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

able to the Corn-laws, nor did he believe that the repeal of
those laws would alleviate that distress. The Corn •laws hail
not, he thou 'ht, got a fair trial. Let them get a fair trial,
and then if it sir-mid he shown that those laws were the cause
of the distress of the country, their repeal might be taken into
consideration. The great evil of this country was its inability
to produce sufficient corn, which was particularly the case
when corn was unprotected in the time a James the
Firs',. The Honourable Gentlemto goofed Sir Thomas
Culpepper, who wrote in 1661, in proof of his petition ; and
went on to show from other writers, that in the hallowing cen-
tury, when egniculture was protected, France had recourse to
this country to be supplied with corn.
Sir C. NAPIER would not detain the Hoiitck by any length-
ened observations on the subject of debate, as it hadalready been
so amply and ably discussed, and that too with arguments which
had been-hut feebly answered on the other side. He regretted
that the Hop. Member for Wolverhampton had thought it ne-
cessary to bring forward the question again. His ( Sir C.
Napier's) advice to Hon. Gentlemen would be, to allow the
supplies, and !hen go to thiir homes, and endeavour to pre-
serve the peace. of the country.
Sir R. PEEL was happy to hear fmm the Gallant Otlicer
sentiments so congenial to his own. The Gallant Commodore
thought those discussions an unwarrantable waste of time.
Sir CHARLES NAPIER—That is, of course, only my
Own opinion

Sir R. l'EEL—The Gallant Commodore did not do himself
justice. lle did not stand alone in that opinion.—(Laughter. )
It was said that the Corn-laws were inefficacious, that they
would do nothing to relieve the distress of the people. But lie
(Sir IL Peel) contended that they did not allow the present
law a sufficient trial. Hon. Gentlemen cppusite were, not in.
tentionaily perhaps, but certainly practival.y, preventing a
fair trial being given to the new Corn-law. He
would bring before the House some of the experiments of the
new law which were proceeding so very unsatisfactorily.
For the last week following the receipt of the averages,
and ending June 30, 1842, the quantity of colonial wheat en-
tered fur home consumption at a duty of In. per quarter, was
5,002 quarters. The quantity of foreign wheat imported was
48,112 quarters. And the quantity taken on: for home con-
sumption, at a duty of Os. per quarter, amounted to 48,450
quarters. During the week 53,500 quarters of wheat 'had
been taken out of bond for home consumption. He had re-
ceived information that the harvest had actually commenced
in some favoured districts, and he was assured that in the mar-
ket at Maldon, wheat had fallen 2s. a euarter. He
deprecated these motions, as calculated to induce
speculators to keep back the corn ; but, at the same time, he
thought that these who were holding back corn, in hope of
getting it admitted at a Is. duty, would find that they had been
in error, and that ultimately they would incur a great loss.
It was unfair to give a judgment of the Corn-law on a seven
weeks' experience ; but he thought that, as far as that experi-
ence went, it proved that the new Corn-law was a beneficial
measure. No One could attempt to deny the existence of great
distress, and it was impossible to withhold the expression of
the deepest sympathy with those who were suffering from it ;
and if he believed that that distress could be materially or per-
manently alleviated by an alteration in the Corn-laws, he
should not hesitate to propose a relaxation of tbem—(Cheers)--
and he felt assured that if the landed in crest could be con-
vinced that an alteration of the Corn-laws would permanently
relieve distres?, they would not refuse to relax those laws mate-
elally.—(Cheers.) He feared, however, that the alterations
they had already made in the tariff, alterations which had been
approved by all parties, had tended temporarily to increase the
stagnation. The Customs returns showed a decrease in the re-
venue on wine—that perhaps was owing to the uncertainty
which had hitherto prevailed on the subject of the wine duly,
but he was happy to be able to inform the House that the pre-
sent Government had at length been able to carry into
effect she iutentions of the Noble Lord oppoiete, and
that the commercial treaty with Portugal, the negotiations for
which had been begun by the late Government, had at last been
signed, and that the s,gniug of it had been followed by nego-
tiations with Portugal respecting an amended tariff, which he
was happy to say were proceeding satisfactorily.—(Cteers. ) He
hoped the effect of that treaty would be to induce the Govern--
meat and people of Spain to relax their commercial regula-
tion!, seeing the immediate re.ult of that uncertainty on the
subject of the wine duties, had been to cause a reduction in the
last year of 108,0001. The next article in which a reduction
had taken place was deals, bates, and timber, the reduction in
which amounted to 113,001,1. This he attributed entirely to
the uncertainty occasioned by the alteration in the tariff. In
the articles of brandy and rum a reduction had taken
place to a large amount,' which he attributed to the same
causes ; and in coffee a reduction of 31,0001. had taken place.
