The Sun.
London, England, 1839-03-29 00:00:00

such a way as had been the case on the recent occa-
sion. When Lord John Russell brought forward
the Reform Bill it was stated that the object of the
Bill was to amend the state of the representation,
hut he Must state that a reformed House of Com-
mons should have rejected the motion for inquiring
into the Corn-laws, had excited the digust of the
people at large. For his own part he could not
expect justice from the present House of Commons.
Hc concluded by moving :
" That this meeting has learnt, without surprise,
after the previous unjust refusal to hear evidence at
the bar of Parliament, of the late decision of the
House of Commons upon Mr. Villiers motion
to go int.) Committee to considcr the Corn-laws ;
convinced that they must rely for justice solely
upon the patriotism and intelligence of their fellow-
countrymen, this Meeting cordially approves and
adopts the pl•in recommeuded by the London Dele-
gates of uniting all the towns and districts of the
empire in one great Anti-Corn-law League for the
purpose of employing competent lecturers and sup-
porting a stamped circular, procuring the aid of the
public press, and adopting every legitimate and
constitutional mode of appealing to the good sense
and co-operation of the people : believing that the
great struggle for freedom of industry against the
misgovernment of a rich and powerful aristocracy
has now commenced this Meeting, whilst they do
not disguise the formidable obstacles to be over-
come, would remind their countrymen that, upon
the result of the contest, it depends whether Britain
shall continue to march onward with other nations
in the path of greatness, and afford to a naturally
increasing population, augmenting means of sub-
sistence, wealth, or happiness, or'whether, like too
many other empires of ancient and modern times,
our country shall be sacrificed to the selfish and
ruinous policy of a privileged portion of the coun-
try. To doubt tire issue of such a question would
he to question the spirit and intelligence of the
British people. This Meeting, therefore, relies
with confidence upon the co operation of every
class and calling of their fellow-countrymen to aid
them in their endeavours to abolish the most sordid
and destructive monopoly ever inflicted upon a
civilized country."
Mr. T. H. WILLIAMS had great pleasure in se-
conding the motion, and expressed his dacided con-
currence in the resolution, as it was quite clear that
the people had been sacrificed to serve the inte-
rests of a class, and marked by the scorn and
expressed contempt of the lauded aristocracy for
time manufacturing districts of the country. He

progress of population, in order to prevent England
becoming unfit to be inhabited by gentlemen. Their
arguments, two thousand years ago, would have
applied to agriculture itself, when it first made the
country uninhabitable by the hunting tribes who
were previously- its only tenants.
The conviction that the progress of population
here might be as rapid as the United States, or
much more rapid' than at present, is of almost
im-
measurable ►mportance in, this great con-
troversy. The human frame has a great
power to adapt itself to circumstances. The poor
inmates of a nunnery, enjoy comparative comfort,
and they would never know, however much they
may pine and fret, what they might becomc,were it
not that some human beings live in freedom. So,
as the nuns adopt themselves to the rules of their
miserable-cloister, individuals and society at large
adapt themselves to the rules of the lawgiver, who
incloses them within the walls of a great restrictive
system, and limits their supply of food. The num-
Ira of the people is limited by the law. We
may infer from the progress of another nation, that
we might command a better fate, but without that
term of comparison, the Corn-law-s", regulating
the supply of food, would regulate the number of
the people, and we should never be able to form an

