Lords Sitting of 8 May 1827

CORN LAWS.
The Earl of Malmesburyseeing his noble friend, the Secretary of State for Foreign affairs, in his place, would take that opportunity of submitting to their lordships' consideration, a motion to which he did not anticipate the least objection. His object was, to obtain information upon a very important subject, and he was anxious to move for the production of certain papers. He had discovered that a certain correspondence, to which it would be in the recollection of
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their lordships, a noble earl (Liverpool) had referred last year, when speaking upon the subject of the Corn-trade, was not in the possession of their lordships. This, he conceived, would in itself be sufficient to justify him in asking for these papers, but, in addition, he would read an extract from Mr. Jacobs's report. The noble lord then read the extract, which was as follows:—"The representation of the distressed state of the agricultural inhabitants of the eastern part of the Prussian dominions, which has been here given, receives confirmation from the proceedings of the Landshaft, or assembly of the provision states of Prussia, in their last session. The address of the Assembly has not been made public, but is said to have been framed in very melancholy strains, and to have urged the king to take some measures of a decided nature, respecting the introduction of British goods; in order to induce our government to make some alteration in the Corn-laws. Whatever may have been the representation of the states, the reply of the king, which has been published, gives an air of probability to the rumours, that it had an object, in some degree of this kind. With regard to the prayer for an intercession with the English government, to repeal the Corn-bill, his majesty expressed a hope that, to improve the intercourse between the two nations, a change will take place in the English Corn-laws." The noble lord then proceeded to state, that a correspondence had subsequently taken place, upon the subject of the Corn-laws, between the Secretary for Foreign Affairs and the court of Berlin, which, as an Englishman, he could not help saying, he looked upon as highly improper. He had not, however, the least intention of insinuating that proper answers had not been given by the right hon. gentleman then at the head of the Foreign Department. As he was upon his legs, there was one important circumstance to which he would refer. It had been stated, that British and Irish manufactures were exported in large quantities, to the various ports of Prussia. He had made it his business to look over the accounts upon the subject, that had been laid upon their lordships' table, and he would read to them one or two items. In 1815, the value of British and Irish goods exported to Prussia, amounted to 830,399 l. In 1826, it amounted only to 157,127 l. so that there was a reduction of four fifths. It was evi-

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dent, therefore, that some regulation had taken place which produced that reduction, or else, that some cause had operated, of which they were at that time ignorant. It might be said, perhaps, that this reduction had been occasioned by the Corn-laws, and in consequence of our not admitting foreign corn. But the returns included the average value of British and Irish manufactures exported, and the average quantities of foreign corn imported, since the year 1815. For the last three years, the average value of British and Irish manufactures exported was 126,000 l. while the average quantity of foreign grain imported amounted to 257,000 quarters. For the three years immediately preceding the three last, the average value of British and Irish manufactures exported, was 217,000 l. while the average quantity of foreign corn imported, amounted only to 26,000 quarters. From this it appeared clearly, that in those three years in which the quantity of foreign corn imported was the least, the average value of British manufactures exported was the greatest, and that, therefore, the reduction in the latter was not occasioned by the operation of the Corn-laws. He considered the subject as one of great importance, and the more so, because it had been stated, that British manufactures were still exported to the eastern parts of Prussia, to a very large amount. He contended that this was not the case; although he acknowledged that there were, and ever must be, he should think, large exportations to the Elbe and Weser, and the western part of the king of Prussia's dominions. He then moved, for a copy of the correspondence between his majesty's government and the court of Berlin, during the years 1825 and 1826, upon the subject of the Corn-bill.—Ordered.