The Sun.
London, England, 1842-02-05 00:00:00

-`•
MORNING SUN

PROPOSED CORN-LAW PLAN.
We understand that the principle upon which
the present Government will proceed, in modify-
ing the present Corn-law, is that of obtaining,
with as little disturbance of the general system
:
as possible, that additional supply- of bread corn
from abroad Which has been required for some
years past, and is likely to be required in future
years.
The fact, therefore, is assumed that this coun-
try does require some assistance from foreign
countries, or from our own colonies, to provide
the requisite supply of food. It probably will
• not be denied that the country might be so culti-
vated as to produce all and more than we want.
-But it is not easy to change the habits of a people
in respect to the employment and cultivation of
land. So fares remunerating price tends to pro-
duce sufficient cultivation it is deemed that the
policy of the country has gone far enough ; and
it is, we believe, also held that the protecting
- and encouraging law of 1828 goes further now
than it: was- intended to go at that time; because,
in.peint of fact, a given amount of corn can now
be raised in England at a less expense than it
in IS-28.
Looking then, not to what is possible from the
capabilities of the soil, end the efforts of expen-
sive cultivation, but to what is likely, from the
general course and concurrence of events, Minis-
ters deem that we shall continue to import from
abroad a not very inconsiderable portion of bread
corn. The object is to obtain this portion at as
little-charge to the British consumer as may be
compatible with fitir attention to the interests of
the British producer.
We have no doubt that the Minister will be
very we'] prepared with statistical facts for the
establishment of his proposition, that we have
required for wally years past sonic additional
supply of corn beyond our. home growth, and
that the average demand upon external sources
has been, for the last thirty years, gradually in-
creasing. During this time there have undoubtedly
occurredseasons, and now and then several conse-
cutive seasons, in which the home supply has
been ample; but we believe that, if periods of
seven or ten years are taken, it turns out that in
each such period, for the last thirty years, some
external supply has been found necessary, and that
in each successive period that external supply
has increased.
It is notorious that in the last ten years, which
comprehends several years of abundant, and se-
veral years of scanty, harvests, the supply from
abroad has averaged something near a million
quarters a year. It is somewhere between nine
hundred thousand and a million.
Now, if it should appear that in corresponding
periods, going back some twenty or thirty years
further, a supply from abroad has been also re-
quired, but less in proportion as the population
was less, it will, perhaps, be admitted as a fair
conclusion, that time Government ought to cal-
culate upon a future supply being necessary from
abroad, not only equal to what has been obtained
in the last ten years, but rather more.
NVe have heard that inquiries have been insti-
tuted as to the increase of the growth of wheat
from the soil of the United Kingdom. These in-
quiries have been quite distinct from any exami-
nation of the theoretical question whether more
might have been or might be grown. We un-
derstand they have related to the plain fact of
what has happened under the existing system of
protection. And from the modifications of
the scale which are to be proposed, we conclude
the result of those inquiries to be, that there is
not any existing practical reason for supposing
that a sufficiently increased supply may be
looked for from our own cultivation.
We have, indeed, heard that in sonic parts of
the United Kingdom, from which the public ge-
nerally suppose that a gradually increasing sup-
ply is actually obtained, the contrary turns out-
to be the fact. The evidence upon this point
may be imperfect, but we are sure that, in the
examinations set on foot regarding so important
a matter, the present Government has taken
the utmost pains to arrive at accurate results.
Supposing- it, then, ascertained that, accord-
ing to all practical likelihood, this country will
• continue to require upon an average of years
some additional supply of corn from abroad,
the next point is, how that supply may be most
safely and advantageously brought into this
country . Now, upon this point, we believe, the
opinion of the government to be, that the most
favourable mode of admission is that which is
most gradual,- and most equally distributed over
the whole of the year; and that the least favour-
able mode is that of bringing a large quantity
suddenly upon the market, more especially it
it be likely to happen about the same period of '
the year et which the largest quantity is gene-
Tally sold by the flirmers to dealers in the country
markets.
The question then arises whether,-in the prac-
tical working of the present scale, the desidera-
lam of a gradual supply is as nearly attained as it
may be, or is not ? We understand that expe-
rience shows that it is not attained by the present
scale, but that, on the contrary, the interest of
the British producer is frequently injured, not so
much by the introduction of an additional sup-
ply—for that is absolutely necessary to meet the
demand—as by the introduction of it Ma large
lump, contrary to the ordinary course of eircum-
.stainces which govern the home supply.
We are assured that none but those who have
given much attention to the subject, can estimate
the serik:uslY unfavourable effect upon the inte-
rests of the; corn-producing trade, which is pro-
duced by the sudden influx of large quantities of
corn—not more than necessary for the wants of
the country
if the whole year be taken into ac-
count—but far more than the natural demand of
the markets at the time requires.
It appears that the state of the scale, applied
to the prices between 675. and 735. the quarter-
for wheat, is found to produce this sudden im-
port, and to work directly against the gradualness
of the suoly. And wnether the scale of duties
from one .ent.! to the other were altered or not,
still it would be expedient to alter that part of
the scale which hoiJe OZ. so large a temptation
to withhold foreign corn wile': it begins to he re-
quired, and then to pour it in in large quantities
when the necessities of the country, are very
little, if anything, increased.
Even though we look at prices with the same
views of the cost of production which were justly
held in IS'2B, we must allow that, when the com-
bined operations of supply anddemand bring the
price to 6.55., some addition to the supply would
be,advantageous to the public, and quite consist-.
lent with fair attenth at to the interests of the home
producer. But, in the present scale, so rapidly.
(Ides the duty diminish when. th e. price goes above
that, by waiting and straitening the supply
so as to raise wheat 6s. or is. more, a difference
oaf three times the amount is made to the seller
lbreign corn. He, therefore, exerts. all his
power of capital and of credit to hold over,: and,
when he has achieved his point, being anxious to
realise' his profit, he pours the foreign commodity •
all at once upon the market- Then the price
soon falls, and time home producer•gets far less
than he would have got if no artificial augmen-
tation of-the supply beyond the natural demand
had taken place.
It is, therefore, the opinion of the Government
that the interests of the public generally, and of
the British producers of corn fully as much as
any other portion of the public, would be pro-
moted by Making such a change in the scale as
might seem likely to remove the temptation to
"hold back the foreign supply after it is really
wanted, and. then to pour it in in larger quantity
than is really wanted.
Another great matter to be attended to is the
mode of taking the averages; but this involves
separate considerations and additional details,
into which our space does not permit us at present
to enter. The object of the Government, how-.
ever, is to. obtain such averages as shall be a re-
cord of the truth—such averages as will show at
what price the corn actually bought, andbrought
into consumption, has sold for in the British
mark ets —Me re/Jig Post.

