Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

none but English failors: however, to keep things quiet, he paid them all their wages, and put a bit of money over and above into their pockets. The old cabal, who had been before fo infolent and faucy, and were always jawing at WILL and his comrades, now began to fing another tune, and pretended they would help WILL if he would let them ftand at the helm. WILL told them, he knew their tricks; that they were a parcel of rafcals, and they fhould not touch the helm with a little finger. He then fet to work in order to get the fhip to rights. He fent every where for provifions; for the crew had been a good while at short allowance. He filled up the crew to its fulleft complement, but took care to have none but English failors. He patched up as well as he could the damages done to the mafts and the rigging, and ordered fome of the men to fcrape the filth from the fhip's fides; intending, as foon as he got her into harbour, to give her a thorough fcrubbing, and to new-fheath her bottom. But here the roguery of the old clan was found out. The fellows that had been ufed to be employed in paying her fides and bottom, had at every turn picked fomething out of the fhip. Sometimes they pocketted a few nails; at another time they would rip off a piece of plank, and then they fmeared the defect over with tallow fo that when the fhip came to be examined, it was found that fhe was fcarce able to fwim. This made a great uproar in the fhip; and the clan thinking themselves undone, and finding that WILL was obftinate in his refolutions to bring them to juftice, they got into the Captain's cabin in the night, and began to terrify him with ftories, that WILL was run mad; that inftead of going about among the crew, and drinking flip with one, and giving a dram or a chaw of tobacco to another, to keep them in humour, which they infifted was the only bufinefs of a pilot, he employed his whole time in manning and repairing the fhip, in giving orders to the under-officers, or in making obfervations on the ship's courfe. Nay, they complained he spent two or three hours

every night a ftar-gazing. Befides, they faid WILL was eaten up with the gout [75. and xviii. 608.]: and how could a fellow with fwelled legs know how to guide the helm? The Captain, they fay, never loved WILL; as he was u fually about his business in the ship, inftead of attending to make his court in the cabin, which the others did day and night. Thefe ftories made an impreffion on the Captain. Befides, he had a vast opinion of the Lafcars, and thought they were the only failors in the world, and he did not approve WILL's refolution never to enter any more of them on the fhip's books. But as WILL was the idol of the crew, and they were all con. vinced that he had now put them into the right courfe, it was not safe to turn him down from the helm ; and therefore they tried once more to prevail on him to let in fome of the old clan. But WILL was obftinate. He told the Captain very civilly, that he had took to the helm when the fhip was just aground, and the other fellows had deferted it; that he had put the fhip into the right course, and brought her into fmooth water; that whenever it was the Captain's pleafure, he would go from the helm, and do what he could to prevent any mutiny on the occafion; but the fhip would never go right, if, when he was pulling the helm a-weather, the Captain should let another fellow stand by him and push it a-lee.

The Captain loves the old clan, and does not like WILL. The old clan are defperate, and are refolved, rather than fail, to tofs him overboard, The crew fwear, that if they touch a hair of his head, fome folks shall smart for it. But we are all in an uproar for though WILL has put our crazy fhip into a good fighting condition, and ftopped her leaks; we are just now alarmed with the Captain's refolution to turn WILL off, and to fet fome ftrange fellows to command, who we fear are infenfible or regardless of our danger, and ready to refume the bad meafures of the old cabal ; and perhaps take out half of our crew, and fend them to man another ship of the Captain's in the Lascar country.

A

T

A fummary of what has been lately wrote with regard to the high price of grain. HE prefent unhappy fituation of G. Britain with regard to the high price of grain of all kinds, has given occafion to a great number of papers. In fome of which it is endeavoured to be proved, that the scarcity is rather an artificial than a real one; and remedies have been propofed in this view. On the other hand, it has been argued, that the scarcity is entirely owing to the failure of laft crop; and a variety of methods have been fuggefted in order to make this fatality lefs feverely felt. A fummary of what has been wrote upon both fides, may be useful to the public. A pamphlet was laft winter published in England; in which the author main tains, That the high prices of grain are entirely owing to a combination of the farmers, and millers, or corn-factors; that they contract for large quantities, not exposed to market, as the law directs; that the poor are prevented from purchafing corn unground; that the farmers find it their intereft to fell wholesale to the millers, who can give a higher price for wheat, becaufe they do not use above two thirds of the lowes priced wheat, in what is called fackflour, by which means the poor have no opportunity to purchafe. He likewife maintains, that the greater price the miller pays for his wheat, the greater advantage he has from the difpofal of his meal and he computes, that a dextrous miller, while wheat is at the prefent price, may gain 40 per cent.; and if he has fix returns in the year, may increase his capital 240 per cent. per annum.The remedies he propofes are, That no corn above a quantity to be fpecified, should be fold but in open market, and none by famples; that dreffing-mills be abolished, or at least be fubjected to the infpection of parish officers, and clerks of the market; that corn-factors be not allowed to buy till the poor are supplied; that they fhall not be allowed to put large quantities of grain into their ftorehouses without a permit from a magiftrate.

