The Sun. — London, England, 1842-07-21 00:00:00

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"11S 1 " 0 11 mitt thi rd ld s' i t thr(4ll cool"' ' nt throb his clitYP se , read a 'so o'C° ;pence o de 11, has 012 '.. t ri rect of l ,' 0 11 inelaric lli IFrew It eek• ( 01 3t3 o ut t a cd Frenc?,cere Tuber °f rhosies vi" is ie otheo' r e , five had ' Bit* , te e 0•A JOS W 69,4 0N cl 4 5 (94 it Of ;s AS??, As CO' ,_office' be eo h :tit' s ba ps ' a r o ta ke riAtv of the taft urc ion , to Car (1 acc ° : . ; . ii ‘) tt s tes- - . 0 of he Kry and the air, , CO n', s urre:r 0 o c o qO,O b ,he Rero der the ijri le n '' f the Lord' - en ts' Berg e ' b t he ire w" he r of nir'" e Nra terlD ant i clrrsol;or , )31 lia r h ee throag . rarnrce;:i oA3vnbleg )t" thc w h er e rioter, -- that wer e there 1, o f hia Lc° unces t e n interred 'The S am c l u nlte. s !omen t " T he t)ne. tive lve or . 1 ., e [yes 011 _. THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, JULY 21, 1842. ANTI -CORN _I, ti VI , CONFERENCE. lately held by Sir R. Peel—language which seemed to show that he wished to cater to the vicious taste of those who were anxious to throw the odium of the present ac ful distress upon the improvements which had been effected in our machinery. He had lived in Manchester for the last 50 years, and he had been in business there for the last 40 years, so that he must know something of the state of trade in that town. The branch of business to which he had served his apprenticeship, and which he since carried on, was the manufacture of fustian, which i was one of the staple manufactures of Manchester. Between the profits made in that trade in days long gone-by and the present time, no comparison could be made. At the period when he had entered upon business, the profit upon the best quality of fustains was Is. a-yard, the profit upon those of the second quality was 10d. a-yard; and the profit upon those of the third quality was Bd. a-yard. But a mighty change had since taken. place, and the profits were now but is. upon the piece. Their goods had formerly been manufactured by hand-work ; but they had for some time employed the power-loom. His own machinery had cost him nearly 33.0001., but he did not believe it would now sell for 8,0001. A party in his neighbourhood, who had lately become a bankrupt, had a mill, the the machinery of which had cost 40,000/. That machinery had been valued about a year and a half ago at 22,0001.; hut it was sold the other day, and did not quite realize 7,0001. Another party, who had also become a bankrupt, had a mill filled with excellent machinery, which ten years ago had cost 6,0001., it was sold the other day for 1,5001. He had lately had a communication with the Manager of a Joint-Stock Bank, who gave it as his de cided opinion, and in that opinion he himself entirely coincided, that .if the manufacturers and mill-owners of the country were to sell their mills, machinery, and stock at as a high price as possible, there was not one in five of them who would be solvent. He had himself been always decidedly opposed to the practice of reducing wages. He considered that practice attended with two great evils ; first, it deprived the working man of the means of purchasing goods ; and, in the second place, it knocked down the value of all the stock the manufacturer had en hand. .No sooner was a reduction made in wages than it became known to pur chasers, who insisted on a corresponding diminution in the price of goods. He had himself taken, in the year 1840, a large amount of stock at a reduced price, expect ing to make a profit, but he had subsequently sold it at a loss. The last time he had taken stock, namely, at Christmas last, he had hoped that trade would revive, and that he would make a large profit ; but he found he had been greatly deceived, and he had sold it at a liTss of from 71 to 10 per cent. He had of late reduced his hands by one-half, and lie should have stopped his mills altogether were it not that he had a considerable number of workmen living in his cottages, for whom he wished to find some employment. He was a Director of the Birmingham and Manchester Railway Company. At the time they were about to open the line to Crewe ; they wanted about sixty clerks. porters, and watchmen, and for those situations they had upwards of 1,200 applicants, independent of private applications to individual Directors. Those applicants were in general men of good character, and of the con dition to which they were reduced some opinion might be formed from the fact of their having made those ap plications. He had been informed by . a friend of his engaged in the distribution of soup tickets to the dis tressed operatives, that on Monday morning the crowd of applicants was unparalleled, and some of them had come to the door to wait for relief on the preceding Sunday night. He could state as a fact, that some of the ministers had lately visited a family of eight in number, all grown up, who had but one bed and one room, and that one room a cellar. Now, he had no hesitation in saying that such a state of things must affect even the morals of our population. Young people of various classes could not thus. be mingled together without danger to their moral character ; and for his part, he was persuaded that twenty years of prosperity could not repair the injury done to the character of our people by the distress of the last few years. He was himselt con nected with a Sunday-school, and though the expenses attending it were very limited, the contributions for its support had so diminished that he was afraid it could not continue to be carried on. The late annual collec tion had not realized one half the usual amount. , Again they had a dispensary and a penitentiary which were nearly brought to a stand for want of funds.—(Hear, hear.) Altogether the town was in a most de plorable state. It would move the hardest heart to see the number of persons once in respectable circumstances now depending on precarious and charit able relief. He begged to . state, as another indication of the general decline of the trade in Manchester, that he had learned that morning that a mill adjoining his own, which employed seven or eight hundred hands, had stopped. He had himself a few thcusands pounds left ; when that was done he must stop working his mills, and those he now employed must go out of employ ; for the goods they now sold were not enough to pay wages. He was sure nothing but the pressure from without would forcg the Legislature to attend to their complaints. —(Loud cheers.) He was the last persOn in the world who would wish to excite people to break the law, but from what he knew of the situation of the country, and of the trade of the country, he feared the worst. Every market was glutted. Mr. Smith, from Canada, had been with him recently, and had bought forty pieces of goods. He ought to have bought four hundred or five hundred. That gentleman had told him that he could buy goods 10 per cent lower in Canada than he could in England. Another person who used to take a great quantity of goods, now desired that no9,e might be sent out, because he could buy them lower than they could be sent out. If Sir Robert Peel judges of the prosperity of the country by the amount of exports, his judgment must be a most erroneous one.—(Cheers.) On many of the goods sent out, the manufacturer would never get 15s. in the pound back again. Every piece of goods which left this country without leaving a profit behind it, took part of our soil away, and if that state of things continued the country must ultimately go.—(Cheers.) Mr. FINCH, in addition to his statements re specting iron made yesterday, stated that in the Staf fordshire district there were • 150 blast furnaces, of these only 74 were now in blast, These furnaces em ployed from 150 to 200 persons each, so that from 12,000 to 15,000 persons were thrown out of employ in consequence. Many of the iron mills in Staffordshire were only in work three days a week. As an illustra tion of the complete prostration of the iron trade, he would just state that in 1835 he was selling bar iron at 11/. per ton, and this week the price was 5 guineas. A gentleman who had had great experience as an exporter of iron, had told him that he could not put his finger upon a single part of the globe where he could sell iron at a profit. The CHAIRMAN having announced that the Delegates intended to attend a meeting of .the London merchants and dealers at the London Tavern, the Conterence ad journed until to-day at eleven. (Centioned from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) Rey worth then read the following document : v" HOW DOES CHEAP BREAD PRODUCE HIGH A GES AND PROMOTE GENERAL PROSPERITY? kthe"tnlsVehlve:s,' food is cheap, the industri ous c la sses c loth e and the increased demand in th e home mar at Produces great manufacturing and commercial pros rilY : more ha n d s are requ ir e d, and, t o o b ta i n th em , bier wages are given. On the other hand, when corn is dear, t h e whole of the wages of the working-classes ire expended in providing food for their families, and their d emand for manufactures ceases : our exports are i ncreased, and foreign markets are glutted with the very Coeds which should have clothed the wives and families "f English workmen, and have made their homes com fortable. Ruinous forced sales of them abroad are effected, at a l oss, t h at our m i ll owners may obtain re mittances, and continue to pay the operatives their weekly wages bankruptcies follow, mills stop, opera lives are without employment, or work only half time; consequently, wages fall, or, what comes to the 'lame thing, their weekly earnings are diminished. The ` n aeraplova • • . • d r i v ~, operatives, &Laving pawned everything, are en, destitution, from their cottages, which are left With n' tenants. No additional buildings are. wanted. ,„„ 1 5 813 fis, bricklayers, plasterers, plumbers, joiners, and vaulters are, therefore, thrown out of work. No new f4llolll3,are erected, no machinery is required. Mechanics, ,4_9(trymen, labourers at iron works, miners and their Z 1 makers, are also deprived of employment. Shoe ...!,kers, tailors, shopkeepers, and, lastly, bread-bakers :_qa dairy-farmers, lose their former customers, and be :2l4e themselves victims of the all-pervading evil. A 7areity of bread and dear food sinks them, too, into the mi eswrable r an k s of t h e non-producers, to augment t