The Sun.
London, England, 1850-01-29 00:00:00

NW raw
&xi 9 JANUARY 29, 1850,

mekieg and undoing food laws. The farmers, instead
of benefiting, have been at all times sufferers by a re-
liance on thoso protective delusions; and I fearlessly
give it as my deliberate opinion that the greatest curse
which the Proteetiouists could now inflict on the land-
owners and farmers of the United Kingdom, would be
to succeed, by agitation or otherwise, to re itnpe: e duties
on the importation of corn and other essential articles of
food.
At present, any secceSsfal agitatiPe far so unwise a
purpose as a renewal of fold duties would revive f dse
rcliances on protection, and expectations of profits, that
would not only end in disappointment, but would, from
being founded on erroneous calcula'ione, divert landowners
and fa-triers from that econome, skill, and industry
which alone can save them; Protection would de'ude
them into mgrs ruinous procra tination; and from at
once submitting to an inevit necessity—that f con-
sidering the soil of the United Kingdom in its de fret°
quality—that is, as a raw material, which must le
wrought, not at the expense :f other raw materials, nor
of other branches of industry, but upon the principle
that the owner of the raw material (land), and its ma-
nuf feturer (the farmer), together with , his workmen,
will have to divide among them the value of its produce
at the price for which they can sell it in the market, and
in such parts as they may agree upon among themielves;
that is to say, the farmer ought not to give the owner of
the raw malteds' (the land) more than he considers will
leave him, on an average of a cycle of seasons, enough
to pay him for the cost of labour, implements, and other
oti!lays f )r. productiun, a piofit to maintain himself and
family with sufficient food; clothing, and shelter. The
workman ought • also to receive for wages as much, at
least, as will feed him so well as to' maintain hint in
health and full bodily strength, to clothe him sufficiently
warm and &Teat, and to eholter him against the inele-
money of the weather.
If those arrangements are impracticable, it follows
that the raw material, land, is not suffieiently valuable
to be manufactured, unless, the neanufaeturers of other
raw materials are mulcted of part of their gains to sue-
-ei.c.tir the inferior raw article. This would bo a manifest
injustice—in legislation a robbery.
If this just and impartial rule be enforced, the raw
material cf land can have no plea for special favour over
other property. If products are to be taxed, especially
food, a quarter of wheat produced in England ought to
pay exactly the same numberiof shillings or pence as if
produce.' in the Ukraine, Ohio,'or any other place; that
is to ear, an excise on the consumer, as is the practice
in Prussia, Holland, and several other states. I, how-
ever, consider that, of all articles, the essential food of
man ought to be free from le-eislative restriction and
taxation. Tax distilled spirite, tobacco, and exciting
stimulants as high a 3 you can—merely guard against
exceeding the point of temptation for the smuggler to
come in and cheat the revenue; but lot it be the first
caret f Government and of a Legislature to remove every
impediment of protective and fixed duty between the
-easeptied, food ,cf Jaen and the mouth of every man,
wOjetteiniinfleelAktiti9reat Brita!n and Ireland.
stfeeertThr to. expoet- the utter futility and the pernicious
effh4s orlegitlatinEtor supplying food in abundance,
and for regulating prices, I will briefly advert to the
most prominent acts cf the Geo emment and Parliament
with respect to corn. As early as the'reign of Richard
that crucial knight-errant, on finding;several ships at St,
Valery in France laden with • corn from England, im-
mediately hung all the masters and crews of Close vea-
sels, and sent the corn back to be eaten by the English.
The dread of a dearth, in consequence of the famines
which had efflicted the country at various periods. was
considered paramount even to the horrers of war.
The proclamations forbidding the exportation, and for
punishing the "engrosfers," "regretters," and '' fore-
stallers" of corn and food, are curious examples cf
human folly. In Elie lbeth's time she coml elled those
who converted lands that were a' any time ploughed into
pasture, to restore then to continued tillage, which she
f Mowed up far four years, afterwards by her celebrated
poor-law. In the reign of Charles the First various
edicts and proclamations were issued, " fixing the prices
of food;" "prohibiting exportation of corn and buteer;"
"for preventing the dearth of corn and victuals;" and,
in t,he "very greet expectation, at that time of a ge-
neral scarcity of core, &c., requiring " that, "according
to ancient and laudable custom, there be a general ab-
stinence from suppers on Fridays, and on the eves of
fast-lays, and on Wednesdays and Seturdays in the Em-
ber weeks and the Lent season, that the poor may be re-
lieved out of what shall be saved by such abstinence,
and by a sober and moderate diet at other times."
