Star.
London, England, 1820-05-31 00:00:00

I

......-
. -a

rased the Bill. The opponents of the ntessove-that
t reed that 80s. would be the snsitfienotn, *hilt be
emended that it would' form the maatroum, • If'
the law lord, therefore, failed to produce a price. of
to ..he farmers, It had only failed is that which
never intended to produce—(Hear, hear).—
'fl:e chief effect which lte had expected front the Bill
o hat Lv removing from farmers all- apprehension
or a boundless importation of foreign corn, it would
loot to a wise application of capital to agricultural
eVocts, and would hive a tendency to lower rather
than tie raise the price. That the lawydid Rot pro-
dtze bOs. was therefore no ground for altering its
orovisions. Ile held a statement of the quantity of
forcien corn imported timing the last five years, by
svliieh it appeared that the wheat imported during
that period amottated to 3,483,675 quarters. From
this woe to be deducted 324,546 grouters now in the
warehouses, and 770,437 quarters which bad been
re-esported, so that the quantity added to the con-
sumption of the country was 2,348,692-quarters, or
677,030 per annum. Yet, notwithstanding this ire-
rortation, the average price of corn during those
very five years, and under the operation of a Bill
wiOch was represented as having ruined agricuatere,
a as 735. 10.1. In 1817 and 1518, immediately alter
ua prod u cti v e harvest of 1816, 2,600,0G0 quarters
foreign corn had been imported, and yet the are-
rave price of Briti h corn had remained as high as
495. 6d. This was, let it be remembered, during
two veils when importation bad risen to its greatest
licieto. Ile held also an account of the im-
poi is fratil 17a1i to 1812, and found that the ave-
rage was as nearly as possible, during seventeen of
those years, five hundred thousand quarters an-
roially, with an average price of 78s. 6J. If that
rice was then sullkient to place farmers in that
situation in which all roust wish them to stand,
to enable them to cultivate the land with spirit, and
with advantage to the landlord and to themselves,
he saw no re hot' to suppose that it might not have
the same effect now. The House were told of the
imiveisality of a ricultural distress; but how could
it be ascribed to the Corn Laws? Nu foreign corn
olottever had been introduced since February, 1819,
about fifteen months ago; and at that period there
was scarcely one quarter of foreign corn in private
warehouses. Whatever might be the present price of
corn,-it was, therefore, clear it could not be charged
to the inefficiency of tha law. Was it a trifle that
such applications should be constantly made to the
House ?--(fleer, hear). He thought it was a mis-
fortune. He had never supported the Ccrn Bill as a
positive good, but as a choice of evils. His Hon.
Friend said, that the Petitioners did not ask for any
s s)ecific remedies. He thought that had been intended ;
but he felt much satisfaction at finding that the spe-
cific remedies recommended in -the manifestoes to
virich he had alluded, had not been touched upon here
—he meant that unwise and extravagant proposal of
a permanent duty of 40s. a quarter upon wheat.—
Such a duty might be tolerated in good years, but
ia bad seasons it could not. It would then be im-
possible for Government to be tarried on with it.
:lead supposing a less sum to be taken. it would not,
oo.ver the purpose of the Agriculturists. Let 20s.
for it:stance, be adopted (and a duty to that amount
might, perhaps, be tolerated), yet with this addition,
the price of foreign corn would .not exceed three
pounds. Would this yield any protection so the far-
mer ? It would not. The plan was therefore, of all
others, most calculated to produce the greatest pos-
sible mischief—(Hest, hear).—Much stress bad been
hid on the question of Averages. On this subject be
ti ought considerable delusion prevailed. It was pre-
tocded that if a mode of Average different from that'
established by the law were adopted. the price of;
W. would be produced.. With a view to see the
effect of such an alteration, he had procured an
Average of the twelve Maritime Counties -for the six
looks ending on the 15th of May, 1820; and a simi-
lar Average for the same period, embracing every
2laritime Town and District. The average price
stated in the Gazette for the week ending on the-Bth
of April, and far the twelve Maritime Counties, was
"Cs. 3d. By the other mode it would have been 71s.
The price of rye was 425. 7d.—it would have been
41s. That of barley was 330 4d..--it would have
been 335. id. That of oats was '2-k. Ild.—it would-
Lave been 21s. The same result was found in five
t.eeks out of the-six. Did not this prove that the
Agriculturists would derive no advantage from the
r toposed alter, ation ?—(Hear, hear).—What object
could they have therefore in advocating what could
ao them no good, and would only serve to put the
whole country in a state of agitation ?—(Hear, hear).
Bat it was said, leave nut the Welch Comities. Now
'elm would •be the effect of this omission ? The
Welch Counties as-ere comprised in the Bth and 9th'
-Maritime Counties, and Monmouthshire formed part'
Hof the 1-oth. The Agriculturists were taught to be-
lieve that the insertion of the Welch Counties was an
eala.-gement, and that their omission would lower the
average. The fact was the reverse. 11 those Comi-
ties were omitted; they.would find that the average
lake would be higher. The 'grounds on which they
called for an Aeration was therefore one of the
greatest delusions bywhicli millions of men-had ever
heen deceived. He -did not mean to say that the
present mode cf taking-the averages was perfect. It
was, perhaps, a choice of evils ; but unless some great
and decided advantage should be proved to be attain-
able, was it worth while to agitate the whole coun-
try by introduction of such questions ? Admit-
tiug the modcokitlehog the average to be imperfect,-
nogat
and even to inimlve -some portion of i
noothutifrand have been committed in favour of the
Aricuirunillitterest ? It had been proved at a late
trail at Liverpool, that the'Objeet rifahe aserson ac-
costa was not toratse, bet to Icaset atm price. Yerthe
Agriculturists seemed to fancy that •all frauds must
bedirestad against thorn. Thekkonourablollember
who had 'introduced the treeton -supposed -that as
great dedhof foie igo eoni loopocesesorolrgted to the,
muetry. He (Z. Inbinsoa)didatothnoW how that
rout,' L!, for he had received nt) inConssation• to that
effect at the dare to ..whk-h he -belooged—(Heir).
—He knew rfrat -muchatatm- trad Iset-trescited, test
gt: it rporotittes uf looeign -corn.iliouLl have. been irn;
post of float the.l.le-of.olan, dtesey,•atul Guernsey.
a. the ?Induce of those Islands 4 bur beitratlespiced
hen the surest, -enclitid fnutol that the sap positicro
was tota!ly usi fou tided. Thet: ltadiaulays-been -some
io.partaticro of corn from arose ishoWs, theeturouut
o. a 2ey liondicd quarters per annum, and it was just
sam- in former tiores— (Hear, hear). He

