The Sun.
London, England, 1839-01-17 00:00:00

tity grown here, and be more dependent on foreign coun-
tries ? They were also told that foreign corn could be
had at half the price of that grown at home; but if 80s.
could now be had for it, surely this was a sufficient induce-
ment to import it.—(Hear, hear.) He could only conclude
then, that the cause of their not having it was that it could not
be had.—(Hear.) He was convinced of the necessity that
they should have cheap bread, but not by doing away entirely
with a duty on corn, 'out by modifying it to a lower scale.—
( fiear, and " No, no.") He had heard Mr. Paulton, alien
Lecturing on this subject say, that as corn rose in price the
wages of the manufacturers fell; this he did not believe, but
Le considered that the whole question should be well sifted.
:and he thought that a modification of duty would be attended
with the best practical results. —( Hear.)
Mr. Srue-c considered that the agricultural interests had
fair play long enough, and who, he would ask, had been the
Corn-law. makers ? The House of Lords and their nominees
in the Commons.—(Hear, and cheers.) They never would
get a r edress of their grievances until the people were pro-
perly represented in Parliament.—( Cheers. )
diBl- Fame altogether disagreed with Mr. Moore, as to his
relief that wages were lowered when the price of corn was
13;$b, for, in such cases, the man who laboured before for ten
iletiTS a-day, would be compelled to labour for eleven hours, in
order to maintain his family, and thus every eleventh man aas
'thrown out of work and supplanted.—( Hear, hear.)
The resolution was then put and carried.
Mr. BERTON said that in proposing the next resolution,
be did so with mingled regret and pleasure—regret that a
'fleeting should be called for the purpose of effecting a repeal
of those laws in the nineteenth century, and pleasure in pro.
Poring a resolution so agreeable to his feelings. The resolu-
Was---•
" That this meeting being of opinion that the foregoing
evils and distresses have arisen from the impolitic tax which
has been allowed so long to continue upon the first necessary
of life, and recognizing the axiom of the good of the great.
'est number' as the only true principle of government, regards
with feelings of disgust a law which has had for its object
the prornotion of the interests of the few, to the disadvantage
of the many ; and feels it to be an imperative duty to claim
for their fellow-countrymen and themselves, the repeal of the
existing Corn-laws in the ensuing Session of Parliament ;
and therefore agrees to pctiticn both Houses of the Legisla-
ture accordingly."
He was sure they would find no difficulty in agreeing to this
resolution. He would ask what was the avowed purpose of
the Corn-laws? The landholders, who spoke of them, said
that they were for the protection of the farmer, merging in this
the real purpose—the protection of themselves. —( Hear.) In
reference to the price of corn he would show, by a comparison,
the disadvantages 'ander which this country laboured. He
took the prices in. the year 1835 :
" The higheet quotation of white wheat of the first quality at
Hamburg is
235. led. 74 rix dollars current the last, which answers to
of
.:ne quarter ; and the highest quotation of red wheat
the f.rst quality is 70 rix dollars current the last, which
answers to 225. Bd. the quarter, and therefore the mean price
at hamburg of white and red wheat together is 235. 3d, the
'Platter.

" The highest quotation of white wheat of the first quality
41 London is 455. the quarter; and the highest quotation of
'red wheat of the first quality is 41s. the quarter ; and therefore
the mean price in London of white and red wheat together is
435, the quarter. It appears, therefore, that wheat is 85 per
cent dearer in London than at Hamburg ; and that with the
sum of 2/. 3s. a man may buy 14 bushels of wheat at Ham-
bushels in, whereasLondon.h wit the same sum he can buy only eight
"The highest quotation of Zealand white wheat of the
first quality at Amsterdam is 195 florins the last, which
'equals 31s. sd. the quarter; ;curl the mean price of wheat in
London being 43s the quarto-, it follows that wheat is
thirty-six and one-eighth per cent. dearer in London than at
Amsterdam.
" The highest quotation cf red wheat of the first quality at
Antwerp is eight and three-quarters florins current the hec-
tolitre, which answers to 365. sd. the quarter ; and the highest
quotation of red wheat in London being 41, the quarter, it
follovvs that wheat is twelve and five-eighths per cent. dearer
in London than at Antwerp.
