The Statesman.
London, England, 1815-02-18 00:00:00

THE STATESMAN.

wars...
er national wealth. 11e.1,,,,weL
duce to be sent here at a season when we should his new system, and then in endeavouring to show, to the roerdis
stand most in need of it. Suppose that an event of that itaulaimatjhelfectanust.lie to *eager ce ri obey ;,thats lait.lenlnce attended every ionlidefille*
this nature should happen, and in a moment of diffi. in thlmccianter. Irlarlif beeteitaapr nod ola e COI:: Ante. m_A change had dalegh ilgnces °II"
cull with eith no remedy at hand, and au increasing , midee.inee, ellieeika ell otherileti essenifoo I.ty jod *alit hid zgrjale country GeetlgeeK They
population to be supported, and was it prssible to' atelier/eine of pithretarere tett* 0 tkatendierthe laew cis* irkletference of reilitmeht ustidir
deny that the consequences must be as fetid to the . market, fluctuation and dearness were only to
fall,
i the same mistake in which foreigners were so prone
commercial and manufacturing, as the cause had ; avoided in the 'mice. of corn by narrowing the limits .to that
..en exclusive restriction on foreign pre..
previously been to the agricultural classes? Let of theninriet"4-47flear11—:., Whit weinew Arm% Wits the-real arose of -otrr collllTerend greatness.
the House look, too, at the peculiar state of was to prevent this fluctuslibn In 'prkce,lby weed*. ;Let die tfliailtik ahem to both on this occasion, that
Ireland--of Ireland essentially agricultural, with a lug core of foreign growth from supplying the deli. thee took a very different view of the true basis on
population greater than was generally imagined, ciencies of our even vendee,. ifo him it appei, eh ewe nations 1 grandeur and prosperity rested.
and groeilig much more food than was necessary : that no measure could be so well Calculated as ties 'No import of corn could take place without a cot.-
for her own consumption, as well as of a dire, for producing a directiz opposite effect. , 1u
The Right responiling export of our owta ,produce; uo inter-
ferent kind !---What was to become of Ireland, Honourable Gentleman had referred to frilisidi bat' rose of this kind could be maintained without an
if no market was to be found for her superfluous surely no country -Wit so wee circuentinced as.. y
lret: ncouragemeno our mantrfactures, and an increase
produce, rind she was to be driven from her natural land for maintaining a; competition Mirantagionalill f• our population ; and it was in that increase, that
home market in this country, by an unequal cons.. herself with the foreign ictiparker;, redundant to Site ; he west demand and the best protection would be:
petition.—[fluor, hear:]—If Ireland was deprived., was in population,—rich In. the fertility of her soil-7.1 Gaud for the agtieultorillsr o—
oduce . of the country.
of the British market, by the intervention of foreign i and growing, as heel been pally oboe reed; so much i• Hear,
fisl. hear!) . !
produce, it was not possible that she could find any more thin was necessary fdrher own consumption." r. WEST ERN set out , willa.,;conteuding, that'
other market, because the markets on the Continent Ireland and 'England had already equally benefitted i general injury to the agricultural lodgers& would be.
must be supposed to be supplied before Continental by this trade ; and if England had. !hut 'imported felt by none more th the maitifeddring and.
grain could be imported here. He had heard this corn from Ireland, not only without injtiry, but working classes of theNtinunity. *thought the:
question treated as a question of humauity ; but he with advantage to her separate ititereets, bow wits it Home did well last year in poetponingier slime the.
would ask where was the humanity of disabling six that the empire at large was not to derive behefit consideration of this question, because nothing was
millions of men from procuring a market for the from a general system of free importation from the mete impcittaut than to convince, the-minds of the
produce of their land and labour ? Ile did not say other countries of Europe ?—But thisi were told-of people at `large of the necessity' of•Wrotectitig tho'
that it ought to be treated in this light; but if so re- the possibility that our foreign supplies might fail us, Agriculture of . the, country. It, was, indeed, ex-
presented, he had a right to enquire what the advo. and at a time when there was an unusual deficiency tremoly difficult to satisfy them, that the prevention
tares for humanity could urge in answer to such a at home. Such a danger he could not help regarding
.I(effie importation of grain under wiry Circumstances.
