The Express.
London, England, 1850-01-29 00:00:00

MEETING AT °ABRAM.

Yesterday a protectionist meeting was held at
Witham, the High-Sheriff, J. T. Sratmornoara, in the
chair. Oa the plums.= were, Lo,d Burghley, M P.,
the Hon. 0 J. Noel, M.P., Mr. 0. J. Hestheote, it P.,
and Mr. Stafford M.P. _ _

The Marquis CAMDEN moved the first resolution.
He said—Them are no ordinary times, and we are gut here
to-day under Creme/moue of the greatest anxiety to the
greatest interest of this country. It is an undeniable fact
that a great amount of 6crese exists among the agricultural
portion of the populates of this kingdom. (Cheers.) I
apprehend that no person can venture to doubt this fact,
however much they may differ in their opinion of its causes.
(Cheep) We are assembled tocomider this unhappy stare
of things, and to resolve noon what remedies are re quire 4 to
alleviate and remove the depressed condition of agriculture.
It will be necessary for us to consider very carefully what are
the reel musses of this depreesion, is order that we may arrive
at a right *omission as to the most eillemims remedies to
be applied. I think there it not an individual in this hall who
will not agree with me when I express my firm conviction
thot the chief lain of the depression when from the repeal
of the corn laws. (Cheers.) Many of you will probably
',member that epos the hustings in this town, in the year
1841, I ventured to predict that, if Sir Robert Peel were
pieced in power, one of the first things ha would do would
be to alter the corn laws. (Cheers.) How soon that pre-
diction wee verified you all knot,. In the very next year
Sir R. Peel, as prime min suer, introduced and carried an
alteration of the sliding male. At that period, however, he
was still so far impressed with the necematy of protecting the
&CIA farmer from the ruinous effects of free competition,
that he stated his opinion that the average prim of a quarter
of wheat ought to be 664., in order to afford to the
farmer • namable profit ; and he farther made use
of teem remarkable words, speaking of the farmer—" I
cannot guarantee you by I egislatioa a particular prim ; but
this I will tell you that so lung as corn is under 61s a
quarter, you shall not be exposed to the importation of
foreign eons." (Cheers) So spoke Sir Robert Peel in 1842.
What did he do three years altar? Soddenly, to the con-
sternation of his ptrty, he forsook the sound political
principles he had so ably advocated and maintained for 30
years and adopted measures of an entirely opposite paters
—opposed to all right and jest government, utterly subver-
sive of the greatest iatereet of this country, and which have
venally had the effect of reducing the value of wheat His.
a quarter below what he had justly termed a remunerative
price, sad lle. a quarter below the limit at which he had
promised the farmer protection from foreign Co..
padded. After briefly referring to the state of
the labels'', and stating a totem to protection
duties to be the only reel remedy for the present distress,
the noble lord moved the following reeolation, which was
reconded by Mr. Samuel, a tenant farmer, and carried
unanimously :

" That it is the opinion of this meetin4 that the distress
now exiting amongst %nictitation, oosonosed by the soli.
mind competition of mused foreigaprodnee, is unparalleled
for severity Is the meals of British hinny, while those cos •
anted with and &pedant upon them ar support are suf.
(snag privatioes alike =heard of and atakaowa at any
former period, and which most result Is the inevitable rain
of agriculture, comments, sad mansfamares."

GEORGE FINCH, Hag., tam seas forward to move the
second rosolutiow :

Teat it b the opinion of aft meeting that the pernicious
principles of firth trade have completely preatrated our West
Indian and have severely injured our other colonies, sad
nob es a timely remedy be applied they will skiimately lead
to the dismemberment of our vast and va'nable colonial
empire, while the destruction of our glorious merchant navy
is titeased by the same unjust and-ruinous policy."
Mr. E WORTLEY seconded the resolution, which was
than carried unanimously.
Mr. HEATTICOIII, Y. P., then proposed the third reso-
lution, determining upon 'petitions to p+rliamcnee,, to be pro-
moted to the respective houses by the Earl of Oatarboroagh
sad the Hoc. G .1 Noel.

The Bon. 0. J. NOEL seconded the resolution, which
was carried unanimously.
Mr. CHSZTHAM, a tenant farmer, proposed the 4th re-
solution. which hod reference to advertisiug the proceedings
of the meeting. After to .chine on some more general mat-
ters, he west en to say that in his leisure women's he could
not help thinking that phan'ome of ruined farmers would
haunt the duple, pillow of Bir R. P.el. Knowing how
mach he was execrated, he molly should think he must
move skint in tear and dread. (Rear, hear.)
Mr. STAFFORD, M.P , stoondsd the resolution. Resold,
though he had often heard Mr. Villiers speak In plain
clothes, he had never pot heard him in a court dress, and it
was astonishing what a sheep of eoat often cifeeted—u
gnat a change sometimes as a turn of the coat--(sheen end
laughter); end be should not be the hest surprised it Mr.
Villiers was, in colloquial language, to " draw it very mild."
(Cheers and laughter. )
The resolsrioa was then serried unanimously, end after a
vote of Welts to t►e sheriff, the meeting, which wee said to
be the largest that had been held in Rutlandshire for many
years, separated.

ANOTHER LANDLORD fUEPODIATING PROTECTION.
—Mr. Lloyd Vaughan Watkins. M.P., has legit( d as ad-
dress to his ciewitituente, in whisk he says:—.. Observing an
advertisement snnouucing that a county meeting was to be
mimed by the High Sheriff. I think it my dire, as your
repro/tentative, to state my reams for not attending. Bad
you, ;mail men, intimated a wish that I should be present,
I should have deemed it Incumbent en me to be there ; bet,
from a knowledge of the sentiments entertained by a very
large majority of my constituents on the subject ffree
trade,' so perfectly coormarit with ay own,' -MTV UM:Might
It better to absent myself from each a meeting.
THs ABIRDARE STRIKR.-0•0 effect of the pre-
sent strike is t • withhold shoat 0004 per month from foul
circulation, from which oreumetaase it may be inferred that
the dispute excites no moll amount of local interest. The
bailee of the turn-outs metes Wodarday to dhow the
term propounded by the mom. The result of their dell-
boredom was Se mines disk amities. • shot was Arai
this the window of a rites named Richards, let week
ft peril while a low Inaee re the man's bead, and ledgod
la the welL itaroji.ll bad we load at with,
sad rehnstie the meleAttala Three men are In er
tody on of having bees essoorned in the outrage.
—Siners

Hamlin' 020R011 RIDZOIIT, Nottingham, glove Enemata*.
tam.
JOHN DALIN, Cheltenham, boot manufacturer.
THOMAS DON, S•sinton Iron works, Yorkshire.
Osoaos Function' 811•11PLell, Mancha er, heder.
HURT Roes, Ranches er, commas brewer.
SCOTCH SEQUESTRATIONS.
Gnoaon Raaauro, Edinburgh, clothier.
Tacna. Sillt, Banff. bookseller.
Wiwam Tnoxsom, Olugow, sesoanteat.