6] 
the order of the day being moved 
for going into a committee on the 
bill, which was carried, a motion 
was made by General Gascoyne 
for fixing the importation price 
at 76s. instead of 80. ‘The debate 
on this point was interrupted by 
the assembling of a riotous mob 
before the parliament house (see 
Chronicle) and of a body of mi- 
litary to oppose them, which oc- 
‘casioned an examination of the 
high bailiff of Westminster, and 
the police magistrates, to ascer- 
tain the necessity of calling in 
the soldiers. The result was, 
a justification of the conduct of 
the executive government on the 
occasion, and the debate then 
proceeded. On a division, the 
amendment was rejected by 208 
against 77. A motion being made 
onthe 8th for bringing up thereport 
ofthecommittee Sir Gilbert Heath- 
cote moved for deferring the re- 
port to that day six months, which 
was negatived by 168 to 50; and 
the same fate attended Mr. Bar- 
ing’s motion for a postponement 
till after the Easter recess. A vote 
for fixing the importation price at 
80s. being then carried by 184 to 
78, Mr. Baring again moved for 
a delay till next Friday se’nnight 
which was negatived by a greater 
majority than his former motion. 
The third reading of the bill being 
moved on the 10th, after the de- 
feat ofanother motion for deferring 
it, and a motion for substituting 
76s. to 80s., it passed that house. 
On March 13th the corn bill 
being introduced to the House of 
Lords, Lord Grey, after aspeechin 
which he dwelt upon the variety 
of opinions which had been given 
in the evidence on the subject, 
and which denoted an insuffici- 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1815. 
ency of information, made a mo- 
tion ‘to institute a further in- 
quiry relative to the state of the 
growth, commerce, and consump- 
tion of grain, and the state of the 
laws relating thereto.” The mo- 
tion was strongly supported by 
lord Grenville and others; but 
the general sense of the House in 
favour of proceeding inthe busi- 
ness without delay, was shown by 
a majorityof 124 against 18, for 
its rejection. A protest was, how- 
ever, entered by eight of the mi- 
nority lords. The second read- 
ing was moved by Lord Liverpool, 
on the 15th, and was carried on a 
division by a still more decisive 
majority. It is unnecessary to 
state the further proceedings in 
this house on the bill, which pass- 
ed on the 20th. 
The consequences of this mea- 
sure were by nomeanssuch as were 
expected, either by its promoters 
or opposers. The effects either of 
former importations, or, more 
probably, oftwo plentifulharvests, 
and a greatly extended culture of 
grain, were, to produce a gradual 
and steady reduction of price, so 
that instead of sppubaenias the 
limits fixed for importation, it 
sunk to a level below that of se- 
veral years past. The farmers, 
who were labouring under exor- 
bitant rents, in addition to other 
increased expences, were gene- 
ral sufferers; and the landlords 
found it necessary in many in- 
stances to make great abatements 
in their dues. In the result, many 
leases have been voided, and farms 
have been left without tenants. 
A short time before the Christ- 
masrecess the Lord Chancellor had 
presented a bill to the House of 
lords for the introduction of trial 
