CORN DUTIES. 331 



until the price reaches 80 shillings per quarter, when it is ad 

 mitted free of duty. In consequence of these regulations, large 

 amounts of foreign grain are stored in warehouses, waiting for 

 admission, when, by the variations of the market, the duties are 

 at the lowest. The amount of duty payable on the introduction 

 of foreign wheat being regulated by the current price of wheat, 

 it becomes obviously of the highest consequence to determine 

 what is the current price of wheat, since this price has no 

 reference to the cost of the wheat, and, as is plain, the price may 

 vary in different parts of the kingdom. With a view to deter 

 mine this, returns are received weekly, at one of the government 

 offices in London, from the different counties in England and 

 Wales, comprising reports of the sales in two hundred and 

 ninety-two market-towns, designated by law, upon which the 

 price is averaged, and by this the duty is regulated for six weeks 

 at a time ; the current price, with the duty payable, being an 

 nounced in the public papers, by authority of the government. 

 This variation of the duties is called the &quot;sliding scale,&quot; and 

 has been the cause of much warm political controversy. 



The whole subject of restrictive duties is now constantly 

 before the public mind; and while it will not be denied that 

 there are interested partisans on both sides, who have only some 

 private and personal ends in view, it can as little be doubted that 

 there is a fair proportion, on both sides, of men of intelligence, 

 honor, and integrity, who, in the measures which they advocate, 

 are governed wholly by their convictions of what is due to great 

 and valuable interests, concerned in the question, and of what 

 they deem best for the country. I know how difficult it is to 

 acknowledge this how easy it is to impute corrupt motives to 

 even the purest minds ; and how our own views may be affected 

 by circumstances, of whose influence we are not aware, but 

 which are certain seriously to bias our judgment. Men who 

 think that the corn laws should be abrogated, and those who 

 think that they should be maintained, may be equally honest and 

 equally patriotic ; but nothing can be more disgraceful and un 

 worthy of an intelligent and honorable mind than that bigotry and 

 intolerance, which would stifle inquiry on any subject of public 

 interest ; which would prevent the free utterance of an honest 

 judgment, and impute sinister intentions or interests for any 

 difference of opinion. It is to be regretted that examples of this 



