264 THE ENGLISH CORN LAWS 



fiscal system was practically unaltered, to what causes must these 

 differences be attributed ? 



The average price of wheat during the half century which ended 

 in 1764, was in the next fifty years practically trebled. The tendency 

 is shown in the following decennial averages of the prices of wheat 

 per quarter : 



1765-74 51s. 



1775-84 43s. 



1785-94 47s. 



1795-1804 - . - . 75s. 



1805-14 93s. 



^1815-24 68s. 



It was now that England ceased to be a corn-exporting country and 



became a buyer of foreign grain. The year 1765 marks the first 



stage in this revolution in the English corn-trade. For some few 



years the balance hovered from side to side, incHning to excess now 



of exports, now of imports. After 1792 it definitely turned in favour 



of imports, which from that date increasingly prejoonderated. 



During the whole period which witnessed this change, the fiscal 



policy, though often revised, and notably in 1773 and 1791, remained 



in principle the same. But from 1765 to 1774, and again from 1792 



to 1814, the liberty to export corn, as well as the bounty which 



encouraged exportation, was almost continuously suspended. 



Imports of foreign com were also repeatedly admitted at reduced 



rates or duty free. This was the case in 1765, 1766-8, 1772-3, in 



1783, in 1790, and practically from the commencement of the French 



war (1793) till its final close. Besides the frequent revisions and 



suspensions of the regulating prices, great efforts were made to 



increase home and foreign supphes. Thus in 1772 the inland trade 



was relieved from many restrictions by the repeal of the statutory 



penalties against " badgers, forestallers, engrossers, and regrators." 



To increase the area under corn, numerous enclosure Acts ^ were 



passed. To eke out the home produce, economies were enforced 



by ParHament. Thus the hair-powder tax was imposed in 1795, 



and the use of wheat and other grain in the making of starch or in 



distilleries was repeatedly prohibited. ^ Still more exceptional 



efforts were made to secure a supply of foreign corn. Government 



agents were employed to buy corn in the Baltic, as it was feared 



^ 1,593 Acts were passed between 1795 and 1812 inclusive. 

 ^E.g. in 1795-6, 1800, 1801, 1809-12. 



