tailed inquiry respecting the various causes which may have concurred in producing it. Your Committee conceive that, by so doing, they shall best execute the intentions of the House, which has already shown, by its proceedings, that it considers the deficiency of the stock of grain at the commencement of the late harvest, and the high price which now prevails, as sufficient inducements for adopting, without loss of time, the most obvious remedies. With this view, laws have already been brought forward for encouraging the importation of grain; for empowering his majesty to prohibit the exportation of every article of provision; for permitting the importation thereof free from duty; for prohibit ing all distillation from grain, and the use of wheat in starch; for permitting the barley which was damaged by wet to be made into malt, without being steeped during the time now required by law; for allowing sugar to be used instead of malt in the brewery; and for lowering the duty upon the importation of hops. that the general result of the returns made by each description of persons is nearly the same; that result is strongly confirmed, upon the whole, by the information of members from almost every part of England, founded upon their local inquiries, observation and correspondence. Whether the average is struck from the statements of the crop in the several counties, without regard to their size, population, or productiveness, or by throwing them into different classes with a view to those important points, still the general conclusion is not materially affected. Your Committee have not had the same means of inquiry respecting the produce of Scotland; but their information, as far as it reaches, is by no means less favourable. Your Committee, therefore, think themselves justified in taking this general result as a sufficient ground for those opinions and measures which they propose to submit, without delay, to the judgment of the House. There appears upon the whole of this information reason to believe that the general deYour Committee were confirmed in their ficiency of the crop of wheat, in England and opinion of the propriety of this order of pro- Wales, below an average crop, does not ceeding by considering that no minute inquiry amount to quite so much as one-fourth and into the state of the crop, or the stock now in that the crops of barley and oats (though by hand, could be made without great delay; even no means uniformly good) have been very supposing that any mode had been suggested for productive in many of those counties from conducting such an inquiry, which afforded a which the principal supply is ordinarily furreasonable prospect of sufficient accuracy in nished; and, therefore, that the produce of the result, and which would not be attended the kingdom, in those articles, cannot upon with great, if not insurmountable objections the whole, be considered as materially inferior in the execution. Your Committee also see to an average crop. It is also probable, that, no ground for believing that any result attain- in forming an average under such circumable by the most detailed inquiry, could lead stances as the present, where the harvest has to any practical conclusion, applicable to the been so uncommonly various in different dispresent emergency. At the same time, having tricts, and even in different parts of the same many documents before them, which could district, greater weight may have been given be examined without much delay, and which, to instances of deficiency than to those of checked by the very extensive information of abundance, and that the produce is more members from different parts of the country, likely to be stated below than above the truth. appeared likely to enable them to form a ge- It is also very material to observe, that, by all neral estimate of the crop, your Committee the accounts, there is reason to think that the have thought it right to avail themselves of quality of every description of grain, is, upon those materials for that purpose. These do- the whole, greatly superior to that of the last cuments consist of very numerous returns to year; and that, therefore, the increased quanthose inquiries which different departments tity and superior quality of flour to be derived of government have directed to be made, by from a given quantity of grain, may be exthe receivers of the land tax; by the various pected to compensate, in some degree for the officers employed under the boards of taxes, deficiency of the produce below the average stamps, and excise; and by those amongst estimated by the acre. The accounts of the the clergy to whom circular letters for that stock in hand furnished by these returns, are purpose had been addressed by the bishops in necessarily more uncertain; they are, in some each diocese. Though the returns are not degree, various; but they do not, upon the complete from every county, yet the omissions whole, furnish any ground for doubting the upon the whole are neither numerous nor im- prevailing opinion, confirmed by the general portant. information of the members who have attended your Committee, that the stock of British corn at the harvest was reduced far below its usual amount, and was in most places nearly, in many absolutely exhausted. Your Committee are sensible that, upon the accuracy of accounts of this nature, taken separately, no positive reliance can be placed, or at least that the weight to be given to them must vary in each instance according to