h e en, e lling numbers of dependent, pauperised consumers. atis universal distress, experienced in every trade when ve s uPPIY of so" necessary an article as bread (being . monopolised by the law-making landocracy, is Igly illustrated by the ill-favoured kine in Pharoah's ,;* 4lll , which eat up all the fat and well-favoured. ," Indeed, it i s a n i nvar i a bl e ru l e , th a t, if th e parties V n aeing any article of common consumption have po ical (ever to limit, by law, the supply of that article, the wnl. raise its price in the market to the extent of • t4t `'r 'wicked, privilege, which will diminish the con -4,lption of other things in proportion, and, therefore, t , 41 , 1 ! Contract and depress every other trade, as exp '„e shows the Corn-laws hiwe done. If to protect ma itacturers in the maintenance of high prices for their 0 ,, C4 % misguided legislation should have interfered to eti e v!tit the development of the mighty mechanical in elkticins which, by the peculiar blessing of God on this et iv ,, i ntl 7l commenced seventy years ago to pour forth manufactures to clothe the naked of every "; to provide an inexhaustible source of employ ,irt for l a b our , an d to diffuse wealth amongst c lasses throughout the empire, with unheard she Prelusion ; and if to arrest this influx of ap Clothing, Parliament should have prohibited by "• theofmachinery,the scarcity and dearness of v .,use is ou '' a, woollen and linen goods consequent thereon, e t ih,,la not only have kept down the consumption of these ties to the lowest point, but the costliness of the ne- A i „ sa rY garments made of them would have withdrawn it h ; f ra , m eans of consuming all other commodities and pro of. -- „“ins to an extent that would have kept in a state k e n , deepest depression all other trades and employ en'ins, agricultural included ; labour would have be h:a a drug, wages would have been reduced almost to M e ili ng, and ,England, instead of being, as she is now, wealthiest nation on the earth, would have remained -e a k ,_ lll Poverty, the merited victim of her wicked and th is 8 " legislative policy. Hence it is that, yielding to infallible rule, a high price of food according to its t a 4relt Y, devised and maintained by Act of Parliament, t r , t 3 gradually produced a universal and constantly in ''earign in every trade, during the last four ~.; • Whilst in 1835, for instance, when wheat was at ,tlt ; than 40s. per quarter, we had a period of great -N raf tl , aracturin g and commercial prosperity, with good i tti. :? : es, for the simple reason, that besides everybody 'ca v in g: plenty of food, upwards of 15,000,0001. were A lli ed to the labouring classes on wheat alone, which, L,ng spent in manufactures, increased the demand for L ,7lr and r a i se d wages . During ' the recent period of price s f or food, great has been the distress of the tis!!turacturing districts, and all over the kingdom in all f "se trades whose tens of thousands mainly depend b e employment on the ability of the working classes to I,...their customers ; in which the capitalists have also Trsgely shared by a considerable decline, nay almost a truction of profits, and even, in many instances, of ta Pitalalso, • of which, alas ! the present universal low ,„'Lges, or diminished wee kl y earn i ngs , want o f employ iiettinlltt,ray re n a d , destitution of the labourers throughout the necessarily, the consequence. The repeal to r Corn-laws would s ecure a s t ea dy su pply of cheap ,in exchang e f or eur manu f actures, b y w hi ch we superabundanc e up t; r o a r b e u i g n shouldnto foreign perform a Ch r i st i an duty i n m i n i stering to t h e our ndannacteions, and clothing their naked out of eee food for the tho ive in return, of manufactures, and we should out o f t h e i r supera b un d ance , c h ea p thousands wh o are now f am i s hi ng with hunger ; and God's command, to do unto others as we would they should do unto us," would, through the pro ,!!-Is of this beneficent interchange, be obeyed. His !blessing w ou ld f o ll ow , t h e national distress would be re , I noved, ,sh e prosperity of trade would be restored, by the 'People having it again in their power to become general Z,T s umers of all other articles, and the competition of 4 310 yers for labourers would raise wages and give irtant employment to all classes of labourers, for the t w ee t t of revived commerce would soon reach the agri tst,,Pral labour er , a nd the higher wages obtained in - kiti 4t e4 and manufactories would, as a .matter of course, l a w ages in the-farming districts, as it always has done. tle a , ottclusion, let the inquiry be made, what is the toon ~1 1t. which substantially represents the wealth of the Zeet e ij e d interest in the kingdom. Is it the precious lieh' e as, which in the currency amount to about 22,000,000/. gr 1 ,,..,, - -. 4.. represents this enormous wealth ? Is it the con- Eoi e r`ed masses of buildings in the metropolis, or the ° f these islands ? No ! it is the power of the ustrlous masses, by the aid of machinery, to produce, tlie r • ti ." l °st miraculous abundance, all the useful comino t tIC- 3 of life, combined with the essential requisite that ‘-11 ) , ▪ ey have the ability also to be the general consumers of t ai „, l . If these powers be paralyzed, the wealth of the im . " e Yed interest will dissolve away and depart from its " tessors, as surely as the shadow follows the substance. "'erkmen of England, Merchants, Manufacturers, thin gs. and Landowners ! meditate seriously on these „t th in gs• The deep-felt and wide-spread misery brought 'l4 ) .a all by the Corn and Proviston-laws demonstrate 4 Ir selfish and sordid origin and denounce their iniquity. As C hristians, who ask God to give daily bread to all, 11111111 4 y calls upon you to express, on all occasions, t ou r utter abh orre nce of these and all laws whose object I ,.: l esignedly to create scarcity. As sincere, religious it is' who pray that " His will may be done on earth as k, hi heaven," consistency requires that you should put fo rt h • unceasingly your combined efforts to obtain, by a ir, lawful means, the total and immediate abolition of oth er's which interdict men from ministering to each • ti wants a nd necessities, out of their relative super dance. LAWRENCE HEYWORTH. th had thus endeavoured to place before the meeting Whole cy c l e o f reasoning on this important subject, 1• , - " „ si v ,„e hoped the arguments when placed before the would have the effect they wished for. It' they l e - f u ld be r e f ute d he was open to conviction, if not, then f" the truth prevail; this was all he wished with regard to questi on: H e might state that in his journey up al Liverpool, he met a gentleman of large landed pro- C o t Y in Kent, who was a firm supporter of the present :Ltlith-vo 3, and, during a conversation on the subject, he 1 - 1 41 1tee .d the present document in his hands, and he allowed had considerably changed his opinions ' • that he I v convinced there must be some change, and that he ab oliti on ready to concede that that change must be an of the Corn-laws, or the wealth of the king d°in'would depart from it. He was in hopes that a e ar 7,,"ar conviction would come home both to the mann - lig and landed interests, on the impolicy of all re :rietions on t h e i m p or t a ti on o f any commodity, but more s Peeially on suc h a vital commodity as corn. To make Bac h restri t . s was to legislate for the purpose of kto . c ion e kin g the kingdom poorer, for they had the same e ,et as an hostile army preventing the entrance of pro -5'005 into a beleagured city. Their direct operation 0 ,, necessarily to impoverish the kingdom ; let them look at the question in this broad light, and surely spi t would come to the conviction that of all madness, ,"it of legislating on such principles was the most ab o„,,-urd and idiculous. There was a constant waste and 1 , - s'aumption of the commodities of a country, and to ;e'ent the importation of them was to produce a state 1 - I ( 4 ,lhings under which the nation must become poorer Poorer. HOLLAND HOOLE (Boroughreeve of the town of othLahord) th en a ddressed the meeting. He said he had " t°l l sent up for the special purpose of accompanying gentlemen to a meeting .of merchants in the City, 'yneh would be granted to them that day. He was a CD manufacturer, or at least he ought to be one, but gt „ was sorry to say that at present his works were 0 , - „ l) ,P,,ed- He would ask them under what conditions it `" -e , a m an occu py premises, and employ 700 or 800 e n , when he could not even realise the expenses of his !tablishinent, and pay the chief rent and local taxes t lie place he occupied ? Such was the fact at pre a h ie . and p er h a p s he was singularly fortunate in being hi s stop his works without the total destruction of trade which must be the case with the reai„ c et '" l 'LtY of persons engaged in the same business, in great spinning. Ile looked forward to the winter with ere, apprehension, not only on account of the great in bet e. of misery it must produce amongst the people, vu , f ur the strong probability that outbreaks would oc ftte',' which would extend themselves over all the maim , matur ing districts. He believed that the exertions of the pi e had contributed much to the preservation of the s h j i :•",of the country, as well as to advance the cause ; or b t un people were still waiting with some expectation y l i.,enefit as to the result. It mattered not by what Mi etra, 4 $ m th ese changes were effected but femorall if ; "un ere was no other prospect , before he them butruiny 4 ~t,h( 3` !° ° 3 e great and important change were not made in ht;,‘ a l commercial, system. By his office in the town of Itfo 4f (1111 5 he was enabled to make observations of the state l h People better than many other persons, and he f .7: assure the meeting that their condition was [A short conversation ensued, during which 5t,....,r1Ler.11001e stated, that h e h a d a b an d one d a ll id ea o f re s 'l n , ^ s Pta e w g his w or ki n g till some great change had taken ] 1 0 1 1 : he CHAIRMAN announced the receipt of two sums of at " *`-'•" IL, from " A Friend of the Cause," and e — (Applause.) Alderman CHAPPEL , in referring to the statement v ir I t. Peel, respecting machinery, detailed an inter e had e Right Hon. Baronet the Home- P=i offic e fin Sir 1835 , when th some disturbances we re at apprehended 6r • the manufacturing districts, on which occasion th at Robert P ee l d e clared, with great feeling, u " machi nery s h ou ld an d wo u ld b e p ro t ec t e d." v 9 different was that language from the language COURT CIRCULAR. