THE LANDED INTEREST AND THE CORN LAWS 731
for the population’. In years of scarcity a comparatively AD. 1776
small deficiency in the crop immediately caused a startling
rise in price. Encouraged by these rates, farmers would break
up more ground and take crops on a larger area, but a year
or two of lower prices would soon compel them to give up steady agri
: . cultura
the task of trying to grow wheat, except on their better land ; improve-
the uncultivated area was often left wild, without any attempt ™"*
at laying down pasture. The most serious of these variations
of price occurred just after the conclusion of the war. In
January 1816, notwithstanding the protective legislation,
wheat was selling at 52s. 6d.}; owing to a deficient harvest
in 1816, not so much in our own country as abroad, the price
rose very rapidly, and in June 1817 stood at 117s.%. Similar
startling fluctuations characterised the end of the period, and
rendered the farmer's business a constant speculation in
which hundreds were ruined?
Under these circumstances it was true that only a section
of the landed interest, the proprietors and the tithe-owners,
gained by the continuance of the traditional policy with
regard to corn, while the mischievous consequences of the
dearness of bread were felt by consumers in all classes. The
uncertainty and scarcity in regard to food, which had been
temporarily introduced by the war, continued to cause n-
creasing distress. No substantial difference was made by
the sliding scale of 18284, which permitted foreign corn to be
imported and warehoused, on the payment of duties, if it was
sold for consumption at home. Some relaxation was indeed
allowed in the famine year of 1828, but on the whole the
system of protection was strictly maintained, but with more and
more hesitation?, till it was at length abandoned in 1846°.
i The Committee of 1821 belived that enough wheat was grown for the
requirements of the country, Report from Select Committee to whom the several
Petitions complaining of the depressed state of agriculture were referred (Report,
ste., 1821, 1x. 9); while that of 1833 recognised that we were dependent on foreign
supplies * in years of ordinary production.” Ib. 1833, v. 5.
- Tooke, 11. p. 4. 2 Tooke, 11. 18.
3 One Parliamentary Committee after another reported on the state of the
agricultural interest. In 1821 it was shown that there had been many failures
among the farmers in Dorsetshire in the preceding years. Reports, 1821, Ix. 138.
+ 9 Geo. IV. c. 60.
5 Sir R. Peel's sliding scale in 1842 was quite an inadequate reform.
3 9 and 10 Vict. ec. 22.
