The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-01-30 00:00:00

THE CORN LAWS.

"FACTS ARE STUBBORN THINGS."
According to the census of 1831, there are in the United
Kingdom 2,470,411 persons, above thenty years of age,
employed in agriculture, and 710,511 in manufactures.
Seven-ninths of the population are dependent on agricul-
ture, and two. ninths on manufactures.
In 1841, ihe average proceeds of agriculture in England
and Wales was about £300,000,000, and of manufactures
£173,136,316, of which £47,136,316 was exported ; and
of the remaining £126,000,000, sold in the home market,
at least two-thirds was purchased by the agriculturists.
For every £1 employed in manufactures, £l5 is em-
ployed in the cultivation of the soil.
The average consumption of wheat is about 19,000,000
quarters annually, of which 3,000,000 odd is imported ;
and every quarter introduced supersedes just as much
labour as would be required to produce it at home.
Wheat imported Goods of all descriptions
into the exported from the
United Kingdom from— United Kingdom to—
(In the three years from 18y3. to 1840—the latest returns

published,)
Germany.. 1,086,724 qrs. £15,622,554
Russia 681,295 qrs. 5,042,411
Prussia..
Thus it will be seen, that while the largest quantity of
'wheat is imported from Prussia, we export the smallest
quantity of goods to that kingdom.
The sum necessary for the cultivation of land is about
£8 per acre; and as much as £l5 is sometimes expended
alone for improvements.
The direct and indirect taxes paid upon a well-culti-

vated farm of 100 acres amount to about.£l24 per annum

£69 of_ which is upon the wheat crop (producing, say 66
to 67 quarters :) the tax is consequently upwards of 20s.
per quarter, or nearly 42 per cent., with wheat at 525. per
quarter.
The average price of wheat for the last thirteen years
was 565. 11d. per quarter, and the average duty paid into
the exchequer ss. 9d., or about ten per cent. ; on all other
agricultural produce (grain excepted) the average duty is
8 per cent.

Manufactured goods are protected by duties ranging
from 10 to 30 per cent—the average is about 18 per cent.
If the corn laws were repealed, Dantzig and Polish wheat
could be bought for 38s. per quarter, or less, including
the freight. Question: What amount of fixed duty would
protect the English farmer?—Answer: Not Lord John
Russell's Bs. (query, 55.) duty.
Land can be rented in Prussia at Is. 3d. per acre, and
wheat is sold there for 14s. 9d. per quarter. The wages
of the lab ?urer is sd. per day : 6d. is paid for thrashing
34- bushels of wheat.

The average wages paid in France, Germany, Tyrol,
and Austria, as shown by Messrs. Gregg and Porter, great
free trade authorities, is just 3s. 11d. per week. Agri-
cultural wages in England are regulated by the price of
wheat—the value of a day's labour being one peck of
wheat for the last hnndred years. With wheat at 606. per
quarter, 12s. per week wages is paid; at 525. per quarter,
10s. per week is paid ; at 445. per quarter, Bs. or 9s. is
paid. It is. therefore, quite clear that the labourer is
most benefited when the farmer obtains a remunerating
price for his wheat; for a labourer, with family five in
number, who consumes ten loaves a week, will pay 10d.
per week less only for his bread, with wheat at 525. in-
stead of 605., or 445. instead of 525; whilst in either case
his wages will be reduced per week.
There was an increase of 12 per cent. in the quantity of
wheat sold during the three months preceding Christmas,
compared with the corresponding period of 1842.
Machinery, so far as it aids mankind, is useful; but it
may go so far in superseding hand labour as to be injuri-
ous. The invention of Arkwright is said alone to have
reduced the cost of manufacturing cotton from 18s. to
18d. per lb. About one-half the cotton that is produced
is manufactured in England.
Every artizan contributes in tax at least 10 per cent.

upon his earnings ; but a machine that supersedes his
labour gives to the person using the machine the differ-
ence of 10 per cent. upon every labourer it supersedes.
All information derived from the statements made by
the league should be suspected ; the truth is, in almost
every case, perverted to serve its end, and the most wilful
misstatements are made to delude the unwary and unsus-

petting. If men could live without labour, a free trade
would be beneficial ; but whilst men live by their labour,

it would be ruinous.—From a pamphlet published by
Painter, Strand.

NEW CHARTER OF THE COLLEGE OF
SURGEONS.

The following is an abstract of the provisions of the
new charter of the College of Surgeons, freed from legal
verbiage and technicalities :-
I.—The name of the college is changed to that of the
Royal College of Surgeons of England.
2.—The future members are to consist of two classes
—members and fellows.

