The Sun.
London, England, 1847-07-02 00:00:00

LONDON, FRIDA Y

ment, having consented to the suspension of the corn-
laws. It appears to me that if you consented in prin-
ciple to the suspension of the corn-laws you will be
perfectly justified in coming before the next Parliament
and saying, " We have not given up the principle of
protection—the Parliament which has been dissolved
was greatly in error in doing away with that principle,
and we require a sliding scale or a fixed duty on corn,
for that even is a system found upon a better policy
than the total repeal of these laws." You would
be perfectly justified in raising such an argu-
ment ,• it is probably not a strong answer
to such a proposition to say that you are precluded from
making such a proposition, because you suspended the
corn-laws during the past year. If that is the case with
regard to the navigation-laws, it cannot be urged as
coming against the navigation-laws, that there has been
a certain period in which you proposed to suspend those
laws. The Noble Lord, having consented to the suspen-
sion of the corn-laws, declares that the navigation-laws
ought not to be suspended. Now, what is the ground
for suspending the corn-laws? It is expected that there
will be a grea quantity of corn brought into this
country, and therefore it is the policy of this country to
use every means by which that admission may be free
and open to all, and if that principle is good with
regard to the corn which is to be admitted,
why should it not be held good with regard
to the vessels in which that corn is brought ? If you
admit corn free of duty, you must also take measures to
admit that corn as freely as possible, whatever may be
the vessel in which that corn may come—we should not
ask any questions with respect to the lading of these
vessels, or their country, or the parties who own them;
but because they bring provisions, on that ground we
admit them. It appears to me that the two questions
stand upon a pertectly similar footing, and it is quite
inconsistent for the Noble Lord, having agreed to sus-
peed the present corn duties, to raise a new objet ion
to the suspension of this other law, and thus impose a
restriction upon the admission of corn from which the
duty is removed. The Noble Lord says, and says truly,
that I stated the other day that I was prepared to argue
that if 500,000 quarters of corn came in under the re-
cent suspension of the navigation-laws, still I should be
prepared to contend that these laws ought to be further
, suspended. I did so declare myself; because I think that
the necessity of the country is such that we ought not
to impose any restrictions whatever, and that the best is
to make the admission of corn as free as possible—
whether the benefit arising from that admission may be
, small or may be large. At least 1 have asserted that
principle, and I have taken away any restriction under
which corn is admitted. That as an argument is perfectly
good, whatever may be the amount of corn admitted.
The Noble Lord has agreed as to the quantity of corn
admitted—he has agreed to those returns, which I
believe, with regard to most of the ports in the United
Kingdom from which those returns have been received,
are correct. I find with regard to London and Liver-
pool the quantities are the same.
Lord G. BEN TINCK—You have no return from
Lirerpool
Lord J. RUSSELL—With regard to some of the
ports, I believe that the custom-house has made an error
with regard to the quantity which might have come in if
the navigation-laws had not been suspended, and there
may be some alteration necessary in the general return,
but as to the total amount which it represents it is pro-
bably correct as to what has been introduced. The
amount introduced has been brought in by 508 ship',
amounting in tonage to 63,555 tons. The Noble Lord
says that it would have been far better to have sent
line-of battle ships, which could introduce corn
from foreign countries. I argued this question at
the commencement of the session, and satisfied one lion.
Gentleman, who made a motion upon that subject, that
in the first place the amount of tonnage of the line-of-
battle ships which we should hare at our command
would have been small ; and, in the second place, it
would have taken some time to have fitted up these
it
line-
of battle ships so as to be prepared for the reception of
corn ; and, in the next place, that it would have takenohey
them away from any military service in which
years
since, be required. Supposing that any question
the question of Tahiti, which arose a few )
since, were. to arise with any foreign power,
would have been a great disadvantage to the
public, to have found ourselves crippled by the employ-
ment of these ships, so necessary for the service of the
country for some other purposes. The last argument
which I used, and which was the strongest of all, was, that
when the State interfered in subjects of this nature, the
undertake to more it proclaimed that it was about toit
fur-
nish that which commerce usually furnishes, the more
had disturbed and checked and discouraged the natural
enterprise and trade of the country.—(Hear, hear.)
