24 AN AGRICULTURAL FAGGOT. 



of 24s. 3d. The bounty on exportation was continued when 

 wheat was under 44s. , and exportation was prohibited when 

 it rose above 46s. In 1804 a new Corn Law was passed, 

 by which the prohibitive duty came into force whenever 

 wheat was below 63s., the 2s. 6d. duty being charged 

 between 63s. and 66s., and the 6d. duty above 66s. The 

 bounty on exportation was granted at 50s., and exporta- 

 tion prohibited when the price was above 54s. It must be 

 remembered that I am only mentioning the chief enact- 

 ments, and that scarcely a year, or at most two or three 

 years, passed during the latter half of the eighteenth and 

 the early part of the nineteenth century without an Act 

 or an Order in Council modifying, or suspending for short 

 periods, the duties or bounties, or both. 



In 1806 free trade in corn between Great Britain and 

 Ireland was established. Hitherto it had been subject to 

 various restraints. I may mention that there was both 

 importation and exportation of corn to Ireland every year, 

 and sometimes the one and sometimes the other pre- 

 dominated. In 1807, as an instance, the imports from 

 Ireland were 23,048 quarters and the exports 524 quarters ; 

 in 1810 the imports were 8,321 quarters and the exports 

 18,432 quarters. 



We now come to what may be termed the Corn Law — 

 the Act of 1815. By this Act (55 Geo. III. c. 26), com- 

 mencing March 23rd, foreign corn, meal or flour might at 

 all times be imported and warehoused without payment 

 of duty ; but could only be taken out of warehouse for 

 home consumption, or entered for the like purpose on 

 importation, whenever the prices of British corn should be 

 at or above the following sums, and then duty free : — 



For Corn not of the For Corn of the 

 British Colonies in British Colonies in 

 North America. North America. 



Wheat . . . 805. per quarter. 67s. per quarter. 



Rye, peas & beans . 53s. ,, 44s. ,, 



Barley, bere or bigg . 405. „ 33s. 



Oats . . . 275. „ 22s. „ 



