The Sun.
London, England, 1821-02-27 00:00:00

going at length into the question in its precut
state. Although hes refrained from expressing
.any opiniotemi the subject, he must say, that as
he had always regarded with great jealousy the
Corn Laws, he should, whenever the inteadissi
measure should -be brought into the-House, watch
it. with the utmost vigilance. This, it appeared,
was to be a Bit to repeal foer existing laws on
this subject, without meddling with the last Act,
which had occasioned so much discussion as to
the mode of axing the averages. He felt at this
moment, as he had then felt, that though the
averages :night be taken more exactly, still they
were safficienely sis for all practical purposes al-
ready. When this Bill was brought forward, he
should feel it his duty to call the attention of the
House to those acts which it proposed to repeal,
and to state his belief -Of how this interference
wal likely to operate on a matter which he
thought the less it were interfered with the better.
Mr. Bartz-so, although he felt the same reluc-
tance to invite any thing like a premature dis-
cussion on this subject, as the two speakers who
preceded him, could not help expressing his re-
gret that such a period as the present should have
been chosen for the'introduction of a Bill of this
sort. This was a time when the public feeling
was likely to be excited to excess upon such a
sulbject He trusted, however, that as the Bight
ifonont'able Gentleman declared that this tnea-
sari, wzt not to have the effect of screwing up
the price of corn, this feeling would not be in-
creased beyond the present state. When that
Right Hon. Gentleman stated that this was
ot the intention and would not be the effect
of his Bill, he had that confidence in his•good
sense to feel that there was no real. ground for
alarm, lie only regretted that the present
time had been cheseri for agitating the ques-
tion, when the Agriculture of the Country .was
laboUringunaer such great distress. He feared
it eOuld have the effect of exciting expects-
tions to the Agriculturists that something would
he done for their relief ; at the same time
that it would seem to countenance expectations
out the part of the consuming classes that
something would be done conduciie to their be-
nefit: That the Bill had no other object than
was stated was all well, although he confessed,
from the detail which the Right Hon. Gentleman
(Mr. Robinson) had given, he could not help
feeling apprehensions that alterations of a more
material nature than he thought would take place
in consequence of it. With respect to the ave-
rages, opinion, were pretty well settled now that
the importation of foreign corn would not he pro-
ductive of that injury that had been generally
supposed.
Mr. Ittwtx agreed with the lion. Gentleman
who had-just sat down, in regretting the period
at which this measure was introduced. lie hoped
that the labours of the Committee would be at-
tended with that benefit which was anticipated
from them, although he could not help thinking
that the public, and especially that part of it
which had loaded the table of that House with
petitions for relief, would find that their hopes
were frustrated and deluded by it. .It was cer-
tain that the mode olstriking the averages which
had been practised since the last enactment on
the subject, was most inaccurate, and perhaps,
not in one case could be considered to have an-
swered the spirit of the law, nor to have given
the public a true view of the case. When the
Committee came to investigate this great and im-
pertaut subject, he hoped it would be released
from the fetters which impeded a free progress
on the last similar occasion. •

Mr. Ho 1. M E SuMNca did not attaeh any weight
to the consideration of time. The 'tight Hot).
Gentleman who introduced the subject had told
them- that his Bill would be for the purpose of
altering the mode of taking the averages, in order
that they might be taken more properly. Ile
(Mr. Sumner) believed it would make but little
difference as to the high or low price of Corn ;
but he wished to know if it would have for its
object to protect those who were subject to gross
fraud by the present mode of striking the average
Despairing as he did of any permanent general
benefit being bestowed on the nation at large,
from the measure in contemplation, he hoped it
would• at least have this effect. If, however, it
was ,intended by the Right Hon. Gentleman, that
this should be the only remedy which his Ma-
jesty's Government would propose for the dis-
tresses- of the 'Agriculturists, he thought it would
be but candid in him to 'declare, that 'such was
the. fact, in order that the country might not con-
tinue to cherish the delusive hope that something
more effectual 'would be done for them.

Mr. F. considered, • that so long as a
remedy. for the evils under •which the country
was suffering was provided, there was no ground
for supposing that,• to-morrow wuuld he better
than. to day for that purpose, or that the day
after would be better than to-morrow. With
reference to what had fallen from the blight lion.
Gentleman . (Mr. Robinson), on the subject of
Irish Corn .being included in the average, he was
of opinion,,that the introduction of Irish Corn in-
to the returns of the English markets, would be.
to lower the averages in general.. .For, although
for the few last years it had been better:than
English Corn, the season having been unusually
wet in England, yet in general the Irish Corn
was•not so good as the ..English, and brought
lower prices.

Mr.CURWEN said, that great fraud had cer-
tainly been committed in the country. In the
Isle of Man, the inhabitants bad been in the
habit of using foreign grain instead of. British.—
It bad been asserted that there was now but a
very trifling remnant in this country of -corn im-
ported from foreign parts in the years 1818 and
1819. Instead of there being very little, he be-
lieved there was an amazing quantity, he thought
pot less than 50,000 quarters, which was still
held in readiness to beat down the market price
of English corn. He considered the average
price of 1818 to be the price which would be
sufficiently productive to the grower. The con-
sequence of sinking the price of corn thus was,
that the grower was obliged to bring into the
market a larger proportion than ordinary for the
purpose of supplying his labourers and others in
hi 4 employment. Formerly there had been per-
sons who Were accustomed to speculate in corn,