128] ANNUAL REGISTER, IS14. 



not to take the report for its guide, 

 but to proceed with a caution and 

 deliberation suited to the infinite 

 importance of the subject. He 

 was replied to by Sir Henry Par- 

 nell ; and after other speakers had 

 joined in the debate, the question 

 for going into a committee was put 

 and carried. The first resolution 

 being then also carried, the second 

 was put; viz. "That the several 

 duties now payable in respect to 

 all corn, grain, meal, and flour, 

 impBrted into the united kingdom 

 shall cease and determine ; and 

 the several duties in the following 

 scliedule shall be paid in lieu 

 thereof." The schedule being af- 

 terwards amended, it stood so that 

 wheat, if imported from foreign 

 countries when the home price was 

 at or under 63 shillings per quarter, 

 should pay a duty of 24 shillings ; 

 when the home price was 86 shil- 

 lings or upwards, it should be duty 

 free; and at all intermediate prices 

 the duty should bear the same ra- 

 tio. Wheat imported from the 

 British colonies in North America 

 was to pay half as much duty. A 

 similar scale was framed for other 

 grain ; and this resolution also was 

 agreed to. 



A third resolution read and car- 

 ried was, " That all foreign corn, 

 grain, meal, and flour, should at 

 ull times be imported and ware- 

 housed free of all duty, until taken 

 out for home consumption ; and 

 should at all times be exported free 

 of all duty." 



On May 13, the House having 

 resumed the consideration of the 

 report concerning the corn laws, 

 the Chancellor of the Exchequer 

 gave his opinion that some of the 

 resolutions would require further 

 deliberation, but expressed himself 



decidedly in favour of the first. — 

 After some conversation, it was 

 agreed to consider that resolution 

 by itself, and a bill was ordered to 

 be brought in upon it. 



The bill permitting exportation 

 of grain without duty or bounty 

 was presented by the Chancellor 

 of the Exchequer on May 16, and 

 read the first time. On the same 

 day the order for the House taking 

 into consideration the resolutions 

 of the Corn Committee being 

 moved. Lord A. Hamilton, after a 

 speech against the intended altera- 

 tions, moved, as an amendment, 

 " That the further consideration of 

 the resolutions be postponed till 

 this day three months." A copious 

 debate ensued, which terminated 

 in a division. For the amendment 

 '27, Against it 144, Majority 117. 

 The report was then, on motion of 

 Mr. Foster, ordered to be re-com- 

 mitted, for the purpose of intro- 

 ducing an amendment. 



On the 17th, the House being in 

 a Committee, the second resolution, 

 for prohibiting the importation of 

 corn, except under the scale above 

 specified, being read, Mr. Foster 

 proposed that the protecting duty 

 should cease when wheat arrived 

 at 100 shillings, and other grain in 

 proportion. After a debate, the 

 question was put on this amend- 

 ment, and a division ensuing, the 

 numbers were. For it 60, Against 

 it 81 ; 3Iajority in the negative 21. 

 The resolution in its original form 

 was then agreed to. On the 18th 

 the second resolution, respecting 

 the schedule of duties on importa- 

 tion, was put and adopted without 

 a division, and leave was given to 

 bring in a bill upon it. 



On May 20, Mr. Bankes, after 

 some observations on the necessity, 