VOL. XIX.

Another English writer imputes the high prices to the fame caufe, viz. the farmers and dealers keeping back corns from the market; and, 2. to the confumption by the diftillery; and propofes as a remedy, that the imbargo on exportation [xviii. 567.] fhould be continued, and that the use of wheat and unmalted grain in diftilling should be prohibited till September next. It is computed, that 445,000 quarters of unmalted corn is annually used in distilling, which is a lofs of 140,000 1. yearly to the revenue. It is averred, that distillers do not confine themselves to the worst kind of grain, but make use of the beft; and that hogs fattened by distillers wath are not fo wholefome a food for the navy, as those which are fed with corn even of the worst kind.

In a paper printed here in January last, (Obfervations on the grievances, &c.), it is argued, That the increase of agriculture occafioned by the bounty, has been fo great, that it is impoffible to believe an unfavourable feafon alone can produce a great fcarcity; that it will require a very bad season to destroy the furplus; and that in most parts of the country the crop 1756 was middling; that therefore the extreme high prices which now prevail, must be imputed to the practice of ingroffing corn; and for proof of this the royal proclamation [xviii. 561.] is mentioned; that the ingroffers not only keep up their grain, but add to their stocks every day, by purchafing even in small quantities from the farmers; that corn from the farmer to the confumer is no proper object of commerce, efpecially in times of dearth, becaufe the price muft be raised by the number of hands it paffes through; that the ingroffers are now the only fellers in the country, and have thereby the command of the market. The remedies propofed by this author are, An inquiry, into the conduct of the corn-dealers: 2. That the laws to prevent ingroffing may be reviewed, and the execution of them made more certain and effectual.

A letter is published in the General Evening Post of Feb. 15. in which it is faid, that in all the villages in Qxford

E e

hire,

of wheat untouched, and which they with-held from market. The remedy propofed is, either that a law should be made, obliging every farmer to bring out his wheat for fale at a fixed reafon able price, and that an affize should be fixed for the farmer as well as for the baker; or, 2. that an act should pass, laying a duty of 2 s. 6 d. per bushel on all wheat found on hand at Lammas next, unless the owner can produce a certificate of its having been offered to fale in fome market for 7 s. per bufhel, and refused.

In a late pamphlet published here, (A letter to the Lord Provoft), the laws of France with regard to the corn-trade are referred to, as published in a late book, (Dictionary of commerce). Corn is there a contraband commodity, and cannot be exported without permiffion; and even the inland trade of corn is put under restrictions: combinations among merchants are punished by a fine, and incapacity: no corn can be purchased in the field before it is reaped; no meal can be bought by dealers within ten leagues of Paris: dealers are obliged to register their bills of parcels as foon as their grain arrives; and if fpoiled, muft fell it in the boat,

