THE REACTION OF COMMERCE ON LANDED INTERESTS 541 
Tories!; but the opinion gained ground in favour of not A.D. 1689 
only protecting but of stimulating agriculture, and the ie 
desirability of granting a premium on export was suggested 
in 16832 This expedient was adopted in 1689, and a butby 
bounty was given on the export when the price ranged sy si 
below 48s?; this was continued, with suspensions in the of abort 
four famine years of 1698, 1709, 1740, 17574 The result 
of this measure was very remarkable; from this time on- 
wards corn was treated as a commodity to be grown for 
export. This policy was almost exclusively English®, but 
it had been pursued, at least occasionally, in this country 
since the agricultural depression of the fifteenth century®. 
The result which followed was twofold; first, the landed 
interest was so far relieved from loss by low prices, in the 
case of a plentiful harvest, that there was a distinct in- 
ducement to invest capital in the land; and secondly, by 
encouraging such extensive production of corn there was 
some security that the food supply of the people would 
not be deficient. By promoting the growth of corn, to serve and thus 
as a commodity for export in favourable seasons, a motive was The amaed 
brought into play for growing as much as would meet the {57.2 
home consumption in unfavourable years. The ulterior tazation. 
political aim’ of this measure was clear; it was intended 
to render agriculture more profitable, and so to bring about 
a rise of rents. By far the larger share of the taxation of 
the country fell on the landed gentry®. The Tories aimed 
at diverting this burden to other shoulders; but the Whigs 
schemed to foster the agricultural Interest, so that the 
1 R. Faber, Die Entstehung des Agrarschutzes in England, 111. 2 Ib. 113. 
8 William and Mary, 1. c. 12, An Act for the Encouraging the Exportation of 
Corn. As Faber points out, Dalrymple's assertion (Memoirs, pt. 11. 74) that the 
measure was passed in order to disarm Tory opposition to an increased Land Tax 
is not well founded. R. Faber, Die Entstehuny des Agrarschutzes, 112. 
¢ C. Smith, Three Tracts, 73. 
5 Faber, op. cit. 2. 6 Vol. 1. p. 447. 
7 The improvement of agriculture also afforded a commodity for export and 
increased the employment of shipping. N. Forster, Enquiry tnto the Causes of 
the present high price of Provisions (1767), p. 70. Dr Johnson, Considerations of 
the Corn Laws, in Works, v. 321. 
8 According to Locke this was inevitable in any scheme of taxation. Com. 
siderations of the Lowering of Interest, in Works, 1v. 57. See p. 426 above, also 
839 below.