The feasts usually kept at the several companies'
halls in London were fir the same lemon, " to be fore.
bore;" and it was recommended by his Majesty to such
the chargese)ar
charge
tpheorsieonfscowsthose
.7toturnt
to the relief of the poor."
allow,e came
el
etaos tb, eotn)c aa "f
tthfe
In 1660 the expo. trfon of corn was not prohibited,
but a high duty was levied on its exportation. Notwith-
standing all these expedients, agriculture languisbed,
and the prohibit'.on to export was finally denounced as a
blunder. The legislators in the first year cf William
111., at a time when wheat had averaged, for the three
years ending 1688, 275. 4d. per quarter, changed the
syst.-tn, and a bounty was given on the exportation of
wneat. The bounty was oeca.ioorely withheld otter bad
harves!s; but altogether, until the last year of the 18th
century, 7,000,045/, was pa!ti for beunties on corn ex
ported

Thu fallacy and pernicious effects of the bounty on
exporting corn were ably and completely exposed by
Adam Smith, and he proved " that without benefiting
the farmer:, the bounty del harm to the great body of
the people, a el transferred in the most distressing times
vast sums of money from the purses of the consumers to
the petliets of :the jobbers." The Rev. Dr. Howlett,
who afterwards examined the whole corn question of
supply and consumption with great industry, " could
diicover no beneficial operation ef the bounty ; ' and the
late George Chalmers, in his " Estimate t f the Strength
of a° Empire," a work greatly esteemed by Mr. Pitt,
ays, " the bounty was paid, not for a good but fur a
ba i purpose," and ho contends for an unrestricted trade
in corp. r. Arthur Young, in his " Political Arith-
reeac," shows that the law of 1773, which endeavoured
to regu'ate the import and export of corn, at curt tin
limited fixed prices, " was founded on radical mistakes,"
and Dr. Howlett contended " aat those corn-taws were
abrogated by a higher power than Parliament."
A. to periods of agricultural and commercial distress,
it is impossible to attribute them at any time to free-
trade.

We had a great commercial crisis and agricultural
distress in 1766, in consequence of the dearness of pro-
visions. Al.er riot; broke out in various parts of tho
kingdom, and many lives lost, the purts were opened for
the importation of corn; and notwithstanding the °pro-
&Hon of the corn jobbers, on account of the bounty, an
embargo was laid, by order iu Council, on the exporta-
tion c.f grain of all kinds. An indemnity for Ministers
being asked for in- Pa-liament, the violence of the de-
bates was unexampled, and four amendments to the Ad-
dress to the Crown were moved, but negatived. In 1768,
the Spitalfields weavers were, in consequence of low
wage guilty of atrocious riots; and the colliers of Stour-
bridge, by physical farce, compellel the farmers and
corn-Jealers to sell them Wheat fair ss. the bushel. There
were riots, at the same time, caused by the coalbeavers,
on account of scarcity of food, want cf employment,
,and low wage;. Precessions were made on like
grounds by the sailors, at the same time; and the
shipowEers complained that they were ruined, and I
could find no employment for their ships, though the
navigation-laws were in full farce. In 1769 and
1770 further discontentv,`Tico, murders, and execu-
tions prevailed. Ia 1772 there were numerous bank-
ruptcies and great commercial embarrassments. In
1779, rie.ts and, breaking machinery prevailed in Lan-
ealhire and other places; and in December of that year
extraordinary meetings were held in the county of York
and in all the chief towns for retrenchnient and crone-
my in the national expenditure, to alleviate the prevail-
ing distress. These meetings produced great sensation,
and the landed interest of Yorkshire appeared promi-
nent at those assemblies. The York petition was signed
by 8,000 freeholders. The great failures of 1793 arose
chiefly from speculations in corn. In 1795 there was
great scarcity, and the Lords of the Council attempt d
by their example to induce the rich, far the sake of the
poor, to use only coarse bread in their families. The
metropolis, and other parts of the country, continued to
sufTer great distress from scarcity, and the dearth ap-
proached to famine. It was relieved, however, by the
f allowing abundant harvest. In 1797, general discredit
having prevailed, the Bank of England suspended its
cash payments. In 1800 there was scarcity, and food
was very dear. The enclosure of 7,800)00 acres of
waste lands was "recommended by the grand jury
of York; and in 1801 the sale of fine wheat
bread was prohibited, and brown bread ordered to be
substituted. In February, 1803, the Chancellor of the
Exchequer stated, that, in consequence ( f twenty mil-
lions having been drawn from the country for grain, it
lemma necessary to continue the Bank Restriction Act.