question. He knew he was addressing au audience as chimerical, when he recollected that all the power ' was necessary to the general Welfare of the country;
to whom it would be equally impertinent and wine- and all the edicts of Bonaparte, when he gave law 'fee all modes calmalated•to reader food and clothing
cessary to press these considerations farther, or to to nearly the whole of Europe, had never succeeded': as cheap as possible for the prevent, appeared eligible
attempt to divert their attention from :he plain re- i in pulling a stop to thWeenort of corn from the :to the manufacturer, though they might, ha *belong
suits of the principles he had submitted. These re.; Continent to this country.. The real danger, in his row, have a very .different: effect. • The proposition
salts were, that it was impossible for us to rely with , Opinion, was, that our Corn Litts might deter other which had been that night submitted to the Motile by',
safety upon an importation of foreign god!' ; that the nations from griming corn for. our market, under i a Right lion. Geste4blLe.-416binaoa).was not new iti.j
necessary effect of such a reliance must be a great all the restrictions and exclusions those laws Imposes, , its principle; it was unly4following up a system al.
diminution of our agricultural produce, and that i and the time and measure of applying_ which lt ill ; ready establithed in ifilicoudtry. By the laws en.
e hen the fatal moment arrived which should show . impossible for them to foresee. Coin there he a' acted in the reign of King William, the principle,,
th it this reliance had been illusory, the effect mast more effectual measure then'this.for encouraging the, indeed, was carried to a much greater extent; the
be extreme misery and confusion, and the reverse of Cultivation of inferior lands athOine ; 'end if this be.' Parliament of that time, to render the country inde-
all
those benefits anticipated from a system of free Mime a system, would it not be neeeisary to have ti,± pendent of foreign supply, encouraged the export II
importation. The next point was, what ought to be new remunerating
.price for the grower, and could . of grain by bounties, and their duties on the impore i
the extent of 'the protection afforded to the British they say where the remuneeding price was finally to ! Cation of grain were in fact equivalent to a prohi. 1
grower; and, with respect to this, there might pre., , stop ?—[flear, hcarn—lt' bad been said that the , hition. The Right lion. Gent. therefore, in propos.
vail a considerable difference of opinion. Some were ' same protection ought to le 'gtieli to agriculture, tiering his Resolution, was only treading in the path of 1
for a higher price than that without which the farmer : that under which oar commerce safl, manufacturet experience, aid hie- inelatirti-ditatorgo troy thing
could not raise the produce; and others for a lower, had grown and flourished. If by this "protectioo like so far as those laws under which the mane. 1
on the ground of a removal of a particular burthen. ; was meant the system, of restrictions end exclusive factures and the industry of the country -throve
The price which he had to propose to the House was ! privilitta,.be would not say that, our commerce had for more than halt 4 century,—[lleer,' hear!]4;'
80s. for wheat, and a proportionate price for other; not ffoinisbed 'melee them, but beWould say it had ; This was Rot therefore a novelty in the legislation 4;
grain. In conformity with, the recommendation of flourished in spite of them, and not in consequence , the country ; it was merely adapting principleeend ;
the Committee which sat last Session, he should, in 'of them. If these restrictioni lad produced - any ! haws under which die country had flourish to the
his list resolution, propose that every species of . effect at all, it bad been most injuricres.; they had situation in which it was at present phidelLe:llls;
grain, corn, meal, and flour should be allowed to be ! been the meet's of misapplyipg capiltdopd of tempt. I Ron. Friend said, that the present measure, if: lulu* •
land, d and warehoused duty free (except with re- i ing commercial and Manirractasing enlerprise into ed, would advance the price of the necomaxiettei,
gard to flour in Ireland, which was at present pro- trades and pursuits in whithohey hid not the natural , life. He, on the contrary, Mould contend, diethyl
bibited by law), and should be as freely ^sported at • means of maintaining a fair or equal competition.— ' giving adequate encouragement to iuternet. agrldol. '
all time,. The next was, that ellen the average price They tad been the cause of making the people pay 1 ture, its effects would be to render bread cheaper
of wheat, according to the former rule of calcula.. dearer for many articles because they were Made it , and more steady in price; 'and if hecould. net main.
