The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-03-19 00:00:00

fittpqtai Vatliamtnt.

• HOUSE OF LORDS.—THUgSDAY.
An immense number of petitions were presented against
the repeal of the corn-laws.
The Duke of RUTLAND remarked as to one of them, that
he had asked some agricultural labourers who had signed it
why they had done so, and they replied that their object was
to prevent revolution. He concurred in the soundness of this
reason as much as in the prayer of the petition.
The Earl of RADNOR.—Did the noble duke ask the la-
bourers why they supposed the repeal of the corn-laws would
• produce revolution ?
The Duke of RUTLAND said he had not asked that question.
(" Hear, hear," from the Earl of Radnor.) But he had asked
them at what price they considered wheat could be profitably
grown in this country, and they answered £3 per quarter.
The Earl of RANNOR.—I should like to know whether
those labourers were aware that the present corn-law has
never secured that price.
Lord BROUGHAM thought the noble duke had done quite
right to ask the questions of these agricultural labourers, deeply
interested as they were in the question. But he also thought
that the manufacturing labourers ought to be consulted, and
not only on the subject of the corn-laws, but upon other
questions on which they had a very strong opinion—reform
of parliament for instance, which they knew at least as much
about as the, corn-laws, and he should shortly have to pre-
sent petitions from that class, praying for a further extension
of parliamentary representation, and he hoped their opinions
would at least be as much attended to as those of the agri-
cultural labourers.
The Duke of RICHMOND wished to know whether it was
the intention of the noble viscount at the head of the govern-
ment to bring in a bill to alter the bill passed last session,
regulating the duty on foreign fruit.
Lord MELBOURNE said, if the statements of the fruit
growers in this country were found to be correct, there would
be several alterations made in the bill.
THE CORN LAWS.
Earl FITZWILLIAM then brought forward his resolution—
" that the act 9, Geo. IV. had failed of securing that steadi-
ness in the price of grain which was essential to the best
interests of the country." The noble lord, in a long speech,
in which he quoted the state of the market at various periods,
in order to show the fluctuations of the price of corn under
the operation of the present law, concluded by observing that
he felt warranted in saying that if any class suffered under it,
it was the agriculturists.
The Duke of BUCKINGHAM opposed the motion, and in
the course of his speech quoted some observations made by
the noble earl (Fitzwilliam) in 1815, in favour of affording
effectual protection to the landed interest.
Lord RIPON followed on the same side. They had been
told that great improvement had also taken place in Saxony
and Switzerland in certain branches of manufactures, and
that that was to be ascribed to our corn laws. That could
not possibly be the case from our corn law excluding the corn
of Saxony, because Saxony grew no corn. It was the same
in Switzerland ; no corn was grown there. It was the same
in Bavaria : Bavaria exported no corn ; therefore our corn
law could not cause Switzerland to send her manufactures
there. Then Wurtemberg could not say she did not take
our manufactures because we did not take her corn. The
statement that this was the case must have been a ruse diplo-
matique. But the existence of the• corn laws was not the
motive for the imposition of those duties, nor of the imposi-
tion of any other duties which might be levied by any other