This is an extraordinary fact, as bearing on tl:e various
Acts of legislation framed since 1688, for encouraging
agriculture by protection. Yet, in consequence of a
good harvest in 1803, and the price of wheat falling to
605., a new corn-law passed in 1804, which prohibited
the importation of wheat until the average price in Eng-
land reached 635. ; but it was not free of duty urtd the
price was 665. In 1810, gold bail nearly altog thee dis-
appeared"; and the exclusion, for some time, of our trade
with the Continent, except when evaded by smug-
gling, caused embarrassments in trade and suspensions
in manufactures. Ia 1811, the Luddite riots broke
out in Nottingham, Derbyshire, and other places.-
They assumed a most dangerous character during the
ensuing year. Up to the peace of. 1814 and 1815, the
state of the country was unsay with regard to its trade
and industry.

In 1813 a new corn-law was passel, in consequence of
the peace and a sudden transition of price:. Foreign
v*heat was prohibited until the price f linglish wheat
reached 80s. Notwithstanding this protection, plenty
was not secured nor tranquillity maintained. In 1816
riots broke out in Wales, and in London by the Spafields
weavers. The city of Loudon. et the same time, lett-
tionel the Regent, declaring " that there was general
distress prevailing over all parts cf the kingdom, and de-
manding a thorough reform cf Parliament.' In 1817
great meetings a,sembled in every large t )wr! in Greas
Britain; and the Royal message informed Parliament that
combinations were numerous over the kingdom. The
Habeas Corpus Act was suspended, and the illegal and
celebrated iclaaoutla circular ritts Klinulg§ted. rove

being maintained, trade and manufacturing industry
continued to improve. In 1819 a monstrous slaughter of
the people was perpetrated by the yeomanry in a field
near Manchester; fur which the magistrates and ' the
major commanding the yeomanry receive I, through
Lord Sidusouth, the Regent's thanks. During the severe
weather of the succeeding winter the poor suffered great
dietrers. The Bank Restriction Act was continued
) 1823.
In 1832 there wore abundant harvests in England, and
in France, and in other parts of the continent; but
owing to the re lure o ;the pot ato crop, a famine nod
agrerian outrages prevailed at the sense time in Ire!ant'.
Extraordinary subscriptions for relief if Irish fa-nine
were raised in England. In 1823 the long peace and
the resumption of ca, -h payments by the Bank had by
this time caused a great deal of national prosperity is
trade and manufactures; but, notwitbstanding the pro-
hibition of foreign corn until the price of British wheat
rose to 80s., the landed interests complained loudly of
their embraerassmente, and no less than sixteen counties
sent requisitions to their sheriffs to call county meetings
to consider the cause of agricultural distress. These
meetings were held; and as they had no pretence to ask
for prohibiting foreign corn, they petitioned for a re-
mission of taxes', economy in the expenditure., and a
referm of Parliament. The prosperity of trade and
manufactures, however, extended its benefits to lands,
rents rose, and the agitation for reform, on the part of
the landlords, subsided.
The year 1824 exhib:Od extraordinary activity in
manufactures, trade, and shipping. Money was
remarkably undant, and this prosperity led to those
wild speculations and investments ,which produced a
crisis of great distress in 1825 and 1826. The lest
months Of 1825, and the early months of 1826, con-
atitnted a - period of commercial, manufacturing, and
shipping reunion and calamity, I believe, unsurpassed
by any previous crisis. Several banks of old stand-
ing failed in Yorkshire, in the west. of England, and
London. The panic became general, and t'-o Bank
of England began to rc-issue one and two pound notes.
