CORN-LAWS and CORN-TRADE. The history of the corn-laws and corn trade in this country may be conveniently divided into several periods.
Period 1.—From Early Times to 1688.
A statute of the thirteenth century, sup posed to be of the date of 51 Henry III. (1266-7), shows that the average prices of wheat and other grain had become an ob ject of attention. In 1360 the exportation of corn was prohibited by statute (34 Edw. III. c. 20). In 1393 corn might be export ed by the king's subjects "to what parts that please them," except to the king's ene mies. " Nevertheless," it is added" the king wills that his council may restrain the said passage when they shall think best for the profit of the realm." (17 Rio. II. c. 7.) This act was confirmed in 1425 (4 Hen. VI. o. 5). Sufficient grain was raised in England to admit of export ation, but it was the policy of that age to endeavour to retain within the kingdom all those things which were indispensable to its wants, rather than by permitting freedom of export and import to trust to the operation of the commercial principle for an adequate supply.
In 1436 the exportation of wheat was allowed without the king's licence when the price per quarter at the place of ship ment was 6s. Sd. or under. In the preamble of the statute (15 Hen. VI. c. 2) restrictions on exportation are loudly complained of: " for cause whereof farmers and other men, which use manurement of their land, may not sell their corn but of a bare price, to the great damage of all the realm;' and the remedy provided is a freer mission to export the surplus—a regula tion which is intended for the profit of the whole realm, but "especially for the coun ties adjoining to the sea." In 1441 this statute was continued (20 Hen. VI. e. 6), and in it was rendered perpetual (23 Hen. VI. c. 5).
Nearly thirty years after the statute of 1436 occurs the first law to prevent a supply of foreign grain. In the preamble of a statute (3 Edw. IV. c. 2), which was passed in 1463, it is remarked that, " Whereas the labourers and occu piers of husbandry within this realm be daily grievously endamaged by bringing of corn out of other lands and parts into this realm when corn of the growing of this realm is at a low price ;" in remedy of which it was enacted that wheat should not be imported unless the price at the place of import exceeded 6s. 8d. per quarter. By the act of 1463, so
long as the price of wheat was below 68. 8d. per quarter, exportation was per mitted, and importation was prohibited. The price, therefore, was intended to be sustained at that height ; and the benefit of the corn-grower was the sole object of the statute. But in 1474 (eleven years after the statute 3 Edw. IV. c. 2 was passed) we have the authority of the Paston Letters in proof of the suffering experienced from the want of a market for the superabund ant supply of grain. Margaret Pastan, writing to her son on the 29th of Jan. 1474, after quoting the very low price of corn and grain, says—" There is none out load (export) suffered to go out of this country as yet ; the king bath commanded that there should none go out of this laud. I fear me we shall have right a strange world: God amend it when his will is?' In a letter written in the following year she makes the same complaints about low prices and the scarcity of money. (` Paston Letters,' ii. 91-93. Edit. by A. Ramsay.) In 1533-4 an end was put to the system of exportation which had been esta blished in 1463, and, with some occa sional exceptions, had continued from that time ; and thenceforth it was forbid den to export corn and provisions without the king's licence. The statute enacted for this purpose was intended to keep down prices, though the preamble sets out with the rational observation that, " forasmuch as dearth, scarcity, good cheap [good market), and plenty [of vic tual]. happeneth, riseth, and chanceth, of so many and divers reasons that it is very hard and difficult to put any certain prices to any such things." It however ended by enacting that, on complaint being made of high prices, they shall be regulated by the lords of the council, and made known by proclamation ; and that farmers and others shall sell their commodities at the prices thus fixed.