§ Earl Greywished to ask, whether the House was now in possession of all the measures which the government meant to propose for the relief of the Agricultural distress?
The Earl of Liverpoolobserved, that a committee had been appointed by the other House to inquire into the distress, with a view to some general measure on the corn trade; but what the result would be, he could not pretend to say. He himself was not aware of any particular proposition being in contemplation, in addition to the measures which had already been brought forward.
§ Earl Greybelieved, that those who were suffering from the depressed state of agriculture by no means thought it likely that they would obtain any practical relief from the labours of the committee alluded to. For his own part, neither now, nor at the time of its appointment, did he expect any advantageous result from its inquiries. Finding, then, that his majesty's government had it not in contemplation to propose any farther measures of relief, aware that the distress had increased instead of diminished, convinced that the measures which had already been proposed were most trifling and nugatory, and believing that the reduction of taxation was the only means whereby relief could be procured—he would on as early a day as possible after the holidays, bring the distress distinctly under the consideration of the House; and also that measure, from which alone relief could be expected; namely, the reduction of taxation.