the opinion entertained of the diligence and information of the persons by whom they are made. Your Committee observe, however, In addition to what has been stated respecting the produce of the crop and the stock in hand, it is to be observed, with a view to the state of the markets in the time which been received from other parts, yet it is stated that little reliance is to be placed upon them, as they have only become less favourable since the deficiency of the crop in this country has been the subject of speculation abroad: all otheir grain (except rye) has been uncommonly abundant on most parts of the continent of Europe. The harvest in America, both of wheat and rice has been unusually plentiful. The indemnifying bounty now proposed to be given, is considered by those importers whom your Committee have examined, as much more satisfactory than what was granted in the last session, and as likely to afford still more effectual encouragement. has elapsed since the harvest, that the farmers, during that period, have had a double demand to supply out of the new crop, for consumption and for seed, and this at a season when most of their hands were employed in the ordinary labours of the field. The quantity of grain used for seed corn is generally estimated at about six weeks consumption; and the increase of this quantity in the present year, from much more land being sown with wheat than usual, during a season particularly favourable (though it gives an encouraging prospect of future plenty), must have added, for the time, to the difficulty of furnishing sufficient supplies for the market, and thereby have contributed to increase the temporary distress. This unusual demand for wheat, and other circumstances also peculiar to the season, have contributed in many places, to delay the threshing out barley and oats, and may have had a similar temporary effect on the price of these articles. It appears to your Committee, that these circumstances might be expected to have produced a very high price at this season, even if the late harvest had been abundant: that the degree in which it has been deficient, must naturally have added to such prices, whether with or without the concurrence of any other causes, the existence and effects of which your committee propose to investigate in a further stage of their proceedings. Your Committee, therefore, think it may reasonably be expected, that the price, produced in some degree by temporary circumstances, will, when those circumstances have ceased to operate, experience a reduction; especially when it is generally known, that on the result, of all the information that has been collected from every part of the kingdom, there is no ground to suppose that the deficiency in the crop below the usual average is greater than what your Committee have already stated; and when it is also seen to how considerable an extent we may confidently expect that deficiency to be remedied, by the double operation of importation and economy. With respect to the former of these objects your Committee observe, that within twelve months, from 26th September 1799 to 27th September 1800, there have been imported into Great Britain no less than 1,261,932 quarters of wheat and flower, 67,988 of barley, 479,320 of oats, and 300,693 cwt. of rice. This happened under the unfavourable circumstances of a harvest abroad uncommonly deficient in quality, and not abundant in quantity, and of the late period of the season, when the bounty was granted by parliament. It has been stated to your Committee, by several of the principal importers of corn, that the wheat of the present year, in the North of Europe, is by all accounts far superior in quality to that of last year: in Germany it is represented as abundant; and though some lessfavourable accounts of later dates have There seems, therefore, no reason to doubt, as far as depends upon the state of the harvest abroad, and the probable exertions of foreign and British importers, that the supply may be fully equal to that of last year in wheat and flower, and in oats and rice will considerably exceed it; and that in other articles to which encouragement may now be extended, particularly in barley and Indian corn a large additional supply may be expected. Amongst these, your Committee wish particularly to direct the attention of the House; and the country, to the article of rice. The quantity of food to be derived from equal quantities of rice and of wheat, is, in a very great proportion, in favour of the former: the quality of this species of grain is undoubtedly excellent; and wherever it has been introduced, it appears to have been highly acceptable. The encouragement now held out to the importation of it, will probably bring into Great Britain all that can be spared from every part of America; and considerable supplies may be expected from our East India possessions, in consequence of orders sent over-land in August and September, and of the liberal terms which parliament, with the concurrence of the East India company, appears disposed to grant to adventurers now fitting out ships from hence. Of the remaining stock of the preceding harvest of rice in America, some will arrive before Christmas, in consequence of orders already given; and the produce of the last crop may begin to reach this country in January and the succeeding months. The supply from the East Indies will undoubtedly be later, but may be expected in part at a period of the summer when it must be eminently