a Fitzgerald gave notice of a motion and exasperating all unkindly feelwhich would go to recommend the ings; but events soon took place adoption of measures to carry into which led to their withdrawal, by effect “ the policy of the Union.” convincing the Catholic parliaMr. Spring Rice, likewise, gave mentary leaders that temporary renotice of a motion, for an inquiry pose had become the only course into the character of the govern- likely to conduct them to their nent of Ireland. These motions object, and was indispensable to would necessarily have re-produced the success of their own personal the whole discussion, cherishing ambition, CHAP. II. The Corn Laws-Resolutions introduced by Mr. Canning--Motion for the House going into a Committee opposed by the Agriculturists Views of the Chancellor of the Exchequer and Mr. Peel-Mr. Bankes's Amendment to raise the medium Price lost-Mr. Whitmore's Amend. ment to lower the medium Price lost— Ministers agree to raise the medium Price of Barley and Oats—Attempts to raise the medium Price of Rye, Pease, and Beans-Attempts to increase the Duty on Oatmeal and Flour-Scheme of Mr. Hume in opposition to the Resolutions—Bill founded on the Resolutions brought in-Amendments proposed—Debate and Division on the second Reading-Bill passes the House of Commons. QUAL, if not superior, to able him to perform that duty-a great constitutional question, was imposed upon him (although there the anxiety with which parliament were many others better qualified and the public awaited that per- to develop such a subject in all manent system of regulations for its variety of details), but because the Corn Trade, which ministers it was thought proper, when the had pledged themselves to pro- propositions of government were pose during the present session. brought forward in parliament, It had been originally intended to that they should be introduced in introduce the subject simulta- such a manner as to indicate most neously into both Houses ; and, clearly that they were recomaccordingly, at the opening of the mendations from authority, and session, lord Liverpool gave notice, not the act or speculation of any that he would bring forward the individual, however high in rank intended measure in the Peers on and character. the 19th of February; but, in In introducing the subject on consequence of the state of Mr. the 1st of March, Mr. Canning Canning's health, who was to take expressed his surprise, that so much charge of it in the House of of hostile feeling should have been Commons, it was delayed for a allowed to enter into the conweek; and, in the meantime, lord sideration of a question where none Liverpool himself was attacked by ought to have been found, and that illness which removed him that this asperity should arise from political life. The conse where there was no necessity to quence of this was, that the pro- fly to extremes, and where the positions were brought forward difficulties were, in point of fact, only in the lower House, and it less than they were stated in arguwas not till the 1st of March ment. Every body admitted the that the health of Mr. Canning necessity of protecting the agriculwas so far re-established as to en- tural interests, and the only question was, the mode and degree in admitted the necessity of interwhich that protection should be ference, and yet called upon the administered. That protection House not to make any provision was due to domestic agriculture, for cases in which it would be recould scarcely be denied ; to quired. They allowed that prowhat amount, and in what man- tection to the consumer might her, were the points in question. be necessary, but would adopt no Stern, inflexible, prohibition, as a measure that might afford that proneasure of protection, could hardly tection. be defended; for even those of Leaving these extremes, the the agriculturists who were most more difficult question was, what attached to it, uniformly made it a was the degree of protection which recommendation of their plan, that should be extended to domestic parliament, if it were sitting, and agriculture—did the laws, as they the executive government, if it at present existed, afford sufficient were not, might always step in to protection, or did they afford it to furnish aid in case of necessity : to an unnecessary extent? With the provide for such interference to exception of an act, passed in the remedy the consequences, or what reign of Edward III. and of which might be the consequences, of it was enough to say, that it not prohibition was to acknowledge, only prohibited the importation of that no system of absolute pro- foreign grain, but prohibited the hibition could be inflexibly main- corn grown in the neighbourhood tained. Of late years, three dif- of any one town in England from ferent modes of protection, without being carried into another town, prohibition, had been proposed. it was the law of 1815 that introThe first was that of Mr. Ricardo: duced absolute prohibition, for the it imposed on wheat a duty of 20s. first time, into the legislation of per quarter, to be dininished by this country regarding corn. On one shilling every year, till it should the other hand, when the price have reached a minimum of about arrived at 80s. importation was to 10s. The second proposed to begin be unlimited; so that the law atwith a duty of 16s., to be gradu- tempted to unite two opposite ally lowered to 10s. By the third extremes. In the year 1816, the plan, which had been broached in harvest was one of the most una well-known periodical publica- favourable that had ever been tion, a duty of 58. or 6s. was to known in this country. So early be imposed, once for all, without as the month of August in that any reference to the price. All year, corn had risen above the these three plans had been devised importation price, but, from the by persons who were generally delay of making up the average favourable to a free trade in corn; returns, the ports were not opened but to all of them there lay the until the month of November. objection, that, when a pressure Thus the ports remained shut durcame, it would bring with it dis- ing three starving months. The tress to the agriculturists. Those harvest of 1817 was nearly as bad again, on the other side, who ad- as that of the preceding year ; vocated total prohibition, modified there was a whole winter of sufby the occasional interference of fering, and the ports were opened parliament, or of the government, again in February. The harvest Vol. LXIX. of the