The Statesman.
London, England, 1815-02-28 00:00:00

,ion of any Gentleman. Vas it to be supposed
that Providence had intended to regulate the trade in
corn among nations. more than any other species of
commeice ?—Thrit a-gtiment would go the length of
saying, that all things ought to be left in a state of
stature, anti that legislative interference went to
overturn the regulations of Providence. It might
appear very philosophical to recommend the freedom
•of !ride in all circumstances, but this perfect free-
a„,„ 0r trade could never be extended upon such a
suhj•ct, to a country that was so much of an arti.
grist country as this, and when this unlimited free-
dom of unrestricted trade could lot exist with re.
sport to oilier thitiga. If tho people that were now
roplored in agriculture could be withdrawn from
country, and cooped up in towns, to follow
tonqulrnetures, he believed- that the change would be
„,, weans desirable. We should have no longer
th,t Ware and hard) peasantry which was the boast
of this count," :
Gen. imairns tperum. oto nine asperima

re.,
:ry
ke

j,,stead of haring a peaceable easy governed society,
ti,e, place the population of the country in a
st t Art ilia peace of the community would depend
bring constantly kept in employment.—
H▪
oe „him was illreollhi4l4/101111or ferment heard of
in the con dry from the 4toppige of agricultural la-
bour! But how frequently and how recently (not
with than a few years ago) had the peace of the
ou..tr, been disturbed from Manufacturers being out
4,1 'l.llooyr...tit ? The Hoer. Gent. had said, that
the cotton machinery in France was equal to that' of
this country. 11 such were the case, it was quite
evident that our cottons could not be received in
Twice. however this question might be determined.--
As for the prima •of every thing falling in the same
poportir;n that corn fell in price, it was well known,
that whatever might he the ultimate effect, prices
did not fall very rapidly. They certainly did not fall
so eaphlly as to justify the House in leaving a great
portion of the popelatinto of the country struggling
with every kit d of distress, until the prices had so
fallen. We know that there were many things that
could net fall. Whatever might he said about the de-
preciation of our currency, or its chance of being
restored to its original value, still it was evident that
the interest of our National Debt must be paid in
pounds sterling. Whether prices were high or low,
all those lazes • hich were necessary to pay the in-
terest of the debt must he paid in pounds sterling.—
It ass, therefore. evident that all other thpigs could
not fall in the same proportion that corn might fall.
Could any body suppose that the large and ex-
tensive class connected with agriculture, begin-
ning with day-labourer, and ending with the
landholder, could all be seriously injured without
the manufacturer feeling any evil consequences?—
Ile knew already that in many small towns the
tradesmen had suffered severely from the depression
of agriculture; and lie believed that this would soon
be felt in the large towns and cities. He did not be-
11.," that Great Britain alone could, by its agricul-
ture, support its population ; but was it possible not
to preter being supplied from Ireland, to-being sup.
phod from France and 'Flanders ? There the price
of labour was cheaper than it was here; and he be-
lit.votl with proper encooragement, they could raise
sufficient rotor at a moderately cheap rate, to meet
any defiiiency in the produce of Great Britain. She,
that was so good a customer to us, had a right to
demand that preference. She had a right to demand
it also from her connection with us as a sister king-
dom. The Honourable Member here referred to the
case of Norway, to which an Hon. Gentleman (Mr.
Baring) had adverted as an example of a country
trusting entirely to importation, and asked whether
the recent situation of that country, when• threatened
by invasion, and contending against a superior force,
did not furnish a sufficient illustration of the misery
and danger of such a dependence.
Mr. PHILLIPS explained.
Mr. MARRYATT expressed his readiness to give
an adequate encouragement to agricultural interest.
The only question with him was as to the degree of
protection which this interest required, and that this
should' not exceed that fair proportion which be-
longed to ir, and which, if outstepped, Mould ope-
rate to the prejudice of the other classes of the com-
munity. The Bill in contemplation, it was said,
would not increase the price of corn—to satisfy his
(Mt. Marryatt's) mind upon that point, it must frost
be shown that affixing the standard at 80s. was a
lesser sum thou 635.----L Hear, hear I—A great Anli.
Gallica'? feeling had been attempted to be excited,
the danger our own landlord encountered in his own
market, from his French neighbour, was put forth
in the highest colours—the impossibility, with his
superior weight o( taxation, was urged on the part
of the English farmer against the certainty of his
being met by the French grower, if the lower price
with which, as was stated, tile latter's smaller ex-
petices enabled him to enter the field. But the ad-
vocates hart no idea (or seemed to have had none) of
the taxation affecting the French agriculturist. The
fart was, the French' farmer paid to the state one-
iflh of the produce of his industry, and souse well
informed persons declared, the Contribution Fon-
ticre amounted to one-fourth. And if they roferred
to the Report of the French Minister of Finance,
in hi* Budget for 1814-15, issued last July, they
'would find, that notwithstanding forty-two De-
partments ceased to belong to the French Em-
pire, the thirty-two which remained paid to the.
State two hundred and seventy-five odd millions of
Eyre!, and this great revenue, under the reduced
price which grain bore in that country.--tHeeel—
Ae lion. Member opposite (Mr. Whitbread) on a
former night, had made an observation, applying
personally to himself (Mr. Niarryatt). It related to
the profits which he may hare derived from his com-
mercial concerns, during the dearth of his agricul-
tural ones. Now he was the more serprized at this
observation, coming from 011 P who invariably pro-
claimed the inquisitorial functions of the Property
Tax, and who, in this instance, seemed to think,
however unjust to the community, in his case it may
be tolerated. To this observi,' ion, he had only to
reply, that if that lion. Gentleman himself was called
upon to give an account of the profits of his brewery
concern for the last half year, it would show the
public, that while attending to their interest Ovid
nn mats more ably did so), he had riot altogether
forgotten his own.—[llear !] —Reverting to France,
there was not also the same facility of colthation to
e;,:ure the predominancy of that country over ours.