3.—Members are admitted precisely as heretofore, after
an ordinary examination, and at any age not less than
twenty, and on paying the usual fee (at present twenty
guineas).

4.—Persons are admissible as fellows after passing a
special examination, and at any age not less than twenty-
five. It is not necessary that the candidate for the fellow-
ship should previously pass the examination fora member ;
but persons having become members may present them-
selves for examination as fellows on attaining the proper

-s.—The scholastic educational requirements and the
nature of the examinations for candidates for the member-
ship and fellowship respectively are not defined in the
charter.

6.—There is no other restriction as to the attainment
of the fellowship, except those of age and passing the ap-
pointed examination. [Fellows may consequently practise
pharmacy and midwifery at will.]
7.—The number of members and fellows is unlimited.
B.—Fellows have no special privileges beyond members.
except in having votes for the members of the council,
and in being themselves eligible as members.
9.—The amount of fee to be paid by fellows on admis-
sion is left to be fixed by the council, but cannot exceed
thirty guineas over and above the stamp duty on the dip-
loma. [Whatever be the amount of fee fixed on for the
fellowship, it is presumed that the sum previously paid
by members for their diploma will be deducted from it.]
10.—The council is henceforth to consist of twenty-
four members, (instead of twenty-one, as at present,) to
be elected from the fellows by the fellows.

11.—All fellows are eligible for the council, such as ac-
tually practise, or during the preceding five years, have
practised, pharmacy or midwifery, or live beyond five
miles from the London post-office.
12.—Three members are to retire from the council
every year, and their places to be filled up from the fel-
lows; the retiring members to he immediately re-eligible.
13.—The election of councillors is to be by ballot of
the fellows present at the meeting, fifteen to be a quorum,
and the election to be decided by a simple majority of
votes.

14.—At the election of councillors, fellows must be
proposed in the order of their seniority on the list ; and
every fellow so proposed on two different occasions, and
not elected, shall not be again eligible.
15.—The members of the council in office at the time
of granting the charter are to continue such for life with-
out re-election.
16.—Until the life members have all died off or retired,
the annual supply of three new members to the council
is to be effected by the retirement of the members last
elected. _

17.—The examiners of candidates for the membership
and fellowship are to be ten in number. They are to be
chosen by the council from the fellows, whether at the
time members of the council or not. They are to hold
office during the pleasure of the council. Six examiners
are to be a quorum for examination. [The present ex-
aminers are to continue for life.]
18.—The president and the two vice-presidents are to
be chosen by the council from among the members of the
council whether examiners or not.

19.—The new charter confirms all the powers of the
old, and bestows no additional powers, except such as are
stated in the foregoing extract.
20.—A1l bye-laws and ordinances of the council must be
approved of by the secretary of state before they are
valid.

21.—The charter grants to the old council the provisi-
onal power of nominating, and commands it to nominate,
without examination or the payment of any fee. a cer-
tain number of fellows from among the existing members
of the college, namely, not less than 250, nor more than
300, within three months from the date of the charter,
that is, before the 14th of December, 1843; and author-
ises it, but does not order it, to nominate other members
(the number not specified) to be fellows, within the period
of nine months after the 14th of December. After the
expiration of the twelve months from the date of the
charter fellows can only be elected after examination and
the payment of a fee, as provided by the charter.
28.—The council are ordered to keep a register of all
the fellows in the order of their seniority, for the inspec-
tion of fellows and members. [This register, it is pre-
sumed. will contain also a list of members; with, the place
of residence of both fellows and members, and will be
published annually for their use.]—British and Foreign
Medical Review.

EMIGRATION TO CANADA.—Southampton is appoint-
ed the port for the emigration to Canada, under the Gov-
ernment arrangements. The fine brig Rainbow, now in
the Southampton docks, will be the first to leave, and will
take out 300 emigrants.—Hampshire Advertiser.