The Speaker of the House of Commons corn-
suttees his Parliamentary dinners this day week, at his
lesiitenee in Eaton-square, and, as usual, they will continue
every Saturday until Easter.
HE HOP TRADE•—The following is from an
opulent and respected agriculturist, and confirms, we
believe; the experience of most of our farmers and the
public in general. Appended to an invoice of 19 pockets
of hops sold at 110 s., is the following letter from the
factor employed to effect the sale:—
"' Sir,— \\ e could do no better for.you. We are quite
.convinced we shall have no improvement in the value of
ilopS this tpring. The working classes are not half
employed neither have they been the last two months;
eonsequenty therf is but little demand either for:Hops
or Malt. The consumption of beer is very limited, and
will be until trade reviN es in the populous districts.

" 1.20 th, 1842."

Our correspondent adds :
Al In November last Sussex Hops were at
vfib 16s: after the
crop v - gathered; and from the shortness of the vield
hve ol
previous bieous hia.'t' stock
it wag confidently expected thatt
iiti tle;yt
before ex:other crop Could be got
being contpletely exhausted; but owing,to the depression
of trade and manufactures, as suggested in the above
fitctors' letter, the Sussex llop:•,;Towers are again doomed
to suffer disapointment. This is another illustration of
the injury. done to agriculture by a system which checks
our manufacturing and Commercial industry and enter-
rie- W,ithout ;pTo per'pus'eustomers the farmer cannot
It.THlToits f /wolf."
.i. ne pnee 'd • ~r.,r .
Barley, ev so
ift w, Z ~..i (roe Milt, and consequently' of
thud, lessomsz: ...it. farmer; that it not even, safe,
Briyhton C.,idiriqu_ '' . ;the manufactuaing classes.--
yr,