The Sun.
London, England, 1827-01-29 00:00:00

CORN LAWS.

At an Adjourned General Meeting of Landholders and Corn.
inissioners of Supply, from several counties in Scotland, especially
assembled to consider the question of an alteration on the existing
corn laws, held at the Waterloo Hotel, Edinburgh, on Wednesday
the 17th day of January, 1827 :
The Right Hon. Sir John Sinclair, Bart. in the Chair;
Sir John stated, that in compliance with the instructions of the
last meeting, he had written to Mr. Huskisson to know, " Whe
ther, after a bill was brought in for altering the Corn Laws, (as
it would contain resolutions imposing duties), it would not be
considered as a money bill, and, consequently, that no petition
could be presented against it." To which he had received an an-
swer, containing the following paragraphs :
" My impression is, that the only description of bill, against
which the rules of the House do not permit the subject to petition
is, a bill, having for its object, and professing in the form of its
preamble, to grant a supply, and that these rules do not extend to
hills, in whi6h duties are only imposed, as the incidental means of
enforcing regulations of trade. Such, for instance, are the duties
established by the corn bill of the 3-ear 1822.
" As it may be material, however, to the parties on whose be-
half you have written to me, to be correctly informed on this sub-
ject, I am sure I need not point out to you, that the source from
which they may derive that information, in its most authentic
shape, is, the Speaker of the House of Commons."
The Chairman then stated, that in consequence of Mr. Bus-
kisson's suggestion, he had written to the Speaker, whose answer,
dated Palace Yard, Jan. 12, 1827, was as follows :
" I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter
of the 9th, respecting intended Petitions on the subject of the
Corn Laws ; and I beg to state my entire concurrence with Mr.
Huskieson's opinion, that no parliamentary rule precludes the pre-
sentation of any petitions, with reference to any bill that may be
offered to the House on that subject."
It is evident, therefore, that Petitions against any alterations in
the Corn Laws, may be given in, after the bill is presented : at
the same time, it is to be considered, that from the great activity
displayed by the opposing interest, it is necessary to prepare and'
organise every means of defence that can be devised, above all,,
by presenting Petitions ; for if numerous Petitions are not sent
to Parliament from the agricultural classes, their silence may be
construed into acquiesoence ; and a display of Petitions, on the
opposite side, will appear to enforce the arguments that may be
adduced in their favour.

Petitions, before the measure is introduced, must have a salutary
effect in counteracting the effects of those Petitions which the op-
ponents of the agriculturists have given in. If immediately set
about, they need not enter much into detail. They may state, the
hazard of altering the present system ;—the danger of throwiag a.
large proportion of our lands out of cultivation ;—the risk of our
becoming dependent upon foreign nations for a supply of food
the necessity of ample protection ;—the propriety of inquiring
into the effects of the change of currency ;—and other general
topics of a similar nature. But if circumstances should render
early Petitions impracticable, no time should be lost, (if the plan
brought forward in Parliament should be considered exception-
able), to petition against it.
_ _ _

The CHAIRMAN then stated, that he had received several letters
on the subject of the Corn Laws, which must create great alarm ;
in particular, a communication from a respectable corn merchant
at Leith, which contains the following remark :
" We have now had a tolerable specimen of what the Continent
can do, in the way of importation, after a bad harvest ; and it is
an earnest of what we may expect in favourable seasons, if the
principle of exclusion is not adhered to by parliament."
In that letter was inclosed a communication, from a great
corn merchant in Lincolnshire, who had abroad purchasing
grain for the English Market, which contaiim the following par-
ticulars :

" The factors on the Continent misled us, or rather they did
not calculate upon the iinmense distance in the interior, that
would he swept out by the temptation of large prices ; and I have
only one opinion as to the Corn Laws. Only give us permission
to import, and we may give over cultivating our own land, until,
owing to war, or some prohibition, the Continental powers pre-
vent our receiving what they can grow. If we (that is the
corn merchants), are allowed to import, the home trade will be
good for little."

Sir Jottx stated that he had received a letter from a gentle-
man in East Lothian, containing an extract of a letter from a
Norfolk corn-merchant, in which he says--
" That from the quantities of grain coming from the interior