The Sun.
London, England, 1826-05-24 00:00:00

ROW under the Consideration of the House. The average price
of *heat, last year, was 685., it war now only 60s. per quar-
ter. He might therefore approve of the introduction of fdreign
corn last, year without being bound to concur in a similar measure
at the present time. And when he saw two measures introduced.'
at once having the same general tendency, he might think it good
policy to support the first in order to prevent the second from
coming into operation, although he had the same objection to -
bath, that they . were calculated to encourage the clamour out
of doors. He thought it impossible that after these discussions
the subject should ever be approached dispassionately. It was
a subject which ought to have been kept at arm's length. He
did not quite understand the reasoning of the Noble Earl with
respect to the period's at -which the bonded corn was to be intro-
duced. The holder who it appeared was to have permission to
introduce one moiety of what he held on the 15th of July, and
164 second moiety on the 15th of _August, so far from feeling any
wish to hold it back, would he thought prefer, if he could, to intro-
duce the Litter quantity at the earlier period, as the second period
would reach nearly to the harvest. Ile feared he had also misun-
derstood the Noble Lord with respect to the occurrences of the year
1816 :.perhaps the Noble Lord had intended to mention the year
IBlB*---for, on referring to the prices of 18)6, he found that in May
the avetagi price of wheat vas 74.5., in June 745., and in Aug. 82a.
(Lord Liverpoolhere salted, " And what in December?" after which
a mutual explanation took place respecting the mode in which the
averages regulated importation.) The Noble Earl then pro-
ceeded to say, that one circumstance materially distinguished the
year 1816 from the present; in the year which preceded 1816,
no importation had taken place ; last year there had been a con-
siderable importation, which must operate to some extent as a
safeguard' gaireit scarcity. The Noble Earl then referred to the
present price of barley and oats, as compared with the price. at
former periods, to repel the protumption of scarcity. To avoid a
perspective and contingent evil, they were inflicting a present and
certain One upon the country. He knew that in many of the
Gauntry markets corn had already fallen his. or 70. per quarter.--
The small farmer who now carried corn to market to provide for
the expences of the next harvest, would, instead of realising his
1001. 'or 1601,, sustain a deduction of 20 per cent. His wife
would in consequence be obliged to wear her stuff gown, and he
his coat some time longer, inetead of having new ono'. So that
the injury to farmers would eventually be shared by the manu-
facturers ; or, which would still be worse, the agricultural la-
bourers must suffer a diminution of wages. The effect of the
measures would be prejudicial also to corn-dealers. One indivi-
dual had told him that he should be a loser of not less than five

thousand pounds.
The LORD CHANCELLOR should take blame to himself
he did not distinctly allow that any measure likely to be preju•
dicial to to the agricultural interest must be an objectionable mea-
sure. Every other branch of national industry, every other des-
eription of property, was so dependent upon this, that they would
be guilty of the greatest injustice to all if they did not extend their
teetering care to the agricultural iiiter,e. He could not look
upon the proposed measures as likely to produce injury to the
cricultural interest; or to prejudice the existing system of law.
With respect to the bonded corn, he Apprehended that, upon the
r :sent law, when corn reached a certain price, it might be ad-
mitted. But with respect to the second Bill, which appeared to
him of most importance, he hoped for the indulgence of their
Lordships whilst he addressed a few words to them upon the con.
titutional view of the subject. No 'Mali was more averse than
hinelelf to the aieumption of power againstlaw.. Yet he was con-
vinced that ocemumimeituight arise in which it would be imeceseary for
Government, in which it eiveuld he the imperative day of the
.Adminissrationi to take upon themselves time exercise of such power.