of the powers of Europe. All those powers were, and had
been for many years, using every artificial means to encou-
rage the manufactures of their own subjects, and this they
did by imposing high duties on the importation of the cor-
responding manufactures of other countries.—(Hear, hear.)
In conclusion, he called upon their lordships to give a distinct
negation to the motion.
The Duke of WELLINGTON said the resolution proposed
that night embraced but a very small part of this important
question ; but let their lordships observe this, that if they
adopted this resolution, they would be called upon to go for-
ward still further. With respect to the words of the resolu-
tion, he would say, that on comparing the alterations of prices
under these laws in this country, with the variations of the
prices of corn in other parts of the world, in which there hap-
pened to be no corn laws—(hear, hear)—taking, for instance,
Dantzic, Hamburgh, and the United States of America, where
there were no corn laws, it would be found that the variation
of the prices of corn at Dantzic, at Hamburgh, and in the
United States of America, have been frequently greater than
in this country during the operation of the existing corn laws.
Under the existing corn laws great encouragement had been
given to agriculture. He believed that the produce of the
country had been immensely increased, and particularly in
• the valuable article of wheat, the annual produce of which
L'l was now nearly equal to its greatest annual consumption.
Such was the supply of wheat, that the very lowest order of
the people subsisted upon it, which was not, he believed, the
practice in any other country. The practice was not known
any where else. (Hear, hear.) It was not known in France ;
it was not known in Germany ; it was not known in the Ne-
therlands, nor was it the case anywhere else. (Hear.) In
fact, the lowest orders lived upon wheaten bread in no coun-
try of the world except England. (Hear, hear.) In con-
clusion, the noble duke said—let them persevere in those
measures which had been successful in raising the agriculture
of this country, and increasing its produce—let them increase
its produce to the utmost possible degree, and render all the
articles of food as cheap as they could be, and then let them
see what they would do with reference to commerce and its
interests ; but let them, he entreated, begin by securing to
her Majesty's subjects a supply of the best food from the pro-
duce of her Majesty's dominions. (Hear, hear.)
Lord RADNOR supported the motion.
The Duke of RICHMOND opposed it.
Lord MELBOURNE, after explaining that Mr. Poulett
Thomson, when he said that he rejoiced to see this question
the subject of agitation, only meant that he was glad that it
had been brought forward in public discussion. He, how-
ever, did not agree with him in opinion. He was sorry that
the question had been brought forward, and that advantage
had been taken of a temporary high price of corn to excite
agitation on the subject. (Hear, hear.) He was unwilling
‘l,;'• to make any alteration in the present corn laws. He did not
3k, know how an alteration would affect contracts with respect to
3. land, and he was not ready to make any change unless it
could be plainly shown him that the change would be for the
al better, and so much for the better as to make it worth while
..1. to introduce the alteration. He would certainly give his vote
against the motion in any shape.
Lord BROUGHAM supported the motion, which was opposed
by Lord Lansdowne, Lord Westmeath, and Lord North-
IA
liciF Lord FITZWILLIAM replied.
-riro. The house then divided, when the numbers were—
Contents, present

