Lords Sitting of 28 April 1825

Corn Laws.
Lord Kingsaid, he had a petition to present from a town in Devonshire, praying for a revision of the Corn Laws. It was respectably signed by three hundred persons; but perhaps the noble lord opposite would say, that it would disturb the peace of the country, as it was of a different nature from a petition which he had presented. In presenting this petition, he could not help saying, that he hoped the noble lord
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opposite would not continue for another year the present system of the Corn laws, which would be, to compel the whole population of the country to pay a very heavy tax. The burthen which the Corn laws imposed was of the odious nature of a poll-tax, and was every where severely felt. If the present state of the Corn laws added 15 s. per quarter to the price of wheat, the continuation of the system was making every man in the country pay this 15 s. unjustly. By this tax, every family in the kingdom was obliged unnecessarily to pay to the amount of 3l. 15 s. per annum.
Lord Rollesaid, he was in favour of a revision of the Corn laws, but he did not think this exactly the period for entering into the investigation of so important a subject.
The Earl of Lauderdalecould not allow one observation of the noble lord behind him to pass unnoticed. Nothing was more calculated to disturb the peace of the country than to state, that if the noble earl at the head of the Treasury continued the present system of the Corn laws, an unjust tax would be imposed on the people. He would ask the noble lord, where he had learned that the price of corn was so high as to constitute this tax? The noble lord was present at the commencement of the session, when his majesty's Speech described the prosperous state of the agriculture of the country; but the noble lord had then said nothing about the high price of corn, and had made no complaints of the poor suffering by the Corn laws. If the noble lord really wished to canvass for petitions, he had taken the right way to get them. He would now have them in abundance from the most ignorant parts of the country. He had thought it his duty to say thus much, because the observations of the noble lord were of a nature to excite no slight agitation throughout the country.
Lord Kingsaid, he had been asked, where he had learned that the price of corn was high? He had learned that fact from the petitions on the table; one of which was signed by 5,000 bankers and merchants of the city of London. He had learned it from the petitions from Manchester, Liverpool, and various parts of the country. He had learned it from the rise of prices since the commencement of the session; which prices had so increased, that there were apprehensions of the ports being thrown open. He was glad that the subject was to be taken up by

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the noble lord opposite; though he should be better pleased if there were no delay. When it should be taken up, however, he hoped their lordships would see no committee. If a committee were formed, every spectre would be brought forward and exhibited before it to frighten the country gentlemen. They would be told how cheap corn could be raised in Poland, where a plough was tied to a cow's tail or horns; and that there corn could be grown for nothing.
The Earl of Lauderdaledenied that any petitions relative to the price of corn had been presented, either in that or the other House of parliament, until after notice had been given of a motion on the subject. The noble lord, it seemed, had learned the high price of corn from the petitions of merchants; but those petitioners were not corn consumers. All that they cared about corn was, that they might have opportunities to speculate, and put large profits in their pocket.
The Earl of Limericksaid, he had a few days ago ventured to express an opinion, that if Canadian corn was admitted into this country, it would be impossible to prevent the corn of the United States from being introduced along with it. He little expected that he should have so soon been able to confirm his opinion; but he had that day seen a letter in an American paper, in which a merchant, writing to his correspondent, stated that the price of corn was very low; but, as England was to allow importation from Canada, it would soon rise, because the Americans would be able to pour in the corn of the United States.
The Earl of Rosslynsaid, it was incumbent on parliament to recollect, that numerous contracts had been entered into on the faith of the present system, which it was understood would be permanent. He could not but think that the expectation of an alteration would create considerable alarm. It would have a great effect in Scotland, where the ministers' stipends were partly paid according to the price of grain in the market.
Ordered to lie on the table.