HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



103 



projwscd to enaft, was to regulate 

 tlie importation and exportation, 

 by the average price of corn, grain, 

 and Hour, in the twelve maritime 

 districts of England, and the four 

 maritime districts of Scotland. 



Mr. Pattison thought the great 

 increase of the poor rates was prin- 

 cipally owing to the allowances to 

 the families of mililia men ; and 

 that, as to the high price of provi- 

 sions, he hoped that also depended 

 ujion temporary causes, which would 

 soon be at an end. He wished both 

 the price of labour and the price of 

 corn to be left, in a great measure, 

 to find their own level. 



Mr. Spencer Stanhope thought 

 the bill would fall heavily on Lan- 

 cashire, and other manufac'turiiig 

 counties, which were accustomed 

 tobesuppliedwith corn from abroad. 

 He was certain it would be better 

 to regulate the price at which it 

 should be exported in each district, 

 by the average price of each district. 



The Chancellor of the Exchequer 

 replied, that, in such a case, wc 

 sliould be exporting from some dis- 

 tricts, while wc were importing in 

 others. From the great facility of 

 inland communication, by canals, 

 Lancashire, or any other distri6l 

 which was deficient in corn, might 

 bj easily supplied from other parts 

 of (he country. 



After a few words from some 

 other members, the resolution Avas 

 agreed to in the committee, and a 

 bill founded on it was brought up, 

 which, after a few observations, as 

 il past through the dilierent stages, 

 was at length agreed to, and order- 

 ed to the lords. 



Upon lord Hawkesbury moving 

 the order of the day, for the, second 

 reading of the corn trade bill; in 

 the house of lords, 

 2 



Lord Stanhope rose to propose 

 resolutions of an opposite tendency. 

 The objoft of the bill, was to en- 

 courage the growth of corn by in- 

 creasing the jiricc of it. The objeft 

 of his resolutions would be tO pro- 

 duce the same elfect, by decreasing 

 the price. He thought that, as th(» 

 farmers increased the price of their 

 corn, the poor rates and (he price 

 of labour Mould increase in the sam» 

 proportion, and neither agriculture 

 nor the farmer would have any be- 

 nefit. Whereas, by his plan, every 

 body might be satisfied, and the 

 country Mould enjoy plenty. His 

 first resolution m as tor building pub- 

 lic granaries, which, at the same 

 time that they kept down the price 

 of corn, Mould ensure a market for 

 the farmer in years of plenty. His 

 lordship stated the many advantages 

 which all classes of people, in Swit- 

 zerland, experienced from those pub- 

 lic establishments. Mis second re- 

 solution would be to permit the 

 free warehousing of corn, thegrOMth 

 of this country : and the third, that 

 farmers should be exempt from all 

 direfl taxes, rates, cesses, dues or 

 tithes. After expatiating a long 

 time on the advantage of adopting 

 such resolutions, he concluded by 

 moving that the bill be rejefled. 



The duke of Montrose thought 

 it was, in the highest degree, mis- 

 chievous for the noble lord to 

 state that this was a bill to starve 

 the poor, when it was, in fa<5t, a 

 bill to prevent famine and scarcity. 

 If all the taxes were taken from the 

 farmers, they must immediately fall 

 on the other classes of the commu- 

 nity, who Mould be little benefited 

 by adopting these resolutions. 



The fiOid Chancellor, lords Mul- 

 gravu and Hawkesbury highly con- 

 dcmuod (he resolutions moved by 



lord 



