162 



Corn and Corn Products Trades 



competitor, was doing less than one- third the business of London. 

 But, on the contrary, London's exportations of malt were insignificant, 

 whereas Yarmouth, Wells and Lynne Regis did an immense business 

 in this ware. Estimating the relative importance of the several ports 

 by the export duties paid by the ports respectively on corn exported, 

 London and Yarmouth were very close competitors for first place, 

 Wells third, and Hull ninth. 



The business of the corn merchant was facilitated and increased by 

 the bounties paid on exports. By a statute^ of 1688 trade and tillage 

 were stimulated by allowing bounties on corn exported while prices 

 were low.^ The fact that the burden of taxes was imposed upon the 

 landed interests and that the Whigs desired to placate these interests 

 indicates, no doubt, the political aim of this legislation; it stimulated 

 agriculture and England's export of corn increased rapidly.^ It was, 

 however, in line with Continental policy and early writers had urged 



' 1 Wm. & Mary, Cap. 12. When malt or barley was 24.?, rye, 32s., and wheat 

 485., or lower, per quarter, any exporter was allowed bj' the government bounties 

 of 2.S-. 6d. per quarter for malt or barley, .vs-. Gd. for rye, and 5^. for wheat exported 

 beyond seas. 



•^ According to Prothero, Eng. Farm., 452, the total of boimties paid were: 



1697-1705 £289,670 14s. Qd. 



1706-1725 1,371,032 4 



1726-1745 1.769,756 4 2 



1746-1765 2,628,503 4 7 



I697-1765Total 6.058.962 6 9 



The effect on the exportation of com (other causes, of course, contributing J is 



indicated by the following averages of the excesses of exports over imports of corn , 



flour, and meal: 



Quarlers 



1697-1701 140,000 



1702-1707 289,000 



1708-1711 299,000 



1712-1715 454,000 



1716-1719 486,000 



1720-1724 533,000 



1725-1729 217,000 



Quarters 



1730-1734 469,000 



1735-1739 597,000 



1740-1744 446,000 



1745 1749 933,000 



1750-1754 1,080,000 



1755-1759 274,000 



1760-1764 696,000 



^Cunningham, Growth, II, 541; Craik, Hist. Br. Com. II, 145; Anderson, 

 Origin, II, 583. 