useful, and the remainder previous to the time when the harvest of 1801, according to the ordinary course of things, can be brought into general use. There are also other articles of wholesome food, to which the attention of your committee has been directed; and they entertain considerable hopes, that arrangements may be made, by which large quantities of fish and other salted provisions, may be added to the supply of the market, at such reasonable rates as may afford a material source of relief. Your Committee mean to proceed immedi ately in this part of their inquiry, and will as early as possible state the result to the House. The stoppage of the distilleries in England, at this early season, will prove equivalent to the importation of at least 250,000 quarters of barley. In Scotland, it is stated as likely to be productive of a saving of the same article to a still greater amount; and the prohibition of the use of wheat in starch may save about 40,000 quarters. By these measures large quantities of grain are left applicable to the food of man, which have not in other years been so employed; and your Committee have therefore thought proper to class them under the same head with importation. Your Committee think themselves authorised to place a considerable reliance upon the effect of the various measures above referred to, in increasing the general supply. Of these the encouragement offered by parliament for the importation of foreign grain is undoubtedly the most important; but whatever expectations may be reasonably formed of the great extent to which that encouragement, combined with the high price in this country, may carry it, your Committee think it their duty to state their decided opinion, and to endeavour to impress that opinion, in the strongest manner, upon the House, that it would be unwise and unsafe to place their sole reliance upon resources of this description. Allowing for the probability that the accounts before stated respecting the produce of the last harvest may be rather below than above the truth, yet the exhausted state of the old stock, and the unusually early period at which the late crop came into consumption, make it not only highly advisable, but indispensably necessary, as the most effectual means of securing an adequate supply at a reasonable rate, to have recourse to the greatest economy, in every part of the country, in the use of those articles of grain upon which the subsistence of each respective district principally depends. to whom it might be addressed, for carrying it into execution in their respective neighbourhoods. The general adoption of such a measure, by diminishing the consumption of grain, and particularly of wheat, amongst those who are able to procure other articles of food, would leave, for the use of those who are unable to procure them, a larger proportion of what is necessary for their support; by decreasing the demand, the price would probably be reduced; and it may well be expected, from the past conduct of the more opulent classes, that much of what might be saved by the reduction of their own consumption, would be applied to the relief of their indigent neighbours. Your Committee, having thus suggested the means by which they conceive that a great reduction in the consumption of corn, and particularly of wheat, may be produced by the practice of economy among a large proportion of the community, proceed to call the attention of the House to another measure, by which a similar effect may be produced, to a great extent, among the laborious classes, without in any degree diminishing their necessary subsistence; for which, on the contrary, it is the great object of the plans proposed effectually to provide. It is evident that, under the present high price, a very large proportion of the poorer classes derive, from parish relief, a considerable part of the subsistence necessary for their families: extraordinary relief under such circumstances, to a great amount, is indispensable; and it is hoped that it has been generally extended through most parts of the kingdom, on the most liberal principle, in due proportion to the extra cost of food, to the number of a family, the quantity necessary for their subsistence, and the fair amount of their earnings. But it is evident, that if the whole of this relief is given in money, it will be applied to the purchase of bread to the usual amount, and will thereby counteract that economy which it is so essential, for the interest of the poor particularly, to introduce. It seems therefore of the utmost importance to provide, that as large a portion as possible of this relief should be given, neither in motiey, nor in the sort of bread usually consumed in each parish, but in some other wholesome substìtute, such as your Committee have before enumerated. They have indeed the satisfaction of knowing, that this practice, through the voluntary attention of magistrates, has already prevailed in many instances; and that wherever it has been adopted, its conse Your Committee entertain the strongest expectation, that a recommendation from the highest authority, pointing out the advantages which would be derived, under the present circumstances, from the general practice of economy and frugality in these articles, could not fail to produce extensive and beneficial effects. In order to give the greatest weight and solemnity to such a recommendation, your Committee submit to the House, whether it may not be proper to desire the concurrence