The Sun.
London, England, 1842-03-10 00:00:00

seemed to him to be no difference between the two.
With respect to the proposed minimum duty, it would
be a disadvantage to trade, and must endanger the
agricultural interest, by making the growers feel
security by calculating on high prices, and expose
them to ruinous competition amongst themselves.
With respect to the rests in the scale, they only. fur-
nished a premium to speculation. If the speculator
succeeded in his attempt to raise the price of corn he
diminished the duty ; if he did not succeed in that
attempt, he would not increase the duty. At 525. per
quarter as the price of corn, he would pay 18s. duty ;
if he attempted to raise the price to 555., he would
still pay about the same amount of duty, and should
he fail in his attempt, he would fall back on
the former price of 525., without having to pay a
higher duty. Was such a system strictly fair ?
It appeared to him that the principles on which the
rests in the scale were formed, was quite fortuitous.
They were assured that there was no intention what-
ever to benefit agriculture by a side wind, and that
the • addition to the places for taking the ave-
rages was not intended to lower them ; but from the
enormous change in the list of towns, there being
60 omissions and 40 additions, it was difficult to say
what would be the effect of it. For instance, he
found that London, where the largest quantity and
best of wheat was consumed, was omitted, while
Liverpool, where the poorer sort of Irish wheat was
consumed, was admitted. Then with respect to
America, they were told of their trade with
that country, and how important it was that they
should connect themselves as much as possible with
the country to which they were allied in blood
and language.—(Hear, hear.) Now, the return
laid before the House gave as the average twenty-six
or twenty-seven days for the passage from America.
Now, they woald hardly allege that such
a short time as this was sufficient to give the Ameri-
can the full benefit of the importation that could be
commanded by the countries on the Baltic. He
could see no benefit that the plan was calculated
to produce. It had discontented the agriculturist ;it
had alarmed the millers, who were complaining of
its probable effects on their trade ; it had placed
many Members of that House in a very inconvenient
position with regard to statements they had previously
made, it had anything but contented the trading and
manufacturing classes' either of employers or
employed ; and it had caused disgust and
almost despair amongst the people, as to
the probability of any legislative improvement
being carried in that House, and for that reason was
calculated to produce the most fatal consequences to
social order and social stability. All it had done
appeared to be the organising of a party in that
House, and the only person who appeared con-.
tented with it was the Right Hon. Baronet himself.
The Noble Lord concluded by moving that the Bill
should be read a second time that day six months.
Colonel THOMAS WOOD said they must
all agree that it was desirable that this question
should be settled on the soundest principles.
The difficulty was to determine what were the
soundest principles, and he thought that that
question had become more obscure than ever.
It was impossible to deal with abstract theory on this
question ; all they could do was to adopt the most
practicable measure which was offered to them, and
that he maintained to be the measure now offered by
her Majesty's Government. When the measure was
first proposed, he confessed that he felt in some degree
disappointed, for he had expected to see a measure
less prohibitory in its character. (Hear, hear.)
Subsequent examination of the measure and
of the returns upon which it was grounded
had induced him to form a more favourable
opinion of it than he at first entertained. Th.t
conversation which he had had with men practi-
cally engaged in the trade of corn, induced him
to believe that under the proposed measure a
very considerable trade might be carried on,
and that in seasons of dearth it would provide for a
greater. supply for the immediate wants of the
country than could be afforded under the,
old system. In that view of the measure, he had
been confirmed by a speech, which was addressed to
the House by a practical man, engaged in
the corn trade. That Honourable Member
alleged that in ordinary years a considerable quan-
tity of corn would be introduced to this coun-
try when the price reached 565., at a duty of 165.,
and at a moderate rate of profit, at 3s. or 4s.
a quarter, and that in seasons of deficiency, when the
price had increased to 735. and the duty was Is.
the, great majority of importations would come into
the market at a duty of Os. ; thereby prevent-
ing those unfortunate enhancements of price
under which the people had been suffering of late
years, diminishing the inconveniences which had been
felt in the currency, and affording increased supplies.
to the wants of the people. If these advantages
accrued from the measure he thought they would have
reason to be grateful to her Majesty's Government.
Taunts had been thrown out that Gentlemen on that
(the Tory) side of the House had deserted the
landholders, to whom they had always held out
hopes of protection.—(" Hear," from the Opposition.)
