The Sun.
London, England, 1841-05-26 00:00:00

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LONDON:
WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 1841.

Their Lordships were informed last night that the
adjournment for Whitsuntide is to be from Friday to
the following Thursday. As the Duke of WELLINGTON
asked the question, we are inclined to infer that his
Grace is disposed to follow the example set by Sir
ROBERT PEEL, and move some vote against the Ministers.
Again their Lordships were haunted by the Corn-laws.
The Earl of RADNOR referred .to the Earl of RIPON'S
quotations, some nights ago, of the amount of exports,
and delicately hinted that the 'Noble Earl had insinuated,
by keeping back the last amount of declared value,
the thing that is not. The Earl of RADNo
showed that while the official value of exports had
risen from 56 to 102 millions in the last twelve years,
the declared value had only increased from 35 to 51
millions, showing that while the manufacturer had had
to contend against a high price of corn, his own produce
had been continually falling in price. The Noble Lord
also showed many examples that no densely peopled
country had provided for its own population, and that an
exporting country was always a poor country, and that
our country had made the most rapid advance since it had
become an importing country. The Noble Lord also
proved, with great clearness, that it was injurious to the
country, injurious to agriculture itself, to depend
wholly on our own produce, which, in bad seasons,
di.l not suffice to feed the people, and in good
seasons could not be disposed of. In conclusion,
he referred to a misquotation which Lord ASHBURTON
had made on a previous evening from ADAM SMITE, and
was rebuked by Lord WHARNCLIFFE for violating their
Lordships' order by referring to previous debates.
The Earl of RIPON did not successfully defend himself,
and, to conceal his plight, raised a cloud of dust about re-
inissicn of taxes, the currency, improvements of machi-
nery, &c., &c., which he implored their Lordships to
consider before they said anything about doing justice to
the people. He complained, too, that he had been held
up as introducing a law to fix the price of corn at 80s.,
but that was the maximum, not the minimum price, and
the fact was, that the average of six years after passing this
law, was 695. lid. lie said that in the management of his
property he had always proceeded on the assumption
that the price could not reach 80s. He expected, how-
ever, that it would rise considerably from the effect of
the law ; but he and other Noble Lords would have us
believe that those expectations had no influence whatever
on their conduct. Would they, did they ever, pass a law
to lower the price of wheat ?
Lord ASHBURTON denied that the distress in the
manufacturing districts was caused by the Corn-
laws destroying the markets of the manufacturers,
who do not manufacture solely and exclusively for
the landowners of England, though the law would con-
fine them to that. The Noble Lord quoted Mr.
FIELDEN'S speech, which we quoted on Monday to show
that all the distress in the manufacturing districts was
caused by the extended use of machinery. According to
Lord ASHBURTON, to abridge human toil to provide
cheaply for the wants of man, is to cause distress. Poor
Lord ASHBURTON, to find him turned a Luddite in his
old age is a pitiable spectacle. Knowing the foul
source of the change, we can only weep over the polluting
and degrading effects of avarice.

The Marquis of LINSDOWNE deprecated warmly ex-
pressing opinions on the subject. He, however, described
the sliding scale as a delusion, and advocated a fixed dnt
He observed that those countries which depended on
other countries never suffered from scarcity. The Noble
Marquis referred to the lean cattle of France, which
Lord ASIIDURT had quoted the evening before, and ob-
served that they were objects of protection.
The Duke of lyELLp.toTol, was for avoiding all irri-
tating topics, but waS favourable to the present .law.
Prices under it had been more steady in England than
in other countries. He attributed the lowness of prices
to the extended ma of machinery, and expressed an
opinion that the lower classes of manufacturers were in
a state of distress. But, looking at the exports, he was
of opinion that the manufacturers were not in such a
state of distress as they represented. He recommended,
however, a general discussion on the Corn-laws.
Earl EITZWILLIAM was rejoiced at the recommenda-
tion of the Noble Duke. Fat oxen were prohibited to
be imported into France, which explained why the
French were so badly off for cattle. The prices quoted
by the Noble Duke were medium prices—not the high-
est and lowest—and therefore gave no such information
as that the Duke had drawn from them.

After the presentation of petitions, the Peers ad-
journed, at Half-past Eight, till Thursday.
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE having presented a number of pe-

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