119 



The circum&tances which produced that great Ex- 

 portation of Corn, from 1801 to 1805, are of much 

 importance in the consideration of the prospects of 

 future expoi tations ; and the causes by which, in the 

 space of the previous years, they were enabled to 

 attain to that height, deserve to be traced. 



Under the Act 31 Geo. III. cap. SO, (1791,) t-e 

 ports of England had been constantly open for Un 

 years, for the importation of Wheat. If the averse 

 price of Wheat was below 50.?. the quarter, it was 

 charged with a duty of 24.9. 3d. ; if above 50,?. and 

 below 54.9. a duty of 2s. 6cl. ; and if above 54.?. with 

 a duty of only Qd. From th year 17.il. when that 

 Act was passed, the price of Wheat, with the excep- 

 tion of a short period in 1798, was constantly ;' 

 54-v. ; and what was imported was therefore charged 

 with only the duty of tid. per quarter. During; two 

 he ten years, Wheat in Enp-lantl had been ai 

 er quarter, and in the last of them ro^e a; 

 >7*. 



Our laws at that ti:ne !.::1-J restraints en il; 

 of Corn from Ireland, and that part of the e; ' 



Made the progress it has since done in the culti- 

 vation of Corn. 



The ports of England were not : ,; during 



this term; but by the Act of 3-J Q< . c. 21, 



premiums were given on Corn inv : to secure the 

 rters, whether in British or :; ' vessel-::, 



certain prices, till 500.000 quarters should have been 

 imported, after which the premiums were to be 

 reduced. This Act, passed in 179^ for a year, 

 continued by another Act in 1797 ; and, with different 

 intermediate modifications, pren iums to i 

 the importers of Corn and Flour vrcre established till 

 1801. 



During the ten years, from 1791 to 1801, there 

 was a constant demand in France for foreign Corr v ; 

 several deficient harvests had been experienced at the 