MELANCHOLY CASE.—A poor fatuous woman, be-
longing to Rsss-shire, who had been in the habit of
wandering from home unknown to her friends, was lately
found by a shepherd lying on a hill in Sutherlandshire,
exposed to cold and inclemency of the weather. When
discovered, her lower extremities were found to he in a
state of mortification from frost-bite. She was last week
cenveyed to the infirmary, Inverness, and has since had
both legs amputated by D. Manford, one of the ordinary
medical attendants. We understand she is going on well.
—Ross-shire Advertiser.
HADDINGTON.—Lovz AND MADNESS.—Last week a
young man, a tailor by trade, threw himself over the Kay
Milos, a precipice to the north of Haddington. His
fall was broken by the trees growing at the foot of the rocks,
otherwise death must have ensued from this rash act.
He was observed by some workpeople in the neighbour-
hood, who hastened to his relief, and found he was very
severely bruised. He is in a fair way of recovery, and
states he did this in a fit of desperation, because his sweet-
heart had refused to name the marriage day, and would
not allow him to give their names to the session-clerk for
proclamation on the Sabbath following. A few days after
the above occurrence, another young man, a shoemaker,
attempted to cut his throat because a young woman de-
clined to be his partner at a dancing party that was to
take place on the following evening; he is also in a fair
way of recovery.—Edinburgh Courant,

Jan. 30, 1844.

THE BANK OF ENGLAND.

The probability of the continuance of the Bank
of England's charter becoming an important object
of consideration in the monetary circles now the
time for the session is drawing near, a short view-of
the different renewals of that charter may not be
uninteresting to the general reader, who has not the
means of information on this subject constantly
within his reach.
The act by which the Bank of England was esta-
blished is entitled "An Act for granting to their
Majesties several duties upon tonnage of ships and
vessels, and upon beer, ale, and other liquors, for
securing certain recompenses and advantages in the
said act mentioned to such persons as shall volun-
tarily advance the sum of £1,500,000 towards carry-
ing on the war with France." After authorising
the raising of £1,200,000 by subscription, this act
states that the subscribers shall be formed into a
corporation, to he called " The Governor and Com-
pany of the Bank of England." The Charter %vat
issued on the 27th of July, 1694. The first renewal
was in the year 1697, extending the charter until
the expiration of 12 months' notice, to be given after
the Ist of August, 1710, and until payment by the
public to the Bank of the demand specified. In
1708 the charter was extended until the expiration
of 12 months' notice, to be given after the Ist of
August, 1732 ; and by the same act (7 Anne, c. 7)
it was provided—

That during the continuance of the said corporation of the
Governor arid Company of the Bank of England, it shall not be
lawful for any body politic or eorporate whatsoever, created or
to be created (other than the said Governor and Company of
the Bank of England), or for any other persons whatsoever,
united or to be united in covenants or partnership, exceeding
the number of six persons, in that part of Great Britain called
England, to borrow, owe, or take up, any sum or sums of money
on their bills or notes, payable at demand, or at a less time than
six months from the borrowing thereof.
This is the famous act by which the monopoly of
issuing paper payable on demand was secured to
the Bank o England. In 1713, the charter was
renewed until the expiration of 12 months' notice,
to be given after the Ist of August, 1742, in which
year it was again renewed to 1764, and in that year
to 1786. In 1781 there was a further renewal to
1812. The celebrated suspension of cash payments
took place on the 37th of February, 1797. In 1800
the charter was extended to 1833. In 1819 " Peel's
Bill" was passed, requiring the Bank to return to
cash payments. In 1826 the act was passed allow-
ing banks having more than six partners to carry
on business in England at a greater distance than
65 miles from London, thus partially abolishing the
monopoly established by the act of 1708. The act
under which the Bank of England at present holds
its privileges is dated the 29th of August, 1833, and
by it it was likewise enacted—.

That any body politic or corporate, or society, or company, or
partnership, although consisting of more than six persons, may
carry on the trade or business of banking in London. or within
65 miles thereof, provided that such body politic or corporate.
or society, or company. or partnership, do not borrow, owe, or
take up in England, any sum or sums of money on their bills or
notes payable on demand, or at any less time than six months
from the borrowing thereof, during the continuance of the pri-
vileges granted by this act to the said Governor and Company of
the Bank of England.
The clause in the charter under which notice
would be given of its expiration is as follows :
And be it further enacted, that upon one year's notice, given
within six months after the expiration of ten years from the first
day of August, 1834, and upon repayment by Parliament to the
said Governor and Company, or their successors, of all principal
money, interest. or annuities which may he due from the üblic
to the said Governor and Company at the time of the expiration
of such notice, inn like manner as is hereinafter stipulated and
provided, in the event of such notice being deterred until after
the Ist day of August, 1855. the said exclu-ive privileges of
banking granted by this act hall cease and determine at the
expintion of such year's notice; and any vote or resolution of
the House of Commons, signified by the Speaker of the said
house in writing, and delive.ed at the public riffice of the said
governor and company, or their successors, shall be deemed and
adjudged to be a sufficient notice.