The Statesman.
London, England, 1815-03-07 00:00:00

TIfE CORN LAWs.

Sir C 1 LBEaT IIEATIICOTE sail he had hither.
to refrained giving any opinion on this important
subject, and from considering himself to belong to
the class of landed proprietors, he had felt some de-
. • licacy iii.the matter. lie found many of those with
whom he usual!), coincided in political sentiment,
I differed with bin in opinion ; and many with whom
1 he was acquainted in the country, were now great
isutierers from the state of the agricultural in-
-1 terests. If, therefore, the_ measure had not ere-
i ated so unusual a sensation in the public mind,
be Was desirous to have been perfectly silent.—
[To enter at harp into all the branches of this im-
• portant subject oust take cousiderabie time, And after
'I all, he thought A. real. merits of the question lay in.
.. a very narrow eemstess. The present crisis has been
!'produced 17.tbe.Ausiatural exertions we made in the
' long and expensive war just termientsia. The fictitious
credit obtained or,given universally, caused every ar-
ticle for use or subsistence to riscimaisitely beyond
its valiie—and it is impossible, in so short a space of
1 •
i time as has elapsed, since peace was restored, for things
again to resume their accustomed course. Improper
motives have been assigned to the landed proprietors,
I but hireally could not see any impropriety in a per-
t son looking to what, lie conceived, his interest—or
1 •
I the interests of that class to which he belongs. If
[any . blame attaches, it should fall on-tho-Grevenw
I went, who now, for the first time, have gives' their
support to the measureand why ? Because it is
their duty to watch., over the interests of all,
god see
.that no description .of persons is unduly
' ptererrid- 111.3 next. came to that point of the
subject, where, in his opinion, the question mainly
rests. the wants of the . government are peat i
to wind up the mien* yf a long war—to support'
a Peace Establialoneut greaier than ever . before
k new ii. A Peace I..:stablislinient of 20 millionseqesi
I to what was foroterly considered sufficient to make
war on 'a most extiuded scale. Supplies must i
therefore be afforded, and of course much of 114
burthen would WI on the landed proprietor. The
Government wanting the money, seek it from the
land-owner: he looks to remuneration from the ter.
! mer. The latter (the former) is usi.ble to pay from
the low price of corn. flow is the ditlicolty to begot ',
over ? Parliament pass a law to keep ep the price 'ef•
corn, and that will protect the increased sittnts. • Gal
I whom then does the burthen fall ? On the consumer;
on every cue not being an owner or occupier of land. ,
Nothing can be plainer than this ; and yet we are
told that rent,, the chief outgoing of the farmer, hall
nothing to do with the question. Ile differed from such
opinions. Then as to taxes and rents. Since the.
year 1792, the former have enormously multiplied,"]
independent of parochial rates ; and as to the latter;
they have been doubled, tripled, oaf he believed by
some quadrupled. A personl
holding a firm, in 1902, at .
1001. a year, ;oppose it now 300 L if it was reduced.
,! again oott-thifd, what a great relief would this afford''
i the celtirator ~1 It is said that 80s. is a proper
remunerating price ; on what foundation does this..
assertion; rest, but. oil the opinion of several land-
' surveyors Oni were examined before tae Committee
;
1 of thq Llouse, And who bad, be it remembered, pre-'
viously 'lid rents accordingly ; so that some fifty or
More if thise-persons ere to. tie the maximum on j
which the rest of the population of the country are to
leat their daily bread. This' description •of persons
j are interested in fixing a high value on a survey as I
they are usually paid by a per ventage.--It
is.said, if this measure does not pass, that a clean.!
' titv of the middling land will again fait out olcirlti. I
! •
va.tion. It is necessary to ask, said the Hon. But.
Iwhen the greatest part of this poor land was thus i
, eultivated ? NVlleii wheat, instead of 80. s. brought 1
sly, seven, eight, nay, as high as nine 'pounds per 1
Totter. Therefore it is not cleat. that 80s. *lll 1 !
have the effect intruded ; but the poor !adds I
will still be . turned to their ancient- use.--.. I
Ile thought moderation in the taildlortiewt-this time,
would do much good, and if aided by any prudence
on the part of Government miAlit stn,tersede *the lie.
cessity of the measure proposed. These were it o new
doctrines. 11e.was known .to have been always ad.
'verse to too high rents, and had long foreseen•in
!silence the present difficulties. Ile was adverse to
high rents, as destroying all attachment and good will i
betwixt the owner and occupier, making the occupa-
tion an equal matter of convenience to both, and there.
by doing away, in his idea, all the consequence and
much of the obsers a bleinfluence attached to thelanded
property., The views of Government seemed to
differ from his ideas on this subject ; as not long
since their assessors went round charging tenants of
his, not. taking the 'tenth of what they did pay;
but the tenth of what the assessors said they ought
to pay ; thus surveying and fixing the value of ilk
property ; he rather thought this going a toed Way.
indeed. The Right llnhourabie Gentleman who
brought for we ral the pto positiOns .disclaitned all Ititfat
of. its ' being introduce& to uphold' high redts: lie
would got
.have supported• it for Mich perpos4s.
jle'revered the character of the Right' Hon.' Cent.
'file gave him most implicit credit, &deg* he Might
differ• from the; conclusions he drew.' 110 took i
more popular tone efargument, and the ohl_ty Wile ku•
.n.hicli this measure !can be. defended: :it*/ 'gated.
how beneficial, it would be for this coutitry4 Peel
corn to feed itself; .how much betide te lidy-thet
English then the foreign Nemo.. Bet doesAlti It 14:
lion. Gent.'s colleagues think the seine'? Detlilietl
uo other advantages.? Sir Gilt•eit then alludettltllliti