BONDED CORN. (Hansard, 28 June 1837)

§ Sir E. Knatchbull
felt bound to give his most decided opposition to this Bill, especially at this period of the Session. It had been understood that no measure calculated to lead to a diversity of opinion would be proceeded with in the present Session, and he was surprised that a measure which he could not but regard as a step towards the repeal of the Corn laws should be thus persisted in.

§ Sir J. Wrottesley
thought the House would do well to go into Committee. It was a measure upon which he was sure his agricultural friends had been much deceived; all frauds might be prevented, and a great boon conferred on the industrious classes and the shipping interests.

§ Mr. Benett
was surprised the Government had thought fit to carry on this measure at the present moment, when they had stopped several other most important Bills. He thought it would have been advisable to have stopped this, for it was a question of very serious importance to the agricultural interests and one which made a deep impression on the minds of farmers, which hon. Gentlemen would very soon find out to be the case when they went down to their constituents. He had no attachment for the Corn laws, but considered they were necessary, in consequence of the situation in which the country had been placed by the existence of a national debt. He opposed the Bill, not because he was an enemy to free trade, but because he thought other things would have to be done before a system of free trade could be approached in the manner proposed by this Bill.

§ Mr. Robinson
regretted the opposition that was given to this Bill. The noble Marquess had called it a Bill to facilitate the smuggling of foreign corn, but that was not the fact. His only object was to allow foreign corn to be ground under certain circumstances, and he thought it would be just as reasonable to impose restrictions on any other branch of trade as to continue the prohibition which was intended to be got rid of by this Bill. This was the only measure for the benefit of free trade which had been brought in during the present Session, and he must complain of the unfairness of the attempt now made on the part of Gentlemen connected with agriculture to strangle it under the unfounded pretence that it would lead to smuggling. He never had been an 1678 opponent of the Corn Taws but certainly such conduct as this was calculated to promote the repeal of them.

§ Mr. Poulett Thomson
felt called on to say a few words on the subject before the House, in consequence of what had fallen from the right hon. Baronet the Member for Kent. This was not a Government measure, and ought not to be regarded in any such light. It was a Bill brought in by the hon. Member for Worcester, over which the Government had no more control than any Member of that House. He had expressed his intention to support it, and the hon. Gentleman opposite had taken advantage of that circumstance. The right hon. Baronet the Member for Kent said, that they were bound to oppose the measure because the effect of it would be to get rid of the Corn laws by a side wind. Now, he would be no party to any measure having such an object in view. His opinion on the subject was well known. He would never consent to do away with the Corn-laws except by a direct vote, and therefore it was most unlikely that he would support any measure which would by indirect means accomplish such an object. It was on this principle that he had opposed the Bill on the same subject formerly introduced by the hon. Member for Worcester. He thought that measure would affect the interest of the corn growers of the country, and therefore he declined to give it his support. He, however, approved of the principle of the present Bill, and should support the motion for going into Committee on it, but with a view to propose certain alterations in its provisions for giving all the security which might be deemed necessary.

List of the AYES.
Aglionby, H. A.	Crawley, S.
Ainsworth, P.	Dennistoun, J.
Bannerman, Alex.	Divett, E.
Baring, F. T.	Dobbin, L.
Barnard, E. G.	Donkin, Sir R.
Bernal, R.	Dundas, J. C.
Bewes, T.	Ellice, right hon. E.
Blake, M. J.	Ellice, E.
Blunt, Sir C.	Elphinstone, H.
Brady, D. C.	Fenton, J.
Bridgman, H.	Fergus, J.
Brotherton J.	Ferguson, R.
Byng, G. S.	Gaskell, D.
Chapman, L.	Grey, Sir G.
Codrington, Admiral	Harvey, D. W.
Collier, John	Howard, Philip H.
Crawford, W. S.	Hume, J.

Hutt, William	Stanley, E. J.
Lushington, Dr.	Stuart, R.
Maclean, Dr.	Strickland, Sir G.
Murray, J. A.	Strutt, E.
Musgrave, Sir R.	Thomson, C. P.
O'Connell, D.	Wakley, T.
O'Connell, J.	Wallace, R.
O'Connell, M. J.	Ward, H. G.
Parker, J.	Williams, W.
Parnell, Sir H.	Wrottesley, Sir J.
Pinney, William	TELLERS.
Schofield, J.	Robinson, G.
Seale, Colonel	Young, G. F.

List of the NOES.
Alford, Viscount	Hodges, T. L.
Alsager, Capt.	Hogg, J. W.
Alston, Rowland	Jones, T.
Angerstein, John	Knatchbull, Sir E.
Bagot, hon. W.	Knight, H. G.
Baillie, H. D.	Lennard, T. B.
Barclay, C.	Lennox, Lord G.
Bell, M.	Lennox, Lord A.
Benett, J.	Lowther, J. H.
Blackburn, I.	Lygon, Gen.
Branston, T. W.	Mackenzie, T.
Buller, Sir J. Y.	Manners, Lord C. S.
Burrell, Sir C.	Morgan, C. M.
Burton, H.	Palmer, R.
Chaplin, Col.	Palmer, G.
Clive, hon. R. H.	Perceval, Cul.
Colborne, N. W. R.	Pigot, R.
Compton, H. C.	Pollen, Sir J. W.
Corry, right hon. H.	Poulter, J. S.
Crewe, Sir G.	Powell, Col.
Curteis, H. B.	Power, J.
Darlington, Earl of	Pusey, P.
Dillwyn, L. W.	Richards, R.
Dugdale, W. S.	Rushbrooke, Col.
Eastnor, Viscount	Sanderson, R.
Eaton, R. J.	Sanford, E. A.
Elley, Sir J.	Shaw, right hon. F.
Elwes, J. P.	Shirley, E. J.
Estcourt, T.	Sinclair, Sir G.
Estcourt, T.	Smith, A.
Ferguson, G.	Smyth, Sir H.
Follet, Sir W.	Stanley, Lord
Fox, C.	Townley, R. G.
Gaskell, James Milnes	Trevor, G. R.
Gore, O.	Vere, Sir C. B.
Goring, H. D.	Verner, Col.
Graham, Sir J.	Wilbraham, B.
Greisley, Sir R.	Winnington, H. J.
Halse, J.	Yorke, hon. E. T.
Hamilton, Lord C.
Harcourt, G. S.	TELLERS.
Henniker, Lord	Chandos, Marquess
Hinde, J. H.	Tyrell, Sir J. T.