The Sun.
London, England, 1839-02-01 00:00:00

THE CORN LAWS.

MEETING AT CAMBERWELL.

A very numerous meeting of the inhabitants of Camberwell, Peck.
ham, and Dulwich, took place last night in the Vestry-hall, Camberwell,
for the purpose of petitioning for a repeal of the present Corn-laws. At
seven o'clock the chair was taken by

Mr. MeAuno, who said that the meeting had been called in pursuance
of a requisition most respectably signed. The question which would
be submitted for their consideration was not a party question, but one
which operated equally on the interests of the rich and the poor—in fact
upon all classes of society; he hoped, therefore, that their discussion of
its merits would not he mingled with any political topic.—(Cheers.)

Mr, WILKINSON said that it had been urged by many that the people
should urge upon the Legislature a modification of the Corn-laws. He,
however, hoped that they would rather give their efforts to procure a
total repeal of them. One class of society, he would contend,
should not be taxed for the benefit of the other—but
the Corn.laws operated injuriously to all classes of the public,
for he was sure they would all concur in the maxim that the
property of the manufacturing anti agricultural interests went hand in
hand. Mr. Wilkinson here quoted from a pamphlet of Lord Western,
which went to prove the injurious tendency of a dependence on foreign
countries for a supply of corn, "as many circumstances, even the ele-
ments, in freezing our seas, might prevent a regular supply."—(Laugh-
ter.) This, he (Mr. Wilkinson) would say, was absurd. Again, what
would become of the agricultural classes if our manufactures declined P
—(Hear.) Another respectable person who had been an enemy to the
repeal of the Corn-laws, " Old Glory," had come round, and had found
that the Corn.laws ought to be repealed, and that all the interests
of the country must sink or swim together. Old Glory had recently
said at Northampton, that either the population of the country must be
diminished, or the wages of the operatives must be increased ; but it
seemed to him (Mr. Wilkinson) that it was strange it had not struck him
that the price of food should not be decreased.—(Hear.) He should
now propose the first resolution :—" That this meeting desires to ex.
press its firm conviction that the present high price of wheat operates in-
juriously upon the interests of all classes, and that it is occasioned by
the existing Corn-laws of this country, which prevent that supply from
abroad which a certain demand would not fail to secure."

Mr. Baarr raid that, in seconding the resolution Which had been
proposed, the shocks to our manufacturing interests had been so deve-
loped at previous meetings elsewhere that it would be waste of time on
his part to recapitulate them.—(Hear.) It was sufficient to know that
Continental countries took from us the raw material, and sending it
back manufactured here undersold us thirty or forty per cent.(Hear.)
But this was not all, for as our manufactures decreased the export for
machinery increased. This, in fact, amounted to an exportation of the
hens which laid for us golden eggs.—(Hear.) This would end in the
ruin of all our best interests, and he trusted, therefore, they would all
unite to procure a repeal of the obnoxious Corn-laws. Before 1815 the
farmers had steady prices, but since the Corn.law then made, small
farms were increased to domains of 1,000 and 2,000 acres each, and
farmers relying on the high prices thus induced, hoped they wolf(' al.
ways last, and thus the ruin had been provoked.—(Hear, hear.) For
had not the agricultural interest been injured by these laws ? It was
sufficient to know that the tables of both Houses of Parliament were
loaded with petitions from the agricultural interest, praying for relief;
and to know that the farmers, who had been induced by the protecting
duties to take long leases, were found in large numbers in the Gazette.
—(Elear.) It was said that if the Corn-laws were repealed, the inferior
soil would go out of cultivation ; but what had the Hon. Mr. Murray
said lately in the north ? He had said that in Scotland, where the
climate was not so congenial as here, the farmer was content with 12/ a
load far his corn—(Hear, hear)—and he (Mr. Brett) also, as an agricul-
tural man, would also say that he was be,ter content with a return of
81. 10s. per load, in 1636, than 191. in the present year ; because in all
seasons of scarcity the cost of the tillage of the inferior lands did not
pay itself, and the farmer had no compensation which could enable him
from it to support his family; for if there were high prices, he had
little or nothing to sell.—(Hear, hear.) The farmers, in many instances,
he was sorry to say, differed with him in opinion; but they were
beginning to find out their mistake, and he ventured to say that if a poll
were taken, the mojority would be with him.—(Hear.) He spoke of the
farmers, not the landlords. There was another era be would allude to,
which was, that whilst the landowners impoverished their tenants, they
were themselves eating the cheap corn which was the produce of foreign
countries. One line would tell the effects of the Corn-laws : in the

present year froM 50s. corn had risen to 755., and that rise had taken
twenty millions from the pockets of the people, and scarcely a tithe of it
went into the pockets of the landlords.—(Hear.) He hoped the people
of Camberwell would unite to get rid of this evil, and he felt sure that,
if Parliament were properly urged ; their efforts would be successful.
He hoped they would avoid all party feelings, and urge forward the one
great object, the good of both the rich and the poor,—(Cheers.)

The resolution was then put and carried.
Mr. PEWTRESS proposed the second resolution which was:—" That
the diversity of seasons which has been ordained by Providence, must
render uncertain the supply of one limited spot, and make impracticable
that independence of foreign countries for this prime necessary of life
upon which the advocates of these laws so much insist, but
which it is plain they are unable to effect. This meeting, how.
ever, does not anticipate that the free importation of wheat will so re-
duce its price as to prevent its profitable cultivation in this country, but
that the price abroad will be materially advanced, and that the English
farmer will still enjoy an advantage over his foreign competitor to the
extent of all the expenses of freight and transport." The question
they had met to discuss was a material one, affecting the pockets of
every class of society.—(Hear.) No great interest could suffer with-
out involving all others. Looking, then, to the working classes,
their earnings were of a fixed character, and yet when they found
the prices of corn vary from 395. to 1208. what an inroad must
be made ip these earnings.—(Hear, hear.) And he would say that
it was impossible to improve the interests of the working classes
without improving those of every other class.—(Hear, hear, hear.)
Looking still at the working classes, he would ask if any person requir-
ing but 100 persons should employ 110, and pay the additional ten out
of his own property ; not requiring, would it not be absurd ? And yet
it was the folly of legislation in this country to deprive the poor of the
means of employment, and at the same time to place a tax on their food ;
and yet there was abundance of food, and of employment, and capital in
the country.—(Hear.) Within fifty miles of London there was waste
land enough to employ all our poor, when he considered the number of
copyholds of short tenures, and of annual tenures, the tenants of which
could not beneficially expend capital for their improvement•—(llear.) It
had been stated by the Hon. Mr. Murray that the inferior lands in Scot-
land were rendered sufficiently productive; but this he was sure was to
be attributed to artificial causes. There were no tithes in Scotland, and
the system of commutation in this country, when in full operation, would
be found in this respect to be greatly beneficial, for the tenant
would then derive, in a great measure, time benefit of any capital ex.
pended by him, and all the waste land hereafter cultivated would not
be liable to tithe; and there was uncultivated land enough everywhere
to support our population—land which the proprietor of the soil ought
to be compelled to cultivate, or should be deprived of it.--(Hear.) He
was satisfied the land did not produce as much as was necessary to
support the country. Such being the case, they should make soil free
for cultivation, or they ought not to tax foreign corn.
Mr. Cox seconded the resolution. The laws had not answered the
purpose for which they were intended; but he would take higher
grounds than that upon which to oppose them. He considered their
enactments as presumptuous and impious, inasmuch as they attempted to
interfere with the ordinations of the Creator in the supply of food
for man. He explained the nature of barter in trade, and owned
that the argument urged by the advocates of the Corn-laws
had at first staggered him, namely—if they relied on foreign
countries for corn, what would be the consequence in case of a war ?
He bad now discovered that his fears had beets founded on fallacy. In
time of war we had always had plenty of wines and every other foreign
commodity. The fact was, that we salt our goods out of the country,
and with them we purchased money, and as long as we could procure
money for our goods, we would be able to obtain all that we wanted.
With the command of money there was nothing to prevent our supply
unless the British Channel were frozen over, as the gentleman had
alluded to, and which was an occurrence he believed that had never
taken place, nor did he expect it would ever take place, any more than
he would expect to see the Pepe of Rome coma over to this country
to crown Queen Victoria.—(Hear, hear.) He would direct the
attention of the meeting more especially to the inequality

of the operation of the Corn-laws. The man with an
income of 1,0001. a year might say that the increased price
of bread did not make to him a difference of 20/. a year, and
he had no cause to complain ; nor need he complain, for that was not
more than one-fiftieth part of his income. But the man with an income
of 401. a year, and requiring the same quantity of bread with the other,

the !20/. a year extra made the difference of one-half of his entire in-
come. These were two cases of illustration, but it would be impossible
to carry out the calculation to the full extent of the oppression and
inequality of the operations of the Corn.laws as they bore upon the
working man.
_.

