Star.
London, England, 1822-02-16 00:00:00

country. Ile had feared the contrail; and was
therefore against the enquiry. because lie thought it
had been called for on no solid. view of the paestion,
brit on a.devistiion iron' all those principles %eke)) it
was most essential to the general interest to maintain,
and likely therefore hut to terminate in delusion. He
was happy to say that the result had not •'corres-
ponded with the apprehensions which he had enter.
tained. If the Committee had done no other good,
their labours had had the effect of leading the Public,
to view this question in its proper light. A.muoh.,
more correct idea was taken of it now than formerly.
Both the great bodies which had supposed they
had separate interests,. hut which he had ever con-
sidered to have one common interest, he meant the
manufacturing and the agricultural classes, now,
saw that they had been in error—(Hear, hear),
-It was at length understood that it was as little the
interest of the agricultural classes to impose high
:.prices on the manufacturers, as it was the interest of
the manufacturing body to break down the agricul-
•tural classes, their best customers in the market, by,
'reducing their prices so low that they could not pr.',
chase the produce of manufacturing industry. He
'thought it an auspicious circumstance for the coun-
try, that the errors which had prevailed on this sub-
ject were no more. Protecting duties, or the want of
them, could have nothing to do with the present dis
tress, as the farmers were protected from the impor-
tation of foreign corn, up to eighty shillings, while
the market price was but fifty. After the Report
which had been laid on Ole table, after the sugges-
tions which had been thrown out, he felt that Go-
vernment would blink the question, and fail in their
duty if they were not to propose the revival of the
Agricultural Committee for the reconsideration of
their Report; but it was not to be supposed that he
was bringing in a Corn Bill, or that he had any
views apyroaching the effect of that measure.—
He wished to state, that though he was convinced
of the necessity of immediate relief, yet he felt that
such relief could not be extended just now, and that
all that could be expected was to relie:e the country
horn the alarm which the markets might experience
from the mischief of the existing laws—(Hear).—
Without challenging a discussion upon all the prin-
ciples of the Corn Laws, every one of which admitted
of so much contention, he would only say now, that a
modification in the existing laws would be in some
degree beneficial, and was indeed necessary. Some
modification of them was necessary to protect the
country against the injurious consequences to its
agriculture, which by mere accident might he pro-
duced by the operation of these laws—:(Hear).—The
evils which might possibly arise from them were of
so extensive a nature, that it behoved Parliament to
take the matter seriously into their consideration.
The great evil of these laws was, that in a small
space of time a measure was determined upon, of
so decided a nature as to leave no medium between
an unlimited supply and an absolute monopoly.—
That decisive step was taken too upon averages which
were likely to be affected by accidental circumstances.
There were four Quarter Days. He would suppose
the 15th of August one of these, as the day on which
the ports were to be opened. The smallest rise in
the price—nay, even a single penny over 80s, would
open the ports to the whole world for three months,
except the ports between the Oder and the Bidassoa.
But it was unjust to ourselves to suppose that we
were alone distressed. The difficulties under which
the agricultural interest laboured were certainly
great, but they were not so great as those felt in
America, the sea-ports of the Continent, and in Ger-
many. He (Lord Londonderry) was told this day
that, in Silesia, the farmers did not think the corn
worth taking off the field, and the finest wheat in
Europe was left there to rot—(Hear). In Bohemia
corn did not bring one-eighth of the price of last
year. The Corn Laws were not calculated to better
the condition of the agriculturists in this country.
If the corn was now at fifty shillings, what would
it be if the ports were open ?—(Hear, hear, hear).—,-'
At the present time all Europe was in a disordered
state with regard to the price of corn. On this ques-
tion it would be useless to go into anything like a
theoretical detail; but he must at once say that he
protested against all those delusions which led men
to think that relief could be afforded by laying addi-
tional duties en foreign corn ; for if a law to that
effect were passed, it could not be acted upon—(Hear,
hear).—Yet he thought some concessicns ought to be
made with regard to certain rates of duties ; and he
thought the agricultural interest might derive some
protection from double averages—(Near, hear)—in-
stead of single ones, and that there should be some
mode by which foreign supply might be placed under
a greater degree of restraint. All he meant to pro-
pose was, a modification of the existing regulations.
With respect to the warehousing of foreign corn, that
was a subject which should undergo a very particular
examination, so that frauds might be evaded. The
warehousing system, at present, was not strict enough ;
and he should propose that a notice should be pub•
lished in every Gazette of the quantity of foreign corn
brought into, and sent out of the country—(Hear).—
There was another question to which he wished to
call the attention of the House. He saw considerable
difficulty attending the practice of advancing money
for foreign corn, which was afterwards suffered to
lie in warehouses ; of this corn there ought never to
be a glut. He would, however, recommend a plan
for warehousing. British cord, as highly advantageous
to our own farmer, by always causing a steady
'market; bet, at the same time, no greater encou-
r%emeot.should be held out to this plan than would
be necessary to pay the interest
•Of she money ad-
, . . . . .
vanced, and the expense attending it. It would not
be desirable to keep the corn long in the warehouses.
but that the proinietOr Might take it awa7 as, soon as
he chose. This was certainly an artificial measure,
but it would render the supply of corn more com-
plete and secure. He merely threw out those sttg-
r,estions, leaving, it to ;lief Hogs; 'to determine what
(ight to be ddne according to ail best of its judg-
ment. He did not think he had discharged his duty
if he withheld any of those considerations from the
House. He felt himself called upon, by a sacred
duty to support those great principles which were nel
cessary to be acted upon after we had experienced the
bitter fruits of sacrificin4 our internal interests. He
went upon the principles of that great man Mi.'ritt;
who had established a Sinking Fund as a means of pre-
serving the property of the country. He felt confident
that he was addressing those persons who still vene-
rated the mole of that great man, who bad sup.: