The Sun.
London, England, 1827-04-07 00:00:00

CORN DUTIES' BILL.

Mr. C. GRANT moved, that the House resolve itsel
into a Committee on the above Bill.

On the question, " That the SPEAKER do now leave the
Chair,"

Sir T. LETHBRIDGE, though be had at one time re-
solved to bring forward his motion, relative to the forma-
tion of a Ministry this evening, vet would now rather pur-
sue that course which his mind had since suggested to
him. He had now determined to withdraw his notice—
reserving to himself the right, at no distant time, to bring
it forward.—(Laughter.)
Mr. CURTEIS • then proceeded to speak on the corn
bill ; but the noise in the House prevented us from col-
lecting his observations. We understood him to request a
postponement of the Committee.

Mr. C. GRANT could not consent to such an arrange-
ment.

Mr. E. D. DAVENPORT said, the measure itself had
his unqualified approbation ; no candid man could fail to re-
cognise in the principle 'of the Bill, a salutary, though
somewhat tardy, wish to mediate between conflicting in-
terests. He concluded by submitting a table, containing
the price of wheat, compared with the total computed
amount of Our currency during the last nine years, whereby
it will be found that their variations sympathise as nearly
as possible :-...

Years.
1818
1819
1820
1821
1822
1823
18210
1825
1826

Wheat.
84
73
65
54
43
52

Millions aggregate
Currency.
46
42
38
34

35
39
42
36

The Greenwich Hospital Contracts Returns takly with
the above exactly, with one very slight exception.
Sir C. COLE expressed himself dissatisfied with the
measure before the House.—(Hear,)
Mr. BIRCH thought it desirable that it should be clearly
understood whether or not the warehousing system would
be 7applicable to corn
_under the proposed measure; for
unless that were the case, it would, in his opinion, be per-
fectly nugatory.

The House having resolved itself itself into a Committee,

Mr. C. GRANT said, that the second clause of the Bill
showed that the warehousing system would apply to corn,
and it would have done so without the intervention of the
bill, under the general law of the land. As some miscon-
ception might arise from the nse of the phrase " imported
or entered" in the second clause, he proposed to omit the
words " imported or." He therefore moved that those
Words be left out.

Colonel WOOD.wished to knQw whether the duty on
warehoused corn was to he levied according to the price in
the borne market at the time when it was entered, or ac-
cording_ to the price at the time it was brought out for

oonsuraption. •
Mr. C. GRANT said that the duty would be levied ac-
cording to the price in the home market, at the time when

the corn should be brought out of the Iv arehouse for con.

sumption. This was the course observed with respect to
sugar, an article which, like corn, was subject to a fluc-
tuating duty. The same principle was recognised in the
great Corn Act of 1773. It was there enacted, that
foreign grain and flour should be admitted into warehouse
without payment of duty, there to remain until the im-
porter chose to bring it into the home market, when it
should be charged with the duty payable according to the
price of the market at that time. The duty then was fixed
at 16s. per quarter up to 60s. beyond which it was only 6d.
Colonel WOOD was of opinion that the present mea-
sure did not afford sufficient protection to the landed
interest.

Lord ALTHORP deprecated the establishment of a pro-
hibition so near that point which was considered as the
average remunerating price. He thought it likely to do
great mischief in the way of encouraging jobbing or fraudu-
lent speculation.

Alter a few words from Sir J. NEwroar, Mr. C.
GRANT, Mr. IC. CALVERT, and the CHANCELLOR of the
EXCHEQUER, the amendment was negatived without a

d: vision.

Sir E. KNATCHBULL then wished his proposition to
stand thus—that the duty taken on all foreign corn should
be estimated by the amount of the home price at the time
of its importation, and not at the time when it might he
taken out of bond and brought into the market. With a
proviso, that the duty so levied should never he more than
20s. a quarter ; and that the duty should not be actually
paid until the time when the corn was taken out of bond.
The effect of the law otherwise, as it was brought for-
ward originally, was to give an advantage wholly unrea-
sonable to the speculators in foreign corn, who held their
grain in bond. If they imported when the price was 60s.
the duty immediately chargeable to them, if they carried
their corn to market, was 20s. a quarter. But if they
held back, and the price rose to 655., then, while the home
agriculturist gained an advance of ss. a quarter on his
commodity, the foreign speculator gained an advance of
155., for he gained ss. upon the advance of corn in price
from 60s. to 655., and 1 Os. more upon the diminished
amount which he had to pay in duty.
Mr. WARBURTON said, that his proposal of a fixed
duty had been constantly objected to, upon the ground
that, in a time of scarcity, no fixed duty could ever be
maintained. Now the amendment of the Hon. Member
for Kent (Sir E. Kuatchbull) invcl'ed a fixed duty of a
peculiarly oppressive description. It was possible that
corn might he at 80s. or 100 s. in the home market, and
yet 20s. duty would be charged on the letting into the
market of foreign corn, because that corn had been im-
ported when the price was 60s.

The discussion was continued upon the warehousing
clause by Mr. C. GRANT, Mr. BANK ES, Mr. IRyiNG,
Mr. MoNeK, Mr. Frnaussox, Sir E. KNArcuauar., Mr.
BARING, and Mr. LITTLETON•
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, that
any successful opposition to the warehousing system would
be to throw the profits of freighting and warehousing grain
into the hands of the Prussians and the Dutch, without re-
moving to any effective distance from onr shores those dan-
gers of competition which were so much dreaded by the
agricultural interest.
Sir EDWARD KNATCHBULL, as we naderstood, then
withdrew his amendment, and the original clause was
agreed to.
The CH AIRMAN then put the clause "That the average
prices of all British corn, by which the rate and amount of
the said duties shall he regulated, shall be made up and
computed on Thursday in each and every week."
Lord ALTHORP moved, as an amendment, that the
averages should be made up every three weeks imitead of
every week.
After a few words from Sir T. Acict,ANo, Mr. S. Rick,
Mr. Basraan, and Mr. C. GRANT,
Lord ALTH withdrew his amendment.
Mr. G. GRANT proposed clause to the effect, that
in all eases where British vessels should be subject by
foreign nations to a heavier duty than the vessels of such
nation, bringing goods to this country, were liable to here,
ORP
his Majesty, with the advice of the Privy Council, shall
have the power of prohibiting the importation of Corn, &c.from such nation, and to revoke, alter, or renew such prohi-
bition from time to lira&
Air. HUME objected to the clause.
-Mr. C. P. THOMSON objected moss strongly to the
introduction of this clause.
A desultory conversation ensued, iu which Sir R. 'Wu,
50N, Mr. CURTEIS, Sir H. PARIMLL, Mr. fizasus, and