Mr. GOLDSMITH dissented from the terms and intention of the reso-

lution. He spoke of the landowners holding their property by "thief"
titles, or "cut-throat" rights. The meeting, with few exceptions,
called upon the Chair to call him to order, and ultimately, we believe,
he did sit down before he had finished what he intended to say.
Mr. SMITH supported the resolution. He urged the propriety and
necessity of nations being kept in a state of intercourse for mutual sup-
plies. He stated that in Kent, if there happened to be a bad cup of
hops, the hop growers did not gather them, because they would have
more to pay the Clergyman than the hops were worth. The great cause of
the sufferings of the people he thought was, that the landowners paid
more attention to the cultivation of their freeholds, than they did to the
cultivation of the minds of their peasantry.

A GENTLEMLN (whose name we could not learn) considered that the
proposition for the repeal of the Corn-laws was a mere juggle. If they
were to have a cheap loaf, they would have less wages. On the Conti-
nent, where the loaf was cheap, the workmen had only 3s. 6d. a week,
and were little better than serfs. He made several allusions to the new
Poor-law; and concluded with giving it as his opinion, that every one
who sanctioned the new Poor.law were virtually murderers. The speech
occasioned considerable uproar in the meeting, on account of the Chair-
man and some others present being Guardians. The speaker had not
many to bear him in countenance.

Mr. WARKINSONa in answer to an observation that had been made,

remarked that he considered the landowners to be as fairly entitled
to their estates as the working man was to his labour. For, in point of
fact, the estates were just so much labour that had been laid apart by
the possessor as by the ancestors of the proprietors.

Mr. TAITAM referred to statements to show that wages did bear
proportion to the price of corn. Nine shillings or ten shillings a-week
with bread at its present price, was not sufficient to support a family
with. The consequence of which was, that it became the interest, or
rather it became necessary for the working man, who was willing to
labour, to go into the workhouse, because he could not support his
family from his wages.

The resolution was then put, and carried, we believe, unanimously.
Mr. JOHNSON moved the third resolution, " That it is the opinion of
this meeting that the working classes will be doubly benefited by the
repeal of these laws; for while a much larger proportion of their expen-
diture, as compared with that of the wealthier classes, is applied to the
necessaries of life, they will net only be enabled to obtain these necessa-
ries at a much lower price, but the increased rate of profit in the country
will so enhance the demand for labour as to prevent that depreciation of
wages which would otherwise take place, and ensure the constant cm.
ployment of an increasing population for many years to come." He
argued for the repeal of the Corn-laws, and for the resolution, in a clever
and interesting speech, of considerable length.
Mr. Ktsex seconded the resolution. He was sorry to see that it
seemed to be an idea generally received, that this was the only amelio-
rating question which would be taken up by those who had called this
meeting, for he was sure that they would willingly take up every ques-
tion which would be generally beneficial when the proper time arrived.
—(Hear.) He seconded the resolution, because he considered that. the
effect, if carried out, would be to increase the demand for labour, whilst
it reduced the price of food.—(Hear.)
Mr. MOET rejoiced, from what he had seen, that he could say the
repeal of the Corn-laws would be carried, not by physical force, bur by
moral influence.—(Hear.) Let the large farms be reduced to smal.
farms in the hands of a greater number, repeal the Corn-laws, and
reduce taxation. and prosperity to all classes would fellow. In conclu.
sion lie would say that, if they resolved to petition, something should be
done to urge their Members in Parliament, in order that their petitions
should be attended to, and not, when delivered to their Representatives,
taken out of a carriage, presented, and then finally closeted without fur.
ther notice.—(Hear.) He cordially concurred in the object of the reso.
lution.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. COBBIN said that a great deal had been said to ensure a proper
presentation of their petition, but he would say that petitions were
nothing unless numerously signed. He trusted, therefore, that all pre.
sent would sign the petition, to forward which they had met, as other-
wise all they might say would amount to nothing. It was said that the
business was half carried, because of the force of public opinion mani.
fested on the subject; but if, when petitions Caine to be presented, they