The Sun.
London, England, 1829-01-09 00:00:00

Against the principle, that the industry of a
people ought not to he employed in the produc-
tion of that which they can obtain in exchange for a
less quantity oflabour, employed in the production
of other commodities, various arguments have
been urged in.the case of Corn. One argument
confidently used for a long time was, that, with
respect to the all-important article of food, no
nation ought to he dependent for any part of its
supply on others, and that, therefore, a wise
nation ought to sacrifice something for the sake
of security. But this argument was met by
another, that the supply of food, from the
variableness of seasons, would at One time be
so much above the demand as to glut the markets,
and at another so much below the demand as to
expose the poor to much suffering ; and that the
best way to ensure a regularity of supply, would
be to extend the range whence the supply should
be derived. Thus, for instance, before our land
and water communications were so perfect as
they now are, in one part of the country corn
would be scarce and dear, while in another it
was abundant and cheap, whereas now corn
varies little in price throughout the United
Kingdom. But it sometimes happens that the
crop is deficient throughout a whole country. It
never, however, happens, that in all countries
there is a deficiency ; and if we consider the
capabilities of America and Europe, and the
facilities of conveyance which we possess, we
may be assured that the equalization of supply
will always be best secured by freedom of trade.
In an article in the Quarterly Review, in
March last, an endeavour was made to show
that the idea of obtaining supplies from abroad
in case of deficiencies at home was an illusion, as
where there was a scarcity in one country there
was almost always a scarcity in all. "It thus
appears," says the writer, " that in nine instances
nut of ten, the character of the seasons is,
throughout the greater part of Europe, very
nearly uniform ; and we take it to be the in-
evitable consequence that the habitual importa-
tion of foreign corn, instead of tending to
render prices steady in the importing country,
would inevitably increase the extremes of the
scale on which prices now range and vary." The
Reviewer, in a note, supports his views by a
quotation from Mr. Lowe—" The public (says
Mr. Lowe), particularly the untravelled part of
the public, are hardly aware of the similarity of
temperature prevailing throughout what may be
called the corn country of Europe—we Mean
Great Britain, Ireland, the north of France, the
Netherlands, Denmark, the north-west of Ger-
many, and in some measure Poland, and the
north-east of Germans'. All this tract is situated
between the 45th and 55th degrees of latitude,
and subject, in a considerable degree, to the pre
valence of similar winds. Neither the supera-
bundance of raiM, which we experience in one
Eummer, nor its deficiency in another, are by any
means confined to Great Britain and Ireland ;
while in winter, both the intensity and duration
of frost are always greater on the Continent."
One of the hest arguments against this doc-
trine is to be found in the fact, that at this mo-
ment England is receiving large supplies from
Spain, among other countries. We have before
us a letter to an eminent merchant in London,
from his Correspondents at Malaga, dated 17th
December, in which they write : " The arrivals
of wheat by land are about 600 quarters per
day, but not sufficient for the demands for Va-
lencia, Catalonia, France, and Italy, as well as
for England. Six or eight cargoes are ready to
leave for the latter country." In another letter,
dated Vittoria, 28th December, it is said :
Orders given just now could not be executed ;
that is, brought to Bilboa and Santander, and
cleared before the Ist or perhaps 10th of Feb.
The Government, so far from prohibiting, would
push the exportation to the greatest possible
length, in order to rid the farmers of the surplus
of wheat, which has been accumulating in the
interior the last five years. I mentioned in one
of my letters, that the = Campos of Castile' alone
were estimated to furnish six millions of fanegas,
or one million two hundred thousand quarters ;
and that without rising the price above twenty.
oae or twenty-two reals per fanega. This is, in
fact, the price, varying according to quality, from
18 to 23 ; and notwithstanding the extraordinary
demand, the holders have not been able to get it
raised higher. This leaves all the country around
Burgos, Brivesca, &c. &c. untouched, and it is
from these points that Bilboa ;rag drawn the
greatest part of its .tipplies. . . . . • At
Truxillo wheat is still at 14s. per quarter, and at
Salamanca from 14s. to 16a."
Thus, without going out of Europe, we find
the possibility of supplies not opposed by iden-
tity of seasons. " Spain, it is said, has enough
of wheat in the interior for four or five Years'
consumption." (This, however, seems to be an
exaggeration.) The difficulty proceeds from
another cause—the defective roads and convey-
ances. For instance, it 12 stated that " the
transport from the interior is so difficult from
the want of carts, that the highest estimate I
have seen of the quantity which can be delivered
in the whole ports of the North of Spain, in
twelve months, does not reach 800,000 quarters,
and that is probably exaggerated."
The effect of the demand, however, is to fa-
cilitate supply. A stimulus is given by a de-
mand like the present which rouses the natives,
and ingenuity is tasked to overcome difficulties.
A demand, on the other hand, is created for
the productions of foreign industry. The agri-
cultural produce imported into England now
may he paid for directly in money, but that
money is obtained in exchange for the produce
of British industry ; and if the foreign agricultu-
rist do not immediately purchase from us, he
e7ablaaa others to increase their purchases from
us. The good of commerce is, that it enriches
all parties, the benefits being reciprocal. Corn,
when beyond the domestic want, is of no value ;
exported to anoth,9' country, where it is wanted,
it is of value ; the iroe or cottons exported to
pay for it are more valuable in the countries re-
ceiving them than the corn. Would that Go-
vernments could leave things to find their level!

On Tuesday morning, about seven o'clock, a
desperate robbery was censmitted in the house 44 a widow
lady, named Smith, who resides in the vicinity of Cazden
Chapel, Peckham-road, in the following manner :—One
of the female servants hearing a tap at the back door, and
believing it to be a coachman living with a gentleman at
the neat house, who is occasionally in the habit of fetch-
ing a light in a morning, inquired whether it was Charles
or not—the coachman's name A voice immediately re-
plied "It is." She then opened the door, and an elderly
man entered, saying, in a determined manner, "Money I
want, end money I'll have." The servant, much alarmed,
" I have none." The villain then drew a pistol
f,Olll his breast, and, presenting it, said, " Give me your
money, or I will shoot you." She p•ut hat hand into her
pocket, and gave him ad she possessed, a sover,!;gr,i and six
abilliags and sixpence with which be went oti.