of the other House of Parliament in an humble address to his majesty, request-quences have been most beneficial; but, ing that his majesty would be graciously pleased to issue a proclamation for this purpose. The effect of such a proclamation might undoubtedly be extended by the universal circulation which might be given to it, through the magistracy and clergy, in every district and in every parish; and associations might be entered into, by every description of persons partly from want of sufficient authority in the magistrates for this particular purpose, partly from the use of the substitutes being less generally known than at present, and from the supply of them not being as abundant as may now be expected, the practice has been less general than the interest of the country requires. Your Committee, however, are aware cessary consumption of their own families. On all these grounds, your Committee venture earnestly to recommend this measure to the early and favourable consideration of the House. Your Committee have thus submitted, to the wisdom of the House, those measures which appear to them to claim the most immediate attention with a view to relief. They have, upon the whole, the satisfaction of being persuaded, after a deliberate review of the deficiency in the supply (arising both from the exhausted state of the stock of the former harvest, and the partial failure of the last crop), compared with the various resources which have been already pointed out, that, if the measures of economy which they have so strongly recommended are generally adopted, the saving thereby produced, together with the extensive supply expected from abroad, will be fully sufficient to compensate for such deficiency, and to provide for the necessary demand of the year. Amongst the subjects which press upon the consideration of your Committee, is the state of the law respecting the commerce of grain. It is evidently a matter of the greatest delicacy and difficulty; and your Committee think they cannot better discharge their duty, than by taking it up in the temper recommended to parliament, by that part of his majesty's speech which has been referred to them by the House. that these measures may not even now be indiscriminately applicable to every parish; from local circumstances it may be at first difficult to procure the necessary articles in sufficient quantity, or it may require some time to introduce them into general use. Your Committee therefore do not wish that a peremptory rule should be laid down, without exception, for the conduct of the magistrates in all cases in carrying into effect the general principle here stated; but they conceive, that, wherever the exception is made, the grounds of it should be specially stated and allowed; and that in all other cases the rule should be enforced. For this purpose, they would recommend that an act should be passed, requiring the magistrates of each district, within a certain time, to take into consideration the circun.stances of each parish, and, at the application of the overseers, or at their own discretion, to make an order for giving a certain portion of relief in articles to be fixed, and to direct the application of so much of the rates as may be necessary for providing such articles; or if they shall be satisfied that circumstances will not then admit of such articles being provided, that they shall state their reasons, and report them to a special sessions to be directed by the act to meet for that purpose that the magistrates assembled at such sessions shall make such order thereupon as they shall think fit, either authorizing further delay in the execution of the measure, if they shall be satisfied that the circumstances justify and require it; or if not, directing it to be enforced in such manner as they shall judge expedient. The first advantage to be procured by this measure evidently is, that of rendering the supply more equal to the necessary demand; but this advantage, though the greatest, is not the only one: the labourer, by receiving the proportion of relief in some other article than bread corn, will receive the benefit of the reduction of price, which the diminished consumption must tend to produce, in purchasing cheaper what he provides out of his own earnings, and will be less dependent on the parish for his subsistence. Every description of persons paying to the poor rates, (particularly the least opulent housekeepers, who feel the most heavily the increased burthen of that rate, and the addition to their own necessary expenses from the present high price of provisions), will be materially benefited in three ways: first, in the diminution of the rate, from a large proportion of the relief being given in articles cheaper than bread, on the price of which the relief, if given wholly in money, must be calculated: secondly, in a diminution in the amount of that part of the relief which may still be given in money, corresponding to the reduction which, as before stated, the measure has a tendency to produce in the article of bread: thirdly, in the immediate effect of such a reduction of price (as far as it may take place) in diminishing the expense of the ne. [VOL. XXXV.] In their further proceedings, your Committee will give their most earnest attention to the discussion of every proposal which has for its object the relief of the present pressure, or the prevention (as far as possible) of its recurrence; and will submit, from time to time, to the judgment of the