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

and make large purchases in that article when it
became dull in the market, hoping it would rise ;
they of c.ourt,e served to keep up the price. But
this class of speculators was now no more, aid
no persons made purchases t.xcept the public ;
nor was there a single bushel of English corn
bought in except for immtd4ate consumption. If
the proptsed. measure was to be taken as
an ulterior measure, it was by no means
adequate to its professed object. The House
was. pledged to au investigation of this sub-
ject -on an extensive • scale, and he hoped
nothing would induce the House to defer it
beyond the present week, or .his Majesty's.Glo-
vernment to meet it by a proposal to waste the
Session away by referring it to a Committee, but
that they would, as Ministers, come forward
manfully and state specifically how far they were
disposed to go in order to afford some relief to
the agriculturists.—(llear !)

Mr:Wm. DouGLAs regretted extremely that
the: measure now before the House was so little
likely to prove effectual in relieving the agricul-
tural distress. The country would never be sa-
tisfied on this subject, unless a full and fair dis-
cussion of it should take place in all its branches
and bearings.

Sir E. KN.tTcunuLL said, he had supported
the motion of his Hon. Friend, under the idea
that the investigation proposed would have pro-
duced general satisfaction. How far this inves-
tigation would lead to satisfactory results he
would not say. lie agreed that it would be un- ,
wise to raise the importation price of corn still
higher than it now stood by law ; yet he thought
Government might de‘ise some other equally
satisfactory mode of protecting the English far-
mers. There was yet another paramount consi-
deration which ought to weigh much with the
House, and that was the excessive distress expe-
rienced by the agricultural classes, who now
looked up to that House as their last resource,
and who, he hoped, would not look up in vain.
Mr. Ric tr.no observed, that the introduction
of Irish Corn into the averages would have the
effect of raising the price of Corn, according to
the mode now practiced as to striking the aver-
ages. It bad been observed that the opening of
the ports would be the means of instantaneously
depressing the markets, which would remain in
the same state for years. This might be true ;
but under any system of Corn Laws that ever
were, or ever could be adopted, it must always
be the same. The only way to prevent this
Would be to make their price the same as that
of the Continent. Ile believed also, that raising
a high duty on Corn, would also tend to the end
desired. It did not appear to him, that the
measure proposed could have the desired effect
in relieving the distress of Agriculture. lie was
sure the best thing that could be done for the
Farmers would be to take off the Corn Laws al-
together.

Jr.'A LOCKHART contended, that every day's
exrerience proved the fallacy of the hope that
was formerly held out to Parliament, that should
they relax the duties on foreign commodities
imported, foreign countries would naturally ad-
mit their goods and manufactures at propor-
tionately lower rates of duty into their ports.
Instead of possessing now a more nourishing
trade, as we had been promised, in consequence
of our compliance with that fallacious maxim,
foreigners lost sight of the boon conferred, and
the goods remained on our hands. He was sur-
prised at the proposition of his very able and in-
telligent friend, that we should fix tl►e impor-
tation price so low as 353., which was the gene-
ral continental price. What, did l►e suppose
that such a price would ever repay the agricul-
turist here, AS ho had to pay his share of the
enormous expenditure and taxation of the coun-
try, more especially at the present high rents?
This was to demand, like the Sybil, tl►e•same
price for the material constantly diminishing.
The result would be, if such a proposition was
acted on, that the agriculturists,. like bankers,
must stop payment, and stop dealing toi. Should
such a shock come on in different places simulta-
neously, the property of the country would be
shaken to its foundation, and the failure of the
fund for the poor-rates, that canker of the land,
would produce consequences little short of re-
bellion. These Poor Laws were, it was said, a
subject of great delicacy. They were no longer
so; they came upon the country with violence
and open jaws, threatening to devour all before
them. The wealth and power and sacred cha-
racter, of the Clergy would lie found• insufficient
for their protection. The subject therefore
ought to be approached, and he thought it might
safely be approached in the way of restriction.
Mr. IttcArtoo explained, that if the ports were
left open and a less, price fixed for regulating the
importation of Foreign Corn, the people, instead
of being able to pay less taxes, would 'be able to
pay even still greater.

Mr. BENNETT disapproved of the Resolution,
as inadequate ; nor did he think that including
[risk Corn in the averages would raise them one
farthing, although he thought it might be a source
of fraud.

Mr. CUIIIVEN said, that corn in Poland was as
low as Ic2s. a quarter, which, added to the freight
of 4s. made it as low as 16s. altogether.

The resolution lfas agreed to, and the report
ordered to be received to-morrow.

SCOTCH BURGHS.

Lord ARCIIIIIXLD HAMILTON moved for a re-
turn of Royal Burghs in Scotland that lost the
power of electing their Council since 1685, stat-
ing the time- when that power was restored, and
upon what conditions.—Ordered.

SUPPLY.

The CH.I VCELLOR of the. EXCHEQUER moved
the Order of the Day for the. House resolving
itself into a Committee of. Supply for the, purpose
of postponing it.

Mr. IT ustC took this opportunity of saying that
the consideration of the Army Estimates should
be postponed till they should have been at least
ten days in the hands of Members. No Member
could in so short a time as between Friday and
Monday become prepared to discuss the merits
of those estimates.' ,11e propdsed that the Navy
Estimates should be considered, on Monday first,
and the Army Estimates on this day. fortnight.
The CUANCELLWi of the EXCIIEQUE.IC said