The Sun.
London, England, 1826-05-03 00:00:00

COIIN LAWS.

Mr. Secretary CANNING moved that the House should go
;tun a Committee on the Corn. Laws. On the motion by the
'1%44 Hon. Gentleman' that the Speaker do leave the Chair,
fir THOMAS,LETIIIIIIIDGE rose and stated, that inasmuch
ea it was ability,. a pleasing ditty to rise in that House to, propose
that which was populer, in the same degree it was painful to
to interrupt the Howei in proceeding to the consideration
of the proposition of the Right Hon. 'Gentleman, which; as Com.
it 4 from, hintemeit always have So much weight. lie shod!
pursue; on this occasion, a straight forward course despite
eut. any giheewith width his 'observations might 'be" met in one
quarter, or any severer. deuunciatiou which might escape from
the Noble Memberthr Vorkithire, who had, on u former occa-'
s;ett, expressed Woolen' in a manner on this subject which was
nu less undetteiveitiliyethose to whom his severity had ' heen 'ape ,
plied, than it, h it lama peinTal to Oohs who heard it from that'
Noble Lord Midi :•That inculpation was the more singue
lar on the Noble' herd's part, ,considering the ekes in society to
which he baking., thongh perhapie he may be considered a landed
pleprietor inso:largo. a anise that' it might be also a matter of
eadiference what Might he the price of corn. In 'resisting the
motion of, the Bight Ham Gentlemen, he meant to 'induce the
Howse to aerroe, with hint that it was a fallacy to suppose that any
orineiderable relief wrould :teem from the scheme now pointed out
-.1;1 Government. Tliat pnoposel, he understood, went to let
Lose the bonded corn now in this ceantry at a duty of twelve
shillings perequarter. This was the first part of the scheme, and
to it, perhaps, he had no puck" very Strome objection IN he had
to that whialefolloweil, end that beesute he thought the latter
involved thewhole prineiple of 'the Corn Laws.--:(Hear, hear.)
It Wu nowe;buten abort fortnight 'since, ow the' nunion 'if an
14:euniralile'Vriend ()Ode,' that the lines' would r t ij.'C lit to
go into a Cr' immittsurto deed with the whole system of the Corti
Lewd, that the lioneurablo `Member had been left in 'n large mi-
nority, and the principal argument used by him on that -eeetasiati
erns, that as there existed-apoweibility or remote probubilitY"Of a
eoarcity, the Legislature should therefore go iitunediately'to iioth
wide the Cord Laws, so as to prevent the likelihood of its °cent-
res:ice. On that o union it would' he recollected. the argument
need by his Majesty's Government was, that it would new le
extremely to go into a =Nett of so much importance end
vital interest to the public. Ile would'-ask what hail since arisen
to alter their views, except, indeed, that the distresses in the dis•
triot alluded to had *infinite(' -longer (for they had even then
bi_gun), or that these poor numufecturene had begun. to be'
riotous. Ile would believe for a moment what had been insi
%mated, namely, that thew riots hail broken out in consequence
of the manner in which the House had treated the motion of
his Unueurahle Friend on' the:subject of the Corn Laws. - He
meld not conwilie either 'that 'the subscriptions, urged so be-
comingly by the Hight Honourable Secretary for the Home De-
. pertinent, however extensive might be that proof of our national
beneeolence, could'ite deep enough :to redress the evils
slroalilY felt, tire Prove Any thing beyond a palliation to the 'evils
which alp deflored. Head' were, as he' and ethers' believed,
the case, weld. it ,not have been fir better that his -Mitiesto)
Itilinietere should tome .to the House and ask for a vote of
e4rioney in aid' cif the poor's-rates of the-dietriet ito distressed,
eteliich was a 11104. that Ind 'Ortill ta-nm resorted to as to t 00.40
pariebee adjoining a distressed perish or district. Instead of
what was now proposed as a mean 'of uteeting,the evil, he must
contend that an application for a vote of money would have been
much more rational: Some- perilous had- been hardy enough to
arty that the cause of the present 'distress wee the' high price of
win.' This wee all a fallacy, and he would be 10.).1 to know
whether any one there would fern Moment credit emit ti thing?
Yet that Olney hail been getting ground and gli eroselytet,
berAdik: it hail hem; matured. by some pereons of coosideraide tee
lent as a Means of getting at the r.
