The Sun. — London, England, 1841-04-05 00:00:00

EV[4:N IN G EDITION IthB1!:LS IN THE CHURCH. YORK. —On Thursday th Archbisilo 's Visitltion ..e p.. /'4,Berfnued In t h e Mi nster , pursuan t t o a dj ourn ment. r ll'ao was absent, but 'Tiromas Terrell, E'q., ' lstt ''''' - lawi of London, appeared as his advocate. ratter the names were called over, u l t. TERREL stated that he appeared on behalf of mean, .13 „, 4 HILLIMoitE said the Dean was in contempt, and tv,oo-one could b e h ear d for h i m unt il h e b a d purge d his 41: I~P' promising obedience to the Ordinary. ...111.47 IEattELL was anxious to show that he (the Corn at)) had no power under his commission to enter into 'th...etquestion of simony, or to put the Dean in contempt. PRILLImoRE said he had done so, and he could 14trev ertedecision. He then stated that he had Am La , " a a sufficient opportunity of conferring with the lrt ' t tir on th e sever & subjects which had been brought f t " r e him, and, c o n se quently, he adjourned the Court oni the following day, at eleven, when he said he s ucald be prepared with his decision. FRIDAY, APRIL 2. tr e .his forenoon this visitation was continued in the ''s,-siaStical Court at the Cathedral. Duri ng the morning the following not i ce was poste d 0 t he south door of the ;Minster : f j°3 ePh Phillimore, Doctor of Laws, Regius Pro of Civil Law in the University of Oxford, and iiilvocate of :he Court of Arches ; Commissary for the p r P L "ie of heldirg a Viiitation of the Most Reverend Z tu i l r in God, Edward, by Divine Providence, Lord D o - R cuuis hop of York, Primate of England and Metro• t .t a". Whereas you, the Very Reverend Wro. Cock- Doctor in Divinity, Dean of the Cathedral and t2ropr2litan Church of St. Peter of York, on the 23d da Match l a st, pending the proceedings of the said it:t . a non, have been pronounced contumacious and 4 6 - "telnpt, an d h a v e continued ever since wilfully to if You, self from the same. We, therefore, in virtue t A " b e t, authority conferred upon us by the said Lord i 'llop, the Visitor, as Commissary, do by these pre -1491.""41 Perempt or ily monish you, the said Very Reverend dp,411. Cockburn, to appear before us in the said Cathe u.::4 and Metropolitan Church, in the place wherein the p -I , 4 t l7 .,wi!otion was this day holden, at the hour of half to%e'even in the forenoon of to-morrow, then and there t t ,', u rge yourself from the said contempt, and to return th e lawful obedience of the Ordinary, on pain of punishment. Given under the seal of the yed Lord Archbishop, the first day of April, in the f our Lord one thousand eight hundred and f° ° l tiler th e name of the Dean bad been called over, tid e e G nlttissary ordered the Apparitor to call him out ' s t P lid r . e. Jackson, the Apperitor, then called the Dean Dean, h o wever, appeared, and, after a long discus tli!'nore di so rderly than any that has yet occurred at i.O botist m ee ting, Dr. Plidlitnnre gave his judgment, tl llel) . was to the effect, that the Dean was deprived of ifi his offices and emoluments. The judgment was frio a * ards repeated with great solemnity by the Arch °P in the Chapter-house. WESTMINSTER DISCO UNT, LOAN AND INVESTMENT SOCIETY. b u ° Saturday a public meeting of the Proprietors and 4: d b loture-h o ld er s of the Westminster Discount, Loan, , t oeestment Society was held at their o ffi cer, No. t e4 .., B uckingham- street , Strand, for the purpose of lie t ;" ; u eriag the expediency of converting the Institu- N,,,,t0 a Joint Stock Company. At the hour bp -0,;:° for taking the Chair (when the Board-room wes el i „" (1 ), the Secretary read a letter from the ir r alan of the Company, Mr. Cornelius O'Brien P t he effect that he regretted to be unable to ? ,to leondon to attend the meet in g , but havin g l o ad the t ae b R ep ert of the Managers, which was submitted Boa t e - ropeietes on this occasion, he considered it I' satisfacto r y. He was gratified at the continued Peeity of the Inst i tution, and he h;grily approved of Proposed formation of a Joint Stock Company. Caosse was then voted to the Chair. - "R e SRearrame read letters from the Honourable te e - Pig and Mr. Bridgeman, M.P. , e x p ressin g warm ti i ; t °batio n of the management, and a deep interest in ti th P r osperity of the Society, which they considered fi c i i i"Y advantageous to the Proprietors, and bene. it to the industrious classes ; but they at the same l et 5 apologised for unavoidable absence. A similar Il o j, from Sir Robe - rt Dugdale (dated from La te l ," ll e, the 03d of March) was read, in :which he et e Zts his debenture from the present Society, to be a ° CHAIRMAN into shares in the new Company. 114 i ge CHAIRMAN said—Gentlemen, the success which 4 0 , 441 :Wed this institution from its commencement, . -e initude of its operations in a short period, the Ptcli t 11 142 with which they have recently i n c reased, have Pose' the mrnagers to call this meeting for the pur tliesttated in the notice, in order that the business of tor thnetY may be enlarged to an amount proportionate I . r vo er ," l llands made upon it by the wants and the "erry the public. The chief manager (Mr. Charles : 4 1 j ; "icholls) has prepare I a report of the progress se r : r4 ent condition of the Society, which wilt now d `a,d by th e Secretary, and will enable the meeting tt ec ule upou the proposition which we are assembled consider,The Secretary then read the followine. Report e— ti,te Westminster Discou n t, Lo a n, and I n vestment So kitY was established in the month of May 1839. The in khtlution originated with a few enterprising gen tl e men of ti ten 'tkotial property, who carried the undertaking into tt l `t entirely upon their own capital and resources, with let4nY assistance from the public. In this respect, the kf ri L lt ePs of the Society were distinguished from the preli oNlTY course of most Companies. In the establishment tep t 9 1 companies, it is generally the race that nothing is i Nt i IO to the shareholders but an enormous outlay in the 410tance. In the formation of this Society the expen- Ili e :e for advertisements, offices, clerks. &c., came from th i rockets of the founders, and no part of the amount was 4 harged upon those who have since united with them 44 : itig the I nst it u ti on to its present high and important !qt. t o Our operations began with a loan of only 5 /. , 11 the course of eleven months, up to the time of the ill teneral meeting, we had put into circulation a capi ttla.....4l 20 ,000/.; and now, in less than two years, our philetions have amounted to more than 80,0001. The 11 or that capital contributed by the public in the „, investment has been comparatively small, amount %tot° about 2,000/., but it has been productive tleposeat advantage and acknowledged gratification to the i lltt it °rs themselves. For they have received in every % °11 1 ; ce au unexpected bonus of two per cent. in addition a greod interest of five per cent. The advantages 411 j k ile d upon the Working classes by this Institutim form llto,,, a Port ant consideration in this Report. They are m , s bY the fact, that in almost every instance the or ktt:Pieg paid up his or her loan, has applied for a nd ,'`ktie„ - . 4 another. In most cases the improved circum. Mc' of the borrower justify the Society in granting, I hn e , l ' friends in guaranteeing, a larger loan, and in every 0 te the parties have acknowledged a benefit conferred. t he ti tlt s uccess is this department is mainly produced by to e :t taken to ascertain that the applicant for a loan is ' 1t 4 4 04 ° 11 likely to turn it to good account, and by allowing tn re month to the borrower to make the best use of 4 te,, °° °Y before any part is repaid. In the mean time, •ore, t - 's the whole amount is his trade at lent twice, and , t( tta ga ll ne B oftener. The repayments arc made in the most easy to himself, and the interest is paid in .° so b small in proportion to his gains, that practically "gtr i i"or felt and the effect to him is the same as if the ks tit or the p rincip al by instalmen's were the only pay - 1 - In re quired of hi m. Qt`tp t r uo discount department important assistance has we tt e udered to small tvelesmen, and sometimes to men l 'llieh et tsive business, by discounting bills of low amounts, 411,2therwise must have remained until due in the desks ki;holde rs , for bills of 15/. and even 20/ , are nearly e y getsble, a n d rarely find their way into circulation, Zile P? such facilities as this Institution affordi. Trades- Ln N it s . high respectability are frequently put to great w hilst bills of that description are lying by them b e and such persons have experienced and acknow mttk the advantages of thin Society to a very large t i lll th n t vtlat results which have been obtained with funds s ociety hitherto employed, suggest the formation of Pe - .Stock Company, with a capital of 100,0001., and e e , l le bl er'llid, in effect, circulate as 400,000/. in two years, i - ee er aic will readily appreciate the importance of the elere' i ng• Nor is it matter of speculation that there is .. ete ih ttad for the employment of that sum. The progres- Zsder t l ( tase in the amount of our . transactions has ee eton„,"e most sanguine expectations, and it is impossible "late what may be its limits. 