The Sun.
London, England, 1839-12-21 00:00:00

REPEAL OF THE CORN-LAWS.

- -
MEETING OF THE INHABITANTS OF
MANCHESTER.

A meeting of the inhabitants of Manchester was
convened, by requisition to the Mayor and the Bo-
roughrecve and Constables, on Thursday last, at the
Town-hall, King-street, for the purpose of petitioning
her Majesty and both Houses of Parliament for a total
and immediate abolition of the Corn-laws. The meet-
ing was convened at eleven o'clock in the forenoon.
In order to afford every possible accommodation, in ad-
dition to the large room usually appropriated to public
meetings of an important character, the two end-rooms
were thrown open, thus affording accommodation to an
immense number of persons. Considering the at-
tempts that have been made, both by the Tory and the
ultra-Chartist party, to thwart the proceedings nothing
could exceed the unanimity and enthusiasm of this
meeting. Although a Chartist placard was issued, in-
viting- the party to attend the meeting, and pass a re-
solution in favour of " repealing the Malt tax and the
Excise laws," there were not more than from thirty to
forty of that party present—at least, of those who op-
posed the proceedings—and of the ultra-Tory party not
more than from fifteen to twenty, nearly all of whom
scampered off as soon as they discovered how signally
they had been beaten by the overwhelming majority
which carried the first resolution. There were not,
then, in the whole meeting more than about sixty per-
sons at most who opposed the proceedings, and this op-
position was discontinued as soon as the first resolution
was passed. In the course of this report it will appear
that there was a partial interruption of the business of
the meeting ; the opposition, however, arose entirely
from the little party we have already mentioned, who,
when they fairly discovered their weakness, were glad
to hide themselves in silence. The doors being opened
in a few minutes the large hall was completely crammed,
so much so that in a few minutes the proceedings ex-
perienced a temporary interruption, in order to obtain
something like ventilation.
D. PRICE, Esq., one of the constables, occupied the
Chair on the occasion. In opening the proceedings
The CHAIRMAN said this meeting was called in pur-
suance of a requisition to the Mayor of the borough,
and the Boroughrecve and Constables, for the purpose
of taking into consideration the existing state of the
Corn-laws. It was intended that this meeting should
be exclusively confined to the consideration of the Corn-
laws, and that it should not be mixed up with any other
question whatever.—(Cheers.) It was well known to
them that questions had agitated this town for some
time in reference to the Charter—(Hear, hear)—but
in order that that question might not be mixed up
with the question which was to occupy their attention
at that meeting, the Boroughreeve and the Mayor had
decided on not making their appearance unless as mere
spectators. He had, therefore, to beg of them on no
account to suffer any question of that kind to interfere
with the business for which they were then more espe-
cially called together—(Cheers)—but to hearcalmly and
dispassionately any gentleman who had sentiments to
offer on this important question ; and, alter discussing
the business in a sensible and rational way, to come to
such a decision as would be beneficial not only to them-
selves but to the community at large.—(Loud cheers.)
The Chairman, after reading the requision by which the
meeting was convened, said he should now call upon
some of the gentlemen who were to occupy their atten-
tion as movers and seconders of resolutions.

H. H. BIRLEY, Esq. (a leading Tory), asked the
Chairman whether it v:outd not be difficult to separate
this question from others of a political nature?
The CHAIRMAN answered that the meeting was con-
vened exclusively for the consideration of the Corn-
laws. Such questions as were connected with that one
would, of course, be introduced.