Now, what will the tonnage of the Queen, the Trafalgar,
the Albion, and the Rodney amount to if they are
estimated ? The Queen, 3,104 tons; the Albion
3,110 tons ; and supposing the other two ships
to be of equal amount, or nearly so, we would
have had 12,000 tons available for these purposes.
63,555 is the amount of tonnage which foreign ships have
introduced into this country, and which could not have
been introduced except by a suspension of the navigation-
laws, and they have left you to have the employment of
these ships for any other purposes you might require.
The Noble Lord has introduced an assertion in his
speech which has nothing at all to do with the present
discussion—namely, the policy pursued in Portugal.
That has nothing whatever to do with this subject, be-
cause if these ships bad not been in Portugal they would
have been in the Mediterranean. They are part of the
military marine of the country, and are the
kind of force on which this country must rely
in case of any sudden danger. But these foreign ships
hare done all this work—they have done five times as
much as these vessels could have done for the benefit of
the reentry, ...a without the expanse. Thee have se?'
these ships, and they have done it without any expense
further than the natural payment or profit charges
which are paid and expected by merchants. Therefore
I entirely dissent, as I said at the beginning of this
session, from this plan. I disagree with the plan of
-- -
HOUSE OF COMMONS. bringing out a corps of line-of-battle ships for the pur-
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition.) pose of bringing foreign corn into this country. But
NAVIGATION-LAWS,
beyond this, let this House consider for one moment
Lord JOHN RUSSELL then moved that the Nati-
this question apart from the question of the nayi-
gation-laws Rill be read a second time.
gation-laws. What has been the immense itnpor-
Lord GEORGE BENTINCK rose to oppose the tation of corn which has been carried on by the trade
motion. Ile did so because he thought the present mea- of this country for the purpose of supplying the United
sure was a pretext to undermine the present navigation-
show, an unprecedented high price in corn, but at Kingdom with food. We have had, as I shall presently
the
laws. Since the suspension of those laws, innumerable
vessels, in all parts of the world, had been waiting for same time the efforts which have been made by the trade
freight and could not get it. There had not been more of this country have been carried on to an enormous ex-
than one or two ships from the Mediterranean since the tent. Some time ago the importation of corn was at the
suspension of the laws, and at present rates were every rate of nine millions of quarters, but during the last
day falling at Alexandria, Constantinople, and Odessa. month, and indeed latterly, at the rate of twelve millions
He therefore contended that the necessity for the further of quarters in the year, and in some particular weeks it
suspension of the navigation-laws had entirely passed has exceeded that amount; but altogether,lbelieve, when
away. With regard to the small vessels from the Elbe the accounts are made out, that there has been an im-
and the Weser, which formed so large an item in the re- mense importation—a greater importation than ever was
turn of the number of foreign grain-laden vessels, which known, and I should say that not less than six millions
had been laid on the table, the further suspension of the of our people may have been fed during the present year
laws from September to March would be wholly inope- by that importation from foreign countries. Compare
rative.—(Hear, hear.) If the Noble Lord had been so that with with any effort which could have been made
desirous as it was stated to bring in a large supply of by line of- battle ships. Compare this immense amount
foe eign corn cheaply, he might have spared the five of corn and shipping, owing solely to the enterprise of
steam-ships that were cruising off Portugal for that pur merchants and importers. Compare these with any
[rase, and by this means he would have done far more efforts the Government could make, and then you may
good than by suspending the navigation-laws.—(Hear, estimate the fact that, by throwing open the ports,
hear.) This was the course pursued by France, and it and giving the intercourse with foreign countries,
was productive of the greatest advantage to the trade you have saved the people from sufft ring
and commerce of that country. If this suspension of from want of food. But the Noble Lord seems to think
the navigation laws was to be considered as prelimintry that this must be a repeal of the navigation-laws, because
to the abrogation of these laws, he would ask the Noble there are no extraordinary circumstance—that the neces-
Lord how he proposed to man the navy ?—(Hear, hear.) any has passed. He says that there are no circumstances
America had attained the great eminence which at pre- which require this.
sent characterised the navy, not, as it was falsely Lord G. BENTINCK—I said that the necessity would
stated, by relaxing the navigation-laws, but by giving have passed away by the Ist of September.
