The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-04-22 00:00:00

with foreigners.
Lord VIVIAN supported the resolution of Viscount
Mel-
bourne ; but he must, at the same time, declare his delight
that the government was about to make a reduction in the
import duties, to which he believed a large portion of the
evils of the country was to be attributed. His delight, how-
ever, was tinctured with regret that they should have dealt so
very tenderly with the corn law, and that they should have
passed over the sugar monopoly altogether.
The Duke of CLEVELAND supported the bill, but con-
tended that the enormous reduction in the duty on oats
would be productive of great evils. They must no doubt
bow to the auspices of the times, and if they were to make
alterations in the price of wheat, he was willing to admit that
they could not give a less concession. W kat alarmed him,
however, was the seeming admission on all hands that there
was no hope that this was to be a final settlement. He knew
that no minister could controul parliament, but they might
have said that, as far as they were concerned, they would
consent to no other alteration. He would vote for the pre-
sent bill becoming law, and hoped it would become so, but
he also hoped that it was the last alteration of the law he
should see during his lifetime.
The Earl of RIPON said he would never bring forward a
measure in that house without a hope that it would be final,
and he sincerely hoped that the measure before the house
would be a final one on the subject of the corn laws.
The Earl of ROSEBERY was of opinion that even the
authors of the corn importation bill must already have dis-
covered that the term of its existence as a law must be very
brief. He thought a moderate fixed duty preferable to a
sliding scale, though he should have preferred, in the first
instance, to have the duty somewhat high, and reduce it
gradually by ls. a year, until it arrived at the point at which
it was proposed that it should be fixed. He disapproved of
the addition of many of the towns which had been introduced
into the averages.

The Marquis of SALISBURY would rather the old corn law
had been maintained ; but as some alteration was necessary,
owing to the agitation which had taken place, he should sup-
port the-measure brought forward by the government.
Lord PORTMAN supported the motion of Viscount Mel-
bourne, and contended that the bill of the government would

unsettle every bargain in the kingdom between landlord and
tenant.

The Earl of WINCUILSEA was of opinion that under the
proposed bill the agriculturists would have more protection
than they had at present, because they would be protected

from the frauds practised by corn speculators, to which, un-
der the existing system, they were exposed.
Lord MONTE AGLE supported the proposition of Viscount
Melbourne, but said he should vote for the bill of the govern-
ment when it came on, considering as he did, that it was a
great improvement in the present law. The noble lord en-
tered into a variety of details to show that under this corn
law this country had incurred risks of bankruptcy, from which
chance alone had saved them, and said that the proposed corn
law, though an improvement, was itself, notwithstanding,
part and parcel of the same vicious legislation which had
caused the risks which he had pointed out.
Lord BROUGHAM was opposed to all duties on corn either

for protection to agricultiiie, for the regulation of trade, or
with a view to raising a revenue. He preferred, however,
a moderate ilmed duty to the sliding scale proposed by the
government, and should, therefore, give his vote in favour of
the motion of his noble friend Lord Melbourne ; after which
he should submit resolutions to their lordships, embodying
his own views, as above stated. _

The Duke of WELLINGTON contended that a sliding scale
of duties was preferable to a fined duty, which could never
be maintained in periods of scarcity. The noble duke also
contended that the distress of the country was not fairly at-
tributable to the operation of the corn laws, but to a variety
of circumstances which were unfortunately coincident in their
pressure upon the people.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE supported the motion of
Viscount Melbourne, and contended that the sliding scale
might be much more beneficially applied to the importation
of cattle than of corn, for cattle could be imported only from
countries near us, where the rate of duty might be at all
times easily known, which could not be the case with corn
imported from distant countries.
Lord FiTzuEßALD:opposed the motion, and contended that
if the object were, as stated, to afford a remunerative price,
that_ object would be much more effectually accomplished by
the proposed sliding scale than by a fixed duty.
After a few words from the Earl of HARDWICK, their
lordships divided, and the motion of Lord Melbourne was
negatived by a majority of 207 to 71.
A division then took place upon Lord Brougham's first re-
solution, which was also negatived by a majority of 96 to 9.
Their lordships again divided upon Lord Brougham's se-
cond resolution, " That food should not be taxed for the
purposes of revenue," which was also negatived by a majority
of 87 to 6.
The bill to be committed on Thursday.—Adjourned.