have the same ground into flour fur the
purpose of exportation i and •also to provide by legislative
enactment, that in future any foreign corn warehoused in
this kingdom shall be considered as corn coming from
abroad, and subject to all such ditties and regulations as
are or may from time to time be imposed upon corn com-
ing directly ft oat a foreign post.
A proposition, which u-as submitted to your committee,
for advancing luaus to pat lakes un the credit of tin. rates,
Appeared to be attended with so many difficulties, and to
be so little applicable to the purpose or alleviation the
distresses which are plained of, that they do not deem
it necessary to enter into any caawinatiou of it, nor to lay
it before the house. .

Much as your committee lament that so little prospect
of immediate relief can be held out to the urgent distresses
which have been anbmitted to their auxions consideiation,
they think it material to obviate and counteract any un-
founded alarm which may have beeu, either casually or
industriously, circulated, that there was ever the least
intention emelt:tined by your committee of rendering the
present condition of the British cultivators worse than it
is under the existing law ; and they therefore subunit,
with ghat confidence, to the house, that the Art of the
55th of the late King, c. Yti, which regulates the input
lion of fureigio corn, might to continue in force until the
average price for wheat shall be 80s. per gr., and other
kinds of grain in proportion.
It is impossible to carry protection farther than mono-
poly ; and it cannot be dented, that this monopoly the
Bt iti‘h grower has possessed for more than three yearn,
that in, ever since February, 1819, with the exception of
the ill-timed and unnecessary input white of somewhat
more than 700,00 J (ratters of oast, which took place
doting the summer of 1620. It st be considered fur-
ther, that this protection, iu consegoence of the increased
valise °four currency, and the present state of the supply
of corn combined with the prospect of au early harvest,
may, in all probability, remain uninterrupted for a very
considerable time to come.

Hot for the purpose of obviating the dangers in which
this law can hardly fail, sooner or later, to involve the
cut:iv:tier. of the soil, and in conformity to the reasoning
contained in the report of the committee of the last session
upon the same subject, sonic material change must be
contemplated: your committee, therefore, Cannot asoid
suggesting, whether, tinder a full view of all the circum-
stances, it may not be the duty of Parliament to turn its
Mate attention to the ruinous emsequenees which
must follow an unlimited importation and tree sale of the
surplus produce of the whole agricultural world, which is
known at this time so be in a state of glut, at least equal
to that which prevails within this kiugdom, no less impa-
tient for, and unprovided with a market, with a commo-
dity raised at much less charge than our own, which the
proprietors would he really to sell even at a considerable
taw, rather than not dispose of it at all.
The excessive inconvenience and impolicy of our pre-
sent system have been so fully treated, and so.•atistaeto•
city exposed in the report already alluded to (p. 10 and
12), that it is unnecessary to do more than refer to it ;
adding only, that every thing which has happened snip.
Sequent to the presentation of that report, as well as all
our experience since 1815, has more and more tended to
demonstrate how little reliance Call be placed upon a
regulation which contains an absolute prohibition up to a
cella-in price, and an unlimited competition beyond that
price ; which, so far is out affording steadiness to our
market, may at one time reduce prices already too low
still lower than they might have been under a tree trade,
and, at another, utineeessailly enhance prices already
so high ; which tends to aggravate the evils of scarcity,
and render wore severe the depression of price trout
abundance. . .

......
'the mode in which these excessive inconveniences may re-
ceive some modification (lay tug for the present out of the
question what permanent basis may be ultimately the fittest
fur our corn trade) appears to consist in the imposition ofu
duty upon all foreign curo, whenever upouopeuang our ports
it should be admissible for home consumption. The occupier
of the land would Our obtain, in proportion to the amount
of such duty, a protection winch is a itlilield from him under
the existing law ; but in return fur such protection, it is au
more than i paint:able towards the consumer, that the import
price should tie fixed at II rate somea hat lower than Oos.,
because the new duty would otherwise mat only check
the sudden and overwhelming amount of import, but atm
entitince the price beyond that which it might reach :miler
the present system; nor must it be lost sight of in any luture
regular ion, that owing to tile great alteration in our currency,
110,- may and do not represent is different and comiderably
higher value than in 1515, us measured by toe price of all
iirtieles of consumption.
Should Parlianteut decide to legislate during the present
SClSiull, your committee would recommend, that, after our
heat shall have reached ;Ws. wht never circumstances, nut
slow to be foreseen, may have effected so great a c hinge, a
lira er price may be assumed for the future import, sutticct to
a ditty.
When the importers know that their grain can in no ease
come into the mat ket wltliuut paying a certain SUM us dirty,
besides the charges of importation, warehousing, and other
incidental expenses, they a ill he less ready to adventure
rashly than under lasi entirely free trade; they will also
withdraw their corn, which may be lodged in warehouses
gradually, and with inure circumspection, than they do at
present, and will naturally endeavour to tied the market
rather than inundate it. It is UI/IN their interest to take
their whole stock, immense as it may be, at once from node:
the King's lock; butt %%hen they must pay duty for every
quarter which is removed, they will prudently calculate the
time th it any !urge stmt k may remain on hand before they
• can dispose of it to advantage.
The foundation of any future hill should be the principle
of so far modifying the operation of the existing law as to
obviate, as fur as may be, by the imposition of re:ignitible
duties upon the ado:vision of foreign grai i fur home con.
suniptiou, the builders and irregular manner in %Inch smelt
foreign grain may now be introduced upon the opening of
of the ports under oven ustuucrs lIICUIISIACIA WWI the spirit
a id intentions of the lass.
Fur carrying this purpose in effect. it would be expedient,
sifter the pints shall have opened at softie* t to a scale
of July lies tatter to be fists') to preserve the principle of an
im,rort price at a rate somewhat lower than the existing
44D1-011 price 1.11 tO:., and you curnwitt,e are of opitriou

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