had always been of opinion, that none of the alters'.
dons proposed could be useful to the Agricultitrists,
or agreeable to the country. At the same time, he
did not mean to say, that there might not be some
ground; for examining certain inflor'points. It
might be proper, though he was not aware of any
nece,sity, to see whether the law which regtilated the
aivoirstment of Inspectors might not be improved ?
That whirls appointments had been made he was
aware.' In one of the Welch Counties, the Inspector
was a Ladyl—(Laughter). But this could not be
laid to the charge of the law. The law gave the
right of appointing Inspectors to Magistrates: why,
then, did not the latter select proper persons ? It
was said that the salary was so small that but few
individuals would accept of such an office.. But the
law sot only ordered that the Inspector shoo Ll have
five shillings for each Report which he should make
to the County, but empowered the Magistrates, if
that were not snthcient, to increase his allowance by
a Count] Rate. This had not yet been done, and the
law had, therefore, not had a fair trial. As to ware-
housing foreign coin in this country, that had been
represented as a great evil, which kept the farmers in
a constant state of alarm, lest they should be suddenly
crushed by an overpowering inmtiation of grain.—
Rut suppose the practice should not be allowed,
what would be the effect? The effect would be to
transfer that tremendous storm from one side of the
Charnel. to the other—(llear, hear).—And, as ships
deer, it would be conveyed as rapidly from the coast
of Holland or France, as it,Avcsilti from that of
Essex, to the port of London-7(licar, hear).— The
only result would be, to prevent the employment of
British capital in the erection of tvarehouses. Had
his health allowed him, he should have entered
more at length into the causes of the present dis-
tress; but, he trusted, that he had said enough to
shew that he conceived its first cause to be the un-
natural state to eitich the country had been raised
by the events of the last twenty-five years—(Herr).
He ;lid not here speak merely of a change from war
to peace—great and astonishing as it was: -

