The Sun.
London, England, 1822-07-29 00:00:00

MPORTATION OF FOREIGN CORN.

Copy of Report of the Commissioners of Customs, dated 9th of
July, 1822, on the subject of the clandestine importation of
Foreign Corn, adverted to in the second report of the Select
Committee of the House of Commons, on the Agriculture of
the United Kingdom.
May it please your Lordships,—Mr. Lushington having, by
his letter of the 11th of June last, signified that he was com-
manded by your Lordships to transmit the second report of the
Select Committee of the House of Commons, on the agriculture
of the United Kingdom; and to desire that he would, with the
least practicable delay, report to your Lordships, whether any,
and if any, what additional precautions can be taken by the
officers of our department, to prevent the clandestine importa-
tion of foreign corn, adverted to by the Committee
In obedience to your Lordships' commands, we report, That
we have made further and special inquiry on this subject, and
particularly as to the possibility of frauds being committed in
the manner alluded to in the report of the Select Committee of
the House of Commons ; viz. by introducing foreign corn into
coasting vessels, by the British or Irish vessels either touching
clandestinely at some foreign port, and taking in a quantity
of corn to mix with the declared cargo (such declaration speci-
fying a less quantity than is actually taken on board), or by
meeting some foreign vessel, and taking in a supply there,
without touching at any port ; and from the result of our in..
quiriesove are of opinion there is is no ground to apprehend
that frauds can be practised in the manner alluded to, inas-
much as, independent of the difficulties adverted to by the Se-,
lect Committee, a vessel contemplating such an act would be
under the necessity of clearing at her port of lading with only a
small part of her cargo actually on board, leaving a sufficient
space for the reception of the foreign, and such space must be
very considerable in order to make the advantage at all propor-
tionable to the danger of incurring the penalties provided by
the Act of the 9th Geo. I. ch. 21, sec. 8, for illegal transac-
tions of that nature ; and so unusual a circumstance as a coast-
ing vessel leaving her port of lading with less than a full cargo
(particularly of corn) would alone excite suspicion, and render
the execution of a fraud of the nature alluded to almost imprac-
ticable. _ _ .

Having given this subject the fullest consideration, we are of
opinion that no further regulations or measures are at present
necessary, than to call the attention of the officers to the sub-
ject generally, and to enjoin them, in all cases where they
have any cause for suspicion, to represent the circumstances
immediately to us.
(Signed)

R. B. DEAN, H. RICHMOND,
S. BARNE, W. T. ROE.
Custom-house, 9th July, 1822.

S. R. LUSHINGTON.
Whitehall, Treasury Chambers, 23d July, 1822.

IRELAND.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER, DATED JULY 22, NEAR MAC-

ROOM, COUNTY CORK.
" When I first began to give employment to our wretched
peasantry (which I was enabled to do by private subscrip-
tions), the persons engaged were in many cases nearly un-
able to work from weakness and starvation ; they now work
with alacrity, , and are beginning to lose the squalid emaciated
appearance they had; although in truth they are in such a ragged
condition as beggars description. The cheerfulness with which
they receive their wages, is very gratifying ; they make no com-
plaints, but express themselves very thankfully towards your
Committee and the Gentlemen of the country, who they are
obliged to confess are their best friends. lam aware that your
Committee will have more demands upon them for clothing
than they can possibly satisfy, yet I trust that this parish will
share your commiseration in that particular. The women
and children are as, badly off as the men : if it should meet
I your approbation, I would suggest that wool should be distri-
buted in portions to the families to spin for bed-gowns and
petticoats ; most of the females have learned to knit petticoats
from some girls whom my wife had instructed. This sort of
clothing is most comfortable and lasting ; the very circum-
stance of manufacturing it would give the females employ-
ment, and would stamp a value in their eyes as being their
own manufacture. The not giving much money gratuitous-
ly, but making the people work for it, has had the most be-
neficial effects, and will lighten considerably the public charges;
unquestionably hundreds in this parish would have died from
starvation, but for the aid they have got; we have tailors,
masons, and carpenters, working as labourers for sevenpence a
day (we at first gave eightpence, but the demands on us were
too numerous to continue the latter price); and one man, a
mason, declared to me, that he felt more relief from this seven-
pence, than he did formerly when he earned one guinea per
week.
" Mrs. K. has declared to me, that although she never quit-
ted her home during the disturbances of the White Boys, that
she could not bear to witness the existing distress, and would
fly to avoid it. , Believe me, the feelings and anxiety of every
humane person are kept on the stretch. Again, on behalf of
my parishioners, I beg to return my most greatful thanks to
your Committee for your generous aid."

ABSENTEES.—It will scarcely be credited, by those who
have no means of knowing the circumstance, that there are
from one hundred to one hundred and fifty thousand English
and Irish people of property living in different parts of the
Continent. \Vhole towns are absolutely peopled by them. In
Paris, the Duke of Hamilton, with the Earls of Stair and
Fife, at an expence to themselves, or rather to their country, of
100,0001. per annum, lead the fashion to about 20,000 English
persons, of a mixed character, at Versailles. Mr. Robert Wil-
liams, the Member for Carnarvonshire, with his numerous and
amiable family, and several titled persons, have, for some years,
taken up their residence in the neighbourhood of Geneva.
There are 1,300 English families, with the Duke of Leeds at
their head, the Marchioness of Bute, and many distinguished
nobles of both sexes, at Rome. Lord Byron is at Venice.
Lord Montford has lived some time near Bordeaux, surrounded
by about 2,000, one-half of whom are small fund-holders, and
one-half Irish of 001. to 4001. per annum, when they can get
their rents paid. At Tours there is a select corps of about 4,000,
who pride themselves on their family connexions in the United
Kingdom. At Boulogne there are 6,000 English, 4,000 of
whom are entitled to some compassion, being half-pay officers,
who cannot live without wine. Prince Leopold very naturally
expends his 50,000/. a year among. his German cousins. At
Brussels, the English and Irish congregate, and there is
scarcely a town or village in France, the Netherlands, Switzer-
land, and Italy, in which they are not to be found.—( Dublin
Paper.)