The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-09-25 00:00:00

THE CORN LAWS.

(From the Morning Herald.)
The ministerial journalists, of all shades of opinion, are
busied in the attempt to unite the labouring classes, in sup-
port of that movement on the corn laws, which is contem-
plated by the free-traders. Many of the more intelligent
workmen are fully aware, that the corn laws operate as a pro-
tection—almost the only protection now left—to native in-
dustry. They know that cheap bread must, in the nature of
things, lead to cheap labour;—and that the rejection of home
grown corn must, necessarily, lessen the home trade, to a
much greater extent than it can increase our trade, with
foreigners. Such convictions in the minds of intelligent
labourers are stumbling-blocks in the course of the ministe-
rial anti-corn law agitators. To remove these impediments,
all the stnall sophistries which the economists can weave on
the subject, are in daily and weekly requisition by the ene.
mies of native industry.

We replied, on Tueiday, to the arguments on this question,
adduced by a weekly conten3porary—arguments professing to
show, that wages are not regulated by the price of food—and
that the corn Ilws, therefore, do not avail to sustain the
market value of labour. We find the same strain of rea-
soning in opposition to the corn laws, has been adopted
.by
the Leeds Mercury—a paper devoted to the cause of whiggery,
and of free-trade—and not less distinguished by its enmity to
the Established Church.

Our provincial contemporary shapes his argument thus:—
" But," say the agricultural writers, " if bread were to be
cheaper, wages would fall in the same proportion, and there-
fore the working classes would be no gainers.
" Now, let it be observed how important a concession this
argument necessarily involves. It implies, of necssity, that
the working classes would, in the first instance at least, re-
oeive a larger supply of food in return for their labour than
they do at present. This is admitted; and, if we mistake not,
the working classes will think this a very substantial ad-
vantage. Their present wages would, with a lower price of
corn, purchase a considerably larger quantity of bread. And
why should wages afterwards be lowered? If the profits of
the masters should increase, as they would by an extended
trade, there would be no necessity for lowering wages. Nay,
the extension of the trade, by incseasiny the demand for la-
bour, would keep up the price; so that the masters could not
lower wages if they would. There are always two parties to
the reduction of wages; the workmen are one of those parties,
and we scarcely need say that they would not submit to a re-
duction unless they found it necessary. Now, an increasing
trade would prevent this necessity. It would improve the
profits of the masters, and better enable them to pay fair
wages."

The shallow, and contradictory nonsense embodied in this
passage may be disposed of without much difficulty.
A repeal of the corn laws would ensure, we are told, " to
the working classes, in the first instance, at least, a larger
supply of food tin return for their labour, than at present."
'We deny the accuracy of this assumption.
The assumption might be true, proyiding, that,—concur-
rently with the repeal of the corn laws—no new distribution
of labour should take place throughout England. But a
new distribution of labour would, in the circumstances, be
inevitable.

Of the labourers of England, between three and four
millions are devoted to occupations, not agricultural. Of
agricultural labourers, there may be a million and a half.
If the corn laws were repealed two-thirds, at least, of these
agricultural labourers would cease to find employment in the
cultivation of the soil. They would be driven to seek em-
ployment in our manufacturing towns ;—and it might require
an arithmetical calculus of some nicety, to determine the full
effect of such a social change, in the way of depreciating the
value of manufacturing labour. The effect would, at all
events be—to prevent the labourers in towns from "receiving
a larger supply uflood, in return fur their lab Our, than they do
at present." The fair presumption, indeed, is, that the slew
competition for employment between the manufacturing la-
bourers, and nearly a million of disbanded agriculturists,
would leave to the working man a much smaller share of the
cheap food which the free-traders demand, than is now left
to him of that dearer food, which, under the present system,
widens the market for labour, by keeping the soil of England
in a state of cultivation.

The Leeds Mercury, not content with the assumption that
a repeal of the corn laws would, " in the first instance," in-
crease the quantity of food allotted to the labourer, proceeds,
in the same spirit, and with the utmost simplicity, to ask,—
" But why should wages afterwards be lowered? If the
profits of the masters should increase, as they would by an ex-
tended trade, there would be no necessity for lowering wages."
Will the profound economi 0, who penned this passage,
have the goodness to explain how trade is to extend, and how
profits are to be increased, if, as he so stoutly maintains,
wages are not to sink under a system of. free trade in corn ?
Our foreign trade (the free-traders tell us) is cramped and
crippled by the high price of labour in this country—and the
cause of that high price of labour is declared by the same
parties (when the declaration is convenient) to be the dear-
ness of home-grown food. If this statement of the econo-
mists be correct—then it follows, that no extension of trade
(in their sense of the term) can take place until the priceof
food be reduced, and the price of labour be proportionally
lowered. But if the wages of labour are to be reduced under
the cheapbread system, what becomes of all the previous
reasoning of all our provincial anti-corn•law logician ?
The cant of the following passage partakes of the ludi-*
crous:--

" There are always two parties to the reduction of wages:
the workmen are one of those parties, and we scarcely need
say that they would not submit to a reduction unless they
found it necessary."

