98 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1800. 



diminishing tlie consumption of 

 corn, for encouraging the importa- 

 tion from abroad, and for bringing 

 into extensive use such substitutes 

 as may supply the place of it; and 

 for tJiis purpose they are desirous 

 of calling the atterition of the house 

 to the following points: 



First — The expediency of giving 

 a bounty to encourage the importa- 

 tion of corn from the Mediterranean 

 and from America. 



Second. — The propriety of indi- 

 viduals reducing the consumption of 

 flour in their fiimilies. 



Third. — The propriety of .subjec- 

 ting millers to some new regulations. 



Fourth. — The adoption of a new 

 table of as.5ize. 



Fifth. — The encouragement of 

 the use of rice and Indian corn. 



Sixth. — The encouragement of 

 the growth of potatoes and other 

 nutritive vegetables. 



Seventh. — The expediency of 

 procuring a considerable su])ply of 

 food from the lisheries. 



Eightli. — The expediency of 

 stopping the distilleries. 



1 . Your committee have received 

 information that considerable sup- 

 plies of wheat may probably be obr 

 tained from the countries in the 

 Mediterranean, and from America ; 

 which, at the present jirices, would 

 be imported to very great profit : 

 but as several months would elapse 

 before such supplies could be 

 brought to this country, and as it is 

 possible that during that period the 

 prices of all sorts of grain may foil 

 considerably, particularly if tliere 

 .should be a prospect of a very abun- 

 dant harvest; and as such a fall of 

 prices miglit occasicm great loss to 

 the importers, such as took place 

 in the year 1 79t), your couniiittee 



are apprehensive that merchants will 

 not be induced to speculate unless 

 they receive some encouragement 

 from parliament ; they therefore 

 suggest how far it may be proper to 

 ofler such a conditional bounty as 

 may be likely to secure the mer- 

 chants against any probable losses 

 that might incur in importing wheat 

 or flour from the Medlten-anean or 

 from America before the month of 

 Octol)er. The prices of wheat in 

 the Mediterranean are stated to be 

 from about .'50*. to GOs. per quarter, 

 the prices of flour in America are 

 about GO.t. the English sack; the in- 

 surance, freight, and other mercan- 

 tile charges, may, in cither case, 

 amount to about 33s. per quarter, or 

 30s. per sack. If pai-liaraent shoidd 

 therefore think proper to provide, 

 that in case the average price of 

 wheat throughout the kingdom, as 

 stated in the Gazette, should fall 

 below 9(^'*- per quarter, and the 

 average price of flour should fall 

 below gOs. per sack, the diflcrence 

 between the market price and f)0.s: 

 .should be made by a bounty to the 

 importer, it might afford a very 

 considerable encouragement to fo- 

 reign supply, consistent with the 

 reduction of the prices in the home 

 market. 



2. Your committee have great 

 satisfacUon in being able to state, 

 tliat many individuals, in different 

 classes of life, have already effectu- 

 ally reduced the consumption of 

 bread and flour in their families ; 

 and that the saving which has been 

 made in consequence is very consi- 

 derable, in many instances amount- 

 iuii to one fourth, and in some even 

 to one-third of their usual consump- 

 tion. If such a practice should 

 become general, it would produce , 