Nor could any great evil arise from such assumption of Bower in cir-
cumstances of strong and over-ruling necessity, provided only that
proper recourse was afterwards hart to Purliaiiment to repair the
temporary breach of the Constitution. Dot iltheoccasion were
foreseen, to
_leave themselves. without any. other resource- than
she exercise of illegal power, and then to apply .to Parliament for
an indetithity, was a course of proceeding not to be endured for a
moment. The second Bill was a Bill enabling his filsjesty iu
Council to do what his Majesty, by en Order of Council might
bare done, if nu such Act had passed. It had nu connection
whatever with any future measures. It amounted only to this.
litre is an antecedent power given, but Ministers are just as ra-
pponiible as if that power had not been given. Looking at it,
therefore, as it was—was it a measure by any fair reasoning or.
just consequence effecting the; Corn Laws ? For hitnielf, if. he
thought it so, he should never vote for it. They must support
the landed interest if they meant to support the Constitution of
the country. Time Act new proposed could no mute prejudice
the future discussion of the Corn Law than if they had acted
upon their own responsibility without law. Ile would not dis-
guise from hiimmeell that the ,measure might produce censequiemees
not foreseen ; but he would repeat, if he had not•alreedy repeated
too often, that if he had thought it was to be taken as a meaeure
Pledging any Member of that House to an liberation of the Corn
Laws unfavourable to the landed interest, he should never have
consented to it.,
Earl GREY igreed with 'the Noble and Learned Lord upon
the principle that illegal power ought not to be. resorted to with-
out an overwhelming necessity; and also that the public safety
might &onetime, imperiously demend its exertion. But although
he had listenedto his Noble and Learned Friend, if he might be
.partiiitted to call him so, with all the attentiou to which his abilities
entitled him, he had failed to convince him that these principles
haitany application in support of the present measures. 'The Noble
Earl hail &au:Tibed the measure, and ilescrihed it truly,. ail an in..
&amity in advance. If he agreed in the expediency of granting
such an indemnity hefore hand, it must be upon the - indispensable
Condition that the necessity was clearly foreseen. He would en-
quire if this necessity existed now, when it began to exist? Did
it exist on the lt3theof April? At that period the distress was
as great as et the,preacnt time ; and an eminent person, supposed
to he the highest authority on such a subject, then emphatically
declared; that any change in the Corn Laws would tave no. other:
effect than to.increale the distress, Nothing of the kind wee
thoughtof till riot and dieturbance bad occurred, and although he'
felt as much sympathy as any tnan for the persons enduring di*.
tress, it was, be thought, .e dangerous, lesson. to the Community.
if distreie was first to command attention when it exhibited itself,
in acts of outrage. - Then be must inquire Whether -this indem-
nity in advance .ivies 'not likely to produce greater evils
than those 'ageinst• which the measure was intended to
guard: This brought him to the point at swine. :Woold theynot
have avoided every evil by adhering to the lame prudent course es-
.upon the ntliecuftion upoo. the Cern Laws, and wait* for the
Necessity if it should arise. The Noble and Learned Lord hail ad-
mitted that .nyibe might, aritie,. but, said that lie did not foresee
them, add if he did, that he would pot 'have Consented tie the
measure. What was the fact? Great distress and confusion pi,-
reit, end Ministers come to Patillitnellit 111)11 say that they have imo
Other measure to propose than one greeting the merket for corn ;
thus proclaiming to theCeinumnity that they look to an alteration
of the Corn Laws as it remedy.for, distress: 'rime effect oldie melt
'sure had. already been felt, and might have been foreseen, The
Leird, then complained that the proPesition placed the landed
iutertett in a new and unheard-of situation. If they resisted it,
they, were to.be held out as the persons Who steed in, the way of
telief. He had no etht4 interest than that which mom flout:land,
'but. lie could appeal' le'. his whole life, if .lin), palm had thought
it worth while to Wend to it, to repel the imputation of ' merely
mercenati motives. He did not affect mare virtue than, others,
and be thought that everyman by ettendingto the fair protection
of his own interests best promoted the welfare of the commuuity.
