The Sun.
London, England, 1838-10-01 00:00:00

C ORN LA W FALLACIES, WITH THE

ANSWERS.

(Continued from The Sun of Wednesday.)
76.—That in consequence of Tithes which fall entirely,
and of Poor and Highway-rates wich fail chiefly, on land, the
home manufacturer of corn is entitled to a protecting duty
according to every principle of justice and political economy.
--Cantabrigiensis.
ANSWER.—Meet the proposition in the face and state
it thus. There is an island with great mineral and other
internal capabilities for manufactures, and consequently
for commerce ; but the people are already as many as
can live on the corn produced on it, without paying a
higher price than it could be bought for from the neigh-
bouring main-land. An insular philosopher stands up and
says, Whoever would improve this island, it is above all
things necessary that' he do two things ;—make the land-
owners piy for the clergy, poor, and highways ; and then
make them cut off the foreign commerce of the manufac-
turers by way of giving themselves compensation." Surely
the Chinese political economists, who roasted a pig by set-
ting a house on fire, were only a type of this.
„79.—The arguments which I see chiefly urged against the
corn-laws are these:
1. That our not taking the corn of foreigners prevents their
buying our manufactures.
lass That the highor price of our food, occasioned by these
pren
mvents our competing with Continental manufacturers
in for pr
These take T e_ti_
• ue to be tha two great arguments mainly relied
on, to arouse our manufacturing population to oppose the pre-
system. This reasoning, however, I hold to be fallacious,
i
and that, were it true, the working people have little interest
g a change of system.—Letter of A WonslxolllAN in The
un rf Sept. 24, 1838.
A.--The WORKING MAN is a Londoner ; and the men
of Manchester Leeds, Sheffield, and Birmingham must be
set to answer him. Ask at Manchester for instance, what
It is that would improve the condition of the operatives,
lannwd they will tell you " Something that would at once
er the price of bread, and cause a roaring demand for
Manchester goods." Put to them, then, the following ca3e :
ship goes to the Continent, freighted with Manchester
" What will you buy—buy ?" says the captain.
What will you sell—sell ?" says the continental mer-
chant. ''Anything that I can get a cargo for in return,
sinch when carried to an English port, will enable me to
ate accounts with the owners." " Corn,"
says the Chant,mer-
is dog cheap here. Sell me your cargo for roubles,
the rate waistcoat-pieces are bearing in our market, and
;You lay them out in corn you will get as much as I am
nure must sell in England for what will make owners, ma-
u facturers, and all, jump in their skins for joy."—" Aha!
!r, friend," will reply the captain, " where have you been
wi.,lg, ail your time ? Did you never hear that in England
have an aristocracy, and they put twenty shillings a
quar"er upon corn to raise their rents? 1 can't take
,e„°,",--" Timber then."—" Just as bad. Our timber has
r the ' aristocracy,' as well as corn."—" 'What's to be
done ? we have nothing else of which you would not want
'fore than we can make the waiscoat-pieces for at home."
""--" Take back my waistcoat pieces, and tell my owners to
pretend to sell and make no more, till they can prevent the
istecracy from hindering their skipper hod bringing back
the cargo that would pay."
It. is likely this would be conclusive at Manchester ;
banmight be hard to persuade the working people they
head,
liitttle interest in a change of system. Upon the other
olFad, it is probable the objector is right : and that stating the
'1811" money price of food as the reason which prevents our
other
with the continental manufacturers, is the blun-
uer of putting
forward
a concomitant for a cause. And
thi3 is not saying, that if the price of food was lower, things
Would be no better. For what improved the state of things,
to •
wit admitting more corn, would at the same time lower
the Price. And what allows of the increased sale of waist-
oat-pieces, is not the diminished money price of the la-
bourers' food, but taking off the tax which hindered a pro-
fit Ale home cargo from being made in corn. This is not
the only instance of blundering on the part of the anti-
Corn-law advocates ; another is, when they try to per-
suade the landlords or farmers, that they must he brought
to the grindstone by the increased price of their own and
labourers' bread. But it do's not follow, because men ad-
vance bad arguments, that there are no good.