'l ' l lA4 reading of the Report was frequently inter- JY loud applause. inter tl W. Bay ANT then rose and said—Sir, i have t kl t tite l ; geee's interest in the prosperity of this Institu °4l its commencement ; perhaps more from a ts; tk iti e,°l' my more enterprising friends with whom it t ,7 1 11 4 i;1 1 1 than from any expectation of great emolu e,t)se p _ "4 Yself ; but certainly not from any anticipation f l eteh ti c:tilts in respect to public good and private gain lh *ir judgment and energy have produced. It the en al ‘k p rttet . 3' good fortune to observe from time to time %.10, abil ity, proofs of their sound principles, and of the t l tit e j i l ..7tY, and integrity, and consequent success, k tioe, those principles have been carried into ope -Ittte c he f has also been a part of my experience to ob 4*ed f fatal ecnsequences which have elsewhere fol- Ve tt 501 0 the absence of such principles and the such praetices.—( Hear, hear.) The Society ei t ' e ° l oot with two objects, neither of which has ever L t °4l lol Sight of in the course of its proceedings, and Iced e might seem, upon a superficial view, to at th, r i en deet of each other, I am fully convinced titltetif connexion is so close—at least, in an rse td " of this kind—where the one is not 411. th e •./ T, other will never be nttained.—( Hear, e te kied Ze first was a greater profit than could be o t nov °Y the employment of money in . any st wi th ° , oudertaking—the second to obtain that i th " t !'s cl ub greatest possible benefit to the indus• fe ltli 'ttiti ens ". These were the objects for which such se to ed th e ' w ere designed by the Legislators who . etOltieu t al l for their enrolment, and who, as their tact, designers acts have shown, understood, like some t e t. moral and artistical, very little of the 0 11 Pr o d "te or usefulness, which their own works ett k l lter.) ,I n t ", when ccmpleted.—( Applause and ha first Loan Societies' Act was passed with the best intentions ; and, wherever it was fairly and judiciously acted open, it answered the purpose of the Legislature. It served to a great extent to take the inifustrieus classes out of the hands of the pewn brokers, and of those persons in the legal prof, scion who, before th Aet, made it a leAness to discount bills of low amount for the sake of the costs, which en sued in the event of their not being taken up. The objects of the Act were thus far in many instances at tained ; and those uncertain and often disastrous asso ciations called money clubs were discouraged. if not altogether given up, as long as the Act of 5 and 6 William IV. cap. 23, was in force. But as that Act and every other must depend for its working upon the judgment and good faith of those who undertake to carry it into operation, the success of the Societies formed under it has been various. —(Hear.) In some cases there has been on the part of the Managers gross in justice—in others gross indiscretion—( Hear, hear.) — and a large number of the Societies are at this mo ment bankrupt, after public proceedings at law which did them no credit, and inconsiderate loans which did the thriftless borrowers no good—(Hear, hear) — charges of iniquitous conduct, I em sorry to say not al together unfounded, although made with too little dis crimination, were brought in Parliament ugair.st the Loan Societies generally, and the blame was thrown upon the Act of the sth and 6th of William IV., c. 23, which, in fact, wherever it did fad, failed only because it was not acted upon with prudence and good faith.— (Hear, hear.) Tim Act of the 31 and 4th of Victoria, c. 110, was consequently passed in great haste, upon the last day of the Session, 1840 ; and its effect has been, of necessity, to suppress or embarrass most of those Societies which attempted to avail themselves of its provisions.—( Hear.) It was certainly a strange inconsistency for the Legislature, which allows 20 per cent. to pawnbrokers, who receive a substantial mort gage of property into their hands, for every loan, and have no trouble of inquiry, as to the character of the borrower, or the value of the security, to allow but 12 per cent. to Loin Societies.—( Hear.) It was impos sible to act upon that law—(Hear)—and those who have endeavoured to do so have found out its worthless ness to their cost I am aware that I trench upon ground from which the delicacy of some gentlemen would forbid me. But I cannot think that, in the important deliberation of this day, we have nothing to do with the imperfections of the law, or with the faults and misfortunes of Societies professedly similar to our own. —(Hear.) I think it right to state on this occasion, how it is that we have flourished, and must continue -(Hear, hear) —although discontent, and loss, and fa lure have attended the progress of others.—(Hear.) It is found from the great increase of the business of this establishment, that there is opportunity for the employment of a capital much larger than the very considerable funds already at its disposal ; and by the resolutions in my hands, we are, I trust, about to invite other capitalists to join with us for participation in the private advantage and public good, which this institu tion yields, and which must be combined to render any mercantile establishment permanently prosperous and useful.—(Hear.) This latter principle has been discovered to be essential for the lending of money, use ful even by an institution of which the Queen is patron, and Lord J.Russcll, Mr. Sleney, and other statesmen and philanthropists are Directors, and which was eita blished for the lending of money to the industrious, without any profit to the capitalists who contributed the funds in the way of donation. With all their in floence and resources, their oversight of the true com mercial principle brought them to this state, that not very long ago they were obliged to suspend operations for five months, until they got in enough of their dis persed capital to go on again. We have had no difficulty or delay in our business for a single hour. I have had in my hands the last Report of the Society to which I allude, and I find that they declare the mercantile or reciprocal principle (on which we have always acted) to be the only safe one, in lending money so as to do good ; and they are now acting in other respects upon our plans in minor detail. They do so as far as they can. consistently with their institution being carried on, without profit to themselves, which condition is enough to prevent their ever making it extensively or perma nently useful. The Loan Society (if I may so call it) established by the great Benjamin Franklin, was also purely benevolent, and when I tell you all that is known of its history you may guess for yourselves what was its ultimate success. In 1781, when he was in Paris ns diplomatic agent for the American republi cans, he lent a Frenchgentleman ten guineas on this con dition, that theborrower as soon as he could afford to repay it, should lend the same sum to another honest man in distress, upon the same condition—(Hear)—" so that," said Franklin, " my ten guineas may go round the world, doing good, until a scoundrel stops them at last." —(Great laughter.) Sir, our ten guineas are " going round the world, doing good"—but we take better pre cautions than even the wise economist of the New World, that " no scoundrel may stop" their circulation. -Much applause and laughter.) Indeed, there is no other monetary establishment in the woad which has its funds so well secured. For every 1,000/. which we lend, we often hold the security of nearly 300 house keepers, each bound in a small sum, compared to his means. What bank, or merchant, or company, of any kind, can boast of an assurance so safe as this? But there is room for circulating with that safety, and, at the same time, with the good which Franklin contemplated, even a much larger sum, than we propose to raise by shares. The advantages to the Shareholders are so ob vious and so great, that if we fixed the capital of the Company at 200,0001. instead of 100,0001., I have not the least doubt that it would be speedily subscribed. Thanking you, gentlemen, for your kind attention, I beg leave to move the resolutions, which have been placed in my hands. He then read the following reso lutions :- 1. That this meeting has beard with great satisfaction the Managers' Report of the progress of the Institution from its commencement, and of its present flourishing condition. 2. That it is gratifying to the Proprietors and Deben ture-bolders, that the profitable return derived from their investments has been attended, to so large an extent, with benefit end satisfaction to the public. 3. That this meeting, considering the important advan tages obtained by the Proprietors aid tie industrious classes from the proceedings of this Institution hitherto, and that larger capital, applied to its objects, will produce the most beneficial results, hereby adopt the recomm,.nda tion of the Manager, and resolves that the Society, from this day, do become a public Joint-stock Company, under the name and title of '• The Westminster Loan and Invest ment Joint-stock Company." 4. That the present Managers , who have conduced the Institution to its high state of prosperity and security, he requested to continue their valuable services, to prepare a deed of settlement, and to take such measures as they may deem necessary for carrying the foregoing resolution into effect. Mr. POWER seconded the resolutions, which were carried unanimously. Mr. HOLT moved the sth resolution, to the effet— That the warmest thanks of the Proprietors and debPn ture holders are due, and are hereby given to the Mana gers of the Society, and especially to Charles Kerry Ni cholls, Esq., for his able conduct in the arduous office of Chief Manager ; for his skill, laboriousness, and di,cre lion, in the discharge of the onerous and varied duties; sad for the kindness and good temper by which he has conci liated the best feelings of all who had transactions with the Society.