," The highest quotati on of red wheat of the first quality
et Stettin is thirty-one dollars current the wispel of twenty-
four scheffels, which equals 21s. Id. the quarter ; and the
highest quotation of red wheat in London being 41s. the quar-
ter, it follows that wheat is ninety-four and a half per cent.
'dearer in London than at Stettin ; and that with the sum of
21 is, a man may buy fifteen and a half bushels of wheat at
Stettin, whereas with the same sum he can buy only eight
bushels in London.
" Tho mean or average of the prices of wheat at Hamburgh
Amsterdam, Antwerp, and Ste ttin, is 28s. ld. the quarter;
and the mean price of wheat in London being 435. the quar-
ters it follows that the mean price in London is fifty-three and
°ne-eighth per cant. higher than that of the four above-mea-
tinned places.
The present duty on the importation of foreign wheat into
tagland is 495. Bd. the quarter, which is equal to the follow-
jag rates :—To a rate of 213/. 12s. 2d. per cent. on theprime
cost of wheat at Hamburg; to a rate of 1581. ls. 10d. per cent.
'on the prime cost of wheat at Amsterdam ; to a rate of 1361.
7s. Bd. per cent. on the prime cost of wheat at Antwerp ; to
a rate of 2851. 11s. 6d. per cent. on the prime cost of wheat
at Stettin; and to a rate of 1761. 175. Id. per cent. on the
mean price of the four abovementioned places."
• It was said that the Corn-laws were inoperati-e, and this
Lad been denied ; but they were inoperative for the purposes
for which they were intended. The Marquis of Chandos had
at an ordinary dinner at Aylesbury, in 1838, made some obser-
vations, to which Colonel Thompson had replit d. He would
state both the observations and the replies. The observations
of the Marquis of Chandos had been—
" At this moment let me congratulate you that the agricul-
tural interes, is progressing and not retrograding. It is some-
thing to have achieved even this. We are certainly at this
time in a better position than we have been for some years,
during which I have had the pleasure of dining annually at
your market table. During these years we have seen and be-
wailed much distress, and it is now a matter of no small satis-
faction to know that the condition of the farmer is improved."
The reply to this by Colonel Thompson was—
h" So, in spite of the Corn-laws, the agricultural interest,
thas retrograded and has been distressed; and if it is not so at
is moment, it is something to hale achieved even this/ A
Strong hint to the agriculturists, as well as the classes who
complain of the Corn-laws, that the Coin-laws are, from be-
ginning to end, a blunder for the advantage of a few. If men
Mt their own prices on their wares, and cannot prosper after
all, can anything be wanted to'prove, that there is some inhe-
rent Source of retribution, which makes the injury to others
impolitic as well as cruel ?"
Again: the Marquis of Chandos had said—
"We are no monopolisers—we did not keep up the price
of corn—corn has been up in price, the ports have been
°Pened, and those who hold the keys of the granaries stored
with corn, know all about the modes of raising prices and
titheeping them up, but not we, who have no more to do with it
an any other class of her Majesty's subjects."
To this Colonel Thompson replied—
.," Fancy the manufacturers saying all this—and having all
Jae time a tax on home-grown corn.
that e The charge against the agricultural mnopolists is—nor
1t tthheeyykseeelpl their corn at their own time and market, but
corn from coming into the market at any time at
411* A ploughman would know the difference between theltwo."
._T, hose arguments of Colonel Thompson were unanswerable,
he trusted, then, that they would use all their best exer-
410n$ to blot out this stain from the statute-book, if they valued
th„ •
the ornmercial interests by which only this country could
„.17°e--( Hear and cheers.)
LIGGINS seconded the resolution, which was carried
Unanimously.
It was then resolved that petitions for a repeal of the Corn-
Should be presented to the House of Commons through
been k. Wood, and to the House of Lords ; and thanks having
thanks voted to 'the Chairman, Mr. Deputy Jaques returned
atilts, after which the meeting separated.