The daily critic., 1890-08-04
ENGLAND'S POLICY
HOW The REPEAL OF The CORN LAWS
ABOLISHED PROJECTION
Favored ut Lsst, After Years OF Nntag-
onism by Sir Robert PecI--A chap
ter from Britisb History.

I
onism by Sir Robert peci-A chap
ter from Briti.b History
The policy Of Great Britain prior o
1924 had been rigidly protective with
reference to almost every article which
could be produced ia The country bv
any process short of hot house plant
ing The corn laws were practically
prohibitory especially in years Of
drouth; and the masses of the people
were often upon the verge Of sarva.
ton A historian Of the times states
that wheat rose 10 103s. per quarter VI
eight bushels in December 1916 to
lOis. in January, 1917, aud TO ll2s. sl.
10 June Of that year These figures. a.
may be remarked. represent, respect
lively, So ~, So 10 and So A per bushel.
Popular distress was so great that dan
gcIous riots ensured, and Parliament
had % be protected by the soldiery
against the mob
But It was not until 1888 that the
anti corn law league was formed. aud it
may be regarded as the first practical
fruit Of the Parliament Reform bin.
which became a law in 1882. The
League demanded the total repeal of
the corn laws The Wings were In
power, under Melbourne But neither
Of the great parties, Whig and Tory,
favored repeal The agitation went
forward and gathered strength, aud In
lS4l, in behalf Of the Whig Admins
tration, Lord John Russell gave notice
in the House Of Commons that on Nav
80 he would move That the House
resolve itself into a committee Of the
whole House TO consider the act relat.
ing to the trade In corn" Some DAYS
later he explained the nature Of the
changes he proposed 10 make tn the
corn laws He would abolish, bv bis
measure, the sliding scale, by which
the tax on the quarter of wheat was
raised in proportion as the price fell,
and clcc gCrsa, and substitute in its place
a UNIFORM DUTY on WHEAT
Of Sc. per quarter Of eight bushels, As
Cd. on barley, and 3s. al. on oats. Ii
failed 10 please Tories or free. traders
the former denounced IL as confscatiop.
while the latter would listen TO moth.
ing short Of total repeal.
The Whig Administration brought
~ NoAA AhArF " Ahh NllNNl important iNlLa
Cessions 10 the Free Trade party. They
proposed other reductions In the taxes
with the avowed purpose Of increasing
the revenue by increased impOrtations.
But they were defeated in the Com
mons, and after vote Of want OF con.
lidence, which was passed by one ma
iority, they resigned and appealed 10
the country In the new election
which followed the Tories, with Sir
Rcbrlt Peel 40 their head, were sue.
CCssiul
Peel went into Office as head Of the
new Tory Ministry 10 September, 1911,
but IL wns not until 1912 that his luan.
cial policy was announced As re.
gmdcd the importation OF grain he pro
posed a modification OF the sliding
scale The aim Of the corn law had
been 20 keep no the price Of wheat st
about SGs Sd per quarter which Is
equivalent 10 S263l per bushel Peel
proposed 10 reduce the duty 10 about
one half the old rates that Is 10 say, IN
place Of a duty OF 27s 81. the quarter,
when the natural price was sos, he pro
posed TO make the duty l3s, and when
the price fell TO sos. he proposed 10
substitute pos In place Of The existing
duty Of 3Gs. Sd, and so on.
But these reductions were far from
satisfying the Anti Corn Law League;
the clamor for repeal grew louder and
sIongeTi and the Wings, now ont Of
power, joined In the demand for reneal.
Peel, who VAS believed 70 have shown
signs Of misgiYing on the subject, even
before the election, now gradually, but
rapidly developed into a friend Of re
peal, and Of free trade. With the am
bition Of mere politician he held also
the more elevated principles Of a states,
man On coming into power he gave
utlerance 70 the following noble senti, |
ment. He said: If YOU ask me
whether ] bind myself 10 the mainte.
nance Of the existing (cornl law
In It's details, OF If you say that /
this is the condition on which the agri. |
cultural interest give me their support, |
] say that on that condition ] viii not /
accept their support. If / ae /
eept Office, II shah be by walking 10 the
open light sud IN the direct paths Of the |
If ] exercise power il |
shall be upon my Heeption-perhaps |
Imperfect, perhaps mistaken, but my !
sincere cOncepdOn-of public duty. |
That power / will not hold unless / can |
hold il consistently with the mainte /
nance Of my own opinions"
Ia order 10 tighten the burden Of the /
taxes on commerce he made
AN INCOME TAX A PART OF MS PLAN.
This measure encountered the opposi,
tton OF The Wings, but he carried il By |
q decided majority
Tie next step In the direction Of free
. ID ~ -.#
articles imported from abroad. On |
his occasion he avoWed himself a free
trader, and that the principle should be
carried out pTudently, with as small /
an amOuut Of individual suffering as
was compatible with a regard for the
public good
II believe lie said. that on the
general principle Of free trade there is
now no great difference Of opinion. and
that an agTee IN the general rule that !
We should purchase In the cheapest
market and sell Ia the dearest
The example Of England would ensure
the general application Of just pEinGi.
pies With benefit % herself and % those
who were wise enough % follow
but Sin Robert still held auG against
repeal, while gradually adopting a
policy Of free trade. There can be but
little doubt that lie saw the impending {
necessity for repeal, but was held
back By his Tory colleagues. The
failure Of the potato crop in ireland IA
ISIS added lenf0ld force t0 tue feeling
in favor of repeal Famine stared
Ministers in the face. Peel, IN October.
a temporary suspension, 0r /
rather temporary reduction. of the
duties on grain b nominal rates His
in the Cabinet 0f Ministers 4
was the issue Cf an order iu council
reducing the duty on grain in bond h
one shilling per qulrter-equiyaleu b
three cents per busHel-t9 open the
LlILs b IL. L.MnurlIE .ImIssinn nf III /