The articles in which an increase had taken place, were articles
which had not been affected by the late alteration. On sugar
there had been an increase of 113,0001., on molasses of 34,0001.,
on cotton wool of 26,9801., and on tea of 16,7181. This
showed that the reduction of duties on articles was not followed
by an immediate increased demand, and that the reform even
of admitted abuses was not unfrequently followed by temporary
deficiency and distress. The Hon. Member for Stockport had
the other night accused him of att.ibuting the distress to ma •
chinery. He certainly did say that the immediate operation of
the introduction of improVed machinery was to produce in many
instances local distress and want of employment, but would he
therefore undervalue the introduction of machinery? far from it;
he admitted that it was impossible to check the march of improve-
ment in mechanics, that it would be impolitic to do so if it
were possible, and that the ultimate effect of the improvement ;
of machinery would be to increase the demand for' labour ; but
still the immediate effect of the sudden application of machinery
was in many instances to throw persons out of employment ;
and in a country in such an artificial state of society as this, it
could not be expected that we could be exempt from partial
suffering. The Hon. Gentleman the Member for Stockport, had
had borne testimony to the efficient manner in which the Assis-
tant Poor-law Commissioner, who had been sent down to Stock-
port,
bad conducted-the inquiry.. Now from the evidence taken
by this gentleman, it appeared that many of the most respectable 1
inhabitants of Stockport agreed with him in opinion as to the
consequence of the immediate results ofthe sudden introduction
of machinery.—(The Right Hon. Gentleman here quoted the
evidence of Mr. Lawton, of Mr. R. Maclean; of Mr. Proc-
ter, who stated, that by means ofonachinery, one house iu
Stockport could turn out twenty miles of calico a day; of Mr.
Foster, Chairman of the Board of Guardians, and one of the
deputation which had waited on the Right Hon. Gentleman on
Saturday last; the evidence of ad thesegentlemen went to show,
that since 1834 the introduction of improved machinery had
tended to throw many hands out of employment in Stockport.)
It was true these gentlemen attributed a great part of the dis-
tress to the existence of the Corn-laws, but the evidence went
to show, that in such an artificial state of society as
that under which we were living, great commercial
prosperity might co-exist with great local suffering and distress.
It appeared from the statistical details that the Corn-laws bad
nothing whatever to do with the wages of the operatives. Re-
ference had been made to the patience with which the poorer
classes had borne the distress welch the pressure of the times
had inflicted upon them. lie slid not know that those who had
so much lauded that patience had done a great deal to cause
that patience. When a bill was exhibited in that House some
time ago, headed " Murder," he (Sir R. Peel) was glad to
hear the Hon. Member opposite assert that the members
of the Anti-Corn-law League had deprecated the issue of such
bills, which certainly were of a most inflammatory nature. He
(Sir R. Peel) had lately received intimation that bills of an
inflammatory character, headed " Murder," continued to be
exhibited in a shop, No. 22, Market-street, Manchester, and
on the shop was printed " epot for the National Anti-Corn-
law League."—(Hear.) The man who printed the bill was
printer to the Anti-Corn-law League, and his shop was only
distant a few doors from the depot.—( Hear.) He did trust
that the Hon. Member would take some steps to prevent the
itersens composing that League making such appeals to the
feelings of the people. Amongst the steps which he (Sir 11.
Peel) had taken for the relief of the poor was that of recom-
mending to her Majesty a general alms-giving, and he did
trust that the couutry would still :eel the obligation to
contribute to the funds for their relief. He (Sir R Peel)
felt that this was no permanent, .no satisfactory mode of reliee
still it might do much to mitigate the distress and sufferings of
the people, and he trusted that those who were opposed to her
Majesty's Government would net refuse to contribute towards
these Lunde. —( Veer, hear.) He was rear), to admit that the
true principle of commerce was to buy in the cheapest market
and sel in the dearest, and such was the principle which he should
' himself adopt, were it not for the complicated interests in this
• country, all of which required to be consulted in a
greater or less degree. He did, however, reduce the

duties on foreign (Torn, and that to an extent which
led many of those opposite to upbraid him for having
broken fdith with those who had placed their confidence in him.
