Star.
London, England, 1822-07-11 00:00:00

CORN RILL.

Earl BATHURST having moved the third read
ing of this Bill,
The Earl of LAUDERDALE wished that their
Lordships should pause before they passed a mea-
sure of so much importance. and which required so
much consideration. He took a view of the opera-
tion of the existing Act, and contended that instead
of providing a minimum protection price, it had esta-
blished a maximum. He complained of the incon-
sistency of the Noble Lords opposite in now turning
against their own measure which, in 1815, he hau
joined in supporting. * He then read a pas,age from
a speech of the Eail of Liverpool, on the motion o
the Marquis of Lansdow•n for a Committee on F
reign Trade, in which his Lordship expressed an opi-
nion that the Corn Bill having passed no alteration
ought to be made in the system. In this opinion Le
coincided, and therefore should not give his support
to the present measure. He objected particularly to
the time at which it was proposed, as there was no
necessity for its passing, and he thought that it would
he injurious to legislate prospectively. Under all
these circumstances, he should move, « That the Bill
be read a third time this day three months." .
The Eail of HARROWBY contended, thaz by
supporting the present Bill he was guilty of no incon-
sistency. He conceived that he was giving more
effect to the existing Act, by remedying the defects
which it contained, and vindicated his Majesty's Mi-
nisters, and the Committee from whose Report this
measure had originated, from the charge of having
abandoned the principles which they had formerly
professed. He maintained that it was better to ie.
gislate when minds were cool and temper-4e, than to
wait till prices should rise, and the public mina
should grow full of anxiety and alarm, tor though
he had no doubt that their Lordships would then do.
t .eir duty, yet it might be attended w ith conse-
quences injurious to the public peace. The Noble
Earl then restated his former arguments in favour of
the Bill, and contended that it would prove highly
advantageous to the British farmer, by p. eventing
unlimited importation whenever corn should tise
above the protecting price. He was not one of those
who wished that the pi ice of corn should grow so
high as 80s. for it would produce a corresponding
rise in the price.of provisions, and as all 'evils were
attended with some compensation, so the present
lowness of provisions had 'moved beneficial to our
manufactures.

The Earl of LAUDERDALE asked when such a
sentiment had ever been expie,sed by a Minister of,
the Crown before, that agriculture was to be de-
pressed
in order to increase the prosperity of manu-
factures ?

The Earl of 11ARROW13Y had expressed no such
sentiment. He had merely said that there was no
political evil, which, to a certain extent, did not carry
some compensation in itself, and he illustrated
that
by stating, what every one knew to be a fact, that
the low price of the necessaries of life had in some
degree contributed to relieve our manufactures.
Lord ERSKINE thought that it was cruel to turn
upon the Agriculturists now, and to tell them that
they had not suffered from the change in the cur-
rency, and that they would be as well protected with
70,. as they had been with 80s.
The Earl GROSVENOR should vote for the
motion of his Noble Friend, to, postpone the further
consideration of this Bill for three months. When
he found that it was petitioned against by the whole
agricultural body, he could not consider it as a
measure of relief to agriculture, although it was in-
troduced as such. He thought, on the contrary,
that it. washy salvable to every ?ther interesti.saye that

Contents - • . - . 52
Non-Contents - - - 16
Majority in favour of the Bill . —l6
The Bill was then read a third time and passed. Adjourned
at a Quarter past Eight o'Clock.

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