The Sun.
London, England, 1822-04-03 00:00:00

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 1822.

AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

The Select Committee appointed to inquire into the allegations.
of the. several petitions which have been presented to the
House in the last and present Sessions of Parliament, corn--
. plaining -of the distressed state of the Agriculture of the
United Kingdom, and to report their observations thereupon
to the House,. ' . ' ' . .
Considered that.among all the- important objects referred to
them, none.could be more deserving of their earliest attention
than an inquiryinto any measures that could ' be suggested for
'affording some temporary relief to the distresses of which the
numerous Petitionera:with so much reason complain, and which
appear, from the returns or the average prices of corn during
the late weeks *, to be progressively increasing rather than di-
minishing:. - -
. • Your Committee do not venture to determine whether the
present state of the Corn-market 'be owing to an excess of pro-
duction, or to what extent 'that- excess may reach, beydnd the
usual and requisite. supply ; or whether the necessities of the
occupiers-of land cause an unprecedented eagerness to dispose
of their produce at ahrsott any price : but it appears from an
official return; that the quantity of British wheat and oats (but
nett of barley) sold in Mark-lanssabelvseesiatheaat of ,November
taai
.a.asd the Ist of .March last,- has very..coriliably exceeded the
-antitysold in the-corresponding months of the 20 preceding
.yeara.
'Such an excess of supply beyond demand can have mo other
effect than to continue the depression of pricer and increase the
accumulation of thestock tton hand ; while it is evident, from
the present very low rate of price on the continent of Europe,
as cegipared with prices in this country, that there is no'chance
of resorting to the natural eXpedient of relieving the market by
exporting any portion of our own corn; even with the aid of any
bounty which would not be excessive.-
Two other modes have therefore been under the consideration
of your Committee ; by the first of which it was proposed that
one million of Exchequer Bills should be applied to purchas-
ing, through the agency of Government, and laying up in store
a certain portion of wheat grown in the United Kingdom-; and
by the second, that Pacility and encouragement should be offered
to indiViddahato deposit a part of their stock in ware.honies, so
that they might not be forced to come into the market simulta- ,
neously, arid under the disadvantage of excessive competition,
but might be eaabled to wait until the supply, having approach-
ed nearer to the wants of the consumers, might afford, if not a
remunerating, lit least a price somewhat lesirruinous for their J
produce. e .
With regard'lo the first of these proposals, the gerferal 013:
jections against,making the public, through the executive Go.
vernment, a dealer and speculator in corn, the suspicions to
which it might give rise, and the uneasiness in the public feel.
ing which it might eventually excite, the danger of its being
drawn into precedent, the claims which it might be supposed to
give to other important articles of domestic produce, whenever
they might be exposed to similar depression, and the universal
rule of allowing all articles, as much as possible, to find their
own natural level, by leaning the supply to adjust itself to the
demand, discourage your Committee from recommending it,
even under this extraordinary emergency, and with all the
guards and qualifications of a temporary expedient. But with
regard to the second, although much less efficacious in its ope-
ration, the objection of Government becoming a purchaser does
not apply, as individuals would in this case act for themselves,
and according to their own discretion, the Government inter-
fering no otherwise than by making advances upon the commo-
dity deposited, which would be repaid, with a low rate of inte-
rest, as soon as the article should be brought to market.
For effecting this object, two different modes have been sug-
gested, by one of which it was proposed that when the weekly
average priceis under 58s. (theirnport scale remaining as at pre-
sent) wheat should be Stored, subject to a monthly allow..
ance of sixpence per quarter, until the average price should.
reach 655.
The whole quantity not to exceed 600,000 quarters, and the
time fur which the allowance should be payable not to exceed
12 or 18 months.
Not snore than a certain number of quarters, nor less than
another specified number of quarters, to be stared on the part of
any individual or.firm.
The•owner of the corn so deposited to be at liberty to with.
draw it at any time, waving his claim to allowance or refund-
ing it.
The other proposition was, that for the purpose of relieving
