1804.] Qn Drill Husbandry, Hoeing,&c. 85

adopted as willnot only-Secure the British agriculturist against too great an importation of corn from countries where it can generally be afforded at about one balf of the price ne“ 035ary in this country, but open(by means of bounties) advantage- ous channels for exporting our Surplus corn in plentiful sea- 5008. Inzstead of this, however, what measures are now pur- Sued? why Sir, with a most abundant quantity of corn on "hand all our ports are open for importation, while exporta- tion is prohibited, and this too at a tine when a great part of our own produce cannot be converted into money. Thus is the dispirited farmer reduced to the necessity of Supporting a most enormous head vf expences forrents, labour, taxes,&C. and to Struggle against unprecidented difficulties, with corn in general considerably too low, and much of it unsaleable!! And thus is British agriculture, the Source of our population, opulence, and real strength, repressed, and that of foreign countries encouraged! I am decidedly of opinion with Lord Shbeffield-- that our agriculture will never be sSufficiently ex- tended, nor the country Secured against the dreadtul effects of dearth, till the prices at which foreign corn 1s admitted by our corn-laws, be considerably increased, and these laws enforced. So great however, is the preponderance ofthe com- mercial interest, that I am not 80 Sanguine as P. J. and am apprehensive that effectual remedies will not be applied. Por the incessant cry of our manufacturers and merchants 1s, that unless proviSions be continued at a low price, they cannot Support a competition against foreigners in foreign markets. A few facts, however, are worth ten thousand speculative opinions, and I beg leave to ask these gentlemen at what period of history the trade of this kingdom fourished so greatly as for the last 5 or 6 years, and whether, at any other period, pfoviSions were at So high a price.--Within that pe- riod these necessary articles were raised to an enormous price, in consequence ot two of the most unpropitious Seasons(and not by war as has been erroneously stated) ever remembered, yet within that 3pace of time it cannot be denied that our ex- Ports increased millions upon millions beyond their amount at any former period, and that this vast increase was not owing to colonial but to Britich goods.--1 am no advocate for very high prices of corn, all I wish for 18 a price ade- quate 10 the increased expences of the farmer, without which, our agriculture will Janguish, the rents of land will decline, oar industry"and frügality, and consequently our trade, will diminish, movey will become as Scarce as in the American war, when the price of proviSions were l0w, tbe arm of gov- ernnent will be weakened, and the British empire will cease to be the bulwark“"of“ the world. Bat Sir,[I feel that 1 am