In the immense and increasing amount of our IMPORTS, however, the Free-traders may indeed see, as in a mirror, the real and inevitable result of their measures. Their amount for this year is of course not yet known; although, from the returns already procured, it is certain that they will greatly exceed the level of last year, which reached £94,000,000. In all probability they will considerably exceed £100,000,000. Indeed, in the single article of grain, the excess of 1849 over 1848, since the one shilling duty began in February, has been so great as much to exceed in value the augmentation which has taken place in our exports.[25] The importation of grain in the first eight months of 1849 has been more than double what it was in the corresponding period of 1848, and that in the face of a fine harvest, and prices throughout the whole period varying from forty-five to forty-one shillings a quarter of wheat. The importation at these low prices has settled down to a regular average of about 1,200,000 quarters of all sorts of grain a-month, or between fourteen and fifteen millions of all sorts of grain in a year. This is just a _fourth of the annual subsistence_, estimated in all sorts of grain at 60,000,000 of quarters. This immense proportion free trade has already caused to be derived from foreign supplies, though it has only been three years in operation, and the nominal duties only came into operation in February last. [25] In the eight months up to the 5th of September 1849, the quantities of foreign food taken out for home consumption have been-- Foreign wheat, 3,387,596 qrs. Foreign flour, 2,956,878 cwt. Foreign barley, 1,018,858 qrs. Foreign oats, 869,077 " Foreign rye, 219,810 " Maize, 1,735,778 qrs. Foreign bacon, 349,727 cwt. Salted beef, 119,867 " Salted pork, 306,400 " Eggs, (number) 73,605,759 All these amounts are largely, and the most important of them _very_ largely, in advance of the imports of the first eight months of 1848. Abstract of grain imported in quarters in seven months of free trade-- Wheat, 3,387,596 qrs. Flour, (2,956,878 cwt.,) 985,293 " Barley, 1,018,858 " Oats, 869,077 " Rye, 219,810 qrs. Maize, 1,735,778 " --------- In eight months, } seven of free trade,} 8,216,412 qrs.