--(Much applause.) He said that he had had' opportunities of observing the admirable conduct of Mr. Nicholls in managing the af fairs of the Society, which was always marked by dis, cretion and forbearance combined. Mr. KEYWOOD, in a highly-eulogistic speech, se conded the resolution, which, like the preceding, was carried unanimously, and amidst applause. Mr. NICHOLLS then said, Mr. Chairman and Gen tlemen—l beg you will accept my sincere acknow ledgment for the compliment with which you have honoured me and my colleagues. The duties of the office which I have the honour to fill are arduous, and can only be discharged by my constant application from morning till night. But in that application lam sus tained and encouraged by the success which has hitherto attended our institution. This Society is well suited to the wants of the public ; it has been con ducted on strictly commercial principles, and carried on with fairness and prudence, as well as with spirit. It has been expedient to give occasional indulgence to persons who were not always able to observe strict punctuality ; but that indulgence, I am happy to say, has not often been abused. That we haze had every success—that we have done great good—that mutual satisfaction and advantage to us and to our customers have attended our proceedings, are gratifying truths ; but it would not be true to say that we have had no trouble at all. Froin my experience of the past—from my intimate acquaintance with the wants, feelings, and habits of the industrious classes of this metro polis—l do not hesitate to predict that this Company will, ere long, be the most important and most useful establishment of the kind in this country. Mr. WALTER moved the Gth resolution That the thanks of this meeting arc h , .reby gratefully presented to Cornelius O'Brien, Esq,, M. P., Chairman of this Society ; to the Honourable Edmund Byng, Sir Robert Dugdale, and Hewitt Bridgeman, Esq., M. P., fur their exertions and support in behalf of this Institution. He said that this Institution was amon4st the first of the kind established in the metropolis, and at every meeting the members had to congratulate each other upon its transactions, which had been alike satisfactory to them, and to those who had availed themselves of its assistance. In an eloquent speech of considerable length, which was warmly applauded throughout, said, the distinguished and highly bount-able gentlemen who were named in the resolution, and to whom the meeting owed its most cordial thanks, formed, by their support of an Institution destined to benefit the industrious classes, a link in the chain which should bind the latter more closely to the institutions of their country, of which those gentlemen were the pillars and ornament.—( Applause.) Mr. MARDENBOROUGH seconded the resolution, which was carried like the others with great applause. Thanks were then voted to the Chairman, and the meeting separated. Edward Baines, Esq., M. P., reached Leeds rom London on Th urs d ay . M r . B a i nes , though somewhat rstorecl, is still far from enjoying his former vigorous health. [A RIO. Itain Doug idge, by e gthood for in the CO, onduct ennon and .d from .011ust , publigu ; nixtl , deeds. of; ;s even t, c y Aretuu; l l NWhiel l °7 ; sante C 0 en or-two ~00 cc eornet'ild n guns, ;4 7 ,he s • t be of oar -11 the ,•)f , her I two U Tar , oo y CS i i t t li ler b "FIN SUN, LONDON. MONDA Y, APRIL 5, 18/1. Cii.A.RTISTS ANO CtitiRCHMEN. Oa ThurL'ay we gave an aceaunt, furnished by a Correspondent, of the Annual Met ting of the 13 ith Protestant Asseeiation hell in that city on TueAay. \Vf have since received a more detailed account of the strange prone dings, and ire hive them at full length, in order to show what the good sense and firmness of the middle and lower el isses can do when fai'ly opposed to the selfish and political priesthood. The Rev. IL Stowell and the Bath parsons Wel e shan't - fully defeated. Their opponents h: d the best of the argument, and out• numbered the n by ten to one, e,,en iu the city of B tth where the clergy are supposed to be omnipotent. From the small number of the inhabitants of Bath that mounted the scaffold with the plotting clergy on this occasion, we can foreiee that the despotism which the priesthood have exercised for some time, is drawing towards a close : During the last fortnight the walls of this city have been extensively placarded, announcing a meeting at the assembly raorns, for uesday evening, March 30, at seven o'clnek r.m., precisely ; for the formation of a " Bath Protestant o)erative Association." A se cond series of bills were subsequently issued, stating that the " Rev. Hugh Stowell, of Manchester, would address the meeting, the attendance of the working classes is particularly recoested"—and " tickets of ad mission may be procured of all the Bath booksellers." These tickets were, as also the bills, signed ‘, F. Fysh, S2cretary" (a person whose name and conduct have be come somewhat notorious), and required the parties using them to be " amenable to the chair." It was also announced that James Lord, Esq., of ti,e Inner Temple, barrister-at-law, would attend as a depu tation from the London Protestant Association. As the hour of meting approached, numbers of people, particularly the working classes, were seen flocking to the Assembly Rooms ; and many hundreds were ex cluded from the impossibility of getting tickets ; and the lobby and passages leading to the large room of meeting was filed by persons anxious for admission. At the hour appointed for commencing the business, the room, which holds from 1,500 to 2,000 persons, was well filled. About twenty minutes after the hour appointed, great impatience was manifested by the meeting for the commencement of lee proceedings, cries of " Chair," proceeded from every quarter, and, amidst stamping of ieat, and other signs of disposition to proceed to the ob ject of the meeting, Mr. R. K. PHILP arose, and was received with loud cheers. He said—" Ladies and Gentlemen,—We are met this evening for the purpose of forming a Bath Protestant Operative Association ; and as the business that will be brought before us, is more particularly connected with the working classes— ( Here Mr. Philp was interrupted by several gentlemen who rushed in upon the platform, and cried out, " Sit down, Sir,—you have no right to speak," " What are ou doing, Sir ?" &c. &c.) —I am about to propose a Chairman. Rev. Mr. TOTTENHAM—We have a Chairman already appointed. Mr. PHILP—By whose authority? - - Mr. TOTTENHAM— . -We have chasen him.—( Hisses.) Mr. PHILP—You have no right to elect a Chairman for the meeting. It will be most proper that we have an operative in the chair, and I propose Mr. Thomas Bolwell.—(Loud cheers.) The motion being seconded, a gentleman on the plat farm cried out—" Mr. Wilson is already in the chair." Upon the motion being put, a forest of hands were held up for Mr. Bolwell, followed by loud and long-con tinued cheering. Mr. BOLWELL rose amidst hearty plaudits to ac knowledge the honour conferred upon him, and to open the business of the meeting, when he was assailed with noisy interruptions from several gentlemen on the plat form, who persisted in keeping Wilson, Esq. in the chair, against the will of the meeting, and threaeened to call in the police, which drew forth loud and long continued hisses and groans from the audience. Mr. Aldermao CRISP, amidst tumultuous cheer io;,*, rose, and stated that the meeting had, by an over whelming majority, chosen a chairman. That it had waited more than twenty minutes after the time fixed, and that no chairman was announced in the bills con vening the meeting ; there could be no question but it was the duty of the few individuals on the platform to yield to the overwhelming majority that had elected the chairman, and, as the cards of admission required," be amenable to the chair." (Here there was tumultuous interruption from the parties on the platform, who de nied Mr. C.'s ri g ht to speak, when he, Mr. Crisp, re quested those in the meeting who were willing to hear him, to hold up their bands, upon which a forest of hands appeired, and, on the contrary, about a dozen; exclusive of those on the platform. Mr. Crisp then proceeded) Are you satisfied now of my right to speak ?