The Sun.
London, England, 1847-07-03 00:00:00

the teuntry, and in the consideration of the report of
that ;'Committee, or the evidence which authorised any
alte ration to be made in the navigation-laws, this House
is ' bound to consider the burdens upon British ship-
owl tars, and take into consideration any disadvantage
the 19'ay have to contend with, at the same time that it
con gleAers any restrictions which are to be imposed upon
for etgn shipping. That will be at last for our cons
.sif lettstion; but the question now before the House is,
W tether the present navigation-laws shall be suspended
• 0-and it must be obvious to the House that we may suss
feud laws of this nature without at all affecting the
iPrineiple upon which they are founded. With respect
te the very question of the corn-laws, the corn-laws
save been, during the last fifty years, frequently sus-
pended; sometimes for six months, sometimes for a year,
end sometimes for two years, the great majority of both
ought not
of Parliament at the same time maintaining the
poliey of these laws, and firm on the principle that they
not to be altered. This may be urged in regard
to tree navigation-laws, and I own that lam surprised
at, ....ke.Noble Lord and his friends taking this course
with regard to the navigation-laws at the present mo-
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
ar error in in
sliding
d scaleoii
ora away y
fixed with
dulythat
o n principle,
corn,
afwonards
that
tarequirei es
as
y
stem 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 great quantity cf 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 perfectly similar footing, and it is quite
inconsistent for the Noble Lord, having agreed to sus-
pend the present corn duties, to raise a new objection
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 bo 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 I 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 fINCK—You have no return from
Liverpool.
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 Hon.
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 have at our command
would have been small ; and, in the second place, it
would have taken some time to have fitted up these line-
of battle ships so as to be prepared for the reception of
corn ; and, in the next place, that it would have taken
them away from any military service in which they
might be required. Supposing that any question like
the question of Otaheite, which arose a few years
since, were to arise with any foreign power, it
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.' used, and which was the strongest of all, was, that
when the State interfered in subjects of this nature, the
more it proclaimed that it was about to undertake to fur-
nish that which commerce usually furnishes, the more it
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
eci "a Oin . equalflamnnt7;a7 iTiirlit''sV, '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 lies 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 had not been in Portugal they would
have been in the Mediterranean. They are part of the
kmiinlditaryo f
fmarinee h
ono which
the ntry,
etohnnioo,
country
yd
mustare rely the
in case of any sudden danger. But these foreign ships
have done all this work—they have done five times as
much as these vessels could have done for the benefit of
the country, and without the expense. They have sent
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
bringing out a corps of line-of-battle ships for the pur-
pose of bringing foreign eorn into this country. But
beyond this, let this House consider for one moment
this question apart from the question of the navi-
gation-laws. What has been the immense . impor-
tation of corn which has been carried on by the trade
month,rsKos
haat. itmonewge this do.t
fiarmon
eu
uwnt
ohit trpehyr
effortsefh co
aeo
vddee.
nb
wt
eelhdVni echchi haghrahary
iypee
etir
ihad,bcoeene
of this country for the purpose of supplying the United
been
tnaosmcalaondrseneh
corn, but
oylblrumtthroeeaus
ttsernaet ptxdhl yee.
tent. Some time ago the im
uapatrottrhoterastr,ioabnt
en ot
of f
dc
tnowrr
einnl
vgwe was
millions
lt i
lotahns est
annidneintndeielldiolnastteorflycl,
rrat.siic
nbu
elesi.eirist za:newkhismein.t
kmtohhfnaeesonqwaseucexnacorost
accounts
rndstesdi in therh ea
tmayamedaeoru, andonutt;, t
buthina at someltt
hoge
re
et particular weeks it
has exceeded that amount; but altogethe
,imanpdorltasthioonu—ld asagyretahtaetr
nimotpolretsastitohnanthsainx emveilrfiwonass
of our people may have been fed during the present year
by that importation from foreign countries. Compare
that with with any effort which could have been made
by line• of-battle ships. Compare this immense amount
of corn and shipping, owing solely to the enterprise of
merchants and importers. Compare these with any ,
efforts the Government could make, and then you may
estimate the fact that, by throwing open the ports,
and giving the intercourse with foreign countries,
you have saved the people from suffering
from want of food. But the Noble Lord seems to think
that this must be a repeal of the navigation-laws, because
there are no extraordinary circumstance—that the neces-
sity has passed. He says that there are no circumstances
which require this.

Lord G. BENTINCK—I said that the necessity would
have passed away by the Ist of September.
Lord J. RUSSELL—Now let me ask the attention of
, the House to the extraordinary circumstances which have
occurred in the last few months. Thereha3 been in France
a very great failure of the crops. It was estimated that
. , France at one time had only 18 days' consumption, at an-
, other 25 days ; and some went so high as to say that 40
days' consumption of food was wanting—that the supply
was to that extent deficient. That deficiency extended to
.Germany to a very great extent, so much so, that corn
, upon the Rhine had risen at one time to 90s. per quar-
ter, and the peace of the country was disturbed in Prus-
sia; and in other parts, owing to the extraordinary rise
in provisions. This has called for importation from all
parts of Europe and America from which any supply
was to be had. There has been an extraordinary supply
from America, and there has been, as I have stated, a
very great importation to this country. Prance had re-
quired a great part of the importation from the Black
Sea, and that corn which, if there had been a good
harvest in France, would have been brought here, has
been taken to France for the consumption of that country.
In the month of January we thought the case so urgent,
that we proposed a suspension of the corn duty and the
navigation-laws, and that suspension was at once ag,reed
to. The average price for the preceding six weeks to
that time was 635. 10d. per quarter, and in one week
preceding the price was so high as 70s. 10d. per quarter. '
Under these circumstances, the House agreed una-
nimously to the suspension of these laws. Since that
week., by the
-111 a
5n
se. rise
per
on one
time there has been a most extraordinary rise in the
price of corn, and we have seen
to 1003., 1085., and,corn
in I
believe Mark
quartet.
—(Hear,
day,
t.x
_....(lfear, hear.) The. price has again fallen, but
the average for the last six
Gazette, is 945. 10d
unanimously to the suspension of the navigation-laws,
let me per quarter.—(Hear, hear.) The
repeat, when the House consented
price of corn,
was 635. 10d. per quarter ; and now, when the price is
be continued. The
Noblo upon the Ist of September, the
Lord says that,
Who can tell that for
in 945. Lod. per quarter, I am told that it is unreasonable
me to ask that suspension to
necessity will have passed away. Who this co intry the necessity will have ptised away?
Lord G.
whole question.
J. RUS..7',WLIThe for ships %Tin -t
have passed away :that is my whole argument; if we
31CTINC,1X—I snic! the .aee.!;;Eity for :ships;
have a necessity for corn there is a necessity for ships to