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent visited her Ma jesty yesterday at Buckingham Palace. The Queen and the Princess of Saxe Coburg Gotha took an airing yesterday afternoon in an open carriage and four, his Royal Highness Prince Albert and the Hereditary Prince of Saxe Goburg Gotha riding out on horseback at the same time, the Hon. Colonel Grey and Colonel Bouverie, the Equerries in Waiting attending her Majesty en horseback, and Lady Ca roline Cocks and the Hon. Miss Devereux, the Maids of Ho nour in Waiting, following in anotheropen carriage. The Royal dinner party at Buckingham Palace yesterday evening included her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, their Serene Highnesses the Hereditary Prince and Princess of Saxe Coburg Gotha, the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch, Lady Charlotte Dundas, the Earl Delawarr, and Sir R. Peel. Mr. George Edward and the Hon. Mrs. Anson had the honour of joining the Royal circle at dinner on Tuesday evening. The Viscountess Jocelyn has succeeded the Viscountess Can ning as the Lady in Waiting on the Queen ; and Viscount Sydney and Captain Hood have succeeded the Earl of War wick and Admiral Sir Robert Otway, as the Lord and Groom in Waiting on her Majesty. The Princess Augusta of Cambridge, attended by Lady Augusta Somerset, visited the Duchess of Kent yesterday, at Clarence-house, St. James's. The Duchess and the Princess Augusta of Cambridge ho noured the Italian Opera with their presence on Tuesday evening. Lady Charlotte Dundas has succeeded Lady Anna Maria Dawson as the Lady in Waiting on her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent. A Deputation of Gentlemen connected with the northern part of the Principality of Wales, had an interview with Sir Robert Peel and the Earl of Lincoln yesterday, at the official residence of the former in Downing-street, on the subject of the Welch Landowners' Memorial. Amongst those present ' were the Earl of Powis, Lord Clive, Hon. Robert Clive, M.P., Mr. W. Ormsby Pore , M.P., Mr. Richard Richards, M.P., Mr. W. Bulkeley Hughes, M.P., Mr. J. R. Ormsby Gore, Colonel Vaughan, Mr. W. P: Richards , and Mr. Wil liam Jones. Baron de Moncorvo, the Portuguese Minister, transacted business yesterday, at the Foreign-office. Sir William Gomm and Mr. Burnley had interviews with Lord Stadley yesterday, at the Colonial-office. Mr. John Wood, the Chairman, and Mr. Dehany, the So licitor to the Excise, had an interview with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, yesterday, at his official residence, in Downing street. An appeal from Bengal, " Baboo Deep Narain v. Lal Chutterput Singh," occupied the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, yesterday. Mr. Loftus Wigram, Queen's Counsel, was heard by their Lordships. The Lords present were the Lord President, Lord Brougham, the Vice-Chancellor Knight Bruce, and the Judge of the Admiralty Court. Sir Alexander Johnstone and Sir Edward East sat as Privy Councillors. The case was adjourned, and their Lordships rose at four o'clock. DISTRESS OF THE COUNTRY. In consequence of the following requisition, a meeting of merchants, &c., was held yesterday, at the London Tavern, Bishopsgate-street, for the purpose of taking into consideration the present depressed state of trade, and of devising some means to alleviate the consequent distress prevailing in the country:— King's Arms, Palace-yard, July 13, 1842. We, the undersigned, on behalf of a Deputation from the manufactUring districts, at present assembled in London, are desirous of having a meeting of the:tnembers of the leading firms in London, fer the purpose of conferring with them upon the subject of the long-continued and unequal depression which exists in almost every branch of trade, and of the fearful dis• tress which is spreading over the entire country. The state of the north of England, and the gloom which overspreads the future, must be our apology for this proposal. The members of your firm are therefore respectfully and ear nestly requested to attend at the London Tavern, Bishopsgate street, at half-past two for three o'clock, on Wednesday, the 20th instant. We subscribe ourselves, with the greatest respect, HAMER STANSFIELD, Leeds. JOHN BRIGHT, Rochdale. WILLIAM RAW SON, Manchester. The Chair was taken at half-past three o'clock by Mr. LEAF. The requisition convening the meeting having been 'cad, Mr. BRIGHT, of Rochdale, said that the extreme dis tress of the working classes—in fact, the necessity of the case, was the only apology he had to offer on the part of himself and brother Delegates for calling the merchants of London together on the present occasion. He assured them there never was brought before the' public a question e hich had less material in it for party to work upon than the present. He disclaimed, then, party feel Tugs having anything to do with the present movement. No doubt they had all heard of the distress existing in the country, but all that had come to their knowledge from discussion's of the subject, both in and out of Parliament—all that had been said by the Anti-Corn-law Delegates—all that had been written in the newspapers on the subject of the distress of the country—fell far short of the real state of matters. The sufferings of the people were not confined to the cotton and woollen manufacturing districts—they extended also to the two manufacturing districts of Shef field and Birmingham, and to the mining districts. There was no property in Lancashire and Yorkshire invested in machinery for cotton and woollen manufac tures which had not fallen one-half or two-thirds of what would be its real intrinsic value in times of ordi nary prosperity. That was the effect of the depression which trade had sustained for the last four years. Parties engaged in trade had on their hands numerous stocks which had continued falling in value, and would so con tinue, sinless a decided check was gi'ven to that down ward progress, and which they wJuld never be able to dispose of even at great sacrifices, while the cause of de preciation continued in operation. Year after year pro perty was wasting away. The . weakest were daily giving way, and those who, from the possession of large capitals, were able now to bear up, would be shortly overwhelmed by the tide of distress. The counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire contained a population equal to one-ninth of that of the hole United Kingdom. Lancashire alone had a population exceeding that of six teen other counties of England, and, at this moment, one-half of that-population were in a state bordering on starvation, in consequence of the depression of trade. A large prop•rtion of the inhabitants of those counties was in a state of utter destitution. It was impossible that this state of things could long continue without the mer chants of this great city, whose customers the manufac turers were, feeling the effect of the universal paralysis under which trade and commerce were suffering. The public peace of the country was endangered by such a state of matters. So strong was the conviction of think ing men on this matter that several Magistrates in the north of England had determined to resign their offices rather than have to say, during the ensuing winter, in their official capacity, to Government that they disre garded the famishing cries of their starving countrymen, and that they would act in accordance with such dis regard. Mr. CHAPPEL, of Manchester, said that he had been 50 years connected with manufactures. He was satis fied that a mill and machinery, which cost 34,0001., would not now realize 8,0001., in consequence of the de pression of trade. Another mill in his neighbourhood, on which the owners, who had since become embar rassed, had spent 40,0001., had been lately valued by a broker at 22,0001, to an incoming tenant. No tenant, however, could be obtained, and the property was sold by the Sheriff for 7,0001. Another mid and machinery, which were sold by the assignees of the property, which had been working for ten years, and were in very good condition, sold for 1,500/. ; this was only a fortnight ago. From these facts, they might judge what property in mills and machinery was worth. A gentleman who had managed two mills had told him in conversation that it was his firm opinion, that if the owners of mills could even realise all that they possibly could, not one millowner would be fouud solvent. He was at present keeping one-half of his hands, simply because their families depended en tirely upon him for support. At Christmas, 1840, he took his stock, and sold it at a loss of from 5 to 7f per cent. Last Christmas he again took stock, and he was at present not selling itk but offering it at a loss of from 7 to 10 per cent. At prisent the calculation wasswhich would cause the greatest • losS, carrying on business or stopping the mills altogether. He was occupying an establishment of his own, he lived in a district that was extra-parochial, and had not to pay rent or local taxes, yet with all these advantages he could not continue working without a loss. The distress of 1825 was nothing to 'tie present ; that was merely a panic, and when confidence was restored they soon regained their former prosperity. But at present there was not a mar ket of the world which was not glutted and overstocked with their produce. He had been assured by a gentle man from Canada, that he could purchase English goods in Canada cheaper than he could here. He would now offiv a few words as to the effect of this state of things on the morals of the population. There were thousands and tens of thousands of people out of employ—thousands of young men and women who were turned adrift in the world— and what must be the consequence ? He had been a superintendent of their Sunday Schools for five-and twenty years, and for the last two years the subscribers had been falling off, and they were now a quarter in arrear with their rent, though the expense of educating the children was only 41d. per head, per annum, because they got their Bibles and Testaments from that noble So ciety—the Bible Society. He was likewise connected with the Manchester and Birmingham Railway, and the Direc tors had received 1,200 applications