RESULTS OF PROTFXTION 279 



far^ more profitable. The landlord had profited by higher 

 rents, but, according to Caird, a most competent observer, 

 had generally speaking been induced by a reliance on pro- 

 tection to neglect his duty to his estates, so that buildings 

 were poor, and drainage neglected. The labourer was little 

 if any better off than eighty years before. It was a mystery 

 even to farmers how they lived in many parts of the country ; 

 'our common drink', said one, 'is burnt crust tea, we never 

 know what it is to get enough to eat.' ^ Against these dis- 

 advantages can only be put the fact that protection had kept 

 up the price of corn, a calamity for the mass of the people. 



The amount of wheat imported into England before the 

 era of Corn Law repeal was inconsiderable. Mr. Porter has 

 shown ^ how very small a proportion of wheat used in this 

 country was imported from 1801-44. From 1801 to 1810 the 

 average annual import of wheat into the kingdom was 600,946 

 quarters, or a little over a peck annually per head, the average 

 annual consumption per head being about eight bushels. 

 Between 1811 and 1820 the average importation was 458,578 

 quarters, or for the increased population a gallon-and-a-half 

 per head, and the same share for each person was imported 

 in the next decade 1821-30. From 1831-40 the average 

 imports arose to 607,638 quarters, or two-and-a-quarter gallons 

 per head, and in 1841-4 an average import of 1,901,495 quarters 

 raised the average supply to four-and-a-half gallons per 

 person, still a very small proportion of the amount consumed. 



In 1836 a small association had been formed in London 

 for advocating the repeal of the Corn Laws, and in 1838 

 a similar association was formed in Manchester.* At one 



' Tooke, History of Prices, iv. 142. 



"^ From evidence collected by Mr. Austin in the southern counties. 



' Progress of Nation, pp. 137 sq. For the amount imported before that 

 date, see Appendix 2. 



* Walpole, History of England, iv. 63 sq, Cobden apparently never 

 contemplated such low prices for com as have prevailed since 1883. 

 In his speech of March 12, 1844, he mentioned 50J. a quarter as a probable 

 price under free trade, and he died before the full effect of foreign com- 

 petition was felt by the English farmer. 