Lard J. RUSSELL--Now let me ask the attention of
her shipping the greatest protection. In 1814 the
the House to the extraordinary circumstances which have
British navy was manned by 114,000 men, and now the
1 other 25 days ; and sournuenwl)einl
occurred in the last few months. There has been in France
number was not more than 30,000. ft might be said
, than the one i very great failure of the crops. It was estimated that
days'consumption of food useayhsigehoueasure psaiyeet,haattaz
that when the corn. laws were repealed the navigation-
yo e
consequencettieen them
ofor
the followed as ilais"a neexcressiseaarother. It
gave himwas wanting—that the supply
. great pain to see some shipowners supportino, was to thatextent deficient.
the abolition of the corn-1b Germany to That deficiency extended to
corn-laws at.the time that measure a very great extent, so much so, that corn
was brought forward,
should not nave and he sincerely hoped that they upon the Rhine had risen at one time to 90 per quer-
occasion to regret the part which they ter, and the peace of the county w s disturbeds.
took a sleet
thea in Preis-
He had the agricultural interest.—(Hear, hear.) sea, and in other parts, owing ty
i ko
ha comparative statement of the number f_g a. in provisions. This
has c
ligd
in extraordinary rise
Sat'atess ofips that came to this country from the° Unri itlicl parts of Europe and Americaa or importation from all
from which any supply
the Ist of America, from the 10th of September I t '
ast to was to be had. There has been an extraordinary. supply
Grea _May. There were 294 vessels belon - from America, and there h
there were
Britain, and 450 to the United States. Ogfing to
e very great importatio t haa been, as I have stated, a
were only 3 of the former which had mettb•se n o t is country. France had re-
with quired a great art of the importation from the Black
any accident at sea, while there were 21 Ame • Sea, and that ri
American; of corn which, if there had been a good
those that were obliged to put back and ' harvest in F
raper. siseem a.— ess....s_ —
their voyagss, there were 3 this discontinue
h and the....., been taken to e ranee for the consumption of that country.
of those which were obligectj to have r cargoes so me moth of January we thoght the case so uent,
thrown overboard there were 6 British and 27 Anse- that we proposed a suspension of the corn duty and the
riean; and of those that bad been stranded there were navigation-laws, and that suspension was at once agreed
4 British, while there were 12 American.—(Hear, hear, to' The average price for the preceding six weeks to
and cheers.) This, he thought, proved that the British that time was 635. 10d. per quarter, and in one week
pilot had not lost his cunning, nor the British sailor his preceding the price was so high as 70s. 10d. per quarter.
skill or energy; and, believing that this measure would Under these circumstances, the House agreed .una-
have the effect of destroying the shipping interests of nimously to the suspension of these laws. Since that
this country, and of undermining their naval superiority, time there has been a most extraordinary rise in the
which, more than any other cause, had contributed to
,
their greatness and their power, he would move that the to 100 s., 108 s., and, on one day, I believe 115 s. per
Bill be read a second time that day six months. quarter.—(Hear, hear.) The price has again fallen, but
Lord J. RUSSELL said, Ido not propose to con- the average for the last six weeks, by the London
cider--.and I hope that this House will nut consider— Gazette, ii 945. 10d. per quarter.—(Hear, hear.) The
n"hot this is a question with regard to the repeal of the price of corn, let me repeat, when the House consented
mention-laws.—(Hear,lti hear.) Whatever may be the unanimously to the suspension of the navigation-laws,
ta afahese laws—whether it may be right to main-
Lain there • '••
shaeges itiltiviolate—wht ther it is right to make certain
that is not h+ or right to repeal them altogether—
the present passtion brought before the House under
part of the au All Ad that I will say, therefore, on that
c'ectipied a cosartian of the Noble Lord—and which
--is, that I be g tile Part of his address to the House was 635. 10d. per quarter ; and now, when the price is
9. 4s. 10d. per quarter, I am told that it is unreasonable
in me to ask that suspension to be continued. The
Noble Lord says that., upon the Ist of September, the
necessity will have passed away. Who can tell that for
this country the necessity will have passed away ?
