The Sun.
London, England, 1815-02-08 00:00:00

CORN LA S.

The alarm excited by the recent discussion on
the Corn Bill covered the table of the Houseof
Commons with Petitions, expressive in general
of apprehensions of consequent high prices, and
indicating much anxiety for the comforts of the
labouring classes, predicting the decline of our
•,
manufactures, and finally the total annihilation of
owr export trade, as the inevitable result of its,
adoption. 'lt was asserted, that•the rates o(
hour and of taxes, higher in this than in, 'certain
other•manufacturing States on the Cont.'atent, ne-
cessarily required the free importaiion of Corn,
subject only to the restrictionsetraetehby the ex-
isting laws; and that, by the Continuance ofsthose
laws without alterationa-dAteap subsistence would
be secured to the labr'mrer, and' those evils be
averted to which, 44am apprehension of the Pe-
titioners, the con,. tuercial and."Manufacturino..in-
,
teres:s of tber.ountry would be exposed by any
addition trx.'the :prices now regulating• the im-
portation",

dr:es not, however, appear, from the 4;;Ai..,
(1,‘.1.r;e taken before a Committee of the House of
•(;onntions,- that these opinions rest on any very.
graUuds, or, that seburityagainst the pre.
dieted evils would be effectually attained by cwt-
.., •
tinning the existing Corn Laws, r, aitst, on the
other hand, there is reason tp•apprehend an oppo-
site result, Notions to commerce and animator- •
tures, and fatal to our agricultural prosperity.—.
By a statement of numerous facts add.aced in evi-
dence, 80s. appearS to he the minimum, which
can be us.sumed as a fair price for wheat, at the
present renti.ot land, together with the taxesr
expellees attendant on 'cultivation. If under that
price, a 'great breadth of land-of middlin,' and
itt-
ferior quality must necessarily cease r „ be culti-
vated for the_growth of corn, for the"
ouvions rea-
son, that the average producewr :uld he less than
the cost. But the consumpti• on of the 'existing
population requiring a stip;y-- equal to the pro-
(ince of the whole-brea, en now under the plough,:
that supply woupl of
course fall short of the. cot

iu
s"'"Pt:"' a der cee propoitionate to the extent
of land directed
t 'other objeets:
evi.' a
P('-uk ohly of the evil to be alipteheilded.
)r soils cannot, indeed, be cultivated
certain loss, and will, tlierefore,.4e con-
;-crt

.N 1 jg.° grass.; but arc arc thence tc) infer. that
.19SC ot a superior quality will he :i•eliitereci • the

snore productive, by a greate6ocer.iiou of skill, and
by a more liberal application of capital, without
such a protecting price as shall yield an adequate
reinuneratinu ? It SOs. be the minimum price at
which the Farmer and Land-owner can be so pro-
tected, is it 'possible that be can calculate upon
obtainntg it, in the face of rcgAations which per-
mit importation at a lower rate, expose him
/ to the competition of the iii•fiiiitely cheoper markets
of &mope and o America. Under such circum-
stances, agricalt ure becoming an unprofitable
pursuit, will he again abandoned, as it was fifty
years ago, to,pc;rsorts deficient in knowledge, and
destitute of capitol, and the important trust of
providing for the %rants of the people
ted to the feeble bands of poverty and of igno-
•,rance. IMportation must then be resorted to,
even in seasons the most favourable, to a consi,
derahie extent, but in those which prove unfit-
;rntirable, to an a.mounl sciticely to be calculated.
'he
.11"ttited Kingdom, thus reduced to a state of
dependence on other countries, would exhaust its
treasures with singular intpolicy, iii the encon-
. ragcment of foreign cultivators, by-deptiving do-
mestic apiculture of the protection sail support
essential to its progress. With the demand, the
• prices abroad must advance, and be regulated by
the neces.sities of the 111 itish public. Thus tray the
cost of importation on the average of years equah
or even greatly exceed, the prim at which the
Vritiih Farmers, enjoying a just share off encou
titgentertt and protection, would have been en-
;Able(' to continue thqie tl,xertions, and to meet the
consumption of the country.
• Another risk is connected with this precarious
conditiou of dependence—Foreign C.lovernments-
m.!y choose to impose
.a duty on the export ; and
as the fact did actually occur a few years ago, in
the Prussian dominioris, the point is well worthy
of consideration.
I.:trense fluctuation in the prices of Grain, has
ever teen considered an evil cal the most serious
nature, and of a tendency to disturb the order and
•ct the peace of society. To that evil, whilst
. IVe depend upon iinportntion, mast we evidently.
be more exposed, than by relying on the produce
of our own soil, which by means of improved col-
t i ion, anti the employment of increased capital,
by the exercise of greater energy, and a larger
bread di under the plough, has been found capable
of - viel:ling a supply adequate to ,the extteme
demand. We must'also recollect, that large stu
trill be drawn froni the ewimitry, that the b•a•
[:Bice of trade in the course of exchange will
.be
materially a' Ireeted, an,l he prodoctive of conse-
quences, to the preventiou of which, the enlight-
cued Statesman will ever direct his utmost efforts.
The gratuitous injury thus inti.tted on the-
ireuide•i Interest, the great mass of Farniers and
Proprietors, is pregnant with incalculable tins-
,
_eitiet to the public rereutic:t:•; the body politic will
L)se just Proportions, and present to the re-
-' tlecting wind certain sunning bt. diminished vigour
and of approaching decay. W4lll all the persons
iocludecl is those 61-OA'S ability to el,..pentl• will
dintioish is the ratio of the'r:redoced income 3, and
• many, very many be consigned-4o poverty ,al.O
to
indigence. Ilow then s iii it ;are with the

