The Sun.
London, England, 1846-10-29 00:00:00

OPENING THE PORTS.
(From the Times )
The agitation which is beginning to be raised for the 1
purpose of opening the ports makes us revert to a ques-
tion which we lately put, viz.—ls the maintenance of the
present duty worth supporting strongly, or resisting
strenuously ? The question is a very simple one. It
requires no profound calculations, no remote abstrac-
tions. But a small degree of patient reflection and sober
thought is required to measure the evil—such as it may
be—of the present system, and the benefit—such as it
might be—attendant on its destruction. The data on
which we ought to proceed are tolerably familiar to all,
being furnished by the dealers in that important article
which it is proposed to render more plentiful and cheap.
The phenomena which the corn trade has during this
autumn exhibited are indeed peculiar and rare. We
entered on September with a redundant harvest of wheat,
and a prospective decline of prices. Everybody thought
that the fatal time was coming when wheat was to be
sold for 38s. a quarter ; and almost everybody acted
on that supposition. But while there was plenty
in England there was dearth abroad ; and the
foreigner had a stronger intimation of the corn-
ing peril, which escaped the sagacity of the English
merchant. The Belgian and the Hollander, and the
Frenchman, all laid in stores to supply the deficiency
of their own grain harvest. But neither Belgian nor
Frenchman seems, any more than the Englishman, to
have anticipated the effect upon the grain market which
the potato blight must produce. The former were, how-
ever, more wary than the latter ; though, perhaps, nei-
ther took precaution enough. For the slight enhance-
ment of price even at that time offered by the Continental
market, the English speculator bartered the rich gains
which time and patience would have permitted him to
reap in the markets of his own country. Since that
period—barely two months ago—prices have been gra-
dually and incessantly rising—from 48s. to 50s.—from
50s. to 51s.— from 51s. to 53s.—from 535. to 54s.—until
they have reached 60a. the quarter. This merely in-
dicates the average price. Particular kinds of wheat
are now selling at 70s. This great rise has been
effected in the face of a law which, it was prophe-
sied, would pull down the remuneration of the agri-
culturist to starvation point. As an illustration of
the workings of trade, it is invaluable alike to the
opponents and the friends of protection—to confirm the
creed of the former no less than console the hopes of
the latter. But how does it affect the question of open-
ing the ports? Only in one way, as we conceive. If it
could be shown that duties were so high as either to en-
hance considerably the price of food to the consumer, or
so variable and uncertain as to deter the speculator, then
it might be demanded with undeniable justice that the
duties should be annulled. It would be a just, a proper,
and a humane policy to listen to such a demand; as
otherwise it would be impossible to feed the people. But
is this the case now? Is it likely to be the case soon?
Is it probable that the facility of procuring food will be
affected considerably, or even at all, by opening or not
opening the ports? I❑ arguing this matter it must be
borne in mind that our policy has changed, and
that the change has got rid of one enormous evil—
uncertainty. It was the uncertainty of trade, added
to the uncertainty of production, which constituted
the peculiar vice of the old corn-law. When a
strong west wind blowing at one season, or a violent east
wind at another, would raise or depress duties beyond
calculation, men shrank from the penal patriotism of
buying food at the risk of bankruptcy. But at present
there is nothing of this sort to be dreaded. The duty
has reached its nadir, but prices have not reached their
zenith. The one will continue stationary, the latter will
continue to ascend for some weeks perhaps. But their
limit, although not definitively known, may be approxi-
mately conjectured. All the corn that can be supplied
either from America or Odessa—at any rate, by far the
greatest portion of it—must be supplied before the end
of January. This is a known quantity. It may range
from 3,000,000 to 5,000,000 quarters ; those who are
engaged in the trade say that it cannot exceed that
amount. And there is very little doubt of that amount
being entered without any alteration in the scale of
duty, as prices will at the distance of some weeks
have only to retrace the space they had previously
traversed. The case is shortly this, according to
Mark-lane authority : —prices may continue to rise
from 60s. to 70s. for some time, and afterwards
fall from 701. to 60s. This oscillation must occupy a
moderate period—probably two or three months—within
which alone almost all the imports we c in expect to re-
ceive can be landed on our shores, and during which the
duty must remain constant. Now, is it worth while to
abrogate this duty under such circumstances? Cui
bone F Whom would it benefit? The consumer? How?
The extent of his prospective wants is nearly ascertained.
The supply is also—as far as human abilities and know
ledge go—known to be thoroughly sufficient. We speak
of consumers of wheat. These have no dearth, either
present or prospective, to complain of. And for the
Irishman, he has no restrictive duty to complana of. The
fiod which he consumes is liable to no duty at all; it
has indeed for a short time been raised above its usual
price, not so much by an acknowledged competition in
buying as by a want of preparation in transmitting
it. The dispatch of a few more ships to and from
America will, we hope, abate the pressure of price which
has excited so much discontent and dismay; but, as for
opening the ports, how would that benefit the Irish con-
sumer? Let all the wheat now wafted to Western
Europe be consigned to Irish dealers free of all duty;
let large marts be held all over Ireland; what would he
the inevitable consequence? Why this—that within
ten days after the promulgation of such a license wh at
would, by the simple action of trade, be jostled up to
price at least one-third, perhaps two-thirds, above the
ability of the Irish to purchase. So that at last it
would find its natural course into the Englith markets
at a price much higher than that at which it may now
be introduced at a duty of 4s. To the Irishman, there-
fore, the boon would be an idle mockery : it mat
ters little to him whether wheat conies in at a duty
of as., Bs., or nothing at all. While the Englishman,
knowing—as far as may be known—the wants of the
future, knows also how those wants may be satiafied.