landed interest. But thatruth
wee, the cause , of the distress was ' to be treend to ether
cireuinsttnees. , Ile knew that Miniistere now Maid it west not
their' intentien 'at, preeent to moot the (petition of the Corn
Ginning nodded aseent.),e--lhul the object of the
rentri dti 060trnIntlit i bean, CM) fined rthit bi I:Ct of the Cot-tl'
buteled hero, he eh-unlit,' as that had been, thine before, not
have ' 1t Lad bi.el tier
of this project that' there wore not Jam- 250' to 3 oteOtat
qwertere of tenni bonded' iti,thewarebotteee,ewideli ~vould thus be
brie,-'ht intoethe tooket at 'a ditty '1)1 I pit
tionieht, etaking,titc -different ports, then. toustu however be
Aecordin t to
ester.,;
.yet this doubt not operate tes a teditih
Mr. jleeeleseteeenigeet statement (41 the ',object of tit? Cern
Triohlr 600,00fPquattersldid,not barn more than a week`a cOn-
ramption. To propose this WI a remedy, 4as to practise a
deoeptiiiti. It was something calculated to soothe, rather than act

as a grand source of permanent relief; and he must add, he
did not think it a fair or a manly way of meeting the difficulty,
after the House had been so recently informed that this was not
the fit time to touch the subject, from Ministers themselves.—
, In fact it ,onearefi to hiin'to be an attempt, to get rid of the Corn
' Law* by ii:itule4ind;:.: ...Ile would 7aak _whether this 'is;as;l(.ftir
course' for.:.6oiernment to porsue with respect to it queetion
which is of so' much importance in its'consequenees, and required
to befairly and fully discussed. In the Committee on the sub-
ject in 1821 and 1822, he had laboured, without effect, , to. show
'that the circumstance of the costs of production in the country
being greater here than in others, this- was the reason ,of the
inequality of price. The system of protection for our corn
igroWers should, he would not hesitate tie sey,l- be- On' a- different
principle from that on which' Ministers would place it, and
might to embrace a Wider range than either, that proposed by
the-Bight Hon. Gentleman or his Hon. Friend the Member for
Bridgnorth; and' great inconvenieneigs- must he experienced if'
ever the ports were to be thrown open on a protecting duty of
12s. on foreign corn imported. There could be no doubt that a
large number of persons had been lately thrown out of employ-
ment by a variety of co-operating causes. -These large masses
being collected together in one place could act together easily,
co-operate at a moment, and have recourse elt:her to physical
force or intimidation. The atate'tuo of our military force, which
was but scanty in that district, had rendered it easy for the par-
ties feeling.the present • distress to effect their riotous object or
purposes. But that House was not therefore to legislate sud-
denly, merely because a large proportion of persons in a dis-
trict were in a state of riot or insubordination. He had to-
regret that the report of • Mr. Jacob was not as soon in the
hands of Members as it perhaps- might have been. Yet he, on
that very authority, would ask, could any man shut' his eyes to
the important fact detailed in that report, that it was to the.
state of the British market that all other countries Junked in
order to fix the price of corn? Nay, so Fir did that reference
go, that the state of the wool market with us regulated the price
and even the growth of wool in other European countries which
he visited. In fact, in consequence of the present state of our
Markets these foreign growers had in many places given up the
growing of corn for the more.profitable pursuit of growing wool,
as 'night be proved by referring to the imports of this article,
which in 1821 were not above 7 or 8 millions of pounds, but 'pro-
gressively increased in 1822, tol2,millious ; in 1824, to 18 mil-
lions ; and in 1825, to above 42 millions of pounds weight. What
was the inference? Why, that if tiny pursued the present system
• the import of wool lutist increase. Now a consequence of this
was, that at present a great quentity of:Wool grown: theaelast two
years was warehoused. What would be -the comiSequence to our
corn growers if the ports were to be opened at an import duty
of 12s. a quarter, whilst ,the price in Ireland was at 12s. and
in England about ' 60s. ? Yesterday the Eight Honourable
Gentleman at the head of the Foreign Affairs came down to
the House, and in a manner-quite.: unusual.. in a British Mi-
nister, or without any. previous notice of his intentions,
and just, too, a fortnight after the reason assigned fur re-
fusing the prepositions of. the Honourable Member for Bridg-
north, aequainted the House that to-night he should propose a
set of resolutions iii the Committee which must go to annihilate
the whole of the Corn Laws.—(Hear, bear, hear. )—He would
repeat, to annihilate them: for if the question of opening the
parts, WhiCh was the ultetior object Ministers had in view, was
to he'left at their option who ' was to answer for it, whether
in the 'O/cut of a bad harvest the ports would not be opened
this autumn. Ills Hon. Friend seemed to anticipate the possi-
bility of as much frOm his speech on the late occasion, and he
generally wits considered a good authority on this subject, though
he did not pin his faith on his Honourable Friend's sleeve, or that
.
of Government, who might act upon that or upon even more
perfect inthrmation. Indeed he thought that Ministers were going
nut of their depth, and had ventured beyond those old safe land-
marks within whose limits the trade Of this country had hitherto
been safe and secure. Thie.observation, was not confined to corn
only,',but was applicable from what he could collect front many
'in trade to the shipping ieterest? end lug
,hoped the Right Hon.
Gentle Men womild he' able in 'give some satisfactory explanation
'11,4 to 'the probable consequences a,the measures, and. laws which
bad already passed. He could not help'regretting to see that the
reciprocity, in I respect to,ftee 'trade, had been any thing but 'a
return of equal comme,rehmisadvantsgee. ' That the foreigner had '
been 'very sparing in yelaxing restrictive, commercial regulations, .
