dence of Dr. Bowring before the Import-duties Committee should tell.

"He said that, he had made an estimate of the consumption of different articles, (and, I believe, he had in his possession the means of calculating,) and that he found that in Prussia, with a population of 14,000,000, the consumption of butchers'-meat was 485,000,000 pounds, or very nearly thirty-five pounds annually for each person. But the honourable Gentleman says that, in this country 25,000,000 of persons each consume fifty pounds of meat annually: he says that, it cannot be less than fifty pounds, and it has been frequently estimated at double that amount. Now, I will take it at the lowest calculation; and from that it appears, that the inhabitants of Prussia consume but thirtyfive pounds yearly, whereas in this country fifty pounds are, at the lowest estimate, consumed annu ally. Observe, that I am not at all denying that distress prevails in many parts of the country: I feel perfectly convinced that, in parts of the country, distress prevails to a great extent. Indeed, I could not have been present at the debate last night, and heard the details with respect to the state of Paisley, without being satisfied of the existence of distress. I certainly do not mean to draw the inference that, while there are 17,000 persons out of employ at Paisley, the consumption of meat is upon this scale. Not at all; but it is impossible to argue the subject fairly with reference to particular cases. You must not be driven away from the inference by being taunted with the question as to whether at Paisley, Stockport, or Oldham, there is such an

amount of consumption. I admit that there is no such consumption; but in drawing general conclusions with respect to legislation, you have no other alternative than to deal with general averages and comprehensive results; and by that means to ascertain, upon the whole, what the consumption of a country is. I will now proceed to the consumption of sugar; and before you determine that high prices are necessarily an evil, 1 would recommend you to compare the consumption of sugar in this country with that of other countries of Europe. I again refer to the authority of Dr. Bowring. The honourable Gentleman said, that in France the consumption of sugar, according to the last returns, was about five pounds a head: he said, indeed, that the amount of consumption of sugar was four and three-tenths a head, but I think it better to take five pounds, because there may be a certain amount of beet-root sugar, which he may not have taken into his calculation. Therefore, taking the consumption at five pounds a head in France, it will be found to be the highest in Continental Europe. In the states of the German League it is four pounds; and in Europe generally it is two and a half pounds a head. The consumption of Great Britain, however, the honourable Gentleman calculates at seventeen pounds a head. I will now take the consumption of corn-of the article which is the subject of our present discussion. Mr. Deacon Hume, a gentleman whose loss we must all sincerely deplore, made the calculation that each individual in this country consumed one quarter of wheat per annum: the honourable Gentleman makes the total con

sumption for 24,000,000 of inhabitants 45,000,000 quarters of grain; which is not very far from two quarters for each person. The honourable Gentleman also gives us the consumption of the Prussian states: he says the Prussian states contain 14,000,000 of inhabitants, and that they consume 13,000,000 quarters of grain in the year. Observe, that this is less than one quarter an individual. But while Mr. Hume calculates the consumption of wheat in this country as a quarter for each individual per annum, the honourable Gentleman's calculation was that of one quarter of bread consumed by each person in Prussia threefourths, at least, consist of rye. The honourable Gentleman also says, that throughout the Prussian states the consumption of ryebread is in the proportion of three or four to one when compared to wheat. The consumption of 124 towns in the Prussian League would be 65 pounds of wheat and 240 pounds of rye for each individual; making in the whole 306 pounds. This would give, for the 124 towns, the consumption for each individual of one bushel of wheat, instead of one quarter of wheat, which was the consumption of Great Britain."

He quoted similar evidence respecting the comparative consumption of tea, salt, and woollen cloth. On the other hand, the consumption of tobacco and butter was less in England than in Prussia. A reference to Belgium also proved, that the wages there did not give the same command over the comforts and necessaries of life as in other countries. It was his (Sir Robert Peel's) firm belief, that total repeal of the Corn-laws would aggravate the manufac

turing distress, by adding to it agricultural distress; the prosperity of the two classes being identical. There were advantages in a fixed duty, which did not apply to a variable duty; but the objection to the principle of imposing any duty on corn was equally applicable to both. Nor could a fixed duty be permanent. He did not think they could impose any amount of fixed duty sufficient for the protection of agriculture in years of average supply, which they could determinately and fixedly impose in times of distress and scarcity. In considering the question, it became a matter of importance to consider, what was the probability that this country could supply its own population with corn from its own

resources.

