The Sun.
London, England, 1839-03-01 00:00:00

ANTI-CORN-LAW MEETING AT

MANCHESTER, LAST NIGHT.

(BY EXPRESS.)
DISGRACEFUL PROCEEDINGS OF THE
CHARTISTS.

A meeting was held last night at the Corn- Exchange,
Hanging-ditch, Manchester, to receive the report of the
Delegates, on their return from London. The Trades
and other Pelitioners for the Repeal of the Corn-la►~s"
erc invitM to attend.

As eariy as six o'clock, a great number of the working
classes had assembled outside the Corn-Exchange, and
,then thedoors were thrown open at half-past six, a Tre-
mendous rush took plac ~ and the building (which i; ca_
pahte of containing nearly 1,500 persons), was epcedily so
densely crowded, that great numbers were unable to obtain
admission.

Shortly before seven o'clock several of the Members of
the Anti Corn-Law Ass•rciation appeared upon the plat-
form, amongst whom we noticed R. 11. Gregg, Esq. ;
Thos. HarLottle, Esq. ; R. Cobden, Esq ; C. J. S.
Walker, Erq. ; B. Bedstone, Esq. ; J. H. Williams,
Esq ; Samuel Stocks, Jun , Esq., &c.
A few minutes after seven Mr. Ald. Cobden moved that
Mr. Harbottle take the Chair.

