bject, that less than 80s. or 90s. would not
remunerate the grower, and that if the price fell under these rates, the
wheat soils would be thrown out of cultivation. Prices, however, fell,
and though they have fallen to one half, land has not been thrown out of
cultivation. Various modifications have since been made in the scale of
duties, but always with a view to arrest the falling prices in their
downward course; but all these legislative attempts have been in vain;
and so far as the farmer trusted to them, they have only misled him by
holding out expectations that have not been realized.

But though the corn laws failed in keeping up the price of corn as high
as their framers and supporters wished, they succeeded so far as to
enhance the price of this first necessary of life, and make it perhaps
20 or 30 per cent. dearer than it otherwise would have been to all the
consumers, even the poorest tradesman or labourer in the country.

If the difference which the agriculturists were enabled, by this
monopoly, to obtain at the expense of the other classes, had all been
pure gain, without any drawback, they must have been in a comparatively
flourishing condition; but we find this is not the case, and what is the
reason? Let us hear Sir Robert Peel's answer to the question. In his
speech in parliament on Mr Villiers's motion, when replying to the
accusations that had been made by Mr Blackstone and other members on his
own side of the house, that he had deceived the agriculturists, as the
Government measures, instead of affording them the protection that was
promised, had brought down prices and rendered their situation worse
than before, Sir Robert says, it was not the Government measures that
had brought down prices and occasioned the agricultural distress, but
that this arose from the _condition of the manufacturing districts, and
the general distress from bad trade and want of employment, which
rendered the people unable to consume_.

If this, then, is the true cause of the agricultural distress,--if the
corn, sugar, and other monopolies are so injurious to the manufacturing
and commercial classes, who are the agriculturists' best, and, indeed,
their only customers, as to render them unable to consume, it is not to
class legislation that we can look for relief. In order to relieve the
agricultural distress there is no other way than to relieve the distress
of those on whom they depend for a market for their productions.