whilst we had htssi hilt too liberal in removing the restrictions on.,
conuneru • 'as rattA tti 'Other countries, He denied they could
do justice to the mannfacturer without some regulations as to
core. The House must also look to the extent of our establish-
melds. lie was always of opinion, though he sat on that side of
the ]louse, that they could nut have a cheap eetablishment. Again
they had to bear a vontinuell Widen of thirtymilliens intereptun
the national debt of this country ; and he had always been ready,
God knew, to comment to sell the last coat off his back, tether than
that the public creditor should lose a farthing of what lie had ad-
vanced on 'the faith of the national honour.—(Loull ChcermL)--.-It
was the duty of the Homme.to look at the. interest of thudeht which
they were bound to pay. If they indulged their fitu*s is piArs,
suit of a free trade in those articles which were produced or ma-,
ntifactured by the people of this country, it would he impossible
to pay thelabetwers of the country such wages as were necessary
to enable them' to comMand the necessaries of life.. Ile wished
the house to , consider what it ,was that, medealabour so much
dearer in this country than in any other. Waa it not the.t.onti,
of every twenty shillings paid to him, fifteen were ;paid _in. fart
for taxes. He hopoi die Bight /Immutable Gentleman would
not press this :sliddl endlt al dangerous measure mip Ho
use;
but the
but recollect that there .was doodler atol a Safer mode 'of 'grant-
ing
relief. . It waa,paitmful to hint to adopt - this -course; Inato
felt it MI day tn.proteet the landed lintorrt. litheltitutedinte-
rest went to decey, every
.other fain 0, with it;,, and . lw w.as
persuaded that, by adapting ' the 'proposed' mtitle of relief', they
would be injuring the landed intereata and lay the.,...tfeundatines of
,till more severe and extensive distress. ,
~The ininni4o
, she
landed interest to the mannfiLetdreis theinielvdmight beinterteil
ham • the fact, that the home trade conatituted three-fifths
at least, anti -was, computed' inure generally: to' alumina to
four-fifthi, of the entire Mule of the conntrY.: •• The lion.
• Member concluded by moving, as utuAmendment, "- That a 'Select.
Comthittee be appointed to imptire_into the distress of the manu-
facturing districts." ,-

•Mr. lIENETT, would, take the earliest opportunity of giving
his opinion upon the question, by rising to second the amendment
of his Honourable 'Friend. Ile deprecated the course Ministers
Were latent to pursue. The proposed measure: would derange
all the transactions „of individuals, and defeat the Most prudent
calculations oft which bargains; had. been made or • rent adjusted,
fer several years past. •The proposers. of the measure would
not say that tho Corn Laws ,were the cause of the distress, and
he Was th,refore at a • loos: to know, why 'an alteration of the
Coro Law* ,11,,01.1 he resorted to : as,. a remedy. If the mese
adopted ibe • proposal,! they .would.. not only repeal • the Corn
Law% but. they would giti.ti a..: Most - extraordinary power to
11. r trusted:" his. should not be -• suspected of any
disinelinhtion to relieve the manufacturers, or of any indiffer-
incr. to their dicta r. But there were better modes of relieving
them than that now under consideration. The .flonourablo
Mender here reconotion(6l a Parliamentary grant in aid of the
Poor nutis of the districts where the greatest distress prevailed.
Tie was neat anxious to'gnard himself from the imputation of not
feeling leer the distress, of the sull'erers ; but, if relief was afforded
than according to their wishes, it could only lead to their own
de,,truetion.

Mr. Secretary CANNING said, that when he took the liberty
of playing that the Home should resolve itself into a Commit-
tee, without any introductory observations, it was not, he begged
to assure the House, from any wish to shrink from the fullest
discussion of the propositions; but because, having last night
stated distinctly the nature of his propositions, hehad thought
that the further oliscussiou ought most conveniently take place
in the Committee. As, however, it appeared to The Honour-
aide Gentleman that further explanations were necessary at the
moment, he " was very willing to comply with his
wishes. He felt anxious not only to explain the measures they
had in view, but to diseneuruhlr them of the topics with which
they had been unnecessarily blended. He assured the Honour-
able Member that liecould not think more meanly et-Ministers
than they would in his opinion deserve, if they were to avail
themselves of the circumstances in which the country was plated
in order' to alter the Corn Laws by a side wind. It would he
recollected that he had never entered into the discussion' .of thi‘.
Corn Laws, so that whenever the general question was to he
determined, he would he enabled as an individual to approach
the question free fmm the bias of any previously declared opi-
nions. The present question was perfectly distinct and separate
from the general subject of the Corn Laws, and ho regretted the
part the Iron, Member for Sumersetsbire had taken, because it
gave the weight of his authority to the opinion of a connection,-:
l'he non. Gentleriinn who spoke last says, that the high price of
corn is tint the cause of the distress, and that the effect of -the
propoeed measures will be to lower Corn. Erf" *ay') he, the
reine4 is not appropriate to the disease. He might bring 'to
thetheir rust ,if the llon. Gentleman that it is not a T1e.0,4,,ArY effect
of the retain e n, lower The price of ,•orn ; but admitting Opt-
marl !Irak that it is, AM the reasoning of tliC lionOrable
'hietnber' would he inconclusive.. Ile would refer to the
first part of
the proposition,' that to let nut corn • now un-
der bond, it might be 4 remedy, or at least a palliative to
existing distress, although the Corn Laws had not produced
that distress. A disease may be cared by a particular medi-

eine, although it would be preposterous to ascribe 'the existence
of theilisease to the absence of that medicine. It was unneces-
sary
,tspon the present occasion to trace the calamity to its
cause, whether it arose from over-trading, or from any particu-
lar modification of our trade. It was difficult indeed to ascribe
it to :illy specific- and definite cause. - It was enough to know
that'a meat piercing distress existed.