"Now, I am not prepared to admit that this country is unable in ordinary years to supply its own population. If I formed my judgment from the circumstances of the last four years, I should have been compelled to conclude that we were dependent on foreign supply for a great proportion of our consumption: I should have been compelled to come to this conclusion, because the average of the last four years' importation of foreign corn into this country was 2,300,000 quarters. But if we take a longer period-if we take twelve or thirteen years, then it would appear that, on the whole, the annual average importation of foreign corn was very considerably smaller. In proof of this, I beg to state, that taking the quantities of wheat and wheaten flour imported in those years, it appeared that the whole did not amount to more than 12,000,000 or 13,000,000 of quarters: from

July the 5th, 1828, to January the 1st, 1841, the whole quantity of wheat and wheaten flour entered for home consumption was 13,475,000 quarters. No doubt, during the last ten years, the population was greater than it was during the preceding ten years; but that increase had not been of such magnitude as to occasion a greatly increased demand. It was true, also, that for the last four years there had been a necessity for a great supply of foreign corn; but then, on the average of the six preceding years, there was almost a sufficient supply raised in this country. I am therefore not necessarily bound to admit the conclusion that there must be a large annual importation of foreign corn to supply the demand of the home market. In turning our attention to this subject, we have to apply ourselves to years in which there is a comparative abundance, as well as those in which there is a scarcity. It might happen that in the next six years there might be good and abundant harvests. This might occur, as formerly; and if it did occur, what I fear from a fixed duty is, that the given amount of duty which you could maintain in times of scarcity would in such seasons expose this country to the greatest disasters, by causing so great a fall in the price of agricultural produce as not to afford sufficient means to enable our farmers to continue the cultivation of the soil. It has been observed by writers of experience and eminence, that productive and unproductive years follow in certain cycles, and that you do not have a year of abundance necessarily follow a year of scarcity; but you must take a period of five or six years of abun

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dance being followed by five or six years of deficiency or scarcity. The effect of a fixed duty on corn would be, that at all times, and under all circumstances, you must admit foreign corn into this country; and you should also recollect that the periods of favourable harvests in the countries whence you derive your chief supplies of foreign corn generally corresponded with favourable harvests here. The great corn-producing countries of Europe are in the same parallel of latitude with this country, and are affected by the same causes; that it will be found as a general result, that an abundant harvest here is contemporaneous with an abundant harvest abroad. When there is an abundant supply in the market, if a slight additional quantity of corn is brought in, it produces a very great effect. All experience tends to convince me that, with respect to corn, fluctuations must arise in consequence of the various produce of different seasons; and that we could not calculate entirely on steadiness of price arising from a supply from abroad. No law passed could insure a steadiness of price when there was a deficient harvest here and a deficient harvest abroad. Take the United States, which were not subject to the operation of our Corn-laws, and there you will find, that, in consequence of the fluctuations of seasons, there have been great fluctuations of price-indeed, as great as in this country. In Prussia, I find that in rye-a species of grain not affected by our Corn-laws-there is as great a fluctuation in price as there is in the price of wheat in this country. These fluctuations must depend so much on the seasons that I am of opinion

that no law can guard against them."

He came to the conclusion, that it was not advisable for Parliament to alter the principle of the existing law; and the alteration which he proposed went on the principle of retaining a duty on corn varying inversely with the price of corn in the home market; and the maintenance of that principle necessarily involved the maintenance of a system of averages:-"It is said that there would be great advantages resulting from sweeping away altogether the system of averages: but we cannot dispense with a system of averages, while the present Tithe Commutation Act exists; and therefore I say, that if we are to determine the amount of duty on corn by a system of averages, it would be inconvenient, on the one hand, to have two systems of averages in the country at the same time, and it would be inconvenient and unjust to depart materially from that system under which the arrangements under the Tithe Act have been made. I propose, therefore, as a necessary incident to a varying duty, to retain a system of averages."

