The Sun.
London, England, 1842-08-05 00:00:00

THE RAJA OF SATTARA.

Lord BEAUMONT presented a petition from
one, whom (he said) whatever might have been his
faults, called upon their Lordships' sympathy for his
misfortunes—the ex •Baja of Sattara. The petitioner
complained of the unjust treatment he had suffered,
and prayed for the generous interposition of their
Lordships in his behalf.

Lord FITZGERALD said that the subject was
about to be brought forward in the other House to-night
in a form which would lead to the production of papers
such as would enable their Lordships to come to a
judgment on the merits of the case. He would not
go further into it than to say that no man could read
the papers connected with this subject without
being convinced that the Raja had been se-
riously compromised in the course of conduct
which he had pursued. It was impossible
not to see that if hard measures had been dealt to the
Raja, he had, at all events, brought it on himself by
his indiscretion. The subject was one too large and
too complicated to be gone into on the presentation of
a petition.
Lord BEAUMONT said that it was his intention
to make a formal motion on the subject, if some steps
were not in the meantime taken to do the Raja
justice.

After a few words from Lord BROUGHAM the
conversation dropped.

DRAINAGE OF TOWNS BILL.

Lord WHARNCLIFFE presented a petition from
the inhabitants of Bunhill•row, city of London, in
favour of this Bill.

FISHERIES (IRELAND) BILL.
The NOBLE LORD moved the third reading of the
Fisheries (Ireland) Bill, which, after some discussion,
was agreed to, and the Bill read a third time, and
passed.
Lord WHARNCLIFFE brought up the Report of
the Rivers (Ireland) Bill, which, after some conversation
was agreed to, _ _

The— Ordnance Service Bill was read a third time, and
passed.

Lord WHARNCLIFFE moved that the Report of the
Colonial Passengers Bill be received.
After a few words from Lord BROUGHAM and Lord
FITZGERALD, the Report was agreed to.
CORN-LAWS.

The Earl of RADNOR moved the Order of the Day
for the second reading of the Corn Importation Act
Repeal Bill. The Noble Lord said that in bringing for-
, ward this measure he was actuated by a sense of public
duty. He thought that the repeal of the Corn-laws
was due to the people, many hundred thousands of whom
were anxious for such a measure. It was also due
in an especial manner to them, from the severity of the
sufferings to which they were expdsed. He therefore
proposed in the second clause of his Bill to do away with
so much of the Corn Importation Act as prohibited the
importation of foreign corn, or imposed a duty on its
importation. He apprehended that whatever loss might
result from the repeal of the import duty on corn—
whether it amounted to seven or eight hundred thousand
pounds or not—that the advantages resulting from the
repeal would be cheaply bought, even at that sacrifice.
The lessening of the price of food would give a stimulus
to manufactures and commerce, and give_ employment to
many thousands of their countrymen, who were idle
against their will, and famishing for want of the food
.vhich the whole earth was ready to furnish to them. One
argument in favour of the present system was that it made
this country independent of foreign countries for a
supply of food. But, in truth, that argument had been
answered by the Noble Lord opposite (the President of
the Board of Trade), who showed that we were so far
from being independent of foreign countries that we
imported annually upwards of a million of quarters of
corn. 'But' the effect of the law was to discourage the
production of corn in other countries, whereas if we
had a fixed duty, or, what would be better, no duty at
all, we should promote foreign industry, at the same
time that we should provide for our own people both em-
ployment and food. If it were not for the sliding scale,
which was, he feared. a fixed absurdity, all the corn
would be• sold immediately upon its arrival, without.
being locked up in bond to wait for the day of
famine in the land. When that famine was at hand.
and the bonded corn let in by the sliding scale, prices
suddenly fell, and the consequence was that home pro-
duction was discouraged, so that in reality the sliding
scale defeated the object which it was intended to effect.
The scale not only failed in securing the prosperity of
agriculture, or the regular supply of corn, but it had the
most mischievous effects in deranging the currency of
the country, and preventing the exc ange of our manu-
factures for the produce of other countries. The effect
of the sliding scab-. Would always. be to produce a
great alteration in the supply of com—a circumstance
which was injurious to the people of this country, as
well as to the foreigners importing into this country, in-
asmuch as it 'admitted of no means of forming any pre-
viou I accurate calculation of what the price might be
at arty given period.—(Hear, hear.) He deprecated the
alternate recurrence of the agricultural and commercial
distress, at the end of every four or five years, which was
the result of the Corn-laws, and he implored their Lord-
ships, by repealing these laws, to remove the cause of
that distress. The Noble Earl concluded by moving the 1
second reading of the Corn Importation Act Repeal
The Earl of RIPON gave credit to the Noble Earl for
being actuated by no party feeling in bringing forward
the present measure ; but, while he readily admitted
that, he must say that that measure which the Noble
Earl thought likely to prove so advantageous to the
public, would, in his (the Earl of Ripon's) opinion, be
attended with different, consequences ; dreading which
consequences, be (the Earl of Ripon) could not consent
to the Noble Lord's proposition. The principal cause of
the fluctuation in prices was the variation of the seasons.
In the thirteen weeks which had passed since the present
law came into force there had been a constant, and con•
stantly increasing importation of corn, and, with the
prospect of a plentiful harvest, there could be little
doubt, if any, that the country would have an abundant
supply of food at reduced prices. lie did not think that
:he people of Er.gland would think that the House of
Lords did them wrong by rejecting the proposition of the
Noble Earl, and with that conviction he would move as an
amendment, that the Bill be read a second time that day
six months.

Lord KINNAIRD supported the second reading of
the Bill. If the Noble Lord thought that the agitation
(which had for its object the supply of the people with
food at the cheapest price, and from any market which
they might choose to go to,) would cease until the law
which prevented the supply was repealed, he was mis-
taken. He (Lord Kinnaird) was a member of the
League, and he could assure the Noble Earl that there
was no possibility of the League abandoning its duty
until the object for which it was constituted was fully at-
tained. The great evil of the sliding scale was that it
prevented a steady and settled trade with foreign coun-
tries, and it had proved a failure in the protection of the
class for whose benefit it was devised. He lived in the
hope of seeing her Majesty's Government come down to
the House and say that they had seen the errors of their
ways, and that they were convinced of the policy of
totally repealing the Corn-laws.

The Earl of RADNOR replied, and the question hav-
ing been put, the amendment, that the Bill be read a
second time this.day six months, was agreed to.
The Bonded Corn Bill was read a third time and
passed.
The Court of Exchequer Bill was read a third time
and passed. _

The other Bills on the table were advanced a stage,
and the House adjourned at Nine o'Clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, Aug. 4.
The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'Clock.
Mr. BROTHERTON presented a petition from
the Corporation of Bristol against the County Courts
Bill.