.Then he .came to consider
the specific proposition of relief, and to state the (hatted ground
upon which they were advanced: There was a quantity of foreign
corn now bonded in .this country, and there was at this moment
existing, within view of the granaries in which it it':aA stowed away,
the mestsoVere distress. Then he would ask, if their regard to the
influence of moral causes, upon themost common view of the rela-
tives of cause and effect, would not induce thein'to set the 'corn
free ? • This part of his proposal he was happy, to find had not been
much objected to by either of the Hon. Members who hail pre-
ceded him. He would therefore for-the present pass to the other
proposition, that for givingto Government the power of admitting
foreign Cortt,ifit should in. the exercise of ,it•t discretion think such a
measure necessary. With respect to this measure he would say, that
of all the boons which Parliament could bestow upon Government,
thittwas one which included a task so painful and; severe, that he
would be almost inclined to resist it, if he were not convinced of
its necessity. It was a task which he believed it had since been
attempted, to impose upon Government, and which they 'had
successfully resisted. But then it behoved him to .consider the
sp a l circumstances of the times.. ParliaMent were about
to separate. It might, perhaps, he said, what necessity was
there for it ? To this he need only say, that Parliament could
not always be sitting, and speaking. practically, it wad known,
that its labours approached to their termination. It was a fact,
that the coru market was rising, and from the best information
lie could receive it had been gradually rising fOr several weeks.—
When he spoke of markets rising, he did not mean to speak of
high or low price. Because high or low price were relative
ideas. Wheat was 67e. per quarter last year. and this year it
Was 60s. Comparing merely the prices of the two years, it
might be said that the last year's price was high, and the price li
of this year low ; yet who could douht, that with reference to the
circumstances of the country, and the ability of t7te consumers,
the price of this year was higher -than that of the last. But in
legislating, with respect to the price of curs, the object was not
so much lowness as steadiness prtces. Supposing then, that,
during the absence of ParliaMent, is great and spreading, and
oppressive distress should arise, would they attempt to le-
gislate before hand, and fix a positive price.at which foreign
corn might be admitted Would' they leave things as they,
were? In that cause, and suppoSing such•eircutustauces to arise
as he had imaginsal, any Govetionent doing its duty, although
not legally possessed of the power,lwould take the power into
its own hands, and thus rescue the c,:untry from the horrors into
which it would otherwise he plunged, and having done so would
then call Parliament together.. Between this and August corn
might rise to such a price as to touch the verge of the law.—
The difference between 'expediency and necessity -might so
quickly be obliterated—the evil might grow so rapidly upon
them that the most vigorous measures might be indispensable.—
And then there would be no Parliament to resort to. Under
these particular circumstances, and looking to the separation of
Parliament, Goveniment called upon theist to afford this discre-
tionary power under the safeguard of the most
.solemn respcu-
sibility. This prOposition had nothing to do with the Corn
Law. Ile had adopted the precise duty as he had found it in
the etisting Act. By this course he had given no opinion. He
had thought that if they made any deviation either way it might
be taken to imply some intention of change. The Honourable
Gentleman said, then why not take Ns.? He would frankly say
that it was because he thought that price had but little to do
with it. The duty they hail fixed upon waa 12e:.. If they had
taken the duty at I7s. it would not have been •necessary for Mi-
nisters to take any particular responsibility. The Hon. Gentle-
man protested against the supposition that hiir_resistance to the
proposed measure arose from • want of feeling 'for the distresses
Of the people. He protested alms against the supposition that
the interests of the agriculturists and manufacturers were adverse.
Ile joined with bins in these protests. He did not scruple to
say to the Noble Lord, or to the Hon. Baronet opposite, that
whenever they came to the full and fair discussion of the sepa-
rate interests of the lauded and manufacturing classes, they
would be astoniabed to find how little difference there was be-.
tweets theM. Still leas need the Honourable Member deprecate
the imputation of inhumanity. HecaMe forward manfully and
humbly to advocate the opinions he sincerely held. Ile trusted
the -Members of that House would never stiffer themselves to
cast itnputations upon each other, the only effect of which would
be to disqualify themseives from affording velief to any class, and
al draw upon them the general 'hatred and contempt of ' the
oea,plt,. He believed the Honourable Member had spoken with
a doe regard to the welfare of all elaroes, and with no snore than
that flair partiality to the dates' to whirls he belongs, which in
fact detracts nothing from the value of any public man, and adds
to,that of any Member of a representative body. On the other
hand, lie trusted the Hon. Member would acquit Ministers of
any wish to involve theniselvei inau additional responsibility,
with eta:: other view .than the good of all classes, anal part:-
iwrhaos tnight say, of that class with which the
'llonoural:10 Member is connected. A degree- of distress's might
. which would not only compel the total abandonment of the
preaant. Gina Laws, but would oppose great difficulties to any
fit tore protection.of, t lion.. .Gentleman • .
concluded by observing, that, nothingbnt an imperious sense of
ditty could hatie intitiE44l''Alitilaters to bring forward these priape-
siritfig- -that
;
whinictlfey ssikad. of diet #otakeiwzut that which they
•would, gladly obtain,—(actfrt *),
Air.
BANKES eoposecl the measure, eti the ground that the
remedy it applied was not' itiqwoliriate to ' the disease., and that.
ittentliA to barter the del :n on of the moon racturing clantes in. re-a
gaid to the Corn Laws. ClittAp C91:11_ that, was required
to relieve the diatreasit • Wei' Out oloyinent, And iirltliiiitt'that,' corn'
at )Os. per quarter would .timothenv, on; gotal.:. The Right :Hon.
