Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-07-21
RtEa1ssuosgu IzttaaateKGs

Tho, Tho repeal of the English corn laws can oI y,
n, service 10 US. Fortunately il was ufeeu .na'
We OUGHT 10 Law restrictive duties upon theIl inau
nf,c,n1es in retaliation for their corn-iaws ou'
un,s ype are informed that what we we're caiea up
nm 10 revenge was no injury. The aaul'ss'on -
I,d;an corn Tree of duty The low duties upon Plo.
visions of all sorts, including wheat, mus oPsn
new and great demand Tor our aSrIculIulai pr
ducts. il we act wisely ourselves. Inc ~ ,hs
rela,;ve chea puess and quantities OF gram IN l",s
comn,ry and in the north Of Europe, ana aoou ,
tho PIsck Sea. Onthe one side ii has been uI2eo,
,h., Tho countries around the Baltic and The BLACK
60. can furnish more than will be Wanted loi
Rriish consumption, and al cheaper rates man
| we can afford IT. on the other, attempts nav . "
made 10 show the inability oil nose coul'les ~
furnish the requisite supply. nave no uoao.
myself Mr.. Chairman OF the capacity OF e.nei
49, ~ tnrn;sh The grain necessary for British
consnmntion. provided that English manuiac-
,rres re- taken in return fer il. Increase the ae
mand elevate the profits OF producing gram, ana
either this country or the regions around Inc baic
and the Black Sea, can produce surplus ~hlch
would more than satisfy the wants oil bfi'isa con,
sumption. The question as 10 when country sna
furnish il will depend upon co'noi'iailoh u
cheapncss OF production ana iaeli"i ~ go
ing The manufactures OF Great Britain ~ ie'uin.
Suppose that one country could place hhshei OF
wheat al Liverpool for fifty cents, ana ano'ner
could send il there Tor not less than dollar, Dull
The country furnishing the cheap. wheat pro-
bibcd British manufactures, whist the oher IT,
ceivsd rbe,n al moderate duties, can any man
doubt as 10 the country from which her supphes
Of grain would be derivedl She would nave no
capacity 10 buy The wheat al hlty cents, J, she
could sell nothing IN return ou' lhe eou'u "ne
would buy from tina, which furnished wneat al one
dollar bushel and took goods in exchange IL
such proposition could need evidence beyond
The general experience OF The world, We may
find + in The history OF our trade with France be-
fore and since The tariff OF 1912. In The three
wears before ,ha, laria, we exported TO France
and her dependencies &c., 500 lag. In three
wears since that period, we have exported 10 the
same but s44, 749 es3.. Our imports from those
places have fallen of in rather greater ratlo
Now. why is thisl She required our cotton and
tobacco as much or more since than before The
tariff Of 1912 The prices Of both have fallen,
cotton nearly onc-half, and tobacco more lhan
one.lhrd; and yet, with this great dimnn!;on IN
rricc she takes less from US. The only reply
that can be given is, that she can no longer,
since 1912 exchange her silks and wines, either
free or al low rates of dniies. We have d.
minished her capacity TO sell 10 US, and she can
no longer buy as much Of US, even al greatly di-
unfinished prices.
If VIC wish, then, 10 furnish the supplies OF
grain 10 the English market IN preference over
our rivals in Northern Europe, we must reduce
our duties on foreign manufactures TO secure the
opporuni,y w 18th this advantage, we may readi
IL secure The larger share oil the British market
3r foreign grain. Our lands are as cheap or
cheaper. our facilities Tor internal intercourse,
and our skill are lar greater. II they have any
advantage over us in freight even that would be
removed or greatly diminished by facilities tor
an exchange oi commodities which would give
a cargo both ways whilst the present commercial
system in Northern Europe, being so restrictive
as il is. would diminish The ability 10 send car
goes OF goods in return. Here, Sir, is The point
to which the attention oi the grain growers IN this
country ought TO be turned. They will rest on
iaIlacious hope il they suppose that The vast ami
fertile grain growing region with which we must
come into competition, cannot supply the British
market. provided there is an increased demand for
il. and an increased profit upon its production
The quantity now produced there under The past
demand and past profits IS no test by winch 10
estimate that which might be grown under better
prices and a larger demand in country in vast
portion of which there IS so little agricultural
skill and artificial improvement. We are in
formed by Porter in his progress Of the British
nation that "Crom 1901 10 1855, The average an.