It was 4111,00* that the general, question ennid **Cape prejudice
from the prevent measure. Was it out notorious that ma.oy.per-
soint had voted upon this express grimed, that it prepared thsiway
fot time repeal of the Corry Lawn ? Feeling as' he did upon the
subject, he had determined to take his char,. of whatever obloquy
or tepresch might attach to the expression of chow feelings. The
question had, since its first introduction, greatly chang4 sty
groom), At first it was founded upon, a pressing arid urgent ne-
cessity; but it had now dwindikt to a possible necessity• fie had,
taken spine pawns to inforin himself upon the sulmjeeteenti he xould.
state that the prospects as regarded timeline hervemst wren very good,:
and that both in Engle-Mani" Ireland the stoac ofvorn. whether
the bands of farmers or corn•deidere; was greater than usual at.
this part of the year. Thenecessity was then reduced ,to a hare
possithility equally .applicable to any other year. The power de,
mantled ought upon principle to have been indefinite: But he had
other objections. The act would give Ministers a power of levying
a tax upon the copetry
.not appropriated by • Perliatpent,
anti
this on the eve of a' general election: . He thought *nth a ko-
posisiop could only he entertaiutd at-a period when tbai.eulotary
feelings of constitutional jealousy were nntirelyesuipended. As to
the deetrines of political seine nay r which had . been applied •to
this oubied..,'4he .longer he -lived the 'more he tioubtiei
'There egossumuch of this seizure which he did not pretend-to one
dersteMi ; •-there areie many 4f lee peieiciplete to which hoeuhacrih‘.
ad; but he looked upou;it altogether ?is a humiliating proof cif
feehleoete of human judgment, and the futility of humeri
its theories' were beautiful ; they appeared to beemaseaile
"'FP till sfll3 Aintoward unforeseen calitinitye put
thew all all to ire " dent, e
it. The lava of 'the Corn Laws demanded.
44(1'46 period of the AuF
"cifutl44stititto'it-
olnittlte year I Eltiu' lanai_ he
thhaed
saenx)perteteedwi,h.
'bite elurce;m4('d tii the present toinytttlitet
Itahe:immen,potaterrketaticootioonprutoict.luglabutt
bt to,,
bed ass .ohjoetioal .to a oenatent ittiptotarion at a fixed duty,

although nothing had occurred under the present system that
sould be called a practical evil. Change and uncertainty in the
lives,' and particularly in the laws relating to human subsistence,
could not but be prejudicial. When frequent changes tuck place,
.Itobody could know how to protect his interest, as hail been"- Well
observed and illustrated by the Noble Earl. On a question
affecting the welfare of every class of the community', and preg-
nant with danger to the Constitution, they ought not to proceed
without inquiry. Upon-that inqUiry he was even now featly to
enter. It was the only warto extricete themselves from the dife •
Acuities in which they were involved, and. to silence the clamour
which their -.measures had produced. He could "nUt. reconcile it
to himself to give a silent vote upon this occasion, and he would
now conclude with expressing his diligent against the Bill.
The Earl of HARROWDY- called upon their Lordships to
remember, that if they neglected to make atone proVi,iion
law, the ports could not be opened until ecru had risen to no
average price.pf 80s. Perhaps there were =nine emong their
_Lordship' who were not 'thawed at u pricceo; SOs., and thought
that as the country had borne it before, it ntight bear it again.
But they should look at the facts,
,that in order to conic at an
average of 80s., the price in many ;tutu of the country, tuttet he
90s. or 100 s. ; and that the average most be taken upon prices
for six.weeksrtogether. In producing attelif an average, once of
two things must happen. Ether price* - must be steady at that
amount, and the pressure be consequently of greet 'duretl,,n, or
there uniet be a rapid rise to a price far above, it: - Their Lord-
ships must also bear in Mind, th..t price was nut to be cooSidered
only in its abstract arnount,.but in reference to the means of the
country to purchase. At present when a large portion of the Ina;
nUfacturing poor were rubsistitei upon charity, the price of • -605.,
which was moderate and fair to both grower and consumer in or-
dinary times, became equal to 80s. The Noble naa opposite, had
complained thatthe Government having reeiqed in April a gete..-
cal consideration of the Corn Laws, should now propose these
measures. He denied that any inconsistency could hi inferred in
the conduct of the Government, front the connection of those facts.
