Page:Speech of Sir Hussey Vivian, Bart. M.P. on the Corn Laws, Thursday March 14, 1839.djvu/16

12 Such, Sir, being my opinions, I should be glad to see the commerce of this country governed in accordance with them; and I know no reason whatever why any exception should be made in favour of that article, the subject of our immediate consideration; on the contrary, seeing the extent to which the price of corn must necessarily affect the value of every other article, the produce of the industry of man—seeing the extent to which our manufacturers are engaged in competing with those of other nations in the foreign markets, and, consequently, how incumbent it is upon us to enable them to enter into this competition on the most favourable terms possible—I cannot but think we are imperatively called upon to consider whether without prejudice to the interests of the agriculturist, and I may add, with advantage even to those very interests, laws, the effect of which is to raise to the labouring classes the price of the first necessary of life, and, by so doing, in a very great degree to deprive our manufacturers of the benefit of those other peculiar advantages with which Providence has so bountifully supplied us, may not be altered and amended; but to any alteration in the Corn Laws, it appears that by very far the largest portion of our agriculturists object; they fear to compete with the grower of foreign corn, whilst they cannot but be sensible that the British manufacturers must enter