In twenty-six years, from 1730 to 1755, there had been only one unfavour able season, but from 1765 to 1775 there was a very frequent recurrence of unfa vourable years, and the last five years of this period were all of this character. In 1766 the quartern loaf was selling in London at ls. 6d. ; addresses were sent up from various parts of the country com plaining of general distress ; and a pro clamation was issued suspending exporta tion, and for enforcing the laws against forestallers and regraters. Exportation was suspended also in the following year, and also in 1770 and 1771. In 1772 im portation was allowed duty-free to the 1st of May, 1773 ; and in this latter year the city of London offered a bounty of 4s. per quarter for 20,000 quarters of wheat, to be imported between March and June. The average prices of wheat had risen from 29s. 2id. in the ten years ending 1751, to 51s. for the ten years ending 1774, being an advance of 75 per cent. The excess of exports over imports from 1742 to 1751 had been 4,700,509 quarters of wheat, and, including all kinds of grain, 8,869,190 quarters, but from 1766 to 1775 there was an excess of imports to the ex tent of 1,363,149 quarters of wheat and 3,782,734 of corn and grain of all kinds. The old corn-law of 1689, under which a bounty on exportation had been granted, was now become a dead letter in conse quence of the high range of prices in the home market.
After the peace of 1763 population rapidly advanced with the growth of trade and manufactures. In the reign of George 1. there bad only been sixteen enclosure acts passed ; in the succeeding reign there were 226 ; but the number of such acts from 1760 to 1772 inclusive amounted to 585.
Several acts were passed in the period between 1689 and 1773 relating to the mode of ascertaining the average prices of corn and grain. In one of them, passed in 1729, the preamble states that the justices of the peace had " neglected to settle the price of corn at their quarter sessions after Michaelmas last, and to re turn certificates thereof to the chief officer and collector of the customs residing in the respective ports where the said corn or grain has been or may be imported ; by means whereof the said officers were at a loss how to charge the customs and duty due for such corn ; which has been, and may be, a great loss to the revenue, and a detriment to the farmers and fair traders." To remedy the negligence of the gentry, the collectors of customs were empowered to settle the averages.
lu 1732 another act was passed " for the better ascertaining the common prices of middling English corn and grain, and for preventing the fraudulent importation of corn and grain." After 1st June, 1732, the justices of the peace, in coun ties which contained ports of importation, were to charge the grand jury at quarter sessions to make inquiry and presentment upon oath of the common market-prices, which were to be certified to the officers at the ports specified. The averages
were, however, only to be taken four times a year.
In 1766 the authorities of the city of London were empowered to settle the price of middling English corn and grain in January and July, in addition to the former periods of April and October.
It was not until 1770 that returns of prices were directed to be made weekly. In that year an act was passed, on the ground that a " resister of the prices at which corn is sold in the several counties of Great Britain will be of public and general advantage." The justices of the peace were to order returns to be made weekly of the prices of British corn and grain from such towns in each county as they thought proper; the number of towns selected in each county not being more than six nor less than two. The Treasury was to appoint a receiver of corn returns, who was to publish an abstract of the weekly returns in the ' London Gazette,' and four times a year certify to the clerks of the peace the prices which were respectively prevalent in each county.
In 1772 an act was passed (12 Geo. III. c. 71) which removed several re strictions in old statutes on the ground that, " by preventing a free trade in the said commodities [corn, flour, cattle, &c.j, they hare a tendency to discou rage the growth and enhance the price of the same, which statutes, put into execution, would bring great distress on the inhabitants of many parts of the kingdom." III.—From 1773 to 1791.
In the preamble of the Corn Act of 1773 (13 Geo. III. c. 43) it is acknowledged that previous laws had greatly tended to the advancement of tillage and navigation, but that, on account of the small supplies on hand and scanty crops, it had been frequently necessary to suspend the ope ration of the laws ; and that a permanent law on the corn-trade " would afford en couragement to the farmer, be the means of increasing the growth of that necessary commodity, and of affording a cheaper and more constant supply to the poor." And the act then fixes the following scale of duties, to come into operation on the 1st of January, 1774 .—Whenever the price of middling British wheat, at ports of importation, was at or above 48s. per quarter, a duty of only 6d. per quarter was to be taken on all foreign wheat im ported during the continuance of that price. Wheu the price was at or above 44s., exportation and the bounty together were to cease ; and the carrying of Bri tish grain coastwise ceased also. Under this act, corn and grain might be shipped to Ireland when exportation was prohi bited from that country. Foreign corn warehoused under bond in twenty-five ports of Great Britain mentioned in the act might be re-exported duty free.