1822: The Causes of Agricultural Distress

Abstract

At the close of the session of 1821 Liverpool’s administration had not succeeded in improving its image with either King or country. Still, the Prime Minister was determined to retain power, and he set about strengthening the government’s position in the Commons. Peel, who had resigned from Cabinet in 1818, returned as Secretary of State for the Home Department in November. Wellesley was offered and accepted Ireland in December. At the same time a rapprochement was effected with the followers of Lord Grenville who had been operating as a small splinter party independent of whigs and tories.¹

There is a party amongst us distinguished in what is called the Science of Political Economy, who wish to substitute the corn of Poland and Russia for our own … Their reasonings lie so much in abstract terms, their speculations deal so much by the gross, that they have the same insensibility about the sufferings of a people, that a General has respecting the loss of men wearied by his operations … Political economy is now the fashion; and the Farmers of England are likely, if they do not keep a good look out, to be the victims.

Lord John Russell

Morning Chronicle, 18 January 1822