PRICE OF CORN : APOLOGY FOR THE LANDOWNERS.
CONSCIOUS of the ugly aspect of the present high price of common food, the Corn-law advocates evince anxiety to discourage too free a handling of that tender topic. The Morning Post quotes and is vexed by the following truthful paragraph in last week's Spec- tator-
" This is a very important period of the year in reference both to agricultural and commercial prospects. We have seen cheering accounts of the growing crops, and statements of an opposite character. The generally fine weather of April and May has undoubtedly done much to counteract the deplorable consequences of a wet autumn; but much of the grain sown last year will never yield an average crop, and the spring-sown wheat must come late into the granary. These facts influence the market. Fine wheat sold in Mark Lane on Monday last for 79s. a quarter ; and that holders generally anticipate a short supply, appears from the tendency of prices to 'look up.' A month ago the price 'superfine' wheat was 74s. a quarter. Always bear in mind that the demand annually increases whatever the supply. There are half a million more stomachs to fill in 1840 than in 1839."
Our censor in the Post not only alleges that this statement is "biassed," but insinuates a dishonest motive in making it- " This statement is made under the head of a summary of the week's news. We think we have reason to complain that it gives a biassed, not to say a dis- honest, view of the matters touched upon in the paragraph. The prospects of the coming crop are generally very good. They are considerably better than the average prospects at this time of the year. It is very true that in our climate we cannot conclude from good prospects of the crop now that there will certainly be good results. The ripening, and the reaping, have yet to take place ; and without favourable weather for these processes, we cannot have an abundant crop. But for so far the promise is exceedingly good, and it is but fair so to regard it. To pronounce positively upon the result of the present season, is only for those who can tell positively what sort of weather we shall have for the next ten weeks. By the end of that time we shall know all about it.
" What sort of fairness is it to represent tine wheat as selling at 79s. the quarter, with a tendency of prices to look up, when, by refitrence to the market-news at the end of the same journal, we find that last market-day fine wheat was sold at from 64s. to 68s., and superfine from 70s. to 78s., while the average price for the week is set down at 67s. 10d.? Possibly sonic remarkable samples, for some special purpose, may have fetched 79s. the quarter; but the writer of the paragraph must have very well known that the wheat generally used for the food of the people was not within 12s. of that price."
With respect to the coming 'crop it is useless to bandy contra- diction : as the Miwning Post says, at the end of ten weeks "we shall know all about it." But in the meanwhile observe, that our contemporary is content with mere assertion of the " exceedingly good promise ;" whilst we could refer to the unpropitious sowing- season in autumn, and to the indications which the market affords, in support of the other theory.* And this brings us to prices. The Morning Post finds that in our summary of news we quoted the price of fine wheat on Monday the 15th at 79s., while in our own account of the market of Friday the 19th "superfine" was set down at 78s., and " fine " at front 64s. to 68s. : and then says our contemporary, " what sort of fair- ness" is this ? As to the words "fine" and "superfine," it is useless to quibble about them; for it is manifest that we intended to quote the highest price for the best quality in both cases. The Mark Lane report of Monday the 15th gave the highest price of wheat called " fine " at 79s. a quarter ; and on referring to our own tables a month ago, we found the price of the same quality-that is, the best, and in our nomenclature " superfine "-74s. True, 78s. was the price of Friday in our own tables of Friday, but the refer- ence was to the price of Monday. The Spectator's tables are cor- rected on Saturday morning, from the returns of Friday ; and the paragraph which forms the basis of the charge of unfairness was written previously. This, however is of small moment. It is of more consequence to ascertain what is really paid for the best wheat. The Morning Post wishes it to be believed that 79s. is a very • Yesterday, the reports of the growing crops, received in Mark Lane from the country, were not so favourable as they had been, and the market was rare and uncommon price, which " possibly" may be given for "some remarkable samples, for some special purpose." We can assure him, that were such the fact, no general conclusion should have been drawn from it in our columns. That it is a very com- mon price throughout the country for the best wheat, we shall prove by reference to reports of provincial markets, sill of them taken from papers received within the last ten days. The price of wheat of good quality at Haddington, 72s. to 78$.; at Wakefield, 68s. to 75s.; at Chester, 90s.; at Shrewsbury, 68s. to 80s.; at Worcester, GOs. to 80s. ; at Exeter, 72s. to 80s. ; at Reading, GOs. to 79s.; and for the Home Counties the Mark Lane price, as we have seen, varies from 688. to 79s.
