The Sun.
London, England, 1828-04-26 00:00:00

CORN LAWS.

Mr. C. GRANT moved the Order of the Day for the
Rouse going into a Committee on the Corn Resolutions.
On the motion that the Speaker do leave the Chair,
Mr. LEYCESTER said, that although he thought the
ling of the duty at 58s. an improvement, yet he had ob-
3ections to the resolutions which could not be urged in the
Committee. They were, that after the price reached 60s.
the measures proceeded by jump and jerks, the effect of
Which would be to prevent importation when it was wanted,
444 occasion scarcity at one period and too great plenty at
another. He had another objection to the difference made
hAween the standard wheat, and that for barley and oats,
°ll Mr. Canning's Bill, although the calculation for that
Rdl had been the result of mature observation. That he
believed proceeded from the arguments of a Noble Duke
who had made various blunders on the subject. He wished
the Home Secretary was present, because he wished to
if
hint whether the currency question was settled, for
`I 80 the present scale was adequate; but if tricks
were to be played, and 1/. and 21. notes introduced,
then the present measure was a delusion. As the
Secretary for the Colonies was in his place, he asked whe-
ther the system of free trade was to be continued, because
his reason for acceding to the present Resolution would
be to aid in the accomplishment of that system. Another
question he put was the Sinking Fund to he supported ;
far if it was, why were the landholders to give up the pro-
tection they had, and, if not, he hoped that the surplus re-
ve,aue which arose would be applied for the benefit of those
Wu° wanted it.
Mr. R, KING was opposed generally to any alteration
la, the Corn Laws as they stood, and highly approved of
the sentiments of the Hon. Baronet, the Member for West-
rninater, on a former occasion.
The question was then put, and the House went into a
ultnittee.
The CHAIRMAN (Sir A. Grant) then read the Re-
solution respecting the duties upon wheat proposed by
the Right Hon. the President of the Board of Trade, when
, BENETT said, that the resolutions which he in-
tended to propose came so near those of the Presiden;, of
he` board of Trade, that lie thought that Right Hon.
hentleman would accede to them. They all approached
Ate introduced last year by the Hon. Member for Dorset-
Ire, which varied but a very little from those proposed
yYthe Government this year. His pivot price would be
verY nearlY the same as that of last year, 625. Bd., the
duty
tiot upon which was to be 245. 4d. After some observe-
-3 upon the variance of the scales between last year and
the
lipreeent, the Hon. Member said that any duty more
tha
What was necessary would be unnecessary for the
.!tuled interest, and only tend to render them odious, and
'hat after wheat reached the price of 62e. imperial rim-
-41, re or 60s. Winchester, the landed interest stood in need
t'o protection above that price. What he wished was,
hat if the duty receded it should do so by slow degrees.
Ri
a object, therefore, was to gain protection up to that
~.rt`", and as it was allowed by all parties, even those
who were most anxious to have corn cheap, that it
eaeld be best had at home, the landed interest were,
therefore, entitled to support. It had been remarked by
the Right Honourable Secretary for the Colonies, that pro-
tection was given by the present Bill np to 585., but he did
at
t see how that was, unless Corn could not be imported
less than 595. The Right Hon. Gentleman, however,
itted tbat foreign corn could be imported at 295. 44.,
(Win consequence allowed it with a duty of 28s.
Bd.-
1 'lo, from Mr. Huskissen. )--The duty, however, pro-
/To by Government was 28s. Sd., and the balance 295.
Would just make it 525. He had heard in former
rant that corn could not be imported under 345. 4d., but
7,,a Yea it had actually come into this country at 225.,
if inquiry were made it would be proved that any
14latity of good corn could be imported at 245. The im-
rtation of a dutyserve was never intended to financial
orpolnliPcnies, hut merely for protection, and that object ought
~,u7 to be looked to. As to the surplue population, of which
n,teh •
had been said, that was only artificial and arose out of
ho ,'"7 prices of corn, which reduced the price of manual la-
tilltlrl.et only 625., 604., or even 58s. be secured to the agri-
to4 Itt, and we should hear no more of surplus popula-
vi ' Slid poor rates, and the various other evils complained
Na'ould -vanish. After observing that he only asked for
4,kt"tiula for the agriculturists merely as a citizen of the
te, anxious for the welfare of all classes belonging to it,
(11-j'aid that he had cast up the various amounts of the
s4ko he proposed, and that they amounted to 21s. Id. on
11 average, while those of Government amounted to
te,kt: 211. It had been remarked that during years of pro-
st'ert there were low prices fur corn, but that when the
st7e Was open prices were high ; and that, therefore,
otter
prices were good for the agriculturists, it would
for them not to have a protection. He would say
alp too if protection was to produce occasionally high
4, occasionally low prices ; but there was the fallacy,
et. usei if properly applied. it would tend to produce
eeZhnoss in every way. Mercantile accumulation in this
thi4 trY, like the national granaries in China, produce no-
se .4g but high prices and starvation. The best granary
Ric the stack-yard of the farmer. (Cheers.) The Hon.