Until that night, he had heard no Noble Lord say, that he- thought
the present time one in which there could be a satisfactory and irn,
partial discussion of the whole 4111iject tn. the Corn Laws. Yet that
was no reason why the GUvetnnient ghould allow. Parliament to se-
parate without guarding .againk a danger • which they saw rising
before them. But the Noble V.arl had welted when the light •ltad
first brUken upon them ; and that was a otteetion which it was im-
' possible to answer, from the very nature of the caee.—(Hear.)--
As the Government very naturally looked from day to day with
hopes of seeing that the pressure end distress had reached their
fullest extent, end werebecoming lese, it was impossible to say et
f what precise moment the accumulation of evidence to the contrary,
.. destroyed those.anxioue expectations, and rendered measuree of

precaution tteceseary.
The f.at4 .of LAUDERDALE after eulogizing the *peed
of his Noble Friend (Earl Grey) referred their Lordships to
the King's speech at the opening of the Seseion, and cm-armlet'
that the Government hint acted must inconsistently in britfcing
forward there measures after such a speech had been delivered
to Parliament. There were then nine months of the cousump,
Lion of the year to be provided out of the hat harvest, and now
there were Only three, the -priee being then six shillings more
than it w,aw at present. If there was not sufficient corn for the
year's consumption, what were Nlinistere about in November
last when there were ten months, to be provided for, and the
price was ten shillings higher than now ? lie strongly objected
to the nusteures, and net less to the manner in which they had
been brought ftirward_ He maintained that they were not ;nein.
suree of relief. Who would they relieve? It was absurd to
say that , a reduction in the price of corn would relieve the
poor manufacturing lahouter, when he had ' no money to
purchase it at any priCe. lie was surprised 'to- hear the
doctrines, which had fallen urea the Nobbiyairl at the head of
the Government, when lie recollected the ingenious argumente
with which he supported the Corn Bill of 181:'. The Not& Earl
told them he did not mean these Measures to interfere' with the
Corn Laws. lie did not care what his MelMilig
hear eared not for the meaning when the elieet upon every
man in and not of the fiends, ae theyr might see in every street of
the Metropolis, had been to prejudge the rout question of the
Cern LAWS to such an extent that it could not have art? impat
teal
hearing for years to come. He slid not wish to oppose the Noble
Lord at the head of the Treasury; he had.no object in such
opposition, and he was anxious that the Noble Lord should
afford him in opportunity of 'supporting hie measureit.
lie haul
heard him in 1815 say that the country was able to support
itself,. and he now undervalued the quantity of grain which was
called for. At first it was stated to be SOO,OOO quarters, titter-
wards it was raised to 500.1)00 ;, but' not, only- the grairt ware-
housed, lito tht.t which was to- he werehoueed. was included in
the measure. It was elear they were elaitning this cumin.,
dinary power at a time when they were igitorent of the grain
which was to be let iu under the.other:llill. lie thotielit it
wroug in the Noble Lord to take a qualified Indemniiy
for supposing the supply allowed to prove inadequate, . they
certainly could not so easily et/pro:el the subject a second time.
' - The Earl of LIVERPOOL said, that the Bill -would never
have had any effect upon the Corn Latvc in the tstintation of
persons out of iloorit, but rebut the oppositimi which it had met
front their Lordships; end- the same objections also- originnfed
theepposition ritieett againet it in the other ifouae. The Noble
Lord who last spoke, had stated the system which existed he-
fore •the year:l7o. Buts it solo since that period up to the
Hosea that the. great growth of the manufacturing intermits,
and the great increme of population had taken place in this
country: It -was not the fact, however, that very ciiiiithier.
