a repeal of the act which permitted the mixture of oats and barley with wheat in the preparation of bread; and the motion was feconded by Mr. Alderman Curtis, and carried. On the 12th Mr. Dudley Ryder reported, from the committee ap. pointed to confider of the high price of provifions, a refolution for the purpofe of repealing the act of the former fellion; and on the 16th of the fame month Mr. Ryder moved for the houfe to confrder the report of the committee on the high price of provifions. It was neceffary, he faid, to ftate the reafons why it would be proper to refcind the act of laft feffion: that act had been. pailed from a fuppofition that a great faving might be effected in confequence of mixing a coarfer kind of meal with fine flour; but circumstances had fince occurred which led the committee to think they were fomewhat deceived in their expectations. The committee, however, would not have given up the measure, if the change in their opinion had arisen from temporary difficulties only; because, if it had been likely to have been attended with ultimate fuccefs, it was their duty to have continued it. But there were certain diffi culties which could not easily be removed: one of thefe was, the partiality of the people to the finer fort of flour; and a notion that the coarfer kind, as well as that manufactured from foreign wheats, could not be manufactured with fine flour. From thefe circumstances there was a greater demand in the market for the fuperior wheat; by which means the price of fine flour was raised far beyond a reafonable price; and the inferior was as high as the best had been fome 1801. time before. The utmost deduc tion, in confequence of the late bill, was that of fix or feven farthings in the quartern loaf; and, as the coarfer bread did not go near fo far as the white, the lofs to the public was greater than any faving could be advantageous. The refolution of the committee applied only to the repealing of that part of the act which refpected the mode of dreifing flour, by which the bakers would be allowed to mix the bread without being fubject to the affize regulations. But the operation of the act of the 36th of the king would be revived, by repealing it altogether; and thus the object of the committee would be attained. On the 2d of March the house, on the motion of Mr. Ryder, refolved itfelf into a committee, to take into confideration the fecond report of the committee on the high price of provifions. After a de bate which was little interefting, except for the pleafantries of Mr. Horne Tooke, (which however were irrelevant to the fubje&t.) the refolution was agreed to; and on the 4th the report was reeeived, and was in fubftance as fol-. lows: That the united kingdom called Great Britain be divided into twelve districts, and premiums not exceed ing 12,000l. be offered for the cultivation of potatoes by proprietors and occupiers of land not being cottagers. That the following premiums be granted in each diftrict: viz. to the perfon who fhould cultivate on land, in the prefent year, the greater number of ftatute acres of potatoes, for producing not less than 200 bufhels per acre, each bufhel not weighing less than fixty pounds, the Ι number three.... 70 60 40 30 To the next ten greateft, not being less than two acres each, 201. each-making 2001. That premiums to the amount of 13001. be offered for the encouragement of the culture of potatoes by cottagers in England and Wales, to be diftributed in fums not exceeding 201. for each diftrist in which magiftrates act at their petty feffions in their feveral counties; and to fuch cottagers who fhould raise the largest average crop of potatoes per perch, in not lefs than twelve fquare perch of land.... £.10 To the fecond largest .... 6 4 That a fum be granted, not exceeding 3000l., for encouraging the cultivation of potatoes in Scotland by cottagers. That a fum, not exceeding 20001. be granted to the board of agriculture, to be diftributed in honorary premiums to fuch owners of land as fhould allot the greatest quantities of land among cottagers this year, to be planted with potatoes. On the motion that leave be given to bring in a bill, Mr. T. Jones fpoke in oppofition. He thought they would add to the evil arifing from the high price of provifions, rather than diminish it, Peace he conceived to be the only remedy, as the quantity of provifions confumed in expeditions greatly contributed to enhance their price. Mr. Jolliffe fupported the fame opinion. He wholly condemned the proceedings of the committee, and of the board of agriculture; being convinced, he faid, that the former had enhanced not lowered the prices of every neceffary of life; and that the latter were ignorant of the subject for the difcuffion of which they were affembled. What would become of all the pafture lands in the kingdom, together with the cattle and horfes which fed upon their produce, fince the whole of thofe lands would, in confequence of the premiums, be turned into potatoe grounds? These refolutions, therefore, would be productive of more evil than good, and cottagers had not fufficient time upon their hands to cultivate their own potatoes. Mr. Buxton defended the