Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-11-02
Ef0m the Philadelphia IHqudrer.
o'CoNNCLL, PEEL AND THE CORN LAWS.
RECENTLY EXPRESSED VIEwS.

We few days since alluded to some rocen
speeches in Parliament by Mr. O'Conneil and ST
Robert Peel We had not room then, however, L
give their views upon the important question OF tn,
Corn Laws We now proceed to condenSe into al
brief limits as possible, some OF the most important
of the views expressed on the occasion alluded to
OConnell was eloquent calm and convincing
while Peel was cautious forcible and apparently
sincere. Sir Robert commenced by adveItins 10
the expressions he had employed before the dissou
ton OF Parliament. He then said that in his opin-
ION the principle of graduated scale was pretera-
bile TO that OF n fixed and irrovocable duy-but that
he would not bind himself the details OF the exist
inc law but would reserve TO himse the untettcred
discretion of considering and amending that law
He held the same language now, after the election.
He would not accept the support OF the agricultural
interest with an understanding that such support
bound him to the maintenance OF the existing law
in all its details. He then proceeded TO ask the ma
ture of the existing differences between the two
parties:
On your side OF the house gentlemen who
advocates for free trade, many of them not members
oil the last Parliament, and they have forgotten what
the real question at issue is. We both acknow
ledge the principle Of protection to agriculture
The FIRST finance minister of the crown being asked
IL this measure of fixed duty was a tax or n pro-
tcction2 answered sit is a protection" lhearl. We
started from the same point The government
proposed a fixed duty OF SIS. 10 be levied upon 70
reign all times and under all circumstances
No matter what might be the slut in the market
no matter what was the price nj corn, whether II
was gOs or IOOs.-thc proposal ot the government
was, and suppose is, that the duty of s.. should
lie rgdly exacIed. Will the hOnourabls member
for Stockport have the goodness TO apply his cacu
lations to the government proposition OF an IS duty;
md when he estimates the amount Of duty upon
bread, which is taken from the pocket OF the poor
man, us compared with the amount of duty that IS
taken from tho pocket of the rich man, ask him
TO tell whether his calculations are not literally
and precisely as applicable 10 fixed duty OF S. as
they are to the graduated scale Ihearl7 When |
have adopted fixed duty, and accepted it rs
final settlement of tho corn-law question, whit Sc
curity shall | have that their hery denunciGcouS,
which have daily and nishtly been lavished against
In. bread tax, will not apply with equal force To
duty Of SIS. as TO duty levied under graduated
scale cheers; amidst which an Hon. member said
at depends upon the amount.'l No, u does not.
I a certain quantity OF -four be necessary for the
consumption OF poor family, and a certain other
quantity is necessary for tie consumption OF the
family Of rich man, every one OF those elaborate
c1lcu atoms Of the honorable gentleman will ap-
ply with precisely the same effect To that fixed and
unvaryng duty they do TO the shifting duty, with
out reference 10 the amount (cheers;) aud every
gumcnI of popular nature, calculated 10 produce
dissatisfaction and discomfort, Will apply with at
least equal force TO fixed and irrevOcahls duty ie
Wed directly under the name OF tax upon bread, as
they do to that duty which is levied on the princi
pie of graduated scale. The principle Of free
trade is rs much opposed TO the one 10 the other
Icheers0 And ask, would that he a satisfactory
state II we to have mere intermediate adjust
mcnt of tic Curp-inw. public declarations being
maj the
housc--somc saying that they accept the fixed duty
only ms an Observation-Disclosures avOwing that they
consider Il only stepplng-stone TO free trade,
and all telins us openly that they do accept Il
as anal settlement but upon its bsIEg gained they
will proceed 10 immediate agitation for total re-
pen7 That is ore consideration that causes me
TO doubt the advantage, and II may borrow cx-
preston from the noble lord, which makes me doubt
the "fnallty' OF such settlement (hoar, hear) Let
me ask the question OF then obs lord: Suppose you
had passed your law 10 May last, fixing the duty at
Ss. upon cOrn-supposs the weather continued unfa-
vorablc more than we have now reason 10 hope il
will be-but suppose the harvest had been decided
ly bad, and towards the end Of September, or the
beginning of October, the price of had risen to
9Os a quarter, did you mean TO insist upon your
fixed duty of SIS. (great cheering from the ConsCr-
vatives2) That case might have risen.-That is no
improbable conjecture. Now what is the Hea n
ing Of that1 That men may speculate in corn-that
they may know the amount Ul the fixed duty-thaI
they may take their chance Of making great gains
by pouring in corn from the continent when the
English price is at COS subject only 10 the liked du-
ty of S. OF course, then, the principles Of free trade
require \ rigorous oxactIon Of shat duty.