—Will the paltry few on the platform dare bid defiance to the will of the vast assembly before them ? —(Loud cheers.) The gentlemen on the platform deny that a majority of the meeting are in favour of Mr. Bolwell presiding over them. I now request all those who desire Mr. Bolwell to take the chair, to hold up their hands. (Hate again a multitude of hands ap peared, and on the contrary being put, some two dozen, exclusive of those on the platform, appeared, thus electing Mr. Bolwell a second time, by an overwhelming majority, to preside. Mr. Crisp turned again to the platform, and said, " Gentlemen, are you now satisfied? Upon which cries of " No, we have our own chairman," proceeded from several gentlemen, with brandishing of umbrellas, and other hostile demonstrations, amid loud yells and hootings from the body of theeneeting. Mr. Crisp then said) The fact is, you have come here to dictate to the meeting, and not to hear its sentiments. You vainly imagined that you had a population to deal with, like those of past times. The eyes of the people, how ever, are now raper. They are no longer to be deceived, delu led, and humbugged by such proceedings as yours. —(Laud cheers.) Your object is to collect together Chid :eh and King mobs, and restore the days of Lard Geo age Gordon. The days of trickery and delusion are past —the people now reason, and think for themselves. —(Tremendous cheering.) At this part of the proceedings, en effort was made to lace Mr. Bolwell, its Chairman, upon the plat form, but the parsons put themselves in a figleing attitude, oee of them seizing Mr. Bolwell by the ihroat, and !hrusting hint violently back. He was manfully supported by some friends around him, who placed a chair for him upon the reporter's table, when several gentlemen, leaning over the platform, seized hold of' it, and a struggle ensued for the possession of it, between the " shepherds" on the platform, and their " flecks" below, the chair being ultimately wrested from them, amidst loud laughter from the meeting, and a cry of " Police" from several parties on the platform. Here Captain Carroll, with a small band of police, made his appearance from the ante-room on the plat form, giving ri-e to gre dt excitement in the meeting. Mr. Alderman Crisp, addressing Capt. Carroll, said, " I arts surprised, Sir, to see you are here, acting on the part of the few gentry around you, in opposition to the will of this vast assembly. 'There is no necessity for your interference—the people are proceeding legally to express their sentiments. You must withdraw those men. I will be answerable for the peace of the meet ing ; there shall not be the slightest offence against persOn or property ; the room shall not be dammed, nor a hair on the head of any person on the platform he hurt, if the pelce are withheld front unjust inter ference. But if it is persisted in to keep the police men here, with the view to over-awe the people, in the exercise, of their just rights, I will not be answerable for the consequences that may ensue. Shortly after Capt. Carroll and the police withdrew. Mr. BOLWELL, turning to the platform, said, " Be verend Gentlemen—lf you do not behave yourselves, and allow the business of the meeting to proceed, I must have you all teken out."—(Loud cheers.) Here a conflict of words ensued, between the front row of gentlemen on the platform, and thosd immediately be fore them below : the parsons sometimes coaxing and sometimes raving. It was attempted to obtain a hear ing for Mr. Stowell, by one of the reverends declaring he was the man, if the people desired to hear a good speech." Mr. STOWELL here called, once more, for the ser.se of the meeting respecting the Chairman.. Upon Mr. Bolwell's name being put, and that of Mr. Wilson, the former was again, elected, by, if possible, a larger ma jority than before—Mr. Stowell, with others oo the platform, being the principal supporters of, and hold ing up both hands for, Mr. Wilson. Mr. Stowell then called for a division of the room. Mr. Crisp said it was impossible—the meeting was so crowded, it would create a dangerous tumult. Such a proposal could be only made to create a riot. If they wanted to divide the sheep from the goats, he knew where the goats would be. Mr. Bolwell had already been elected al most unanimously to the chair, and it was an insult to the meeting to make such a proposition.—(Deafen iog cheers, and cries of " Bolwell.") Several " gentle men" added to the confusion of the meeting, by stamping, whistling, and using noisy cat-calls, particu larly in the orchestra—a contrast with the conduct of the " lower orders " who were present, and to whom were repeatedly applied the epithets " noisy mob," " tools of Popery," &c., by their spiritual pastors. A reverend gentleman shouted out, " It was our Chairman who had the majority." Mr. Plliee s aid, " Rev. Sir, do von know the liar shall have his portion in the lake ?"—(Great cheering —confusion on the platform.) Comparative quiet being obtained, Mr. BOLWELL,the duly elected chairman, rose amidst tremendous checre. He said—Ladies and Gentlemen, a very large majority of this meeting has been pleased to confer on me the honour of electing me to preside over the present im portant meeting, for which confidence I tender my warmest acknowledgements.—(Great c h eer i ng .) Y o u are called together to-night for the p ur p ose o f t a king into consideration the propriety of formi ng a B a th Pro testant Operative Association. It may be proper to observe, that I find myself placed in some difficulty, not having had an opportunity of knowing the precise routine ia which the gentlemen who convened this meeting intended to submit the business to your consideration. I do not mention this circumstance for the purpose of throwiog any blame on the gentlemen whose duty it was to makfp the necessary arrange rients. I b:-Iteve they were not ttlinre of my being in t until I had the honour of meeting them in the capacity of Chairman of th' present meeting.— L.nghter, and cheers, and " Thet , have got a Tartar.') Judging from the bills that. hnive been issued, several gentlemen will address the meeting in favour of its ob i,ets, and resolutions will be submitted tar your 4p probation or rejection. I hope you will g ive an at tentive hearing ; and if any gentleman s hould feel inclined, from a difference of opinion, to address the meeting in opposition to the sentiments of those who support the object for which we have been cee I t , gether, I trust you will give a fair and im partial hearing.—(Cheers.) I have my opinions—but they will not sway me in the exercise of my power as Chairman.—( Loud cheers.) I shall now call upon any gentleman who may he prepared to submit a resolu tion.—(Great cheering.) In the course of Mr. Bolwell's address, considerable interruption was caused by some o f the " peace makers.' handing a huge carpenter's mallet to the pseudo Chairman, designed to belabour the table at which he sat, in order to drown the wards of the speaker. The worthy gentleman, however, chose rather to brandish its huge wooden head, amongst the many others on the platform, to the no small amusement of the spectators. Mr. STOWELL, turning to Mr. Wilson, attempted to address the audience. Mr. BOLWELL inquired whether Mr. Stowell re coenised him (Mr. Bolwell) as chairman ?—(Cheers.) Mr. STOWELL-lt is no matter about that.—(Laud cries of " Oh, oh ; yes it does.") Mr. BOLWELL— I have been appointed to preside over this meeting three times, and you yet bid defiance to the people's choice. This is an insult to the opera tives of Bath that cannot be borne. Unless you re cognise me as chairman, I will not permit you to speak.—(Tremendous cheers.) Mr. STOWELL persisted, in vain, to effect a hearing. He moved in dumb show, amidst deafening hisses and groans. Mr. R. K. PHILP, on getting up, was received with general applause. He proceeded-Ladies and Gentlemen, we have been called together, as the ope ratives of Bath, to form a Protestant Association ; and now we are assembled for the purpose, the reve rend gentlemen who called this Meeting refuse to per mit us to express our opinions upon the matter.— (' Shame, shame.") But, my friends, we are not to be made the playthings of any body of men, whatever their station or calling. The gentlemen on the platform, and a few more sprinkled around the room, are the only ones who have raised their voices against the appoint ment we have made to the Chair. But how many ope ratives arc there upon the platform ?--(None, none.) Then what right have they to interfere with the legiti mate expressions of our opinions?—(Loud cheers.) It is for us to decide whether we will have the proposed Association or not. Are we to be called here, and to allow a few interested persons to decide for us ?—(No, tie.) The Church is the moat formidable enemy of the people.—(Cheers.) The most obstinate opponents of that great measure of political reform, the People's Charter, have been the clergy.—(Cheers.) The influence of the Church is exerted against every measure likely to benefit the country—against every kind of civil or religious liberty.—(Cheers.) It is our Christian Church that has imprisoned Thorogood and Baines for the non-payment of Church-rates—they conscientiously differing from the tenets of the Establishment. It is our Christian Church that has imprisoned Hetherington and Cleave for pub. lishing a work, the author of which had conscientiously expressed his opinions upon matters of religion.—(Loud cries of "Shame.") It was a Church minister,who, whilst Frost was awaiting his trial, exerted every influence from the pulpit, over his parishioners, against hitn.—(Shame.) It is the Clergy that is seeking todo away with the harm less amusements of the people, and is ever seeking to drive them into church, and cram bibles down their throats.—( True, true.) Toe Bishop of Exeter, in the House of Lords, watches with eagle eye every oppor tunity to crush the people, and every particle of liberty they have left._ In Bath, the clergy had influenced the authorities to take proceedings against several poor but honest tradesmen, for merely selling instructive cheap papers on Sunday, to those working men who, from un fortunate circumstances, could not buy them on Satur day night—for this they put two individuals in the stocks, and fined two others.—(Loud cries of " Shame," Away with them.") And are you, operatives of Bath, prepared to form an Association, which shall assist the clergy in their work of oppression?—(Shouts of " No, no.") I glory in your determination ; those shouts will strike deep into their hearts ; when they wake on the morrow, they will have a very different estimation of the sentiments of the operatives of Bath, than ever they dreamed of before.