§ The bill being committed,
§ Mr. Ellice moved a clause to exempt Canada wheat from the operation of the bilk It would be recollected, that the corn to which this clause referred was imported about the year 1821, and would have found its way immediately into the market, but from the passing of the last corn bill, which altered the averages so as to exclude this particular class of grain, and which bill passed just at the time that the corn arrived here from Canada. In fairness it was entitled to enter the market, because it had been shipped at Canada upon the faith of the old scale of averages. The whole quantity was not considerable, being only 50,000 quarters, one part of which was warehoused at Liverpool, and another at Glasgow; so that the London market was in no danger. In a case of such peculiar hardship, he hoped that some indulgence would be shown.
Mr. L. Forsterobjected to it, as a direct infraction of the spirit and letter of the corn laws, which were designed to protect the British grower against the competition of any grain coming from abroad, which had not been charged with a weight of taxation equal to that which fell upon wheat of British growth.
§ Mr. Huskisson,thought under all the circumstances of the case, it would be wiser to adopt the proposed clause, and thus admit the Canadian wheat now in this country, by degrees, than to allow it to come all at once into the market, as it in all probability, must do by the 15th of August next.
§ The committee divided: for the clause 45. Against it 19.