Gentleman was incorrect in apeilting of. tint gtana,thre.iel d in w
foreign corn was placed being within view of istresh:ltimelh n thei
a-
rinfacturers.'''''The whole quatitity Was under'3oo,ooo quarters
and the greater portion of 'it wasin London. , , • ,

Mr. ROMiTSON pppoe4 the measure.. Ile thought it
would be a much easier plan for Clovernment to purchase the
1300(1(4 Coin et its present Iniv price, and distribute it amongst
the distressed workmen. -

Mr. W. 'WHITMORE said, that in the existing distress of
the country, -and in the present state of the stock, to suffer
Parliament to separate and be dissolved would have been
a most dangerous measure. Had Honourable Gentlemen coo,
siderwl the probability of corn being at 803. the quarter ?
Had they reflected upon the consequence • of the distress this
must occasion ? The security of property, the safety of the
Aristocracy, could not be thus hazarded without involving
Ministers and the Hoop in the most awful responsibility. The
stock of corn now in the country was very small indeed, and'
Unless there was an increase, the help of Government ;dope
could .prevent the occurrence of the most disastrous come-
quenees. The glect'of the Corn Law was to destroy our inter-
nal trade ; and he. would chew that,. at no distant time, there
might arise a condition of things, in which it would be imps_
bible to get supplies at the moment of need. Prices must then
of necessity so t use, that all the. evils :which he deprecated would
be sure to follow. The produce of. the, country was certainly
not equal to the consumption. If the supply were proportionate
to the demand, the Corn Law .muld not raise prices as it did.
On reference to the imports: of Corn for a great number of years
past, it would be found that 'there had been an increase in
them for each successive pexiod of ten years up to' the year
1820. From the commencement of the year 1779 to the close,
of 1790, the grout imported exceeded the exports by 230,000
quarters. From 179.0 to 1799 inclusive, the imports were 320,609
quarters. Between the lust mentioned period and 1809, they
amounted to 504,753 quarters ; and from 1810 to 1820, they in-
creased to 684,643 quarters, including the Irish imports, or inde-
pendeutly of the latter, to 583,610. From this atatementit was
clear that the consumption considerably exceeded the aupply.
Since the year 1823 the harvests were not particularly remarkable
for abundance. They might fairly be censidered as instances ofor-
dinery supply, and yet the interval between the year 1823 and the
present time was by no means a period of diminished consumption.
On the contrary, during the years 1824 and 1825, the consump-
tion' was the g.eatest that had ever been known, and it just follow-
ell upon a season of agricultural distress. If he was right iii esti7
muting that the ordinary produce was below the ordinary consump...
tion, it plainly appeared, that throughout the period to which his
calculation referred, there must have been a great working off
of the stock on hands. He could show ty good authority that
the stork on hand way , just now reduced to a very low state.
The deliveries in the market were less fur the last six months
than at anylormer period, and
ricoslriningfisvitititivotchte. I
1, IBlt4, to httliaerLe
iliziva.deirspboolelnötF thee deliveries
tit);
of
quarters, and front the lst of October, 11325 A, troisethieladistt:kifez.l4llarphelle,
;tidy 66,97.1 quarters. '
Is:RI, they Wert:
iu tie prices of grain.. On the 25th of March, wheat wits itt
I+ 1:i.I 1 (1. 11n the 26th of April the price was 558. Id.; on the
271 h, 565. 541.; and on the 28th, 58s. 5d.; on the 29th, 595. 4d.;
and on the 30th, .608..1d. But all this increased price was oars-
siOned by the rise and pressure in the money market. The l
, os
stocks of wheat wereno means extensive, might be easily
mccitained from tile authorit
of all pawns concerned insthe
trade. Neither were the stocyks divided among farmers in ge-
neral, for the poorer class had sold off their whole supply, and

consequently all the existing - stocks were confined to a few
wealthy farmers, and every day coming into still fewer
hands. In such a state of things, he would contemplate with
the greatest alarm any untoward marks of the approaching
harvest. The quantity of corn in bond, he -did not think,
would be sufficient, when liberated, -to JeWer the price ; be-
cause the' owners, if they consulted their own interest, would
not rush into the, market, but would deem it expedient to
feed the Pale sparingly,. in order that the value of the commodity
might not be depressed. Ile did :not contemplate much actual
relief as likely to result from the measure before the Muse.—
The .utmost benefit to which he looked forward was the moral
feeling which would be excited in the minds of the people, on
perceiVing that their ease had undergone the consideration of Go-
vernment, and though a complete" remedy for the distress could
not be discovered, yet that all the relief possible was afforded.—
He did. not conceive that the Corn Law was the real cause of the
public distress, and he thought, that when the question was fully
considered, they would be surprised to find how little connection
was between the law and its supposed effect. A sensible and tem-
perate alteration of the law, he was sure, would. be productive of
much good.
Colonel WOOD differed from the Honourable Gentleman in
the opinion, that the country did not grow corn equal to its
consumption during the last five years. For the last seven years
there had been no importation of wheat, and the ports were open
to the importation of barley. If such were the fact; and if the
agriculturists were not discouraged, he felt confident that they
would be able to grow corn abundantly sufficient for the wants
of the community. He thought it a mistake to suppose that the
interual trade was destroyed by the operation of the law ; for it
so happened that in IBM the very year selected by the Hon.
