The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-02-04 00:00:00

THE CORN LAWS

• We have been favoured with the following copy of a letter,
which has been addressed. to the members of both Houses of
Parliament. It furnishes some very powerful arguments in
favour of the present system of corn-laris.:;,- •
. The merchants' and manufacturers of Sheffield having pre-
. rented a petition to her Majesty's Government, praying for
the .admission,.of , American flour. into_ this country, for. a
limited period, and at a low fixed duty, for the purpose of
enabling the Ainericans to discharge the veryheavy debt tow
cowing. by them to this country, I take the liberty very respect,
fully of.calling your attention to the following remark's, in
which T have endeavonred' to show,• that tire, prayer of the
petition may he granted, with benefit both to the agricultural
and mercantile interests, and that an alMost immediate re-
vival of trade and consequent prosperity would be the ;
whilst a refusal will cause our portfi to be 'opened to conti-
nental corn, to the injury both of our agricultural and Manu-
facturing population. in presenting these remarks- to your
notice, I am not influenced either by.party or politics, but
solely by a desire to promote the befit interests of lily country,
and to relieve. the mechanic from the distress and misery
which at present surround him.

If my conclusions meet with your approval, I flatter my
self that the prayer of the petition will have your slipper .
should the subject be brought before parliament.
I will first endeavour to show what will be the consequences
of the importation of continental corn into this country, and
at the same time combat the most favourite arguments of the
Anti-Corn-law League, by which they strive to induce ma-
nufacturers and their workmen to join in the cry for a repeal
of the corn-laws. To the operatives they allege, that it will
produce abundance of orders, and consequently high wages.
The employers are told, that not only fresh markets will be
opened to them, but that they will be enabled to manufacture
at a less cost, " for cheap food will produce cheap labour," I
think I shall be able to show that both of these arguments
are fallacious.

The Anti Corn-law League assert, that by a free importa-
tion of foreign corn the continental nations will be induced
to give up their manufactures, and devote themselves solely
to agriculture. This might be the case if we could take all
the surplus corn which the whole labouring population of
those nations could raise, at stich•.a- price as would afford
them higher wages than could be otherwise obtained. The
most sanguine repeater will hardly promise this. I feel
asstirec4 that if we take the corn of the continental nations,
we shall find to our cost that, instead of crushing their ma-
nufactures, it would be the means of extending and improving
them. All that the continental manufacturers want is-capital,
to enter-into successful competition with British merchants
in every foreign market, and with this we should furnish
them—for gold; and gold only, will be taken in exchange for
corn. It is a welt-known fact, thatforeign merchants, at the
present time, underiell the BritiSh in. almost' every article,
and, that they do not engross the whole trade, is owing to
their want of machinery, and the inferior quality of their
goods. The repeal of the corn laws would furnish capital—
capital would furnish machinery—arid machinery and capital
would soon improve the quality of .the goods ; so that, in-
stead of the British manufacturer obtaining an additional
market for his goods, he would find' the home trade ruined,
and a formidable rival abroad.

