The Sun.
London, England, 1822-02-02 00:00:00

poly of the home market; they had a perfect
monopoly by the existing Corn Laws. Though
many were dissatisfied' with those laws, and
wished in preference for a' high protecting duty
upon corn. (The Noble Lord was here interrupted
by the en trance of the Marquess of Salisbury, Lord
Verulam, and Viscount. Cranbourne.) After a
few minutes he proceeded. Such a- protecting duty
would be useless ; for even should a protecting
duty of 40s. per quarter be imposed, still, according
to the returns of continental prices made to Parlia-
ment the Session before last, such a duty would
rwt.have kept out foreign Cant. -But.at present the
English farmer had a complete monopoly under
SOs. was it to be expected that it could rise to
that price under the present state of things ? The-
Cash Payments Resumption Bill having rendered
all notes convertible into gold, he could not see
how it could be expected that prices would rise'
higher now than they were before the restriction
took place. The circulating medium was now
about what it was shortly before the Restriction
Act. According to a calculation of the late Lod
Liverpool, the circulating medium, a short time-
before the restriction, was 30,000,000/. We had
at present 20,000,000/. of paper afloat, and about,
7,000,000 of sovereigns. This was near the cir-
culating medium of 1793. How then could it be
expected that prices would rise higher now.than
they were at that period ? And if this could not
be expected, what fear was there to expect that
such a rise would take place as to open the ports?
He was of opinion that they ought to adhere to
the Corn Bill. By any attempt to alter that
Bill they would risk more than they could pos-
sibly gain by the alteration.—(Hear, hear !)
The present distresses were caused mainly by
the return to a sound and wholesome metallic]
currency. In making these observations, he
begged to state that he dreaded adhering to any
fixed system of political economy. The thing
might be good in theory, but it was visionary in
practice. He would mention one circumstance
here which would explain what he had just be
fore asserted. When Mr. Peel's Bill was under
discussion in the House of Commons, a Gentle-
man, for whom he entertained the highest possible
admiration, respect, and affection, a Gentleman
who was a most powerful writer upon finance,
a wonderful calculator, and one of the greatest
arguers he had ever heard, he meant Mr. Ri-
cardo, that Gentleman observed upon that oc-
casion, that prices could not vary more than
two per cent., as gold did not vary in the market
more than that amount. Ills Lordship, not wish-
,ing to differ from a man of such experience, re-
mained silent ; so much for a thing which was
apparently true, but practically false.—(Hear,
hear !)—The next remedy proposed to relieve
the farmer was certainly a handiland a simple,
one; it was nothing more than to depreciate the
currency of the country again.—(No, no.)—He
confessed that he looked with much alarm to any
measure of this kind. They had all seen the effects
of that system of paper currency, and those who
knew him would perhaps recollect that he antici-
pated those effects. There never was any instance
where a paper currency was introduced into 'a
country, that it did not give the means of affect-
ing the interests of the whole country. A great
cause of grievance was our enormous debt, a
debt increased considerably by the return to cash
payments. The moment the storm subsided, the
tide was changed, the funds were raised, and
the landed propiietors became oppressed ;--
all became altered ;—every thing fluctuated in
value, except taxation—that remained fixed and

immoveable.—(Hear, bear!)—He should oppose
any return to a depreciated currency (whatever
relief it might afford the farmer) as a system
which was fraudulent in principle and ruinous in
practice.—(ll ear, hear !)—Having said that every
thing was done to raise the prices as far as a mo-
nopoly (which the Corn Bill at present was)
could go, he now came to the other part of the
question. The. Noble Lord, after observing that
it was a pressure of taxation only, which pre-
vented the English farmer from competing with
foreign markets, said that lie would not go mi-
nutely into the pressure felt from the • various
taxes; but he felt it necessary to state, that
every thing in the shape of a poll-tax operated to
oppress the landed. interest. For instance, if a
'man wore shoes, he paid a portion of the leather
tax ; if he was a labourer, or if in the work-
house, the farmer equally contributed in wages,
in the one case, and in poor's rates in the
other, to pay this tax. It was so of beer,
and many other articles of consumption.
It might be urged that this operated upon
.the manufacturer, also ; but were they to decline
asking for relief from an oppressive burden be-

cause other persons wouldbe relieved at the

same time ? iie would advocate the total repeal
of the Malt Tax,-(Hear, hear !)--:but he knew
that many gentlemen were of opinion, that it
would be more expedient to repeal other taxes.
It was.true that 'other branches of industry were
oppressed, as well - the farmer, but the manu-
facturer, for instance, could, if his business was
unproductive, stop his spinning machines, and
turn to another employment ; but the farmer

Must go on whether his Inisiness was productive
or otherwise. It was. true l►e might turn off a
portion, or perhaps all.of his labourers, but then
he must maintain them in a workhouse. Salt,
leather, tobaccoooap, and candles, were neces-
sary to the. husbandman, and therefore all taxes
upon such. articles were taxes upon land. The
Noble Lord here read an estimate .which he bad

made upon the annual taxation which fell upon
the labourer, supposing him to have a wife and
four children.

For Beer (54 gallons), Excise cn Malt, Hops, and
Beer - - - - - £1 7 0
Salt (261 b.) - - -_ _ . 0I; 0
Shoes (12 pair) - - . • - - 0 6 0
Candles (241 b.) Soap (121 b.) - - . 0 4 0
Tea (41b.) ' . - _ - - 012 0
Sugar - - - .. - - - 015 0

£3 10
Excise on Malt and Hops for the Beer fbund by the
Master in•harvest and hay time, and turnip hoe-
ing, estimated at 36 gallons

0 12 0

£4 2 V
Reckoning one labourer to '25 acrwc the-above
taxes would be found 'to amount to rather more
than 3s. 6d. per acre. It might be said, that a
reduction of taxes•on those four items would not
relieve the agricul(urists. To this he answered)