Lord G. BENTINCK—I said the necessity for ships;
Committee upon therraind the House that, when the that is the whole question.
sit, it was a uestion -"gation-laws was aointed to Lord J. RUSSELL—The necessity for ships will not
the country,and • of the most serious
have ;sassed awe •
at the oat serious importance to - y that is my whole argument; if we
that Committee, or the the
of the report of have a necessity for corn there is a necessity for ships to
alteration to be made in eviclea" Which •
, bring it. My argument is that if you have a ship which
is bound
to consider the be l'—':'''lnvrsi,..thi House brings corn to you, you ought not to say " this is
owners, and take into consid_erdee- tV" d.°`ri..s . American corn, it has been taken from on board;
thy may have to contend with," -. British ship-
it has been landed at Havre, and brought again
considers t the Y isadvantage
any restrictions which a°anus elms h • here. I will not admit it—you must take it back
foreign shi ' are to be • etat It
pping. That will be at le_ss'n's P"cd upon again." My argument is that if you admit corn
sideration; but the question now hefore- 'or our euti.. —if you have a necessity for the admission of corn, it
whether the present navigation laws shall the Hou,,e .s
t ought to be admitted in whatever ships it may come.
—and it must be obvious to the House ha be
upended What are the prospects for the next year? Who can
petal laws of this astute without at tallt we
e'°-
SuE". the? However sanguine may be the expectation at
principle uperi which they are founded. _t_Affecting the present moment, the weather of the next six weeks
to the very question of the corn-lawsyytth respect Will give us bountiful
have been, during the the corn-la can tell aandabundant harvest. Who
last fifty years, corn-laws
will whether the harvest of the Continent of Europe
pended; sometimes for six months, sometimes fora frequentlyyseual--, abuntsbountiful? Who can tell whether the great
and sometimes for two years, the great majority of both the pastcoe with which America has been blessed during
Reuses of Parliament at the same time maintaining the and that "Jaen?. will be continued in the present year,
policy of these laws, i.nd firm on the principle that they difficulty
of aa 3' not have at another time not only the
ought not to be altered. This may be urged in regard and Europe,ht etnng supplies of corn in England,
to the navigation-laws, and I own that lam surprised Vlis'a we have itl the difficulty of having the large sup=
at the Noble Lord and his friends taking this course 'et us not f ad in the present year from America.
with orges regard navigation-laws at .the pc tprice of corn hea
esen mo- 'with regard to this subject, that tho
. . ...deration the d Itt!lY been as high, taking into cons- ePreetati e the Int 04 tu9 currency, as it wm st

352 bags of Madras 13 per cent. 275, 7 per cent. mid
small white 28s 6d per cwt.
Oils.—This afternoon at public sale 76 cks of Palm
Oil were sold at 38s to 39s 6d; 30 tuns Cochin Cocoa
Nut, 578 9d to 67s 3d ; 20 tuns of fine Sperm, 851 lOs to
86/ ; 15 tuns of Southern, 251 to 261 per tun.
TALLow.—This afternoon the closing prices of Russian
I were 49s to 49s 3d on the spot for fine P Y C, and at
I 47s for the last three months of the year. The public
sales of 54 casks East India, 82 casks New South Wales,
220 casks of Petersburg Yellow Candle, 60 casks of
i Odessa, 254 casks Italian, went off heavily and at rather
lower rates.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

(THIS EVENING.)

HOUSE OF LORDS.
The House sat to day at Five o'clock.
ROYAL ASSENT.

