Richard Hussey Vivian

“ I am persuaded that the forced equalization is all at the expense of the farmer, who gains nothing by it when the crop is abundant, but incurs a positive loss in deficient years like the present, when the import duty becomes nominal, and he is robbed of the remunerating prices to which he is entitled, in a pro tanto proportion for short production, by the ingress of foreign corn almost duty free. ”

“ The agriculturist would grow corn for the manufacturer, whilst the manufacturer would produce hats, gloves, shoes, &c. for the grower of corn, it would be a matter of barter between the parties. But we are in an artificial state; and although two-thirds of our manufacturers may be working for the home market, one-third, it is admitted, are working for the foreign;—the two-thirds working for the home are, I apprehend, fully sufficient to its supply; are you then prepared to throw out of employ the remaining one-third, the hundreds of thousands engaged in manufacturing for the foreign markets? ”

“ The last objection with which I shall venture to trouble the House, and it is, in my mind, a very strong one against the existing Corn Laws, is, that they are, in fact, in their working highly prejudicial to the agriculturists themselves; the effect of them is to prevent the farmer receiving a fair remuneration for the produce of his industry, at the very moment he most wants it; in fact, they fix a maximum on the produce of human industry. ”

“ Are you prepared to refuse to them the means of exchanging the produce of their industry for the produce of other countries, and reduce them to dependence for their subsistence on the labour of those other two-thirds, or on the agriculturists who have, under a mistaken view of their own interests, thus brought them to indigence and distress? ”

“ Under these laws, foreign corn is bought at low prices in years of plenty, bonded in our warehouses, and thrown into our markets at a moment when a bad harvest occasions a rise in the price of grain, necessary to the remuneration of our farmers, thus, in fact, in a very great degree, placing them at the mercy of the speculators, who, by various means, influence the prices to suit their own purposes; to such a system the admission of foreign corn, on a fixed duty, would be far preferable. ”

“ This question of consumption is, in fact, always confined within too narrow bounds: those who foretell such fatal effects from a greater degree of freedom as to the trade in corn, do not look enough to the extraordinary elasticity of commerce, provided space is afforded for its expansion, and the consequent increase of the consumption of all articles connected with it. In proof of this, need I produce a stronger instance than that of rail-roads. ”

“ As regards the manner in which they are said to affect the interest of the farmer in the hour of distress, I entirely agree with the writer: that they are of any advantage to him at other times, I totally deny; nor indeed do I think the argument a very good one, by which this is endeavoured to be shown. The truth is, that when the harvest is good, our farmers need be under no apprehension; there is but little chance of any quantity of foreign corn being imported ”

“ Where a monopoly is granted, no doubt it is necessary, but hardly under any other circumstances; and here, whilst touching on the subject of regulation of prices, I would venture to say to the manufacturers, that whilst they appeal to the House of Commons and complain of a law the effect of which they state is to increase to them the price of bread, and which they tell us has in view solely the interest of the landed proprietors ”

“ Now there can be no doubt that if we were in a natural state—if we were confined within our island, and no external commerce whatever, the argument as to the home consumer being the best customer might be a very good one, for in that case he would in fact be the only one. ”

“ Now I would venture to ask, what right have the agriculturists to say to the manufacturer, "Go you and compete with the foreign manufacturer, you are well able to do so, but we will not enter into competition with the foreign corn grower." ”

“ In the enterprize and capital of its merchants; in the intelligence of its people; in the ingenuity of its artizans; in its insular position; and last, though not least, in its coal beds, it possesses advantages beyond those possessed by any other nation. ”

“ The landed proprietors, who now refuse inquiry into the prayer of the manufacturer, can never hereafter venture to appeal to this House, in case (which I trust may never come to pass) they should again become subject to those difficulties which have heretofore led to so many discussions and inquiries both in this House and before Committees appointed for the purpose. ”