idea of the immense expansive power and immense
increase of wealth they extinguish. The principle
we have laid down will enable our readers to judge
of their effects ; and nothing but them, and the
system of which they are a part, has prevented our
population, with the most extraordinary mechanical
power at their command that the world ever saw,
from increasing since the peace as rapidly as the
population of the United States.
NATURAL LAW OF FLUCTUATIONS IN
PRICE.—We come now teethe natural law of fluc-
tuations in price. Savages very often die of hunger,
and they frequently have one whole day's gluttonous
feasting and a week's fasting. As the arts become
known men get comfortably fed, and in our society our
supplies come to us as regularly as the hours. Now
this change is typical of the whole history of the
progress of price. In the early age it alternated
between the smallest possible coin and famine. In
the' middle ages multitudes very often died of sheer
starvation, and the prices of corn in those time
underwent fluctuations of which we have not
example in modern times. The rule, therefore, is
that fluctuations of prices become less and less in the
progress of society. They are also less in propor-
tion as one country communicates with another.
For example, the Duke of Wellington and Sir
James Graham, in the progress of the debate, re-
ferred to the fluctuation of the prices of corn at New
York, but it is clear that the high price of 1837
would have been much higher, and the fluctuations,
on the whole, greater, could the United States
not have imported corn from Europe. It is
equally clear that it would have paid the merchants
of New York sooner to import wheat, had there
not been a duty of about 6s. per quarter on it,
and but for the duty the price would not have risen
so high, and the fluctuation would have been less.
Now Great Britain having communications with
all the world, and able to purchase with the pro-
ductions of her extraordinary mechanical skill food
from all nations, should be the least liable to fluctu-
ations in price of any nation in the world. Thus
in our country, just in proportion as time advances,
and as we extend our trade, fluctuation in prices
ought to diminish, and we shall test the arguments
of the speakers by this rule. Here, again, how-
ever, we find that the Corn-law, by its
immense power, as long as we submit to
it, of moulding society to its own propor-
tions, prevents the beneficial rule from coming
fully into existence, and were it not for other
countries, and some events in past times, we should
have no means of knowing that prices were subject
to any such rule. The theory, however, is con-
firmed by experience, and prices have fluctuated
less and less as society has advanced, and as trade
has been extended and free. Having established these
principles as our guides, we shall examine by their
light the rhodomontade which it pleased our Par-
liamentary speakers to call reason and sense, and
to suppose the people were fools enough to be
gulled by.

MANCHESTER ANTI-CORN-LAW

ASSOCIATION.

MANCHESTER, THURSDAY MORNING.

Last night a general meeting of the members of
the Manchester Anti-Corn-law Association was
held at the York Hotel, King-street, for the pur-
pose of receiving the report of the Manchester De-
legates respecting their proceedings during their
second visit to the Metropolis. Amongst the
Manchester Delegates who were present we noticed
Aldermad Cobden, Mr. Rawson, &c.
Mr. RAWSON was called to the Chair, and hav-
ing opened the business by reading the circular con-
vening the meeting, after which, in accordance with
the wish of some o the members, the report of De-
legates prior to their separation in London(w nich ap-
peared in . our account .of . the meeting held at
Brown's Hotel), was read by Mr. Ballantyne, the
Secretary._ _ _ _

Mr. Alderman COBDEN, in rising to address the
meeting, said that he conceived the Delegates had
gained a great moral triumph, although they had
been defeated by what he would call physical force,
for any person who had read the discussion in the
House of Commons,would see there was nothing like
an argument raised on the part of the majority. Mr.
Villiers' speech was one of unequalled excellence.
He took up the question on the broad ground
of justice to the whole country, and its
was not even touched upon by those parties who
pretended to answer it. Even Sir Robert Peel
himself studiously avoided grappling with the prin-
ciples which Mr. Villiers laid down, but contented
himself with taking up some statements, or rather
mis-statements which had been published by parties
who were identified with his own side of the question.
He took these statements into his considera-
tion, and then built an argument which he demo-
lished, after which he claimed a victory over his
opponents. Nothing could be more unfair than this
result, and to show it had proved unsatisfactory to
their opponents, he would read some extracts from a
friend in Parliament which he had just received :
" The landed people are not satisfied with the last
debate, and the Tories have had strong remon-
strances from some of their own people at its being
made a party question. Their papers, if you ob-
serve, have not claimed any triumph, and many of
the party say that they have lost an opportunity
that they will not regain of what they call settling
the question (which generally means substituting
something so like what they remove that it is diffi-
cult to distinguish them). Let the season only be
bad again next year, and our labours will tell. The
Delegates are of course much abused, but the com-
plaints only come from men who are writhing under
the service which they feel they have rendered to the
cause. You may be sure that the course hitherto
pursued with respect to the House has been a judi-
cious one. In no other way could we have put
the House so thoroughly in the wrong, and I
hope in this agitation, a reform in the repre-
sentation will not be forgotten." The De-
legates in Lancashire had avoided party poli-
tics, but there was a great many of them, in-
deed the majority representing those intelligent con-
stituencies, who were convinced that from the pre-
sent constitution of the House of Commons there
was no chance of their case meeting with a fair
hearing there. They were very anxious that we
should convert our Corn-law Association into an
association of a political character. He believed
that the majority of the Delegates were of that
opinion ; but he (Mr. Cobden) hoped th, meeting,
would agree with him that they should avoid adopt-
ing such a character, and he also hoped that they
would agree that a system of agitation on the Corn
question should be adopted throughout the country.
Whatever individuals might do as individuals,
still as Delegates, and as a Corn-law Association,
they had nothing to do with party politics. He
anticipated, as a result from their labours, that they
would receive great assistance from the agricul-
turists themselves. He believed that the
labourers were becomit, interested in the question,
and he had been told by a great political economist
that they feared more from home competition than
foreign competition. With respect to the conduct
of the House of Lords (he was in the House when
Lord Melbourne spoke), the speech which struck
him most was that of Lord Melbourne, and he was
most surprised when he heard his Lordship say
that this agitation oriainated in a scheme on the
part of the manufacturers to take advantage of the
present high price of corn.
ROP,:ftT ncticiLsoN, in rising to propose
the first resolution, said he could nut have expceLed
that the House of Commons could have acted in

TH.l4:,' SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 15:,9.

