The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-10 00:00:00

should take some measures to prevent the exportation
of potatoes for such a period as might seem proper. He
was aware of some experiments which had been math
by a gardener, tie result of which was that the young
potatoes produced from good seed gave indications of
the rot. With respect to the famine in Ireland, the same
doubt seemed to prevail on the other side of the House
as to its extent. tie had no hesitation in affirming that
it was as great as the Hon. Baronet had pictured to the
House, and he therefore gave the Government great

credit for their introduction-of these measures.
Mr. P. HOWARD considered that the Legislature
should be much indebted to the Member for Winches-
ter, for having directed attention to the advantages
which would be conferred upon the population of th'
country by the introduction of Indian corn. He found
that Father Mathew had also approved of it as an arti-
cle of food for the people of Ireland. It was very exten•
sively used in Italy, and especially in Tuscany. The
peasantry of which were 'the best fed and most com-
fortably clothed in' Europe, as to the palatable nature
of the food, very much would depend upon the manner
or its preparation for use ; it would require extreme
billing. He considered Indian corn next to wheat, and
he begged leave to differ with the First Lord of the
Treasury, who termed oats as a nobler kind of grain.
Mr. FITZGERALD begged to state that the deficice
payment of the labourer in Ireland did not arise from a
want of good will on the part of fly: landlord, but from
the number of people out of employment. He considered
that railways in Ireland would be of vast and almost
permanent advantage in removing this evil, and he felt
no doubt that the country would be most grateful for
any benefits bestowed upon them. He did not consider
that it would be fair that the whole burden of relieving
the poor of their districts should be cast upon the land-
lords of the absentee estates—as it had been suggested
by an Hon. Member—but he did consider that the)
ought to be made to pay their just proportion, and le.
f It that this visitation of Providence would be the Means
of restoring the Irish people to their proper position.
Mr. P. S. BUTLER said that there were very feet
laboar era in the south of Ireland who got less than from

ss. to 63. per week, and in the summer time a littb-
more. Whenever, however. the labourer expended hi:
means he fell into the hands of country usurer; to whose
terms he was obliged to accede. One great advantage
which would arise from the present reduction in the price
of grain would be that the labourer would be taken our
of the hands of those extortioners. Under these circum-
stances he never had greater pleasure than he had ir
supporting the Right Hon. Baronet's measure.
Mr. J. A. REID hoped the House would bring this
measure to a close as speedily as possible. He knew
that ere long Hon. Members who had hitherto opposed
the alteration would see that their, opposition to it had
been unnecessary, and would find that the greatest ad-
vantages would be conferred by it on the country.
Mr. LABOUCHERE was of opinion that with regard
to the introduction of Indian corn into Ireland,
it would afford considerable assistance to the people of
that country, living as they were at present on the
potato. It would greatly raise and improve their phy-
sical condition. If they could obtain a better food at a
cheaper rate than they now bad, he had no doubt they
would adopt it. The use of Indian corn would not have
the effect of throwing wheat out of use, for in part of
the United States which he had visited such a result did
not follow. With respect to the importation of Indian
corn by the Government for the use of the people of
Ireland, he thought it should be carried into effect as
soon as possible. Had Government purchased corn some
time ago, they would not now be put to such straits in
procuring a supply of Indian corn. He trusted, how-
ever, that an impression would not go abroad that Go-
vernment might be always looked up to in cases of such
emergency ; for Burke, with whom he agreed, had, in hi,
" Thoughts on Scarcity," pointed out the evil of such
dependence. He hoped that no unnecessary delay would
take place in passing these resolutions, and he should
hold himnelf inexcusable for detaining the House on the
subject, believing, as he did, that a prolongation of this
agitation would cause the greatest injury to the
monetary, manufacturing and agricultural classes. He
was very glad to see that the Government had taker,
the bold course they had done, and he would support
them in carrying it out.
After a few words from Mr. FINCH,
Lord G. BENTINCK gave a detail of several experi-
ments which had been made by Mr. Reese, of Piccadilly,
and others, upon decayed potatoes, cue of which was
very successful in producing vegetation. That experi-
ment was made with magnesia mixed with quick lime ;
and he mentioned the circumstance that it might be
generally known throughout the country.
The resolutions were then agreed to, the report wes
ordered to be brought up, and Bills founded upon it in-
troduced.

