The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-03-16 00:00:00

THE CORN LAWS.

Yesterday evening a Vestry Meeting of the inhabitant parishion-
CI% of St-Leonard's. Shortditch, took place in the vestry room, pur.
suant to public notice, " to receive the Report of the Committee
appointed by the last vestry, for the purpose of drawing up Reso-
lutions, and preparing petitions to be presented to both !louses of
Parliament, for a revision of the Corn tiaws."
A little after four o'clock THOMAS l•axe, Esq. senior church-
warden, was called to the chair,
The CifAtablAN briefly opened the meeting by reminding them
thaton a peevious vestry, a Resolution had been unanimously ap-
proved of, which appointed a Committee to prepare Ilesolu-
none, as well as the draft of a Petition, founded upon them, to both
Housei of the Legislature for a revision of the Coro Laws. He
(the Chairman) understood that the labours of the Committee had
been completed, and he trusted the meeting would hear them read
with that patience and decorum which the importance of the sub-
ject so imperiously demanded.
Mr. la xiisay said that, as one of the Committee, he would first
read the resolutions, after which they would he separately put,
when any gentleman who had any thing to offer would have an
opportunity of delivering their sentiments. Mr. Lindsay then read
the resolutions, which were to the following effect :
" 1. Resolve). That this parish, containing a population of
nearly sixty thousand inhabitants, is seriously alarmed at the
rapid increase of pauperism, by which the burthens of the inhabi-
tants have become almost insupportable.
' "2. That those burthens, resting principally upon the menu-
factoring and trading interest, must recesaiarily continue to aug-
, itient, whilst the present laws, interdicting the importation of foreign
, corn, are suffered to exist.

"'3. That whatever system of commercial intercourse may be
atineted with foreign countries, whilst the present corn laws exist,
it will neither be productive of national interest or general good.
" 4. That whilst free trade has been the professed favourite ob.
ject of his Majesty's Ministers ; While those restrictions on corn are
unremoved, which have given to foreigners a decided advantage;
whilst distress and agitation, to an unparalleled extent, are manifest
all over the country, our manufactories greatly injured: monopo.
lies increased, and our poor in want of bread 4 no effectual ex-
triton has been made to benefit the labouring classes of the com-
munity, by the adoption of liberal measures, and the removal of
r. s:rictions, by which a few rich individuals are benefited, while
hundred,' of thousands are deprived of the means of existence.
" 3. That this vestry is fully convinced that the removal of the
restrictions of a free trade in corn must necessarily produce the
greatest advantages to all classes of society, by increasing personal
industry, lessen the poor rates, and give union and mutual co-
operation to all classes of the community ; and a general stability to
the trading interest.
" 6. That this vestry have confidence in appealing to both
!louses of Parliament, that such measures will be adopted to re•
move the oppressive operation of those laws.
" 7. That Petitions to both Houses of the Legislature, grounded
on the foregoing Resolution+, be adopted."
Mr. letwnsar said that it was unnecessary for him to enter into
detail at that meeting ; for it must be admitted as an incontro-
vertible fact, that within the last five years upwardslof 2,000 houses
had been built in the parish and it must be also admitted by the
overseers of the parish, that the poor rates are not recoverable, nay,
on the contrary, in many cases they are obliged to abandon the
collectionof the tax altogether. With thess facts before him, and the
present alarming increase of pauperism, he felt disposed to propose
the hat Resolution.
This being seconded by MI. PUILAND, it was carried unani-
mously.
The 2d and 3d Resolutions were also put and carried unani-
mously, but upon the 4th being put,
Mr. LINDSAY took a view of the advantages foreigners had over
us in consequence of the Corn Laws. He also observed that the
Members of both !louses of Parliament, who were principally
land-holders, as well as the Clergy, who felt an interest in keeping
up the high price of Corn, were adverse to any revision of those
laws. He then glanced at the former state of an English farmer's
fire-side, and drew a frightful picture of his present situation ;
and said he was not so much alarmed at a gaol, as he was hor-
rified at the idea of a workhouse. lie (Mr. Lindsay observed),
whose very soul felt pleasure in his industry and independence, now
feels that industry lessened, those comforts, to which he had been
hitherto accustomed, curtailed, and that independence which was
his boast, ruined. Under these feelings he would propose the 4th re-
solution—lt being amended, was carried with great applause.
The rest of the re:lulu:toils were separately put, and carried una-
nimously.
The draft of the Petition was then read, and being approved,
was adopted.
A Committee, consisting of the Churchwardens and officers of
the parish, with seven of the inhabitants, were then appointed to
prepare the Petition, obtain signatures, and otherwise manage its
presentation to both Houses of Parliament.
Thanks were voted to the Chairman, after which the Meeting
separated.

FATAL. ACCIDENT.—eII iVed seimight, two
fine young men, named Donald Chishold and Duncan
Fraser, were unfortunately drowned in crossing the river
Ennery, by the bridge at Milton el' Urquhart, on their way
home with a party of friends from a wedding at that place.
The young men were walking arm in arm, and Fraser's
sister attempted to take his other arm, fearing that they
approached too near the side of the bridge, which is with-
out a parapet or railing ; to evade her, he playfully started
aside, and fell with his comrade into the river: the young
woman, in endeavouring to save her brother, would also
have been dragged iuto the river, but for timely assistance
from another of the party. A man who ran into the river,
a little distance below the bridge, in the hope of rendering
assistance, lost his footing, from the rapidity of the stream,
which was swollen by the late rains, and with difficulty
regained the hank. Fraser's body was found about a mile
below the bridge.—Culedunian Mercury.