:.4,44ber then put in an amendment to make the duty
whenever the price was 625.
of the WHITMORE entirely dissented from the principle
wao e Resolutions proposed both this year and last, and
th,l, Prepared to show that a system of restriction was nei-
e,44lor the agricultural interest nor the interest of the
trY generally. The tendency of such a system was to
oka end altogether to the trade in corn. It was not to
he .CPected that when corn rose to 625. much of it would
:°,agbt into the market, because the holders would
pr ally speculate upon a further rise. At 61s. the duty
Dtie,7ed was 1/. 2s. Bd., which decreased gradually as the
sy,t;rofse until it reached 73a. when the duty was Is. No
14,4114 could tend more effectually than one of this kind to
had e()e fluctuations in the corn trade. While no regular
the:un corn existed, no person could say what the effect of
lu er any other duties would be. Mr. Jacob, in his va-
reihellePort, observed, that in Denmark there was no fo-
N til emend for corn. The consequence was, that the Agri-
he t:,4Sts Were distressed, and the taxes were obliged to
tioP44 in kind. There was, of course, a vast ;teem-Dula-
10karagricultural produce, which fell to 12s. and even
ialPothe quarter. It was clear, that no duty they could
'4411- Would be sufficient to keep out corn of this price,
ttiepWaa not, therefore, surprised at the circumstance
farti,.:4°,ned by the Member for Northumberland, that
list?: corn was imported into Newcastle at 245. the
All the arguments, ad misericordiam, put forth
I,lva't Rouse, proceeded on the principle that restriction
fre"sary for the support of the agricultural interest ;
eoxild -elu what he stated, it would appear that restriction
that tlot attain the desired object. It might be argued,
eaul(lllich a glut as that to which he alluded in Denmark,
be
oat long continue, admitting that it could not, he
r)" ten_EtePared to contend, that any profits which could
Wetilsre„ ted in succeeding times of comparative scarcity,
%Niel lot be sufficient to compensate for the losses occa-
-A„..r. 4,1 a glut. It was important to attend to what
'ace :fel' stated in his report with respect to the ex-
ahbser,,l carriage in some parts of the Continent. He
ttlaatLthat if it should be necessary to transport corn
the exi;arriage a distance of two hundred and forty miles,
would absorb the whole value of the article.
"niet,„ -11:9ald now turn to another part of the subject,
(;)t. cern. at., of immense importance, he meant the supply
/' had been ridiculed for tke doctrine laid down
Faye
4 1823, which was, that a period of depression
Aye bop followed a period of abundance. There might
clotleiuZa error in the details, to which he arrived at this
628, thri, but the principle was just. From 1922 to
~ditie, quantity of corn brought into the market, in
ie :he*' the home produce, was 4,400,000 quarters.
they ZI that they wanted the whole of the corn which
sad theerrei."/LOY at any time to draw from the Continent,
frodeee
t`ore that the alarm, as to the effect of foreign
" this helm their agriculture, was greatly exaggerated.
&a borne ont by Mr. Jacob's report, though th,
'°e), both took differed. Mr. Jacob estimated the

ono in their granaries from the North of Europe in 1825
at 870,000 quarters, in the present year at 587,000 qrs.