As the Anti-Corn-law League maintain that a directly
contrary effect would be produced, I will pursue this part of
the question a little further, and inquire into the probable
result of " repeal," as relates to some particular country ;
take Poland for instance, from whence we might expect to
receive by far the greater portion of foreign corn. The Poles
would, there is no doubt, require gold in payment, from ne-
cessity alone, as the people are too poor to purchase our goods
in 'exchange, the regular wages of the peasant being only five-
pence per day, and that of the mechanic ninepence per day—
labour is so very low, and the raw material so abundant and
cheap, that they can produce the few articles which they
require at a much less cost than we could. They have already
established numerous small manufactories to meet the de-
mand. They have iron ore of an excellent quality, which can
be raised with little l.:bour, in districts where both wood and
coal are abundant, the vast dominions of Russia are open to
them on one side, .and Prussia on the other ; they only re-
quire capital to become a manufacturing nation. Although
the whole of the gold received by them for corn would not be
devoted to trade, but part of it to agricultural improvements,
still there would be a surplus sufficient to give a very material
impetus to the manufacturing interest, the consequences of
which would be very detrimental to British commerce. '
In a former part of this letter I observed, that the master
manufacturer is
,invited to join the Anti-Corn-law League,
on the representation that repeal will bring with it cheap
bread, cheap labour, and the consequent ability to compete
with continental manufacturers, in price. Experience shows
that this argument is as fallacious as the other. My father,
who has been extensively engaged in' the manufactures of
Sheffield for upwards of five and thirty years, assures me
that during the whole of that period the price of labour has
been regulated by the demand for, and not by the price of
food; as a proof of this, the highest wages were paid at a
time when flour, even the finest, was only two shillings per
stone ; the loivest, when flour, of a very inferior quality, was
sold for seven shillings and sixpence per stone. But whether
the above opinions are correctly fornied or otherwise, it is
clear that the.preseta is not the time to repeal the corn-laws,
for even their most violent opponent will admit, that for some
length of time we should be obliged to pay in specie for the
corn imported from the continent. It would, therefore, be
highly dangerous to try the experiment whilst the country is
labouring under the effects of the last importations, for I
beliesie that the distress at present existing in this country, is
owing principally, if not entirely, to the Bank of England
being so nearly drained of her bullion.

Although not a mercantile man myself, I am deeply inte-
res'ed in all that relates to commerce, my nearest connexions
being mainly dependent upon the foreign trade. I have,
therefore, no other motive in opposing the introduction of
continental corn than such as arises from a conviction that it
would be equally injurious to the manufacturer as to the
agriculturist: •
However just the above remarks may be with reference to
the importation of continental corn, they do not apply to
American flour; this we may obtain in quantity to make up
any deficiency in the late harvest, without the advance of a
single sovereign. , The important question,
,then, to he-de-
termined, is this—did the last harvest produce,r,utticient corn
to render us independent of continental importations I
am . convinced that it did not, and that we shall require a
considerable quantity of corn or flour from some quarter ;
my reasons for this opinion are the following:—Firstly, that
the old stock. of English wheat is nearly exhausted, and it is
the interest of.the farmer to reserve what remains on hand
for seed ',Secondly, that the•greater part
.of the new wheat
is unsound, some of it so, much so as to e unfit for Bread,
and the remainder will require td be mixed with•ncoatidera-
ble portion of sound corn to 'make. it into•wholesome flour.
Thirdly, that a great breadth of land, owing to the wet sea-
son,. is -unsown, and,. .should the spring prOve unfavourable,
must remain so. If such be.the case, we shall -be obliged to
import as extensively next year as we have done this.
Should the ports be opened to admit'continental corn, this
country will be drained of its, specie, and the pressure in the
money market will be infinitely, greater than has yet been
experienced. Trade will he wholly suspended, and ruin, to
a fearful extent, will spread over the commercial part of the
nation ; even now a dreadful winter is anticipated ; the prin-
cipal manufaCtories are almost at a stand, and thousands of
workmen totally out of employ. This anticipated evil may
be averted, and the preient alarming state of the manufac-
turing districts greatly and almuSt immediately improved, by
an order in council permitting, the importation of American
flour,' as prayed for. By this the Americans would be ena-
bled to pay us every sixpence which they owe to this country
—new life would be given to the cotton trade—the
_mills
woald again be lighted up with their wonted brilliancy—the
Bank of England, being relieved from all fear of a demand
for gold wherewith to purchase corn, would extent its circu-
lation, and lower the rate of discount—money would become
as abundant as it was before the late drain of bullion—all the
channels of trade would re-open, and commercial enterprise
resume its accustomed activity. Nothing can prevent this
sudden transition from the present state of depression to that
of prosperity, if this boon be conceded to the manufacturers;
and all these beneficial results may be attained_by,
com-
mercial interest, without the least injury to the agriculturist,
it not with a positive -benefit, as 1 will proceed to show..
Take the population of the United Kingdom at 2i .millions ;
of these from seven to nine millions are dependent upon
manufacture-sond commerce ; the greater portion of the Se.
are now suffering from the stagnation of trade, and will ine-
vitably continue in this state for the whole of" next year, if
gold is again sent in exchange for corn. I will suppose that
four millions of mechanics are now subsisting upon little
better than paupers' Allowance ; the difference in the con-
sumption of agricultural produce by those four millions for
twelve months, on an average of one shilling per week for
each person, would be upwards of ten million pounds sterl-
ing, more ,than double the value of- all the. American flour
which could possibly be imported. It is, therefore, evident
that, even if there be corn to supply the kingdom until next
harvest, the agriculturist would be much benefitted by the
admission of American flour, as at least five millions more of
his produce would be consumed. There are also minor rea-
sons why the farmer should join i>> the petition for the ad-
mission of American flour; one is, that he would be able to
dispose of the better part of his unsound corn, (to mix with
good flour,) which he must otherwise give to his cattle:
Another reason is, that the supply from America being
limited ; such a quantity cannot be imported as seriously to
injure the farmer, even if unattended with the beneficial re-
sults before pointed out. This would not be the case if the
ports were opened to the whole world, then the quantity im-
ported would be regulated entirely by the profit attending
such importation. A further advantage, which the farmer-
would' derive from the privilege being confined to America, is
that the price of corn would not be reduced ' • for the moment
it was known in New York that flour might be imported into
England, that instant would the price advance, so as to leave
the shipper a bare profit at the market price in Liverpool.
I have endeavoured to show some of the beneficial effects
which would result from the admission of American flour; I
will now shortly advert to some of the evils which will ensue
to the country in general, if the prayer of the petition be not
granted. It is well known that the Anti-Corn-law League
are meditating a desperate attaelcupon the Corn-laws, dur-
ing the next session of Parliament. If the measnre I now
advocate be not conceded, their power will most probably ef-
fect some modification of those laws, which will cause the
ports to be opened to foreign corn, drain the Bank of its
gold, and perpetuate those evils under which the country is
now labouring. The distress in the manufacturing districts
is already most appalling, and increases every succeeding
week. Driven to desperation, the hitherto peaceful opera-
tives will fill the ranks of chartism, and violence will reign
through half the kingdom. To the agricultural interest I
would appeal, for with them it rests to determine whether
England, for the next twelve months, shall be a scene of
anarchy and wretchedness, or of peace and prosperity ; if
they join in the petition of the manufacturers, there is little
doubt but that American flour will be immediately admitted;
and millions,of their countrymen be saved from want, misery,
and crime. _ _ _