A deficient harvest came, prices of wheat rose, and, after
gloat opposition from the landlords, a resolution was
carried t trough the Commons, vesting a power in Minis-
ters to allow the importation of foreign corn on limited
conditions.
Now, all the calamities which we have enumerated
were, it is true, hut interruptions to the indomitable
growth, strength, and prosperity of Britain. Bat they
all (secure 1 under the most stringent of our protection
and navigation laws. No relaxation was made in either
until 1826, by Mr. Huskissen, and then only to a very
limited extent. A highly protective corn-law existed
from that time until a last experiment cf a sliding stele
was introduced by Sir Robert Peel; but, finding that it
failed, like all other expedients, ho boldly faced the dif-
ficulty, and abolished the fillacy of Protection altogether.
In the meantime, rare the corn and navigation laws
prevented distress and calamity ? Was not the country
frequently disturbed and alarmed in various counties by
incendiary fires, and the burning of corn stacks and
barna? Have we not had the commercial crisis of
1836-7, which will be long remembered for the crash of
great houses, and for the ruin of many of those who hal
long flourished? Then came bad harvests in 1845 and
1846, with the Irish famine, and the commercial ern& of
1847; all le fore the free trade in corn which has
scarcely been a year in operation.
I will now show the fluctuations of prices under the
system of Protective delusion.
The fluctuations of prices nre remarkable under the
system called, in the Ist William and Mary, cap. 12,
"A reward of s'. to persons exporting corn when wheat
should be at 48s. the quarter of 9 Winchelsea bushels."
During the tee years-1693- to 1702-the scarcity was
so great that the period was called the' dear j ears cf
the Revolution."
All attempts to prevent the fluctuation of prices, or to
meet the wants of the distressed, continued unavailable
during the whole of the last century. In 1702 tlese
was a remarkably good harvest, and, according to the
register kept at Eton College, the prices fell, so that the
Winchester quarter of 8 bushels was generally sold, on
Lady-day, at 265. BJ., and at Michaelmas at 25'. 540.;
but in 1704 the prices were, at Lady-day, 51s. 61d, a' d,
after the harvest, at Michaelmas, only 30s. 94d. During
the first fiftyjyears of the last century fluctuations ranged
from 20s. 98., at Michaelmas, 1743, to 81s. 11., the
highest price in Michaelmas 1709, and on Ladle
day, 1710. During twelve of these fifty years the prices
varied from 21e. 11d. to 295. 7d. per quarter. Durirg
twenty-five years the prices varied from 303. to .s9'. I,td.
in twelve years, from 40s. to 48s. 101., and,
in three years, what was sold, in one at 51e. Old., in
another at 565., and in the third at 51s. 64d. During
the last HI years of the eighteenth century the price of
wheat fluctuated from 275. op., in 1761, to 1285., at
Michaelmas, 1800. In four years, between 1751 and
1762, the price was under 30s. During seventeen years,
between 1751 and 1780, the price of wheat was from
30c. to 39.., with fluctuations from 403. to 60s. p r
quarter during_ the Chitty year. From 1780, the
prices fir teated, suddenly, fsom 40s. 101sl. to 545. 715.,
92 81e, and 965. From 1799 to 1800, from 58r. Bd. to
923. and 126..; or, calculating gold at 28'. the guinea,
from about 44e. to 69e., and to 91.. 68. per quarter of
the present m-n y. On Lad) -iv, 1801, the pri.e was
1773 , which fell at Mmhaelasas to 80e, On Lady-clay,
during the f,llowing years, the prices went 58e., 60..,
59e., 88s., 80e., 88s., 745. 68., 100 s., 104.., 136 e., 86%,
803., 72., 132 c., 1045., 80s., 809., 665., 564., 60'., 683.,
845., 80.,.; and at Michaelmas, 1826, the price fell t' 665.
