Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1825-05-13
ENGLISH CONTAINS.


At time when the British Ministers and Peo--
gle devotng their attention 10 their old system
of Political Gconomy-when anti-restrictive
measures the order of the day. it is not aston
shing that the enlightened spirit of the age should
display itself in the writings and speeches of their
Politicians. We are much delighted with Che
speech of Mr.. Baines at Leeds, that we cannot for
bear spreading it before readers. 1t takes a
most luminous view ofthe Corr, Laos. II is full
Of useful matter. Every sentence is clear; every
sentiment conclusive. 1t speaks an intellect
thoroughly imbued with the liberal principles of the
age-or, at Least Of the great Science ofPoiticaI
>S' .sles,ios Corn ns..., a. Leeds.
On Wednesday, at twelve o'clock, a nuIaerou.
and highly respectable meeting was held al the
Courthouse, in this town, consider the propriety
OF presenting petition 10 Parliament, praying for
arevision of the corn laws; BENZ. Corr, ESQ. in
the chair
MIR. Gott opened the business of the meeting
The subject they had been convened to discuss lay
In a small compass-it 10 petition Parliament
tor revision of the corn laws. 1t was proposed
BY the members of Government favourable to free
trade, TO admit foreign manufactures into this coup-
Try Tor domestic consumption, and the attention of
Hau Deen turned to those
Upon the raw materials Of our manufactures which
placed as under disadvantage in competing with
the foreign manufactured He had receiv ed letters
fnquiring, for the information of a member OF His
Mljesiy', Government, what duties it would be
necessary to repeal, to enable US to sustain this
competition? To this question it was difficult TO
give satisfactory answer, Tor if only the duties
upon The articles that entered into our manufacture
were mentioned, and ministers were from that led
70 infer that the repeal of these duties would place
vs. upon level with foreigners, they would form
very erroneous opinion. Ii probable that
the duties OH oil, dye-wares, and foreign wool
would be repealed, Snd that, Ministers seemed
20 decline meddling with the laws. a duty
wonld be laid on foreign cloths imported, that
might be considered equivalent to the burden which
those laws imposed upon our manufacturers by
raising the price of provisions and the wages of
labour. But this taking partial view of the
subject; Tor, on The same principle that duty was
laid Oh foreign cloth imported, a bounty ought to
be given On British cloth exported, in order TO
place equal gro1ud iu the foreign market.
lie thought, however, tia. il would be much bet
iey 10 alter The laws, and, by enabling our
wor<men to eat their bread a: the price as TO-
feigners, render unnecessary either duty on the
import, or a bounty on the export of cloth; for,
eve. if a bounty were allowed, it would not bene-
fl lofa no suffered most from the effect of the
COZ laws.
OcOISt IodHNs, Esq lnen rea1 over a series OF
resolutions, which bad been prepared for the coca
aion
Benjamin Sdler, Esq, said, that, as one Of the
fequisitors, ne state his opinion on the sub
ect, lest should be supposed he concurred in the
principle o. winch the resolutions were founded.
That principle vas, al unrestricted trade in corn.
He ;tO1rh that ne interests of all classes Of the
eommuni.y were bound up together; and that any
which affected the agricauris would also
affect the manufacturer. These who thought that
the increase in or foreign trade. attendant on the
repeal of the corn laws, would compensate for the
decrease in home consumption produced by the
would do well 10 remember the importance
and magnitude Of the latter compared with the fer
nber. AT this time, when the agriculurist was
just emerging from state in which he hoped never
to see him again, and when large capitals had been
invested in land, the faith OF the laws as they
then stood, he thought that il ould be both unjust
and impolitic 10 throw open the ports, and admit
corn from every country. When he signed the re-
QUESTION, all that he wished for was Paramen.
tary inquiry into the corn trade, and some measur,
by which those fluctuations in the price of graii
which were injurious at one time TO the farmer arc
other time to the manufacturer, might be pre-
vn-uted.
1r. Edward Baines, Jun rose and said,--Mr
Chairman. Mr.. Sadler has expressed his opinion
that there is moi an individual in this meeting who
would wish 10 relieve the manufacturing interest al
The expense Of the whole community Tor myself
I can say that would not support a proposition
for the Modification Of the corn laws Il did not
believe that the change wogld be beneficial 10 the
gee, body VI De 1asoE, and indeed 10 every 6las.