The Sun.
London, England, 1840-03-23 00:00:00

ORGANIZATION AND LIFE.

" With the Right Hon. Opener, he deprecated the no-
tions which had got abroad, that this question was taken up
by the Members of the Legislature merely with a view to
their own private interests; but at the same time he could
not but observe, that when these were affected, gentlemen
most anxious for the good of the community at large were
sometimes thought to take a narrower view of the subject
under consideration than they were accustomed to take of
political questions at other times. He could not help saying
that a very peculiar interest must be taken in the value of
laud in that House, where the whole of its Members were
sworn to be landed proprietors. . . . .
That the progress of agriculture had increased its produce,
he did not doubt, and he could easily believe that it might
be increased still more ; but he doubted very much if it
could ever he made to furnish a permanent supply equal to
the consumption of its increasing population. if land
would not produce corn without greater sums being ex-
pended on them than the corn was worth, they might be
made to furnish a supply which would make us purchase our
bread at eighteeripence a loaf, when, if we exerted our in-
dustry on that same land to raise that which was congenial
to its soil, by exchanging its produce against that of the
corn lands of other countries, we might get our loaf for a
shilling. The whole MASS of the country plight not to be
compelled to pay a high price for bread, that the experi-
ment of cultivating barren lands might be tried. In nothing
were the dispensations of Providence more admirable than in
the care displayed that the different soils of different coun-
tries should yield productions which might be advantageously
exchanged for each other ; it was much better then that we
should employ ourselves in raising that which we might so
dispose of, instead of labouring to produce that which
other lands were destined to supply. The Right Hon.
Gentleman had admitted this in other cases, but not Kith
respect to corn. On this subject he had said, what could
we do, if, having thus made ourselves dependent on another
country, that country, in the day of our greatest need,
should close her ports against us ! He would answer—
experience had shown that a country could never be starved.
Holland was dependent on other countries for a supply of
corn, and its price was, and almost ever had, been the aver-
age price of Europe.
" He put it to the Committee, in opposition to what had
been said of the danger of depending on foreign countries
for our corn, if it could be anticipated that ever a period of
greater difficulty would arrive than that which had occur-
red during the reign of Bonaparte; yet even while he was
in power, in spite of his greatest hostility, mere corn (three
times over) had been imported into this country than ever
had been before within the same time ; since the year 1697,
more, indeed, than at any period of our history. To suppose
any danger of this sort w:s to suppose a thing wholly out
of the question."
On February 22d, he explained very clearly the
tax which the Corn-laws would impose on the
whole community. Nothing has been added to the
subject since Mr. Baring spoke :
" Knowing the great influence which the land proprietors
had in both Houses of Parliament, it was natural for those
persons who wet e feeling the effects of this charge to
apply for relief from their difficulties. And the question
now was, whether upon this representation of the case, the
House were to infringe the principle by which the com-
merce and industry of the country was regulated, and to
give the persons petitioning a remedy which would have
the effect of deranging the whole labour of the country,
and the scale by which alone our manufactures could be
enabled to meet others with success in the market of
Europe. The question was, whether they were to afford such
relief to the agricultural interest as would enable landed
proprietors to keep up the rents and value of lands, and the
price of food, beyond that at which it would naturally be at.
This was certainly an artificial system for the country to be
in, though, as seas stated by the Right lion. Gentleman
who opened the business, it was not a new system. It was
desirable that they should understand the extent to
which the Legislature had protected the landed interest
of the country at the expense of the consumers. 1-10 would
attempt to show this, and what they were called on farther
to do by the measure now before them. The population of
'Great Britain, that was, of England and Scotland, he
would take at 12} millions. Dr. Adam Smith had stated
our consumption of food at nearly a quarter of bread-corn
for each individual, and as much of other corn for cattle,
and for being converted into drink. Supposing this esti-
mate of Dr. Smith to be correct, he should say, the price
of the quarter of wheat in this country, if there were no
Corn-laws, would be something about 455. This was evi-
dent from the average price of Frsnce and the other
countries opposite to us. Wheat might be brought to the
ports of Flanders and France, at about 40s. a quarter,
On an average of a number of years. it had been, in
France and Flanders, about 405., or rather something
a quarter for transmission, we
under that. Allowing ss.
should nave it in England at about 455. if there were no
Corn-laws ; because we cc crc so geographically situated
that the price of corn here would always be the average
of the surrounding countries, from our facilities of water-
carriage and other circumstances. The present importa-
tion price was 653. a quarter; and there was a difference
of 20s. a quarter, which was paid fur the protection of the
landed interest. This difference, on tho consumption oi
our wl ole population, made a sum of 12,1, millions of
pounds. But then to this must be added the other corn ' •
employed for cattle and for drink, &e,, which was esti- F.
mated by Dr. Smith at the half of the former, or oth
6,250,000/. making in the whole IS' 750
,000/. This was d's
a tribute paid by the consumers for the support of the blusng%,
landed intcr st.
" He was not going into the but bitty
question just now, whether , r, l;,, of
they put this sum into their pockets, or whether this sum e
was necessary to enable them to grow corn. lie was sure, 3Z,,nrintir'ir(iinogests
however, he was stating the fact under the mark, when he
stated this bounty at about 18,750,0001. The preposition
ment what can
of now adding 153. to the quarter, or raising the import
and most
the roughest
price from 655. to 803. would give an additional 14 mil- ranee,
lions, making in all 32,750,000/. paid by the consumers to criminal propensess
the persons who crew their food Wheever would
The number of acres in an arable state amounted at least should earnestly set
to sixty millions. Every person wbo hed road the reports slough of poverty in
would see that if no alteration lock place in the Corn-laws Enable them to become
the rent of land must et least be diminished to, the extentk,n true charity—the most e
unemplo loved operatives."
of los. an acre. But the pasture land must also bet
tue and. the honesty of the 1.
into the estimate. The question was, therefore, whether
the country gentlemen should give up 103. an acre all over
the kingdom, or whether the consumers were to pay to the hat it may not always continue
growers a sum of forty or fifty millions a year beyond what hrough stone wails.," It is no
they would pay in other circumstances. It was impossible len must. seriously act, and endeas
to look at this subject without seeing that the growers of om their most distressing privatiol,
corn in this country received a bounty on agrie, elture which ceds Times.
the agriculturists of no other part of the world enjoyed.
If he were to look at the condition of the gentlemen who The metropolitan weekly table of
possessed great landed property in this country, and to mg on Saturday last, gives a total of 462
compare it with that of landed proprietors in other coum males. The average of 1838 was 520 males