We can scarcely subscribe to the implicit truth of the
statement, " that there are always two parties to the reduc-
tion of wages"—unless we could, in the first instance, be
assured that " the workmen" would be willing parties to that
mighty change in the distribution of labour, to which a re-
peal of the corn laws must give rise. Now, we incline to
believe that " the workmen" in the country would never be
found consenting parties to any change tbat should sever
them from the soil, and condemn them to factory slavery;—
and we incline; at the same time, to think that " the work-
men" in towns would scarcely consent to any exchange that
should have the effect of increasing, to an extent scarcely
calculable, that competition under which they now suffer so
many pains and privations. Until, however, we have proof
that the labouring classes of England have power to prevent,
on the one hand, the enactment of such legislative measures
as the new poor law—or power, on the other hand, to pre-
vent the removal of those protections for native industry.
which the corn laws supply, we must demur to the soundness
of the proposition—that " there ate always two parties to the
reduction of wages."

EXTRAORDINARY HUNGER.—gentleman, who had eaten
nothing for two-and-thirty days, happening to descry a
dinner table laid out for a party of huntsmen, actually walked
into a leg of mutton, and has not been heard of since !

WORTHY OF BRING RECORDRD.—The Cincinnatian says
that the ladies of the south have repudiated the practice of
wearing Bowie knives, and declare that no lady can be ad-
mitted into good society, who has about her these unneces-
sary appendages.

.ftflarl tt .

LIVERPOOL COLONIAL MARKET, SEPT. 21.
There has been more disposition shewn to purchase Sugar, both
on the part of the grocers and refiners, and a sligtit improvement
has been obtained on the better descriptions. }'he sales amount
to 1000 hhds D.P., together with 1500 bags of Bengal, from 62s for
low white, to 66s for fine. 18,to bags of Mauritius have also been
disposed of, at steady prices. There• has been a good demand for
Foreign Sugar. chiefly for shipment to the continental markets;
the sales consist of 540 boxes good yellow Havannah at 275, 5()0
bags low brown Manillas at 19s, and 150 chests Bahia at 15s 6d. fur
ordinary low damp brown, up to 27s per cwt for fair dry white.—
The transactions in Molasses are confined to 60 puns or middling
Antigua. at 265, (being the remainder of the cargo specified in the
Circular last week, the quality of which should he so described,)
and 70 of low Berbice, at 22s 6d per cwt in store.—Coffee. No
public sales of Plantation having been attempted this week, and no
transactions being reported of anylmoment, the quotations are con-
tinued. Of Foreign, a small lot of ordinary Brazil brouiht 38s, and
fair ordinary Cuba 42s per cwt.-450 bags of very ordinary East
India Ginger sold at 19s per cwt, but for 100 brls of Jamaica offered
by auction there were no bidders, and nothing has been done in
Cocoa or Pimento. -200 bags of heavy black Pepper sold at 4fd
per lb.—ln Rice, the sales are 700 bags of ordinary East India at
16s per cwt. in bond; nothing to notice in Carolina.—The only
business reported in Rum, is 40 hhds of East India, by auction, at
3s 1,1 to 38 2d per gallon.
A few chests East India Indigo have been taken at fornier prices.
—There has been more doing in Shell Lac, and the sales are about
250 chests, at 68s to 122 s (id per cwt. according to quality.—Lower
prices have in some instances been accepted for Lac Dye, the sales
of which are 55 chests, at 11.1 to 12id per lb.—The business in Salt-
petre has been inure extensive than for some time past; the sales
amount to 2600 bags, at 263 to 27s.—Nitrate of Soda has been sold
at 145 6d. _ . .

Dyewoods.—The demand has been very limited for Logwood,
owing to the holders asking higher rates, which they have not been
able to obtain ; about 100 tons sold at £l2 to £l2 10s, and 50 tons of
Jamaica at £9 15s to £lO per ton ; of Fustie, 70 tons of Spanish
sold at £6 5s to £6 15s, and a few tons of Angola Barwood at £6 lOs
per ton; nothing reported in any other descriptions of Woods.—
The tiemand ior Turpentine. which at the close of last and the be-
ginning of the present week was very languid, has revived con-
siderably, in consequence of a speculative inquiry, and also because
some importers are storing their Turpentine, instead of offering it
for sale; WOO to qioq bris bsive been sold at its to 11.1 94 socirging

170010 Entrreb for totaling.

(SINCE OUR LAST PUBLICATION.)

