HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
After a long discussion of the 
causes of the scarcity, they were 
found to be of so complicated a na- 
ture, that it proved difficult to re- 
move them. A bill was however 
brought into prohibit the manufac- 
ture of starch from wheat and other 
grain ; to lower the duties on its im- 
portation, to prevent the distilling 
from it, and all obstructions to its 
free transportation though every part 
of the kingdom. 
It appeared, in the mean time, 
from the information laid before the 
committee of inquiry into the high 
price of corn, that, with an excep- 
tion to wheat, the harvest had been 
very productive: thus by mixing 
flour of different grains good bread 
might be made; a measure the more 
indispensible, that from a variety of 
causes no sufficient supplies of corn 
could be expected from abroad; a 
bounty of twenty shillings was how- 
ever agreed to for every quarter im- 
ported from the Mediterranean, un- 
til the importation amounted to 
three hundred thousand ; a bounty 
of fifteen shillings a quarter upon 
that from America, till it amounted 
to five hundred thousand ; and five 
shillings a2 quarter on Indian corn, 
till it amounted also to five hundred 
‘thousand. ; é 
The hardships incident to labour- 
ers, tradesmen, and manufacturers, 
were, on the twenty-seventh of No- 
vember, brought before the con- 
Sidetation of the house by Mr. 
Whitbread, who observed, that the 
highest extent of wages to husband- 
men was fixable by the magistrate, 
‘but not the lowest. On the ninth 
of December he brought in a bill to 
authorise justices ef peate to re- 
| gulate the price of labour at every 
quarter session. Herein he was 
Supported by Mr. Fox, Mr. Jekyll, 
Mr. Honeywood, and other mem- 
Vor. XX XVIII. 
[49 
bers ; and opposed by Mr. Burdon, 
Mr. Buxton, Mr. Vansittart, and 
Mr. Pitt. The latter was of opi- 
nion, that, in a matter of this kind, 
the operation of general principles 
ought to be attended to, preferably 
to uncertain and precarious remes 
dies, It was dangerous to interfere, 
by regulations, in the intercourse 
between individuals, engaged in the 
various businesses of society. Many 
of the distresses complained of oris 
ginated from the abuses that had 
crept into the execution of the laws 
relating to the poor, which required 
much amendment. They did not’ 
sufficiently discriminate between the 
unfortunate and the idle and dissi- 
pated. All application for relief 
should be founded upon unavoidable 
misfortune, and, if possible, the re« 
lief should consist of employment, 
which would not only benefit the 
individual applying, but the com- 
munity itself, by an increase of la- 
bour and industry to the common 
stock. He recommended the insti- 
tution of friendly societies, to res 
lieve poor families proportionably 
to the number of their children, and 
the loan of small sums, payable in 
two or three years. After a labo- 
rious discussion of this subject Mr. 
Whitbread’s motion was negatived, 
as well as that which had been made 
for the benefit of the actual labour- 
ers, or cultivators of the soil, by Mr. 
Lechmere. 
The opinion of the public did not 
coincide with that of ministry. The 
wages of labourers and of workmen 
in all situations ought, it was unie 
versally affirmed, to bear a due pro= 
portion to the price of the necessa- 
ries of Life. ‘This alone would pre= 
vent distress,and untimately diminish 
the number of poor to be provided 
for according to law. In order to 
alleviate the wants of the indigent 
{E] classes, 
