HL Deb 30 April 1833 vol 17 cc752-6
Earl Fitzwilliam

rose to bring forward his Resolutions relating to the Corn Laws, of which he had given notice before the Easter Recess. When he again mentioned the subject last week, he informed their Lordships that it was his intention to move his Resolutions pro formâ, and request that they should be printed, and the discussion upon them taken on a future occasion. He recollected on that occasion that their Lordships had acquiesced in this arrangement. If he had understood rightly that such was the wish of the House, he should move that the Resolutions be read, laid upon the Table, and printed, and the discussion be postponed until Tuesday next. He said, when he mentioned this subject last week, that it was not his intention to make a speech upon the present occasion, and he meant to adhere to what he had stated; he should, therefore, confine himself to stating, not any argument in support of the Resolutions, but merely the object of the Resolutions which he should have the honour of submitting. The first Resolution which he should propose would have reference to the price of corn since 1828. The second Resolution which he should propose would refer to the price of corn in those countries of the world which exported corn. The third Resolution referred to those countries which, like this country, were also importers of corn. The fourth Resolution which he should submit would relate to the total quantity of corn which had been imported into this coun- try under the Act which now regulated the trade in corn, stating the rates of duty. The fifth Resolution would state similar facts in a somewhat different shape, having reference to the different rates of duty at which certain proportions of the totals had been produced. The sixth Resolution would state the annual average import, and the annual average revenue thereupon; and the subsequent Resolutions would then state the conclusions which he had come to, and which he hoped that their Lordships would also come to at no very distant day. He would, in the first place, beg leave to read the following Resolutions:—

1. Resolved.—That it appears to this House that the weekly average price of wheat, as fixed subsequent to the passing of the 9th George 4th, c. 60, was, on the following days, viz.—

per quarter. per quarter.
s. d. s. d.
1828.— July 11 55 7 1831.— Jan. 7 68 3
Oct. 3 65 0 April 1 72 4
1829.— Jan. 2 75 11 July 1 66 7
April 3 70 3 Oct. 7 61 0
July 3 68 2 1832.— Jan. 6 59 1
Oct. 2 60 0 April 6 59 6
1830.— Jan. 1 55 5 July 6 63 2
April 2 65 1 Oct. 5 54 7
July 2 68 6 1833.— Jan. 4 52 6
Oct. 1 62 3 April 5 53 10

And that, on the 19th of September, 1828, the average was fixed at 58s. 6d.; and again, on the 24th of October, 1828, at 76s.; that, on the 5th of June, 1829, it was fixed at 71s. 5d.; and again, on the 30th of October, 1829, at 55s. 4d.; that, on the 6th of August 1830, it was fixed at 74s. 11d.; and on the 17th of September 1830, at 60s. 2d; and, further, that the highest average under the provisions of the said Act was 76s. 7d., as fixed on the 14th of November 1828; and that the lowest average was 51s. 3d., as fixed on the 19th of October, 1832. 2. That it further appears to this House, from the returns of his Majesty's Consuls abroad, that the mean prices of wheat, at the following times and places:

Dantzic. Hamburgh. Leghorn. Philadelphia.
s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d.
July, 1828 24 3 23 0 39 7 29 9
Oct., 1828 56 6 41 8 44 9 37 2
Jan., 1829 59 2 49 7 61 0 53 0
Apr., 1829 43 2 46 11 52 4 51 0
July, 1829 36 9 36 11 47 10 42 6
Oct., 1829 38 1 34 6 38 7 35 0
Jan. 1830 29 9 31 3 35 11 36 0
Apr., 1830 33 9 31 0 39 7
July, 1830 43 3 35 2 36 4 34 9
Oct., 1830 39 10 38 7 41 5 33 10
Jan. 1831 47 5 46 9 47 4 38 11
Apr., 1831 48 7 49 0 43 1 47 3
July, 1831 45 7 37 6 48 2 34 0
Oct., 1831 41 1 45 0 45 3 35 8
Jan. 1832 42 4 37 10 41 9 35 3
Apr. 1832 38 3 37 10 43 8 33 4
July, 1832 42 6 39 3 41 2 40 10
Oct., 1831 30 7 28 4 39 5 36 7
Dec., 1832 29 0 29 3 41 0 38 9

3. That it further appears to this House, from the returns of his Majesty' Consuls abroad, that the mean prices of wheat at the following times and places were—

— Amsterdam Rotterdam. Antwerp. Havre. Marseilles.
s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d.
July, 1828 30 9 33 4 34 6 50 3 52 0
October, 1828 41 1 54 0 47 10 56 10 60 2
January, 1829 55 0 58 10 58 0 63 9
April, 1829 45 8 50 5 55 8 61 10 59 6
July, 1829 45 11 48 11 52 1 60 6 56 11
Sept. or Oct., 1829 43 2 41 9 51 1 51 3 58 6
January, 1830 41 1 44 0 57 10
April, 1830 36 0 36 8 40 0 45 8 61 5
July, 1830 41 10 43 2 43 10 47 1 58 7
October, 1830 46 9 48 0 51 5 53 0 59 10
January, 1831 41 1 54 5 47 5 52 11
April, 1831 47 3 57 9 52 9 49 0 53 3
July, 1831 41 10 51 4 55 2 50 3 51 7
October, 1831 43 2 50 6 57 0 54 6 58 7
January, 1832 43 5 48 0 49 0 60 6
April, 1832 38 3 41 4 47 11 52 1 64 3
July, 1832 44 8 41 6 50 6 52 1
October, 1882 39 9 37 3 43 4 51 6 56 10
December, 1832 38 11 40 4 46 6 48 6 57 6

