j^52. parliament. Corn bill. 335 



they ascribed it entirely to a departure from the old prin- 

 ciples of the corn laws, by the act which took place in 

 ^773' ^hich had tended to induce farmers to throv their 

 lands into grafs instead of corn, from the encouragement it 

 gave to the introduction of foreign grain. They wiflied 

 now, they said, to recur to the former principle, and the 

 former plenty would of course be restored. 



Mr Ryder, and Mr Pitt opposed the amendment, a- 

 scribing the scarcity in late years, not to the opeiation of 

 the law complained of, but to the encrease of wealth, of 

 population, of luxury, of horses, of distilleries, is'c. On a 

 division the amendment was carried j — ayes 59, noes 63. 

 y^djourned. 



April II. The committee again sat, wh€h a long 

 and warm debate took place, on the clause permitting the 

 warehousing of corn. 



Mr Powjs complained, that after it had been once re- 

 jected, it had been again introduced without sufficient warn- 

 ing having been given of that intention. This position 

 was warmly disputed by Mr Ryder. 



Lord Sheffield argued with great force of reasoning a- 

 gainst the whole clause ; alleging many arguments to 

 prove that it must be highly pernicious to the agriculture 

 of this country. Among other particulars, he stated, 

 that one hundred thousand tons of shipping came an- 

 nually from tke Baltic, from Flanders, and Ireland, to 

 Liverpool for salt, [he did not specify coals,] and could 

 afford to bring 50o;ooo quarters of wheat at a very small 

 expence. He said farmers would soon see they could not 

 raise com in competition, and would necefsarily turn from 

 tillage to pasture. He added, those magazines were un- 

 neceisary, as we never had found occasion for them du- 

 ring the prosperous times of our corn trade. 



Many other members having objected, in particular, a- 

 gainst that part of the clause for paying the expence of 

 •warehousing by the public, Mr Ryder agreed to with- 

 draw this part of the clause. 



The committee then divided ;«— ayes for retaining the 

 clause thus amended 86, noes 70, — majority against it, 14. 



A division also took place on the clause for dividing 

 the kingdom into districts, — ayes 65,' noes 58,— majority 

 ia its favour, 7. 



The remainder in a tucacding number. 