—(Loud cheers.) I will now propose a resolution.—(Here Mr. P. was inter rupted with whistling, thumping, stamping, &c., from the pl dform and the orchestra—the attempt was to pre vent the resolution being heard.) The resolution is:— " That in the opinion of this meeting, seeing the vast revenues al-eady applied to Church purposes, and contemplating the distressed condition of the people ; taking into account, also, the epposi• tion given by the Church to every measure of political Reform calculated to benefit the coun try and extend civil and religious liberty, it is inexpe dient to form a Bath Protestant Operative Association. But this meeting pledges itself to use every effort to effect such political, social, and religious reforms, as shall place the Church upon a more Just basis than at present, and bring complete justice and liberty to the whole people."—(Tremendous cheering.) Mr. C. BOLWELL, on rising to second the resolution, was received with loud cheers. He said it gave him great pleasure to find that the time was come, when the operatives of Bath were resolved to conduct their own business, instead of, as hitherto, permitting it to be con ducted for them, by men whose interest it was to keep them in bondage.—(Tremendous cheers.) The State clergy of this country—taking them collectively, anti with reference to their whole acts—were the most vicious, immoral, despicable body of men existing.— (Cheers.) They have shown themselves to be ene mies of every institution having for its object the real happiness of tl.e people. The clergy have ever shown themselves ready to persecute those men who have entleevoured to instruct the people in a know ' ledge of their rights.—( Loud cheers.) Who was it that imprisoned five hundred of the people's best friends for their opinions' sake ? The Government, by the express sanction of the clergy.—(Cheers.) Who imprisoned Thorogool and Baines for non-payment of Church-rates ? The villainous St de clergy. Who per secuted Hetherington and Cleave for publishing Has lern's opinions on retgion ? The money hunting, tithe• seeking clergy of ties country.--(Loud and long-con tinued cheering.) But though they had acted thus outrageously, they had the daring impudence to call on the operative s of Bath to assist, them in their wholesale plunder and persecution, which they have been practis ing for so many eenturies.—(Cheers, and " It won't do here.") The working classes are merle the victims the other classes, and are insulted and enslaved. Tice clergy have aided to bring the starving millions to their present deplorable conditipn.—(Cries oS" True true." " They take care of themselves.") If it were not for the advanced and increased power of public opi nion, the clergy would inflict torture—would bring the stake and the rack to all who differed from them in opi nion. But the people were not, to be deluded as in days of old—they are not to be led by profligate and designing men, In their pulpits, on the Sabbath, they taught the doctrine of equality : but did they ever carry the principle into practice ?—(Cheers. " No, not they.") The conduct of the gentlemen on the platform this evening is calculated to open the people's eyes, and show them wolves in sheep's clothing.--(Bravo.) The Church has ever been the bitter enemy of the people; and, desiring, by every possible method to curtail her Power. I second the resolution most cordielly.—(Loud cheers.) Mr. BOLWELL asked if there was any amendment ? —(Great confusion existed on the platform, but there was no :attempt to oppose the motion.) The CHAIRMAN then put the resolution, when not less than a thousand hands were held up for it, and, on the contrary, not one. This was followed with loud cheers. Just before the resolution bein g put, the pseudo Chairman, thumping the table with the mallet, cried out, " I dissolve this meeting," which was asset with loud laughter, and cries of " Don't run away About this time a working man held up a paper (the Northern Star), excl.titning, 1. This is our Star," which was foil awed by three hearty cheers. Mr. PHILP proposed the thanks of the meeting to was carried w i t h h ear ty Charter, a n d M r . Mr. Bol,vell, for his able a nd im partial conduct in the Alder man Crisp. Mr. BOLWELL returned thanks, and declared the clip'ap C ilr i u st s e we r .h s ic w t • i er b e ei g n i g ve s n ee f o o n r d t ehd e meeting dissolved. After several minutes had elapsed, and the respec tive parties were about to retire, Mr. S. BARTLETT mounted the platform, and called the attention of the meeting to the necessity of discussion for the sake of elicit ing truth. Mr. Bartlett spoke at some length upon the diversity religiousou idpermit Mr. subjects, and concluded by hoping of opinion o gthemeeting n wStowell to ex plain his objects before they sent him away. Mr. STOWELL commenced by regretting the har mony of the evening had been disturbed. As a minister of God, and possessing a desire at all times to promote peace, he could truly say he had not allowed his temper to he ruffled throughout the whole proceedings. Mr. PHILP—Why, Sir, you threatened to call a po liceman to me, because I exercised my right to speak. Mr. SToweee—l did certainty say I would call for the police—( Hisses, groans, and laughter)—because I deemed the conduct of those who were epdeavouring to ascend the platform most unruly.—(Cties of " Oh, oh.") And it was very clear the majority of the meeting were fur Mr. Wilson taking the chair. (Loud and vociferous cries of " No, no, no." " Don't insult us." " Tell the truth," &c., from all parts of the meeting.) He feared that many present had lent themselves as the tools of popery.—(Laughter, Oh dear!") He had met a 7entleman of Bath in a rad way train, who told him that. a good Proteztant Ope rative Association might l e for in Bath.—(Cries or "Go back by fie next train.") He had made such liberal speeches, that he could not fail to please the people of 1.3.:t1r, for many who had heard him had set him down for a thorough-going Radical.—(Soft soap.) But he was open to declare himself a red-hot Tory.— (Cheers from the pusons, and groans and yells from the meeting, with cries of " A bad lot altogether.") His motto was to fear God and honour the Queen.— (" What's to be done with Prince Albert and the bobby ?") lie had done much to relieve the distresses of his own starving flock. He wished more attention had been raid by the nobility and gentry to the wants of the people. He must say they were too widely se vered, and the best way to unite them was to form such associations as he had come there to establish. He v,muld as soon sit down, on the three legged Etiol with the poor man, as on the cushioned chair of the rich. He was an advocate of religious liberty, but he would beat down Rom inism —(Oh, oh.) He would not de stroc the man, but he would destroy the principles of the Romanists. He had met with a poor Irishman by no means unintelligent,who was a Papist—he said he declared to him, that if the priest directed him to burn his only child, a sweet little girl, he would do it.—(Disapprobation.) Was that a power any man ought to have over the mind of another ?—(No, no, no.) The same man had toll him he believed the priest to stand in God's own shoes. —(A voice, " And so do you.") There, there ! (em phatically) that's an honest man—there, he has toll the trnth.—(Great and long-continued disapprobation.) He had aways made it a practice to invite the Ro manists to discussion. Did they want the Pope of Rome to rule in these Protestant dominions?—(" No, no," " Nor the Bishop of Canterbury either.") He would willingly meet Bishop Baines and the whole squad of Prior Park, in eontroversy.—(" Don't malign them behind their backs," " What have you done with the property taken from them ?")—l'll answer that—l never fear to answer a question. You all admit it is no harm to take stolen pr.perty from a thief!—(" Oh, oh, then it ought to be taken from you we only took that which belonged to us before. Protestantism ex isted before Romanism. At the Reformation, the Church was not. formed but reformed.—(Confusion.) Mr. Cerse rose, and, taking out the bill convening the meeting, said he had not come to hear a tirade against the Cat holies.—(Loud cheers.) There was now no Chairman. The business had already concluded. Mr. Stowell had, however, commenced maligning the Catholics in their absence, which was illiberal, and wholly irrelevant to the object of the meeting.— (Cheers.) The time of Mr. Stowell had expired. He must now come to what he desired to say respecting the Association he would form, and then permit another person to reply. Mr. STOWELL then complained of interruption, and said he was sorry to observe the people of Bath did not know how to behave, as well as his townsmen of Man chester.