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

MARYLEBOIVE.

YesterdaylElizabeth GrUflths, a well dressed young woman, was
placed at the bar, charged with having obtained a situation by means of
a false character.

She was tined 201. and in default of payment committed for 2 months.

UNION-HALL.

SHOPLIFTING.—Yesterday Jane Hurley and Ellen Parker, two well-
dressed young women, charged with stealing a piece of silk and a sbawl,
the property of a linen-draper, in Crown-row, %Valworth,were committed

GREAT ANTI-CORN LAW MEETING

AT NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE.

NV1e0.0,11)1.7, JAN. Z 0

A public meeting, called by public requestion to the Mayor, was held this
day in the Guild Hall, to consider and adopt measures relative to the
important subject of the Corn-laws. Twelte o'clock was the hour ap-
pointed, but long before that time the spacious hall, capable of holding
at the least :1,000 people, was completely crowded. The Mayor pre-
sided, and on his left we noticed Mr. Nickol, J. P., NV, B. Proctor, Esq.,
Sheriff of Newcastle, J. H. Hinde, Esq., M.P., and on his left Dr. lit ad-
law, Mr. Alderman Lost), C. Allhouse, Esq., and the general company
comprised most of the influential merchants of the town.
The MAYOR on taking the Chair was greeted with applause. After
reading the requisition convening the meeting, he requested for all who
might address the meeting, whatever difference of opinion might be
found to exist, a fair ant candid hearing
Mr. Alderman Lush then rose to propose the first resolution, which
was as follows That it is the undeniable right of every man to ex-
change the products of his industry, to the best advantage, and that all
laws and regulations which restrict this principle have a tendency to lessen
the demand forlabour,and are injui ious to ev eryportion of the community."
The resolution, he observed, divided itself into two heads : first, the as-
sertion of a principle; and, second, the effects produced by restricting
its operation, especially in reference to the Corn-laws. The principle,
he had no doubt, woull be at once admitted ; and without dwelling on
that point, he would trace the effect of those legislative measures which
had restrieled its operatioe in this country. He then went into a his_
tory of the Corn-laws sit:ce their establishment, endeavouring to show
that they had in no instance succeeded in accompli al ing the object which
was cent2mplated by those who supported them. Ile was decidedly of
opinion that both the farmers and landlords wou' I be benefited by a re-
peal of the Corn-laws.

Mr. 11. ORMSTON briefly seconded the motion, which, on being put to
the meeting, was carried unanimously.
Mr. Nrcaor. rose to propose the second resolution, to the effect
" That the Corn-laws, enhancing the prices of food, are unwise, im-
politic, and unjust, inasmuch as they extract from the industrious
&asses an excessive amount of labour in exchange for the neces.
saries of life, depress the commercial interests, and lead to the de-
crease of capital in the country." ftle observed, that on comparing
the fluctuations of corn with those of coffee, the circumstance of
the excess of duty on foreign coffee over colonial was not taken into the
account. Colonial coffee was chargeable with a Carty of 6d.; and when
the supply from our eolcnies was suddenly diminished, So as to require
the introduction of foreign coffee, an increased duty of Is. :Id. was
paid on the foreign produce, which he contended at once accounted for
the extraordinary fluctuations which had taken place in that article.
Corn, if imported under a fixed duty, he maintained, would be subject
to similar fluctuations; and he therefore advocated their entire and un.
conditional repeal. If we did not receive the produce of other coi,
tries, we could not expect that they would give encouragement to our
manufactures. He then proceeded to show that, by relief afforded in
•arious ways, particularly as regarded the expenses of emigration, at
present paid by the landlord, and the poor-rates, the landed interest
would be materially benefited by a repeal of the Corn.laws.
W. Baonswooo Paocroa, Esq., said he had great pleasure in se-
conding the motion ; ai.“l he would merely, in doing so, state one fact
which he had just learned That was, that at the very time he was
speaking a large quantity of machinery was being shipped at the quay,
to go to Belgium for the manufacture of linen yarn in that country.
The effect of this would ultimately be to diminish the demand for Bri.
Ugh manufacture, and for labour in this country.

The resolution was then put and carried.
Mr. Jour( SnrXt.n, in proposing the next resolution, said that from his
own knowledge he could confirm many of the statements of the previous
speakers ; and he knew at this time, that one of the greatest manufac.
hirers of machinery in this country was at the head of a rival este.
blishment in Belgium. He concluded by moving—" That a longer
continuance of the Corn.law impost would undermine the manufac-
turing, commercial, and asa necessary consequence, the agricultural in-
terests of the country ; and that it would produce decay, followed by
ruin, misery, and destitution, not only to the landowner and capitalist,
but to the industrious artisan."