The meeting then separated.

WEBB seconded the motion, and called the atten-
tion of the meeting to the servile condition of
the farmers in the agricultural districts ; it was of
importance that pamphlets should be circulated
amongst them by the Association. He thought
there ought to be soma communication made to Sir
Thomas Lethbridge, who, although he did not go
for a total repeal at present, would, he had no
doubt, render great service to the cause of the. As-
sociation. He regretted to see the names of many
.Members of Liberal politics in the list of votes in
the majority.
Mr. PRENTICE read a letter from Hereford, re-
commending the distribution of pamphlets amongst
the agricultural classes.
The CHAIRMAN put the motion, which passed.
The Chairman having left the chair, Mr. Alderman
Kershaw was called thereto, and on the motion of
Mr. Alderman COBDEN the thanks of the meeting
were given to Mr. Rawson for his conduct, not
only in the chair, hut on the Delegation where he
had a strong brief in hand—namitly, the case of the
stocking manufacturers, which was the strongest
point in the case.—(Cheers.)
Mr. ItAwscax, in returning thanks, called on the
meeting to show Lord Melbourne that nothing
short of the total repeal of the Corn-laws would
be of any benefit. If, as Mr. Sturge had said,
they stuck to their principles they would be right,
if they abandoned it their cause would be lost.

WAR WITH AMERICA.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

S:r,—Having read in your Paper the remarks on
the Boundary question, I very much regretted the
tone of the remarks. There is an evident leaning
to that fallacy, which has, as Bentham has so satis-
factorily shown, been the cause of such im-
mense in.;ury ; namely, the upholding the dignity
of the country.
You remark—" The British Ministry will be pre-
pared to make every reasonable concession, short
of a direct compromise of our national dignity, for
the maintenance of our friendly relations with a
Government," &c.

This, with tile remarks made in your Paper this
day, evidently leads to the conclusion, that to pre-
serve this disputed territory, we are, to preserve our
dignity, to go to war with America.
Well, suppose we do go to war, what do
we get? Several millions of debt. We lose se-
veral thousand lives ; and if we do not suffer defeat,
we shall be glad to get freed from the burdens of
war by giving up the territory in dispute, and most
likely a great deal more.
But suppose we gain the victory, and retain pos-
session of the disputed territory, what then do we
ffain ? Nothing.
What are the Colonies, the American Colonies,
to England ? What but an immense burden, and
a fattening place for the sons of the aristocracy ?
What did we gain by the previous American
war ? The privilege, after we were beaten, of
trading with free America, and of gaining more
out of her, when free, than ever was gained when
she was a colony. Put forth, Sir, your powerful
voice in favour of giving up to America this dis-
puted territory ; condemn the " game of Kings and
of aristocrats," war—show the utter futility of war
in realising the objects for which it is carried on—
and thus confer a service on society, and obtain the
approbation and the support of the sons of peace,
and oblige one of the oldest supporters of The Sun.
London, March 27, 1839. J. E.