committee; but it did not appear to him that the measure before the houfe was calculated to promotė public utility, and, if carried into execution, would overthrow all the agreements between landlord and tenants. Sir William Young thought it highly improper to favour one fpecies of agriculture in preference to another, to the detriment of the public good. Mr. Wilberforce conceived there had been too much argument on abftract principles, without fuffi-. ent attention to the cafes of general convenience. He confidered the propofed premiums as judicious, as a large flock of potatoes was needed, which there was not sufhent encouragement to cultivate. Το To obviate the objections made concerning landlord and tenant, he meant to propose an amendment, that no tenant fhould cultivate potatoes on land (without the confent of the landlord) not used for that purpose. If the prior refolulutions of the committee were rejected, he hoped the house would not reject the refolution of alligning premiums to cottagers. A member objected to the refolutions, on the ground of the legiflative interference relative to agriculture being unnecessary. Mr. Whitbread alfo thought this interference ought to have proceeded no further than granting bounties for importations of wheat. He did not wifh to arraign the committee on the high price of provifions, but he thought the fudden changes of fentiment which had taken place, particularly refpecting the brown-bread bill, tended to bring their opinions into disrepute. He believed the premiums propofed (notwithftanding any amendments) would cause much diffenfion between landlords and tenants, arifing from the clashing of oppofite interefts. On the 10th of March the house went into a committee, to confider the further report of the committee on the high price of provifions. Mr. Ryder faid, the measure recommended by the report was the extenfion of the bounties upon grain imported into Ireland now payable upon that imported into Great Britain: though the price was not equally high in that country, the deficiency was equally great on this account, however, it would not be poffible to make the fame regulations, but every thing ought to be done to equalife them as far as was poffible. The merchant should be encouraged to fend his cargoes thither, and ought to have a fecurity against lofs.After a few more obfervations of the fame tendency, Mr. Ryder concluded with moving, that bounties fimilar to thofe granted on wheat, barley, oats, rye, and rice, imported into Great Britain, fhould be extended to Ireland under certain reftrictions. Sir John Parnell reprefented the fcarcity in Ireland to be very great, and the neceffity of relief urgent. He approved the measure of the committee, but thought no time was to be loft in waiting the flow operations propofed in the plan. It was a queftion of famine, and fomething was inftantly to be done. Though the feelings of the Irish might be gratified by their neceffities being thus taken into confideration, they would receive no effential fervice. The refolution was then agreed to, and ordered to be reported the next day. It Sir John Parnell gave notice of an intended motion which he should bring forward, not doubting that the houfe would fupport it from justice as well as bumanity. was to fufpend for a limited time fo much of the charter of the EastIndia Company as prohibited the landing of rice in Ireland, brought from the countries under the EaftIndia jurifdiction. A feasonable fupply of food would then be procured. The first thing in the feafon produced by Ireland was milk; and if they had any thing to mix with it, they might live comfortably till the enfuing harvest. It would be eafy to dispatch orders for fome of the fhips fent out to India to land their cargoes in Ireland. Mr. Ryder expreffed much pleafure to hear these fentiments from I 2 the the hon. gentleman; and he was forry he had not expreffed them earlier, as he would then have up held the refolution juft paffed in the house. Rice was enumerated amongst the articles the importation of which was to be encouraged; and the method pointed out had been from the beginning in contemplation, as the only one in which the importation of rice could be beneficial. If the worthy baronet had attended the committee, he would have known a bill of this fort was defigned immediately to be brought in. Sir John faid, it was impoffible to learn this from the refolution itfelf; and he had not attended the committee, because he found he could be of no fervice. On the 18th of March a propofal was made, through Mr. Dundas, for the cultivation of potatoes on commons and wafte lands, and a bill was ordered in accordingly. The fifth report was made on the 1st of April. It contained a recapitulation of the principles already advanced; and the fixth report, on the 22d of May, related folely to an invention of Mr. Robert Ferryman, for blanching the outward coat of wheat previous to its being ground, fo that the whole of the grain might be used. The paffing of the bills confirm ing the above refolution was the principal butinefs which engaged the commous relative to this fubject. In the houfe of lords the inquiry was taken up upon a broader