Star.
London, England, 1822-06-11 00:00:00

CORN IMPORTATION BILL.

The Marquis of LONDONDERRY, •in moving
that the Order of the Day for receiving the Report
of the Committee upon this Bill be read, said, that it
had been understood that the discussion upon the Bill
itself should be taken on the third reading; but in
consequence of a clause relative to the exportation of
ground corn having been introduced into the Bill in
the Committee, on the motion of his Right Honour-
able Friend, the Member for Liverpool (Mr. Can-
ning), he begged to stare, that if he found that there
was a general repugnance from that clause in the
House, he should not press it to form a part of the Bill.
His taking that course, however, would not prevent
his Right Honourable Friend from bringing that par-
tict►lar measure before the House in the shape of a
separate Bill. In the meantime, however, he rep
peated that he could not consent to its encumbering
the, main measure, if there was a general feeling in
the House against it.

Mr. H. G. BENNET rose merely for the purpose of
expressing a hope that the Prison Laws Consolidation
Bill, if postponed that night, would be brought for-
ward on an early day, and suffered to take the lead
of other business.

Mr. COURTENAY intimated that the delay did
not rest with him, but arose from the nature and
multiplicity of the public business.

Mr. CANNING said that he was unwilling to be
the means of throwing any impediment in the way
of the Bill itself, and was therefore willing that the
merits of the clause he had intro Juced might be then
discussed. But his Noble Friend must forgive him
if he said that he could not accept the compromiie
which he offered him of a separate Bill. No one
who looked at the number of Orders for the consi-
deration of the House, but must see that a Bill Of
such a natuie'would have little chance of passing the
House this Session.. A man must, indeed, be san-
guine, who would introduce any new Bill this Sts- •
sion.' Another reason fur not taking that course was,
that ?vat majority were favourable to the prin-
ciple o die clause, but felt difßculties as to its practi-
cability in detail, viz, whether sufficient restriction
could be placel upon the commerce of the article to
protect iffroin the introduction of fraud. 'Although
those on whOse behalf head introduced this clause
had done all in their power to'prevept clashing with
the Customs, yet it would be hard upon them, who
appealed as petitioners beforethe House, to.be obliged
to shape a Bill to devise the particular restrictions
which might omit the Customs, the hostile party to
them. All he could say on that subject in their be-
half was, that they were ready to take the privilege
under any restrictions, or any precautions which the
Lords of the Trca:ury might choose to place upon it.
He should, therefore, take the sense of the House ou
the clause at that stage of the Bill.
Sir J. SEBRIGHT thought the clause an improper
•
one under any restrietions,
Sir E. KNATCLIKILL said, that the clause in
question had received the disapprobation, if not the
reprobation of the House, and the Committee in
which it was first proposed. He hoped therefore his
Majesty's Ministers would, in behalf of the agricul-
tural interests, stand up and °prise the propositiOn
of the Right Hon. Gentleman.
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY observed that
the discussion might be much more conviently taken
on the Report being read. The question before the
House was, that the Order of the Day be read.
The Order 'of the Day Was, then read, and the
question put from the Chair:
The SPEAKER, in putting the question that the
amendment to the Bill in the Report of the Com-
mittee be read, observed, that the proper time to take
exceptions to the clause in question was when the

