Lords Sitting of 4 December 1826

CORN LAWS.
Lord Kingsaid, he had a petition to present to their lordships against a grievous and scandalous monopoly; namely, the Corn-laws. It had pleased some of the landed monopolists to deceive themselves (he did not think that they would deceive any body else), and to state, that their own wish was to have cheap corn. He had very little hopes that they would effect their object, nor did he think that they would carry their other point; namely, to make a permanent settlement, until they did that which was just and right. They might make a new law, and he had very little doubt that they would make a new law; but, until they repealed the existing monopoly, they never could effect a permanent settlement. The petition which he held in his hand came from Association No. 1, he did not know how many more there were, of a society of the manufacturers and inhabitants of Char-field, in the county of Gloucester, called the Anti-bread-tax Society. The petitioners stated, that they could see no reason why the landed interest should have the special privilege of exempting themselves from taxes; but the petitioners added, that if the landowners should exempt themselves from paying all taxes, it

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would be far less injurious to the community than prohibiting the free importation of foreign grain. They likewise stated that the English manufacturer paid 3d. per day more than the continental manufacturer, which amounted with petitioners only, to a tax of 38 l. weekly, or 2,000 l. yearly on wages. This would show their lordships how highly oppressive the Corn-laws were to the labourer, and that, as far as regarded the manufacturer, those laws were bad in policy, and highly injurious to the trade of the country.