nual importation Of wheat into Great Britain had
fallen from more than peck 10 one gallon Il"
each consumer; and that while The total number
OF families in Grea! Britain had increased al The
rate Of 81 per cent, the number oil families en-
Moved IN agriculture had increased only al The
rae of seven and quarter per cent."-(Vcl. ],
pages l46 l47, 1857 He says that "every-
where the condition OF agricultural laboreTs IS
stated 10 be visibly amended" ana that with
scarcely any exception, the revenue drawn in The
form OF rent from The ownership OF the soil has
been al least doubled in every part OF Great Bri-
tain since 1907 Vol. |, p. l6i) Now this vast
increase of production with prcportionably less
amoup, Of labor has beer The result Of agricul-
rural skill and science stimulated by Increased
demand and growing profits in that branch OF in
dusry. Can il be supposed 'ha, like causes
nigh, not produce As great effects in countries
| portions OF which are far behind what Great Bril-
| lain was in 1870 in point Of agricultural skill
and Improvement But il may be said, how can
we hope to supply The British marke! IN view OF
this picture Of their agriculture before us2 II
will BE- recoected, however, that the demand and
the prices which encouraged this high state oil
production was brought about by their corn-aws
which gave an artificial profit whilst il diminish
ed the capacity Of other and larger classes to con.
sumo Remove these restrictions, and the man
| ulaclurer ii he can exchange his goods Tor H.
NAV furnish, not entirely, but TO great extent
cheaper corn than can be raised al home. The
capaciiy OF The whole nation 10 consume will h
vastly increased, as has already been shown by
| The experience unGtr Sir Robert Peels measures
OF ls42 Large quantities OF lard, meat, naS,
! and wool have been imported since that time,
and vet the domestic prices have increased, he
cause the demand grew even beyond the greater
| supply under a rise in the profit OF production
throughout the kingdom, and conseqnen. in
| crease OF capacity 10 consume these articles
View this question. then, MIR. Chairman as We
NAV, whether upon general principles founded
upon the long settled and universal experience OF
mankind, or upon The particular experience OF
our own country, we find The result the same
In either way the great truth is demonstrated that
The result Of restrictions upen our foreign com
| mcrce is 10 diminish the amount and the profit Of
The productions OF the country which adopts
them.
But. Mr.. Chairman, ! have asserted that The Ell.
feet Of removing these restrictions has been TO in
crease the sources OF taxation and the capacity OF
country 10 bear its burdens. II il be true that
The effect Of such removal is 10 increase The
wealth OF country, i, follows, as a necessary
consequence, that il can bear an increased taxa
ton But here, too, facts may be produced TO
sustain this theoretical conclusion ] have area
DIV adveued To The effect Of Sir Robert Peei's ex
perinent in reducing and removing duties aud
excuses in Great Britain since 1872. We md that
the removal OF fl 10000 on duties led IN re-
iuction OF only f 100000 in the revenue, whilst
il increased The foreign exports alone about son.
100000. The reason VAS, that these reductions
diminished the expenses and increased The amount
and profits Of production, which brought as
consequence greater capacity 10 consume the
articles upon which duties we're imposed. The
duty, whilst high enough 10 be protective, i'm
posed tax in The shape Of enhanced prices al
home for private as we'll as public benefit. In
proportion, then, as the consumer was relieved
from The burden OF private taxation for The do
nestle producer he was enabled 10 contribute
more TO the government. Whatever reduces The
tax upon an article reduces its price; and as the
price descend., The article makes a larger and
larger circle Of consumers, who are thus stimn-
lated TO increased production. and add more and
more TO the wealth oil he nation. For some time
past Sc much attention has been directed towards