Whether the duty of 4s. continue or no, he is easy
as to the next nine months. Duty or no duty, the corn
will come in. No artificial uncertainty, no legislative
doubt now clogs its transit, and impedes its sale. And
as for the duty, there are few people, we suppose, who
think much about paying a shilling extra on a three
months' consumption. And this is all they new are
paying in the shape of tax. Again, as for the speculator,
why should we give him the advantage (and it would be
to him alone an advantage) of a remission of duty ? Ile
has al a sly once this autumn turned the markets of con-
tinental Europe to a good account. Why should he
have the tide always at the flow ? If it were a matter
of imminent peril—if there were a moral certainty- that
the crops of the world were so scant that for the next
nine months every man, woman, and child throughout
England would be put on short fare—we would say at
once, " Abrogate the duty." But, according to every
authority in the trade, this is not so. Merchants,
d alers, and captains of vessels say, that from the far
east and the west there will come food amply satEcierit
to supply the wants of all Europe ; and there are those
who add, that, come what may to the continent, Eaeland
will not suffer for want of corn. Then it does be am*
a question worthy of reflectirn, whether it is right to
" net up a cry " for the abrogati al of a duty which does
not press upon the English consumer, and in no way
affects 'he Irish starveling. But it is even a more mo-
mentous and 5( rious question—which no conscientious
man can with rapid levity ',liar over or slight—how far,
in obedience to a cry, and in alarm at a new agitation, it
is just, manly, and statesmanlike, to bring Governments
into contempt and legislation into H&c Ile, and to impair
tt e revenue of the country, by the viat,ion of a contract
solemnly made between two great parties, and sanctioned
by the whole empire. This, at all events, we ki o v—cf
all people in the world, the Whigs lave the most to lose
by the neglect, any; the most to gain by the observance,
of their public engagements.

The Henry Clay, .New York packet ship, com-
manded by Captain Nye, left New York on the 7th, and
arrived at Liverpool on Tuesday, one day after the
steam-ship Great Western.
SUPPOSED SUICIDE OF A COMMISSION AGENT.—
On Tuesday evening, an inquest was held before Mr.
Mills, at the Swan Inn, Fulham; to inquire into the cir-
cumstances of the death of Henry Benjamin Barker,
aged sixty-four years, late a commission agent in the
ironmongery trade, who is supposed to have committed
suicide by wa'king into the Thames from the meadows
belonging to the Bishop of London. It appeared, that
on Sunday morning last, at about half-past six, deceased
was going to cross Putney-bridge from th Middlesex-
side, but not being able to pay the toll, he was turned
back, and it was supposed that he must have gone di-
rectly through the Bishop's meadows into the water, as
his body was discovered floating through Putney-bridge
about an hour afterwards, and was picked up by a water-
man, quite dead. He was identified in consequence of
certain articles which were found in his pockets. He
was a native of Wolverhampton, and represented Several
houses in the iron trade in that town. He came to
London on the 9th of September last, and not being able
to obtain orders, he was very much distressed, which
probably was the cause of his committing the deed. As
there was no proof before the jury that deceased went
into the water volintarily, the jury returned a verdict of
"Found drowned."
SINGULAR DISCOVERY OF VALUABLE PROPERTY
IN THE ROYAL ARSENAL.—A few days since, as a gang
of convicts belonging to the convict hulk were employed
in loading sand in the Practice Range of the Royal
Arsenal, near the " Butt," they discovered concealed in
the reeds close to the river a strong oak box. which was
found to contain articles of jewellery, wearing apparel,
old coins, spices, and a variety of other articles, but no
document that could lead to a discovery of the owner of
the property. It appears that instead of communicating
the circumstances to the police, one of the keepers,
named Gregory, removed the box to his own house, and
opened it, for the purpose, as he alleges, of ascertaining
what were its contents. The matter, however, reached
the ears of the police of the Royal Arsenal, and the
result was an inquiry, when the box was handed over to
the inspector. A report of the facts was subsequently
forwarded to the Secretary of State, and on the follow-
ng da3 Gregory resigned his situation. The box re-
mains in the possession of the police, but hitherto it has
not been claimed. It is supposed to be the fruit of some
robbery, and to havebeen placed in the reeds for the
purpose of concealment.
REWARD or COURAGE. The authorities at the
Foreign-office will shortly presentii a gold medal to Cept.
Bunton, of the United Statess
knowledgment for the bravery
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brigantine C. W.E.R.,
displayed in saving the crew of the
of Halifax, some time since. The
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..ager than a crown coin. The obverse hascao.rtc'nii
represen-
tation of her Majesty with an ornamental
salpplfer
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