Star.
London, England, 1814-05-17 00:00:00

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to be considered on this occasion was, how the natio"
should arply its capital with the best advantage, w •
ther for the supply of provisions or the !naafis of de-1
fence. After some further observations,
Sir 3. NEWPORT rose to order, conceiving that
the Hon. Member was not discussing the question'
keore the House, which related to the export of corn,
but another topic, which was hereafter to be tonsil
dered respecting the import of that article.
Mr. D. GIDDY resumed, and expressed his un.,
willingness to bring forward any discussion irregu.
larly ; bnt feeling that he was not out of order, he
proceded to illustrate his proposition, and he sub-
mitted to the consideration of the House, ,whether,
although timber, for instance, should happen to. by
Bitch cheaper in France; we shotild not rather 'en,
courage the growth-of eakin oitr own country, than
allow ourselves to depend upon France or any other
State for a supply of that essential article ? Unques.:
tioisbly we shoUla promote that encouragement by:.
every means in our power; and from the same con.
sideratiOns of policy we ought to encourage the.
growth'ef corn in our own dominions. This encou-
ragement Amu -he was disposed to afford, not from
any solicitude to keep up high rents, or still less to
advance them, or to maintain the interest of corn-
-growers in'contredistinction with that 9f the manu-
factarers, brit solely with a -view to obvious national
policy. In fact, it was for the country to-consider
• whed.er,-it would-submit to pay rather a dearer price
fee corn, or consent to depend for a supply. Of that
necessary to foreign nations. Cora might be
cheaper 4n France or the Baltic, or on the coast of
the.Btacit Sea; than id England; but still he would
not entourage the imiart of that corn to the preju-
dice of English agriculture., Therefore ,he was an
advocate for the punciple of the measure before..the
House • not beCause, as it was alleged, it prop iced
to renoir.corn-cheaper, but because it must servit► to
guard against therecurrencuof these fluctuations
psieei which had been found so distressing/to the
pevle. He, for one, was not for reducing.the price
of corn very low ; because he thought.such a reduc-
tion could never take place consistently with the best
interests of the country, or the security of the Consti.
tution.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
wished to remind the House, that the Bill then before
-them did riot at all relate.to the prices of grain.—
The Bill turned on a clear and plain principle, thou4h*
much difference ot opinion existed on it. To that prip-
ciple (merely the propriety or impropriety of free ex-
port), Gentlemen ought to confine themselves.
Sir M. W..RIDLEY, adverting to the Petition
which he had presented from his constituents against_
the proposed change in the corn law, disclaimed any
intention of casting the slightest reflection afpon those
Gentlemen with whom the measure under con.,idera-
tion originatcdssand the Honourable Baronet read a
letter from the Chairman of the Committee, who
drew up the Petition, containing a similar disclaimer.
After a few words fr....m Mr.' ELnison, the Bib
which proposes that the exportation of corn shall not.
in future be subject to the payment of any dutiei,
was read a first, and ordered to be read a second
time on Wednesday, and to be printed.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
moved the reading of the Resolutions with regard to
the Pensions to be granted to Lords Lynedock, Hill,
and Beresford, with a view to propose the postpone-
ment of their consideration to Friday next.
After a few words from Sir C. MONCKft who re-
quested the House and the Minister to consider that
it was usual above thirty years ago to grant £2OOO
a yeat to officers of such distinguished merit as those
alluded to ; and that from the depreciation of money
iE3OOO a year would be scarcely equivalent to that
sum at present.. the Resolutions were read, and the
Chancellor of the Exchequer's motions agreed to.
Mr. HUSKISSON moved the farther considera-
tion of the Report of the Committee upon the subject
of the Corn Laws.