for situations on the Railway, as porters, policemen, and messengers, besides the applications that were made, 'to the Directors in private. He had been assured by a minister that one family had but One bed in one room, and that room a cellar. Such was the desire to obtain work, that to get the warps which were distributed on Monday mornings, numbers of persons were to be found assembling during the Sunday night. He would give them no more state ments ; he thought he had said enough. The speaker sat down evidently much affected by the distressing nature of the details he had given. Mr. HENRY .ASHWORTH (a Magistrate of Bolton) then addressed the meeting. He said it was an extraordinary sight that they should see men of business from the North of England assembled here to tell their tales of woe, and to speak of the losses and privations they were undergoing. He, himself, felt humiliated by it, but yet he believed he could not have remained com fortably at home had he avoided availing himself of such an opportunity as this, to convey to them 11hat was the present suffering condition of the people among whom he dwelt. But, in order that they might more tho roughly understand what was the present condition of the people of Lancashire, he would draw their attention to a few observations relating to the past history of that county. The busy part of the county of Lancashire was mostly comprised in the Hundred of Salford, and this portion of the county was formerly a waste, a desert, a morass in which William the Conqueror was nearly fastened, and found himself unable to proceed in a journey from York to Chester. From that period till the time of Camden, who surveyed the county in 1607, there was scarcely any record existing of what was its state. Camden, more .than 200 years ago, when he had sur veyed the county of York, moralised before he attempted to cuter the county of Lancashire. lle described it as lying toward the western ocean, barbarous, and hardly civilised. With respect to the people, he approached them with some kind of dread, and hoped it might bode no ill ; but that he might not seem wanting to this County, he would run the hazard of the attempt, and he hoped that the Divine assistance, which had hitherto favoured him, would not desert him in this. In his survey he describes Rochdale as " a market town of .no small resort ;" Bury, as another, "in no way inferior to it;" Manchester is described as surpassing all the towns hereabout in its buildings, its populousness, its woollen manufactures, its market-place, and church " Liverpool is merely mentioned under the name of " Litherpoole," as one of the "most convenient of the places for setting sail into Ireland." Preston is called a " large town, handsome and populous for these parts." Blackburne was merely mentioned ; but Ashton, Bolton, Oldham, Salford, and many other places, now contain ing from 'ten to fifty thousand inhabitants, were not even mentioned, existing as they did, if at all, merely •as obscure and insignificant villages. He quoted these remarks that they might have some idea of the progress Lancashire had made in the period of 200 years ; a progress due to the industry and in domitable energies of its people. At the present time those manufactures found a genial soil. Chemistry and mechanics had been applied to manufactures with an FIRE. —Yesterday morning, between five and six intelligence previously unknown. Liverpool, which two o'clock, a fire broke out at the country residence of centuries ago was a small fishing station, was now one of Mr. Shuttleworth, the auctioneer, named West Green the largest commercial ports of the world. In the time Lodge, Tottenham. In a very short time after the dis of Camden the rental of Lancashire was valued at covery of the fire, the parish engines belonging to 57,0001. a year ; it was rated during the last year at Tottenham and Stoke Newington arrived, and 6,200,000/. or au increase of 6,300 'per cent.—(Hear, were got into active operation, and in thq hear, hear.) In the Hundred ,of Salford, the meantime messengers were despatched to the various increase had been upwards of 10,000 per cent. metropolitan fire-stations for _ assistance. The fire, i This was the improved value given to the land by it is supposed, originated in a kitchen, at the back the increase of the manufactures of the country. He par: of the house, and was caused by a defective flue, and had drawn their attention to the past state of the coun the flames raged with such violence that, although try, and he would now say something of its present po considering th distance from town, several of , sition. By the census taken in th e lest year, their were the engines belonging to the brigade, and the 23,600 uninhabited houses, besides mills and workshops, West of England, under Mr. Connorton, arrived and the number must have greatly increased in the in a very shot t time, the whole of the back twelve months that bad since elap se d. This change portion of the premises, consisting of kitchens, bed- could not have happened without producing some effect rooms, and out-offices, together with the furniture, was ion the people. In Bolton, the amount of wages had de entirely destroyed. The fire was, however, fortunately I creased 200,0001. a year, and, with the rise in the price prevented spreading to the dwelling-house. The very i of food, the people laboured under the additional disad valuable furniture and painti ngs have sustained consider- vantage of 119,0001. a year, making altogether a de able damage by hasty removal. Mr. Shuttleworth is in- icrease of 320, 00 01. a-year in the means of subsistence. su red in the Alliance. The damage sustained by the jln addition to that, those classes which contributed to destruction of the building and the furniture is very great. the poor-rates were also suffering to a very great extent. During the week, from the Bth to the 14th inst., Shopkeepers, and parties in that class of life, were daily inclusive, the number of passen gers between France and and constantly failing ; and those which had been rate- England who embarked from and landed at Boulogne payers were falling off in consequences of houses and w as 1,226, of carriages 10, and of horses 13. At Calais workshops becoming uninhabited, and property yielding the numbers during the same period were 475 passengers, nothing ; so that the rates, which stook at 84,0001., 10 carriages, and 4 horses. a year on the books, did not yield on the collection more missioners. The economy was too great, and the supplies given from the very first have been inadequate for human support. " We implore of Government the privilege of obtaining for our distressed people the necessaries of lifeduty free ; and we re turn grateful thanks fur the great good which was done our community by the remission of duty in two instances on Ame rican beef, sent by a benevolent friend at New York. What was thus done on a small scale, and without any loss to any one, may be done in such a measure as to prove a source of prompt supply, as well as a means of soothing wounded feelings. " We bear cheerful testimony to the peaceable and orderly behaviour of our townsmen. Much as they have suffered, and dark as are their prospects, they have conducted themselves as became good citizens. Those who are not in the daily habit of mingling with the working classes cannot form any idea of the severity of their sufferings, or of the becoming spirit with which they have borne them. "We deprecate experiments on the feelings of men. There is a point beyond which patient endurance may not go ; and we earnestly emplore her Majesty's Government to interpose with effective measures of commercial and charitable relief for industrious working men, before it be too late to do so. In flue ; as Ministers of God for good to our fellow-towns men, we would repre3ent to Government the serious obstacles which stand in the way of all our moral and religious efforts, by reason of the great number of able-bodied and industrions men, who cannot find employment; the deep poverty of so many (undies; and the spirit of disaffection and discontent which is beginning to pervade the community." fie concluded by reading a statement of the prices at which American beef might be sold in tl:e English market. Some discussion followed in consequence of a Captain BARRETT remarking that the worthy Provost had not convinced him of seven eighths of his statements; after than 31,000/. The pressure of the poor-rates were, by this means, falling on little more than three-fourths of the rated inhabitants of .the town. An inquiry had been made in December last into the condition of up wards of 1,000 families, consisting of 5,300 individuals. These 5,300 persons it appeared, were earning 3101. a week, which made an average of about 14d. a head. It was found that 950 families had beds, 50 families bad no beds, and there was among them only 456 blankets, making 10i people to every blanket ; 53 families were wholly without beds, and 425 people were sleeping on the floor. The furniture was mostly pawned or sold ; and, among the 5,300 people, there were only 3,000 seats, or about two chairs for every three persons. The meeting would perhaps be anxious to know how the tradesmen of the town fared. He would mention, as a sample of the returns from business, that a manufac turer told him that, after having taken stock on the Ist of July, he found he had lost to the amount of one penny in the pound upon all the cotton he had con sumed, which was about 20,0001 b. per week. His weekly loss was, therefore, 831., or 4,3001. a year. The party to whom he alluded was not a large manufacturer, but he was a very industrious, skilful, and intelligent man. Ile added, that his losses at the present moment were greater than they had been, and if his losses bad for merly been Id. per lb. he would not answer that they were not now nearer 2d.--(Hear.) He would mention another fact. Last week he had been present at a con versation among buyers and manufacturers of goods, and one of them remarked upon the practice of a certain well-known manufacture at 4s. 10id. per piece. An estimate had been gone into regarding the 'cost, when it appeared that the loss could not be less than 10d. upon each piece. The correctness of this estimate had been fully corroborated by a relative of the manufacturer, who had joined in the conversation. That manu facturer produced 6,000 pieces a week ; and his loss •at 10d. in the piece was therefore 250/. a week, 1,000/. a month, or 13,0001. a year.