Star.
London, England, 1827-06-22 00:00:00

CORN AVERAOSS.

The Order of the Day having been read,
Viscount GODERICH said, that in moving tl e
second reading of the Corn Averages Bill, he should
merely have to state, that its provisions vr.re mainly
the re-enactment of former laws. As they had expe-
rienced ►everal amendments, however, it had been
thought best to repeal the old laws, and to introduce
what was retained in a new Bill, rather than to have
to look for it in separate Statutes. The alterations
weir not numerous, and their object was to give every
additional facility to take the average with every pos-
sible correctness. It was not practicable to propde
against every case of fraud or error; but the Bull con-
t.incd, he believed, as good a remedy us any measure
ever yet protium!. 1k etwuld not enter into the die.

cussion of the clauses noW.—the proper place would
be in the Committee.
Lord FARNHAM gave notice, that in the Commit-
tee he should move that certain towns in Leland and
Scotland be included in the Average, and also that
he should object to the clause giving a discretionary
power to the King in Council to add any towns to .the
kverage.
The Earl of MALMESBURY was anxious to pro.
mote the Bill, as lie considered it as the foundation of the
machinery on which the whole of the permanent corn
'system was to be laid. He only wished to know why
the operation of the Bill was limited to the twelve ma-
ritime districts, since its object was to ascertain the value
received by the growers of grain all over the country.
He also wanted to know why the port of London was
included within the averages. No growers of corn ever
went to the port of London directly, and the price was
higher there than any where else, having passed through
several hands when it arrived. Uxbridge was, in f.et,
the chief market town for the county of Midole.ex ; but
why should not the counties of Hertford or Notting-
ham be included P It was a fact well known, 1h45 the
price of grain was lower in the midland 'counties, and
might, if thrown in, contribute to lower the averages.
As they were going to legislate permanently, he wished
that a more general system should be adopted.
• Lord REDESUALE said, that it appeared from the
evidence produced before the Committee appointed to
inquire into the subject, that a great part of the grain
sold and subjected to the average in the maritime coun-
ties, afterwards went to the post of London at an In-
creaied price, as the expense of :arriage from Norwich
there was about as much as from Holland to-England.
He wished tnknow whether there would be any objec-
tion to alter the preamble to the Bill, and to make it as
in the former Acts, merely one to regulate the impor-
tation of corn.

Viscount GODERICH reminded the Noble Esti,
that the Bill had been passed after another measure to
allow the importation of foreign corn, a.. 1 had a neces-
sary reference in its language to that. It was certainly
proper, now that the other B 11 had been abandoned, to
a'ter the words in the manner proposed. He should
not discuss at present the propriety of including or ex-
cluding the Port of London from the averages, but he
admitted th.t the question was one worthy of conside.
ration in the Committee. His Noble Friend wished to
know why the maritime vianties alone were included
in the averages? Toe original cause was, that in earlier
times the duties on the importation and exportation of
corn were not the same in every cart of the country, but
varied in every county. It was to give effect to that
principle which he could not defend, and which he ad-
mitted to be bad, that the maritime districts alone had
been included. This principle since had never been de-
parted from, though he could give no good reason for
adhering to it. If his Noble Friend thought, however,
that to include the mass of the inland counties would
huve the effect of lowering the avtragea, he was mis-
taken; the average:he (Lord G.) thought would be
raised, and the duties diminished. He, therefore, ad.
sited those who wished to include the inland counties
to investigate the question narrowly, lest they should
carry their point, but defeat their real object. The best
manner in which it could be done would be, through
the clause to which a Noble Baron had objected, which
gave to the King in Council the power of adding towns
to the return. That was not a new clause: it had been
introducid in the Bill of 1821, and had then been con-
sidered an improvement. The only variation in the
present clause was, that whereas in the former Act the
discretionary poser to change the towns depended on
the recommendation of the Magistrates, and was con-
fined to the districts named, here there was a power of
introducing additional towns without the recommenda-
tioa of the Magistrates, and without the choice being
co.ifined to the districts named in the Bill. If it were
thought desirable, therefore, to extend the avetages to
towns in the inland counties, that might be done in
this manner more conveniently than if a number of new
towns were at once appointed in the Bill.
The Earl of MALNIESBURY said,his only wish was
to obtain, as nearly as possible, the price for grain paid to
growers over the whole country. It appeared to him,
that the introduction of the inland counties would have
but little effect on the Averages—Very little.—from
Lord GODERICH3—but it would sound well in the ears
of the inland glowers, and would make them think that
their interests were not neglected.
Lord ELLENBOROUGEL should have some diffi.
culty to leave in the Bill that clause which gave the
King in Council a discretionary power to alter and in-
sert towns, as if that power were given they would le.
gislate in the dark, and the Ministers might at any time
raise the Average three or four shillings by adding to
the number of towns.

Lord BEXLEY assured the Noble Lord, that neither
the addition nor the omission of towns would have
any effect on the Averages.
Lord ELLENBOROUGH reminded the Noble Ba-
ron, that Ireland and Scotland were excluded from the
Bill, and that if they were suddenly included, or
those towns in the inland counties where corn of the best
quality was grown, a great alteration might be made in
the Averages. He conceived the power conferred by
that clause to be very gre.a.

After • few words .froin the Marquis of SAIJUDILT and
Lord fizeurr,
The Earl of LAUDERDALE advised that the ave.
rage of the Maritime Counties be kept up as a matter of
comparison, and that a general average be afterwards
taken on which the Government should act.

- --•••—•
The Bill was then read a second time, and ordered to be com-
mitted to-morrow.

EDUCATION.

Viscount GODERICH moved an humble Address
to his Majesty, praying that he would be graciously
pleased to order Copies of the Bth and 9th Reports of
the Commissioners, appointed to inquire into the state
of Education in Ireland, to be laid before the House.—
Agreed to.

DISSENTERS' INARRIAGES.
The Marquis .f LANSDOWN gas* notice that he s►ouid
move the second reading of the Dissenters'Aarriage BiU to-morrow,
and wished that the debate should be calico on the question of
going into a Committee.
The Earl of ELDON—IF he underitnoci that the
Bill should be read a second time to-morrow, merely