Lord Broughamwished to give notice of the course he intended to take with respect to the bill on which they would soon be called upon to go into committee. After the debate of last night, which went on the question of restriction or no restriction, and after that which his noble Friend (Lord Melbourne) was about to raise on the question as to the manner in which a certain restriction was to be carried into effect, he did not think, that he should discharge his duty if he did not give their Lordships an opportunity of recording their opinions as to the great and important question of any duty on the importation of human food. It was perfectly clear that neither on the debate of last night, nor on that which was now about to come on, could their Lordships come to a satisfactory decision so as to affect what he considered the great question. It was his intention to give their Lordships that opportunity, and would therefore, as soon as the motion 721 of his noble Friend should be disposed of, take the sense of their Lordships on each of the three resolutions which he would read. The question which they would decide this evening would be as to the preference to be given to a fixed duty or a sliding-scale; but the question which his resolutions would raise would be as to the principle of any duty in any way on the introduction of foreign corn. His resolutions would be—
1. That no duty ought to be imposed upon the importation of foreign corn for the purpose of protecting the agriculturist by taxing the introduction of food.2. That no duty ought to be imposed upon the importation of foreign corn for the purpose of regulating trade by taxing the introduction of food.3. That no duty ought to be imposed upon the importation of foreign corn for the purpose of raising the revenue by taxing the introduction of food.