—(Bear, hear.) Now the manufacturerer in question was one of the most celebrated in the trade, commanding the highest prices; and if such were the . state of his busi ness, what, he would ask, must be the condition of the inferior manufacturers ? How long could such a state of things continue ? Manufacturing business could be conducted so long only as capital was found to work it. How long that capital could be commanded time would show. It might be asked, how it was that manufac turers, who were now carrying on business at a loss, did not put a stop to their works ? But it was not so easy as some might imagine to stop a large manufacturing con cern: First of all, machinery would waste away daily and hourly whether it were employed or not, so that in any case the interest upon its outlay would be sacrificed. Again, it should be remembered that manufacturers felt, that if they stopped the working of their machinery, they e ould find it very difficult, if not impossible, to re gain hereafter the customers whom they would lose by that means. Besides, many manufacturers had, like himself; a great number of cottages attached to their mills tenanted by their labourers, and if they ceased to employ those labourers, they would also be ex posed to the loss of the rents of their cottages. The merchants, the bankers, and the bill-brokers in London might imagine from the amount of their transactions that there was no large falling off in the trade of the country. But those gentlemen should remember that bills of Exchange did not always represent bona fide transactions. They frequently represented nothing but emergencies and difficulties. Last September Or October, the people of this country were anxious lest the harvest should turn out unpropitious' lest some mi s h a p s h ou ld o-cur to the Bank of England, lest it should be called upon to pay more gold for corn than it had in its coffers. A gentleman now, he believed, in London, but who during last September was at New Orleans, told him that at that very time the people of the interior had sent down to New Orleans a quantity of barrels of flour, of barrels of beef, of barrels of pork, and of other provi sions, with instructions to devote the proceeds arising from the sale of those articles to be laid out in the purchase of manufactures and clothing for them selves. So large was the quantity of provisions sent down, that the warelv.uaes of New Orleans would not contain them ; they were piled upon the quays of the place. The sun was hot at the time—it set these pro visions fermenting—the wind set in towards a particular part of the city from these quays. and produced yellow ' fever and mortality. Thus these provisions were suf fered to be destroyed and to produce disease, while the people of this country were starving for want of food, and the people of America were in want of our manu factures for clothing.—(Cheers.) He would leave it to the meeting to decide hpw far that law could be right which interposed between man and the gifts of his Makor--(Cheers)---which ordered that the goodness of the Almighty should be trodden under foot rather than ths, people of England should be fed and the people of America be clothed.—(Cheers.) They heard a great deal of commercial. treaties with Spain and Portugal, while free trade with the State of New York alone would be worth more than the whole trade of the Peninsula together.—(Cheers.) In allusion to the transaction which he had related as having occurred last year at New Orleans, he would just observe that on that side of the water 16,000,000 of persons, and on this side 26,000,000 had suffered in consequence of the existence of these laws, and if any persons benefited by their existence, their numbers did not exceed 30,000. Did they think that 40,000,000 of people would permit this havoc to be played with their interests for the benefit of the 30,000 ?—(Cheers.) He came not to this meeting to offend, but to speak the language of commonsense and truth.—(Cheers.) If the advantage of 30,000 persons were to be suffered to out- Weigh the interests of 40,009,000, he would say let him nut be an inhabitant of that country to be one of the 40;000,000 who should suffer.—(Cheers.) He would now return to 'the case of the man to whom he had before alluded, as baying left his employ to go to America, and join the Mormonites, but who had since returned. He had taken out with him certain articles of clothing, of crockery, &c., which he had been told were dear in that country. He took out With him his wife and children, and finding that he had been deceived by the representations of the Mormonites, he determined to return, and ig order to raise funds he disposed of various articles Which he had brought out with him. His crockery lie sold in small quantities at six times the price he had given for it in Bolton. Articles of clothing fetched three or four times as much as they had cost, thus showing that in America food was plentiful but clothing was scarce. He had purchased a pound of sugar in New York for 3d. He Mr. Ashworth had in Bolton purchased a pound of sugar of equal quality, for which he had paid Bd. (The two respective pounds of sugar were produced, and the pound of three •penny American sugar was of rather superior quality to the pound of Bolton eightpenny sugar.) 1-te had inquired of a general shopkeeper how the poor were getting on ; he said very poorly ; that he scarcely ever took more than a penny or a halfpenny from any customer. He (Mr. Ashworth) asked him what he could sell for a half penny, and he produced a halfpenny; worth of tea, of sugar, of coffee, of bread (a thin half round). They could now see the reason why the Government issued a coinage of half farthings.—(Cheers.) He was sorry he had detained them so long—(Cheers)—but it was a subject deeply interesting to all of them. He would detain them uo longer, but let it rest with them, and rely upon their exertions to secure the industrial free dom of the country.—(Loud cheers.) Mr. WILKINSON rose, and was about to• address the meeting, when Mr. .P. A. TAYLOR rose to order. It had been arranged that the gentlemen from the north should first lay their statements before the meeting. lie suggested that they should first hear their statements, and then nothing could be more in order than for Mr. Wilkinson, or any other gentleman, to address the meeting as to the remedy. Mr. Provost HENDERSON, of Paisley, would shortly allude to the state of the - inhabitants of Paisley.countr The inhabitants of Paisley . occupied a part of the y which, with the exception of Middlesex and Surrey, and of Lancashire, was the most populous district of the Bri tish islands. The people there were living upon oat meal mixed with saw-dust, and had even eaten cattle which had died of disease. That rumour had been doubted. But he would repeat, that such things had occurred. In Scotland that species of meat had been sold in the market under the name of Braxey. Let those of the aristocracy who doubted if these things could be, try the experiment of living as these people lived. Let him tell his butler to shut him up in a room with 301 b. of meal for a month, and a quantity of meat obtained from an animal which had died of disease, and then at the end of the month let them see if he would not hove eat up . the unwholesome animal food. They had been trying in Scotland and in England, under the Poor-law, to ascertain the smallest quantity of food on which human beings could exist. They now in Scot land supported them on little more than 2d. a day -10,000 persons were maintained on 11,000 shillings a week.—(Cries of " Shame.") He had been sent up by the Magistracy of Paisley to represent to the Government the necessity of increasing the allowance to the poor of Paisley. On their road up, his colleagues and himself visited many of the distressed districts. and yet the Government talked !—(Cheers.) Ir, Stockport, he was clothing, and they the local authorities, - They visited twenty houses in Bolton and twenty houses in Stockport, inhabited by persons who had once moved in a respectable sphere. In not one of those houses was there a scrap of blanket to be found. Here were ago, had been 52/., a reduction of with latest improvements, 2 t s w . o n ye e a r r e s was personspusnfr present soe a vne dressing r. a % ept ' sra;) machine,lsiuganclget What would merchants say if such a re duction were made in the value of their capital ? What would landlords say if such a depreciation were to take twhaesokringbienkael knocked down w o n t' w fb li r ic 4 h l. , place in the value of their estates.—(Cheers.) They had waited on the Government, and the Government would do nothing. The Secretary of State had said to the deputation, "You seem to imagine that the Govern ment is bound to find food for the starving people. The Government will do no such thing. They leave it to you and the Relief Committee to settle th e matter be tween you."—(Cries o f " Shame.") The clergymen of the town had sent up by himse:f and his colleagues a memorial to the Government, from which lie would read some some extracts The Hon. Gentleman then proceeded to read the following extracts from the memo rial :- MEMORIAL FROM THE CLERGYMEN OF PAISLEY TO HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT. Their resources were now at an end and yet the distress continued, and they apprehended ills of such a nature and to such an extent, as to render national measures an d contri butions absolutely necessary. They, therefore, earnestly im plored her Majesty's Government to sanction these, and to bring them before both Houses of Parliament without delay. They deprecated the melancholy. results which would follow a prorogation of Parliament previous to the adoption of means for relief of the suffering people, on a scale far more large and effective than any which have as yet been adopted by the Le gislature. "We beg leave farther to give, as we he re by d o , a flat and pointed contradiction to the averments from whatever quarter, of a want of economy an d care in the distribution o f the funds o ff ig etared i ll racy prior to the arrival of the Special COM. which, Mr. LAWRENCE Heywonns addressed the meeting to the same effect as the statements made at the meetings of the Conference. . Mr. Room:, of Salford, said that he had been forty years in business, twenty-nine of which he was engaged in manufactures. He had, till within the last two months, between 700 and 800 men in his employment, on premises which cost him 100,000/. The amount of wages which he paid weekly was 4bol, or 20,0001. per amors. But he found it impossible to carry on his business so as to remunerate him for his time and capital, while the present restrictive provision and com mercial laws were in existence. They caused the high price of food, which prevented the manufacturing popu lation being able to obtain subsistence. Mr. WILKINSON read a petition from the Cobbett Club, which had been presented to the House of Com mons, calling upon the Legislature to furnish a sum of money to alleviate the distress of the people, as twenty millions sterling had been granted to put an end to lavery. He moved a resolution, to the effect that the House of Commons be called on to adopt the course re- ( commended in the petition ; but no person having seconded the motion, it dropped. 