The House then went into Committee upon the
CUSTOMS (TARIFF).
Sir R. PEEL, in answer to Lord G. Bentinck, said,
that with respect to brandy and silk, it would be better
to have the discussion on the resolutions.
Lord G. BENTINCK said, that a great many gen
tiemen were then out of town, who were ready to sup

port the amendments.
Mr. MILES thought it better the discussion should
take place on the report.
Sir R. PEEL thought it would be found more bene-
ficial to take the discussion on that evening, suspending
a few of the main articles till Monday next.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL was of opinion that it would
be more advisable for the debate to take place as soon as
possible, and that it would be better it should be on the
vote of supply.
Sir R. PEEL—The discussion could be taken on
that night, as far as the supply was concerned, and with
regard to other articles the discussion could take place
on Friday next.
Mr. AG LIONBY feared that the arrangement of the
Hon. Member would interfere with the motion of a
Noble Friend of his, who bad a motion for Friday, with
respect to the invention by Capt. Warner.
Sir It. PEEL could see no inconvenience in the ar-
rangement. He had offered his Noble Friend to pro-
duce all the correspondence that had taken place between
Capt. Warner and himself, and therefore no suspense
could take place on the subject.
Mr. E WART said he had to move that all duty on
foreign books should cease. He thought that foreign
classical books ought to be admitted at the same duty as
foreign paper, namely, 14s. the hundred weight. The
duty before 1821 was 4/ the hundred weight, but it was
now en some books reduced to 2/. 10e., and on others it
amounted to 51. There were books printed in the latia
language, which ought not to be kept out by this
duty. This was a great commercial grievance, and
many booksellers complained of it as almost
amounting to a prohibition of such works. Apart
from that, he (Mr. Evart) viewed this duty as
entailing a great commercial evil. He was sure that the
people of this country were pleased at the friendly
communication which at msent existed between this
and foreign countries, and it ought not to be lessened by
a duty upon the literature of the Continent. He saw a
few days ago the works of Schiller sold for twenty-four
shillings, which, had there been no duty, would have
been purchased for seventeen shillings. School books
printed in Germany were much cheaper than they could
be produced in this country, and such of them that came
to England would be charged an immense price. He
eas now speaking of books in the German language.
Books there of the classics, Greek and Latin, were also
exceedingly cheap ; for instance Euripides, and such
works as that, were sold to the trade at
2s. 3d. in Germany, and retailed at 3e. Now
he should like to know why Oxford and Cambridge
should not enjoy the same advantages in this way as
the German Colleges. There could be no doubt but that
Derdrof's German Edition of the Greek Grammar were
the very best that could be used at schools, but for the
use of the country, it was obliged to lee reprinted at Ox-
ford. On those grounds he would contend for it, that
the duty upon foreign books, imported into this country.
was enormous and disproportioned, and he was at a loss
to know why it should be so, or why his motion should
be opposed. He would now conclude by condensing his
proposition into these few and simple words, namely,
that foreign books, printed in a foreign language, and in
a foreign country, should be admitted into England duty
free, because they could not come into competition with
English books, nor would English books come into com-
petition with them
Sir GEORGE CLERK said, that there could be no
doubt but that it would be desirable that the lion. Mem-
ber's motion should be carried. The whole sum re-
ceived by Government in the shape of duty on foreign
books did not amount to more than 10,000/, and as thi:
sum was so trifling it could scarcely be felt as a tax,
while at the same time he was ready to admit that it
would be very desirable that the country should inter-
change its literature with that of other countries upon
liberal terms. But at the same time it should be re.
membered that it would be only fair that books printed
in this country should be guarded from piracy in France,
and that French works should have a like protection in
this country. The Right Hon. Baronet then read a
clause from the 7th and Bth Victoria, cap. 73, which was
called the International Copyright Act, and the effect of
which was to protect the works of English authors in
the manner he had above described. He then went on
to say, that at present the amount of duty in question
was not more than equal to the excise duty upon paper.
There was now pending an arrangement by which works
published in Prussia and France would be admitted into
this country upon very liberal terms, and therefore he
would suggest to the Hon. Member, not to press hie
motion until the arrangement came into effect.
Mr. FORSTER said he could not conceive what the
question of copyright had to do with the present one.
There was no German press in the country, and there-
fore he could not conceive why the German students in
Eueland should be deprived of books in their language
by keeping up to e high price.
Mr. CIIARLES BULLER said he could not at all
conceive why the question of international c ,pyright
should be mixed up with the one now before the House.
It was quite fair that as the French Government pro-
hibited the works of English authors from piracy in
France, that England should protect in like manner the
works of French authors in this country. But he con.
ceived that had nothing to do with the question of the ad.
mission of foreiAn books printed in a foreign country and
in a foreign language being admitted duty free. H,
should say that the tax on foreign books coming into
this country was an exceedingly heavy one indeed, and
thus the poorer classes of foreigners resident in England
were deprived of the means of carrying on their studies.
Many of the small states of Germany printed an im-
mense number of books, which it would be very desir-
able to have admitted into this country at a low rate of
duty.
Mr. DISRAELI said, he could not see why the
question of copyright should have been mentioned dur-
ing the discussion. He would like to know whether the
tax derived from this source was a duty or revenue;
and if an inquiry were to be made into the subject, he
would ask was it thought that the result would justify
the Government in continuing it? He was not aware of
the fact that a similar duty was charged' upon English
books going to Franco and Germany ; but he rather
thought there was no such duty imposed. But the in-