CORN-LAWS. 



s. d. 



years pre- 1 1760 on an j 



ceding J average \ ' 



22T 



1765 573,000 



4-2 2 



Prict 



of 



Wheat. 



S. 



rf. 



53 



1 



49 



10 



38 



7 



47 



2 



45 



6 



52 



6 



66 



6 



During these 15 years, the great rise in the price of 

 corn began to produce a very different feeling in regard 

 to the policy of our bounty system. It was, in fact, the 

 interval during which our consumption was coming 

 round, first to an equality with, and eventually to an 

 excess over, our importation. Increase of population 

 now led to a reverse of the picture, and we are hence- 

 forth to state the 



Exoess of Imports over Exports. 



5 years before 1770 247,000 qrs. 



5 1775 505,000 . . 



5 1780 27,000 . . 



5 1785 267,000 . . 



5 1790 412,000 . . 



5 1795 1,184,000 . . 



5 1800 2,138,000 . . 



Average of 50 years 49 5 



The year 1 800 was the one of greatest importation, 

 the excess of export over import being no less than 

 2,939,000 qrs. and the average price of that year being 

 so high as 110s. 



It is thus apparent that our dependence on foreign 

 countries for a supply of corn has arrived at a very se- 

 rious extent. The experience of the last ten years is in 

 correspondence with the conclusions to be drawn from 

 the latter part of the above table ; and even with the be- 

 nefit to be derived from the labour of additional hands 

 in time of peace, we shall not be safe in estimating the 

 annual imports required in corn of all sorts at less than 

 ], 500,000 qrs. 



In the Baltic, Dantzic being the great port for ex- 

 portation, the prices there afford a criterion for the cur- 

 rency of the other markets along the coast, while they 

 are themselves regulated by the state of the English 

 markets. 



Export of wheat from Dantzic, from the year 1793 to 

 1803, inclusive ; stated in lasts, and taken from the an- 

 nual accounts published in that city. The last being a 

 measure of 10| quarters. 





To England. 



Other parts. 



Total. 



Years. 



Lasts. 



Lasts. 



Lasts. 



1793 



9,451 



5,963 



15,414 



1794 



6,2*4 



12,529 



18,773 



1795 



-4,283 



9,491 



13,774 



1796 



20,407 



6,474 



26,881 



1797 



17,496 



6,398 



23,894 



1798 



18,357 



7,991 



26,348 



1799 



16,713 



8,311 



25,024 



1800 



37,202 



3,661 



40,863 



1801 



33,748 



3,855 



37,603 



1802 



27,028 



25,3S8 



52,416 



1803 



11,725 



22,424 



34,149 



the part of British landholders, and repeated restrictions Corn-law*. 

 on the admission of Irish corn into Great Britain, go- """"V""' 

 vernment was at last, in 1806, enabled to pass an act 

 " permitting the free interchange of every species of 

 corn between Great Britain and Ireland." An end was 

 thus put to the impolitic list of duties on grain, meal, 

 flour, bread, &c. imported from the sister island, and a 

 trade, considerable at that time in spite of custom- 

 house difficulties, has recently become one of the greatest 

 importance to both countries. The following short 

 table conveys an idea of its extent prior to the opera- 

 tion of the act of 1806. 



A Return of the Quantity of Grain and Flour exported 

 from Ireland from 1802 to 1807 inclusive. 



Years. 



Wheat. 



Oats. 



Other 

 Grain. 



Wheat, Flour, 

 and Oatmeal. 





Barrels. 



Barrels. 



Barrels. 



Cwt. 



1802 



168,937 



475,066 



16,180 



199,810 



1803 



101,901 



391,102 



37,402 



119,762 



1804 



152,828 



372,690 



24,652 



88,826 



1805 



134,871 



346,244 



38,917 



57,071 



1806 



153,214 



461,700 



26,640 



79,665 



1807 



68,003 



724,347 



76,010 



56,661 ! 



Since 1 807 the agriculture of Ireland has been great- 

 ly extended, and her exports of corn have been muclx, 

 larger. Oats form the principal article ; and in 1 809 

 the importation of them into England was nearly 

 800,000 quarters. The progressive advance in the price 

 of wheat is indicated by the following 



Return of the annual average Prices of Wheat in Ire- 

 land from 1784 to 1809 inclusive. 



1784 

 1785 

 1786 

 1787 

 1788 

 1789 

 1790 

 1791 

 1792 

 1793 

 1794 

 1795 

 1796 



The west coast of Scotland is, in general, very un- 

 productive of corn, so that a brisk trade of import, par- 

 ticularly in oats, is carried on with the sister island. 

 In 1809, the quantity of oats imported from Ireland to 

 Scotland amounted to 402,000 quarters. 



The average price of wheat in Scotland is consider- 

 ably lower than in England, a difference to be attri- 

 buted partly to the greater distance from the metropo- 

 lis, the great scene of consumption, and partly to infe- 

 riority of quality. 



Return of the annual average Price of Wheat in Scot~ 

 land from 1771 to 1 809 inclusive. 



barrel of 20 stone. 



Years. 



Per barrel of 20 st( 



£1 8 







1797 



. £1 



6 8| 



. 1 3 



<?s 



1798 



. . . 1 



7 *f 



. 1 3 



8 



1799 



. . . 1 



12 4| 



. 1 3 



H 



1800 



. . . 2 



16 4| 



. 1 2 



4 



1801 



. . . 2 



16 7 



. 1 6 



11 



1802 



. . . 1 



11 6f 



. 1 8 



2| 



1803 



. . . 1 



9 0£ 



. 1 6 



l| 



1804 



. . . 1 



9 10 



. 1 3 



U 



1805 



. . . 1 



16 7i 



. 1 5 



9i 

 ■'a 



1806 



. . . 1 



19 6 



. 1 10 



103 



1807 



. . . 2 



1 



. 1 14 



10* 



1808 



. . . 2 



4 9i 



. 1 18 



5 



1809 



. . . 2 



7 3| 



Ireland has, particularly of late years, become one of 

 our great sources of supply. After much jealousy en 



Years. Wheat, per quarter. 



1771 . . . 39*. 6d. 



1772 ... 41 6 



1773 ... 42 8 



Years. Wheat, -per quarter. 



1774 ... 42s. 2d. 



1775 ... 37 2 



1776 ... 31 