Deflutt saris agitatus hutnor :
.Ml:culunt veuti, fughtutque nubes,
" Et minax quo' sic volu:re) pent*
" Cunda recumbit!"
—He should be indeed surprised if any argument
could be adduced to prove that that unnatural state
was not the primary and operative cause; and, if it
was so, it was idle to suppose that any Legislative
measures, any enactment of theirs, cieuld raise the
price of coin to a certain standard!—(Hear, Hear.).
Lamenting, theiefore, as he sincerely did, that this
subject bad been brought forward in such a manner,
and by persons every way deserving the regard, and
respect, and affection of that House, he must yet
deeply regret that they should have been persuaded
that something could be done, and would be done,
for them, which it was impossible for the Houie le-
gally to do.—(Hear, Hear).—lf, however, any mea-
sure could be proposed, which would render the ex-
isting law less liable to abuse, he, for one, would give
it his *support. But he really felt that he should
abandon the duty which he owed to his country, to
that House, and to the character of the office with
which he was connected, if he did not protest against
any c;iaage in a law which, vt bile it could extend
no react to this class of the community in the present
instance, was calculated to occasion much general in-
convenience and injury by being ynnecessarily al-
tared.—(Load cheeringfi.brn boat sides ?/' the House.) ,
Mr. 1% ESTERN. had the honour of representing a
county which teat distress as little as any cther, and
had moic rotter of resisting it, and yet even there
agriculture vas declining. The Petitioners expected
some measure cf a more protecting nature than the
Bill of 1515. The object of that Bill had been less
to seci:re a fair price to the farmer, than to reader the
country independent of foreign states, by encou-
raging the growth of corn. h e Hon. Member then
entered into extensive historical details, with the view
of spewing that the Bill of 1815 gave less protection
to farmers, than any of the former Acts on the same
subject. He conteAdcd, that the country now felt
the effects of the inundation of foreign corn which had
taken placb in 1817. The state of agriculture was
such, that the stock must diminish every day. Capi-
tal was wasted, and could not be restored, and with
it he feared was gone the foundation of the wealth and
prosperity of the country. Agricultural distress took
the lead, and was the cause of all other distresses.—

Wherever agriculture had been depressed, manufac-
tures had suffered, and the revival of the one had al-
ways followed that of the other. This had been par-
ticularly evinced by the use and fall of our woollen
manufactures. The distress of the People never pro-
ceeded from the high price of corn ; on the contrary,
as the price of torn decreased, their distress in-
creased. For the cheapness of corn was relative;
and it was possible that cheap corn should be dear,
and dear corn cheap to manufacturers. The misery
arising from a want of labour was infinitely Ist eater
than any that could be expel ienced from a partial ad-
vance on the price of corn. The great body of people
were the purchasers of corn, and he therefore con-
tended that the price-could not rise very high, unless
their means increased so as to enable them to buy at
a high price. It was calcUlated that there were about
five millions of persons in this country who were
,oc-
cupied as labourers. If the wages paid to these were
idintini.ked by four shillings a week, the tctal sum.
I withdrawn from them would, in the course of a year,

amount to no less thin £52,000,000 per annum,.
This, affecting the general circulation of the country,
would again operate to the prejudice of our trade.
and diminish the valtie of all the products of indus-
try, and thus occasion much moredistress than could
be fek•tiom an advance on the .price of corn.
Mr. BARINU wished to offer a felv observations
on the present Motion, aud, in doing this, he should.
endeavour to discuss the question with all that even-
ness of temper which the 'Honourable Member for
Surrey (Mr. H. Smiler) brought into every debate!
The Eientlemen opposed ,to the agitativa of this quo-,
tion had a right to take credit to themselves for not
hav in. done anything to clistorh the settlement made.
in
in 181-'5. Though he oppoied that meaxre at the
time, and had ever since continued to 'disapprove of
it, so convinced was he of the impropriety ..ef dis-
turbing the public mind, or of bastay_departing.fram ,
a gzeitnsystinn,•when once Adopted, that he had . had
no iirteution of saying anything about the Coin Laws.
From the putt now tilken by 'those to whditi be yeas'
'apprised •vrn • this -qtlestion,..it touted tAlti ats • 1ie47041
predicted, that the Act of 1$31;) did not afford the