The Sun.
London, England, 1842-07-12 00:00:00

fluctuation would do more evil and prevent more good than the
maintenance of the present law, even if all the evils charged
neon it were true. He did not think, with some Noble Lords,
that the evils under which the country was labouring weae
mainly ittribtitable to the Corn-laws. Believing that the ap-
pointment of the proposed Committee would be attended with
tto good, but with evil, he could not give his vote for the motion
of his Noble Friend.
Earl RADNOR would vote for the motion of the Noble
Lorde believing the course he had pointed out was the only
one to pursue.--( Hear, hear.) The state of the country was
calamitous in the extreme ; revery day they were getting
worse, and it therefore behoved Parliament to do something.
None of the measures that had been introduced by the Govern-
ment had done any good—neither the Corn-law, the Income-
tax, nor the Teri/. As to the Tariff, of which so much had
been said, he believed that, instead of good, evil would arise
from it. In this state of things, was Parliament to do
nothing ?—( Hear, hear.) He thought the course pursued
by his Noble Friend would be productive of great
good, and he should, therefore, give it his hearty support.
The expectation of a revival of trade had failed altogether. It
was expected that the spring trade would be brisk, but they
had now got into the middle of summer and no change had
taken place ; on the contrary, the distress was getting greater
amtgreater every day. The Noble Earl said that this was not
attributable to the Corn-laws. But these foolish manufacturers,
as they were called, had informed his •• foolish" Noble and
Learned Friend that they had evidence that such was the case.
flew, then, could they refuse them an inquiry ? In 1626 ills-
tram existed in the country, and a Bill was passed empowering
the Council, in case the distress continued alter-the prorogation
of Parliament, to admit foreign corn in bond free far home
consumption. Air. Canning, on that occasion, read a letter to
the House of Commons which he had received from Liverpool,
in which it was stated that when the news arrived in Liverpool
that such a measure was passed, cotton rose sd. a pound, and
there were no sellers. The markets became at once brisk.—
( Cheers.) It was well known that distress was so great that
people were dying from starvation. Under these circumstances
he, for one, should support the motion.—( Hear, hear. )
'Lord W HARNCLEFFF. said that when they talked of re-
pealing the Corn-laws they must recollect that there were
other interests to be considered besides the manufacturing.
N they repealed the Corn-laws, and it gave no relief to the
manufacturing districts, the present distress would be much
aggravated by the distress which the repeal of the Corn-laws
would cause to the agricultural labour. With respect to the
new Corn Bill, he thought that a period of eight weeks was not
long enough to prove the Bill. If they were to show a dis-
position to repeal a law which they had passed only eight weeks
before, they would be considerably augmenting the distress
instead of relieving it.
Lord BROUG ti AM replied. He did not mean to impute
thicireheadedness and stupidity to the agriculturists as Lord J.
Russell had done Ile (Lord B.) had not at all been shaken by
-what had been said by the Noble Earl and the Node Viscount.
It was said that this motion was directed against the Corn-
laws alone. This he denied. if it were admitted that the
distress was not caused by a bad system, legislative and com-
mercial, then they might say that that motion was against the
Corn-laws alone.—(Cheers.) He approved of the change, as
it was called, which had been made in what was called the
tariff, and he only wished it went further. For the reason that
he would repeal the Corn-laws he would also repeal other re-
strictions u?on articles which cramped the trade of the country.
—( Hear, hear.) Therefore, he denied that the debate was on
the Corn-laws, and he denied that the inquiry was upon the
Corn-laws. Contrary to what had been stated by Noble Lords,
that inquiry would tend to tranquillise the public mind. Could
Noble Lords think that no b-nefit would result from an inquiry
into the distress, when the distress was admitted? There was
no doubt as to the distress, they only differed as to the cause.
He rather agreed with those who did not ascribe the distress
wholly to the Corn-laws. They must look to other causes,.
This was an opinion generally held by the representatives of
the people, and more generally held by the constituencies.
If their Lordships, after dispassionate inquiry, after looking
before, behind, and around, found that the Corn-laws were
rot. the cause of the distress, then a great benefit would be con-
ferred by that alone upon the country.—( Hear.) But that
the inquiry should be opposed on the grounds alleged, was to
him utterly and entirely incomprehensible. Thee with regard
to the effect of the seasons upon the production of the distress;
if, as Noble Lords opposite contended, the distress was occa.
sioned by bad seasons, or, as he believed, had nothing- to do
with it, the determination of the question must be productive
of the greatest advantage.—( Hear, hear.) If it were shown
that Providence had afflicted them with those evils, and not
their own legislation, nothing would tend more to pacify and
tranquilise the country. He would beg to remind their Lord-
ships before they came to a vote, of what he had stated before,
that he must be a bold man .who would affirm
that no documents or no witnesses whom they might
examine could throw any light upon the subject. But
he was told that this would Le a partial inquiry. 11 he had not
said euough that evening to show that there was no prejudice
on his side—that he was ready to hear the whole evidence,
even whatever might be produced with regard to the currency
and over-production itself—if he had not shown himself of
equal mind on all subjects, and ready to undertake inquiry as
judicially as if be were sitting on the Bench administering Jus-
tice instead of in a Committee of Inquiry in that House, then he
should in vain hope by any asseverations on his part to alter
their Lordships' opinion, or change their expectation of
the mannerm which the inquiry ought to be conducted. —( Hear.)
They had periods of distress before.. They had periods of
agricultural distress, and what was done ? Why, inquiry, in the
very words he tired in his motion, was granted in 1822, and it
was, not done to embarrass the Government. It was impossible
that land should escape the pressure of distress •if trade was
affected-, They had, a teciprocal intluence one on the other,
and he believed-if an inquiry was granted, it would do more
than-anything-to tranquillise the fears of the agriculturists. A. 3.
an. instance, he would adduce the new tariff. He knew cows.;
ties hisaielf..in :which no cattle sales could be effected, :hat:
cattle were advertised st 3d. and 4ti. a pound, and gre4sfaal
prehension was the consequence. But. now he beiii4v444l.llfe,
did not remain a vestige of alarm in any part of -the coiseary see;
the subject. Why? Because the ,parties inquired.e andi
they hound that their fears were_ without .•fottpdatipo.
So ho believed it would .beel reitarAscutiii. Atel
Corn-laws.—( Hear, hear.) „ nnt-oqw-
into the subject of machinery, to which his Nikhharien l (Lea t'
Stanhope) alluded. Bot if thategssAkisHia,usikikrshe distress,
.and found to be sq by tho inquiry,ithfioAprrisootosi }}raft pill Xo
the agitatiowof the Corro-laws.74rAfetinciatOivMinailg*C4 Aft
he had already exhausted their Loritshipe pitiemo, iopmpiLitts,
his own strehgth., op, this -important, kublisg,i-jibe,444,;telarl
doubted ofeaheessitiest rocival of ,oiir -fTerol
relieved (wax tho restraints hicb tinp aw lawv, "shackled'
it; and lg-tpiloseit,lrgsailsoit grirAtivrattbiptArPoilthaesposo to
save it from 'entire rttiAc4klwqra)
~,,;(,1q
The House theu The innis)pgrffserfitii-,,1t rri Trui;
For tho rnol,i lb..* 440401, iii44a. •WO •tfilvirMighilli ins
,
Against it • • 'i5‘i....:.i.•4.-z-,reiti-Joiww+ial.
• ajority, against the- rant i oo.4,,,Ress..4o..destiem 4;
Their Lordshir 'then. adjousned.,T ( Apral A )—.lrinitri

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