458 [Assembly 



of the earth, when our commerce is uot restricted from exchang- 

 ing our productions for those of other nations on reciprocal 

 terms. 



Mr. Stafford continued his remarks, commenting at length on 

 the present crisis of the affairs of England, our excessive import- 

 ations, and the probability that England would return to import 

 duties on bread stuffs, as a protection to her landed interest ; that 

 cheap bread was of the greatest importance to her manufacturing 

 interest, to enable lier to sustain herself in the markets of the 

 world against the competition of the continent; and that the ad- 

 mission of Indian corn free of duty would be to her a measure of 

 the greatest importance, &c. 



Gen. Chandler. — I feel constrained to say that there is very 

 little in tlie past which furnishes the slighest encouragement for 

 us to expect that we sliall ever be able to furnish Great Britain 

 with but a very small portion of her bread-stuff's, except in cases 

 •of famine, or a general war in Europe. Whoever builds his hopes 

 upon a belief that it wall be otherwise, will find that he has been 

 mistaken. It may be well to remember that in 1831, under the 

 operation of the memorable corn law sliding scale, when the duty 

 in England fell to one shilling per quarter, and she was compelled 

 to import 18,492,896 bushels of wheat in that year, she obtained 

 only 393,757 bushels from the United States ! It was the low 

 price of labor in the north of Europe which enabled her to pro- 

 cure her supplies there cheaper than she could obtain them from 

 us. What is there in the condition of things, present nr prospec- 

 tive, to which we can look as affording any reasonable probability 

 of a change 1 



Mr. Stafford has succeeded admirably in the preparation of 

 Indian meal for transportation, for which he deserves the thanks 

 of the nation. I most sincerely hope he may realize all his antici- 

 pations in regard to it. It may be carried, prepared under his 

 process, to the remotest parts of the world pure and sweet. The 

 increasing multitudes of our own species which must be supplied 

 with food that is cheap and wholesome, indicates almost the cer- 

 tainty of an extensive demand for It. It may not be amiss to 

 remark, however, that Indian corn is now produced in no very in- 