Mr. J. Nicaor, briefly seconded the motion, which, on being put to
themeeting, was carried unanimously.
Mr. Gaza:snow moved the next resolution—" That, to avert those
dangers, it is imperatively necessary that the Corn-laws be immediately
and unconditionally repealed:" which was seconded by Mr. EmEasos
CITARKLET.

Mr. T. DOUBLEDAY then rose, not for the purpose of opposing the re-
lution, but for carrying it a step further. He believed, he might say
every word of what had been spoken by the various speakers who had
preceded him, but, he also believed, much more. Not only was it
necessary to repeal the Corn.laws, but it was necessary, likewise,
to repeal the enormous mass of taxation which pressed so heavily on all
classes of the community. The repeal of the Corn-laws, without a cor.
responding reduction in the amount of taxation, would, he maintained
be an absolute injustice to the farmer and the landed proprietor, whilst
it would neither benefit the working classes nor promote the extension
of manufactures. To show that a repeal of the Corn-laws alone
would injuriously affect the landed interest, he referred to a series
of tables prepared by a Committee of the House of Lords, and laid
before Parliament in 1814. From these it appeared that
ill* expense of cultivating one hundred acres of land in
the year 1790, was, exclusive of rent, 393/. 9s. B}el , the average
price of wheat at that period being 40s. a quarter. In 1803, the
expense of cultivating the same hundred acres, exclusive of rent,
was 4261. 81. 41d., the average price of wheat being 70s. per
quarter. In 1813 the expense was 6101. 2s. Old., and the average
price of wheat somewhere between 90s. and 100 s. Now if the
price of wheat were reduced by free importation to about 405., the
average price in 1790, he would ask would not the cultivator of
the soil be injured by the great loss it would necessarily entail
upon him ? The same land was now cultivated at an increased
cost, and he ought to receive a corresponding increase in price
for his produce. The cost of cultivating 100 acres of land at the
present time, had been estimated by a farmer of great experience
and information at 4741. exclusive of rent; which was much more
than in 1803 when wheat was at 70s, per quarter. He maintained
in the second place, that a repeal of the Corn-laws would not ac-
complish the objects contemplated by the manufacturer; and in sup-
port of this view he referred to the tables of exports to Russia in
the article of velveteens, showing that during 1833, 1834, and 1835,
the latter year especially, when the Corn-laws had been in operation,
our exports to that country had still gone on diminishing. The de-
crease was not arrested by the low prices of 1835. He then pro-
ceeded to show that with reduced taxation a repeal of the
Corn-laws would be beneficial to all classes of the community, and
concluded by moving the following amendment :—" To avert those
dangers it is imperatively necessary that the Corn.laws be immediately
and unconditionally repealed, together with all taxes on the necessaries
of life; that the present exclusive system of electing the House of Com-
mons gives the landed interest a preponderance, silences discussions upon
those questions ; and the way in which the petitions of the industrial
classes have been treated in that House proves that the great mass of the
people of this country must be represented in the House of Commons, in
order to obtain a repeal of their unjust and starvation enactments."
Mr. E. BLAKIET seconded the amendment.

Mr. HODGSON BEND; M.P. for Newcastle, then rose and addressed
the Neeting. He would not take any course either in support of tl e
resolution or the amendment, but he thought it his duty, as one of thL is
Representatives in Parliament, to attend the ineettng, and-declare his.
sentiments in regard to the question. He was favourable to a fixed
duty. He had not sufficient information to state the amount, but as
to the average price of corn, he thought it ought to be neither above
nor below 60s , and would advocate a fixed duty, which would maintain
it at that sum.

Mr. LOCKET HARLE and Mr. HEPBURN also addressed the meeting ;
after which the amendment was put and carried by a considerable
majority.

The CHAIRMAN thereupon left the Chair, and declared the meeting
dissolved. He left the room amidst an overwhelming torrent of hisses.
Mr. HEPBURN was then called to the chair, and the following resolu-
tion, propes:d by Mr. Lowrey and seconded by Mr. Are, was carried
by a large majority:—" That this meeting is of opinion that the industrial
classes of this country ought to have a voice in the Legislature, and
that we never will have just laws till Parliament is elected by Universal
Suffrage."
Three cheers were then given for the Radicals, three cheers for Ca-
nada, and the meeting separated.

FROM LAST NIGHT'S GAZETTE.

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, JAN. 29, 1839.

This day the Count Sebastiani, Ambassador Extraordinary from the
King of the French, had an audience of her Majesty, to deliver a letter
from his Sovereign : to which he was introduced by Lord Viscount
Palmerston, her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs, and conducted by the Master of the Ceremonies.