1)r. SLEIGH proposed a resolution to the effect—That it was of importance that the question of the cause of the distress should be fully discussed, and that, there tore, an impartial and dispassionate public discussion of the subject ought to take place, with as little delay as possible. He admitted that great and alarming distress prevailed throughout the country, but he did not think that that distress had ever been traced to its true causes, or that the subject had ever been fully discussed. He thought that an inquiry should be instituted into the matter. The Learned Gentleman who stated that he was the tepresentative of " the Society for the Protec tion of British Industry," complained that, on various occasions, the advocates of a repeal of the Corn-laws had refused to enter into a discussion with him, as to the merits or demerits of these laws. Mr. We. STOCKS, of Huddersfield, seconded the reso lution. He had been himself a manufacturer and a tradesman ; and he believed that it had never been shown what was the source of the decline of our trade, and that it had never been fairly traced to the Corn-laws. He thought that an inquiry should be instituted into the subject. Mr. BRIGHT, of Rochdale, observed that the same means of discussing the connection of the Corn-laws with the distress of the country were open to the advocates of those laws as to their opponents. He would remind Dr. Sleigh that lie had himself gone down to Manchester to lecture in favour of the Corn-laws, and if he could not gain an audience there, it was because the inhabitants had already fully made up their minds to the fact, that the Corn-laws were the main cause of the decline of their manufactures. He also wished to remind the Learned- Gentleman that he had declined to meet Mr. Brown at Bristol in a discussion on the subject.—(Hear.) He believed, too, that Dr. Sleigh had the honour of being the particular friend of the Duke of :.Buckingham. — (Hear.) He wished further to bring to the recollection of the gentlemen present, that a large meeting having been lately held at Stevenson-square in Manchester, to pronounce an emphatic condemnation of the Corn-laws, a cheque for 150( was cashed at the time in a bank in the town, with the name of the Duke of Buckingham ; and it was confidently asserted and believed, that the money was distributed among ill-disposed parties to in duce them to disturb the proceedings at that meeting.—. (Hear, hear.) Dr. Sleigh complained that the question of the Corn-laws was not discussed ; but the fact was, that it was fully' to talk of discussion now ; for nineteen out of every twenty members of the community were perfectly Satisfied that the Corn-laws were 'unjust and wicked, and that they were rapidly undermining the prosperity of the country.—(Hear, hear.) No extension of foreign trade could increase the amount of food grown in a country ; and therefore, unless a free importation of corn was allowed, no extension of trade could materially alleviate the condition of the country. Nineteen-twen tieths of the people of Manchester believed that the re peal of the law would relieve their distress : 63 ; 900 of them had signed a memorial to the Members of the town, begging them to prevent the granting of the supplies, b) every means in their power, and to prevent the proroga• tion of Parliament until the question of the Corn laws should be taken in consideration.—(Loud cheers.' If the Corn-laws were repealed, and the price of food lowered, that class of operatives which was now enabled to earn sufficient to purchase food, but stood in need of clothing, would have immediately a surplus for the pur chase of clothing; and the First article that was bought in consequence of that fall in the price of food would be the first step towards a revival of trade.—(Cheers.) When in 1838 the price of food was raised, the working men had immediately less surplus wages to expend in clothing ; the falling off had begun then, and had con tinued until now increasing.—(Cheers.) Nothing would relieve a hungry people but a supply of food.—(Cheers.) Could anything be clearer than that ?—(Cheers.) They talked of British industry and British agriculture, as if the weaving of cloth was not as much British industry as the digging a hole in the ground and putting wheat in it. —(Cheers.) How came one branch only to be thus fa voured and protected. Surely it could only be because some one got a profit out of it.—(Cheers and laughter.) Why not regard other branches of British industry as well as the agricultural ? Unless the people bad the means of obtaining food, the evil- would extend until it reached London. There was intense suffering in the agricultural districts : true, the inhabitants were scat tered, and had not the means of meeting and making their sufferings known, but the suffering was increasing in those districts. He had only on Sunday last met with an agricultural labourer from Wendover, in Bucks; that man had told him that great distress existed in that county ; that the labOurers were much better off six years ago, when food was cheaper; although wages had now been increased ls. a week, yet corn had increased so much more in price, that the labourers were infinitely worse off.—(Cheers.) He likewise had told him (Mr. Bright) that married men were allowed higher wages than single men. The fact was, the agricultural labourers were kept in a state of serfdom—(Cheers)—treated as horses, oxen, asses—given just sufficient food to sup port them, and nothing more. The manufacturing labourers, if it were attempted to treat them in this way would leave work directly.—(Cheers.) He opposed the motion of Dr. Sleigh, because no good coul4 arise from it. Every one had made up their minds on the subject.—(Cheers.) The question was, as re garded the supporters of the Corn-lawa—the question of might against right.—(Cheers.) They believed that the opinion of the vast majority of the inhabitants of London was, that the Corn-laws were bad—they were desirous of obtaining an expression of that opinion.—(Cheers.) Ile knew they could not stir up a large city as they could a small village ; but if the City of London would once stir up a repeal of the Corn-laws, they would produce such an effect upon the Government, that the laws must be repealed.—(Loud cheers.) He would not submit any resolution to the meeting. The meeting had been called for the purpose of laying before the merchants and traders of the City of London, a statement of the distress existing throughout the country. No resolution had been prepared to be submitted to the meeting on the subject, by those who had made the statements. Having heard those statements, it was for the meeting to come to any resolution they might think fit on the subject. Dr. SLEIGH then rose to explain, but as he frequently wandered from the point, he was subjected to almost con stant interruption. He made a long rambling statement about a letter written by his son to Mr. Brown at Southampton the week before he proposed meeting with that gentleman in Bristol, which letter contained the reasons for his failing to keep his appointment. The Learned Doctor, at the conclusion of his explana tion, took occasion to deny that he was connected either directly or indirectly with the Duke of Buckingham. Mi. COAZES, of the Tower Hamlets, was chairman of an Anti-Corn-law Association in that district, where they were most anxious to discuss the question, and he would undertake to give Dr. Sleigh an evening if the Learned Doctor would give good and substantial bail for his appearance.—(Cheers and laughter.) He did not think the people of Bristol had lost much by the absence of the Learned Doctor.—(Laughter.) Mr. WILSON, of London, thought the object of the meeting had been somewhat lost sight of in the discus sion which had been raised by Dr. Sleigh. Those manu facturers were merely desirous of laying a statement of the ease before the merchants and traders in London. They did not take upon themselves to propose any reso lution. The resolution proposed had not come from any of the merchants or traders of London, and therefore lae hoped it would be rejected. The resolution of Dr. Sleigh was then put and nega tived almost unanimously, only one hand being held up in favour of it. Mr. SMART moved a resolution, which he had intended to move as an amendment if Dr. Sleigh had pressed his resolution. It was, that the meeting was of opinion that the cause of the lamentable distress was the existing Corn-laws, and therefore pledge themselves to use every legal means to procure their abolition. The resolution was seconded by Mr. SHAW and sup ported by Mr. ROBERTS; when put to the meeting it was carried unanimously. Mr. BRIGHT moved a vote of thanks to the Chairman, which was briefly acknowledged, and the meeting separated. ' It is probable that a second, and more public meet ing, will be held in the City. . It is stated from Altona that the Jews of the Duch of Holstein have been admitted to the rights of burgesses. NEW NOVEL by the AUTHORESS of " THE FLIRT." deprive them of a market in the BranlLfor4W-W " I % They, therefore, are the best auxilinlies i gf the 4 01 "L" .1144 Now ready at all the Libraries, in 3 vols., THE AI AN(E II VRING MOTHER. ...., -, A NOVEL. for getting those duties lowered a rt , kbolislied. 4- 4 E) .. :• ) ', r .. ~..e By the Authoress of French wine - g r o wers have a similar Ws rest in keel ptng_ fr , :4 " THE HISTORY of a FLIRT." down the duties on our linens ; and ',wee ,are, ther4.