Star.
London, England, 1826-09-05 00:00:00

THE CORN LAWS.

A general expectation seems to prevail that Parlia-
ment will immediately on its meeting proceed to the
consideration of the Corn Laws, and that the issue of its
deliberation vein be to substitute for the present mode
of protection to the landed interest of the country, that
of a fixed and invariable duty on the importation of
Foreign Corn.
The crops of corn in every country, in any one year,
being subject to deficiency or excess from the operation
of causes beyond human controul, the supply cannot,
as in those articles which are created merely by human
industry, be accurately, at any given period, appor-
tioded to the demand. Native is usually found, how.
ever, to be bounteous or niggard of her gifts to dif-
ferent count' ies, not all at once, but in succession, and
she thus points out the necessity of that mutual inter-
course by which partial redundancy and partial dearth
may be perpetually blended into universal sufficiency.
This is the argument, and it is one to which neither
policy nor humanity can refuse to listen—in favour of,
not certainly unrestricted freedom of the foreign corn
trade, but in favour of the utmost degree of freedom
which is compatible with the internal condition of
every particular country.

To ascertain, as nearly as possible, the degree of
inequality between England and those foreign coun-
tries with which her dealings in corn would princi-
pally take place, in the costliness of that cultiva-
tints which the regular consumption of their popula-
tions respectively demands, is a. preliminary conside-
ration of the most delicate and important character.
Having attained, or approximated to this knowledge, it
then remains to inquire by what regulations of their
mutual traffic this permanent and indelible inequality
may be best counterpoised or compensated, so that the
Advantages of free intercourse may be secured to the
utmost extent that is compatible with the security and
protection of our domestic agriculture.
A constant duty upon the importation of foreign
grain to an amount which, added to the necessary costs
of transit, will compensate the disparity of expense be-
tween English and foreign cultivation, seems one of
the most obvious and natural, as it is certainly one of the
most simple and efficacious modes of attempting to
secure to the English cultivator an equal chance with
foreigners in the markets of his own country. But
it would seem scarcely to be enough that the
English cultivator shall be placed upon a footing
of equality with foreigners in the markets of his
own country, if he is to be left upon an inferior
footing in. or altogether excluded from all the other
markets of the o orld. The nation which imports
upon every failure of its native crops, and which
never exports at all, cannot keep up its average pro-
duce to an equality with the average demands of its
people, and will therefore be, to a certain extent, de-
pendant upon a foreign supply. A duty upon importa-
tion equal to the average difference in the expense of
cultivation between England and other countries (minus
the cost of transit) ought, therefore, to accomplish the
perfection of the system, to be accompanied by a bounty
upon exportation equal to the same average difference
of the expense of cultivation, plus the cost of transit.
In this way the produce of the soil of England would,
in every market, foreign or domestic, be floated upon
an equal footing with the produce of other countries,
and we venture to say, that in no other way whatever
can this desirable object be attained.
It is a strong recommendation of this system of duties
and bounties, that the proceeds of the duties may be-ex-
pected in a series of years to equal the amount of bounty
to be paid, so that the Exchequer will not be enriched
from a source of revenue of all others the most my:)•
pular and odious—the food of the people ; nor, on the
other hand, will the protection of British agriculture be
a direct expense to the State.

A cricket match was played at Dieppe last week by
English Gentlemen, at the request of the Duchess of Beau, who is
taking the baths there—her Royal Highness was attended by :the
Duke of ()exults, and all the beauty and fashioo of the place.
—The gallant Sir &burr Sum was also on the ground,—After
.Ati hour's play, her Highness asked when they were to begirt,
And on being told the game was proceeding, she retired, saying she
4aw no amusement in men running about.
Baron de SOLOMON ROTHSCHILD, and his son, Baron
JeAssuu Rornseurtn; also Baron de Jamie R 011190111" have ar-
rival at Dover, and are expected in town this evening. They
,re come to be present at the wedding of the daughter of N. N.
tovrtsouten, Esq. with the Baron de .istscut.