No opposition whatever was offered to this motion.
and Mr. H. took the Chair accordingly. The priceed-
ings then commenced and continued without any inter-
ruption until about half-past seven, when a person named
Nightingale forced his way through the crowd and insisted
upon his right to address the meeting, although another
perelou Steeson possession of the Chair. A most disgrace-
ful
scene ensued. which terminated in the forcibrelecxpul-
sioti of the parties by whom the room had been engaged,
and the passing of counter-resolutions. The particulars
arc fully detailed in our report.
• The re"tieetteexs. havii.g isitioer eo4ening.,
the meeting, spoke nearly as follows You will perceive,
gentlemen, that the object for which you are now convened,
is to hear a detail of the circumstances connected with the
proceedings of the Delegates whom you sent to London,
to effect, possible, the repeal of the Coro laws. I have
no doubt that the accounts they will have to present to you
will be of the most stirring nature. el he subject is en
all-important one—(Bear)--it is one. of vital interest—it
is one literally cif life or dead:—(Cheers)—and, althoun-h
I should be extremely unwilling to occupy any part of that
ground upon which others will of course have to travel, I can-
not help making one or two remarks as introductory to the-
present meeting. It appeari, I am-sorry to say, that there
is now no -community of feeling between the aristocracy ,
and the commercial part of the cerrimunity.—( Hear, hear.
It appears that the millions of an impoverished and stare.'
ing population must continue so, in order to aggrandize
the linded interest. —( Hear.) .It appears that te Most
reasonable of all requests, namely, permission •to be heard
at the bar of the House, in.order to state our grievances,
has been refused, and possibly the reason may he that
.our.
request was too pungent rot- the delicate feelings end boa
sciences of the aristocracy.--n(Cheere. ) Therefore, our
petitions proved a dead letter, and we may petition again
and again with a similar effect.—( Hear.) It. has alruarly
been stated by a part of the community that they are
determined henceforth no longer to petition the House of
Commons, as at present constituted.—(Great Cheering.)
—seeing that petitions under present circumstances, are of
no rein!. 1 knew nit t ate s e can present of greeter
ieierest, of more vital importance to the Legislature of
the laed, than that cf the suffering millions of-those around
us; and who only,esk to be heard. We do not even esk for
the repeal of the Corn. law—we do not!evyki ask for any
alteration in the Coredaw—all sic asked Was to have our,
gritaances s:atcd, to hive them fully inirde known ; hut
this has been refused.—(-Hear, hear.). Gentlemen, you-
have something, I hope Of the feelings of Britons, and
doubt not you kayo also the feelings of mew ; but I know
of no circumstance in the history of my short life to eeleu
laed to •reuse feelings of indignation itt PritonS'
as" to be treated in the manner we have been, he the House
of Commons end the [louse .of Lerds;—( Cheers.) i •
grrt to say that, during-my experience _of..the commercial
aril:l-s of this country —an experience of. upwards of G. e
and thirty yc:ars:-Lthat I have never known so much real
•-distress amongst the various classes of the manufecturing
population at this peculiar sezeon of the year as they, are
seiffering at the present .moment. I have kuotta seasons
or depression and-sehsons•-of great and universe! distress
but whet, the new :year= has dawned upon us ire hate gene-
rally anticipated-an improvement. I regret, however, to
say, that so -far from any improvement now taking
place, we -seem to be getting worse and worse.
I am • sorry •to say that. such is . the situ•itiorr
of the spinners and manufacturers, that I hate
been obliged, from the mere-fact of bring unable to obtain
prime cost for the:goods I manufacture, literally to close
my mill, by which many hundreds of hands are deptived of •
their daily food; and yet under all there distressing cite
cumstancee—under ali the privations that millions of Our
population are now suffering, we are insulted, we are pre-
vented from stating our case at the bar of the H,ntse of
Commons. I dare not indulge my feelings on this subject.
I confess.to you that know nothing.by..witich the jec•lings
of Britons can be so much aroused as by treatment like
this.— ( Agar, hear.) I will, with your yerniission, now
call upon the Secretary to read the report of the Delegates
during their sojourn in London.—( Cheers. )
An individual in the body of the room here cried out
Universal Suffrage"—an exclamation which was re-
sponded to by Lead cheers.
Mr. GEORGE WiLsoN then read the report of the Dele-
gates, which has already appeared in the Sass. . . .
Dr. JOHNS (the Superintendent- Registrar), in proposing
the first resolution, said—l hope I shall never flinch, when
called upon to engage in so good a cause as the one which
we are now assembled to promote. When I came into this
large assembly I did not expect to be called on to address
you, and therefore I am sure you will bear with me in the
few observations which I shall make, because for the reason
already stated, I have not had the opportunity of directing
my attention especially to the subject.—( Hear.) Whatever
difference of opinion may prevail amongst those who arc
assembled in this building on other questions, they must
be of one mind on this great question, that we ought to
have the blessings of Providence in the greatest abundance,
and in the least expensive manner.—( Cheers.) I care
not for the arguments which may be brought against the
principles of a meeting like this. I know that God sends
rain from heaven, and causes the sun to shine in order to
produce fruit that may become the food of man. It is fre-
quently said that this country cannot produce sufficient corn
for the people. What then will ycu? Why, of course, rely
upon the bounties of Providence, and cultivate an amicable
intercourse with other nations ; and that which they have in
abundance, they will bring to our markets, and you will
give in exchange the labour of your hands—(Cheers)—
and then it is there will be blessings reciprocally obtained,
and we shall be the means of promoting a greater degree
of universal happiness.—(Cheers.) We have heard the
report of the Delegates agreed upon at their meeting in
London—we have had our eyes attentively fixed upon their
motions—we have observed their steadfastness—we have
observed their zeal—we have observed, also,the determina-
tion with which they have carried on, and with which they
continue to carry on their great work. We owe them an
abundance of thanks; and I am persuaded that the
vote of thanks which I am about to propose, will
be carried by loud acclamation. Who would have
entered into the proceedings in the manner they have
done? I declare that Ido not know the men who would
hare advocated the cause with so much zeal. Let us re-
collect we have very powerful opponents; we have, I was
going to say, powers in the highest places opposed to us,
but truth is great, and must prevail. Persevere in your
determination to have the Corn laws repealed, and the
Corn-laws will be repealed.—( Cheers.) As there are
others near me who are quite able and ready to address
you, I shall not say a word in recommendation of the
resolution which I hold in my band, because I am per-
suaded that you will universally approve of it, and in so
doing pledge yourselves to co-operate with those gentlemen
to the utmost of your power.
The Speaker was here interrupted for a coneiderahle
time by the excitement which prevailed at the lower (rid of
the room, in consequence of the endeavour of some persons
to press forward, and a report which rapidly spread that
Mr. Feargus O'Connor bad just arrived. At length
The CHAIRMAN said—May I request all those who are
favourable to the object of our present assembling to eh.
down. We have all one object, I presume, before us.—
( Great confusion, and cries of " Three groans for the
Whigs.") '
Dr. -Jones then mounted the table, and amidst the
most discordant yells requested the meeting to hear the
resolution he was about to propose before they expressed
either approval or disapproval. He then read the follow.
ing resolution, which was heard only by those immediately
around him tee.
.‘ That this meeting offers its cordial thanks to the gen.
tlemen of the delegation for their exertions ie London,
and highly approve of their resolution not to remain
there eller both Houses of-Parliament had refused to hear
evidence of the injurious effects of the Corn-law; and this
meeting welcomes them back with the assurance of their
determination to renew with increased zeal their labours
for the total destruction of the monopoly of the landowners."
Mr. JAMES HOWIE came forward to second the resolu-
tion, but very few cif hi* observations were heard. We
understood hint to say, that there could be but one opinion
as to the conduct of the gentlemen who had had the ma-
nagement of this business in London, He joined most
cordially in opinion with
those
who wept to the full extent
of Annual Parliaments, Universal Suffeege, Vote by
Ballot, the Seearation of Church and State—nay, more,
to vies for the abolition of the House of Lords. I,lut if
there Wag one single question in which men of all poli-
tical opinions might join, this was the question.—
(Great interruption.) This was a question on which our
very ezietence depended.—( Cries of You're a Whig.")
They might call him a Whig, but there was not a man
among them who would go fur.her than he did. If there were
individuals present, who chose to sacrifice themselves and
their families to the passions c f a few demagogue •. (The
hooting here became so lour', that Mr. Howie was com-
pellol to conclude by merely seconding the resolution.)
Mr. EDWARD CURRAN, a hand-loom weaver, then
ascended the table, and was loudly cheered. lie said,
Me, Chairman, and Mee' of Manchester.--a( The dis-
order was here renewed with all its former yin.
lence.) It is impossible for a humble individual
like myself to acidre s you, if you will not 1 p it me
I stand I e. c, my frieede„, woreing Lauri, and if work-
ine roen will got hear one who is. identifi:d nith them, icy
opinion is that they wtll not hear common sense. I have
laboured for some time to understand this great question,
and I find that I don't stand here exactly ures own
legs. I stand upen. this nlatiferim en ti? shoes of 7,000
and ; moo. tgrern slate candidly my opinion's, rnd
Hi-46mi1l hear Me for a-few"moments. Our Worthy