fhire, the farmers had then large ricks Another writer infifts, That many of the propofals made for lowering the price of grain, though well intended, would do more harm than good; that a combination between the growers and corn dealers is not the principal caufe of the high prices, but the failure of laft crop; that the cold wet weather laft May, blafted both wheat and barley, and occafioned the price of corn to rife then very fuddenly. -That the remedy proposed, of ordering all corn to be fold in market, and not by famples, is not required by law, and would be attended with very bad confequences. The acts 5° & 6° Edw. VI. only provide, that no perfon fhall buy corn coming to market, or diffuade those whe are coming, otherwise he shall be deemed a foreftaller. 2. That no perfon buy to fell again within four miles, otherwise to be deemed a regrater. 3. That no perfon fhall go about buying to fell again, otherwife be deemed an ingroffer. But that every one, notwithstanding this law, is at liberty to buy for his own use without coming to market. That if the contrary should take place, a baker in a village where there was no market, might be obliged to hire a team, to fetch corn fix or eight miles, through impaffable roads, which perhaps his next neighbour had carried the fame road to fell; and a village might be ftarved in the midst of plenty, because they could not carry their corn to and from market, on account of the roads, in the depth of winter: That the price would be thus increafed, and not lowered; and it would coft to a day-labourer one day out of fix, to provide himself at market, when he might be provided by his next neighbour. That it is impoffible to make any regulation as to the quantity which each farmer fhould be obliged to fell weekly ; and if all were forced into market at once, it would occafion a glut for a time, but a greater fcarcity afterwards. That it is impoffible to fix the price of grain by a general standard of the whole kingdom, without the pernicious confequences of interrupting the free circulation of grain from the plentiful to the scarce counties. The remedies propofed

On the other hand, it has been argued, That the present scarcity has been occafioned by the univerfal failure of laft year's crop; that in many places of England laft harvest was not one half the ufual bulk, and the apparent bulk did not produce more than half the former quantity; that the fmallness of the grain this year is a complaint all over the nation; that fome farmers who ufed to fell thirty quarters wheat and thirty quarters barley, can fell this year none of the one, and very little of the other; that the farmers in general are not to blame, but rather to be pitied; that, befides their bad crops, their sheep are rotten, and fervants wages exceffive high. The remedy propofed is, That gentlemen of fortune fhould raise a fund by fubfcription, in order to buy corn for the ufe of the poor, to be given to them, either at prime cost," or gratis.

are,

are, 1. That exportation, which has occafioned so great an increase of agriculture, should now be stopped for a limited time. 2. That diftilling fhould be prohibited. 3. That importation fhould be encouraged. 4. That roots and other garden-ftuff fhould be raised, especially fuch as come in before har veft; that carrots fowed in fpring will be eatable three months before harveft, and potatoes ready long before corn. [52.] In a paper (Obfervations on the prefent high prices of corn) printed laft January here, it is mentioned, That the crop 1755 was fo fcanty, that very little old grain remained on the approach of laft harveft: That the feafon 1756, from its beginning, was unfavourable; much land remained unfown, and much was fown in bad condition; the whole fummer and harveft was cold and rainy; much grain was deftroyed by the rains and winds, and what remained was in general not fully ripened; fo that, up on the whole, we have not had in Britain fo bad a crop thefe thirty years paft; and that the greatest part of the north continent of Europe has fuffered almoft equally. That notwithstanding the prohibition to export, the prices continued to rife. That the proclamation against forestallers and ingroffers, had a contrary effect from what was intended: That these laws can only be applied, in found policy, with regard to the neighbourhood of great cities; but that the west part of our island, though extremely populous, produces little grain, and in the best years requires to be fupplied from the eaft coaft. This renders traffick in corn abfolutely neceffary at all times, but chiefly during times of fcarcity: but this trade cannot be carried on without acting contrary to the letter of the old ftatutes against foreftalling and ingroff ing. That the late proclamation occafioned riots in the plentiful counties, which prevented the furplus corns from being carried thence to thofe places where it was wanted. That the inland commerce of corn ought to be made as free as poffible, that fo the produce of laft crop may be equally diffufed over the kingdom. But that this alone would

not be fufficient. Quantity was wanted; and if this could be obtained, no art could keep up the price of grain but no other method could effectually reduce the prices. In order to this it is propofed, that diftilling from wheat fhould be prohibited for a time, and that the duties on importation fhould be fufpended while the prices continue high; it is averred, that the wheat confumed by diftilling in England would maintain 500,000 perfons for a year, which is a greater number than are fed upon wheat from York northwards; and it is contended, that if the aforementioned methods fhould not prove fufficient, diftilling ought to be totally prohibited, and even malting, or that a bounty upon importation for a limited time ought to be granted.