Lord A. HAMILTON declared his intention to
take the sense of the House upon the Resolotion. re-
specting the restrictions proposed.with respect to the
import of corn. If the effect of the proposed arrange-
ment promited in any degree to reduce the price, or
to secure a due supply of grain, he should be most
willing to support it : but considering it as likely
Slone to promote unduly the interest of the agricul.'
lutist to the prejudice of the other branches of the
Community, he felt it his duty to oppose it. 'He
thought tl.is measure exceptionable not only in its
own nature, but peculiarly so from the time at which
it was brought forward. From the conclusion of the
war, and the nature of the law respecting the restric-
tions upon cash payments at the Bank, it was reason-
able to calculate at no very distaut period a material
Change of price would take place; and therefore it
would be htghle inexpedient to fix at this moment'
upon the standard of-price proposed in the Resolu-
tions of the Committee. It appeared quite impos-
sible for this country, at least for many years to
come, to grow sufficient corn for the consumption of
its inhabitants ; and why then should the Legislature
exclude cr impede the import of foreign corn. or
tempt to force the export of our own produte ? 'Of
those who desired this export, he would ask, with a
view to the commercial interests of this country, what
niticles they could wish to import in return? If fa
feigners bought our corn, what articles equivalent to
this nation would they sell us ? or would it be ice
ow interest to take. the manufactures or produce 01
alletioreign nation in exchange for eur corn ? In fact
advocates for the measure wider consideration, to
act conOtently with their professdd solicitude for tha
interest of the corn.growers, were bound to devise
some legislative arrangement to protect the farmers
from the consequence of. a boumiful harvest, and "s
consequent cheapness in our home consumption....
• Were they prepared for the contemplation of such
an arrangement ? and if not, how"could they justify
the extraordinary. interposition whNh the Pleasure Ice
fore the House proposedt • to benefit one class of the
people to the prejudice of othenar- Upon that part
of the Report of the Committee Which related to Ire-
land, he omit speak .with diffidende, from his cm:spa•
retire oisaiquaintance with ,that country ; but of the
other parts of the Report to which he adverted, he
bad ie. hesitation in exprepsingihiscanirediespproval,
and therefore be concludtgallfthrtishinito postpone
the further consideration of the Report to this day
three months. . . •
Sir GEORGE CLERK denied that the object re-
commended Uy the Committee in their Report wss

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'nzanently to *flans! 'the 'price of grain. The
'error -.pioceeded froth a very common assumption
that Great Britain must always he an importing
dotiniryf Whereas a very little stimulus to agriculture,
even keeping it at its present state, would be sufficient
to secure an adequate supply for our population.—
With regard to a free trade, experience had shewn,
that it was absurd to expect a prevalence of low prices
from it, a,s the market pries must, after all, depend
upon the supply( at home. He had one objection to
the scaly proposed by an Hon. Member, which was,
that it did not render the farmer secure in the pries
of the home market, but dependent upon the foreign
market. He.belleN4d cods Might now be imported
from the Baltic at Ws.. the quarter, and it would rs:
quire 735. pry quitter to enable the English grower,
to compete with that price; but'be thought. the far-
rier ought to be secured in a monopoly Of the home
markin tfp to 80s. 'He should certainly vote against
the Amendmetit, because after the agitation which
the question had undergone; it was important to the
landed interests of the country that something should
be concluded, but he hoped an increase of the scale

would be proposed.
adt. WESTERN observed, thataupon an average
of the last ten years, the proportion of corn imported
was vefy small compared to that which was grown ;
he had ascertained that from a careful estimate which
he had made. With respect to a free trade. the
adoption of it he considered as impossible, in the
cofnplete sense of the word. He should like to know,
from the advptates of a free Corn Trade, in what
manner they would have that trade established. He
knei, it would be repliedr-open your ports, it all
times, to the importation of foreign corn; but if that
were done, be should still have to learn how thit would
lower the price of corn. The customary answer was
that it-would be accomplished by drawing corn from
countries whey it could be grown cheaper than in this.l
but still, there !nun be a limit to that supply, and in
the end the price would find its ofra level. The att-
thority of Adam Smith had beeveferred to; but be
would undertake to say, that *hen that celebrated
writer advocated a free trade, he meant not the corn
rode only, but a free trade generally; and such a policy ,
he (Mr. Western) would be disposed to applaud.---.,
'There were'ptunerous passages in his work which
•confi;:ned-hirn in the opinion that such was not his
'Rev/. Mahe period when he wrote his work, this
',country lariely exported corn, and he estimated the
quantity imported as being not more than the 570th
part of the -whole consumption. From this fact he
'encouraged the farmer, and dreW the conclusion that'
England never could be ad importing country to any
great 'event. For his own part, I.e (Mr. Western)
was perfectly of opinion, that no country was snore
competent- to maintain its own population without
the aid of any foreign supply, than the united einpire.