Member for I3ridgenorth, in his illustration, more corn was sold in
Mark-lane than in any year before or since. The present mea-
sure was not likely to be productive of much relief, and it was
rather unlucky, as conveying an impression to the manufacturing
districts that their present distresses were caused by the Corn
Laws. Instead of the proposedsuspension, he would recommend
to appoint a Select Committee to look to the state of the law and
inquire what measures might .be moat advantageously adopted.--
The average price of wheat for the last five years was 605., and
he.would he satisfied to open the ports when it reached 705., at
the same time that he was confident most of the agriculturiats
would agree to open them at the price of 655. It was not indeed
their interest to' drive. prices at the highest pitch. Ireland was
interested in the question, and would not be fairly treated if they
went into it hastily, by giving Ministers a discretion to import at
pleasure. The question having been understood to be put out of
the way for the present Session, the Irish Members had returned.
home, and of course had no opportunity of expressing an opinion
upon it. •
Lord MILTON regretted the course which Ministers had
taken on the .question. Since .Friday night, every one must'
hive been forming anticipations of the sort of communication
which would be made to the House, and surely none could have
conjectured such a one as was propounded. The remedy, -he
was convinced, was ono which had-no relation to the calamities
which it was designed to meet. The Right Hononrable. Se-
cretary disclaimed any intention of altering the Corn Laws; and
yet he called ior a power with which he (Lord Milton) agreed
With the Honourable Member for Dorchester, that Ministers
-ought not- to be invested. If indeed the manufacturing classes
saw the necessaries of life at an excessive price, and if food
were locked up from them, he would then be fur throwing
open the warehouses. But such was not the state of things.
Early in the Session he thought that the measures of Ministers
were calculated to increase rsther them diminish the public evils ;
and he was convinced of tie • truth of his opinion unw that
the manufacturing interests were reduced to. se -low an • ebb. • In
fact, the immediately commercial districts were suffering cala-
mities under which the Banks had fallen six months ago. A
want of credit originated the evil, and -the measures of Minis-
ters had a tendency to destroy all the remaining credit of the
country. What was credit but an expectation entertained by one
man that the engagements of, others were likely to be realized?
It was indeed nothing but a certain state of mind in a country.—
a confidence that persons trusted were worthy of the reliance placed
upon them. It was only to be raised by speculation and experi-
ment ; and nothing would tend so much to relieve distress as the
revival of that credit which was but the creature of public opinion.
He wished to impress upon the House that the present measure
could be no remedy for evils which prevailed in Lanca.shire. Even
the Welt Hon. Secretary did not propose it as a real remedy, but
merely to avert certain possible dangers. Cern might rise when
no Parliament was sitting, and so Ministers claimed a dis-
cretionary power for its importation. But Parliament hard
'yet twelve months to run, and why should they not continue
to sit during . the whole summer ? Ministers would incur a
high responsibility if under such circumstances they counselled
the Crown to dissolve the Parliament. The Hollse'woulil indeed
have good reason to complain if no more was done than the pre-
sent measure could effect. Government ought to be enabled to
allot a sum of money in aid of the rates of distressed. parishes.
The manufacturers of Lancashire were now become the poor,
and the State at large ought to, be considered their: parish. It
.was a case quite proper for the interference of Government, and
it was their peculiar • duty to adMinister relief to those Whose
grievances were caused by the acts of that House, and 'the speeches
which had been made in it.

Mr. G. PHILIPS approved of the menure proposed by
the Bight Honourable Gentleman, as calculated to produce
Much advantage. Iledtopad it would facilitate an importation
!of grain from the Baltic. The price of corn, it wilt' true, was
not the cause of the distress; but then the delusion which pre_
vaned on that subject was eutireli owing to the statements which
many Honourable Gentleman were in the habit of making in that
House. The Honourable Gentleman 'here spoke in the highest
terms of the acuteness and intelligence of many manufacturers,,..._
Their speeches, at several meetings in Manchester, were full of
good setae and moderation, and he felt assured that, if they sat in
that House, they would be able to puzzle many Hon. Gentlenefi
who undertook to assign causes for commercial difficulties. He
alluded in particular to the distinguished mental powers of an in-
dividual named Hodgkin'', who was 'merely a labouring cotton
spinner.. 'The Hon. Member for Dorsetshire had said that the
landed interest bore the whole burden of the poor rates. But
then manufacturers, alone were the' occupiers of all the land in
Lancashire, and they were themselves the distressed partim The
Hon. Members also stated that the labourers constituted three-
fifths of the population of the kingdom. But this was so fur from
being the ease, that the agriculturists notoriously did not amount
to more than one-third, instead of the landlords being three-fifths
of the whole.

Mr CALCRAFT wished he could agree to the measure pro-
posed, but he was forced to dissent from the proposition, being
convinced that if carried as it stood it would cause much dis-
union between the agricultural and manufacturing bodies. • In the
commencement of the Session he had recommended manfully to
face the question, as mere consistent with the interests of the
country. Persuaded by the arguments of the opposite side he
yielded to the suggestion of the Right Honourable Sccre-
tary, who recommended bins to wait for the discussion, and
accordingly he voted with the majority for postponing the
question. But how surprised was he now to find that Minister*
after declaring themselves convinced of the propriety of post-
ponement should be. the very men to bring on the question.
When the Honourable Member for Shaftesbury inquired, whether
it was their intention to let .out • the bonded corn, they replied in
the negative. , That measure be considered as a mere feather in
the scale, and if liberating the corn-in bond could in any degree
soothe the sufferings of toe people, he would have no hesitation
in consenting to such, an arrangement. To the second_proposi7
tiou he was most strongly opposed, and could not agree to
entrust a vacillating Ministry with the poWers' demanded.
`whO knew not from slay to day what the country might require.
