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

MORNING EDITION

IMPERIAL PAALIAMEN:f

HOUSE OF LORDS, May 25.
The Earl of SHAFTESBURY, in the absence of the Lord
Chancellor, took his seat on the Woolsack shortly before
five o'clock.
The North of England Railway Bill, and several other
Private Bills, were read a third time and passed.
Several Private Bills were read a second time.

FREE TRADE.
The Earl of ROSEBERY presented a petition from
the Town Council of Linlithgow, and also a petition from
the inhabitants of the borough of Linlithgow in favour
of the Government measure for reducing the duties on
corn, sugar, and timber ; also a petition from Stirling to
the same effect, but stating in addition the opinion of
the petitioners, that until corn was admitted free of duty
Te measure would not give satisfaction to the country.
the latter part of this statement the Noble Earl
stated he did not concur. The petition was subse-
quently withdrawn on account of some informa-
-11IY• Also a petition from the members of the
Scottish Church in Manchester against patronage.
The LORD CHANCELLOR then entered the House, and
took his seat on the Woolsack.
MESSAGE FROM THE COMMONS.
Messengers from the Commons brought up certain Bills
Which were respectively read a first time.
WHITSUN HOLIDAYS.
The Duke of WELLINGTON asked from what day
to day it was intended to propose the adjournment of the
House for the Whitsun Holidays.
Viscount MELBOURNE—From Friday to the Thurs-
daY follouing, according to the usual custom.
Lord REDESDALE presented petitions from the
-Inverness burghs in Scotland ; from certain parishes in
Westmorland, in Suffolk, in Kent, and in Lincoln-
shire, against any alteration in the Corn-laws. Also a
petition from two individuals named Forester residing
in Kirkcaldy-, praying the House to agree to any mea-
sure for a diminution in the taxation on articles of
10(3(1. In the prayer of this petition he did not concur.

