The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-09-14 00:00:00

THE CORN DUTIES

(From the Bristol Journal.)
As there is every reason to believe that Sir Robert Peel
means to adhere to the sliding scale for regulating the duties
upon the importation of corn, but that he intends at the
same time to make such alterations therein, and also in the
mode of striking the averages, that the frauds to which both
now lead may in future be prevented, we subjoin the present
scale of duties upon wheat, and another graduated scale of
duty, which we have been assured approaches very nearly to
that which is not only approved of by Sir Robert Peel, but
which will receive the assent of those two great supporters of
the agricultural interest, the Duke of Buckingham and the
Duke of Richmond ; both of whom cannot have shown
greater confidence in Sir Robert Peel's future measures, both
in regard to the corn laws and the general policy of his go-
vernment, than by consenting to hold the prominent situa-
tions they have accepted in the new cabinet.
Present scale for regulating the importation of wheat :
Average price per quarter of Import duty per guar-
British wheat. ter.
s s d
73 - . .. 1 0
72 .. .. 2 8
71 . • • . 6 8
70 .. .. 10 8
69 • • • • 13 8.
68 .. .. 16 8
67 18 8
.. ..
66 .. .. 20 8
65 .. 21 8
64 .. 22 8
63 .. .. 23 8
62 24 8
.. ..
61 25 8
.. ..
•60 .. 26 8
..
59 27 8
.. • .
58 .. 28 8
57 .. .. 29 8
56 .. .. . 30 8
55 .. .. 31 8
51 .. .. 32 8

scale is sufficient to show that

its leading feature is to promote a system of gambling in the
article of food, offering the highest premium, when the prices
denote a scarcity of food. Take the following specimens of
its working when opposed to the gerieral interest :
When the price of British corn ranges from 635. to C6s.
per quarter, for every shilling increase in price the duty is
diminished ls.

From 665. 68s. per quarter for every shilling increase in
price the duty is diminished by 2s.
From 68s. to 70s. for every shilling increase in price the
duty diminishes 3s. And

from 71s. to 725. there is a difference of 4s. in the duty.
Until the price exceeds 665. the inducement to work up the
averages may not compensate the labour and hazard of the
attempt; but to work them up from 665. to 68s. gives an
extra profit of 6s. per quarter, viz. :
Diminished duty
Increased price

From 68s. to 70s. gives an extra profit of Bs. per quarter
Diminished duty
Increased price

From 71s. to 725. only ls. advance in price, gives an addi-
tional profit of ss.
Diminished duty 4s.
Increased price

and if the averages could be forced up from Cks. to 725. per
quarter, the additional profit on the introduction of foreign
corn would be 20s. per quarter, namely—
Diminished duty l4s.
Increased price

Can there possibly be a greater inducement held out to spe-
culation and gambling in the article of food than is here ex-
hibited ?
The following scale of duties has been constructed so as to
occasion the smallest variation when the price of corn is
highest, and thereby diminishing to the minimum extent the
motive for speculation, and is therefore free from the princi-
pal objections of the present one.

GRADUATED SCALE OF DUTY

Average price Average net price per
per quarter Import duty quarter obtained for
of per quarter. foreign wheat,
British wheat. ex duty.
s. s. d. s. d.
72 and above 1 0 .. .. 71 0
71 ~ I 6 .. .. 69 6
70 ~ 2 0 .. .. 68 0
69 „ a 0 .. .. 66 0
68 4 0 .. .. 64 0
67 11, 5 0 .. .. 62 0
66 I, 6 0 .. .. GO 0
65 9, 7.0 .. ... 58 0
64 ~ 8 0 .. .. 56 0
63 V 9 0 .. .. 54 0
62 10 0 .. .. 52 0
61 „ 11 0 .. .. 50 0 _
GO „ 12 0 .. .. 48 0
59 „ 13 0 . . . . 46 0
58 „ 14 0 . . . . 44 0
57 „ 15 0 . . . . 42 0
56 Of 16 0 .. .. 40 0
55 ff 17 6 .. .. 37 6
54 ~ 19 0 .. .. 35 0
53 PP 20 6 .. .. 32 6
52 PI 22 0 .. .. 30 0
51 ~ 23 6 .. .. 27 6
50 and under 25 0 .. .. 25 0

The above is intended as a protecting duty, without
reference to its being a matter
_of revenue. _ . .

If to be constructed for the purpose of, increasing the
revenue the diminution of duty must stop at 675. per quarter,
all wheat imported when the averages are at or above that
price to be subject to a duty of ss. per quarter.
. •

It should also be borne in mind, That the improvements in
agriculture which have been made, and are still going on, in
every parish in the kingdom, enable corn to be produced at
a cheaper rate than formerly, and justify a reduction in the
scale of duty. The improved systems of management have
brought into cultivation much of the light lands, which were
previously considered incapable of producing the most valu-
able descriptions of grain; and it is worthy of remark, that
in wet seasons, as in the present, these light lands produce
wheat of better quality than the stiff soils so highly ap-
preciated. The bringing of the greatest variety of land into
cultivation is also the means of affording a more uniform
supply, and may be one reason why a recurrence of scarcity
is now less frequent than in former times; and for these
reasons the new ministry may feel themselves fully justified
in thus stopping short, and frustrating the excited hopes and
delusive prospects of the corn-law abolitionists.