The Sun.
London, England, 1827-06-19 00:00:00

were made the subject of an amendment, which not
merely went to rescind what we had enacted, but to intro-
duce principles, that, besides being new; itete posi-
tively contrary to what we had determined to/ be neces-
sary. Let theelioneess theenselves feel • thii as they
may. If there be shinse' in itelheyavill not 'submit to it.
—(Hear, hear.)--While, however, on one hand, I should
say that we ought not to submit to change-our opinions,
and to abandon our own principles without being satisfied
that we were mistaken, yet I should most sincerely wish,
on the other hand, that the Bill I• now propose to pass
; should he as little liable as possible to any objections that
may throw impediments in the way of its being passed. I
should, therefore, lay down as a rule to guide us in framing
a new Bill, that it should not, if possible, run counter to
any thing which we have reason to believe will occasion its
loss in another place. While, therefore, on the one hand,
I do not wish that we should yield one tittle of our ptivi-
leges, so, on the other, I am not desirous that this period
of the Session should pass without enacting a measure thit
may produce some practical good. That such a measure should
be perfect is more than can possibly be expected ; but some-
thing is necessary to be done at once, and time enough will
then remain fully to consider the alterations that may after-
' wards be deemed necessary. The first rule, therefore, which I
would adopt, should he to do nothing that may ensure con-
tradiction elsewhere ; and, secondly, that we should do nu
more than is absolutely necessary at the present moment,
since after that which has passed here and in the other
House of Parliament, every body must be satisfied, that
in the next Session the whole subject must be fully re-
considered. The third rule I would establish is, that con-
ceding every thing that may fairly be required from us, wh
should begin with spirit whatever we intend to do, and rule
should frame our Bill on those principles which have been
concurred in here, and on which we have legislated. Now,
as far as we have the means of knowing, the principles
of the Bill we have already passed have not been touch's
ed. Indeed that Bill, when it was discussed in the other•
House upon principle, passed its second reading by a large
majority. The immediate evil against which we have to
provide is, the alarm that the loss of the Bill has occasioned
—an alarm which, if the statements of some Hon. Gentle-
men are not exaggerated, must he very considerable. If
the alarm is not great now, I trust most sincerely that the
minds of men will not become more excited, and at least
that the amount of evil may not be exaggerated. I know
that it• alarm does at present exist, we have great reason to
fear that it may he made the subject of exaggeration; for
the period at which such an alarm is likely to he the
greatest, is between the present time and that of the com-
ing in of the following harvest; in other words, between
the expenditure of the stock in hand, and the period of oh.
taming the new supply. At this moment lam happy
to say, that from all the accounts we have received, there
is every reason to believe that no ground for alarm exists;
for the harvest promises to be most abundant ; hut;
notwithstanding this, I understand there is an apprea
hension that the failure of the Bill which lately passed
this House may create an alarm which may be much
exaggerated, if the report should be spread abroad that
nothing is intended to be done by the Parliament.—
Now it does so happen, that 'hy the natural operation of
the Bill (for the minds of men were, in some degree, pre-
pared to expect that it would pass into a law), a great
quantity of foreign corn has been introduced into the coun-
try, and there are, at this moment, about 560,000 qrs.
of foreign corn in the ports of England. As these have
been brought hither on the expectation that their importa-
tion would be sanctioned by law, something must be done:
with them ; and as the principle of the Bill that passed
this House has not been impeached in the other House of
Parliament, I feel no hesitation in making a proposition on
the subject. I propose, then, that these 560,000 qrs. of
foreign corn, now in bond in this country, should be let
out, not by an Act of the Government (for• greatly as the
Honourable Gentleman fears the exercise of such a power
on the part of the Government, I assure him that he is
not more unwilling to confer such a power than we are to
exercise it), but that they should come out under the pro-
visions of the Bill now before the House. To that part
of the Bill there was no objection in the other House of
Parliament; and therefore it is that I now propose, that
the quantity of corn now in warehouse in this country, or.
which may be brought into warehouse here before the Ist
day of July, shall be allowed to come out, under the
restrictions and regulations, both with respect to price
and duty, as would have keen in existence, had the Bill
which passed this House assumed the authority of a law.—
To that purpose, at least, the Bill may be supposed to have
passed into a law, since that part of its provisions was not
objected to in the other House. The point which impeded
the passing of the Bill was quite of another description.