EXPORTS.
The Earl of RADNOR seeing the Noble Earl
opposite in his place wished to draw the attention of
their Lordships to the paper respecting the official and
declared value of the exports from which the Noble Lord
had last week quoted, for the purpose of showing that
from 1830 to the present time both the official and the
declared value of the exports had gradually risen ; and
he had indeed stated that during one year there had been
a railing off, but that he had said was a matter that frequently
occurred, but the Noble Earl had omitted to draw their
tLboerdships' attention to the last sum in the paper ; and
impression left upon the House was, that the ex-
ports had been gradually increasing. Indeed, upon that
Impression the Noble Earl had founded his argument,
when he asked how could the manufacturers be in so dis-
tressed a state as they were represented to be. If the
Noble Earl had quoted the last sum, it would have ap-
peared that there was last year a considerable defalcation
Iq exports. The Noble Earl had quoted the official value
of the last year, which showed an increase, but he had
omitted to quote the declared value, which showed a
considerable defalcation. The Noble Lord had referred
to the great falling off in the declared value, and had
said that in former years it amounted to nearly eleven
millions, and appealed to him (the Earl of Radnor) that
so large a falling
more, off was one which required something
in the way of explanation, than the mere observa-
tion that such things were of common occurrence in
commercial transactions. The Noble Earl had stated
that the official value was nothing more than a de-
claration of the quantity of the article red,manufac-
t while the declared value demonstrated its
value ; and if any Noble Lord would look at
the returns, he would find a statement of the difference be-
tween the official and declared value, which would explain
the matter. In the course of the last twelve years, the
official value had gradually risen from 56 to 102 millions,
and on the other hand the real value had increased from
thirty-five to only fifty-one millions. The necessary con-
quence of that was that the real value of the article had
13ecti continually diminishing, because if it were otherwise
it would have gone on increasing in the same ratio as
the official value. That was to be attributed to the
pressure of the dear corn years ; so that the manu-
facturer had not only to contend with the high
price of corn, but in the falling off in the price of his own
inanufactures. He had received a letter fr mi a gentleman
hi the country a day or two 'since, who stated that
In Manchester, Birmingham, and the other manufacturing
districts, the state of distress was such that pen could not
write, tongue could not tell, nor the heart conceive it.
Being on his legs he could not help alluding to something
that had occurred in the course of the debate last night.
The Noble Lord stated that a great country, densely po-
pulated, should provide food for its own inhabitants.
lie would ask the Noble Lord to name any great country
which, either in ancient or modern times, had ever pre-
tended to grow corn erough for their own con-
sumption.—(Hear, hear.) The republics of Greece he
believed did not ; Crete and Sicily were the granaries of
Greece. Rome certainly did not; Sicily and Egypt were
the granaries of Rome. This country was, also, an
example of the same fact. The Noble Lord' had,
the other evening, talked of our ancient Corn-
laws, Now the object of those laws was to do that
which it was the duty of all Governments to do—to take
care that the people should not be starved. Parliament
during the last 150 years had certainly endeavoured to make
the country grow sufficient corn for its own consumption.
That Parliament had been composed of landowners.
It had been said they did not legislate for their own
interests, but it did so happen that the sole
object of their legislation had been to endeavour
to force the country to grow corn sufficient
for their own consumption. During the first half of the
last century they had so far succeeded as to make this
811 exporting country, but during the last eighty
Years the attempt had failed : 1750 was the
climax—from that time the export of corn gra-
dually diminished until 1770, since which time
this had been an importing country. Now he should like
to know whether the power and greatness of the
country had been greatest when it was an importing or
!to exporting country ? Undoubtedly since it had been an
ittibiepor
ti ng country. Every ten years since 1760,
importation of corn had gone on gradually
increasing, with but one exception under the Act
1815, but under the present law importation
!lad greatly increased. Had our power diminished
!It consequence ? Was it not notorious that an export-
Ing country was always a poor country ? Look at Ire-
paenrdity; tohfat was an exporting country. The exports of
earn from Ireland had recently diminished, and the pros-
Ireland was increasing. The same as the
;are
With regard to Scotland ; while it was a poor coun-
rY, was an exporting country ; since it had become
Zr°sPeroos, it had been an importing country. There-
iee, to attempt to make a great country grow corn suf-
of air for its own consumption, was flying in the face
cause
experience. The Noble Lord was very angry be-
. _
not L
for
Lord
dpeeches of his had been quoted against
the --- (the Earl of Radnor) could only say, that if
d ot h
subjects,No ble L:r had been a person of small note,—if he
log the :et n always prominently forward in proclaim-
Noble
4:etrines which he now repudiated,—if the
had not always been looked up to on thosd
Might,' perhaps, have been unfair to have
made those quotations. But the Noble Lord had been
almosvb'elyiolioekdeduP to, his opinions had been considered
tas oracular and never had they been so deser-
alvort of up to as in 1815, when, in a speech in
those doctrines which he now repudiated,
thattlt Noble Lord had actually foretold almost all
had
that since occurred as a consequence of
tt 1
f• ]a since
hear.) The Noble Lord had dis-
,4!y Pointed out the manufacturing distress, from
provedothlaet that distress must fall back upon agriculture.
Lord had very properly characterized the at-
tempt to feed the people of the country exclusively
treal the produce of the country as an attempt
locut down the population to the consumption,
cut down the man to the size of the bed, instead of
.tngti!enitig the bed to the man. Let them look at
,‘Ttie n
rctiester and Birmingham at the present moment.
t?; e they not there attempting to cut down the man to
zeal, e bed ? But the Noble Lord said that such was the
and such were the improvements in agriculture,
fo°rat now they should be able to grow corn sufficient
the consumption of the country. Why, the experi-
Inh eta had been tried for the last eighty years, and
Marled. Agriculture had gone on progressively
.proving, and yet the proportion of production to
consumption was smaller now than it had been for pre-
"ding years. Lord Grenville, in 1815, had ridiculed
the idea of this country growing corn sufficient for its
hOwn., consumption as something perfectly childish, and
—tha" asked, -What population—the present population, or
e PoPulation two years hence ? But great things
,'7,ere to be done by the introduction of new manures.
fhere were chemical manures ; there were manures
from China, which were to increase the production
:Istly. He had heard of one gentleman who was to
7.te two cargoes of birds' dung from South America.
W£hat was to produce such a quantity of corn that there
ould be no deficiency for home consumption. Such
they raised sufficient one year, what was to be done, in
a Year of scarcity ; and in a year of abundance what
would they do with the extra produce ? Neither in an-
cient nor modern history could any country be pointed
out which raised sufficient for itself; unless, indeed, it
were the kingdom of Israel, where the fertility of the soil
exceeded that of any other country. The Noble Lord
had told the House the other night that if it were true
that the country did not grow enough for its own con-
toMption, he would consent to an alteration. In alluding
l the importation of foreign corn, the Noble Lord had
denied that 900,000 uarters, which was the average
quantity for the last eleven years had been imported in
eacho year. He had stated that 'for six years there was
o necessity for any importation at all. Ever since this
present law had been in existence, there had been that
amount of importation, and they were more dependent
pon foreign countries than they had been at any former
period. A statement was made by
ofth ewaNgoebslbeyLtohredprliacset
night with respect to th aregulation'
Of corn ; and he had noted Adam Smith to prove
that it was the rice
(the Earl Cornoii by which wages were
at booka
regulated. He
n andor ) hade takenthen
found some
z.: trouble to look into th
ocitotly the reverse. lie had
doubt,
the passage
to which the Noble Lord, Ix.
must
alwayshad
yereferred.by
nuasnt at le • b
and it was there stated thagtesa
V., his his work, and that his wa
hiechsutlffileciNenotb
Ilutintain him. That was the sentiinei:sut:
given the words. tioe
Lord had quote 1, though he had not
quoted the work
Lord ASHBURTON said he had not all ; he Ind referred to a pamphl'et by Lord John
41144011.
tin WHARNCLEFFE said the Noble Earl
fintttled to refer to speeches made on a former. was not
that it had
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said
,rught.
been
done eve v night.
Lord *HL, ItNCLIFFE admitted that it had been
done, but it was irreelar.—(Hear, hear.)
had The xturqui, of LANLIOWNE said that th
een systematically
b
violated. rule
`Th __!gear, hear.)
*Earl of RADNOR said it was ad! g!V first time