In several places where the selling- price is not given in the re- turns, an advance is recorded,-munely, at Newcastle-upon-Tyne,
Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, and York. These are precisely the parts of the country where it is most desirable that fluid should be cheap.
Enough has been stated to refute the hypothesis that 708. is an uncommonly high price for wheat. As to the averages, it is well known that the vast quantity of bad corn brought to market de- presses them materially ; and, keeping this fact in view, we may safely conclude that when the average is only a fraction under 68s., the quantity sold at a much higher price is very large. When the present Corn-laws were enacted, 60s. was assumed to be a remu- nerating price ; yet now, when the average is 67s. 10(1., the protect- ing-duty is 18s. 8d. The Morning Post thinks nobody can be so simple as to forget that the demand annually increases because the population in- creases ; but the supporters of Corn-laws write and legislate as though the fact was not present to their minds- " The same truth, however, applies to every thing else as well as wheat. Every year there is a greater demand for iron, and tin, and lead, and soap, and leather : but we do not find that ironmasters, or the owners of mines of tin and lead, or soap-boilers, or carriers, are persecuted and abused because there are duties upon the importation of these things from abroad."
True ; but if the soap-boilers and carriers, having a monopoly like the landlords, were unable to meet an increasing demand for their commodities, their season of persecution would not be far off. The landholders cannot satisfy the demand for bread. We do not impute this to them as a crime, but charge them with an abuse of their predominant influence in the Legislature by preventing resort to foreign markets.
But, says the Post, the supply of food might easily be increased- " We cannot increase the limits of our soil, but we can most prodigiously in- crease the productiveness of our soil, and in so doing arrive at that grand desi- deratum, the employment of that which appears to be at present a redundant population.' rhere is not an acre of good ground in England which by supe- rior cultivation might not be made to produce a great deal more than it now does ; and there are millions of acres producing next to nettling, which the labour of men's hands would cause to produce more than enough of food for the labourers upon them."
Then why not introduce superior cultivation, employ the redun- dant population, and produce more food ? Why, forsooth, because " somehow or another," the " views" of the advocates of free
trade " do not take this direction !" Mr. ColIDEN can stop the Duke of NEWCASTLE from cultivating his waste ground or manuring
his corn-fields ? or perhaps the Free-trade party have the ascend- ancy in the Legislature, or are likely to acquire it before the land- owners have the opportunity of improving their estates or raising a sufficiency of wheat ?
The opponents of Corn-laws have never charged the lords of the soil with greater fhlly and indifference to their own and the country's welfare, than the Morning Post imputes to them- " But if the welfare and security of this country, and this people, were looked to-if the employment and comfort of our own labourers were, as it ought to be, the leading consideration with those who attend to matters of trade and domestic management-then would we see the improvement agriculture, and of our waste lands, steadily proceed."
" Still harping on my daughter." These tyrannical Free-trade men beat down the impotent landowners ! The landed aristocracy are snubbed and subdued by the Manchester men !-This is too absurd. The landed interest ride rough-shod over all other in- terests. They hold firm and undoubted sway in Parliament, and have been strong enough to maintain the Corn-laws during seasons of suffering, caused to a great extent by dearness of food. And now it is pretended that they cannot accomplish the benevolent designs of cultivating waste-lands and employing the labouring classes, because the views of those who call themselves `:,.1m- provers," and advocate free trade, "du not take that direction !- Oh, oh !
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