Star.
London, England, 1827-03-09 00:00:00

Agricultural interest that could be conferred on it.
He should therefore give his most cordial support to
' the plan of his Right Hon. Friend, and he hoped his
• Nobl? Friend (Lord Clive) would not press his Resolu-
tion, a. it must prove unwelcome to many who were
• inclined to agree with the Noble Lord upon the general
•,-principle, and as it would also, if carried, prevent his
Hon. Friend (Sir T. Gooch) from moving his promised
Amendment.—(Hear !)
Lord CLIVE said, that lie had no desire to press the House to
• a dividon upon his Resolution.
A loud ay of 0 Question 1" however, followed his Lordship's
, remark, and
• Sir R. HERON rose to address the House. The Hon. than.
' bowever, was unable to obtain a b acing, and he slid, that as the
r aim seemed ishpatient to come to a deaden on the question be-
im it, he should take another opportunity &expressing his spiels's,.
Sit T. LETHBRIDGE felt that he could not dis-
charge his duty to himself or his constituents. o ithcut
expressing his dissent from this measure. He firmly
. believed it neither to be founded in good policy, nor
calculated to promote the security of those whose in-
terests it was saides protect. He maintained that the
inquiry upon this subject had not been sufficiently gone
into, and that we were, in facto at this moment, ignorant
of the real prices of: grain in foreign markets, and for
this reason he thought it right that a Select Committee
should be appointed for the purposes of further inquiry,
similar to those going on elsewhere, before they went
any further with the Resolutions. He did not think
the graduated scale of restriction proposed by the
. Right Honourable Gentleman, would do, and he ob-
jected not so much to the ptotecting price of sixty
shillings, as to the mode and machinery adopted forth.
purpose of carrying it, into effect. He was sure that
when they went into a Committer, they would find that
64-. would be the lowest protecting price for wheat, end
245. for oats. The Hon. Baronet expressed a detraiw.
nation to move an amendment to that effc:ct.
Sir J. NEWPORT rose to protest against the e • •
pointed out by the Hon. Baronet. He-hoped-the Houk
would not embark in this new voyage of discovery,whieb
was interminable in its continuance, and indeterminate hp
its objects..-(Hear, hear.) It was right that they shoeld
. at once give the agriculterisu something like a perms.
ann.:punt upon which they might build their hopes
of security—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. CH PtPLIN was opposed to the measures which
. bad been brought before the House, and was most de-
cidedly of opinion that it was ruinous to pursue the
principles of free trade.
The motion for going Into a Ceemaktee was then carried without
a division. and the Speaker left the Chair.
Sir-ALEXANDER GRANT having taken the Cbair,
be proceeded, on the motion of the Right Hon. the
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, to put the first
Resolution :
44 That It is the opinion of dila Cemmittee,that any sort of corn
grain, meal, and low, which may now by law be imported into,
the Halted Kingdom, should at all times be adsnisdiale foe home
we, upon payment of the duties following: imported from
any foreign country. Wheat—Whenever the price of wheat.
made up and published in manner re/shad by law, be 60s. and
under 61s. the quarter, the duty shall be fee nay quarter 205."
Mr. BANKES said, he apprehended that that was
the proper pet iod for moving an amendment, should any
Hon. Gentleman be inclined to do so. It had been
as it appeared to him suggested with great propriety
that: 645. should be substituted instead of 60s. as a
medium price. He thought too that he might with
justice complain that no fair opportunity had been
given for objecting to the principle on which the tear-
lotions were founded. By those resolutions be gathered
that it was the intention of Government to consider 60s.
as a fair reenonerating price to the British grower. At
present the price of wheat was 531. or 544. and, there-
fore, Government meet intend to raise the price of wheat
some 6s. or Is. and how did they propose to do that?
Why according to the resolutions it should seem from
admitting foreign corn. The plan, therefore, appeared to
him most objectionable. He maintained, that none of the
distress of the manufacturers could be attributed to the
Corn Laws, for the price of corn had been mach lower
since the law of 1815, than what was considered by
• Ministers as a fair remuneratory price. The Hon. Gen.
denten concluded by moving as an amendment, the
substitution of 64'. the quarter, for 60s the quarter.
On ike Ansessament being put from the Chair,
Mr. C. BARCLAY said that he was one of those
who had objected to the law of 1815, at the time it was
passed; he then thought it an injurious measure; he
was still of the same opinion, and he congratulated the
House on its being at length, though late, assembled
far its repeal. With respect to the question before the
House. that of duty and price, he was really astonished
to bear the complaints made by the Hon. Member
for Dorset (Mr. Banker). Why, it was a fact that
wheat in Mark-lane had already advanced ss. or 6s. in
consequence of the plan proposed by his Majesty's
Ministers. From all the calculations which he had
been able to make upon the subject, be had conceived
that a duty of 16s. taking 60s. as a medium pr ice, would
be sufficient to protect the Agricultural interest ; but
he would not presume to put his opinion in array
against that which had been submitted to the House.
The Agriculturists were undoubtedly the best customers
the Manufacturers had; bet the Agricultufists should
also remember that, if the Manufacturers were unduly
depressed, the whole of the community must partake
of their distress. He firmly believed that the plan pro-
posed by Ministers would prove west benefice i 1 to the
country, and therefore it should have his sincere support.
Lord ALTHORP was of opinion, that on exami-
nation the alteration proposed by the Amendment was
so trifling, that the Hon. Member for Dorset would
, hardly think it worth while to press it. If the effect it
would produce,on the scale were taken into considera-
tion, it would be found to make only a difference of 2s.
the quarter. He was happy, representing as he did an
agricultural country, that the measures proposed by his
Majesty's Ministers had given considerable satisfaction
to his constituents, many of wham spoke loudly in their
praise on Saturday, when the last market was held—
(Hear, heat). He was happy to be able to make that
statement, and the more so as he had given his support
to the alterations proposed.
Mr. FERGUSON approved-of the general proposi-
tion, but thought it could not be cal tied into effect
a tzhout a change in the currency. The Hon. Member
complimented his M ejesty's Government for having ad-
vanced the ge eral interest by promoting hue trade.
A Right Hon. Gentleman had done much with respect
to the silk trate. All the measures for toe benefit of
commerci I policy had been advantageous. The case
with respect to corn was different. The trade in corn
could nct be altogether free. It y had a fare trade
in cern, it would be impossible to cultivate the I s d at
all. The measure now proposed, in comparison with
the Act of 1818, would restore /der, but it the propor-
tion of duty on barley and oars was preserved, he should
be opposed to it.
Mr. Secretary @PANNING rose merely to call the

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