§ The Committee will remember that the repeal of the corn duty only took effect on the 1st of July last. For the three months of the last financial year for which it remained in force my right hon. friend estimated that, after making all allowances for repayments on sticks in hand and for drawbacks, he would obtain a revenue of £400,000 net. Unfortunately, the repayments and the drawbacks proved very much heavier than was anticipated, and instead of getting a net yield from the tax of £400,000 we obtained only £100,000, or one-fourth of the estimated amount. So that the repeal of this tax has proved a more costly operation for the revenue than was anticipated; whilst, if we may judge by the course of prices since, I am afraid it has hardly produced that advantage to the consumer which was anticipated in some quarters.