The Statesman.
London, England, 1822-07-06 00:00:00

CORN SILL.

The Order of the Day haying been read ;
t Earl BATH u asT, in rising to move that the House
resolve into a Committee on the Corn Bill, expressed his
concern that the task should have devolved upon him in
consequence of the absence and indisposition of his No-
ble Friend (the Earl of Liverpool.) His first wish had
been to postpone the Committee, but as many Noble
Penn bad rome from the country on purpose to attend
the debate, be tad thought that it would be more con-
venient for them that he should proceed; the more so,
as he could not say positively what day next week it
would be in the power of his Noble Friend to open the
snhject. In taking that duty upon himself, he sbonld
not enter into the origin of the existing agricultural dis-
tress, as its cases did not appear lotion)) nefett the„
present Bill, which was only intended to attend the Conti
Act. It was well known by their Lordships, that under
the provision of that Act, all importation of wheat and.
other grains were entirely prohibited till the home price
of corn rose to 80s. per quarter, when unlimited lover.'
tation might suddealy take.place. Much inconvenience
had been experienced from this quick transition from a
total prohibition to unlimited importation, and from
the consequent variations of high and low prices. Wheat
might also be worehoused whilst the ports were open,
and even after they bad been closed, it was brought to
market, to the great detriment of the British farmer.—
The object of this Bill was to prevent the effects pro-
duced by that sudden transition from prohibition to un-
limited importation. .This could only have been done in
two ways; either by regulating the quantity to be im-
ported, or by establishing a scale of duties. The former
could never 'lavisher° done effectually, even had the int-
nortation been confined to one port; the latter was
therefore adopted. It was now proposed that as soon as
the home price should rise to between 70 and 80s. per
quarter, foreign wheat should be imported on paying a
duty of 17s. per quarter for the first six weeks, end of
12'. after. Should the home price rise to 808. or 851.,
the duty on foreign wheat would be 10s. for the first
three months, and fis. after, and should the price continue
to rise, the duty would• fall down to one shilling. or be-
come merely nominal. The advantage of this
would not be confined to the protection given to British
farmers against sudden and unlimited importation, but
to that afforded him against the irruption of warehoused
corn into the market. For warehoused corn would now
not be considered as imported, and could not be brought
to market until it bad paid the new duties, which would
be a considerable check on the operations of specula-
tors. It had been said that the duty imposed es foreign
grain would not be sufficitst to protect British farmers.
Bat it must be considered, that besides this duty of 171.
per qr. the expense of freight and insurance amounted
to not less than 12s. besides the usual five per emit. for
mercantile profit. Their Lordships mold therefore see
that foreign wheat would have to pay es.. per quar-
ter in duty and expense of freight and insurance before
it could be brought into the market; this added to its
own value, which might be reckoned at 48s. per quarter,
would make it impossible for merchants to introduce
into this country at a less price than seventy-seven shil-
lings which would give Bntish farmers an ample degree
of protection. He should probably be told that foreign
wheat might be purchased at 38s. per quarter ; but the
reason that its price was so low was, that our ports
were closed; the moment our market should be thrown
open, the price would rise as it bad invariably done on
former occasions. Neither was it to be believed that
foreign farmers could enter into competition with British
farmer,. Agricultural distress prevailed on the Conti-
nent even to a greater degree than in this country.—
Many cases were known to have taken place abroad in
which mortgages had gained bold of the property of the
mortgagees, from the latter not being able to pay the in-
terest, and preferring to abandon their lands altogether,
to remaining saddled with a debt which they could nut
discharge. Others who held lands from the Crown, had
also been obliged to surrender them, and the Crown, in
consequence, had been unable to obtain any money
from them. He understood that some objection was en-
tertained to that part of the Bill, which allowed war.,
housed corn to be brought into the market, an patine
the ditty of 17s. per quarter, when British corn should
reach the price of 708. But it must he recollected, that
if British wheat should rise to Sib., as the Act now stood,
the whole of the warehoused grain having been import-
. ed under that Act, and on the faith of Parliament, mast