This would seem to indicate that they were making ap-
proaches to one of the greatest evils by which the country
could be afflicted, a deficiency of supply. The apprehensions
ofsuch a calamity must be augmented if thepopulation were
to go on increasing, and Mr. Jacob said the population of
Europe had incereasd nine millions from 1815. In Eng-
land and Ireland the increase was 3,500,000. If the
produce did not keep pace with this increase of popula-
lation, the effects must he dreadful in the highest degree.__
(Cries of " Question.") He should not be deterred by
that cry from the discharge of his public duty. He should
now proceed to show that the agricultural interest could
derive no advantage from the proposed duties. If they
placed themselves in the artificial situation to which these
duties naturally led, they must soon expect to reap all the
evils consequent upon a deficient:harvest. What was the
result of the Bill of 1515 ? From 1815 to 1819 prices
were high. This, however, was occasioned by a defective
harvest, and not by the duty. A rapid fall of prices suc-
ceeded, and they eventually came down to 655. 10d., 545.,
and at last so low at 395., and this while the Corn Laws
were in full operation. In 1818 it was tine the prices
fell a little, because the granaries of Europe were ransacked
for a supply. If the Corn Laws of 1915 came into opera-
tion, it would have been ruinous, owing to the speculation
then afloat in every article of trade; and if again it were
in operation in 1825, no man could calculate the still
more ruinous results. This year the prices of corn were
considerably reduced, almost to a state of depression ; but
that resulted from causes different to those which had
been assigned for such an effect. The existing system led
to fluctuation, and must necessarily do so. The opera-
tion of the system was confused, not plain and simple, and
until a change was effected the same evils would continue
to follow on the system of fluctuation. The law tended to
raise the price, but it could not realize the amount sought
for. The farmer in such a case must be the sufferer ; a
fair permanent duty could alone save him. The restrictive
system produced this suffering, and must, in the end,
prove destructive to the landed proprietors. If a regular
trade were allowed in Corn, those fluctuations would not
take place, and other agricultural produce would increase
in price. If a fair system were adopted, every acre in the
land would be turned into profitable cultivation, and taking
the value of land in England since 1773, it had encreased
threefold. Sa had the whole of our exports and imports
in wool, silk, cotton, and all other commodities. Having
said so much, he would nut further trespass on the atten-
tion of the House, he would merely propose his Resolutions.

Sir A. GRANT said there were other Resolutions now
before the House by way of amendment.

• Mr. W. WHITSIORE was aware of that fact; but
those before the Committee were so utterly at variance with
each other, that he must persevere in pressing his own
Resolutions.

On the Resolution (Mr. Benett's) that the duty should
decrease 2s. when the price of wheat was from 625. to 675.
a quarter, strangers were ordered to withdraw; but
though we were absent for a considerable time, we under-
stood upon our return to the gallery, that no division had
taken place.
When we re-entered the gallery, we found
Mr. Secretary PEEL addressing the House. The
Right lion. Gentleman was citing extracts from the Re-
port of Mr. Jacob, showing, that wheat imported from
Dantzic into the Island of Guernsey, was sold at a very
considerable loss to the grower, although it actually was
shipped as ballast. When the duty in this country was at
265. 8,1. there were only 2,000 quarters of corn imported,
and taking the average price of the foreign cost, anti
the charges attending the shipping and other expences, to-
gether with the amount of duty, he felt satisfied, supposing
the foreign cost price to be equal to twenty-nine shillings,
that it would be impossible to inflict any serious injury
to the British grower. At such a price foreign importa-
tion would not take place ; it would be too high for the
mere speculator, and the foreign grower would not risk the
loss which he must necessarily suffer. The Committee
had the evidence of Sir Claude Scott, and Mr. Jacob, in
justification of his opinion, and for the present he felt it
unnecessary to occupy their further attention.
Mr. PORTMAN felt it necessary to offer a few words,
in order to show that if the Right Hon. Gentleman could
make out a good case as to Guernsey or Rotterdam, he
(Mr. Portman) could meet it by two more important eases
—►hose of Dantzic and of Hamburgh. The case of
Guernsey was merely an isolated case, and therefore could
not be considered to have any fair bearing on the question.
But, suppose the case of Rostock was taken as a set-uff.