In each of the years 1793-4-5-6-7-8 and 1'99 to
1803, the corn and navigation laws were relaxed by
Orders in Csuncil. In 1825. the restrictions on corn im-
ported from the colonies were suspended. In 1826 the
corn laws were suspended from 31st May to 16th
Augu-t, on paying fixed duties if 12s. per quart r on
wheat, Br. on peas and beans and rye, 6s. on barley; 4e.
on oats, and 33. 6d. per cwt. on 11 me Farther reduc-
tions %ere made by Orders in Council of let Set tember,
1826. In July, 1827, and in 1847 and 1848, the corn-
laws and navigatioe-lams, with respect to importing
grain, were suspended under certain limi'a ions. The
annual average ;prices of corn during the twenty-two
years-1827 to 1848 inclusive-were, per imperial
quarter, 565. 80,, 60'. 5d., 665. 3d., 645. 3J., 665. 48.,
58s. Bd., 525. 11d., 46'. 20., 395. 4d., 48s. 6d., 555. 108.,
645. 78., 70s. Bd., 665. 41., 57e. 3d., 50s. ld., 51s. 3d,,
50s, 18., 504. 108., 545. 8d , 695. 98., and 50s. 68. In
1849 the average prices have ranged from 38s. to 465.
But the averages Ilucturt al greatly during the several
weeks of those years. For example, in 1829 the weekly
averages flactuated from 555. 4d. to 755. 1 Isl.; in 1832,
'from 51a. 3d. to 63'. 7d.; in 1834, from 40s. 68. to
495. 6d ; in 1836, from 365. to 61s. 91; in 1838, from
525. 4d. to 78s. 4d.; in 1839, from 655. 6d. to 81s. 68.;
in 1840, from 580. 101 to 725. 10d. ; in 1841, from
601. 7d. to 765. 11; in 1842, from 465. 101 to 655. 88.;
in 1843, from 455. sd. to 61s. 28.; in 1844, from 455. Id.
to 565. 5d.; in 1845, from 455. to 601. ld.; in 1846,
from 455. Id. to 645. 4d. ; in 1847, from 495. O. to
1028.58,; in 1848, from 46s 103. to 563. 108.; and in
1849, from 38s. 9d. to 495. Id.; the prices at present in
London bring 383. for ordinary Northumberland wheat,
and ranging upwards to 465. on White Essex. At New
York wheat is held firmly at 1 doll. 25e., which is
equal to 41r. 4d. per quarter, and could not be sold at
Liverpool with any profit at less than 505., after paying
shipping charges, insurance, and commission.
So much for pricer. My opinion is, that taking good
and bad harvests together, in the United Kingdom, with
a perfectly free trade in corn, it will be a rare occurrence
for the prices of wheat to range so low as during the
year 1849, and ever to he as high as during previous
years of bad harvests. The low prices of 1849 have
Leen caused certainly by a large importation; and
although that importation has not been superabundant
for the natural demand for its consumption, there are
two circumstances that ought not to be overlooked. The
first is, that the political state of Franco and Germany
has for two years greatly diminished remunerative em-
ployment and trade, and the people of those countries,
from want of means', were not able to pay for and con-
sumo so much broad as they usually did in times of
tranquillity and regular employment. It therefore fol-
lowed, in the second place, that prices of corn were lower,
andithat there was a greater surplus of corn, at a cheaper
price, far the corn-dealers to export in greater than
usual quantities to England.
So far with respect to the prices of European corn.
In regard to American wheat and flour I will say no
more than that there are circumstances inseparable from
the moral, social, and physical condition of the United
States, which will ever prevent them exporting large
quantities of eel est and flour to the United Kingdom, at
any profit, except prices not less:than from 445. to 525.
per Tarter can be obtained for the same in England.
The circumstances I allude to chiefly are:-First, high
wages cf, or high value obtained by labour, which w:11
probably be permanent among a ;nation of freemen (for
the dives are not the cultivators of wheat) in regions of
such vast extent that the chief cultivators are the pro-
prietors of their farms; and in which labourers, Irish
immigrants, for some time after their arrival excepted,
soon become landowners, artisans, or traders. Second,
that the numbers of the producers of grain and bread-
stuffs, according to the several censuses of the United
States, do not increase in sloe same proportion as
itebe
nen-producers of food. Third, that the slaves in the 'Ur "itn,
States, whose wages, or rather the cost of purchasing
or or breeding, end of maintaining them can rv4.11 aIinZTF,
are
considered love, though de facto it is not I
chiefly employed in cultivating cottonoan-welitthob=i;
articles which cannot ent2r into. competitionn
or Irish nrieulture. Fourth,
at country
in the
the
unitedr c-
pulation of the towns increased soin raopfryn
States; therefore, the whole population of the t awns-ell
thoseemployed on railways, canals, and other public
woric:
inbiph shipbuilding; in lake, river, coastiors
and foreign trade and nay; at'en, and in the fisheries;
the sant • hs carpenters, and tier artisans in the agricul-
tural districts of the United States, with, also, a great
portion of the slaves, are all consumers but not produce's
of wheat and etaer grain.. The high wages, end ti e
home demand for food, must therefore prevent very low
prices in America. But, wha evir the prices may le,
either in But ope or in America, the time has arrived
when the fallacy and the injustice of protective duties
on human food have, de facto, disappeared for ever from
the British isles. Each one of all the people must hat e,
henceforward, in his power, to buy at untaxed and na-
tural prices as much essential food as his means can pay
for. Tolhis stern but just fact-to this destiny-the
landlords of Great Brit ain and of Ireland must as meii-
tably submit, as all elements have anti must do to the
eterng Wu) et uatur9.