bafis, and many collateral fubjects were introduced. In that houfe, how ever, the proceedings commenced later than in the houfe of commons; and it was the 30th of March before any ferious debate ensued on the fubject. On that day lord Suffolk called the attention of their lordships to the high price of provifions; and enumerated, in a fpeech of confiderable length, the causes, whilft he pointed out the remedies which appeared to him adequate to the cure, of fo ferious a public evil. The firft caufe, he faid, was the war, and the neceffary wafte of provifions which it produced. The number of troops in the naval and military fervice of the country might be calculated at four hundred thoufand; and as a military man, who from the habits of life must have knowledge on fubjects of this nature, he was convinced that they confumed what would oe fufficient to the fupport of a million of fubjects under common circumftances. In further illuftration of this branch of argument, his lordfhip took a view of the different methods employed by the different contractors to procure the requifite fupply, adduced feveral inftances where they had been materially inftrumental in enhancing the prices in various country markets, and contended that the price was by this means confiderably affected. The influence of the war refpecting provifions was further augmented by the increase of taxes, tripled during its progrefs; and hence arofe a neceifary reaction of every article of human fubfiftence. Having enlarged on this topic, he next animadverted with feverity on the effect of a letter published last autumn by a fecretary of state; and on the neg ligence of minifters in not mak→ ing earlier arrangements for procuring fupplies from the continent, and in not affording encouragement to those who were willing to have ufed every exertion for this purpote. But the influence of the country country banks appeared particularly worthy of confideration: to the extenfive circulation of their paper was he difpofed to attribute the evil now fo feriously felt and juftly deplored. The number of country bankers, according to the moft accurate information which he had been able to obtain, was about 400; and, fuppofing each to illue notes to the amount of 30,000l., would form an aggregate of twelve millions of notes. The effect of this extended circulation, in increafing the price of every article of provifion alfo, he maintained to be moft pernicious, as it afforded dealers great facility in keeping it back from the market.--To prove these affertions were well founded, he quoted the authority of the celebrated Dr. Adam Smith and the evidence of lord Egremont, who had been examined before the select committee, to whofe character he paid the higheft compliments. The measures which his lordship proposed to remedy thefe evils were, that minifters fhould take into confideration the number of country bankers, and the extent of their circulation: the establishment of public granarics; and the equalization of measures of grain, which now varied much in different parts of the country: to fubftitute fish for other provifions, and above all, his lordship repeated, to examine how far these bankers might have actually raifed the prices of provifions; which could only be done by adminiftration precifely afcertaining their number and extent. On the question being put, lord Hobart rofe. He faid the letter of the duke of Portland, on which fo any cenfures had been caft, was fully juftified by circumflances: the prefent high price of provifions actually was caufed by fearcity. When the nature of the laft harveft was duly confidered, there could be little doubt upon the fubject: he confeffed he had none. As to the bank-notes, he thould only obferve, that, under the prefent fyftem of commercial transactions, the country had grown to an unprecedented greatnefs in trade and manufactures; and before he would confent to infringe upon that fyftem, he must be very well convinced indeed of the efficacy of the meafure propofed. When fo plain and palpable a cause of the dearness of provifions prefented itself in a fcarcity with which it had pleafed Providence to afflict us, it was neither wife nor neceffary to feek for other caufes. The committee had already done, and were ftill doing, every thing in the compass of their ability for the public relief; and he hoped, when their final report was prefented, it would meet with general fatisfaction. But fuch motions as his lordship's had no tendency to benefit the public, and therefore he muft oppofe it. The country had endured this unavoidable calamity with admirable patience; and he hoped they would be rewarded by the abundance of the enfuing harveft. The earl of Warwick fupported the motion, as far as it related to country banks; and, in illustration, ftated fome inftances which had fallen immediately under his own obfervation. Lord Auckland confined himself to that part of the fubject which detailed the evils arising from paper credit. It was a dangerous language in parliament, he faid, to afcribe a popular calamity to a public caufe ill understood by the people. It was natural for those who suffered to liften with credulity to rath and 13 ill |