lion, shall have reached 806.2 importation should be., home, thew they could havo, bought them frOm;f4e; tan its expediency luthia point of view,' he would,
entirely flee and pay no duty at all. With respect reign countries, The ohject of the Hight.; Roo. ;he content to abandon the measure altogether. In this
to our North American colonies, ha mould pro. i Gesitleman's. regulatimis awes simply the_
ill, iiiiiii ilew he serteld ealeolete that the profit* ofwgrietit..
pose, in adherence to the same pril.ciple, that the the price of grain ; and if they !boob'. lei) If tNtrt tore must nearly come up to the prodit tifingtittry
import b!laUld be free after the price was e7s. being effect, they would he considers" se inoPeratire.. 4to rill the ether Modes ofcorantercemid-timittalactetem.--;
the same increase on the present standard of 535. ' adverting to the evidence tOteo bafore.the Lorded :He mitt neatly, because it' would bqadmitted:tbei.
which 80s. was upon 631. the existing maximum 'Committee, he had been strurk,with an opiiriiel of-it -the profit's of capital and industry eepended ww-egelo—
agaiest the admission of foreign grain to the British l Noble Lord, one of the witaiesses• exerniuml (Lord culture were not generally equal to those of soma. I
market. In the resolutions which he was about to - ; Lauderdale). The doctrine set forth in the testimouy nterceateltuattufactures,.though the superior condom' ;
sobnit would be found nothing intricate or calcuel of that Noble Lord was,. that the lower the price of and security which attended the!. pursuits of agriculs,
laced to perplex the attention of the House. The I grain, the higher were the wages, of labour ; or,. et tura might be suppemed to melts op.for the deficiency..
Ira question was that which involved the general I least, that low wages diminished the. supply 01. la. It was,elident, however, that in every casertgricul.
principle; and the nest, whether the price he,had hour, and rentlered• the. labourer %Ore iodustrious, turiets must have •a fair. remunerating price for their
adopted was or was not a proper protection to the Admitting this tenoning to' he correct, the only in- skill and their capital ; and if the policy was to en.
agriculture of the country ? As it was not his in: ference he could deduce from it was, that the Legis. courage importation from whatever quarter, what
teution to call on the House for any definitive vote lature ought to benefit the landlord et the expenee or ' then was to become of the home agriculturalist; and.
on this occasion, be trusted he should stand excused the hazard of the labourer • in other words, that did we not thereby reader ourselves dependent for
for declining at present to go into any wider latitude the object of our laws should be to augment the subsistence on the caprice or the policy of other
of discussion. lie had most reluctantly, he could wealth of the rich, and depress the poverty of the nations? The wealth and the population of a country,
soy without affectation, undertaken the introduction poor by the highest posbible rise of prices, and the 'es compared to others, were the. natural limits of
of •slifficult and much controverted subject ; but he lowest possible reduction of wages. He was. Wisel the export of grain. There were also other
Could say with the same siucerity, that he believed tied that those who argued in this manlier never in-' causes arising from ,the. policy or ilinalicy. of
In his heart and conscience, that it would be a mea- tended the consequences to which their reasonings different Administrations. In this goueiry,2 for in..
mire of universal good to the country.—[lleae, I must practically lead, and were as little desirous or stance, up to the year 1764, we were tit -the habit
hear!]—Before, however, he moved the first Reso- such consequences as himself or any other Member' of exporting, to the amount of 600,000 quarters of
lotion, he a ished to explain au observation he had of Parliament: Out a question of this kind, attest. grain annually`; but the policy of this country then
made as to the calculation of the averages upon the lion must be paid to the situation of a country, as underwent a change, which encouraged other .coon.