At the same time I believe, that with respect to time regula-
tions on which foreign corn was to have been imported
hereafter, an Amendment was proposed and negatived. I
state this with the view of sheaving, that in what I propose
we should do with reference to bonded corn, we shall not
be running the risk of engaging in a conflict with the other
House—a conflict which I should extreme!), deprecate.—
The only point to which I now wish to allude, is with re-
ference to another species of corn, very small in its amount,
but with respect to the importation of which there are pe-
culiar circumstances of favour—l mean the corn of Ca-
nada, for the shipping of which preparations have al-
ready been made, and for which bills have been trans-
mitted here on the faith that such corn might legally
be imported. This is the only proposition which, under
present circumstances, the Government think proper to
submit to the House. My first proposition is, to let
loose the corn now in bond by the operation of the prin-
ciples of the Bill itself ; and then to let in, tin-
der the same restrictions, the corn of Canada, which has
been shipped on the faith of the Bill. To neither of those
parts of the Bill was the smallest objection made in the
House of Lords, and the amendment which lost the
Bill, was, as far as I understand the matter, one which
did not touch them in the least. In proposing them, Sir,
for the consideration of this Committee, I am therefore
doing that which will not bring us within the risk of
a conflict with the other House, since the principles on
which I now wish to act are those that met with no ob-
jection, and were in fact adopted from us. This Act of
legislation is, however, hut temporary in its nature, as I
propose it shall last no longer than the Ist of May in the
following year. I shall do this for the purpose of insuring
the early attention of Parliament to a subject which I can-
not but consider of vital importance to the country. It is
my earnest wish that the first act of the Legislature, in the
ensuing year, shall be to reconsider the Act of the present
Session ; and by the experience we shall then have had, I
think we shall possess the fullest and best means of en-
tering on that re-considerations Between the Honourable
Gentleman and myself there is a wide practical differ..
ence. I propose, that in case of emergency, a quantity
of foreign corn, to a limited extent, shall be admitted
into the market here. I say to a limited extent, because
I have no desire to alarm the agriculturists ; and
I, therefore, limit the extent of corn thus to he
rendered admissable, to that which is now in warehouse in
this country, or• which may have been shipped on the faith
of the Bill that has passed this House. The price at which
I propose it shall be admissible is sixty shillings ; and I
adopt the scale of price and the scale of duty from that Bill,
the principle of which was not opposed in the House
of Lords ; but I restrict the operation of that principle, by
confining it entirely to that corn which is now in bond
here, or which has been shipped from Canada, and for
which bills have been drawn and accepted. The Hon.
Gentleman, on the contrary, proposes to get rid of the
principle of the Bill passed in this House in the present
Session, and to treat it as if every part of it had been re-
jected in the other House, resorting to 70s. as the mininuein
price at which the people of England are to be relieved
from the pressure of the high price of corn, by the impor-
tation of foreign grain. The practical difference, there-
fore, between the Hon. Gentleman and myself is con -
siderahle ; and I confess that 1 do not think the House can
hesitate in agreeing with me that the proposition I have
submitted is that which ought to be adopted. I do not
think the Hon. Gentleman will find the circumstances of
the times are such, that his measure, even if it should now
be carried, will be conceived to be one which ought to he
fastened permanently on the country. All I ask is, that
Parliament should meet a present, or, at least, a probably
approaching evil, reserving to itself the full right of dis-
cussion upon the framing of a permanent measure, which,
for the honour of this Parliament, and fin• the advantage
of the people of this country, I trust may pass into a law,
and be finally settled in the next Session. I have now,
Sir, only to move, " That it is the opinion of this Com-
mittee that every sort of foreign corn, grain, meal, or
flour, now warehoused in the United Kingdom, or which
i may be reported for warehousing before the Ist of July
next, shall he admitted into the home market for consump-
tion before and until the Ist of May, IS2S, on payment of
the duties following." The duties I propose are those which
would have been payable had our Bill passed into a law.
Mr. PEEL said, that the only circumstance under
which he could be induced to give his vote in favour of
the proposition of the Honourable Gentleman, would have
been the belief that it was the determination of the Go-
vernment not to introduce any other measure to the notice
of Parliament during the present Session. Had that been
the case, he should have considered the proposition of the
Honourable Gentleman was one which was calculated to
• amend a great blot in the existing system of the law ; and
• although he was not satisfied with it, and although he
believed that it went to establish a principle which ought
not to be established, he should- have preferred it-.to .the