4. That it further appears to this House, that the total quantity of foreign wheat entered for home consumption under the provisions of the 9th George 4th, cap. 60, to the 5th of April, 1833, has been 4,795,746 quarters and one bushel; and that the total amount of duty paid thereon has been 1,604,190l. 10s. 10d., and that the average rate of such duty is 6s. 8¾d. per quarter or thereabouts. That, of the aforesaid total quantities, were imported—

Qrs. Bush. Per Qr.
£. s. d.
In 1829 1,260,633 1, at an average rate of duty of 9 4
1830 1,494,381 7, — — — 6 7
1831 1,088,797 3, — — — 4 9
1832 162,607 7, — — — 1 3 9

5. That of the total quantity of 4,795,744 quarters, 1 bushel, so entered for home consumption, under the provision of the 9th George 4th, cap. 60, there were admitted—

Qrs. Bush. s. d.
1,571,311 5 at a duty of 1 0 per quarter
1,248,687 2 at a duty of 2 8 per quarter
564,437 0 at a duty of 6 8 per quarter
508,217 7 at a duty of 10 8 per quarter
viz. 3,892,653 6 at a duty of 10 8 per quarter, or under.
903,092 3 at a duty of 13 8 per quarter, or upwd.

6. That it therefore appears the supply of foreign wheat afforded to the people of Great Britain, under the provisions of 9th George 4th, cap. 60, has been at the rate of 1,008,860 quarters per annum, or thereabouts; and that the revenue derived therefrom has been at the rate of 337,479l. per annum, or thereabouts.

7. That nothing is more injurious to those classes of the community, which are engaged in the cultivation of the soil, than great and rapid fluctuations in the value of their commodities.

8. That such fluctuations cannot altogether be prevented in the price of an article whose production is necessarily affected by the variations of the seasons; but that it does not appear to that House, that the existing regulations for the trade in foreign corn have succeeded in diminishing those fluctuations; but on the contrary, they have a tendency to aggravate them, by placing occasional and unnecessary obstacles in the way of a free trade in corn with foreign countries.

9. That any disparity between the price of provisions in one country and another has a tendency to give comparative encouragement to the industry of that country in which the subsistence of man is obtained at the lower rate, and to impose difficulties upon that of the country in which it is obtained at the higher rate.

10. That the price of wheat in Great Britain stands generally at a higher level than in the other countries of Europe, whose inhabitants are engaged in similar pursuits with those of the British empire.

11. That such higher price is in a great measure to be ascribed to the laws which regulate the trade in foreign corn.

12. That the varying scale of duties imposed by the said laws operates frequently as a prohibition upon the import of foreign grain, and consequently upon the export of British commodities.

13. That, therefore, the manifest effects of the Corn Laws are to leave the agricultural interest exposed to all the difficulties which arise from frequent and sudden fluctuations in price—to discourage the export, and consequently production of British commodities—to increase the cost of cultivating the soil and of producing the manufactures of the United Kingdom—to render the industry of the nation less capable of competing with that of other nations—and to make the people less competent to support the several burthens which the various exigences of the State have imposed upon them.

14. That, therefore, it is expedient to devise the said laws and to place them upon a footing more consistent with justice, and more conducive to the welfare of the most important interests of the country.

Having thus put their Lordships in possession of his intentions, he would follow that course which would be most convenient to their Lordships.

The Earl of Shaftesbury

suggested, that the noble Earl should move that the Resolutions be printed and taken into consideration on a future day.

Earl Grey

also apprehended, that the course which his noble friend should take would be to submit the Resolutions now to the House, and move that the Debate upon them be hereafter taken. Having said this, he must, however, express his deep regret, that his noble friend should have thought it necessary at this time to bring under consideration a subject of this nature, for one of the greatest evils to which the corn trade was exposed was that of being liable to perpetual change. That trade could not be left too much undisturbed by the Legislature. More than this he would not state on the present occasion. He apprehended the course for his noble friend to take was this, that he would move the Resolutions pro formâ; that the Debate be then adjourned, the Resolutions printed, and the Debate be resumed at a future period. Tuesday next had been named by his noble friend, but upon the mere reading of the Resolutions it was obvious, from the variety of statements in them, the returns, and calculations given, that they involved results of the utmost importance, not only as to the agricultural interests, but the general interests of the community; and therefore it would be necessary to examine into the data and principles upon which these Resolutions were founded. He would submit to his noble friend whether it would not be more convenient and more advantageous to postpone the consideration of this important question to a later period than Tuesday next, especially as it was understood it would not be convenient for several noble Lords to be present on that day. He would suggest, that this day fortnight should be taken, if his noble friend did not object to that, or to whatever time was most convenient for their Lordships.

Earl Fitzwilliam

was exceedingly desirous of affording every accommodation to the House which lay in his power, and he would, therefore, name that day fortnight for resuming the Debate.

The Motion agreed to; Resolutions were ordered to be printed, and taken into further consideration that day fortnight.