THE REPEAL.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 6, Issue 243, 13 October 1915, Page 6

THE REPEAL.

In IS2S, Lord Wellington introduced a sliding scalo to amend tho Corn Laws; but its effect was negligible. Tho evil remained, and in 1838 the formation of the Anti-Corn Law League and tha growing activities of Cobticn and Bright presaged tho downfall of tho system of protection. The agitation grew- yearly in strength and persistency, and in loss than ten years had. attained its object. Fiom 1811 Sir Robert Peel was in power, and proceeded gradually with tariff reforms, removing all prohibitions oi import and reducing duties on raw materials, and manufactiiiies, inidfitcadily cutting down tho number of tariff items. An amended sliding scalo in 18-12 had, however, littlo success. In 1815 a crisis was forced by a' series of bad crops, culminating iv a potato famine in Ireland, and starvation stared tho peasantry in the face. Peel's hands wuro forced, and after a great deaf of political intrigue, ho was able, iv 18-16, to carry tho Repeal of tho Corn Laws by the aid of opposition votes, and so wreck his party. At tho same timo tho other forms of protection wero. jettisoned. In 18-10 iho foreign trade, and in 1834 the coastal trade, were thrown open to all shipping and the Navigation Acts were abandoned. In IS-1S tho preferential duties-on colonial sugar and timber wero also abolished.

It was left for Gladstone, in 18.33 and 18u'0, to complete tho ■ movement sweeping away all unproductive duties, all differential duties and practically all duties ou foods aud manufactures. Tho -number of tariff items- which in 1842 wa.s ovor 1000, was in 1803 466, in. 1859 419, and in 1860 48 of which only fifteen wero revenue producing. Of'lato years the list has been still further reduced.