year 1818 was extremely abundant, not only in England, but throughout the world; and it was then as much a matter of interest to keep the ports closed as it had before been to open them; but a fraction of two-pence turned the scale, and the ports were opened, not only when it was not necessary, but when it was highly prejudicial that they should be opened. These facts showed the effect of setting the two extremes in conflict with each other. It had become evident, that the great fluctuation of prices had been productive of evil; and, in 1822, the House listened to the petitions of the agriculturists, and the law was repealed. A new act was passed, which gave up unlimited prohibition, and recognized a certain duty. But a clause was added, to the effect, that the act itself should not come into force until the price of corn was as high as 80s. was, in point of fact, the whole of the law; its other provisions were a mere dead letter. The price had never been so high as 80s. ; it was still under 80s., and, therefore, we had never had experience of the other parts of the act. This He next came to consider the mode in which the object which they had in view was to be effected, and he was decidedly of opinion that a fixed and certain duty could never effect that object. Let them take, for instance, either the plan of Mr. Ricardo, or either of the other two; let the duty be fixed and invariable, and see what would be the effect of its application. In one year corn was at the price of 112s.; add a fixed and invariable duty of 12s. to this, and the price would be rendered enormous. In another year, corn was so low as 388.; and if merely a duty of 12s. were then added, it would be as much too small as the other was too high. With respect to the price, he did not wish, in any de gree, to find fault with that which had been assumed in 1815; and he was equally ready to admit the same with regard to that of 1822. The price of wheat for the twelve years which preceded 1815 was 85s. 4d., and the price of the last six of those years was 96s. 6d. In 1815 it was 80s. If, therefore, much was to be allowed for the inflammation and excitement of war, he thought that the prices had been fairly fixed. The prices of corn, from the year 1815 to the year 1820, were 75s. 11d. In the year 1822 the new price was taken; and, upon the whole, he could not entirely blame those who had taken 70s. as the price, because the average of the prices from the year 1815 up to the last year was 65s. 10d.: in the last year it was 55s. 6d. No man could doubt or deny that the me dium price might fairly be taken at between twelve and six years. The exact average for the last four years came up to this price, and the average for the present year, as far as the present year had gone, amounted to 53s. per quarter. In considering, there fore, the price of production at which the legislature could interfere, according to the principles which had governed former parlia ments, 60s. per quarter had been taken as the point at which the grower was entitled to the protection of a high duty, to guard him against the injury which he might sustain from the importation of foreign corn. The next question was, as to the mode in which this dutý ought to be regulated. The experience of past years proved, that, to impose a fixed duty, with out any reference to the variation of prices, was extremely ob jectionable and inefficient, because it was, inevitably, sometimes too high, and at other times too low, with reference to the actual state of the country. It was, therefore, more advisable to adopt a scale of duties which should vary in a relative proportion to the price of corn. The duty of 20s., when the price reached 60s., had been fixed on as one which it would be reasonable to propose. That duty was to diminish 2s. per quarter for every one shilling of increase in price, and to increase 2s. for every proportionate diminution of price, taking 60s. as the average price of the quarter of corn. The The effect of this scale would be, that when the average price was 60s. the duty would be 20s.; from 61s. to 62s., it would be 18s.; from 62s. to 63s. it would be 16s.; from 63s. to 64s. it would be 14s. ; from 64s. to 65s. it would be 12s.; from 65s. to 66s. it would be 10s.; so that, at 70s., all duty would cease, and the importation be perfectly free and without duty, excepting the ordinary registration at the Custom-house. On the other hand, when the average price should amount only to 59s., the duty would be 22s., and for every diminution of 1s. in price, 28. of duty would be added; so that, when the average price reached 55s., the duty would be 30s. It had been the earnest desire of his majesty's government to hold the scales equally between the conflicting interests of the country. There was a disposition, he was ready to admit, in point of principle, in favour of an open trade; but ministers saw also, that it was necessary to establish such a regulation of the price as might protect the interests of the agriculturists. If he were asked why, since he proposed a prohibitory duty, he did not, at that point, propose an absolute prohibition, he would answer, that he did not think the results of the innovation (for so he must call it) made in 1815, upon the former policy of the country, were such as to make it advisable, either for the agriculturists themselves, or for the public generally, to recognize the principle of a prohibition, on a subject which involved the main interests of the nation. It appeared to him, that, if the trade in corn was to be continued at all, it ought to be continued, as far as was practicable, under the same principles as were applied to other species of trade; that it should be kept in a sober, regular course, and not subjected to the perpetual jerks and impulses which had been experienced of late, on the occasion of any extraordinary emergency. He was persuaded, that the only means of securing so desirable a state of things was by making the importation of corn free. He was aware that, considering the varying course of the markets, it could not be wholly and literally free; but it might be made sufficiently free by taking security against an inundation from abroad, and a failure at home, by means of a correct and equal register. Thus the real wants of the country would be supplied, the danger of an overflow would be avoided, as well as the danger arising from the principle of prohibition, which would cause a constant alternation between a drought and a deluge. The market would |