Again, he remarked,
at does appear to me that there and must he
such fluctuations IN the price Of corn, from the very
nature of the commodity tscf-a commodity not Z e.
pendent upon production by machinery which ca be
limited, but dependent upon circumstances vary Ing
and accredited, the seasons or as the quantity O
corn produced. That the proposal OF fixed duty,
therefore, would be an Improvement in the law as
regards ensurins fXity Of price, very much doubt
In considering this part OF the subject, II will be in
por;ant TO compare the price OF grain in those coun.
tries in which corn laws do operate with the
prices IN this country. And here let me say Incl.
dentally that in considering this question, wish 10
disregard every party and political eelIng whatsO-
ever and treat it as IL only ought TO be treated
Icheers from both sides With respect to the n nc
tuations them in the prrce Of corn, they have been
great-greater than could have been wished. Tn,
main object to be attained Is comparatively fixed
t,ice. Now then, let US compare the variation ir
The price OF com in the United States with the
variation here. America is a country not subject &C.
the operation OF any corn-aw. America is a couu
try with perfect free trade IN corn internally, and
with produce more Than the inhabitants can con.
sumo II Is not, therefore, supposed 10 be SUI Isc
10 the fluctuations which country like England,
partly dependent upon oTeign supply, must uGCgs-
sariIy be. ! have here paper which gives the
price OF corn IN the different countries Of the world,
ard particularly in the United States. | take the
state Of New York and unless | have made some
error or there Is error IN the print self, there
an account ofG very remarkable Auctuaton IN price.
In November, 1884, the price Of the Winchester
uulrter oil eight bushels was 33s. a.; IN OCiOb "a,
1896. il was 5fs.; in January, 1897, II was Gss.
June 1889 IL was CTS. ID, and IN October, 1889
mark IN the same ycur-It 39s. 81. Thus 10
the State Of New York alone, IN the course Of xix
months the price OF corn varied fom Cts I'D. 70
81. Cd. Whence arose that huciualion, how was
il to be accounted for, unless by the nature Of tie
intervening harvest producing so immense variI-
toni In October, 1910, the price Bis. %. So
that We see the price fell from June, 1889, when DO
was 67s. Al 10 October, 1870 10 SIS. o., n great
deal more than 100 per cent. tfiesr, hcarl
y But II has been said that the Corn-.nws Of En-
gland dorauce all the markets Of the world; yet Mr.
Whrmorc tells me that little corn can lie produced
from the United Sales-ihat the average prco Is
iOs., and that we must not expect very material
import from America, and hot the markets there,
from their distance, not liable 20 much dcrauge-
mcnt from the corn-Iaws Of England. As regards
fluctuations arising from seasons and similar Gnu.
ses, the variation mus, be great there ~ here
why IN January, 1887, when corn was Us quar-.
ter in New York, Il was only Sos. g g.. ~ England
thcar. hoar;l and IN October, when p was Ga. boo
New York, twas only ass. %. here, iho5r.l Hsfr,
then, in a country subject no corn iH0 -no 0pgrl-
ton Of the seasons CCcasiDulG these high ys.e.. III
look TO other papers presented 20 Parliament DO
the present session, and which have yet had scarce
Nv time 10 look into, / find that tho very second
p1gc contains a most extraordinary statement Te.a
tive to the produce Of Russia. Here is an account
from your own consul, stating thot 81: Petersburg
sent out, besides the supply for Us inhabitants
from 10000 20 10000 imperial qulrjCrs EItlc
says, likewise, that In a season of abundance chat
supply might Do tro5cd. IL is clear that ON nc.
count Of the variation of the seasons hsrg cannot
be otherwise than fldctutuon Boo price. Your own
consul tells you thltthC supply may bs three ioB,
II the changes IN the weather are favourable lie
also adds that n order TO give au idea of what 'lt
country was able 10 produce when Tho h1vest wls
GOOD he begged 10 state that he had been inform d
by one Of the principal merchants IN the Baltic tIis
that. in 1885, the government Of TamhOy lone pro.
duccd 80, 600 900 quarters Of grain There an hon
member called out at IS ImpOssibiC"l You s1y
ff,otfrurd the right honorable b4rguol u ia i'm.