3hereafttiode of obtaining low prices, was to put
that impediment in the way of introducing foreign
which would limit its supply.' If they fixed the
impart price at what was likely to be its average
price, t/lerwould check; not only the exertions of the
, British grower, but of the foreign also. He hoped,
the subjett would undergo the fullest discussion.' It
would have been better 'to avoid legislation upon it
Altogether, if possible ; tad he *as particularly sorry
that it should have taken pliCe at a menteit like the
present, whet the price of eorti.wasloW; teem:se the
publi-c would run away with the'niatien that it was
the object of the Legislature to heighten it. (Hear.)
It would have been much better adapteli.flir discus-
sion lass Session, and he regretted that it was not then
brought forward.—(Hear.)—ln his opinion they had
:.too ( ften legislated upon the subject. When the price'
of Corn was high, they'legislated to lower it, and
now that it was-low, it would be-thought that they
were legislating to make it higher. It was a most
injurious and a most unfounded opinion, to imagine
that it was in the power of that House to fix the-
price of Corn. The scheme recommended on a for-
mer night was that of a graduated line of duties.--,
Of this he did not approve. The principle which.
met with his approbation was this, that importation
should be discountenanced till there was likely to be
a scarcity of corn ; that then, and not till then, corn
should be admitted, and that duty free. He had the
honour of being a Member of the Committee ofiast.
Session, and he continued of opinion that the snockt
recommended by that Committee was the best mode
of proceeding on the subject of the Corn Laws. He
entertained the full persuasion that if any thing could'
keep alive the spirit of agriculture in this country, it
must be by making the duties On import amount
nearly to-a prohibition. If we were resolved to have
a foreign supply, we -must make up
,our minds to
expect a great deduction from our prwent growing
average.
Mr. ROSE.—The principle-which he had always'
maintained was, that the grower should b' protected.
How this could be done, was a subject for inquiry .j.
and what he complained of was, that they were pro-,
ceeding without having sufficient information. All
that he asked was, that when an adequate price had
been fixed for the protection of the grower, imported.
tion should be encouraged. But the prices had been
fixed without sufficient Inquiry. 'He much objected
to free trade ; but would not have trade free in .one.
way, and fettered in another. An Hon. Gentleman
had said, that there was no objection to investigation.
Why. then, 'should they not tpvestigate the subject?
Why not investigate it immediately I For himself,
he would be happy if a Committee Were appointed to
proceed in the investigation to-mot-roar. Certainly
the piesent time was, of all others, the most unsea-
sonable for a changb, but especially for such a change
as was proposed. ' He would again say that he most
cordially agreed. with those who thought that the in-
terests of the grower and consumer could set be se-
'prated.
Mr. HORNER •liis inzions to state the testate,
hfor the vote which he Would.give. Its stating these,
reasons he would, contrail to ~the example of some;
others, confine himself to .general principle& Alter
having listened with attention and deference to the
arguments of thbse who had spoken, he could not
concur in thinking that there were now any reason for
departing from the system of freedom of trade in that
of corn. Indeed, he was perfectly convinced by all
that hebad read en the subject, and by the recorded
opinions of ahle,Statesmen, that freedom in the corn;
trade was mpst essential, unless adequate reasons could
be stated in particular instants, where it was for the
interest of the state' that it shottld set be allowed.
Such•reasons might be found in the interests of the
revenue, or in measures of defence against an enemy,
as these were considerations to which the interests of

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