3^72 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1813. 



much, and is capable of being still 

 further increased. The fertility of 

 the soil; the fitness of the cliniate; 

 the abundance of limestone; the 

 cheapness of labour, and the ge- 

 neral convenience of water-car- 

 riage ; together with the progress 

 made in the course of a few years 

 in extending and improving the 

 cultivation of the land, form the 

 most complete proof of the abihty 

 of Ireland to become eminently 

 serviceable to this country, by af- 

 fording to its great manufacturing 

 population abundance of all kinds 

 of food at moderate prices." 



The committee conclude this 

 part of the subject, by observing, 

 that, by the cultivation of wastes, 

 the conversion of a greater portion 

 of grass land into tillage, and the 

 adoption of a more improved sys- 

 tem of agriculture, the United 

 Kingdom might be reheved from 

 dependence on foreign countries for 

 corn. 



The committee next proceed 

 to consider tlie two different sys- 

 tems on which the corn-laws of 

 the country had been hitherto 

 founded. The first system com- 

 menced in the year 1670, and dis- 

 couraged the importation of grain 

 by high duties, while it encouraged 

 the export. The second system 

 commenced in 1765, and proceeded 

 on the opposite principle of encou- 

 raging the import of corn, while it 

 discouraged the export by the re- 

 moval of the bounties. 



The committee, however, shew 

 by the production of various tables, 

 that during the continuance of the 

 former system, the country annu- 

 ally exported grain to a consider- 

 able amount, while in consequence 

 of the change which took place in 

 1765, this state of things was ra- 



pidly altered, and Britain became 

 an importing country to an im- 

 mense amount. The report then 

 proceeds as follows: — 



" The various evils which belong 

 to so great an importation from 

 foreign countries — to so great an 

 expenditure of our money, in pro- 

 moting the improvement and cul- 

 tivation of those countries, at the 

 loss of a similar extent of improve- 

 ment and cultivation of our own, 

 — and to the estabhshed high prices 

 of corn, are so numerous, and so 

 mischievous, that every one will 

 readily allow they are deserving of 

 the serious attention of parliament. 

 In respect to the proper remedy to 

 be applied, considerable light is 

 thrown upon the subject by the 

 strong coincidence of plenty and 

 low prices with a system of restrict- 

 ed importation, and of scanty sup- 

 ply and high prices with the con- 

 trary system. This forcibly points 

 out the expediency of recurring to 

 the principles of those laws which 

 were so beneficial in practice, from 

 the time of their commencement in 

 1670, till the abandonment in 1765. 



" The correctness of this view 

 of the corn-trade, is farther borne 

 out by what has lately occurred in 

 regard to it, in consequence of the 

 continental system of the French 

 government. For many years pre- 

 vious to the establishing of this 

 system, the trade in grain between 

 this country and the continent was 

 virtually a free trade ; the laws for 

 regulating and restraining it being 

 wholly inoperative in consequence 

 of the high prices. But none of 

 those advantages were the result, 

 which those who advocate the 

 principle of a free trade assume to 

 belong to it ; for the imports of 

 grain, as well as the prices of it, 