He defied any man who recollected the weakest administra-
tion that ever existed in the kingdom to chew more vacilla-
tion in their, acts, than was exhibited in the conduct of the
present Mildewy, and that on the moat vital topic. He would
prefer a protecting 'duty on corn to the present system of the
Corn Laws ; but if- they were thrown out by a side-wind, the
manufatituring classes would say they got rid of the objection-
able laws—not by their petitions, but by their want, and the
landed interests would feel themselves deluded out of them
without discussion. Thus, instead of promoting union between
classes whose interests ought to be inseparable, the only effect
of their acts would be to widen the division. Parliament
had subscribed very considerable sums in behalf of the soff,ring
Hanoveriaus and others, and it would be singular indeed if they,
did not advance some pecuniaryassistance to their own country_
men who loudly called for relief. He was afruid .that the country
had arrived to the utmost verge of misery from the many, shocks
it had received on all Sides, and at a time like:the present if some-
thing de: ; ire were not done it: might be too late to save it from
iNI
mlsicl called
tY.bii'linis4er'would vote a sum
for the grant of
ou
ft tlrornue iynequivalent ti, the
miceessity
it, which might he proeurt4 from the sisperflnous products of any
appeared much
aorif:ehteedpudludriicogineoteitulattitoeirss..f.,pa;Volsfe
iHlisoiss.pel4lehm;ber
upon sitting down
he Was loudly cbeered.)
Sir JOHN NEWPORT did not. see that either of the reme-
dies proposed were calculated to remedy the evils complained of.
_He must confess that be did not feel disposed to adopt the resolu-
tion of the Hon Member for Sometsetshire. The msnufacturers
thought the admission of bonded corn into the market was calcu-
lated to do much good. He differed howeer from them on that

score. He was convinced do ineastare could be proposed for the
benefit of these distressed people; unless coupled with an advance
of pecuniary assistance. lf they gave them corn at a reduced
price, their answer would be—we have not the means of pur-
chasing it at any price. The general opinion was, that the libe-
ration of the bonded corn would be beneficial, and he therefore
thought it became the duty of Parliament to give way to that ge-
neral opinion. ;.;
Lord JOHN RUSSELL was astonished at the inconsistent
conduct of Ministers. He had firmly believed, from all that '!
had fallen from them, that they intended to refrain from touch-
ing the subject of the Corn Laws, and he wished to ask them .-
the simple question—Had they refrained? The Right Hon..
the-Chancellor of the Exchequer had given it as, his opinion that
it would he a bad precedent to advance money, and called upon
the House to refrain from so doing. Did the House think it
was any use making corn cheaper, unless they at the same time
advanced money to these unfortunate people to purchase that
corn with ? He would call on that Right Hon. Gentleman to say
what he thought would be the consequence, when the people, in
a state (he was sorry to say) of insubordination, called upon •
Parliament to relieve them, and they did relieve them by in-
stantly agitating the question of the Corn Laws? He would
tell them what they would do, they would come (under similar
sircumstances perhaps) and say—" You have acknowledged that
the Corn Laws are bad, by your instantly endeavooring to- do
something towards altering them the last time we applied ; now. ‘,..
you can do no more than turn your attention that way again, '
and do something more for us on the same subject." It would -
appear that Bonded Corn could be introduced into the market
without any material detriment to the Landed Interest: He
would ask the Honourable President of the Berard of Trade, bow
it happened that he did not think of that simple device before
yesterday. He had heard as a reason, that there were several
magazines of corn in the neighbourhood of those districts where
the distress had been the most deeply felt, If he were told that
the measure proposed to the House consisted in opening these
magazines, and distributing their contents to the distressed
people, he would then consider it a very good plan, but when
he understood; the intention was to dispose of this corn to corn-
merchants,
who would take it to the market,- and have their
own price for it, then he considered it as a measure of trivial •
importance. He thought that a large importation of corn,
according to the power. granted by this measure, would be the
ruin of di, Agriculturists. Ministers had grossly abandoned
their duty iii not looking to this earlier in the Session, instead
of turning their attention towards it within so short a period of
"the dissolution ef,:the Parliament. He would look out for a
better guide, towards furthering the interests of the country,
than the Ministers with whom le had often voted however, and
with whom he would again vote if they would only be consistent.
He' had heard it asserted that the present distress arose from a
want of credit, if that were the case it appeared to him that a
grant of money to the Manufacturers to keep on their workmen
Would act as a sufficient remedy to the present evil. lie perfectly
agred with the Right Hon. Secretary of State that the Corn Laws
might be etered with considerable benefit to the country. Ile
Would merely call on the Right Hon. Secretary to recollect that
finch was the opinion of the manufacturers also. He was con-
vinced that had the Right Hon., President of the Board of Trade
only taken the subject of the Corn Laws into his consideration,
with his.usual ability, at an earlier period of the Session, it would
have been carried through both Houses of Parliament before the
present advanced state of the Sosion.