present system. It was intended to alter the mode well as to the nature of its produce. In a new and :tries we had been in the habit of supplying to, raise
of applying these averages. There was, he conceived, thriving country the price of labour must always bear ' sufficient for their own wants ; and in theyear.l774,
considerable weight in the objection, that the term a very high proportion to all other prices, and the the export was stepped altogether, and *foreign corn
of three months was too long a period both of ex- example of America was a sufficient illustration of was admitted when the price was forty shillings per 1
elusion and admission, and might at all times be pro- this point. But in an old and manufacturing coml. ' quarter. The effectoof this was that the scale way
duptive of a glut of foreign produce. The rule at try, where flue measure of population was full, the . completely turned against us, and we had been au i
present was to take the price from an average of the labourer who fluids too great a disproportion between( importing country for the last 20 years. awe con- 1
last six %.eelis, and then apply this average to flue his wages and the price of subsistence must either go. tinned to depend pp foreign countries ter stsilarge a j
three following months. On the import from tire to the .parish or emigrate. Soldiers and sailors are portion of our mippliye,!whet wateto hint* France :
Baltic, and on account of the distance and other sir. aometimes put upon short allowance, but who ever from doing.as she did ,iii,A.764, and saying! that all,
nestattees, he should suggest some, alteration; but supposed Alley could be kept so permiumentlyle.r. her corn exported shall be introduced in Fr,egoli;ll
th regard to the coast from the Garonne to the Nothing could possibly be more clear, it was a part:' shippingt? What was to hinder other countriesijmne, i
der, including France, Holland, Flanders,, and of the constitution of our common nature, that there saying she came thing ? Thus should. we be. pieced i,
I of Getman'', he should.propoee, that if the price can be no permanent union of low wages and high in a state of double dependence, both as to .theox-
!corn should fall below flOgr within six. weeks of prices. On referring to the tables in the Lord.' Re* port of out mattufactures to those countries,' and. to I
term at which from the average home prices fo. poet, hefoutekthere an average of the retool •wagee the-import of their emu.; ..4la..ccutteuded_thae...ebel
;n corn had been.admittecl, it might be then ex. and the price of mattufacturesfor twenty-Ovmyeers, at price of bread would be rendered cheaper_ and more
dud for the remaiuder of the three months. He Glasgow, which he had every reason to deem cot. equable on the whole by-II propec wocouragemest of
tuld concludo.by moving his first Resolution, rect. By this average it appeared that tenpence per our avicultures'. Were. we le/beset-eau,. for .thei,sake
That all sorts of foreign grain, corn, meal, and ell was paid fur muslin., and sevenpence for jaconota of temporary cheepeemselependeet on foreign catty
wbe imported, duty free, for the purpose of be. Ile had not yet had an opportunity of examining any was it not erisloot that g'y alarm as to the onppkysts
, warehoused and afterwards exported." ' of the manufactures of the Continent, but he under- .as to the arcivaaaafahe Hattie fleet, . for instouth,—e i
Mr. PHILLIPS began, by observing, that if it stood that their progress was most surprising.— would exorbitautly enhance the prke of gaaipeemoi
was the intention of the House now to.go into the Provisions ate here eighty per cent. dower their thus produce the greateit distromle-E1ip0r,.9.-4;be
discussion, lie was perfectly. prepared to meet the on the oilier side the water, where the workman price of corn must riecessarilybetrighip,el4,ceergo
iti.4ltt fieteerahle Gentlemen. &agreed most cot- spends not more time sixty per cent. of his wages in from the extent of lexistiont with 060. it,ewee
riisliy with him, that whatever, variance there might food. Was it necessary to render such a competition bindweeds/but die 4111011 nut- Plasm. the; emaitface
appear to be between the opinions alotrinteeetiss of i still more utiequel 1 It wm said to be important to tuners with the fear of being:4low out. of . furalgq
the agricultural and commercial classes of the tens., i secure the necesaaries,of life, at all limes ; bat *as it markets; for ha would assert that the isenagepriee
inanity properly understood, those inteseets would seriously meaot.that the richest country in the world to which it was notosproposed, to raisq grails, was
be found inseparably united. It was the duty, howo would ever be le any danger of being starved I If not higher in proportion to teat of Frew:o4lm, 4$
ever, of a le.zislature to look neither to the interest, we did not grow quite enoogli, did not war geogra. • was fifty years ago. . In,altraiteetion of this, the
of this nor of that particular order of men., bet,to Olivet situation itself,fieed between the countries that llonoerable Member quoted lemma ef, Ake statements .
Joke as the only guide and object of their delibertei produce, and those whichregidarly import gem, ior ist.the speech with waielseeltai, Velsetistoutesgoiou •
tiers proceedings the common interests and the gene. sure our safety against so remote and visionary a introduced the late prolef on the cornoteasle to
rat advantage of the community. Taking this grin, danger-? .Upon this princtpte, we ooght to exclude all the French Legslutortto 111
tarilipefdets , the Abbe !
