IMPORTATIONS OF FOREIGN FLOUR. (Hansard, 18 July 1851)

The EARL of STRADBROKE
presented petitions from millers in the south of Ireland, and also from millers in the Isle of Ely, Hereford, Nottingham, and Northamptonshire, praying for the imposition of a duty upon the importation of foreign flour. The noble Earl observed that the millers in the south and west of Ireland, were greatly reduced in circumstances, in consequence of the enormous importations of foreign flour which were taking place in Ireland. He understood that there were 321 mills of the first class in Ireland, and that the capital invested in them amounted to 3,000,000l. The result of the legislation of Parliament in the last few years had been to impoverish the milling trade, and to deprive a large number of persons of their employment. The petitioners in England and Ireland denied that there was any want of skill on their part in the manufacture of flour, but that it was impossible for them to compete successfully with the foreign millers under, the present system. He was assured that the quantity of wheat now grown in Ireland was much less than, usual, while the imports of foreign flour had increased enormously.

§ EARL GRANVILLE
said, it would be impossible to give protection to the miller, without also recognising the claim of the farmer to protection. He was far from denying that there was at present great distress among the millers in the south of Ireland; and it must be remembered that they could not have the same advantages as the millers of London and Dublin and other large ports, where there was access to enormous importations of foreign grain. He protested against any attempt by legislation to improve the condition of the millers as a class. Unless the noble Lord could prove that the manufacturer of flour was in a different position from the manufacturer of any other finished article, he made out no case whatever. He did not think, 973 however, that the trade of the millers generally was so bad, seeing that though there was a large importation of foreign flour, there was a back set in the increased importation of foreign grain, which must go to the miller.

§ LORD REDESDALE
said, there were some points connected with this question of the millers, that ought to he fully considered. One point was, whether it was not desirable to encourage the importation of grain, rather than of flour. One advantage of importing grain would be, that the bran could be used for feeding cattle. At present there was a premium on the importation of flour. He thought this was a question altogether separate from the question of free trade.

§ EARL GRANVILLE
remarked that there was now double the quantity of grain and the same quantity of flour imported that were imported in 1847 and 1848.

§ EARL GREY
said, the importation of grain or flour was a question entirely for the parties. It was not the business of the Legislature or the Government, to influence the parties one way or the other. All they had to do was, to take care that the very small duty they laid on was in a fair proportion, so that they levied the same duty on flour as on wheat, and then the parties must choose for themselves which they imported.

The EARL of GLENGALL
presented petitions from West Norfolk, Waterford, Armagh, Athlone, and other places, with the same prayer. He assured their Lordships that the greatest alarm continued to be felt in Ireland, in consequence of the still increasing importations of foreign flour. The importations within the last five months exceeded those of the similar period of 1850 by 1,300,000 cwts. Upwards of 25,000 families were dependent for a subsistence on the milling trade in Ireland, and if the land were thrown out of wheat cultivation, they would, of course, lose the sources of their employment. He understood that a less quantity of wheat was sown during the present year than for many years past, and that in one county alone, the falling-off was equal to 11,000 acres. Ireland was at one time noted as a corn-growing country; but the course of recent legislation had been so hostile to the production of native corn, that whole districts which were once devoted to the culture of wheat were now covered with grass, and the agricultural population were flying by hundreds and thousands from a 974 country where they could no longer practise those arts of industry to which they had been from birth habituated, This was one of the principal reasons why the land in that unhappy country was every day falling out of cultivation, and why the population was dwindling away. The fact was, that by the free-trade system, a blow had been struck at the prosperity of Ireland, from which it was not likely that that country would ever recover. Nor would England escape unscathed from this fatal error, for the enormous emigration of Irish labourers into this country was daily depressing the labour market, and would not fail ultimately to operate most injuriously on the fortunes of the English labourer.

§ LORD BERNERS
expressed his entire concurrence in the sentiments which had fallen from the noble Earl. It was his firm belief that if the free-trade system were not altered, neither the Irish miller nor the English farmer would be able to compete with the foreigner.