*, .: Henry Colburn, Publisher, 13, Great Marlborough-street. induced to tbink, that, by lowering the dutii: ow Freva 11 ti i?..- wines, and showing the wine producers that. th'fY "Fft. °l l - 4 \ - deprived of our market by their own kiwi, rig'svirlt)! 4„ them getting equivalents for th eir wines, our n:ai 'tufts 0 mi turers would find in the French wine-growers the twat powerful auxiliaries to obtain a repeal of the duties s on linen yarn. At least, we are sure that suck a tours sof policy would be more consistent with the principles i .of free trade, most in conformity with the wisdom A pd . science of SMITH, and most conducive, we believe, to the permanent welfare of our community. HAMBURGH, JULY, 1842. HIS MAJESTY the EMPEROR of AUSTRIA. AND HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR OF RUSSIA, having AUTHORISED and GUARANTEED several DIS TRIBUTIONS of MONEY DIVIDENDS, by which LARGE FORTUNES may be obtained. HEINE BRO THERS, at HAMB RURGRANTED H, are SELECTED now t.:elling Genuine and W ti BONDS for the said DISTRIBU HONS. Persons desirous to purchase may receive. PREVIOUS to giving any order, the PROSPECTUS with full PARTI CULARS, upon wielressint, WITHOUT DELAY, a line to HEINE BROTHERS, at HAMBURGH. As we receive frevently aoplications r CERTIFICATES, we r• ust beC ti observe, that a CERTIFICATE is QUITE DIFFERENT from a BOND, and tiat there is a great dif ference again between BONDS and SELECTED BONDS —the SELECTED BONDS ONLY TAKING PART IN THE DISTRIBUTION WHICH FOLLOWS THE SE LECTION, and which should never be overlooked, being of the greatest importance. THEATRE-ROYAL, ENGLISH OPERA-HOUSE. THIS EVENING, JULY 21. Will be presented the Musical Play of THE EXILE raron Al. tradotf, Mr J. Bland ,• Count Calmar, Mr. Parker; Petroff Servitz, Mr. Harley ; Derail, Mr. J. Vining ; Alexina, Miss Faucit; Cathe . fin , Miss Murray After which, the Farce of WHERE SHALL I DINE 7—Sponge, Mr. Howe d; Diggory. Mr. Oxberry ; Dorothea Grumpy, Miss Pincott. Co which w ill be added, the New Drama of THE LONE HUT Principal Characters by Messss. 0. Smith, Diddea W. H. Bland, and Harley, Miss Murray, Miss Crisp, and Miss Faucit. To conclude with the New Burlesque • allet, called G 11 IZELLE I - 4 liaracters by Signor Oxbeirini and Madlle. Louisotta Fairbro. trerini. Boxes, 4s. Pit, es.— Gallery, Is. Doors oven at Half-past Six ; commence at Seven; Half-price, a Quarter before Nine. Private Boxes to be bad of Mr. Grogan, at the Private Box-office ; and of Messrs. Andrews, Mitchell, Sams, and Baily, at their Libraries. The public was so continually informed, wben the Whigs were in office, that they were mere blundering blockheads, while the Tories were all expert clever fellows, that it became a part of the general ere c& It was as steadfastly believed as the principles of...religion. The Tories mere never tired of sounding their own praise, and the public acquiesced in it, as the i eiblic credits every quack who is diligent and unscrupulon , in mendacity. Since they (the Tories) have been in offies however, sundry little proofs have crept out that they are not quite such expert men of la,tsiness as they have given themselves out to be. In truCt they are greater bunglers than the Whigs. In imposing a new duty on spirits it. Ireland, they committed a gross blunder, which Lord MONTEAGLE detected, and they were obliged to foist a ci,a.tse on an other Bill, granting drawbacks on malt to correct their error. They passed a Bill regulativ the proceedings at Quarter. Sessions, which suspesided the functions of her MAJESTY'S Justices, and expoa.'d every Magistrate who might pass a sentence on a certain da , y, when the Courts were all sitting, to be prosecuted and amerced, for executing the law on the person of a common thief. When the error was pointed out, they were obliged to suspend the Standing Orders, to prevent more mischief. In addition to these gross blunders, we have now lying before us a Bill " to amend an Act of the present session of Parliament, for amending the laws relating to the Customs," which corrects some emers of that Tariff Act which the Tories have just carried triumphantly through the House of Commons. They have found, it appears, that the enactment COll - the timber duties is so loosely worded, that it is doubtful when a part of them is to come into operation, and they are obliged to pass another law to inform the public that they mean to levy a duty of 7d. per foot of cubic contents, and 10/. for every 1001. value, from and after October 10, 1843, and not from and after October 10, 1842, and that a duty of 9d. per foot of cubic contents, &c., shall be payable from and after October 10, 1842, and only till the 10th of October, 1843. Again, the Act recently passed prohibits the importation of gold and silver plate, not being battered, and already the Tories have found out that this prohi bition is not expedient, and they propose to repeal that prohibition so far as concerns plate manufactured pre viously to 1800. Further, by the Act which the clever Ministers passed only a few days ago, they inflicted a duty of 6d. per cwt. on cement stone, and great injury on those who got it, which they now find it expedient to repeal by this Bill. Beyond this the new tariff gave a boon to the shipping interest by putting an end to declarations and bonds, that provisions taken on board from a bonded warehouse were to be exported, and not used on board the ship. The operation of that part of the tariff is, by the new Bill, postponed to October 10, 1842. To amend the mistakes and blunders of the law they have jest passed, they are obliged to pass this other law, gene rating as much confusion as ever was caused by a half-drunken General giving numerous and contradictory orders. This Bill " to amend the Act of the present session" is not, however, true to its title, for besides correcting the blunders of the Tories, it alters the Warehousing Act of William IV., and prohibits copper ore to be delivered from the warehouses for being smelted, with a proviso in favour of copper ore imported before March 1, 1843, which, on payment of duty, may be delivered for home consumption. It also repeals a clause of an Act of William IV., " to regulate the trade of the British possessions abroad," which prohibits all direct intercourse between the Islands of Jamaica and St. Domingo, and ao longer makes that innocent and useful intercourse a crime pu nishable with the forfeiture of ship and cargo. ' The Bill, by these two last clauses, adds very materially to the other blunders of the Tories, for it places in an Act to Amend the Customs Act of the Session, two important enact ments, amending two totally different Acts of Parlia . ment, both passed in the reign of William IV. As our \Legislature heaps Acts on Acts, so it hea p s blunders on blunders, till in the long run no intellect is able to un ravel the vast web of mischief. That in so large an Act, embracing so Many topics as the tariff, there should be verbal errors and mistakes, is not surprising ; such a work required the most active, patient, and minute attention, and the great blunder of all is now undertaking to revise the old tariff. The country required relief ; it was cla mortets for some great improvement on two or three questions ; men's minds were agitated ; party spirit ran high ; and in such a season Sir R. PEEL thought proper to raise a jumble of discussions about corks, shoes, onion seeds, woods, ores, oils, blubber. apples, &c. The taking up all these matters, at this time, was a gross blunder ; and the blunders in detail are its natural and necessary consequence. They might have been avoided, and the public spared the great inconvenience of Acts amending Acts passed in the same session, which only create a jumble of confusion that would be tolerated in no business of life, except the very solemn business of legislation, by reforming the 1,200 articles of the tariff in a season of repose ; or the mass of absurd regulations and petty fogging duties might have been left, till, in the fullness of time, the bosom of reform had swept. them entirely and for ever away. ROYAL SURREY THEATRE. n conseouence of the iRITY ense overflows that have been attracted by the performance of " La Sonnambula," supported by the first musical talent this country can produce, it will be repeated THIS EVENING, JULY 21. The performances will commence with Beliini's LA SONNAM BU L A.— Amina. Miss Romer; Liza, Mrs. Serle; Rodolpho, Mr. Leffler; Elvino, Mr. W. Harrison; with an increased Band, and a powerful Chcrus, conducted y Mr. G. Stansbury. Atter which, Shakspere's Tragedy of MACBETH; with all Looke's spit ndid Music, sung by the entire Opera Compauy. Pines and Private Boxes may bet ad of Mr. J. Kerschner, at the Fox Office, from Eleven tilt Four daily. ROYAL SURREY ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS. GRAND FLORAL FETE. ON TUESDAY NEX r, JULY 26, The ROYAL SOUTH LONDON FLORICULTURAL SO. CIETY will hold their SECOND SUMMER SHOW for 1542 in the above admirably adapted Grounds, on the same scale of splendour that has always distinguished these popular Fetes. SEVENTY PRIZES of SILVER CUPS, GOLD and SILVER MEDALS, and the LINNEAN MEDAL, Will be awarded to the succes fui Exhibitors. Besides the Exhibition of Floral and Horticultural products, which from the fineness of the season and other favourable circumstances, is confidently expected to be unusually rich, varied, and extensive, the whole of the popular Entertainments for which this Establish. inert is so widely celebrated, will be given on a scale of grandeur eclipsing all previous ends. Admission One Shilling. Gates open at One Concert at six. Fireworks at half-past Nine. The Evening Fetes, with all the usual attractions, every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Opeh from Ten in the Morning. Feeding Hour Five o'clock. All Advertisements of a Disgusting Character, or Immoral Tendency, are excluded from the Columns of " The Sun." t* - -•:/) ' y,..,... ~,,,, 4.---- r 2,-,„13k-. - io, . .