with the food of the people. He could English monopolist agents, that nearly one-half of only speak, from his own experience of the 70,000, tons imported into the United States Scotland, of the benefit derived from in 1853 was carried in British ships. To accept a charter from that house, while other freights guano, though, he believed, it had been are good, is a kind of last resort, there being attended with similar results in England. many fine British vessels now lying at the Chincha He would beg to read the following ex- Islands, worth 20,000l., which have been kept tracts from the Journal of the Royal Agri- lying there for 80 days and upwards and can't get loaded-the arrangements are so absurdly restriccultural Society of England, on farming tive. A scarcity of shipping is therefore no sufin East Lothian :ficient plea for the present short supply. Had the 30,000 tons of British shipping which carried their cargoes to the United States been encouraged to come home, as they naturally would have preferred, and if the ships chartered for England received proper despatch in loading, we should have had at present an abundant supply. There seems a general conviction that the effective mode of dealing with this question would be to send out from the British Government some confidential officer in their service on a special mission to Peru. The opportunity should be embraced while that Government is in a transition state; and such an officer, on the spot, and communicating direct with the Peruvian Government, would be able to get beyond the circle of dishonest interposition, and so might succeed in convincing that nation of the enormous loss they sustain by a system which limits the sale of their guano and multiplies restrictions on the trade for the mere object of private gain."

"The acreable produce of this county has been greatly increased from two causes, thorough drainage and application of guano; without its aid, manure for the breadth of land growing root crops could not have been obtained. The average produce of wheat, from the two causes combined, would have been raised not less than eight bushels an acre. If ten were named it would not exceed the real increase. Barley and oats have been increased at least twelve or fourteen bushels; beans by eight bushels an acre."

The following was a statement by Mr. Brodie, a gentleman well known to all connected with East Lothian :

"The amount spent on guano in this country is very considerable; there are several farmers who purchase guano annually to the extent of 1,000, and 400l. to 600l. is a common expenditure. The produce of the county has been greatly increased since the introduction of guano. Mr. J. Brodie is of opinion that guano has increased the average quantity of the wheat crop seven bushels

an acre.

He would now read a calculation made by a gentleman whom the House would regard with all respect and consideration as an authority on this subject. The calculation he had alluded to was made by Mr. Caird, and was to the following effect:

"Taking the annual imports at 150,000 tons, the value of guano to this country may be reckoned equal to an annual increase, beyond the natural produce, of 10,000,000 bushels of wheat, more than the whole wheat produce of Scotland." The President of the United States in his Address declared that measures had been taken to secure a more abundant supply of guano for that country. This showed the importance that Government attached to this subject, and he trusted that Her Majesty's Government would also take such steps as would enable the agriculturists of this country to procure a more easy and abundant supply of guano than they at present are enabled to do. He would now beg to read an extract from a letter written on this subject by one who had devoted to it much of his time and attention. said:

He

"Perhaps nothing could show more strongly the disadvantage to all parties in this country of the system in which the trade is at present conducted than the fact that, so great are the annoyances to which shipowners are subjected by the

"Copies or extracts of any correspondence which the Government have had with the Peru

vian Government, on the subject of the importation of guano."

MR. CARDWELL: Sir, I have only to say, with respect to the Motion of the hon. and gallant Member, that the papers he has moved for shall be laid upon the table. Far be it from me to differ from the arguments in favour of free trade which the hon. Gentleman has addressed to the Government of Peru, and I hope, when that Government comes to see that these arguments fall from Gentlemen on both sides of the House, they will attach more importance to them. Our desire is that those arguments favourable to free importation may have their due weight with the Peruvian Government, and that those advantages may be more fully secured which the hon. and gallant Gentleman shows have

ley) should perhaps have left this question | nion that the building of taverns and pubto the Commissioners, as had been done by lic-houses within the market would be a the Coal Tax Committee, in the hope that nuisance; and that all that was necesthey would report in reference to the tax sary in the way of taverns would spring up on coals in such a manner as to prevent in the neighbourhood, and that the only the Corporation having any further control buildings within the market should be over those funds; but it happened that the the branch banks and other offices for Commissioners had no power to report as the transaction of business. Mr. Taylor to what was to be done with the meat mar- also said that in the seventy-eight acres ket, and his object now was, that the Home which had been purchased, there would be Secretary might do something to put a stop space for a hide market. Now there to any evasion of the Act. Well, Mr. Tay- was no necessity for a hide market to be lor stated in his evidence with regard to near the meat market. Mr. Taylor calcuthe meat market, that under the sanction lated that the produce of the market to the of Mr. Secretary Walpole, the Corpora- Corporation would be 14.000l. a year on tion had purchased the largest quantity an expenditure of 300,000l. Looking to of land they could obtain, and afterwards, under the sanction of the noble Lord the Home Secretary (Lord Palmerston) had tried to obtain more, but had not been successful. Mr. Taylor then proceeded to inform the Commission how it was proposed to apportion this land, stating that the model on the table" showed a space of fifteen acres allotted for bullocks and sheep, the present market being only six acres and a half." Now he maintained that it was impossible, at the present rate of supply, to put the animals into the space allotted for them except by the greatest cruelty and injury to the animals, and consequently at the expense of a great waste of food; but how could it be expected that these gentlemen, who it was proved before the Lords' Committee did not know the size of a short-horn, should be able to make the proper arrangements in a case of this nature? It was worthy of remark that the Corporation had purchased the land at Copenhagen Fields at a much cheaper rate than otherwise they could have done in consequence of its not being bought as building land; but now when they had got possession of the land they were about erecting on it taverns and public-houses. He (Sir J. Shelley) was sorry to see that one of the Commissioners-Mr. Cornewall Lewis-had said to Mr. Taylor, that it was impossible the Corporation could have done more than they had," which would tend very much to encourage the Corporation in their proceedings, who never went out of their way to do anything for the pub-market worthy of the metropolis should lic good. Mr. Taylor was delighted with be obtained. The noble Lord the Home this, and went on to say, that it was pro- Secretary had so often acted in a manner posed to erect "taverns and public-houses conducive to the public welfare, that it was on the ground, which would be very valu- only necessary to point the matter out to able; and that on the land which the Cor- him; and he could assure the noble Lord poration had stated was only intended for and his Under Secretary that the public pens and stalls. The trade were of opi- looked to them for protection against the