Ode fluctuations had not occurred -in the price of grain -prior
to the year 1765. This would appear by references to a state-
moot of pricee, as they stood in the early part of the last recs.!
tury. In the year 1706, the priee, of wheat was 28s. par ,quar-
ter; in 1707; Os. ; in 1709, 86e. ; in 1709, 695. 7,1, Again, in,
1740, thapriceavas 48s. lOti. ;in 1711, 41a. ;in 1742; ;
and in 1743, 225. 'I he Noble Lord had charged inconsistency
14Pon him becaitie 'allot language which be had tfaHl iu 1615. ;It
wry t; 11, that he did.aepport the Corn Bill of that year, because
he tinywcht it a jutit.end useful bill 'at that time, anti the-
eumstaneea of the period rendered it a neeessary measore. Ile
wished that Britain and Ireland could produce sollicieut corn
for their own supply. Nothing could be more desirable; but it
was quite clear, from the iMpurtationsi that they had not dune
so yet. In 1915 he had supported the measure, which fixed the
import price of grain at 80s. The Noble Lord had dune ..se m
,well ; and !eV, he-would ask,:bati the Noble Lord fixed upon the:
price of 80,4. ?In the preceding year, 1814, a Bill wait In-ought
by a Member of the House of Cummins, to yettle.the import
price at IQ(1., which Bill however wat tutu thrown out. When
their Lordship; retired to their beds, and reflected on the poitsi•
bitty of a had harveit in the present year, could they contemplate
foany evil more terrific? Could any titan say that he looked to a
bait harvest this year with only the areas degree of • apprehenaion
now, which lie would have felt upon the subject lust July? The
question was, how they were to meet this- very hard case? cud
their Lordships were called upon to decide.
The Earl of LIMERICK said e feW worth against the Measures.
Lord KING congratulated tin- Noble Earl at the head of the
'treasury on the signal success which he had obtained over the
great domestic enemy.-;--(A liugh.)—Every body must have ()h-
-eaved the reluctent support which had been given to the measures
in a particular quarter ;• indeed, it was more like opposition than
support 's, ir,eque leouutrl
se Vineia, re.cueantutu."
Ministers had two Modes of pioreeding open to them. One. was
to act on their own auth -the other to come to Par-
'lament for I *pedal authority. lie was glad that .?dinisters had
not pursued:the former course, because then nothino Would Love
been .seitl.; sod speaking tin the aubject of the Corn Law-3 did
good. Many people in! t House Were inimical to free Untie-
Oere were lemmas wits were enemies to free air, and to free con-

science—
" Ravettiao wolves, whose conscience is their maw."
Some Noble Lorls even on that (Lord King'S) side of the House
wt,re enemies to free trade. One interest would shut out corn,
another wool, another hotter. was the essence of the cele.
orated codex auresti; of the Members for Somerset and Suffolk-.
pat alt their argument's proceeded upon a supposition.: that we
werJ tb be sellers, and not buyers; but how could we be sellers
unless we allowed other nations to buy? The Noble Eul sod
he
would renounce paradoi; ina argue logically and. immediately
after said that low prices %out.] produce great distress, which was
.I.* great a paradox as was ever uttered. The I:s;oble.Lutti eau,
eluded by stating, that he liked this Bill because it matle,su I
inrultd,open the earn Laws, atui.because his object wits to briny!
eorn'to a modert.te and fair price.
the. Marquis of SALISBURY, in a short speech, opposed the'
• 2 I
The Earl of cAnNAßsrop; cipre..l hattility to 1
,tha Measure, end .preemed the House to a decisitoi.
Lord R.I.:DP:SHALE confesseilltiniself hostile to heat the mei:
sur.a, which. had unfortunately, he thought, eruansted Iron, (In-
Verument in order to attempt to aftOrd some relief, to the mane.
-facturersin their, present distress.
Lerd IMlttt LEY could-riot withhold his vote :rum the prOpe-
-
sit one, 'though et the suneitime he_condidered. the Bait totally
moperativo and wholly. uncalled for. - •
Lord MALSIESBURY ezplained.
The Duke of SOMERSET objected to flat !immoral proposed,
to be carried into effect by the Bills before the House.
The LORD CHANCELLOR then put the question,- that the