The 1906 caption reads: “SIR ROBERT PEEL INTRODUCING THE FREE-TRADE LAWS.—England became a free-trade country in Victoria's reign. The scarcity of food due to the high import duties laid upon it, and especially on corn, led to famines and riots, until at last the corn duties, and ultimately all duties upon all sorts of foodstuffs, were withdrawn. The picture preserves the important and historic moment [January 27, 1846] when the Prime Minister presented to Parliament his outline of the "corn laws" and thus pledged England to the principle of free trade.”

---

Size: 3465px × 5238px
Photo credit: © Ivy Close Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

Keywords: 1800s, 1840s, 1846, 19th, century, corn, country, england, english, famine, free, introduces, ireland, irish, laws, parliament, peel, queen, robert, sir, trade, victoria