Under such a system of Colonial Government, I can
discover no muse of discontent, nor any advantage which
the colonies could gain by independence or annexation
to other states. They might in some cases lose; for
example, if Canada were annexed to the United States,
the whole customs revenue of Canada would go to
Washington for general purposes, whether to defray the
expense ef a war against Mexico, or any other federal
expense; while Canada now expends that revenue at
home; in place of which, new taxes must be imposed if
annexed to the great Republic.
I also intended to have proved that the West Indian
planters were, during high protective duties, frequently
in as embarrassed circumstances as they have or can be
under free trade. It is but common justice, however, to
remove all restrictions, short of instituting slavery, with
respect to labour for the sugar colonies.
Under all the circumstances of the British empire, I
am most confidently cf opinion that free trade and the
abolition of the navigation-laws will prove greatly ad-
vantageous ti all our colonies, as well as to the general
trade and naviewion of the whole empire. I could
illustrate this fully. At the present time, all trade and
manufactures not protected, are in a state of fair pros-
perity, whether it be our linen, woollen, cotton, or other
leading fabric.. Ship-building has not been effected
byby
the abolition of the navigation-laws,
the laying down of a number of fresh keels for splendid
We
ships in most of the great ship-bit:rid" g
eintn andr equip.
ping now all the materials for es otherwise thannndi
partu ofg the wood,"
ping ships, with one smal exception,e
free of duty. We ought to b
manufacturedto tll unrestricted
competition asa rtot seamen,articles
leos
ftaal
that
whichata lirneeT nvy'
neoh, clrieeal rnir. areowstl ecw°, „mabt3,l aj. ds'Y bytbhberi duties,edebeen
defiancer.erft ho vue irr z silks.
prohibited
ri c
subjectedl ee f luxury,
o
The Spitalfilds weavers, however, have
-
h alwaysgilduetxlited squalid Gloves and ready
made apparel, dreszon and slops of woven materials. &c.,
are also protected
tlh)3o-iellguitkiet-e.at
eTell; duettry
iwm• apserret
et adi.nee
nd
on
protecting the most m retched class
emnadiem-pupreassritoienlese,f
among ut—needlctecatee. Their case is deplorable, and
I feat irremediable, so long as they continue, by dire
reces‘ity, so numerously to compete with each other fer
the unit paid of all cmplo3 merits. In fact it may be
said that no branches of maeufacturing industry, except-
ing silk and gl yes, are protected by duties. Woven
cotton., woollens, linens, manufactures, leather, skins,
iron, and other metal,', of woods, class, earthenware, all
oils, tar, tnrpentiee, all woccls but foreign oak and fir, all
hemp, flax, wool, cottor. heir, skin, and raw materials,
all fish are admitted duty free.
I had nisoihterided to have shown the amount and the
kind of taxes which have been repealed or reduced in
the twenty years, 1830 to 1849, and to have annexed
some further observations to my letter of last year, ad-
dressed to you on the revenue and expenditure of the
United Kingdom. I adhere to the opinions which I
stated in that letter with regard both to taxation and
expenditure. I believe the budget of the Chancellor of
the Exchequer will this year exhibit considerable re-
ductions and savings. With regard to the army, unless
we can find other means to tranquillise Ireland, so that
it will maintain its own police, instead of Great Britain
maintaining that police, in the foam of a large regular