Those taunts were totally without foundation—Min-
isterial cheers)—and he would ask the House to take
a retrospective view of the progress of this
question up to the present time.—(Hear.) Let
them look to what had occurred in the last year.
It was affirmed indeed, that the late Government was
thrown out upon this question. It was no such thing.
The Noble Lord, the Member for Sunderland, defeated
the Government by a majority of five. They were
defeated on the Irish Registration Bill, butthey strug-
gled feebly on, and at length brought in the important
measure of the Import Duties, which certainly in-
cluded the Corn-laws. When they were defeated on
that, they went to the country. The agri-
culturists bestirred themselves—(Opposition cheers)—
and they showed that the country had no confidence
in the Government. But then followed the
bad weather in harvest time ; then came the distress
and high prices of corn, when they were 1,500,000
quarters of corn in the country, of which not a quar-
ter could get into the market.—(Opposition cheers.)
Then the present Government proposed this altera-
tion, in which he was convinced they did wisely,
and, in fact, no Government could carry on the Admi-
nistration without a practical remedy for the great evil,
for it was a great evil that so much corn should be in
bond *hilst distress prevailed.—(Reneweld cheers
from the Opposition.) The present measure would
remedy the evil.—(Cries of " Oh, oh," and cheers.)
He would take this, the first measure of
the Right Honourable Baronet's Administration
as an omen of his success, and he hoped his other
measures would be like this, practical remedies
for the evils to which they were applied. He
was sure the people of the country would be
as convinced as he was that he was desirous
to promote the-welfare of the nation, and they
would rally round and support him.
He hoped that the Right Hon. Baronet would in-
scribe his own name on the imperishable annals of his
country.--(Hear, hear.)
Captain VIVIAN said that he rejoiced to
perceive, by the preceding debates, that the
present was not looked • upon as likely to
be a final measure. He thought the Noble Lord had
shown that the present could not be a final measure, and
that it would not relieve the distress of the country.
The great argument of Hon. Gentlemen opposite was,
that the distress of the country was not owing to
the Corn-laws, but to machinery and over-production.
But if that were even so the true remedy was to
extend their markets, and augment their commerce.
—(Hear, hear.) The Noble Lord had shown in his
speech the extent of country in America
capable of supplying all their wants, and all they
required in return was that they may be allowed to
take our manufactures. The argument was unan-
swered, and it appeared to him to be a strong argu-
ment in favour of a fixed duty. If the manufacturers
were destroyed the very first result would be that
the agriculturists would fall in immediately after.
Mr. BLACK STONE would vote for the amend-
ment of the Noble Lord, not because he was'in favour
of a fixed duty, but because he did not think the mea-
sure of the Right Hon. Baronet gave sufficient pro-
tection to agriculture. He before voted against a
fixed duty, and he would now vote against the
measure of the Right Honourable Baronet, because
it did not give sufficient protection.—(Hear, hear.)
He was astonished to hear the speech of the Hon.
and Gallant Member for Middlesex. That Hon. and
Gallant Member had stated that the late Government
had not been defeated on the Corn-law question, but
on the Irish Registration Bill. He (Mr. Black-
stone) was astonished to hear the lion. and Gallant
Member make that statement. He (Mr. Blackstone) had
recently come from the hustings, and had never
heard the Irish Registration Bill mentioned at his
election. lie had been returned to that House because
he supported measures for the protection of the British
farmer. Several county Members had spoken on the
subject of the Government measure, and all, with the
solitary exception of the Hon. Member for Middle-
sex,
had expressed their trepidation and alarm at
the measure.—(Hear.) He felt he was justified in
viewing it with alarm, and in giving his opposition to
it.—(Cheers from the Opposition). The Right Hon.
Baronet, in introducing this measure, had stated
that great distress existed in the manufacturing
districts but at the same time, he had
stated that he did not propose this measure
with the hope of its leading to the ame-
lioration of that distress .—(Hear, hear.) 'Had it
been brought forward with that hope, he (Mr. B.)
might have been induced to strain a point to support
it, and out of doors the agriculturists were at a loss to
understand why the measure had been brought for-
ward, if it was not to alleviate the distresses of the
country. At all events the measure had not met with
the support of Hon. Gentlemen opposite. It had not
conciliated opposition, and, as a proof of the paucity of
support it had met with out of doors, he would mention
the fact, that only five petitions, with 510 signatures,
had been presented in support of the Government mea-
sure.—(Hear, bear.) It received no support from the