—(This was received with a burst of disappro bation. Unable to bear which, Mr. Stowell seized his hat and cloak, exclaiming " I can stand this no longer," and made his exit, followed by his " Reverend bre thren" who retired to console each other over their disgraceful defeat. Mr. CRISP remarked, that they were now skulking off, escaping from that chastisement he intended to have inflicted. To answer all the calumnies that had been heaped upon the Catholics, for ages, would oc cupy the entire time of the professors of the Catholic faith. It would be as useless for him (Mr. Crisp) to attempt to answer the infamous calumnies and false hoods which the disgraceful Bath Chronicle was for ever heaping upon himself. What had the Protestant clergy been doing with all the property and power they had possessed for the last 300 years ? In Catholic times, at least, three were no degrading Poor-law unions —( Loud cheers)—the churches were repaired, and the poor maintained, out of the Ecclesiastical reve nues. They had brought the country into a state of in describable misery and wretchedness. Alter some fur ther remarks, Mr. C. concluded by saying they were now endeavouring to cajole and delude the labouring classes into an union to prop up their tottering fabric. —(Tremendous cheers.) The meeting then quietly broke up. CORN-LAWS. At a meeting of the Town Council of Manchester on Wednesday last it was unanimously resolved to petition both Houses of Parliament for the total and immediate abolition of the Corn and Provision-laws. At this meeting Mr. Cobden, as usual, made an excellent speech, as did Mr. G. Wilsoe, and we must place some of both gentlemen's remarks before our readers. Mr. COBDEN, who brought forward the question, said—l !oust avow my belief that the question of the Corn and Provision laws is as much a local question in Manchester as that of Poor-rates. Police -rates, or any other local matter ; inasmuch as I believe that a vast amount of your local expenses arise out of the operation of these laws. I may, I believe, further congratulate you and the town generally, that we arc now arrived at that point in which there is no one to be found in Man chester who is in favour of the Corn-law as it now stands.—(Applause.) The only question now is, as to the change we seek. In a small pamphlet, which I pub• lished five or six years ago, called " England, Ireland, and America," I stated that I had no objection to a fixed duty on corn, any more than I had to a fixed duty on coffee, or sugar, or any other produce. Some gentleman in London, a stranger to me, but a friend to truth, wrote me a letter, drawing my attention to the difference that existed between levying a duty on an article grown at home and one which was of foreign produce only.—(Hear, hear.) I confess a very little inquiry satisfied my mind that I was entirely wrong. My first duty, under such circum stances, was to change my opinion, and to advocate what I then believed to be right. A duty on corn must obviously be a tax which will press on the lowest classes the heaviest, and the pressure of which will be just in proportion to their inability to pay the tax. It has been mentioned in that admirable document, the " Report of the Commissioners of Inquiry into the State of the Hand-loom Weavers," consisting of Mr. Samuel Lleyd Jones, Mr. Hickson, and Mr. Senior— these gentlemen gave it as their opinion, grounded on experience and extensive inquiry, that an ordinary fa mily of the labouring class consumes ss. worth of bread in a week- They then suppose that a duty of 10s. a quarter is levied upon wheat ; and that duty, they say, would amount to 10 per cent, upon the in come of a labouring man, whose family was consum ing ss. worth of bread per week. Now the same duty upon a nobleman, with his 20,000/. a year, would aot amount to the fraction of one-hundredth part of one per cent. upon his income. So that it must he obvious that a tax levied upon wheat, in other words a tax upon bread, must be an unjust tax, even as a tax for the purpose of revenue. But. the tax upon the importation of wheat into England is not levied for the purpose of re venue alone, but for the purpose of protetion ; it is for the purpose of raising the price of corn grown in this country ; that is the avowed object of ere Corn law.—(Applause.) The consequence of that will be, that for every shilling, which you pay upon the foreign corn that is imported into this country, you pay—and previously pay—a shilling upon every quarter of corn grown in this country ; and that tax for protection or monopoly is paid to the landowners before the duty can be levied upon the corn that is imported from abroad. —(Hear, hear.) Let us then suppose that the duty was 10s. a quarter, and the amount of corn produced in this country annually was fifty millions of quarters ; suppose, also, that the amount of other provisions, meat, butter, eggs, and so on, is, as is estimated by a high authority, equal to fifty millions more ; making the total of the home growth equal to one hundred millions of quarters ; and if lOs. a quarter be levied on foreign provisions, that would be pa)ing a tax for protection of fifty millions a year, before one shilling could come into the revenue at all. And suppose you imported corn and provisions from abroad equivalent to five millions of quarters, you would then pay to the revenue 2,500,000/., whilst you would have previously paid for monopoly fifty millions. That is obviously so clumsy and unjust a mode of raising a re venue, that it cannot be supported for one moment, on the principles of either justice or expediency.—(Ap plause.) Now, of course, it will not be supposed that I sin contending that the landowners pocket the whole of this money ; a great deal of it goes for waste. And I could not better illustrate the way in which it is wasted, than by supposing a case with reference to another article of produce, one which will be familiar t all the gentlemen present. I will suppose that the whole of the cotton which is consumed in England was grown in England ; and this I believe is not an impos sible case. I hell in my hand a specimen of cotton grown in Manchester (by my friend Mr. Maley, in his engine house), which in staple is superior to any of the cotton exhibited in this market, superior even to the Sea Island cotton. Now, I have requested Mr. Ra ley to favour me with an estimate of what would be the cost of growing the whole amount of cotton which we consume here in this country. This is his calculation : " Toe minimum cost of a glass-house, with a steam or hot-water apparatus, to cover a statute acre of around, including the 'preparation of soil, would be 7,000/. ; upon which the least possible charge for inte rest may be rated at 5 per cent. Three or four I bourers or cultivators may be estimated at 150/. per lnnum altogether ; and coals for heating at 50/. per annum. A charge for tear and wear, with an allowance for damages by storms, cannot be supposed to be over calculated at '2OO/, per annum, or nearly 3 per cent. Hence we have— Interest at 5 per cent. £3so 0 0 Wear and tear Labour Coals AO 0 0 Rent, nil. £750 0 0 Now the maximum produce of cotton would not exceed 50011)s. per statute acre per annum, therefore the cost price would be 30e. per pound ; and, presuming the quality to be equal to the average of Sea Islands, which may be taken fairly at Is. ad., we have a cost 1 twenty times as much as that of the first-class cotton in us e anywhere. About a million statute acres would grow the whole of the.cotton consumed yearly in Great Britain and Ireland. " Now let us see how much it would cost for mono poly, if we were to produce all the cotton consumed in this country. I will take the. qua'Aity at present worked up at 500 million:; of pounds a-year, and the price at i 2 millions sterling. This cost of 12 millions would then be increased twenty-fold ; the cotton which we now use would cost 240,000,000/. ; and the price paid for monopoly would be the difference between 12 mid'ons and 240 millions." Now supposing such a state of things as this to be arrived at ; suppose that we had a million of acres co vered with glass, and two or three millions of leboutere employed in these hot houses ; and that we had a body of men, plumbers and glaziers, who, along with the , owners of this land, had the possession of the House of I Lords and the House of Commons, I have no doubt at all that very good arguments then might be found, I have no doubt that every argument which is now advanced I in defence of the system of Corn-laws, might be ureed in defence of our growth in this country of the cotton we consume. There would obviously be very great injury inflicted on the masse; of the people—in fact, I suppose the people still to purchase clothing, but you may judge at what a price—(Great applause)— Now, this is precisely the operafon of the Corn-laws. The waste is to bring bones from South America, to bring soda from South America, to manure our land, to cover over what should be rabbit warrens, or ell,/ beds, or what should be turned into brick fields, with an exotic soil, to enable us to grow corn here ; in fact, we are bringing manure, rather than we will bring corn. --(Applause.) Now, I am sure it may be shown from these facts that the domi nant class in this country are wholly exempted from t ixation. Allowing for the very small amount which they pay for taxes on beer, tea, coffee, sugar, Bze., articles which press much more heavily upon the mid dle and lower classes than upon the rich,—if we take into account what they pay of those taxes, and set off against it the amount which they levy from the labour ing classes, principally as a tax upon corn, I think it might be shown that the dominant class are not only wholly exempt from a taxation, but actually profit by the fiscal laws of this county.—(Applause.) Now, gen tlemen, this is a state _ c\f thins boding fearful C 213.. sequences. What was the cause of the anarchy and the revolution which took place in France ? Was it rot that the noblesse had exempted them selves from taxation, that they had raised the price of bread, that the poor people were made to pay the whole of the burdens of the State ; was not that the cause of the revolution in France? And we have now the same amount of injustice, but only in another form, in this country, which in France led to the overthrow of the Government of that nation.