The commonplace topic of the weather is at this season
a sub- ject of great moment. The Legislature having in its wisdom thrown the country on her own precarious resources for the supply of the principal article of food, the changes of the wind and the fluctuations of the barometer become the regulators of prices in our markets and speculations on the Stock Exchange. The wea- ther during a great part of the year differed materially front its usual variable character. In the early spring, we were deluged with continued rains, which threatened to wash the growing corn from the ground : this was succeeded by weeks of sunshine and drying winds, which threatened as much damage from drought. The continued dry weather did, in fact, considerably injure and stills the growth of crops on light soils. The subsequent weather was variable until the harvest commenced ; but the expectation of at least an average return was general. The average prices of wheat kept advancing from February till May ; when they began to decline, and so continued till the beginning of the present month. Since then, however, the average price has advanced ; and not- withstanding the favourable reports of' the harvest, the corn- averages of last week were higher than at any period of the year.
An outcry has been raised in consequence of a letter front Mr. IIsununy, one of the Members for South Lincolnshire, mentioning that " several large houses in the corn-trade have combined and subscribed to make forced purchases for the purpose of reducing the duty." This fraudulent practice, though now noticed as a new case of atrocity among corn-speculators, is, we believe, of frequent occurrence. It shows that the present Corn-laws, bad as they are in principle, are rendered still worse in practice by the facilities they afford for roguery.