the glut which sit present presses upon the grain market, the
Government, whenever the average price of wheat shall be un-
der 60s. should grant advances of money upon such corn of the
growth of the United Kingdom, as should be deposited in fit
and proper warehouses upon the river Thames, and in the ports
to be hereafter specified, to an extent not exceeding two-thirds
of the market value of such corn ; the quality of the corn and
the fitness of the warehouses to be approved of by Officers to
be appointed by the Government.
The loan to be at the rate of 3 per cent., and the period .of
deposit not to exceed 12 months.
The corn to be withdrawn at the will of the depositor, upon
payment of the interest, warehouse rent, and other charges.
The sum of one million so applied would probably be
fully adequate to give a tempera-ry check to the excess which
is continually poured into the already overstocked market.
If the (louse should be inclined to agree with your Commit-
tee in countenancing the latter of these propositions, it as evi-
dent that it ought to lead to some immediate proceeding e and
although no very great effect tarn be contemplated from adopt-
ingit, Its operation, as far as it may extend, can hardly fail to
afford souse temporary relief.
There is another measure also to which it is fit to call the
early attention of the House.
The foreign grain and flour of all sorts in different ware-
houses under the King's-lock appears to have amounted, on
the sth of January last, to. 897,136 quarters, with regard to
which, although there is little probability that it can soon come
into competition with our home produce, yet it still hangs over
the market in a formidable mass, ready to be poured in at once,
creating no small degree of panic as to its future operation, and
invested with a sort of claim (Which is of the utmost importance)
to be brought out free from duty, whenever the ports shall be
opened under the existing law, even supposing any duty shall
be imposed by Parliament, under an alteration of that law,
upon all corn hereafter to be imported from foreign parts.
To relieve the market from both these 'inconveniences, it
may be proper to permit the holders of such torn now in ware-
houses, under certain adequate regulations and restrictions, to
have the same ground. into flour for the purpose of exportation ;
and also to provide by legislative enactment, that in future any
foreign corn warehoused-ire this kingdom shall be considered as
corn coming from abroad, and subject to allauch duties and re-
gulations as are or may from time to time be imposed upon
corn coming directly from a foreign port. "
- A proposition, which was submitted to your Committee, for
advancing loans to parishes on the credit of the rates, appeared
to be attended with so ninny difficulties, and to be so little ap-
plicable to the purpose of alleviating the distresses which are
complained of, that they do deem it necessary to enter into any
examination of it, nor to lay it before the House.
Much as your Committee lament that so little prospect of im-
mediate relief can be held out to the urgent distresset which
have been submitted to their anxious consideration, they think
it material to obviate and -counteract any unfounded alarm
which may have been, either casually or industriously, circulat-
ed, that there was ever the least intention entertained by your
Committee of rendering the present condition of the British
cultivators worse than it is under the existing law; and they
therefore submit, with great confidence, to the House, that the
Act of the 55th of the late King, c. 26, which regulates the ini-
portation offoreign corn, ought to continue in force until the
average price for wheat shall be 80s. per quarter, and other kinds
of grain in proportion.
It is impossible to carry protection further' than monopoly ;
and it cannot be denied, that this monopoly the British grower
as possessed for more than three years, that is, ever since
ebruary, 1819, with the exception of the ill-timed and urine-
' cessary importation of somewhat more than 700,000' quarters
of oats, which took place during the summer of 1820. It must
be considered further, that this protection, in consequenee of
the increased value of our currency, and the present state of the
supply of corn combined with the prospect of an early harvest,
may, in all probability, remain uninterrupted for a very consi-
derable time to come.
But for the purpose of obviating the dangers in which this
law can hardly fail, sooner or later, to involve the cultivators of
the soil, and in conformity to the reasoning contained in the
report of the Committee of the last session upon the same 'sub-
ject, some material change must be contemplated : your Com-

}
• Prices, 16 March . 45. 11.
9 . . . 46. 10. the highest price of any one
2 .. . 46. 11. week in 1822 was 50s. 7d.
23 Feb. . 47. 7.