particular.
read '
On
wheat

purpose of exportation being read,
Mr. CURWEN called the attention Of the House
to the impolicy of a clause of this description. The
clause enacted that such corn as was so ground, if
not exported, should be taken back to the warehouse.
Now he defied any one to devlbe means for deter-
mining whether the flour so returned was from fo-
reign corn or not. He was sure that upon the whole
Incire was to be lost than gained by such a measure,
and therefore he hoped the House would reject it.
Mr. BRIGHT said, that those who imported coat
before the alteration in the currency, had an eqoitable
claim upon that House in the decision of this ques-
tion. The Noble Marquis Opposite had said, that if
the Agriculturists had been stripped to the full mea-
sure of justice towards the commercial interest, with
reference to the corn protecting duty, that duty
would have been 1355.. instead of 70s. All the Agri-
cultural 'Merest asked of them, however, was, to ad-
mit this clause, and he (Mr. Bright) maintained that
the best thing they could do for the Agriculturists
was to bring speculators into the corn _market. The
farmer would then have, a rising market rather than
a falling brie.
Sir E. KNATCHBULL said, that notbei ng able
to agree With the Hon. Gentleman who spoke last,
that.this clause would be beneficial to the Apical.
tprists, he felt himself called upon to give it ha most
determined opposition. He confessed that he felt the
weight of all the apprehensions entertained by the
}lo Member for Cumberliwd (Mr. Curwen).
aetteral GASCOYNE thought it would be as fair
*to enact that hay should not be compressed into a
small compass for the purpose of removal, as that
corn should not be grhund into flout for the purpose
of exportation. He thought that.' the large capital
which had been locked oUt from speculation in fo-
reign corn, had been most prejudicial to the agri-
cultural interest.
Si, J. SEBRIGHT assured the House that he had.
been informed by some of the most intelligent millers
of Hertiord-hire, that if the cern from the warehouse
once got into their mills, they defied the Excise or
any other power to prevent its coming into the mar-
ket. Such being the case, he must oppose the claUse
tending so encourage that practice.
Sir T. LETHBRIDGE thought the'clause would
be most prejudicial to the agricultural interests. He
did hope the Right Hon. Mover would withdraw the
• clause, seeing what the operation of it must be, and
that the Noble Marquis himself who introduced the
Bill was against it. He must say that if it should
pass, it would be considered as an insult to the coun-
try. He:ivished the Hon. Member for Kent, and
other Hon. Members who represeeted the landed in-
terest in that House, would speak out what they
• knew to be the state of the country.
Mr. F. LEWIS meant to support the clause, be-
cause he thought it would be essentially beneficial to
the agriculturists. He did not say that for every
quarter of foreign corn exported a quarter of British
wheat would be exported with it, but he calculated
that for every 4S pounds of foreign flour sent out,
17 pounds of English flour would go to a market
which otherwise it would never reach.
Mr. D. GILBERT had it on the authority of per-
sons much more competent to form a judgment on
this subject than he was, that if this clause were
adopted it would be impossible to prevent foreign
corn from being brought into home consumption.--
He therefore objected to the clause. Though friendly
to a flee trade, he wished the system to be very gra-
dually changed, as a sudden alteration, affecting as
it needs must, from three to four hundred thousand
perscns connected %kith the corn trade, could riot fail
of producing er ensive distress.
Mr. LOL:KHART spoke against the clause.
Mr. RICARDO denied that any wish had been
expressed on the part of the advocates for a free trade,
but to open it by the most gradual means. He sup-
ported the clause from a wish to favour the corn im-
porter, so far as this could be done without injury to
the British agriculturist. That it would interfere
with the interests of the British corn-growers it was
for them to prove, and this had not been done. He
should vote for it, considering it to be a measure of
justice to one body of men, which would not injure
any other class.
Mr. BEN ETT (Wiltshire) thought the clause under
consideration would be most injurious if it could be
acted upon, but was of opinion the Bill, if clogged with
it, could not pass; and he therefore hoped, if it should
be carried, that it would be the means of enabling
them to get rid of the measures altogether.
Mr. JAMES BROWNE Member for the County
of Mayo) was unfeignedly surprised to bear from the
Member for Portarlingtonf that he considered the
burden of proof that this was an innoxious mea-
sure to lie upon the agriculturists ; he had been
taaght to believe, that when 'a new plan was pro-
posed, the proposer. of the new plan were bound to
she that no mischief was to attend it. This he
must class among the new systems that were creep-
ing into the State, to its great injury ; and must op-
pose, on the ground that it was delusive, unsound,
and itself a proof of its own weakness. He should
oppose the measure from beginning to end.
Mr. T. WILSON did not consider the corn im-
porter to be entitled to any particular favour, and
objected to the clause.
Mr. CANNING, in reply, declared, that he would
not have offered the clause, had he not conscientiously
believed that it might be adopted without injury to
the agricultural interest. Whether it were adopted
or not, he should vote for the Bill, considering it to
be calculated in some degree to ameliorate the exist-,
ing distress. When, therefore, it was contended that'
the corn importer had no claim to favour, he must
remark that his claim had already been admitted by
the provisions contained in the Bill, which allowed
warehoused corn to come into the market when the
price was ten shillings under that at which other corn
was to be teceived. Their case for favour being esta-
blished by the concession of a boon which might ope-
rate against British= interests, they now ventured to
solicit that which might beast them, but which
could sot be injurious to others. It would be better
to exclude' importatian for ever, than to take the
course advised by some of the advocates for the
landed interest, which would ruin the importer we
Locouraged to come here in time of scarcity, the sur

The . ,larquis
but general view of the case, and shewed that if the
corn importer was entitled to some consideration, the
right of grinding his corn into flour here was not
among the advantages which had been held but to
him. The principle of the clause before them, he
considered to be sound and useful, but as it was to
be temporary, to be acted upon immediately, and
was only to apply to corn now in warehouse, be was
by no means sure that it could in the first instance be
carried into successful execution. He looked upon
the present Bill as a measure of a.protective charac-
ter;
but still the agricultural mind was very much
disturbed on the- subject;. and the proposed clause
would, he feared, increase the unfavourable im.
pression. He confessed that he did not see the dan-
ger of the clause so strongly as others did ; but, forl
•the reason he had already given, he should oppose
the receiving of the clause, thouh he should do so
with considerable reluctance.—the Houie then di-
Tided, when there appeared—
Fes the Male - - - - St
Apinst it - - - ttias
Majority - —as
Mr. HUME said, he was sorry to find the Noble.
Marquis changing about in this =timers He (Mr.
Hume) had divided with him the other:night, on the
substance of this very clause, and was then in a large
majority ; and now the Noble Marquis having
changed about he (Mr; Hume) had found himself in
an unusually small, inority. Be considered this as
a practical proof that the Homo west* .do anything
the Minister might ask it 'to do. He was persuaded
that the clause ni question would hawk rendered a.
benefit to the inspor, era without at all injuring the
agriculturists.
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY said, that on.
the occasion alluded to by the Hon. Member, it was
distinctly understood, and even stated, that that vote
pledged no Member to support the clause in question
—(Hear). The observation of the Hon. Member was,
however, a fair specimen of the mode in which he al.,
ways attacked him (the Marquis).
Mr. D. BROWNE repelled the imputation thrown
out by the Hon. Member, that Members of that House
gave an indiscriminate support to Ministers.
After a few words from Mr. RICARDO, the Bill was
ordered to be engrossed, and read a third time on
Wednesday next.

tsi

•
ment tbitt plent#, by GODia PrOlidetiele• ratilltado+
ticular atnewillient involving that clause was If importation 'Weis allowed at alliiks dc& :nth tpart.
d by the Clerk.. would be unwise, incostsistent,,=nid unfair.
)n the amendment for permitting warehoused He concluded by repeating the that he
eat to be taken out and ground into flour, fo. the would not have tatted the clause, had be considered
-pose of exportation being read, . it at all calculated to injure the English corn-grower.
,k4Pi IR WEN called the attention the House The Marquis of
_LONDONDERRY took
.abrief