— ( Hear, hear.) What caused the downfal of Venice ? The aristocracy there was allowed, by placing their names in a golden book, to become pensioners upon the State ; they thus defrauded the people of their property, and then came the revolution. And what difference does it make to a nation whether the aristocracy ere allowed, by placing their names in a golden book, to live upon the labour of the people, or whether they do it by the passing of Corn-laws mysteriously and cunningly , framed for answering the very same end ?—(Hear. and applause.) I therefore cannot consent to the continu ance of such a law, with such consequences before me, because it is supposed that certain inconveniences, or certain evils might arise in another direction, if we repealed that most unrighteous law, and repealed it tot Ally and immediately. But Iby no means say that the law which repeals the Corn-laws imme diately shall not comprise a measure which relieves ex isting interests. Ido not say that a measure may not be devised for doing justice to the farmers, at the same time that it shall do justice to the great body of the people.—(Applause.) Therefore, we must not continue this law—we must not perpetuate this crying injustit e, on the assumption that no means would be afforded of adjusting the differences which might exist between landlord and tenant.—(Cheers.) I do not think that any one will dispute the justice of putting an imme diate end to such an inordinate, such a crying iniquity as I have been describing.—(Much applause.) But the expediency of so doing may very fairly come un der our consideration. I have given much aq2ntion to this subject, and have made many inquiries about it amongst agriculturists themselves ; and I find that the universal opinion is, that if the Corn-law is to be abolished, to be totally repealed, then the best thing for the farmer is that it should be repealed immediately and not gradually.—(Applause.) I had that once illus tratod to tne in a very forcible manner by a farmer, a plain man, with;whorn I was conversing, who said—" If you take off a shilling a year, until you get it all off, it will be like cutting off that sheep-dog's tail one inch every day, instead of taking it off at once."—(Applause and laughter.) If you repeal the law at once, you give the tenant a good ground for the reduction of his rent, and the farmer is enabled to go to his landlord with a strong case for adjustment ; but by a vanishing duty, which shall gradually go down to nothing, you will give rise to is fresh series of bargains every se ;r. But there is another view which the alarmists take of this question, that a total and immediate repeal of the Corn-laws would give rise to a sudden inundation of corn from abroad. Now there is nothing which is more fallacious than this. There is not a great stock of corn abroad, not even in the world at large. Ido not think that at any period the surplus of corn in the world, after pro viding for the wants of the whole of the people, would be equal to half a year's consumption in England. Not an arm in Europe, not a shilling of capital in Europe, is unemployed ; all are employed, but in what are they employed ? Has it not been os r standing complaint here for years that capital Las been diverted from agriculture to manufactures, that, instead of heating their spears into plough shares, they have worked up their iron into spindles ; that, instead of rearing their children to the plough, they have bred them to the loom and the jenny ; and that the. capital which should have been employed in the cultivation of the soil, in rendering streams navigable, and in the con struction of canals, and other facilities for the trans mission of their agricultural produce, has been devoted to the productions of manufactures, has been invested in the erection of warehouses and mill,?—(Applause.) Now, to divert that capital back to agriculture must be a work, as we all know, of very considerable time ; and until that capind has been so directed back to agricul ture, there can be no great increase, no sudden influx of corn consequent on the repeal of our Corn laws.—(Great applause.) It is on these grounds, both of jus . tice and expediency, that looking to the interests of the whole of the community, I think that if the Corn-law is to be abolished, it shoul I be immediately abolished. It is on these grounds that I would submit with all deference to your attention, the question of presenting a petition to Parliament for the total and immediate repeal of the Corn-laws. I would exhort those who have any fears on this ques tion to endeavour to satisfy' their minds what is strictly just in this case ; and haling done so, I would say leave the consequences to the God of justice—be just and fear not.—(Loud appLe:e.) I beg to move that petitions be presented by this Council to both Houses of Parliament, praying fcr the total and immediate repeal of the Corn-laws.—(Applause.) Mr. GEORGE WILSON was one of those who could never see why these laws should have been enacted. If he asked the agriculturists themselves what right they had to protection, they did not claim it as a principle just in itself, but on the ground of a number of taxes 7.'hich, as they said, fall upon land exclusively. From that list he found it alleged that they bore 65 per cent. of the Poor's-rate, or 3,226,258/. ; that they bear the land-tax exclusively, which is 1,196,991/. ; that they bear half of the assessed taxes, equal to 1,823,578/. ; and about 300,000/. in highway rates, making a total of 6,544,827/. per annum, which falls upon land exclu skely. Now, if we for a moment looked at the effect of this on the amount of corn grown in the country—taking that amount at fifty-four millions of quarters—we should find that it did not amount to more than 2s. 6d. per qua; ter, and against this we had to pay 663,2791. upon bills of exchange, 2,060,000/. upon probates and legacies, 1,021 , 81 4 1 , Upon marine and life insuraeces, 2,243,2941, to the post-office, and 660,000/. duty on paper ; making a total of 6,648,000/. paid by the commercial elasees as a set-off against the duties borne by the landed interest. Taking it merely as a question of taxation imposed upon the :Agricultural and commercial classes respectively, then he found here were taxes levied on the one exclusively which could be placed as a set-off against those borne by the other, so that the agriculturists had clearly no claim to protection on this ground whatever.—(Ap +pietism.) But he confessed that lie did not con sider it as a commersial question. He was inclined to consider it as a quest-on affecting the poorer classes ; and the amount of poverty existing in the country, as shown by the communications received at the Anti-Corn-law Rooms, convinced him more of the necessity of repeal tl an any other argument of the be nefits to trade which were to he derived from it. Some time ago Mr. Ashworth, of Bolton, and a party of gen tlemen, went round from house to house to as certain from personal observatio n th e s t a t e o f the poor, and lie would just road them the result : " Mr. Ashworth next drew a fearful picture of the distress which existed in Little Bolton from the ope ration of the Corn-laws. Ha said a number of gentle men who hail visited the working classes there had found 300 f am ili es , cons i s ti ng of 1.400 ind t i i ‘i a d n ua l l 3 s, o. w l liosc whole income did n ot amount to moreper week. . e m Outpt em pty. of That 3,2 0 ofo week, or, deducting rents, 1051. Ifs., which was equal to 151 d. per head per v houses in the parish they fou nd 409 _ of them per w w ie e r e e k to t u o n dh live e e n upon n p t o e n d , 1,000 the houses occupied, j u B n d. der s. , and near l y 1,300 b l y ,2o f oa m w il h ie a s se wh in o co h m ad a o w nl a y s whose income was un der 2s. 6d. p ar head per week. OF these seses.iror peo ple 1,601 had only 500 b e d s amongst them, them sleeping three in a bed, 185 fi ve i n a bed, 7S six in a bed, 42 seven in a bed ; in one place eighty had only , one bed between them, and 23 were w holly without a bed to rest upon." I n juxtaposition with this harrowing account of dis- EVENING EDITION• tress in the town he placed the following represenfaion of the condition of the agricultural labourer by an authe , rity whom none would question. It was from in a recent number of the John Bit/A - signed 14 7 Rudge, D.D., Hawkehurch." Dr. Ittagle',.sß have taken a very warm interest in the cmigratio tion ; and his reasons for doing so were amply set forth in his letter : " If it shall be asked why I, as an humble individual, have been so much interested in matters of this kind, the following is given as an answer :—The agriculturli labourers of my parish are dreadfully oppressed by poverty, and I feel an anxious wish to see them placed in a situation in which they can get constant work, and bott , s their temporal condition ; and these two objects I think c.in be realised by their going out as settlers to New Zealand. Hence I am a friend to emigration, and when applied to I strongly recommend the measure. Whit are the average wages per week of agricultural la• bowers in my parish ? At the utmost only si. 63. per w, elf, after deducting Is. Jul. or _'s. for the miserable cot tages in which they live. Will say one say say that 5.5.6 d, is sufficieht to feed and clothe a man and his family ? But there are times in which they do not leceivc even this pitrance—tirees