(lisle for the foundation of his argument, he costa hemp of foreign growth, !mist we might bearieltieuly stated the o stooge peima IS ill/ France,. front"
not avoid feeling and exprening some surprise at the &priced by foreigners of an article so essential to the year 17u6 ,'to 47,1082, at, we eliniekee see
,i2i44 •
object of their present deliberations. They wren delis our marine. lime the Housemaids Menthe, ford. pence. Derlog the isemetVesied Ihseerverage4igioe t
beratiegoe what?—To finds' remedy for theism price lied his argument by references to Mr. /sheathes's harKegiend wase46 sisitlittesa., !Nem, the .orenage
of coin. That which had been considered in reams pamphlet, and the general doctrines of Adsa Sialithi ' peke/ iu Franco wese4o,olo44.opis ,aoo,,if the present
other age. and coutory as a national advantage, was as to the possibility of a marsufhcturing country die proportion poesedeinte,,i !,14We be woeld• take the
new represented as an evil, impsoioualp 'calling for 'modiste; on foreign supplies. ,Nature had made Ala avetige price attilQ•sitillinem • 41ere,' titre% Aare was
Perliameetary interference. Tim.Rigtsbactsioustable country commercial; it was her commerce. that had; litilefsoriation la itheuvroitakions; owl if ougentanua 1
Gmagema* appeared to him,. indeed,: to bee •littie difftmetl,fortilityover her soil, and promoted theite• i faclteepeiremrieleetlealtherlid doting theefoposee Retied' I.
iiteonsistent in first admitting that an uniformity of provement of her agriculture; any material dis- i what was there in the comparison to induce any roam
as to their prosperity now ?—[lleur!.l—The Abbe
price was not to be expected among the benefits of couragement to that commerce might put a fatal stop

*so stated, that he proposed the price at 'shirt, er.
Tort should stop to be 49 or 50 shill age. 'l'm,, h.
stated, the French manufacture colddlie.tr; if it 10,5
higher, the workman would feel the effect of it: e
moderate price, exempted from gnat vicis.itud„,
was best for that class of society who were not usually
possessed of sufficient providence to guard :eeriest it,
-effects. Should the price of grain fall greatly, he
added, they might indeed be ettahle.M.ftsaitufactu,e
more cheaply ; but the labourer or the agriculturist
would not be able to purchase their goods. le,
Hon.irieud.(3lr, Phillips) seem..d to. think that eie
poorer districts of this country •which had heel
brought unto cultivation should be ahaa.doerd,a,,a
give way' to the rich and fertile districts of 11).m4els
and France. He (M r. 'W.) theeght very difforener.
Was mot the home market for our own manufactures
better than the foreigir?--:- rifearn —Might we not IQ
any time be deprived of the former. though we should
at all timessbe.secure of the latter? In this, as in
many things, we might sacrifice something of extent
is security. A great deal had been said about
it landholders reducing their rents. But suppose
. they_ did, what would be-. the consequence?-.
If his rents were reduced one half, he should he
sift) sty to the tradesmen, 44 you must strike off
your ledger the half of .your charges against me ;',
i and the tradesman in his turn would probably be
e obliged to turn off half of his workmen. The ma.
. nufactarer, of coulee, -wanted cheap labour, but his
wotkmen would look very strangely if told that they
were only to have half wages. . lie would ass. rt also,
1 that at the price of 80s. per quarter, the menu.
facturing and labouring classes Of this country had
enjoyed, and would enjoy, more of the comforts of
life (than- the people did in those eneetries whence
1 we drew corn ;—than in Polaud, far lit-Ittuce, w 'ere
the people fed on the refine; of the grain. Did not
the English labourer, he woosd ask, command more
of the comforts of 'Wei. than ,its Fleece, Poland,
Prussia, and other counelei 4'llinCe corn was im.
ported ? The Honourable Member next proceeded
I to assert, that rent formed' only a small portion of
the price of grain. He entered into several cake-
lotions to show, that in a rotation of four crops, in.
eluding turnips dtc. the average value di the pro.
1 duce wifild tie equal 'to three quarters of Wheat per
i acre annually.. .Supptraieg,. tbereforte-Trents to he
i completely abolished, this would- only reduce the
price of the quarter about ten shillitua, which erect
then would noticing us 0 an equality with the prices
of foreign corn.' 'even the complete annihilation of
, rent, thereforei would not enable the farmer to com.
pen with grabs . of foreige growth. So much
' for the effect. of.l.,sont on the price of grain.--..
