27 



give us these prices, and with a duty of 10s. a 

 quarter we should see an average price then of 36s. 

 to 38s, a quarter, so that a fixed duty would, under 

 these circumstances, prove ruinous to the farmer ; 

 and then a succession of bad crops (both here and 

 in Europe) would give us so high a price that, in 

 the present state of the public mind, the duty 

 never could be exacted, and the Corn Laws might 

 be swept away altogether, so that a fixed duty 

 scheme would fail at both ends."* ( 2 ) " If in good 

 harvests corn is to fall to 44s. or 46s. do you think 

 that a favourable state for the English farmer ? 

 No, but a good crop is always more productive 

 than a bad one." " Suppose corn should fall to 

 44s. or 46s. a quarter, what would then be the 

 state of the farmer ?" ( 3 ) " I think the farmers 

 would be reduced to very much the same state 

 that they were between 1780 and 1790, when they 

 lived amongst their servants, and all the habits 

 acquired since that time must be thrown aside." 

 " You think the farmer must go lower in the 

 station he now fills ?" ( 4 ) " I think many must ; I 

 think many persons who have been farmers have 

 become labourers, or will become so," " Many 

 persons have been ruined ?" ( 5 ) " Yes ; and 

 more will be ruined still/' " The farmer is rather 

 retrograding, the manufacturer rising?" ( 6 ) " Yes/' 

 " Do you think that the farmer is living beyond 

 his station V ( 7 ) " I have no doubt if wheat 



* See Mr. Sanders's Evidence see Questions 2 4561, 3 4600, 

 44616, 5 4619, 6 4620, r 4621. 