In another paper printed here, (Memorial for the royal boroughs of Scotland), the fame caufes are affigned for the prefent fcarcity, and the fame remedies are propofed. It is further mentioned, That though all poffible methods fhould be taken to increase the quantity of grain; yet care should also be taken to prevent any unneceffary confumption of foreign grain, that fo no more money than is abfolutely neceffary may be fent abroad; that therefore all obftructions to the diffufing the prefent grain in the country equally to all parts, fhould be removed; particularly that the riotous practices of the mob, which only tend to inhance the price to the populous counties, by increafing the risk and charge of the corn-merchant, fhould be prevented; that the old injudicious laws 5° and 6" Edw. VI. and 5° Elif. againft foreftalling and ingroffing, were indeed mitigated by an act 15° Car. II. cap. 7. § 4• whereby all perfons are allowed to buy in open market, and lay up in granaries, in order to fell again, all kinds of grain, when the prices at market do not exceed per quarter the fums therein specified, viz. wheat 48 s. rye 32 s. barley or malt 28 s. oats 13 s. 4 d. buck wheat 28 s. peafe and beans 32 s. but that this correctory law is imperfect; because though wheat and barley feldom or never reach the prices fpecified, yet oats

E e 2

are

are generally above 13 s. 4 d. per quarter, by which all commerce in that article still stands prohibited; and the juftices in Northumberland and Durham have taken advantage of this, in order to prevent the exportation of their furplus oats. A further obftruction is mentioned in the commerce of British corn, viz. that of exacting coaft cockets and bonds for all corn carried coaftwife. The rife of this cuftom was, that before the reign of K. William the exportation of corn was not encouraged, but on the contrary a duty on exportation was payable. In order to fecure this duty, it was neceffary that bonds should be granted for the landing of corn fhipped in order to be carried coaftwife, otherwife fuch cargoes might be carried abroad without paying duty. But now that the exportation of corn is encouraged by a bounty, these cockets and bonds are altogether unneceffary and abfurd; and accordingly the city of London was relieved from this by act 1° Anne, cap. 26.

It is mentioned in a paper published in England, after many arguments in favour of the general principle of giving a bounty on exportation, That popular licentioufnefs, aided by private craft, have confpired to raise the price of bread higher at present than it would have rifen by the real scarcity; that till the infurrections in the neighbourhood of War wick [xviii. 409.] foon after laft harveft, no want of corn was apprehended either in the eaftern or fouthern counties of this kingdom; but as foon as the alarm was fpread, the farmers every where grew watchful, prices rofe by degrees, and the appearance of want produced the effects of real fcarcity. This writer maintains, That the revival and enforcing of old laws against foreftalling and regrating would rather contribute to ftarve than to feed great numbers of poor in many places; that the establishing an affize of corn, as of bread, is impracticable; because the price of corn depends on the varieties of feafons and the quantity produced in this ifland and in neighbouring countries, whereas the price of bread depends only upon the price of corn. In order to prevent the riots and

tumults ufual in times of fcarcity, it is propofed, that such riots should be made felony; that the expence of the profecution fhould be paid out of the countyftock; and that the damage done to the proprietor of the corn fhould be paid by the hundred or district, allowing the diftrict relief against the county in case of conviction. In order to increase the quantity of grain in future times, it is proposed, that no tenant shall be kept from ploughing above an eighth or a tenth of his farm, provided he do not till more during the latter half of his tack than during the first; and it is averred, that the tendency of landlords to make conditions against tillage in their leafes, arifes from the bad husbandry of tenants, who generally thereby exhauft the lands; whereas it is certain, from the experience of Norfolk, that, by a proper fucceffion of crops, land may be kept perpetually in tillage without being exhausted.

In another English paper arguments are used for prohibiting diftilling, not only on account of the prefent scarcity, but because of the pernicious effects of fpirituous liquors and the evidence taken at the bar of the house of Commons in the year 1750 is recited; by which it appeared, that the number of patients in the London hospitals had increased between 1704 and 1718, from 5612 to 8189, i. e. fomewhat above one fourth in fourteen years; between 1718 and 1734, from 8189 to 12,710, or 13,000, i. e. above one third in fixteen years; but between 1734 and 1749, from 13,000 to 38,147, i. e. near three times the number in fifteen years; and the great increase in the latter period was. attributed chiefly to this caufe, that the poor, in place of buying bread, lived almoft entirely upon gin, and eat very little and it appeared, that one houfe in feven from the Hermitage to Bell wharf, was a gin-fhop; that there were about 16,000 houfes in the city of Lon don, and about 1050 licences granted yearly to victuallers, which was about one houfe in fifteen; that there were about 17,000 houfes in Weftminster, of which 1300 were licenfed, and gco un

licenfed

« ZurückWeiter »