Some interruption was then caused by a person named
Nightingale, a violent Chartist, attempting to contra•
vent; the order of the meeting, and speak without any
motion before him. The disturbance having subsided,
MARK PHILLIPS, Esq., M.P. for Manchester, was
introduced to the meeting, and was received with the
most hearty and enthusiastic cheering, mingled with the
faint hisses and hootings of the Tories and Chartists.
He said that since he came into the room he had been
requested to move a resolution. Before he proceeded
to address any observations to the meeting he would
read the resolution which had been put into his hands.
It was, " That the free exchange of the produce of our
industry for the food and corn of other countries is a
natural and inherent right. A right clearly recognised
by the Creator himself in awarding to various climates
different prodUctions of the earth, for the common be-
nefit of all creatures.—(Cheers.) He had come to
that meeting to perform what he conceived to be a pub-
lic duty. He had come before them on this occasion
as one who saw the necessity for an alteration in the
Corn-laws.—(Cheers.) He recollected that the very
first public meeting in which he ever took part in this
borough was one for the purpose of petitioning against
the then existing Corn-laws.—( Hear, hear, and cheers.)
It he had any apology to offer for any change of cpi-
Ilion or sentiment on this subject, he perhaps might de-
tain them by enumerating the reasons which had pro-
duced such change in his mind ; but, as he said before,
lie was no new convert to the views which he enter-
tained on this question, and every year as it passed away
convinced 'hint' still more strongly that these laws were
not only highly impolitic, but absolutely unjust.
As, therefore, even the modification of these laws
had failed to convince him that they were beneficial to
society at large, he was there in the presence of that meet-
ing once more ready to enter into what he considered to
be the discharge of a public duty, and anxious to take
a part in these interesting and important proceedings
with the rest of his fellow-townsmen.—( Loud cheers.)
This was certainly no party question. He hoped and
trusted that no one in the room would on the present
occasion give the slightest shade of party to any of the
Proceedings connected with this business. This was a
national question, a question not merely affecting the
interests of the capitalists, but one of existence itself,
to every member of the industrious portion of the com-
munity.—(Cheers.) He repeated it, that this was a
national question, for it was one which, in his opinion,
affected the agricultural labourer and the agriculturist
himself, as well as the manufacturer and the operative
—( Hear, hear, and cheers)—and at the present moment
he regretted to say that his firm belief was, that that
portion of the community were suffering equally with
ourselves.—(Hear, hear.) He was sure that in a
meeting of that kind, and among a body of his fellow-
townsmen, it was unnecessary for him to adduce any ar-
gument to prove that at the present moment we were
labouring under deep distress.—( Hear, hear.) This
distress was felt in common not merely by the em-
ployer but by the employed too—(Hear)—and more
so, because the employer in all probability would have
some capital left upon which he might exist for
a time ; but the man who depended for his existence
upon the sweat of his brow, and his daily toil,
if the means of subsistence were withdrawn from him,
suffered immediately and intensely too.—(Hear,hear.)
Now, in the House of Commons lie should have felt
that he should not have discharged his duty to his con-
stituency if, in agitating this or any other question, he
allowed himself to go into exaggerations ; he, therefore,
said fairly and openly, that deep as the distress was at
the present moment—and they all knew it was deep
enough—he did not contend that that distress might
not exist—partially at least—even under an alteration
of the Corn-laws.—(Hear, hear.) But he contended
at the same time that that distress would not be what
it now was if we had a free exchange with other coun-
trics for the produce of our industry in the way of ma-
nufactures.—(Cheers.) There were, he was sorry to
say, many individuals who had attempted to lead aside
the people from the true and proper view of
this question. There were many who had en-
deavoured
to impress upon the minds of the working
classes that the reduction of price of corn would
be accompanied with a reduction of the amount of
wages.—(Hear, hear.) He did not mean to contend
that a national reduction in the price of corn might not
have some effect in the alteration of wages, but inas-
much as the necessaries of life would become much
cheaper, and that the articles which we manufacture
would find a more ready market in exchange for wheat,
there must be a greater amount of labour called into ex-
istence, there must be more extensive means of employ-
ment, and every man who has a family will necessarily
have a greater number of the members of that family
employed.—(Cheers.) He contended, therefore, that
if we could accomplish the repeal of the Corn-lewe we
would accomplish one of the greatest blessings that
could be conferred upon tho community at large
at the present moment..—(Cheers, and " Who brought
the agricultural labourers here by the New Poor-
law?") He had just heard that there was voile degree
of jealousy felt by an individual as to " the importa-
tion of agricultural labourers into the manufacturing
districts." He had yet to learn that it was their duty
to surround their manufacturing town with Custom-
house officers to place a duty upon their labour.—
(Tremendous cheering.) We ought to have free labour
—perfectly free and unrestricted ; and the only means
of accomplishing that freedom would be to allow us to
exchange those articles which we produce in super-
abundance for that agricultural produce which on
the other hand may be had in superabundance on
the Continent.—(oll.) Now, while in his place in
Parliament, he had seen petitions presented from
Bolton and its neighbourhood, which every one knew
was a neighbourhood very thickly inhabited by hand-
loom weavers. He regretted to find that a great deal
of ignorance existed on the part of the individuals peti-
tinning, for they had gone to far as to ask fur a duty on
the importation of cotton twist. Now what was our
condition with respect to cotton twist at this moment ?
—( Hear.) We find that instead of the labour of our
handloom weavers being called into operation to work
up this cotton twist in this country, and perhaps give
employment to thousands, that upon the Continent,
where they have much cheaper corn, the weavers can
make so as to undersell us, and we therefore send a
great quantity of twist abroad, representing only a por-
tion of our labour when taken to a foreign market,
while it ought to have the additional portion requisite
to make a finished article.—(Cheers.) Then let him ask
whether we bad lest—and there were gentlemen in the