IHe would contest* that she •proposition introduced
by the Right line. cienttiman was only following
the policy of our ancestors with caudate steps. The
' average price of wheat tsar the )nottO years was 80i.
a quarter ; for the first 10 years of that period, the
average price was 735. ' %lama* at this moment was
sold for 605.; but taking- the. increase of tendon
and every thing else into account, he thought ilOs.
the lowest at which the import Kris, jakuld be fitted.
it did not follow, however, chat tho:oirke of grain
would be regulated by that amount: on the cove
teary, we should find, on looking hack to former
periods, that the market ptice was sometimes offly
' 30s. when the import prim was ti2s. He also ad.'
I veiled to the great crop of 1813, ass sufficient proof
of the capacity of the cotintertu supply itself. in
IFebruary_of that year, :fl dttc'svolhbrli*ered by con-
tract at Deptford, at 'lllife.' pet, stack • but in the
November following'," it wit' delivered at the same
place at the low price-of 60s. While at the same time
the country was wiportfoi twat considerable extent.
This sufficiently proved that by proper encourage-
ment to our own agriculture we had the means of
supplying ourselves without foreign corn. It was
1 true that the import of foreign grain was at all
times inconsiderable, when compared with the con-
sumption of the country; but there' was this ma.
trial inconvenience from leaving import free,that
it damped the spbit of enterprise in the ilia
farmer, inasmuch as the egtentto which foreign corn
could come into competition with him in the home
market was always unknown.—[Hear !]—Unre-
stricted import would injure and depress the British
agriculturist,whileat a- ties when you most needed it,
it might not be in your .poisferto procure it. It was at
present in the contempiatiols Of the agriculturists of
-France and Flanders, to derive anew stimulus from
the motel of this coliritty, but who could look, with
eomplareemnp.to such a supply ? This country, with
!all its burden's, was the-admiration and envy of fo-
reign natiOnitlitntritast orall should we render 9ur.
selves depend* ton l'rauce—[Henr,Aeirn-rentir,
would Lid. endanger our manufactures. There were
'other markets to,:intlikete they might look—those of
South America,.•l'esvinitance; and the approaching
'emancipation of that ,eafistry- would afford ample
scope for British 'manufrietu An industry.
Sir tREDERRAD- FI4OD-felt deeply interested,
as hp trustattlit sloole-certittt.'titust;:iri the promo-
tion of domestic iodustiy. .. Xi. the Country of
Ireland inctealled, lo would -I reload .-add -tothe in-
dependence of.. Eoglertd,- and of the Empire.: 115
thought the rate•propteted a naridetate one.; and that
i:,._i.4lni! OA Interest Of the. Manetlictilearee to have
we ellficalturel iioterost cut down.-
; Mr. A. BARING said It was not hie 'intention at
Ore:leint to OtiPiPintb this question geeendlYin all its
breaches.- The-psiopoei tiers being no* before the
11rLute merefy, pr..° for../4, did not pledge them to any
OP}Ukan at'. this time 4 and he would, therefore, re-
serve tbdinnit, of Whirettehed to serial thequestion
01' ia.bglira theiS, in a more, Odvauced stage. But
theme/ere several things which had fallen from the
1U *e mil: ()fret. (Mr. Robinson) and his friend
before bin (Mr. Western), Which hi .wished to no-
tice, as there asigitt be many Members in the House
not ettatted to, Colitrediet some Of theft statements.
lie elpected,,however, that this. would have been
dune by a Right' honourable. Gentletuan opposite
tMr. 'huiej"; ' who had fotrnierlf edvOcated the cause
of the people.• The Right lionourobie Gentleman
f Me.'Robinststr) had. tteprecired' the We,, that there .
werattliffeseneinterista in the matantrY On this subject.
Undoubtedly the general prosperity of the country
was the leterest elm elisses.of the Inhabitants ; but
it was impossible not to see that persons in different
situations of life took I more narrow view of theit
interests, sail thal the sgiicultisirli and commerri 1
men had alWays talc:,e opposite views of this anbjecr.
The very circeinstatice of the peculiar interest of tl—