The Royal Assent was given to-day by Commission
to the following seventy- three public and private Bills:
Naval Mutiny Bill—Naval Prisons Bill—Royal
Marine Set vice Bill—Quakers and Jews Mar-
riages Bill Masters in Chancery Bill Baths
and Washhouses Bill Cornwall Railway Mil
London and South-Western Railway (purchase of Earl
Ellesmere's Interest) Bill—Vale of Neath Railway
Bill—General Terminus and Glasgow Harbour Rail-
way Branch Bill—Gloucester and Dean Forest Railway
Construction of Deck Bill—East Lincolnshire Railway
(Deviation at Boston, and Branch to Great Grimsby
and Sheffield Junction Railway at Grimsby—Ambers-
gate, Nottingham, and Boston, and Eastern Junction
Railway (Al:oration of Line and Branches into
or near the Town of Nottingham)—Llynvi Val
ley Railway Extension—Shrewsbury and Birming-
ham Railway Act Amendment and Branches—
Bristol and South Wales Junction Railway and Aust
Ferry—Caledonian Railway, and Glasgow, Garnkirk,
and Coatbridge Railway (branch to Glasgow Station)—
Caledonian and Dumbartonshire Junction Railway (De-
viation between Dnntocher-lane Works and Bowling)—
Midland Great Western Railway of Ireland—Newry
and Enniskillen Railway Act Amendment—Newport,
Abergavenny, and Hereford Railway (Deviations)—
Herne Bay and Canterbury Junction, London and South-
Western Railway (Widening, &c.)—Dundee and Perth
Railway (Alterations and Extensioo)—Glasgow, Bank-
head, and Neilston Direct Railway—Great Western
Railway (Branch to join the West London %Aiwa) )
Eastern Counties Railway (Malden, Witham, and Brain-
tree Railway Purchase)—Great Southern and Western
Railway Extension (Portarlington and Tullamont)—
Norfolk Railway (Branch from Wymondham to the
Norwich Extension of the Ipswich and Bury St. Ed-
mund's Railway, and the proposed Thetford and Reed-
ham Railway, near Diss)—Glasgow, Barrhead, and
Neilston Direct, and Glasgow Southern Terminal
Railways Amalgamation—Southampton and D-rchester
Railway, New Forest Deviation and Branches—
Lowestoft Railway and Harbour (Alteration
near Reedham) Norfolk Railway (Yarmouth
Extentions)—Dablin and Drogheda Railway Branch
from Cavan to Kells—Southampton and Dorchester
Railway (Weymouth Branch)—Swansea Valley Rail-
way—Manchester and Lincoln Union Railway. De-
viation—Manchester and Leeds Railway (Branch from
the Huddersfield Railway)—South• Eastern Railway
(North Kent and Bricklayers' Arms Junction—
Liverpool, Creshy, and Stourport Railway and Branch--
Dundee and New tyle Railway—London and North-
Western Railway (Newport Pagnell, Olney, and Welling-
borough Branch)—North Staffordshire Railway ( Altera-
tions and Branches)—South Wales Railway—Derbyshire,
Staffordshire, and Worcestershire Junction Rail way—
Dublin and Belfast Junction and Navan Branch Railway
—Boston, Stamford and Birmingham Railway (Peter-
borough and Thornly Line)—East Lincolnshire Railway
(Louth . Navigation Purchase)—London and North-
Western Railway (Coventry and Nuneaton Branch)—
London and South-Western Railway (Andover to the
Bishopstoke and Salisbury Branch)—Manchester, Shef-
field and Lincolnshire Railway (Branch to Brigsworth)
—York and Newcastle Railway, and Wearmouth
Dock Enlargement—Midland Railway (Leicester
and S wanning ton)—London and North-Western
Railway (Atherstone and Whitacre Branch)—
Glasgow, Kilmarnock, and Ardrossan Railway (Amend-
ment and Deviations and Branches)—Birmingham and
Wolverhampton and Stour Valley Railway (No. 1)—
Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Lease to the
London and North Western Railway Company—Swan-
sea Docks—Croydon Commercial Gas awl Coke Com
pany—Dumfernline Water-works—Falmouth Water-
works Macduff Harbour Improvement Wark-
worth Harbour—London, City (Small Debts)—
Westminster and part of Middlesex Sewers—Bristol
Building and Improvement Act Amendment—Bristol
Commercial Insurance Company—Wyndham's Estate
Bill—Long's Estate Bill—Poyntzfield's Estate Bill—
Horne's (Ferguson's) Estate Bill—Hodson Ilinde's
Estate Bill—Leigh's Estate Bill.
The Lords Commissioners were the Lord Chancellor,
Earl Spencer, and Lord Denman.
PUNISHING A SOLDIEit IN THE SEVENTH

HUSSARS.
Lord BROUGHAM wished to ask his Noble Friend
a question with respect to the punishment of a soldier
of the 7th Hussars, named Radcliffe, who had
been charged with a very grave off,nce, namely
shooting at his sergeant with a pistol loaded
with ball. If the charge was true it was a very
Grave one. He wished to ask his Noble Friend (the
Duke of Wellington) whither he had received any in-
formation that the Colonel had ordered him to be
marched to his trial on the following Wed-
nesday "to receive the greatest punishment
that could be inflicted upon him." This was an PRtr.-
ordinary letter, but he (Lord 13roughani) supposed that
it referred to the punishment he should receive if he was
found guilty.

(LEFT SITTING.)