The Sun.
London, England, 1815-02-23 00:00:00

`'litt tiU'y tiVreet3 The re'll-ni;•
uera.tiag price at loiva-t- than and tiravre alitokee
it. 1 hIS was quite a iniStaiie; but might very na-
turaii-: take o.i:et:: hi 'rnaking a report upon such-
s,„l, .!inous bell-eved that there was
to -surveyor who 'stated a higher price than 80s.
except Mr. Easton. That,(iientitman had how-
`ever said, that it would probably kit tcs 645. if
taxes and other charges were diminished. Mr.
Maxwell had stated 755. as a fair protecting price
to the farmer. Mr. Mant had stated, to his
..knowledge, that arable land in Scotland had tri-
pled wig bin twenty years : and he had also stem!,
that he thought 755. a fair protecting, price. The
estimate of almost all the surveyors had been 'flatir-
on the supposition of existing prices and rates.
It appeared, therefore, to him, that it was laity
inconsistent with the evidence to say now that 80s.
was the proper remunerating price. It appeared to
him, that judging from all the evidence, the fair
protecting price would be between 72 and 76 chit-
lings, and he should therefore consider 74 as about
that price. The country should recollect that we
were not now making any alterations in the old
'system of the Corn Laws, but it ryas merely fol-
lowing up the principles of those laws which had
been long established. His opposition had been .
founded on the want of information that the
House was possessed of last year. De also ob-
jected to such high sums as were propoSed for the.
protecting prices. He would not consent that
sach prices as 140 s. or 120 s. should be fixed as the
protecting price; neither would he last year (when
the House had so little information). consent that
90s. should be fixed as that
.price. He was con-
vinced that there must be some protecting price,
and he had already stated his opinion of what
that should be under the present circumstances.—
He concluded with expressing his-approval of the
system of warehousing imported Corn, as one
great evil had hitherto been the sudden fluctua-
(ions to which the market was liable. .

Mr. PoNsoNBY declared his decided opinion to
be, that the Resolutions proposed to the House
by the Right ;Hon. Gentleman opposite- were such
as deserved its support. He knew not whether
this doctrine was popular or unpopular out of
doors ; but if unpopular, he,,Aould the more feel
it bissduty to deliver his ouinion, as be felt it
would be taking an unworthy advantage of Mi-
bisters, whom he usually opposed, unless lie de-
clared his concurrence with them in this instance
—(Hear !)'He did not mean to enter at length
into details ; his vote was formed on a few general
principles. It was his decided opinion, that no
country which aspired at greatness should make
the subsistence of its people dependent on other
nations—(Hear !) Abstractedly speaking, per-•
fect•freedom of commerce would be a great ad-
vantage ; hut it would not be wise to pursue it
in this case at the expense of every thing else.
r-Indeed, it was unattainable ; fur no man could
say, that he could so command or influence the
legislatures of other countries, as to make it safe
for us to depend upon them for supplies. The
farmer had as good a right to the fair protection
of his capital and his industry as the manufac-
turer ; . and when the latter came forward and
said, th,at it would be safe for him to part with
the protection which he now enjoyed from foreign
competition, then also .it.would be safe for the
farmer to introduce perfect freedom into the co/ti-,
coerce of grain. He would lay it down as another
principle, that of all classes the farmer and the
labourers in agricidture should be most favoured
in the policy of every grest country. He did not
mean unduly favoured, for no iron) was more sen-
sible of the value of the manufacturing and com-
mercial classes ; but in point of importance., whe-
ther viewed as to peace or war, they were subor-
dinate to the agriculturists. In peace, if he Look-
ed at moral conduct, they were generally speaking
superior ; and in war, the pursuit of agriculture
produced a set of robust ami hardy people, supe-
riorly qualified for military seryice. It was stated,
hOwever, that this was a measure mainly intended
to raise rents ;. to continue those which were high,
or to raise those which had fallen. Ile was nei-
ther ashamed nor afraid to say this Was a good
consequence—(Near !) For did .the other classes
of society really think that they could. derive
any advantage from reducing the farmer and the
Gentleman in the scale of society ? He would
ask the manufacturers, and the shopkeepers, who
were to be the purchasers of their commodi-
ties, if the agricultural classes were impoverish-
ed Whete would they find another or a hers.
ter market.? In truth, their interests, rightly
(Sdusidered, were the same whir those of agri-
culture. It was • impossible for a great coun-
try that was highly agricultural, not to be also
highly manufacturing. There might be some ex-
ceptions to this in the states of antiquity; but in
modern times it would be found almost uniformly
true ; and one consequence of this was, that
the home market was always the best. Thtwe
was another view which he wished to take. To
rwise rents, •it was said, was a .grievance. Nay,
one writer, he had seen, had the absurdity
tr, assert, that sent made no part of the wealth
of a. State. What was rent ? It was merely
surplus produce, nothing more. It was that .
NVIIICII was left of the produce of the soil;
after' the farmer was repaid, for his labour and his
capital in rendering his ground productive. That
soil which was rendered the most productive left
the greatest surplus, and paid the most rent.
Who, then, esarld say that the national, capital
was not thereby increased ? In regard to Ireland,
skis question was peculiarly important. She never
coold be .to any great extent a manufacturing
country, as compared with England. She, the
mast. recollect, had been kept down and
slepreseed for 6:.)0 years. England, foolishly for
Herself, had long stunted the growth of Ireland :
lair Ireland could be a great agricultural coun-
try, nod thus afford the. most essential assistance
to-
the sister island, and a growiug market for
Iser manufactures. In this view, lie would assert,
that the 1.2-rll establishing a free trade in grain
in I wce.O.- O'c two countries, of which his Right
Ilei;oevable. Friend, the Member for Waterford,
ties the tmtlior, more for the strength
power -of I he ingdom than any Ines-
sare since the.Nari;ntion .Act—(hear, hear !)-
-01-it had I.4.ten she conseuticnec Of this measure
on:, th;!_papers on the table the quantities
that Ireland had supplied ioi' the consump-
; :;;; this.cOuntry. Ceuld.it have been a grats-