- ~ • _",it: ,--,,,=. =,,,—•. , 71 -i ,- ; - °4l".r nit !ottit LONDON: THURSDAY MORNING, JULY 21, 1842. It is now upwards of sixty years since it was clearly demonstrated by a British sage, and forcibly confirmed by an American sage, that all bounties on particular branches of industry, all prohibitions of particular com modities, and all interference with commerce by legisla tion, is very injurious to society. So impressed was Dr. FRANKLIN with this, that he described an assembly of great men making laws for trade as the greatest fools on earth. Since that period no man of talent or authority has gainsaid this important doctrine. On the contrary, every writer of the least authority has confirmed the de monstration of SMITH and FRANKLIN. Every day's ex perience, too, since they forcibly drew attention to these subjects, has stamped upon their doctrines the seal of the highest human wisdom. The practice of our Legislature in general has been to act on these doctrines, and to admit their truth even while it did not conform to them. While no new restriction has in any case been productive of benefit, every restriction removed has been found ad vantageous. In the whole compass of human knowledge it would be difficult to find a theory more amply confirmed 1 by facts than has been that of Dr. SMITH. Ti the astonishment of the world, however, the Par liament of England, in the year 1842, under the guid ance of a man who professes to be an advocate for free trade, and to have been a friend of Mr. Husxassost, has passed a great law, giving a bounty to one species of industry, and protecting it from foreign competition. He has done this in spite of remonstrances, and in defi ance of experience. Sir ROBERT PEEL and the Parlia ment, in 1812, have, in the face of the world, disavowed the doctrines of SMITH, and practically proclaimed to all mankind that it is the solemn conviction of our states men, that to enable our own agriculture to flourish a bounty must be given on the growth of corn, and the agriculturists must be guarded from the competition of foreigners. What is the consequence ? France acts on the same principle, and gives a bounty and protection to the manufacture of linen yarn. America and the American. are prepared to follow the same example, and President TYLER, in vetoeing the little tariff, professes himself an advocate for higher Custom-house duties. Our own bad example is imitated to our injury. The Corn-law in flicts, in fact, on our manufacturers a double penalty; it enhances the price of their food, while it limits the quan tity, and it closes against them, by its effects as an ex ample, the markets of other countries. Those who have silently looked on as the ruinous Corn laws have been enacted, which they might have stopped, have been instantly alarmed at the legislation of France, and have bestirred themselves at once to amend it. They have addressed memorials to our Government, re questing interference in their favour. Her MAJESTY'S Mi nisters, not at all abashed at the consequence of their own foolish and wicked policy, have informed the linen-manu facturers that they have remonstrated with France about her fiscal regulations, though the statesmen of England have always rejected the interference of other Govern ' ments with ours. Over the Government of France, the prayers, the entreaties, and the tears of the linen-manu facturers will have no favourable influence. The more they beg and pray, the more the French will suppose that they themselves will be enriched by these new duties, and the more obstinately they will cling to them. Better would it be, therefore, for the linen-manufacturers to reproach their own Government, which they can in fluence, and charge it with setting a bad example. Let them, insteading of troubling themselves about the linen duties in France, look to the corn and provision duties of England ; let them insist on the Government repealing them, and establishing free trade at home, before it asks other Governments to remit its duties on our manufac tures. By doing so, they would more effectually coun teract the policy of France than by making direct appeals, which only harden it in its own folly. Already the English manufacturers are able to com- WESTMINSTER LOAN AND INVESTMENT COMPANY. pete with those of France in their markets, otherwise —At Guildhall yesterday, another investigation into the the duty would not be required. Now the abolition of affairs of the above Company took place before Sir Peter the Corn-laws would enable our manufacturers to get Laurie. Several persons attended for the purpose of proving how they had been duped. Sir Peter asked everything they use, even flax, cheaper than at present, one of the clerks belonging to the Company, how much and with such a reduction of cost they might effectually the liabilities were ? He said they had paid all within undersell the French manufacturers in spite of the high 4,0001., and that the affairs were still under investiga (laties. For the French Government to raise them tion ; and if they only waited, he had no doubt all the higher would only increase the bounty on smuggling, as applicants would get their money. Sir well as injure the consumers and the revenue. P. Laurie said that if they had the money why not pay, and then there would be an end of the affair ? Sonic of our Contemporaries, forgetful we must sa ~THE NOBILITY AT GOTHA.—" Find the nobility of the principles they espouse on other occasions, here very agreeable—great sportsmen and great feeders — recommend retaliatory duties on French produce ; in short, good jolly fellows, not incumbered with learn that is, the French try to stop our linen trade, and ing, and, perhaps, arrogating a too great consequence these writers would effectually help them, and stop our from o tl f i t e h ir emi l l ii as gh f d e es t tnt ivi e tn xc e u i t o r m , s, however, B r aste . ins, cutlery trade too. The manufacturers of linen yarn many,ch.iotheims, &c., can trace a g pure descent of some six are to suffer from one bad law made ac r oss the Channel, hundred years' nobility. They never mix with the and a Liberal Contemporary would more certainly in- boUrgeois, and a foreigner is all the better received who flict an injury on the drinker of French wine, and on all has ade or some such handle to his patronymic."—Stan engaged in the wine trade, by another bad law made at ford's Thuringian Saxony. Westminster. Supposing such a retaliatory law in- anticipation of Mr. Sergeant Jack flicted on the French wine-grower, the evil of which our Mr. G. A . . .Hamiltoniinis canvassing the electors of s D o t i i i ti s lin eie L y as university in the Bench. Mr. Shaw is not a can linen yarn spinners complain would not be lessened, and we should malevolently imitate the very act we con- offered him, accept it—alt least j u ei h t; i t n sosti:s didate for the vacant judgeship, and would not, were it paper . ttlilmet Dublin M a il. demi). It would effectually promote object contem- It is h sta so te n d by of the late Baron of the Irish Exckquer, C. plated by the French legislator, and cut up by the roots likely Slt 'to be the new Solicitor-General, if he can get into a demand in France for our produce in payment of p ar li am ent. partiesat e o b 'e e l i e n e g k, w a o h u os nd t e il d e French wine. AFFAIR OF HONOUR—BOTII PARTIES WOUNDED. t me etingi;o ( and severely) w took hiel Suppose, however, that we were to take a more i Y er e m ste in rd ated ay Christian-like course, and return good for evil, what place on Putney-heath, between Alexand er would be the effect of lowering the duties on French residing at Barossa Villa, St. John's-wood, Regent's-park, E ll in b o y i b in o in th g; wines and brandy? The French would not give us wine A ug wativ i J e ames or Ta t nkerfield, Esq., residing in Upper Glow. and brandy; they would require payment, and that would Fe s ..o ts r r e . - I v a e , D N o.'clocksebo-thinp..narreti„R egent's Park. At five minutes make our linen yarn more valuable in Fiance. It would bet arrived on the ground, Mr. i l e n en a ni c i aTir n i i :l d et by an t d lie lllr Pot i i n ds i: fetch a high price ; and that circumstance, connected chariot. The distance, sixteen paces, being measured, the with its being made cheaper, should the Core• laws be I hostile parties took up their positions and Ored, Mr. Pollington re abolished, would constitute so large a premium on smug- c in e l i d vig i e r. th . ; c t o i r l i a tr eitfslhis antarist's pistol in the left coin, gling, that the smugglers would soon redress theinjus the elbow. A surgeonZng "rl i g n a tl t y te in t ' h ee n , l e ii i i i i t tni a e i r the ball tice of the Legislature, and compel it to lower orabolish from out of the wound of Mr. Pellingteii, and he was re. its duties. moved hom e i n t h e c h ar i ot . Th e woun d o f Mr. T. being slight, it was • In the case of Brazilian sugar, which is so unwisely itnrnediatei bound up, and he, accompanied by his friends,. excluded from our marketsby ou r high duties, the arose from . Y a paofltieticwalarciiisspncitne,itrtettihaee tgoroaund T recent investigation g ee at t ion ng persons who are most clamourous for a repeal of those of same elections before the Committees t'f . the Rouse of duties are our merchaats• They justly say 41 1 4 they Couuum. TAX ON STAGE-COACHES AND RAILWAYS.—By the Bill to repeal the duties on stage-carriages, which has been read a second time in the House of Commons, the Government carries into effect those reductions on licenses to be taken out yearly for stage carriages, and in the mileage duty, which Sir Robert Peel announced when he explained his financial project. The license is to be reduced to 31. 3s. and the mileage duty to ad. By the same Bill the duty on railways is to be a for every 1001. upon all sums received or charged for the hire, fare, or conveyance of all passengers. At present the duty is so much per head, which operates with great severity on railroads carrying passengers of the lower classes for short distances, and has, we believe, rendered some of them unprofitable. On all of them it has ope rated.to make the proprietors Eomewhat indifferent to conveying passengers who find it difficult to pay both the tax and the cost of theconveyance. We believe the change in the mode of levying this duty will be of great advantage to railroads conveying a multitude of passengers short distances, and will induce the Railway Directors to provide more accommodation for the humble-classes who will thus be benefited by the change. The elegant Cottage Villa, at the foot of Highgate-hill, which was erected 15 years ago, under the auspices of Mathews, the lamented comedian, is about to change hands again, next week, through the instrumentality of Mr. George Robins. Since poor Mathews's death near 4,0001. has been expended in rendering it one of the most perfect of the suburban; villas.