Star.
London, England, 1826-05-12 00:00:00

could be seleete3 more injurious to the landed interest
than such a moment. But thesjit would be said, why
not exercise the power of the Crown, allow foreign.
corn W be admitted, andJahen summon Parliament and
ask for an indemnity. It formed no part of the pier*
gative of the Crown to dispense with the laws. He
knew that that had been done with approbation under
Lords Chatham and Camden, but then the only mea-
sure adopted was to forbid the export:6.)n of
British corn, whilst now his Majesty's Government would not only
have to prohibit the exportation of native grain but to admit foreign
torn, either free of duty, since none would be imposed by Act of
. Parliament, or taxed without consent of Parliament, though the
first necessary of life, and at a time, too, when it was most wanted.
They might afterwards call for an indemnity, but would they not
he reproached with having done this when they must have foreseen
its probability while Parliament was sitting, and when a 'cnustitu-
tional course, that which they were now pursuing, might have been
adopted? The Noble Earl then described the nature of the pre-
sent measure, which fixed a limitation as to quantity without any
reference as to price, and called upon their Lordships to allow the
13t11 to come before them that they might deal fairly with the
subject instead of adopting a Resolution which might do great in-
jury to the country He then concluded by moving—" That the
House do now adjourn."
The Marquis of SALISBURY defended the Resolu-
tion. The first proposition made by his Majesty's 'Mi.
nisters was calculated to give an idea that it was
intended to get tit of the Coin Laws altogether. Modi-
fied as it bad been, he should have reposed the same
colifiJence in it as he did in all the measures of the
Noble Lord (Liverpooi), had it not been for the manner
- and the time of its being brought in. His chief objec-
tion was that it would encourage the unfounded calum-
nies against the landed interest, that the Coin Lrws
were kept up for its advantage. He wished to spew the
country at large that the present distresses did not arise
from the Corn Laws, but rather from free trade and the
speculatlons which it encouraged. The quantity of corn in bond
now was suillcient to prevent the apprehension of a scarcity. As
to the Corn Laws themselves, this was not the proper moment for
discussing their merits er demerits. From the time when they
had been established, they had at least had the posidve merit of
securing slow price of corn to the public, and yet a reatuneratiog
• use is the *rower.
The Earl of LIMERICK was astonished at the line
of argument adopted by the Noble Earl (Bathurst) He
objected to going into au inquiry on account of the
late period of the Sessions. Whose fault was it that
those measures had been brought forward only now?
And even then it was not the middle of May, and V ere
was ample time to carry on an inquiry. Necessity was
the only ground on which those measures could be jewelled, and
what necessity was there for them, er what danger of a famine
. price, when the average price of corn at this moment was only fres.
6ul. and the market was continually falling? The Noble Earl then
alluded to the Report of Mr. Jacob. who though he pretended to
have visited all the corn canaries of Europe in sis months, bad not
gone to South Russia, to the Ukraine, or to Sicily, which were its
granaries! He should support the Resolution. The question was of
vital importance to Ireland, who existed only by agriculture, and
must fall if egriculture was destroyed.
The Earl of HAREWOOD said, that if this measure
had gone on as at first intended, with an unlimited
power of importation, he thought there would have
been considerable ground of apprehension for the corn
growers of this country; but modified as it now was,
he saw no reason for alarm, and entertained no objec-
tion towards it. Having said this, however, he must
regret that the question had been moved at all in
this advanced period of the Session; but the House was
now in the dilemma, and lie thought their best course
' *as to proceed. The Noble Lord then stated, that
in his view the distresses of the country had been im-
properly connected with this question. It appeared to Min to be
uniting two things entirely dissimilar to themselves. If relief could
be given to the claws uow unhappily suffering under such severe
privations, without injury to agriculture, he should be glad to
see it done. Aod although he thought this measure not likely to
give any considerable relief, yet he thought the alarm which it ex-
cited bad been greatly exaggerated. Under these circumstances he
should vote for the Amendment of the Noble Earl.
The Earl of ROSEBERRY disclaimed any prejudice
or attachment in favour of the Corn Laws, as they at
present stood ; on the contrary, he retained the opinion
which he had formerly expressed, that a modification
ought to be effected. But he fully concurred in what
he thought had ben the general feeling of the House,
that the present Session was, on every account, unfit for'
the investigation. When the first proposition of the
Government was made to their Lordships, be heard it
with something approaching to dismay. To the ad-
mission of the bonded corn he had no objection, because
although be did not believe that it could afford relief,
it would show the manufacturers their Lordships sym-
pathised with their distress. With regard to the other
measure, limited as it now was, he apprehended no
danger horn the exercise of the power sought by the
Govehment in this particular case. But he saw
nothing in the circumstances of the present year which
distinguished it from the common course of events,
or reqair d any departure from the ordinary system
establialted by the laws. The manufacturing classes
Weft not suffetiog from the scarcity or dearness of corn, but front
She want of employment, to enable them to purchase it at any price.
He had no objection to the hest measure, but viewing the wiped
ks useless and mischievous be should vote for the motion of 'his
Noble Friend. The Noble Earl then deprecated the efforts which
bad Ltzly been made to inflame the minds of the against the
owners of the sod. They had always been to as—if not the
most important—one of the most important classes in the country.
They had experience that the prosperity of the country depended
upon the prosperity of agriculture; and he regretted that the minds
of the suffering manufacturers should be so abused as that they
should suppose the welfare of agriculture inimical to their own com-
forts, or productive of their distress. He abstained from going
Into any details of the views he entertained in respect to the Corn
Laws, but stated his decided opinloo that a revision was inevitable.
The Earl of ABERDEEN has yet to learn what has
happened in the history of the country to lead their
Lordships to b lieve that the most tespectable class of
his Majesty's subjects was about to be injured. He de-
stied that the of Ministers had this effect, or
that Ministers had acted inconsistently with avowed
opinions, in bringing forward these measures. The
inconsistency lay with those who condemned Ministers
for touching upon the Corn Laws. and yet were requesting their
to institute a minute inquiry into these laws. He cost-
tirtutsdbirr the expediency of granting Jlinisters the discretionary
• power they asked fur, and that the high price of corn was a just
ground for the importation of foreign corn; as the admitting the
blooded worn (front which be expected no very 'arguing relief) Into
the market, was called for by the distress of the manufacturers. He
regretted the necessity of the measures of Government, but con-
tended for their expediency ; the more so. as they were discon-
nected with the main question of the Corn Laws, and would be
gratefully received by the pee*.
The Karl of ROSEBEILItY explained.
Lord ELLENBOROUGH maintained that as ques-
tion that did not involve the subsistence of the people
would induce him to grant a discretionary power to
Ministers to import foreign corn into the country. As
tO the question of the Corn Laws, be asked whose
system these laws belonged to? from whom did they
emanate? From the Noble Lords opposite (Liverpool
and hlalmesbury) who moskinconsister.tly declared their
ignorance of their own laws in 1815 and 1822. and
brought in measures against their own Bills. He (Lord
Elleabovough) voted lot the admission of bonded corn
last year; but he was not therefore obliged to vo:e for
the present Medlillt- The circumstances were dile-