- Proxies
Total.
Not content, present

- _
Proxies
Total.

143
-224

Majority against the motion..
On our. return to the gallery, we found Lord Brougham
postponing his motion until next day, after which their lord-
ship* adjourned at a quarter to one o'clock.
HOUSE OF COMMONS.—THURSDAY.
Colonel Bruen took the oaths and his seat for Carlow.
Mr. HOPE brought in a bill for extending the line of the
Gloucester and Birmingham railway, which was read a first
time, and ordered to be read a second time.
Mr. Loci( FIART brought in the Wishaw railway bill, which
was read a first time.
Sir H. FLEErwoon brought up the Preston and Wyre
railway bill, which was read a first time.
In reply to a question from Mr. HUME,
Mr. LABOUCHERE said that it was not the intention of
government to introduce any measure with regard to the
settlement of the affairs of Canada before Easter.
Petitions on various subjects were presented.
Mr. WODEHOUSE gave notice of his intention to move for
a copy of the memorandum entered by Mr. Huskisson at the
Board of Trade, in reply to the correspondence with the
Foreign-office, respecting the intercourse with Prussia in
foreign timber and wheat. Also, for a copy of the return of
the exports of wheat.
Mr. E. J. STANLEY moved that a new writ be issued for
the election of a member to serve for the borough of Leices-
ter, in the room of J. Duckworth, Esq., who, since his
election, has accepted the office of one of the masters in
Chancery.
Captain BOLDER() gave notice that, on the navy estimates,
he would move an address to the crown, for the production
of the order issued to the Royal Marine Corps, directing
them to provide themselves with great-coats.
EXECUTIONS IN CANADA.
Mr. O'CONNELL begged to ask the under-secretary for
the colonies, whether her Majesty's government had received
any account of 34 persons having been hanged in Canada
recently ; and he wished also to know whether it was the in-
tention to have these executions continued ?
Mt. LABOUCHERE said, no information had been reeeived
at the Colonial office with regard to the accounts which had
appeared in the newspapers of several persons having been
executed in Upper and Lower Canada in addition to those
which had already been stated to the house. From some
circumstances, for which he was not able to account, the
Great Western, steam ship, did not bring any despatches
from the governors of Upper and Lower Canada, and. there-
fore
no information had been received. With regard to the
hon. and learned member's second question, as to whether
it was the intention of her Majesty's government to take
steps to stop those executions, he begged to say that on every
occasion when that most painful subject had ,been adverted
to by Lord Normanby and himself, in their communication
with the governors of these colonies, no opportunity had
' bcen lost of impressing upon their minds a strong feeling of
the advisableness and propriety of confining the exercise of
capital punishment witliin the narrowest possible limits, due
regard being had to protection of the lives and properties
of her Majesty's subjects. (Hear, hear.) He felt bound to
state, in justice to the gallant officers, the governors of Up-
per and Lower Canada, who, under circumstances of no
ordinary description had been charged with the conduct of
the affairs of these provinces to state, that they themselves
• felt precisely in the same manner as the queen's government
upon the subject. (Hear.) He was satisfied that, from the
high moral and professional character of Sir John Colborne
and Sir George Arthur, that they would carry into effect the
painful duty imposed upon them with a due regard to mercy,
and from a conscientious conviction of what was due to the
. , safety and protection of these provinces. (Loud cries of
" Hear, hear.")
The adjourned debate on the corn laws was then resumed.
Lord 'Woast.Ey began it by supporting the present laws.
Sir H. VIVIAN, who followed, was desirous of changing
them.

Mr. EMERSON TENNENT argued the question mainly
with reference to Ireland, whose agriculture, he said, had
made great progress under the existing system, and promised
ere long to render England wholly independent of foreign
countries for her supply of corn. Prosperity to Ireland
would produce tranquility for England ; but a repeal of these
laws would retard that blessing by checking the improve-
ments already in operation, and by preventing the reclama-
tion of the bogs and wastes. The question of repeal was
important, indeed, to England, but to Ireland it was life or
death.
Sir H. PARNELL, who was hut imperfectly audible, re-
peated some arguments for a change in the law.
Lord MAIDSTONE thought the present system gave no
more than the protection necessary to obtain a growth of
our own supplies within our own boundary, an independence
which would be cheap at the cost of millions. He wished to
know why a question so important had been left by ministers
an open one—if open it could be called—when all of them
were prepared to vote for the change?
Mr. \% ARD thought the landlords were interested in the
repeal, because it is foreign trade that produces rent, by its
effect in sustaining the great towns, which are the chief con-
sumers. The labourers too would be gainers • for if the
employers had better profits, they could afford better remu-
neration to the workmen. The tenants had been deceived
upon this question—intelligent men, no doubt, in their sphere,
but that sphere a contracted one. This was a landlord's
question ; yet in truth the landlords would suffer little from
importation of corn ; the commodity was too bulky, and the
producing countries too few, to allow any inundation. But
those were selfish considerations; he would rather look at
the moral ones. With your present poor law, your present
corn law was inconsistency ; the poor law tells the labourer
to rely upon his own exertions ; the corn law forbids him
from rendering those exertions available. The hon. member
then read an affecting statement of distress from a handloom
weaver at Preston, and inferred that this misery was, in part
at least, attributable to the selfishness of the aristocracy,
whom he likened to the French nobility before the revolution,
and to the oppressor who took the poor man's one lamb.
Sir Jam ES GRAHAM observed, how critical a task it is to
make a change in laws that regulate food—a change which
can hardly he proposed without an excitement, vastly unfa-