EAST INDIES, CAPE OF GOOD HOPE, (Sv,
II igginson, C Heath, 453 Bombay, Barton. lrlain &Co
Bahamian. 51 Tizard, 318 Calcutta, Taylor Potter &Cd
Gulnare, -, 338 Penang and Sincapore, Bold & Starkey
IVEST INDIES

Juan, M C Cocullo, 150 Havana, W H Wood
Charlotte, W White, 256 Jamaica, J Hall & Co
Velocity, E Tatem, •166 Jamaica. Cotesworth & Smith
Kingston, J Hodson, 388 Kingston, J Poole & Ce
Baronet, W Wylie, 196 St. Domingo, R Shell & Co
Achiever, A Norrie, . 187 St. Thomas, &c. w Rose &Co
SOUTH AMERICA.
Henrietta, W T Fell, 199 Arica, Islay and Lima, C Tayleur &Co
Heroine, J Peatt, 167 Pernambuco, W & J Tyrer
Hindley, T Nuttall, 190 Lima, • • J Aikin & Son
Wilton Wood, M Russell, 243 Monte Video, Roger, Best &Co
UNITED STATES.
Tacitus, J R Russell, 412 Coston, • Focke & Boult
Oxford, J Rathbone, 707 New York, Baring Brothers & Co
Virginian, J Harris, 593 New York, T& J Sands &Co
Bangor, J Dyer, 569 New York, Hughes, Cowie & Co
Hibernia, E B Cobb, 540 New York, Wildes, Pickersgill & Co
Equator, J Bisson, 398 New Orleans, Focke & Boult
Robert Pulsford, J Prince, 394 New Orleans, E Heath &Co
Tamenend, J Roreland, 467 New Orleans, W Quayle

EUROPE.
Anja A C Hazewinkle, 81 Amsterdam, Bahr, Behrend& Co
Le Comte Foy, P Chevalier, 120 Bourdeaux, Bahr &Co
George Anson. J Oakley, 158 Constantinople, W Walker
Borussia, C Haman, 200 Elsinore, Bahr, Behrend &Co
Emelie, 51 J Winther, 113 Frederiekstadt, R Zwilchenhart &Co
Emma, T Irving, 153 Lisbon, J Bibby & Co
jrn4a, 4 Ricimerq, 0) psoo, poi., Boma 4Co

LIVERVOOL INFIRMARY REPORT,. -
Sept. 22, 18:i8.

DIICHARGRD. ADMITTRA.
In-patients cured
Relieved and at own request 12 Out-patiehts
Made Out-patients
Irregular
2 port . , 5
.
Dead 1 Remain in the house 184

Consulting Surgeons, Mr. Forshaw and Mr. Dawson.
House Visitors—Mr. Houghton and Mr. Rushton.
Chaplain, the Rev. R..Davies.—House Surgeon, Mr. Nottingham.

LOCK HOSPITAL:
Discharged 8 I Admitted . 8 ; Dead 0
In the Hospital 5O
Patients are admitted every day at 12 o'clock, Sunday excepted.

NORTHERN HOSPITAL WEEKLY REPORT.

For the week endinr Ssrr. 22. 1838.

PATIENTS ADMITTED. , PATIENTS DIgCHARORD. Accidents without recom- :Cured 2l ..
menrlation
Medical and Surgical cases Irregular . . • .
upon recommendation .... 111 Died 1
Remaining in the Hospital 7O

House Visitors, B. H. Jones and Rev. T. Hornt,y.
Chaplain, Rev. H. S. Joseph.—Treasurer, R. W. Bateson, Esq.
House Surgeon—Mr. Benjamin Blower.

Donations and Subscriptions received by Messrs. Arthur Hey-
wood. Sons, and Co.. and at all the Liverpool Banks.

LIVERPOOL TIDE TABLE.

ittrn. Ben. I lit.
H. H. i H. N. 1 F. 1..
Tuesday 25 219 , 237 t 13. 4
Wednes. N I 258 321, 12 0
Thursday 27 i 3 49 ; 4 21 , 10 8
Friday 28 5 3 549 lO 1
Saturday 29 , 6 411 7,28 10.3
Sunday 30 I 81 , 1 845 l2 0
Monday 1 911 938 14 5 J

, . .
Salim !eta 7h 38m,eren.
St. Cvprian.
Length of day 1111 52m.
Length of night 12h 12m
St.Miehael. MichaehnasDay
16th Sunday after Trinity. -
Remigius.