HISTORY OF EUROPE. [133 



use of oats, except for the use of 

 man and horses in the service of go- 

 vernment ; and encouragement to 

 fishing. It was a public blessing in 

 such times as these to have such 

 men as count Rumford and Arthur 

 Young. He understood from Mr. 

 Young, that early potatoes and 

 beans might be brought into use in 

 the month of June: and a few 

 thousands granted in premiums for 

 them would bring to market a vast 

 quantity. 



Lord Hawkesbury's motion was 

 carried unanimously. 



A bill was brought into the house 

 to prohibit any person or persons, 

 from selling, or offering to sale, any 

 bread which had not been baked 

 for a certain number of hours. The 

 blank left for specifying that num- 

 ber, was filled up with twenty-four. 

 The bill was carried through all its 

 stages, and passed into a law, by the 

 royal assent, on the next day, Febru- 

 ary 20. 



On that day, in the house of 

 peers, the archbishop of Canter- 

 bury lamented, in pathetic terms, 

 the inconveniences and distresses 

 which the lower orders of society 

 must sufier from the scarcity of corn. 

 He shewed the great effect which the 

 examples of those in the higher had 

 on those in all the inferior stations ; 

 and that, in the present distressful 

 circumstances of the country, it was 

 in their lordships power, by their 

 example, very materially to alle- 

 viate the burthens of the poor. His 

 grace did not recommend a direct 

 legislative interference on the pre- 

 sent occasion, but greatly approved 

 the good effects of solemn engage- 

 ments made, and strictly adhered to, 

 by different bodies of men, with a 

 view to diminish the consumption 

 of flour, and promote the use of 



approved substitutes for that arti- 

 cle in their respective families. So 

 strongly was he impressed with this 

 conviction, that he would then pro- 

 pose a set of resolutions, forming an 

 agi'eement, to be signed by such of 

 their lordships as approved the idea, 

 to carry certain measures into effect, 

 tending to diminish the use of flour 

 in their respective families. His 

 grace submitted to the house several 

 propositions, under the form of re- 

 solutions ; which, at the recommen- 

 dation of the lord chancellor, was 

 changed into that of an agreement. 

 A resolution of the noble lords, 

 as a body, the chancellor observed, 

 seemed as if it were a legislative 

 act : and any legislative act, in his 

 opinion, would tend to do more 

 prejudice than service in a case of 

 this kind. His lordship then took 

 notice of the report of the house 

 of commons, with which he was by 

 no means satisfied, in as far as it 

 was founded on the opinions of two 

 gentlemen only. That was not the 

 best evidence to be obtained. Much 

 more might have been had. Nei- 

 ther had the proceedings of the 

 committee been decided or accu- 

 rate on the occasion. They had 

 put their questions in such a man- 

 ner, that they could receive only 

 one answer to them. He agreed 

 with the earl of Darnley, who had 

 just made some comments on the 

 statements of Mr. Arthur Young, 

 that this gentleman must have been 

 much mistaken in his calculations. 

 The motions of the archbishop 

 of Canterbury, reduced to the form 

 recommended by the chancellor, 

 were as follow, " Resolved, by the 

 lords spiritual and temporal, in par- 

 liament assembled, that in conse- 

 quence of the high price, and de- 

 ficient supply of wheat and other 