Millions of iacornes a'reanr.lll'.lat;:il, the -
lion and circtilation of which furnished to the la,-
tourer, the artificer, the 'tradesman, the
lactur.vr, th,e tnea.ni an 4,.• the reward Of tlit.lr re-
sirective pursuits.. Arrested in the ),,I:ocri.ess-d
tisef!il oer:up:tawo, they become a 'prey to indi-
gehce, a tiolitile,:t spirit is ulferated, acts of vio.,
fence 3 of depreclatian e;fstte,-aiid.crowds, thus
hurr?.ed into 144 eotinuisicm of crime, beemne.the
of the offended laws. The detna-nll for la-
bout falling short of the. supply., the parishes
will, in consequence, be oppressed with enormous
poor-rafes. Willi such a diminution-_6f the power
of eartstimption, is it possible to copeeixe that the'
public l'eventi6 trill not sustain .a corresiagnticut
.defection ?

Let us .suppose:, for a Moment, the revcitUes of
the State to consist entirely of dtities, Phu( other •
taxes levied ad ertiarent, and.the prices of all ex-
changeable eoloinediti9,s,"no matter from what
cause, to be
_reduced lo one-half ; in tliis event,
the revenues of tb.-e State would also'necessarily
he reduced to- P:Ae-half of theii- former•amount.—
Let tis,* the Saint; time. supPPse the annual ex-
How of that State, and the interest of the public
.015 t, to require the izhole undilninished revenne..
Under•these circumstances, with a 'revenue equal
only to one-half the requisite expenditure, em-
barrassment is the inevitable consequence. The
expenses, of the State arc necessary, tact the
Claims or the public creditor areitiSt ; it: lyrist
in such- a cii-se, •eonid he discharged. ivgy
he said answer, that •the• statement is hypo-
:-
thetic4, an 4 .altogether .strained, and that; ili.
fact., the supposed circumstances, do not exist. •
Bt it ere we decide, -let us consider a little the-ef-
fects naturrdliito be expeeted-from the annihila-
tion 0± to amonnt whe-
ther similar consequences Will not e,:sue in the
prvoortion of the amount anuniilated„ No other
yesalt is ,nossible. It isi in vain to .ure, that
with the prices of conimodities, the,.exoences ut
the.Oovernotent ..oultl be gra:inally
thi-s to he admitted to the 101 l extent, the
relief is partial, only, antl-will not in the sligtovst
degree diminish die amount payable for the iPte-
rest of tire public debt, which Must in all cases be
discharged in full. •
The parties,
,it is evident, against wheal im-
mediately this war of 'prejudice and of injustice is
waged, are deprived of: the power of cunstoning ;
but the recoil will assuredly be ultimately test by
those with whom this Violeta iirocedure originates.
All classes will finally be involved in the conse-
quences of a state of things thus fatally disorga-.
pized.- The pow.ers- of cousomption and Of re-
.prodoction will be generally diminished, and thits•
will be assailed the vital principle',` tis'"wilich the-
strengulf:and independence of the United King,
dour, and the. happiness of the people, under the
bleSiings...of a free Constitution, and the favour of
Providence, are to be-mainly attributed.
If then it be true, that`fhe prices of grain are
likely to be equally high on the oneschente as on the
that of importation or-of non-import-
ation ; if the cahmities attendant on extreme
fluctuation be the consvpience of neglected agri-
culture, anti he price of laboila. be tint on the
average of years materially reduced, the mantific-.
turing.as well as the agricultural, interests will be
affected, and each will have suffered by the expe-
riment : the public revenue will be impaired,. and
the country- reduced to a state Of dependence on.
foreign Powers, fur a precarious, supply Of the ne-
cessaries 'Of life. If, however, the Chancellor of
the Exchequer coal dev,ke the means of paying
the public creditor, and of defraying the experices
of the Government, anal St the same time dispense,
- with two-thirds of our taxes, then -indeed, a:id
then otify, alight we cease to Consider' an amend-
ment of the Corn Laws to be necessary. '1 he
prices- tin all commodities would fall in a jasCpro-
portion, and the dpger -apprehended iron
im-
portation, under the exiftiog circumstances, would
be, removed by our ability to cultivate on equal
terms with the foreign agriculturist.