had in consequence returned from London more
dissatisfied than ever with the state of the repre-
sentation. He believed that the conduct of Parlia-
ment had excited a strong feeling in the country.
Mr. A. PRENTICE called upon the meeting not
to be discouraged ity their recent defeat. For his
own part he would not be discouraged by thirty del
feats. He recollected that Lord John Russell had
discontinued his annual motion for Parliamentary
Reform, and he dropped his motion ; but in less
than a year afterwards the Houses of Par-
liament were stormed and the Reform Bill
passed. He expressed his conviction that
the proccediegs of the Houses of Parlia-
ment would be to increase the number of reformers.
Referring to the proposal to publish a circular,
he congratulated the country on the determination,
and said that if the House of Commons obstructed
the demand for justice, the question would arise
how the people should reform both the Houses.
The resolution was then passed.
Alderman KERSHAW moved that the thanks of
this meeting be given to those members of both
Houses who had supported the resolutions of
Lord Fitawilliam and Mr. Villiers., In doing this —mos—
'Arr. BANGS in the Chair.
he said that he had been struck most forcibly
The Rev. Dr. WADE said, that seeing there was
whilst looking to the debates that manyan unpre-
abroad a feeling that it would be necessary to re-
judiced mind must have been convinced, that the
sort to physical force, he as a Clergyman, and a
argument was in favour of the repeal of the Corn-
person belonging to the middle classes, could not
law. But it was evident from the disorderly con-
form an opinion in favour of this conduct. Per-
duct of the Members of the Tory side of the
haps if he were one of the labouring classes he
House of Commons that they were only anxious
would feel that there could be no doubt of the ne-
to protect their own pockets as a class. With
respect
respect to the House of Lords, if the Pre- cessity of resorting to physical force, in consequence
' mier of England had shown so much ienorance of the great privation which the labouring popula-
. with respect to the question, what wonder was tion have to undergo : but he must, with all due
it that other Lords had voted in a similar respect for those whom he represented, and with
way?—(Hear.) He had no hope of a better whom he had had hitherto no difference, beg leave
state of things with respect tb this question in the
to give them an opportunity of filling his place at
the Board of the Cpnvention. He would, he
House of Lords : he had no hope of amelioration,
thought, as a middle man, be of more use to the
except from a reform of that House. When he
Charter by not being a member of the Convention.
reflected that the object of the League was to send
He therefore tendered his resionation.
lecturers round the country, and that the school- te
THE BIRMINGHAM UNION.
master. was abroad, their condition was not despond-
The report of the A.itatine, Committee stated
ing, and he hoped that they would not be discou- that they considered eat Messrs: Salt, Hadley,,
raged, but' that they would buckle_ On' theit-,wriuout,-
Pierce ' and -Collins sbpuld be- allowed further title',
and show the majority of the House of"COMMons
to complete their mission. • -
that they were not the triflers they were taken to
Upon this being moved and seconded, Dr.
be, but that year after year if necessary they would
rTAYLOR read a letter from Mr. Donaldson, of
fight this battle. The cause was that of truth,
Blmingham, stating that there was on Thursday
and must prevail, and would ultimately tend to the
promotion of the best interests of the country. last a private and a public meeting of the Council.
Mr. EDWARD HALL, in seconding the motion, At the private meeting Mr. Salt stated he would
resign his seat in the Convention, and that the
said that he was not discouraged Cy the recent
defeat, for he found that one-third more persons Convention was not worthy of the confidence of
voted for the motion than he expected. Some per-
the people.
Dr. TAYLOR said that now having read the
sons thought that if the price of corn were
letters he felt that lie was for their consideration,
to fall the agitation would cease, but lie
whether they should not send to Birmingham a
was quite sure that this would not be the case,
Delegate to he present at the great meeting which
and he also thought that if the price of corn
was to be held there on Monday next, at which the
were to fall to one-half its present price, the
Convention was to be put in competition with Mr.
agricultural population would join in the attempt to
Silt and the Birmingham Council. He was glad
obtain a repeal of the Corn-laws. that those Birmingham operatives had denounced
The resalution then passed.
the Convention, as it was confirmatory of the opinion
Mr. NODAL said that the Delegates were de-
which he held of them for a long time.—(Hear.)
serving of the thanks of the meeting for their excr-
He knew the doing of these people in Glasgow
Lions, and the time they had spent in the service of
when they went there to rouse the people for Uni-
their country. He proposed a vote of thanks to
versal Suffrage, and he was glad that there was then
them.
present the Delegate from that place,who could bear
Mr. THOMAS OGDEN seconded the motion.
him out in what he said. They got a person to
Mr. JAMES CHAPMAN congratulated the meet-
fill the chair there who has even known to be a
ing on the resolutions of the Delegates. In one of
the circles (Caslisle), they had got a large number Whir, and who made it a condition of his doing
0
of signatures to the petition, and they were anxious so that neither he, (Dr. Taylor) nor Mr. Feargus