the increased consumption of meat, and the facilities of transit projected by railroads into the market, and the improvement in agriculture and breeding, there must be an enormous increase of animals, for which it would be necessary to provide space. Mr. Taylor afterwards stated "that in course of time it was proposed to erect a deadmeat market in Smithfield, Newgate market being a great nuisance.' It seemed extraordinary that such an attempt should be made in the teeth of the provisions of the Act of Parliament, and that a deadmeat market was to be established in Smithfield; but it turned out that if Smithfield was not used as a market, it reverted to the Crown, and the Corporation would lose the site unless by some dodge they retained it; and this they proposed to do by depriving the metropolis of that space which would afford air, health and exercise to the inhabitants. He (Sir J. Shelley) thought it his duty to bring this matter before the House, in order that it might be seen, that if the evidence of the Chairman of the Markets' Committee was correct, it was the intention of the Corporation to commit a breach of faith, and to elude the provisions of the Smithfield Removal Act. The public looked to the Home Secretary to exercise the power given him by the 39th section of the Act, and it was desirable that the noble Lord's attention should be directed to the matter before the proposed taverns and public houses were erected, so that a

Corporation of London. He would there- observations which had been made by the fore beg to move forhon. Baronet the Member for Westminster. "Copies of any Correspondence which may With regard, however, to the charge have passed between the Government and the made by the hon. Baronet that the CorpoCorporation of the City, in reference to the pro-ration were ignorant of the size of a shortviding a dead-meat Market in conjunction with a horned beast, and could form no idea of live-stock Market at the new Market in Copen- what accommodation to provide for them, hagen Fields." he would only refer the hon. Baronet to the Report of the Commissioners, in which he would find the testimony of Sir Harry Verney, the breeder of one of the largest short-horned beasts ever known, and Mr. William Miles, a name not unknown in agriculture, where the plan of the Corporation was spoken of in the highest terms, as being most convenient, and conceived in a comprehensive and liberal spirit. The hon. Baronet blamed the Corporation for not having undertaken the duty of removing the market, except at the last moment which was allowed them, and then only to serve their own purpose. He (Mr. S. Wortley) was willing to take upon himself any blame which could attach to this transaction, for he had advised the Corporation to undertake the responsibility as a public duty, feeling that, on the whole, the Corporation had been well treated by Parliament; and, though many of the Corporation were of opinion that they could not carry it out without loss, yet the task was undertaken on public grounds only, and for the benefit of the public. With regard to the evidence of Mr. Taylor, at present it was but a newspaper report, since the official evidence was not yet printed, and, consequently, was not the kind of evidence that House was in the habit of proceeding upon. Now the real state of the facts was simply this:-The Committee of the Corporation, looking to the suggestions and recommendations of the Commissioners on the subject, had desired the City architect to make a plan and estimate for the erection of a meat market upon the old site of Smithfield. If that plan were adopted by the Committee, it would have to be reported to the general body representing the Corporation of London-the Common Council, and there discussed and decided upon before any further proceedings could be taken on it. If, in the meantime, it should be found that any such proceeding was inconsistent with the Act of Parliament, of course, that would materially affect any decision upon the subject, and the greatest respect and deference would undoubtedly be paid to any suggestion or intimation which might be made by the Government on it.

MR. FITZROY said, that the document on which the hon. Baronet had founded the greater part of his speech being at present only an ex parte statement laid before the Commissioners, now sitting to inquire into the state of the Corporation, was not one upon which any legislative proceedings could be founded in that House. To obtain such a force it must be accepted by the Commissioners, and incorporated by them as evidence in their Report. There was no man, he was bound to say, who was better acquainted with the whole question of the removal of Smithfield market than Mr. Cornewall Lewis, and certainly any observation which might have fallen from him was worthy of attention, for the House was aware of the active part he had taken in carrying the Bill through the House. There could be no objection to the production of the correspondence desired by the hon. Baronet, though he must warn him that the answer would be nil, since no correspondence on the subject had taken place between the Home Department and the Commissioners. It appeared, however, that no meat market could be established by the Corporation until the situation of it had been approved of by the Secretary of State for the Home Department. The site of Copenhagenfields had been approved of by the Secretary of State for a cattle market; but, so far as he was aware, no application had been made to the Home Department with regard to the sanctioning of a site for a meat market. Therefore, if there was any plan in contemplation of turning what was the site of Smithfield into a meat market, it would have to be laid before the Secretary of State for the Home Department for approbation, and the promoters of it would have to show that the public interest would be benefited thereby before they could carry it out.

MR. STUART WORTLEY said, that as the Corporation of London was at present passing through a most searching inquiry beforo a Commission, as to its constitution, and the personal character of its body, he did not consider it worth his while to answer the greater part of the