He had reduced the duties more than one half, and he did

trust that a fair trial would be given to the alterations which
he had proposed. In the article sugar he had not felt justified
in proposing any alteration ; he denied, however, that the
Government adopted that measure for the purpose of obtaining
Parliamentary support. At the commencement of this year
there were constant comparisons between the prices of meat in
this country and other countries, and they w ere constantly told
that they dared not attempt to deal with the monopoly which
existed in meat. With respect to rice, bacon, and fish, the
reduction had also been very material; the effect of that re-
duction had not been seen, but the' effect would be very con-
siderable.—(Hear, hear.) One Hon. Gentleman had asked
them why they had not meddled with the banking laws? Why,
what encouragement had they to meddle with the banking
laws ? • Had riot every proposition they had made met with
opposition ? Had not the whole of the Session been taken up
with the discussion of the great measures he had proF.osed ?
snd up to the present time they had not been able to pass
the Ist clause of the Poor-law Bill. What encouragement
then had they to meddle with the Ban lang-la ws ?
I f he had tossed the Bill upon the table in the present state of
things, he maintained that he should only be adding to the pre-
sent confusion.—(Cheers from both sides.) He had proposed
the Income-tax, and he must say that a measure never met
with the more general approbation of the country than that
measure (Hear, hear )—and he contended if they had to raise
4,000,000L.in the country, the best course was to raise it on
the property of the country rather than on articles which sus-
tained the industry of the country. If alter a fair trial those
measures which he had brought forward should not prove ade-
quate to meet the distress under which the country was suffer-
ing, he ( Sir R. Peel) should be the first to admit that no
former opinion should interfere to prevent a revision of those
measures ; but he did say that no conclusion should be formed
until a fair trial had been afforded, to see whether these mea-
sures would contribute to alleviate the prevailing distress, and
to the revival of that prosperity for which no parties could be
more anxious than those who were entrusted :with the con-
duct of public affairs.—(Long-continued cheers.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said the Right. Hon. Baronet
at the head of her Majesty's Government had made so many
general observations on his policy, that he found it impossible
to refeain front following in his steps. Let him (Lord John
Russell) add, that he should judge from the concluding sen-
tences of the Right Hon. Baronet's speech, that however much
he had recommended his measures to the adoption of Parlia-
ment, he was not very confident of success himself. The tone
in which the Right Hon. Baronet spoke of those measures,
that if his measures succeeded it would gratify his hopes, and
if they failed, they would require a revision—certainly implied
to his (Lord J. Russell's) mind, that he had no very sanguine
expectation that those measures would attain the objects for
which they were proposed. The Right lion. Gentleman said
that those who brought forward motions on that side of the
House were preventing the admission of foreign corn. Now,
he begged to recal to the recollection of the House, that for
eight weeks after the Corn Bill received the Royal assent, there
was no interference with the measures of the Right Hon.
Baronet. During that time there were only declarations, very
natural ones lie thought, that the principles promulgated in the
tariff must finally be applied to corn. if he looked back to the
proceedings under the Corn-law of last year he saw still less
reason to believe that the Right Hon. Baronet was justified in
his statement. The Right Hon. Baronet attributed it as a
great merit in the existing Corn-laws, that ,25,000 quarters
were introduced in one week, and upwards of 48,000 in
another. Now it appeared that the admission of foreign corn
in the week ending the 16th of April, 1811 was 58,82.5, and the
admission in the week ending the 21st of May was 71.04 P. The
duty in the first of those instances was 225. Pd., and in the last
235. bd. It was thus clearly shown that thealiminution of duty
which the Right Hon. Gentleman had made was nothing more
nor less tWan a loss to the revenue; it was no gain to the people.
(Cheers from the Opposition, answered by cheers from the
Ministerial benches.) The great bulk of the foreign cern, by
the introduction of which the price would be reduced, remained
now in bond, as it did during the course of the last year. In
the last year, 1,852,000 quarters of corn were introduced in'
a single week; they had now 15,000,000 quarters in bond, and
by the operation of the laws which the Right Hon. Gentleman
had introduced, the greater portion of that quantity might be
increased, just as it had formerly been. The vice of the law was