Mr. C. Grant,in bringing in a bill founded upon the late resolutions with respect to the Corn-laws, said he wished shortly to state what it was intended that this bill should do. It was a measure which had grown out of the resolutions lately adopted by the House. It was intended to divide the new regulations upon the Corn question into two bills: the one having for its object the regulation of the importation duties; and the other to direct the mode of taking the averages, and the other machinery of the measure. He now proposed to introduce. the first bill; and he hoped in, a few days to be able to introduce the other, which was meant to compass the objects which he had already described. This bill enacted, that the averages by the imperial measure were to be struck weekly, and that at the end of every month they should be published in the Gazette, and also an account of the quantity of corn entered and warehoused in each month. It was intended, that this act should take effect from the period of its passing into a law; but not to affect any importations allowable under the present act, if any such should be allowable, upon taking the averages on the. 15th of May. But those species of corn not admissible by the existing law were to-be subject to the provisions of the new bill.
The bill was read a first time.