There the price was only 225., which, as compared with
that of Guernsey at 275., offered no very material differ-
ence. He here begged leave to state, that he did not op-
pose the scale proposed by his Majesty's Government from
any selfish motives—(hear)—but as he really did not
think adequate protection would be afforded front the
British farmer by it, it became his duty to oppose it. If
the Dantzic wheat, bought fairly in that market for 305.,
could be brought into competition with our corn, the
British farmer would he left without protection. Even
suppose an average of four places where we had foreign
corn, he contended that the speculator would throw the
British farmer entirely out of a protecting price. Below his.
a quarter in this country there was no chance for the British
grower, as against the foreigner or the home speculator.
Now looking to Mr. Jacob's second report, he found that
corn from Mecklenburgh could be had at about 205., and
front Embden and other places at nearly similar prices.
Beside, whatever foreign corn came here must be sold, and
there again was an evil to the English farmer. The price
of corn had been for some years under 605., and if the
foreigner came into the market, the result must be perfectly
obvious. He hoped his Majesty's Government would give
him credit for the sincerity of the motives, which thus in-
duced him to come forward.—(Hear, hear.)—He had a
painful but a necessary duty to perform ; but he was pre-
pared to contend, without the fear of contradiction, that
if adequate protection was not afforded to the English
farmers, that they would be even still worse oft than they
had been in the course of the last year.
Mr. PEEL said, that even upon the evidence of Sir
Claude Scott, it appeared, that the price of wheat at Ros-
tock was nearly thirty-one shillings, and indeed, that tak-
ing the average of the different foreign ports, whence corn
was most likely to be shipped, the price would be little
short of the state amount, without including the charge
for freight or profit to the grower, or any other• incidental
expences. There was only one cargo of Pomeranian corn
which was sold at twenty-two shillings ; that was an ex-
treme case, and Sir Claude Scott further stated, that at
such a price the grower must have been a considerable
loser. So far then, it must he qtlite evident that the
English agriculturist had no just ground for serious appre-
hension.—(Cries of Question.)
Mr. PORTMAN had only recently received a commit-
nic ition front Rostock, dated in the course of last month,
front whence it appeared that the price of wheat from that
place, shipped on board (duty free) did not amount to more
than 23s.—(Hear, hear.)—That statement might be
against his general position, but it was, nevertheless, his
duty to state it fairly.
Sir W. W. WYNN, as far as we understand, expressed
himself friendly to some modified plan, between that pro-
posed last year and that of the present .
Mr. LESLIE FOSTER contended that the scale now
proposed would afford ample protection to the British agri-
culturists. He gave his full support to the present mea-
sure. They might have either too much or too little pro-
tection, and he wished that protection which would not be
liable to abuse. Between 58s. and 655. every proper pro•
tection would be afforded to the home grower. The ques-
tion lire was, at what price could foreign Corn be brought
into ttis market—even supposing there was a free trade in
Corn ? Why, the average of seven years gave about 325.
a quarter, without the demand in England, which was the
greatest customer in the world. That price of 325. was
the minimum of the price, and in fact, the whole question
of protection was one of degree.—(Cries of hear, and
question.)—lt should not be forgotten, that one great de-
ment in making the calculations of a protecting price had
been altogether lost sight of, he meant the state of demand
in this market. If there were a scarcity here, Corn would
rise in price on the Continent ; and if our harvests were
abundant here, it would be there comparatively low. It
mattered little what the price might be at Odessa or
Hamburgh at any given period. The only fair way of
estimating the importing price here would be, the average
of several years, when our harvests were neither over-
abundant, nor the reverse. Taking then that mode of
estimating the price, whence protection should commence
and end, he thought the present scale entitled to general
support.—(Cries of question.)
Mr. HUSKISSON said that the Hon. Member (Mr.
Port►nan) seemed to rely principally on the evidence of Sir
Claude Scott ; but that had already been sufficiently re-
plied to by his Right Hon. Friend (Mr. Peel), and he
would therefore say no more upon that subject. With re-
spect to the price of wheat at Mecklenburgh, they had the
evidence of Mr. Jacob to show that the average cost, for a
period of six years, was not under 255. 10d. ; and that
too of such inferior quality, that it could not come into our
market when British wheat was at 555. It might have
happened that a single cargo was sold at 225. ; but then,
he would venture to assert that it could only have been the
case when there was a glut in our market; and that while
the grower suffered a severe loss, the speculator had reason
to repent his bargain. When the price of foreign wheat
was at 295. id., then, he said, it would act as a prohibi-
tion against its import. The Hon. Member for Wilts