.. As foreign corn in bond-is most probably already paid. for,
it would be only just that it should be admitted on the same
terms as the American flour, should the prayer of the peti-
tion be granted : besides being an-act of justice to the im-
porter, this would benefit the farmer, as it would keep up
the supply of sound corn to mix with the unsound of the
late harvest, without which the latter would, be unmarketa-
ble ; and also, because no flour can be expected from Ame-
rica until the, rivers are again open, the cities havibig only
sufficient for their own consumption.
On these considerations I trust that your assistance wil
be afforded to the manufacturing interest in the;present
emergency, for, whatever may be the opinion of some, it is
my firm conviction, that the great interests of agriculture,
commerce, and manufactures, are now inseparably united,
and must rise or fall together. ' •
I have the honour to,be,
Your most obedient servant,
EDWIN JNO. PICKSLA.Y.
London, Ist January, 1840.

DENBIGHSHIRE ELECTION.—It .has truly been said that
Denbighshire and conservatism are so clogely allied that they
are incapable of separation. This sentiment has been again
verified by the election of the Hon. Hugh Cholmondeley,
without opposition, to succeed his late venerated uncle, _Sir
Watkin Williams Wynne, deceased, in the parliamentary
representation. The men of Gwynedd have nobly done their
duty. The undeviating and constitutional loyalty of Welsh-
men is as creditable to them as the mountains and streams
of their dear native land are beautiful and. attractive. Mr.
Cholnaondeley was proposed in an able speech by Lord Dun-
gannon, and seconded by Lloyd Wynne, Esq., of Coed COch.
The nomination was received with .the most irapturous,pliiu:.;
dits. The hon. member immediately- set off for ' London,
and arrived in time to vote in the division, shewing the want
of confidence of his constituency in, the. OlConnell-Mel
bourne administration.