Corn Laws

British  

plural noun

1. the laws introduced in Britain in 1804 to protect domestic farmers against foreign competition by the imposition of a heavy duty on foreign corn: repealed in 1846 See also Anti-Corn Law League

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Example Sentences

Both as a private activist and a member of Parliament, Cobden fought to repeal the onerous Corn Laws of 1846, which imposed tariffs on foreign goods that he proved redistributed wealth from the poorer and middle classes to the wealthy.

From Salon

The British politicians Richard Cobden and John Bright invoked it in the 19th century to repeal the protectionist Corn Laws, the tariffs and restrictions imposed on imported grains that shielded landowners from competition and stifled free trade.

From New York Times

Their heroes are the Liberal statesmen Richard Cobden and John Bright, who fought for the repeal of the corn laws, which imposed tariffs and restrictions on imported grains.

From The Guardian

When the corn laws were abolished, the cost of staple food tumbled; the price was a split in the Tory party.

From The Guardian

Two hundred years earlier, people were going hungry in Middleton after the government introduced the Corn Laws, which imposed tariffs on imported grain, turning bread into the preserve of the rich.

From The Guardian