in which work is not to be had—is not, therefore, constant ; and I have the names of about forty or fifty oung a-id able-bodied men, who, during the last autumn, could obtain no employment. In such a st ite of poverty and uncertainty I hare said to all who have called at my house for information and ad vice, why not emi g r a t e either into C made or New Zea land, where our condition woull be bettered—your work constant, yOur wages good, and your passage', the latter colony would be paid ? These persons have applied in every direction for work, but without success ; and I could send out to-morrow one hundred and twenty-three agricultural labourers, including their wives and children, pi ovided they could raise the sums suffi cient to pay for their outfit.'' The publication of these statements brought another from Batley, Yorkshire, which, though he had occupied much of their time already, he soul I read to the meet ing. The writer of this communication said : " Sir,—W bile perusing your valuable Journal of the 14th mutant, I met with an article, headed " Appalling disress of the Labourer and Artisan,' is which you give an extract from a speech made by Mr. Ashworth, at the Bohol tea party, containing a deplorable account of the distress peveding in that district. I, Sir, quite agree in the opinion expi essed lay you, timt . :he distress of the working classes is far greater than is'generally keown or supposed to exist. I in the more confident that this is the cage from some fact; which have recently come to my knowledge on this stijiict. A few benevolent iding in the centre of this village, conceiving that considerable distress pros riled in the neighbourhood, commenced a subscription for the relief of the most needy in their own locality. The sum realised was about 401., to be distributed in food, and some cottons sheets for beds. In visiting the dwellings of the people we found some of the inmates not only without food of any kind, but also so desti'ute of covering to their beds as to render it impossible for them to obtain anything like warmth at this inclement season of the year. The situation of some was truly heart-rending. In one house there were the wile and three ehilden, On in quiring into their circumstances, she said, " Jim has gone out on the road to-day ; but he has not been able to go before for the lust fortnight, having got some dross into his eye while breaking stones."' Bursting into a flood of tears, she said, point ing to one of the children (I use her own words), ' That child is calsttg (wasting) away for the want of proper support ; she has been ill, nod now welts something to raise her, and we cannot get it for her.' It is true the woman was kneading some thing for bread, but it did not appear to be made ei!lier of fl >ur, barley, or oatmeal ; it it contained any pmf on of these, it must have been in the smallest quantity ; it had every appearance of bran mixed witlA water. It may be said by sonic that this was an ex treme ca..e. It was, in some respects ; but, in other instances, it was not only equalled, but even surpassed. In another house that we visited we found the oc cupants, a young man, his wife, and child, in a mise rable state of want. One of the neighbours, a poor widow, satd to us, Have you been at that house ?' pointing to the place. lam afraid of finding them dead in bed, when I get up in a morning, for mere want. It is very little I can give them,' she said, hut I give them all I can spare, in order to keep them alive.' These oases are not singular. Another case, which came to my knowledge last right, I will mention. Speaking to a neighbour on this subject, he said, I have had a woman at my house this afternoon (Monday) who has eaten nothing since Saturday.' He was an operative, but he gave her some cold meat, which, ho said, would very likely make her ill, having been so long without thod. In such a state of thugs are we to expect anything like satisfaction or good-will among the labouring classes of society ? It is impossible." • But, le,iving this argument out of the question, and re verting to the state of the poor, he f. It convinced in his own mind that this was the strongest point. The facts he had re el to them were better than any argument or speech that could be made. The poor were nearly starving, and they were daily getting worse. This ware a fact which could not be looked at with indifference, even by the landowner ; and the conviction must ulti mattly force itself upon his mind, however startling,. that this war a state of things which could not con tinue. --- SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. BEDFORD STEEPLE CHASES—FRIDAY. The Oakley Hu it Stakes of 10 Sows. each, with 80 added, list each, w, ro wo o by Mr. Phillipson's ch g George Beers (late Forester), Mr. Jones, beating Mr. Higgin's litttsoe, and two others. The Open Stakes of 5 Sous. each, with 20 added, 12st caeb, Were won by Mr. J. Whitworth's Cornet (\lr. G. lligg ns)„ beating Mr. Dyson's Pretty Jane, and two others. HUNTING APPOINTMENTS. Mr. Bradley's stag hounds, Tuesday, at Dunchureb ; Satur. day, at Kitts, Hardwick—half-; ast eleven. Sir C. Constable's stag-hotmds, «'ednesla;•, at West New ton. Oakley hounds, Tuesday, at Dingle Corner; Thursday, at Steppingley Cross-roads ; Saturday, at Cowper's Oak, Yardley Chase—quarter to eleven. Heythrop hounds, Friday, at Ranger's Lodge. Sir John Cope's hounds, Tuesday, at No Man's Land; Thursday, at West Gre , ,n ; Saturday, at Finehinhampstead Ridge--half-past ten. Mr. Ttbway's hounds, Tuesd a y, a t G ear -hill ; Thnrseay, at Rodney Stoke Wood ; Saturday, at Leighton Ga!e. Duke of Beaufort's Hounds, Tuesday, at Tiltup's Inn. Hambledon Hounds, Wednesday, at Ratser-hill ; Thurs day, at Botley G a t e ; S a t ur d ay , at Ramsdown Bottom—half past. ten. Duke of Grafton's hounds, Wednesday, at Stoke Plan Saturday, at Stowe Nine Churches—half-past ten. Earl Fitzwilliam's hounds, Thursday, at Finesade-hall— at ten. Sir R. Sutton's hounds, Tuesday, at Green Mao ; Wednes day, at Limwood Church ; Thursday, at Langworlh-bridge ; Saturday, at Scopwick—eleven. 41r. Foljambe's hounds, to meet on Thursda:.," at Sandbeek Park half -past ten. F. B. hounds, Wednesday, at Rookeymer Wood—ten. Mr. Watson's hounds, Thursday, at Ulgh.ln Grange Woo t i —nine. Sta:ey hounds, Wednesday, at Winlaton Barn; Saturday, West Dipton. Havdon hounds, Thursday, at Carts Beg—nine. Yo"rk and Ainsty hounds, Thursday, at Oulston ; S - aturttaT. at Moorby—half-past ten. Simington hounds, Saturday, at Riceal Bridge —ten. Bedale hounds, Thursday, at Hartforth—tleven. Cleveland hounds, Thursday, at Guisbro' Spa—eleven. Mr. Russell's hounds, Saturday, at Sunderland Bridgfe,—. eleven. Wynvard hounds, Thursday', at Sherh urn — seven. N. F. hounds, Thur,day, at the Rising Sun, Wootton ; Fa turday, at Bistern—half-past ten. Odiham harriers, Thursday, at Sutton—ten. H. hounds, Thursday, at Windmill'Rill ; Saturday at Her riara—balf-past ten. Mr. \V\ udham's hounds, Wednes 'a at Sherrington Po: 4 —half-past ten. Vine hounds, Wednesday, at the Pino Apple ; Saturday, at Climharn—eleven. Mr. Farquharson's hounds, Tuesday, at Armswell ; M'ecines• day, at Melbury ; Thursday, at Dogberry Gate —bag-Past I"' THE WEATHER. ROYAL GALLERY OF SIENCE, ADELAIDE. STREET. NooN, APRIL 5, a iro meter 29 45 In. Thermometer ......... Highest .................... Lovi est ............... Wind S. S. W. —Freezing Point 32 Deg. 11101 Y IN IRELAND.—The total strength of at present comprises four regiments i i i n ve l o r f el i a l i ntry, and thirty-three depots of infantry Ho , g. Ma. DUNDAS, I\7•P.-It gives us the the of l. aa arm}' y.2a test happiness to learn that our estimable and liberal ea Member, the lion. Mr. Dundas, is so far recovered that he. is now able to walk out daily at his residence at Oran, near Catterick, with the assistance of crutches ; and that his frac— tured limb is improving so favourably that it is his intention tiL.Y'rank and file. to resume his Parliamentary duties after the Easter recess.-- lorkshiremall. oatNti,arielisesloo,crocOki: a L c u om N m A i c ss y ic ..7 f o lt r i a na F c r y tday morn' ing, w before Commissioners Bl ount, Murray, and West,as special jury of fre e h o ld ers, at the Gray's Inn Coffeehouse, Holborn, to in qu i re i nto the state of mind of Will i am Cowlty Clark, E sq., the son of a clergyman recent l y do and a opened ceased, who was about 36 years of age, and was placed in the Royal Navy by his father about eighteen years since. 10 a short time he became so imbecile as to be wholly in capable of performing the required duties,landlB3c6.onhsers quen ly compelled to quit the service. InJu y, rider , th father had doomed it necessary to place him attended on the lunatic, and from that of • Munro care n t: f the Dr. evidence x!ey, o w f h who r. kept Oxleya ne establishment l h i h s m s e c r n v t aii f orturs,who_ lunat ics. a a ld Spurgin, it was evident that Mr. Clark laboured un. proeurc,:for the purpo • d2r delusions, and wi s ll e d as rin h k ink, a ilege o s r , oafnyexplielunindg hspeircitagn. mi sk ss ocr the r, lunatic at theif wouldof e a a s c k h wanity nTehsenCsiitaierefmCmcont, askedhe questions, but, though with great hesitation, he invariably replied in the negative. Dr. Oxley having retired from the room, he was questioned by the Leered Commissioners, but from his answers the state of his mind was quite evi dent, and Mr. Clark having left the room the Jury stopped the examination, and found—.. That he was of unsound mind, and had been so since the 10th June, 1836.1 ~y i