HOUSE OF COMMONS
THURSDAY.—Petitions were presented, praying for protection of the British Farmers, against Foreign Corn, and for protection against Foreign Flour; from farmers near Petersfield, and from farmers near Fareham, by Mr. Fleming, praying also that the average on which duty was to be paid, might be taken on the prices of six weeks and not of one.
On this Petition being presented,
Sir T. Lethbridge wished to know what was determined (if anything was yet determined) as to the mode of taking averages; whether the duty was to be on the average of several weeks or of one only?
Mr C. Grant said the duty would be on the average price of the week the Corn was imported. Many persons who were well acquainted with the trade had expressed their approbation of that mode, in preference to taking an average of several weeks.
Mr Secretary Peel understood the question to have been left in this state at the last discussion. An Hon. Friend of his had pressed for having the averages on the month, and not on one week. The question was considered to be open for consideration, and it had been attentively examined by His Right Hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade, who thought that the weekly average would be less liable to the operations of fraud than any other.