The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-05-25 00:00:00

TO MR. GEORGE %VERDE HALL.

Londe*, .May 99.
Sin—Your Report to the Genets! C •ttee of the
.Agricultural Associations can he considered in no other
ligkt, than as prep..ratory in an intruded application to
Parliament for additions) restrictions upon the impor-
tation of Corn, and there'ly to render provisions dearer,
or prevent them from hs:coming inure cheap. It is,
therefore, proper to exhibit the effeets of the restrictions
now existing, which, I believe, will he sufficient to con-
vince every reelecting mind, that, :instead of imposing
further restrictions, the present should be taken off, in
consequence of their impolicy, and the hardships re-
sulting therefrom to the community. The present
avenge price of wheat, as stated in the " London tia-
zette," is 695. tad. per qr., and the price of the qnartern
loaf, or 4lbs. 51 oz. bread, is 110., and has been such
for several weeks. The price of bread in France is fully
one-third less—the cost of the loaf of four French pounds,
'final to our own quartern loaf, being stated palimony,
in the Paris papers of the 12th instant, at till centimes,
or 16 suns, which, at the present rate of exchange.
f. 65 c. per pound, is less than ad. This proportion of
the Loudon and Paris prices, proves that oar restric-
t tions Corn Laws, are the sole cause of the poor, and
01l otbeio in this country, being compelled to pay at least
4d. for their quartern loaf, or about Id. per more,
than if no such restrictive Acts existed. This, surely,

has a roost cruel operation upon all the poor intlividiasU
of the country, and is a great hat4l.hip upon all others,
except only the possessors of land, It !loge interest is
.protuoted by such laws, at the expense of all Otbees

of the comuinnity. The prices of foreign wheat,,
now in warehouses in this country, are 365. to
465. pa( quarter, and the quantity very considerable; RI
lie laws permitted the sale of this corn and free imports
in future, the average price of wheat would he 455. to
Ms., instead of nearly ,Os., or upwards: and bread, in
proportion, would be at or under 6d. per loaf, instead of
12d., as prices used to be before the present system of
Corn Laws commenced, in 1795, by Parliament enact-
ing, that corn should not be imported unless the aver-
age price was at or above 455. per quarter ; afterwards,
in the price of admission was raised to 605., and in
1615, to 60s. per quarter. These laws have had the
effect of raising the value on rents of land, by increas-
ing the prices of sale of its produce since 1795, and of
raising the prices of the food of every individual of the
country for the benefit of land-owners solely. And to
show the grievous hardship upon all others, it is only re-
qoisite to compete the quantity of food eon Of
iloloesseer for the subsistente of each individoal. This
cannot he less than a half quartern loaf, or but 2lbs.
tioss. of breed, with only water for drink (sorry fare,
indeed); but if *ay other food is used instead of bread,
cheese, batter, potatoes, and all other vegetables,—
milk, beer, and spirits, are rendered proportiooably dear
as bread by our Corn Laws. Therefore, if the half
qnartern loaf or other food costs 6.1. instead of 44.,
each person's food is taxed 2d. daily, or annually 31. lls.
10.1., which, for the whole population, amounts to
45,625,000 f., computing the numbers of the United
Kingdom at fifteen millions; but if the consumption of
three millions is deducted for the decreased demands
for old age and infancy, the amount of the tax will be
36 millions and a half; or, even if the effect of the Re-
port of our Corn Laws was to reduce the priceone-fourth
only, instead of one-third, the loaf -would cost 911., and
each person's support would be 41., instead of 6tL, or
Lid. less instead of 2d. less--thid would amount to
34,218,7501., for 15 millions, or for 12 millions, to
27,276,00 W., being V. ss. nil. per year for each ; bnt,
even allowing for 10 millions (admitting 5 millions fur
age, infancy, lie.) of inhabitants, at only _l. ss. each an-
nually, the conti ibotiov of tax, by means of the present
Coin Laws, is 22,500,0001. However, 1 have reason to
believe that the calculation of 2d. each per day, fur 15
millions, is more nearly accurate.* There can be no
doubt that, by the operation of these grievous laws,
the labourer niust lie greatly distressed, and that the
price of every species of manufacture is much increased,
from die wages to workmen being necessarily its pro-
portion to the high prices of subsistence, and that the
trade of this country is impeded, whilst that of other
countries, where manufactures are established, or now
forming, are promoted and encouraged in their compe-
tition with us ; besides which, in several parts of Eu-
rope, *heat is grown for the purpose of exportation
chiefly, and the effect of all restriction in this country
upon it's sale, is to prohibit so much export, or sale,
of our woollens, cottons, hardware, &r. &e. to those
countries, by refusing to take in eschange their wheat
and other corn for our manufactures. The Corn Laws
also injure our shipping interests, by rendering the cost
of victualling and wages of British sailors, and of all
Osme-4.4"k“Oarli 4411 Er, Ike. ow. meek
maiemear than foreigners. In oddities to these effects
upon trade, the Poor Rates are necessarily at least one-
fourth or one-third higher thaw they would be if the
"est of the food of the poor was one-fourth or one-third
less than it now is. This would materially relieve the
fanner, and every other-class of persons contributing to
the support of the poor.
The question hetweemus, is, whether the country will
he benefited by your proposal of increasing the price of
bread, and consequently all other food of its inhabi-
tants and of its cattle, by new laws to restrain the im-
port of foreign corn, or by any proposal to reduce the
prices of food, at least one-fourth, or one-third, by re-
pealing ell the Corn Laws enacted since 1795, which, it
is evident, have the effect of enriching the landholders,
probably half a million of persons, at the expense of
fourteen and a-half millions of their fellow-creatures;
or, *Bowing landlords to be one million, at the expense
of the other fourteen millions—let humanity and reason
decide between ns. Commix SHttelt.

• No calculations on such subject can b • supposed W be
precise, but whether the Corn !Avis operate to levy 43 mil-
lion.. 34 millions, or 44.230,0180/., the taxati•ut is most
grievous.