78.—The truth is, that if the Corn-laws were repealed, we
should send less of our manufactures to foreigners than we nowdo, but consume more ourselves.—ld.
A.—The truth is, that we shoulto. For if we do not
consume more our-
selves, and send more to foreigners a
send more to foreigners than we ci o now, where is the more
corn to come from, and what effect would there be from the
repeal of the Corn-laws at all ? Prices would remain un-
altered, and all things go on as before.
79- —What would then be saved in the lesser cost of food,
to
Quid be mainly spent in better clothes and other comforts,
--Id.duce which mere of our fellow- men must be set to work.
pro
man '—Some of it would ; as stated before. But if more
,oiaetures were not at the same time sent abroad, the
whole plan would come to naught.
80.......8ut if the working classes are to be told that their
advantage from a repeal of the Corn-laws is to result from
their being then able to sell their manufactures to foreigners
abroad, and' to non-producers at borne, at a less price than they
now sell them, it is difficult to see the benefit.—ld.
A.—The everlasting puzzle between money prices and
substantial ;—was it rightly said to be too much for the
working classes and the Tories ? They are to sell their
roanufactures,', so that they shall get an increased quantity
of what they want, corn. Wages are to be two shillings in-
stead of half-a-crown, but they are to have as much bread
and everything else for the two shillings, as the used to
bate for four. Do they want to take the
Tories'y offer in-
stead ; which is, that they shall bare half-a-crown instead of
two shillings, but the half-crovvn shall only buy them as
mach of anything as fifteen-pence did before ?
i 81.---If wages are to be lower, in proportion to the lower-
.r.'g of the cost of the loaf, as the second argument above no-
ticed supposes, where is the good ?—ld.
posedA.The second argument, whether bad or good, sup-
'o . no
lower such thing. It is very possible for money wages
be when corn is lower, but not lower in the same
proportion ; and if by such a process the working classes
got as much
bread as they want, they would not quarrel
about the bits of tin.
82 n
th,,,4*--c'll ! but it is said there will be more employment,
; at i
thmg, but ad" wages. Employment is doubtless. a good
A........llowetilsuaadte remuneration foritis
tboetbt
be come by, Wit is
not by gettin , equate remuneration. _
instead of g the wages that will buy the greater quantity
substantial employment, . the less ? There is to be more better
workin'Pacillpayment, and smaller money payment. If the
Ve.,__a e g .csses run after the Tories, for offering them
t r wages which shall buy less, it is more than the
private gentlemen oft he Guards would do.

(TO BE CONTINUED.)
...m..........e5.ma.................
Blum,
.—We
ikre ha., --4 ON AND DIEPPE RAILROADS.
both PePY to find that the works of these two railroads, in
bei °I which Brighton is most materially interested, are
bing carried on with great activity. It is said, even, that the ePPe line will be fir-st completed, and that great improve-
raents -II
ac orn '4l, be
made in the harbour of that town for the
Mee,o,r4°Qatinn of steam-boats and other vessels. At
eropio;:inct , in Surrey, there are a great number of men
d the lino from
Lando --oPwarcla of five hundred—an
tende to that place is in such a state of forwardness that
to tii.r.s ,have been made to coach the remainder of the road
lirane.:(4l,ll°n• Tsehmoipeoirary, trams have been laid along ..
rnov I "ne to
prized upon which the carts for the re-
i°Frkthe earth wilalmshortly run; and we shall not be sur-
for th - "Y next slimmer this portion of the line is, opened
of the er°4,veYance of passengers and goods. The formai t
tended '4"rnad through the centre of Sussex must bet a -
in
c_. with the most decided advantages to Brighton ; but, taken sof „"nexion with that of Dieppe,—by which the metropolis
houl.;.„ngleand and that of France will be brought within a es.
is ;°I
,eh other _a prospect so cheering and so extended
tir:irneneu, that hope ma), venture to indulge in the most grat-
r,iiroganticipations. Whilst, however, great attention is_ pea_id
_o_
13r'glitosn 9" matter at present seems almost oyerlookomdmui!
aination is. to become the main link in the chain of cto
NY so -with Prance, it will soon be found necessary .
.t,en.roe attention to the harbours both of Shoreham and Newd-
if , Brighton belongs to the port of Shoreham, an other ea go into Newhaven from stress of weather or
she le_au'es, and afterwards come to Brighton or Shoreham,
tion bTiest to
Pay double port dues. Now the communica
lend ft ween Brighton and Shoreham is much more direct by
l• ni lan between Brighton and Newhaven, and great ineon-
-41 e,nce arisrs to the passengers and all concerned when the
hav%bt°r! packet from France is compelled to run into New-
With. 11, if, therefore, this port be made that for communication
he imp:elT, till road between Brighton and Newhaven must
app "i'd• The harbour of Newhaven is good, though the
roach i
dama,F.: ,ob_u t no
e_ n bad weather is considered to be not without
packet could bear the expense of paying the
the n__ i entering that port at night and a further charge
do
_v,aetureorning of going to Shoreham harbour, as she must
42" she comes up for passengers from Brighton. Shore-
prZat,, rbour is susceptible of great improvement, and will
L .4c
its eorn ug. no most in request, as it is at present, when the
with France is facilitated by the railroad.
% jl!c.11 .. its with
state it would not afford that accommodation
1"..1._ larger stearn-Nessels will require.—Brighton Herald.
,i_Alr. It oEßuctes PLATE.—We have seen this ser-
e, of plate, which hti been expressly manufactured for Mr.
2,,° Mitchell and Co., of this city, at the cost of about
iir".l-:„.the amount having been subscribed by the admirers of
rtes li is political opinions and conduct. It consists of a soup
dish- and ladle, two sauce tureens and ladles, and four corner
yerleh„4,,ll,,tl covers, capable of being used as eight. These are
leaves, """owtely ornunented with chased oak branches and
a very
ad!". A solid oak chest to contain the above is included in
T elegant testimonial.—Bath Herald.
. he dockyards in England extend over nearly 500
-cros.
b
Chatham eptford dockyard covers 30 acres. Woolwich, 36,
Pemb , 90, Sheerness 50, Portsmouth 10(1, Plymouth 96, and
• Nice 0.