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He doubted whether there had not been much exaggeration as to the frauds and combinations to in

fluence the averages. "It is a prevailing idea that the returns for London have an undue influence upon the provinces, and upon the entire kingdom in this respect; and there is a general belief that in Leeds, Wakefield, and other great corn markets in Yorkshire, there have been great and repeated combinations for the purpose of influencing the averages; but I am inclined to think that the apprehensions which have been entertained on this subject are greatly exaggerated. If we take the

averages of the kingdom for six weeks in 1840-if we take those for the weeks ending the 6th, 13th, 20th, and 27th of August, and the 3rd and 10th of September-the average of the kingdom for these six weeks was 73s. 1d. If we exclude the London market altogether from the averages, the general average would then be 72s. 10d.; if you exclude the Yorkshire markets, the general average would then be 71s. 10d. so that, as far as we can judge from figures, I really think the apprehensions that have been entertained as to very extensive frauds in the averages are greatly exaggerated. The difference of the average, by excluding London, is 5d. ; by excluding the Yorkshire markets, 1s. 3d.; and by excluding London, Leeds, and Wakefield, Is. 1d. It must be recollected, too, that the price in London is much higher than elsewhere; and therefore, no imputation of fraud necessarily arises, even if the average of London greatly exceeds that of the rest of the kingdom."

Various proposals for alterations of the system had been submitted to the Government and duly considered. It had been proposed that returns of averages should be made only by the growers; but that would be impossible with Scotch and Irish wheat, and to exclude that would have a material effect in raising the price. The great secret of preventing fraud was to remove the temptation to it. The proposal of Government with respect to the taking of the averages was this: "We shall propose to take the averages in the present mode, from the factor, the miller, or the purchaser. We shall propose that the duty of collecting the returns shall devolve on the Ex

cise. The Excise is perfectly competent to this duty; it has officers employed in each market town, fully qualified for the discharge of this duty, by having greater duties to perform, and who will be able, at a comparatively small increase of expense, to fulfil this employment; and by their intelligence, their business habits, and the responsibility which attaches to them as public officers, they will afford far greater sccurity against fraud than can be obtained by intrusting this duty to individuals. We propose that these averages, taken as they are at present, shall be returned to the officer appointed in each market town by the Board of Excise. Another security which we propose to take is to widen the range from which the returns are to be made. At present, one hundred and fifty towns are named in the Corn Act, from which returns are received. In this number of one hundred and fifty, many considerable towns are not included. Towns have grown up since the passing of that Act which have be. come market towns, where large quantities of corn are sold. We propose, therefore, not to leave any discretionary power in any executive authority to add towns; but in the bill we shall introduce we propose to name the principal towns having corn markets, which are not included in the one hundred and fifty towns of the Corn Act. The more we can widen the range from which to collect the corn-returns, the greater security do we realize against the averages being improperly influenced by combinations, and the greater the facility presented in determining what is the average, by ascertaining the price of corn in the largest possible number of market towns.

We shall propose to limit the num❤ ber of these towns, as at present, to England and Wales. The three precautions, then, which we thus propose to bring forward, as the most effective against fraud in the averages, are these,-first, to widen the range from which the averages are to be taken; secondly, to employ responsible officers, acting under the authority of a public body, for the purpose of collecting these returns. But the main security which we rely on as providing against fraud, is such an alteration in the duty as shall diminish the temptation to commit fraud."

He now approached the most important part of the subject, the amount of protection to be given to the produce of this country:— "At the present time, the House is aware, the duty varies in this way: when the price is 59s. and under 60s., the duty is 27s.; it then diminishes 1s. in duty with every 1s. increase in price, until corn reaches the price of between 66s. and 67s., when the duty is 20s. 8d.; it then falls 2s. in duty with the increase in price, so that when the price is between 68s. and 69s., the duty is 16s. 8d.; at 70s. the duty is 13s. 8d., and at 71s. 10s. 8d.; it then falls 4s. with each increase of price, so that at 73s. it is 2s. 8d., and at 73s. and upwards, 1s. and no more. The main objection which has been urged to that mode of levying the duty is this-that the reduction of duty is so rapid that it holds out temptations to fraud. For instance, at 60s. the duty is 26s. 8d. ; at 73s. the duty is 1s. only; so that between 60s. and 73s. there is an increase of price of 13s. and a decrease of duty of 25s. 8d., affording a great inducement to fraud, or to combinations for the purpose

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