Mr. lIUSKISSON assured the Hon. Member that the same •
conviction which actuated him a fortnight ago, actuated him
now as to the expediency of not entering on a cliscursiois
on the Corn Laws. He was confirmed in his opinion, by
what . had passed out of doors, us well as the speechts of
Honourable Members within the House. When there waif
such a diversity of opinion, he considered the present time
as totally unfit to enter on the discussion of the. Corn Lawe.--
lie was not a little astonished at the opinion of his Honour-
able Friend the Member for Wareham, who would defer his
remarks on the subject until the question was brought forward.. •
in a Committee, according to the suggestion of the Hon. Mem.-
her for Somersetshire. Why delay his opinions on the sub- ,
jest before the House, and not wait until the subject cone
before a Committee ? Two lights bad been thrown on the sub-•
kct. On the one hand it was ingeniously discovered that the
Government, by this measure had only proclaimed
people that the Corn Laws had betas the occasion of tEI .•
existing distress. He would deny on bis own part that the
Laws had been the occasion of the distress complained ef,
or even that it had contibute& towards it. It was far from
•
being a logical inference, that because Ministers had come down
and proposed' a measure to relieve the pre:-.a urgent diOrew'
rio dn :a then f
and soothe the public feeling, thatthey Were thus proclaimingtus
co corneaf o rnramw;.
intfficieney of the Corn Laws towards the public go,od*
tion Lastnd
year, at a period when there was a state of speculation and
to. the
overtrading almost uncqualled—when all the world was roma -
asamtsaethateverttitasiPes
terials were not sufficient to ones jihe demand for building
i
quarter more than it was at present, and yet now, to to the
lower, it had been IX
Corn Laws. ' He thought there were very few Honourable
labour
tlemen in, that House who would say that the price cf .
ought to be in an inverse ratio to the price of von; an& theretotore
he thought, it was nothing out of the way for manufacturer!
had
lower their' wages according to the pricy of corn. II fit
acprtuicerinof—csovriinen;oll
oethyeebnuihneigungstmfahrai
already etated it as his opinion that the present was not t,e,,bie •
time for discussing the question of the Corn Laws. A • ,
Lord had attributed the distress to a want of credit; and the (111
which
way to revive that credit, was to bring up the prices
would occasion a greater increase of work. Ile had compared
that morning the different prices of corn at the present time,
and the period of six weals- of such great prosperity in the year
attributed
en.
1825, from 19th of March to April 23. Ile found upon compa-
rison that it had varied from 68s. per quarter to this. ; and
at the same period no less than '500,000 quarters of wheat
had been let nut, which combined with the quantity of a very
early and prosperous harvest had almost overstocked the market,
and they therefore felt themselves called open to shut the ports
against. the importation of foreign corn. This restriction had
not yet been done away with, on the same score of apprehen-
sion as to an overstock of the market. He felt that Ministers and
Parliament were justified in letting out this bonded
It was but adopting in 1826 the measure resorted to in 1625. If
an, what became of the doctrine that the House was not at liberty
to discuss the queition. Ile had shewn there was no formidable
difficulty in letting out the bonded corn. He then came to that
which wee the other part of the question, and to which there ap-- •
peered a more decided objection. The Honourable Member for
Sussex, who had opposed the proposition for admitting the in,"
portation of corn, had not objected to the measure for letting out
the bonded corn. As to the other measure, he thought it would
have been as well to have abstained from :many objections.
Whatever might be the opinion of the Member for Bridge' •
north on the subject of a supply, he would give no opinion as
to the supply of corn the country might expect. In the 3b-
hence of correct knowledge of the real state of corn, it would be 1
rash for any person in the situation of the Right Ho', 1'
Pourable Gentleman to give an opinion whether there well"
be an adequate supply of Corn or other means of subsist- •
ence before the next Session of 'Parliament ;,,but there were
circumstances connected with the state of distress which made 't 1
probable corn could not be furnished at the prim., it, then stood.
Corn had been rising whilst other things were falling. Ile knew
from the Report of the Inspector-General of: Corn, as well. st,
the return of all averages, that the supply since last harvest ban
been, compared with the supply of former harvests, cieticie° •
in the extent of several hundred quarters. Those 'who thought
the present price of corn was owing to the . currency, wuultia
see there, were other circumstances to account foe it. Jo''
wished to impress on Gentlemen what occurred last Year'
They liberated only five hundred thousand quarters of
reign corn, which clime into consumption betweetiJune
harvest of last year. That harvest was one of the earliest. ever
known. To the effect of the harvest, and !1300,000 quarters of
corn thrown into consumption, the Right Hon. Gentleman wag
of opinion, was attributed the circumstance of the ports nut i
opening last year. Between this and the next harvest they
might be placed in a situation of. cousiderable difficulty, It ,!"
was not visionary to draw that inference, at the wane time it
would not be difficult to say that, in the present state of the
country, corn at 80s. would produce a calamity, and strike society
to the very centre. Gentlemen should, not run away with tin' .
impression that tarn would not conic in when the price ".as,
80s. The price might be 80s., and the country ieundatol with '1
foreign corn. It might also be necessary to open , the perts ,
whether his Majesty's Ministers had authority for that purPOe•
or not. An Honourable Baronet bad said, it; would be better
to open the ports epee the responsibility of Ministers
hut was it not more desirable that Parliameot should vast
power somewhere, to meet such a state of difficulty? ,e
measure proposed for preventing the importation of foreign
corn would be no longer in existence if the House, ,of C°ll.l2g°°.
allowed Ministers to act on their own responsibility. Any
traordinary power Ministers might exerckse,.
,syenld, be 00.11 -
opening the ports without direetioni but They could not fa
upon them to regulate duties. If Rorer vm, to ;1?e,10110/.
where, ishit was to pprevint Parruiment from imposing
those who were to act. The intention wee ,riet to
4I
open the polr,
in an unlimited way, but for a liinited time. T4'0120'4
an;
limit the prices at which they shOuld be opened, utb shint ?.;