O'Connor should be allowed to speak.
that some lecturer should be sent into that quarter,
Mr. LOVETT rose to order.
He agreed with the motion.
Dr, TAYLOR was not out of order, he only spoke
The resolution then passed. of the acts of those persons, not of their characters
Mr. Alderman COBDEN, in the absence of Mr.
—(Hear and cheers)—and it was only his wish to
Smith, the President of the League, returned
preserve that unanimity which Mr. Lovett so much
thanks. He had no doubt but that the re- desired that prevented him bringing their
conduct
futation given by the Delegates t
to the 'is" before this under the consideration of the Conven-
statements that had been made in the tion.—(Hear and cheers.) He (Dr. Taylor)
in the House of Commons—he thought that the
would not wish to have unanimity
with persons
fact of so many Delegates meeting together from
the gat best, were but good WI '
ligs.—(Hear and
distant parts of the country, was a new era in
cheers.) He, therefore, moved that deputation
a
history of the country. If something was not done
of three should be sent down to the 13. '
ition =lngham
to relieve us from our present stationary cond meeting to be held -
on Monday next at Holloway
we must date from this time the decline of com- Head.—( Greet cheering.)
coerce in this country. He adverted to the state The CHAIRMAN said he had had placed in
of commerce on the Continent, where they were his hands a resolution that Messrs. Taylor,
free from aristocratic and feudal trammels, and he
Moir, Fletcher, Sankey,
Carpenter, Dr. Taylor,
called upon the young men of this country to bestir
and Feargus O'Connor should proceed forthwith
themselves.. The world was willing to pour their
to Birmingham to confer with the leading men of
stores into the lap of Britain, and it required no- b
ri
that place on the present state of the Council, and
thing but the violence and bitterness that had been
to know if the people of that great town agree with
shown on the part of the monopolists to prevent
the private denunciations of Messrs. Salt and others
this country prospering. He would not let this
to subscribe question drop; and was willing e 1001. '
against the National Convention, and to adopt
a-year until the object they all had in view waspreventing disunion among
every means of . the
And he was sure there were thou- members of the Convention at this very important
accomplished, an
sands in the country who would contribute similar crisis.
Dr. M'DOWALL would second the resolution of
amounts.
Mr. Alderman KEnsinw acknowledged the Dr. Taylor. He thought that it would be the
resolution on behalf the Delegates, and said that greatestthis means to promote. disunion if they allowed
they went calmly . but firmly to work, like matter to pass unnoticed.
the justice of their Mr. PITKEITHLEY and Mr. SKEVINGTON de-
men convinced of claims,
fended the conduct of the Birmingham Delegates.
and like men who were not to be put down
of the House of Mr. CLEAVE also recommended the utmost con-
by the recent vote Corn-
sideration to be given to the charges brought against
Com-
mons. There was, it was true, grief and disc
the face of the P" their Birmingham friends. It was unwise to de-
pointment written on Delegates, 0
He was sure they would convince their consti- nounce persons on mere suspicion, especially as
tuents of the unfruitfulness of the Reform Bill with those persons had given proof of their sincerity in
measures. If the
respect to great public landed
welfare of the • removed by the mere assertion of this Mr. Donald-
aristocracy would risk the commercial
interest and their ow n interest, he thought it mustson, whom he never heard of before.—(Hear,
hear.) He regretted that those gentlemen had
be attended with evil consequences. If they consi-
which must . result from absented themselves from the Board, and it was not
dered the consequences a total
cessation of employment in this district we might wonderful that the unrepresented should view their
't that regard with great suspicion ;indeed,
conduct i i
tremble for time consequences, of having our trade
he had intended to notice this conduct before, but
taken out of our hands by foreign competitors for
the sake of putting money n pockets of the
i the for the press of business which had taken place
•
m the Convention. He concluded by recom-
aristocracy, which would, in a short space of time
' a Committee to inquire into the conduct
find its way out.—(Cheers.) mending
of those gentlemen.
Mr. EVANS said that the conduct of the Dele-
Mr. RICHARDSON thought there was a wide
gation was exceedingly interesting, and must have difference between the resolution of Dr. Taylor
a powerful effect on the country. And the efforts
and the amendment of Mr. Lovett. The resolu-
of Mr. Cobden were extremely valuable.—(re
eaueere.) tion only purported to send down three persons to
He moved that the Committee of the Anti-Corn- receive the opinion of the people of Birmingham
law Association be empowered to draw up rules
-- on the conduct of their representatives, and to
for the Anti-Corn-law League.
report to the Convention --:
what that opinion was.—
Mr. Alderman COBDEN suggested an alteration (Hear, hear.) They would not require to have
in the resolution, to the effect that the rules be closet meetings to deliberate and confer on take
drawn n:) and reported to this Assocation and the conduct of the accused persons. The duty of their
other Associations. deputation would be to attend at a public meeting,
The alteration having been made, Mr. RicriA RD to hear all parties, and by what would be then deter-

NATIONAL CON VENTION.
(YESTERDAY.)