House, whatever appears to them most likely to attain those desirable ends. Further Proceedings of the Commons relative to the High Price of Provisions.] Nov. 24. The House being in a Committee on the Importation of Corn, &c. resolved, 1. "That there be given on every cwt. of rice which shall be imported into the port of London, in any ship which shall have cleared out from any port in the East Indies before the 1st of September 1801, and which shall be sold at the East India Company's sales, a bounty equal to the sum by which the actual price of each cwt. of such rice so sold shall be less than 35s. 2. That there be given on every quarter of Indian corn or maize, weighing 408 lbs., which shall be imported into Great Britain before the 1st of October 1801, a bounty equal to the sum by which the average price in London, published in the Gazette in the third week after the im[3 E] portation of such Indian corn or maize, to be circulated through every part of the shall be less than 55s." Nov. 26. The House having resolved itself into a Committee of the whole House, to take into consideration the First Report of the Committee on the High Price of Provisions, Mr. Ryder said, as he was persuaded the said report had been much read and considered, it would be unnecessary for him to say much, in order to induce the House to adopt the measures recommended by the committee. It must be evident, notwithstanding the sanguine expectations entertained, of our being as sisted by considerable supplies from abroad, and by the other measures which had been suggested, that further measures should be taken, in order that the supply of the country might become adequate to its wants. For his own part, he should have been happy if what the committee had proposed by way of recommendation, could, with propriety, have been effected by legislative provision, in order to enforce a measure so important to the subsistence of the people. At the same time, it might well be expected, that a recommendation coming from the highest authority, and enforced by the two Houses of parliament, would have nearly the same effect. He trusted that such an appeal would induce us to vie with each other in seconding his majesty's recommendation. It was proposed by the committee that the recommendation in question should be made by way of an address to his majesty, from the two Houses. He then moved, "That an humble Address be presented to his majesty, representing to his majesty, that, having taken into consideration the difficulties experienced by his majesty's subjects in consequence of the present high price of corn, and being persuaded that the prevention of all unnecessary consumption of the same will furnish one of the surest and most effectual means of alleviating the present pressure, and of providing for the necessary demands of the year, we do most humbly request his majesty, that he will be graciously pleased to issue his royal proclamation, recommending, in the strongest ranner, to all such persons as have the means of procuring other articles of food, the greatest economy and frugality in the use of every species of grain; and that his majesty will cause such proclamation kingdom, in such manner as shall appear to his majesty's wisdom best calculated to produce, to the greatest extent, those beneficial consequences which must result from carrying into full effect his majesty's injunctions on a point so important to the subsistence of his people." Mr. Ryder said, he had another motion to propose in the name of the committee, with a view to provide for the better subsistence of the poor. He then moved, "That leave be given to bring in a bill for making better provision for the maintenance of the poor, and for diminishing the consumption of bread corn, by directing the manner of applying parish relief, for a time to be limited.' The resolu tions were agreed to; after which, the House being resumed, the chairman moved them accordingly. Mr. Wilberforce Bird agreed with the hon. member as to the necessity of the measures recommended. But yet he was persuaded that they would not answer the expectations of the country at large, who were filled with the hope of some effectual measure of relief for the distress under which it laboured. With the measures recommended, he was clear the people would not be satisfied; for when that report should go abroad, when it should reach that populous manufacturing city which he had the honour to represent, the people there would meet it by a direct contradiction; for they had hoped to participate in the blessings of a most abundant harvest, and would feel, under the pressure of an artificial dearth in the necessaries of life, that the great evils to which alone it could be attributed, monopoly and extortion, were still uninterrupted by any check from parliamentary interference. But even supposing that the late crop was deficient one-fourth of the usual produce for the support of the country, this could not justify an advance of above one third in the price; nor could it justify the very exorbitant increase upon the prices of barley and oats, the crops of which were admitted to be unusually abundant. The people would not be satisfied with the measures now brought forward. In times such as the present, something ought to be done effectually for their relief. The settlement of a maximum on the price of corn was an idea that he had by no means relinquished, and he should take another opportu nity of giving his opinion on the subject. |