The Statesman.
London, England, 1822-06-11 00:00:00

ti 4tPU,UVIO persons c mime d writ the corn trade, could
Dot fail of producing extensive distress.
Mr. LOCKHART spoke against the clause.
Ar. RI C.1111.n1 denied that any wish hail beed.ex-
pressed on the part of the advocates fora free trade hest
to open it by the most gradual mean.. He supported,
the clause from a wish to favour the corn Importer, Rll
fv as this could hedone without injury to the British
agriculturist. That it *mild interfere with the interests
of the tiritialt Corn Growers it was fur them to prove,
and this hail not keen doll,. He should vote for it, con-
sidering it :o be a measure of jostiee to one body of
' men. wide,' could not injure any other class.
ale. GENE IT (Wiltshire) thought the dense tinder
consideration would he t injurious if it could be
acted upon, hot was of opinion the 11111, it clogged with
could not pass, and he therefore hoped, if it should
he carried, that it would be the means of enabling them
to wet rid of the measlier" altogether.
Mr. JAS. BROWNE, (Member for Mayo County)
was unfeignedly surprised to hear from the member (or
Portsrlington, that heconsidered the burden of proof
that this was an innoximis measure, to lie upon the agri-
cillturists,he had been taught to believe, that when a
new plan was proposed, the proposers of the new plan
were hound to chew, that no mischief was to attend it.
This lie most class among the new ardente that were
creeping into the state to its great injury; and must op-
pn*e on the ground, that it was delusive, unsound, and
itself a proof of its own weakness. Ile should oppose
the measure from beginning to end.
Mr. T WILSON did not consider the corn importer
to he entitled to any particular favour, and objected to
the dense. '
Mr. CANNING, in reply, declared that he would not
' have offered the clause had be not conscientiously be-
: breed that it might be adopted Without injure to the
• .Agrienltural interest. Whether it were adopted or not,
• he should vote for the Bill, considering it to be eaten-
] ',fed in souse degree to ameliorate the existing distress.
When,. therefore, It wits contended that the Corn Int-
ro t.r had no claim to favour, he mast remark that his
claim had already been admitted by the provisions con
t tined in the Bill which allowed warehoused corn to
come into the market when the price was ten shillings
under that at which other corn was to be receive).—
Their case fur favour being established by the conces-
aiun of a boon which might operate against British in-
terests, they now ventured to solicit that which might
her efit them, but which could not be injurious to others.
It would be better to exclude importation for ever than
to take the course advised by some of the advocates fur
the landed interest, which would ruin the importer we
encouraged to come here in time of scarcity, the moment ,
that plenty, by God's providence, returned. If impor-
tation were allowed at all, to act such a part would be
unwise, inconsistent, unjust and unfair. lie concluded
by repeating the declaration that he would not have of-
fered the clause had he considered it at all calculated to
injure the English corn-grower.
The Marquess of LONDONDERRY took a brief
hot general view of the case, and showed that if the corn
importer was entitled to some consideration, the right
of grinding his corn into flour here was not among the
strantages which had been held out to him. The prin-
cinie of the clause before them, be considered to be
round and useful, bnt as it was to be temporary, to be
acted upon immediately, and was only to apply to corn
hoe in warehouse, he was by no means sure that it
cools' in the first instance be carried into successful exe-
cution. He looked upon the present Bill as a m
of a protective character; but still the agricultural
mind was very much disturbed on the subject; and the
proposed clause would, be feared, increase the unfa-
vourable impression. Ile confessed that be did not see
the danger of the clause so strongly as others did; but
for the reason he bail already given he should oppose
the 'reviving of the clause, tliough he should do so with
con-i•irr. hie reluctance.
flie Huns* then divided, when there appeared—For
the clanse, 31—Against it, 116—Majority, S.
On our re-admission we found Mr. FORIIRS on his legs,
making some observations on the effect of the Bill upon
the West India Trade, but the noise was so great that
we could not collect even the import of the lion. Mem-
ber's remarks.
Mr. Ill' ME said, he was sorry to find the Noble Mar-,
clue.% changing shout in this manner. He (Mr. H.)
bad divided with him the other night, on the substance
of this very clause, and was then in a large majority ;
and note the Noble Marques baying changed about, lie
(Mr. H.) b id found himself in an unusually small mi-
nority. Ile considered this as a practical proof that the
House would do any thing the Minister might ask it
to do. Ile was persuaded that the clause in question
woalti have rendered a benefit to the Importers without
at all injuring the Agriculturists.
The Marquess of LONDONDERRY said, that on the
occasion alluded to bythe Hon. Member it was distinctly
understood, and even stated that that vote pledged DO
Meenber to support theclause in question.—(hear, hear.)
The observation of the Hun. Member was, however, a
fair specimen of the mode in which he always attacked
him (the Marquess.)
Mr. 1). BROWNE repelled the imputation thrown
nut by the Honourable Member, that Members of that
hott.e gave an indiscriminate support to Ministers.
After a few words from Mr. Rica also, the Bill was
ordered to be ingrossed, and read a third time on Wed-
tie.day next.
On the motion of Mr. COURTEN IY, the further con-
sideration of the Report on the present Laws Conso-
lidation Bill, was postponed to Friday, the 21st inst.
MILITARY AND N•YAL PENSIONS RILL.
This Bill was read a second time, ;and ordered to be
committed on Wednesday.