The Sun.
London, England, 1849-06-26 00:00:00

fa urtt
SUN OFFICE, Seven o'Clock.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR
THE VROTECTION OF BRI FISH INDUSTRY
AND CAPITAL—(THIS DAY.)
A public meeting. of persona connected with the agri-
cultural, commercial, colonial, manufacturing, mining,
and shipping interests, who are favourable to the prin-
ciple of moderate, just, and a quad protection to every
interest of the state, was held to-day in Drury-lane
Theatre. The meeting was converted for twelve
o'clock, but at that time there was but a very
poor attendance indeed. The pit was partially filled,
so was the centre of the second tier of boxes, and
the front of the lower gallery, but the dress
circle and other portions of this magnificent theatre
presented a beggarly account of empty benches. A very
showy platform, covered with crimson cloth, ornamented
with gold lace, was erected on tite stage, while the noble
personages who graced it with their presence were ac-
commodated with some of the gaudy property chairs which
one sees introduced into the banquetting scenes of dra-
matic representations. The platform was surrounded by a
numerous body of farmer-looking individuals who did
the applauding part of the business in right good ear-
nest, and were most vigilant in seizing upon every point
that told in favour of protection and high-priced corn.
The whole scene, however, formed a somewhat damag-
ing contrast to the crowded and excited state of the
house that always characterised the meetings
of the Anti-Corn-law League, though it must
be admitted that the parties who made up the
majority of the audience to-day carried with them
a more comfortable and well-to-do appearance, indi-
cating anything but the ruin and distress which they
allege that the successful efforts of their rivals
have brought upon them. At one o'clock the Duke of
Richmond, took the chair, amidst much applause,
the meeting in the meanwhile having been considerably
augmented, but still, though numerous and respectable, it
scarcely did more than partially fill the theatre. Amongst
the influential persons present were observed the Mar-
quis of Downshire, Lord Redesdale, the Earl of Malmes-
bury, the Earl of Eglinton, Earl Talbot, Earl Stanhope,
Sir John Tyrell, Bert., M.P., Major Beresford, M.P.,
R Spooner, Esq., M.P., Alderman Sidney, M.P., the
Marquis of Granby, and Hon. C. Cavendish, M.P. There
were also about half...a:dozen ladies present, and two in-
dividuals in smeck frocks were observed in the pit, but
they looked more like dressed-up coalheavers than farm
labourers.
The CITAIR3IAN, in opening the business of the day,
regretted that the chair was not filled by a more able
man; but, although he had been recently suffering from
indisposition, he felt that he should have been wanting
in his duty to his Sovereign and his country if he had
neglected to attend, and given their opponents
an opportunity of saying that he was luke-
warm in the cause.—(Cheers.) He did not ad-
vocate protection for one class only—he would
have it extended to all, and he was glad to find that the
operativt s and industrious masses of the country began
to thick that they were so far interested in this reac-
tionary movement that it would restore to them labour
which a ruinous policy had transf. rrkd to the foreigner.
—(Cheers) Having :aid thus much, it only remained
for him to explain the obj-cts of this meeting.—(Hear.)
No doubt the majority of his hearers were aware that a
large and influential meeting was held a short while ago
in the Hall of Commerce, at which a report had been
drawn up, and the present meeting had been convened
to aiopt and approve of that report.—(Hear.)
The Secretary of the National A!secialioa for the
Protection of British Inuustry and Capital, by
whom the meeting had been called together, then
read the report, but its length a, emed to be too much
for the strength of his lungs, and the -voice and services
of Mr. Higgs, the well-known toastmaster, had to be
Called into requisition to put the meeting in possession
of some of the information it contained. The report
itself was a very volumin.,ll3 affair, but as the intro-
duction disclosed the real objects of the a‘sociation,
it will he enough to give i's spirit. It denounced
free trade at a mockery, a delusion, and a snare, and ex-
plained that the exertions of the asseciation would be
directed towards restoring a moderate system of pro-
tection. Already the movement had produced results
far exceeding the most sanguine extec:ation of the

managing committee, and they argued from this their la-
bours would be ultimately attended with complete success.
To give effect to these ()Ejects it was proposed—to
concentrate in the metropolis the vast but scattered
power of individuals resident in all parts of the United
Kingdom and the British Colonies, connected with
the agricultural, colonial, commercial, manufacturing,
trading, mining, and maritime interests, who are
favourable to the principle of such protection.
To apply the power so centradzed, to dissemina-
ting sound information on the controverted ques-
tions of free trade and protection ; and to opposing,
by every constitutional and legitimate means,
the organizsd efforts of free-traders. A list of
noblemen and gentlemen who had promised to support
the movement was read and received with considerable
manifestations of pleasure. The names of the Noble
Chairman, Mr. Disraeli, and Lord Stanley in particular
were greeted with tremendous cheers.
The Earl of MALMESBUItIr then presented himself as
the mover of the first resolution, adopting and ap-
proving the report. After adverting to the Pro-
tectionist pledges given by Sir Robert Peel,
on taking office in 1841, the Noble Earl went on to re-
late the events which led to the downfal of the corn-
laws. Only three mon hs before that occurrence Sir
R. Peel pledged himself to support these laws; so had the
young men whom be had tutored as politicians, and whom
he had raised to office, and yet those young men, in a
brief space after their return to Parliament to support
protection, consented to a measure, while in Cabinet
Council assembled, which was to strike a disastrous
blow at one of the greatest interests of the nation, and
destroy at one fell swoop the honour of public men. He
did not blame any man who refused to remain ever
pledged to matters of detail; but what he denounced
Sir Robert Peel and his party for was, for not
being obstinate on a question of principle.—(Cheers.)
Everything that he and others had predicted would re-
sult from the repeal of the corn-laws had come to pass.
The poor had sunk deeper into poverty; the farmer,
who in one year sowed his wheat under one law, and
reaped it under another, was on the verge of ruin,
and imminent and scam' distress had begun to
exhibit itself amongst all classes of the community. In
proof of this he need only mention one fact. The poor-
rates had increased this year 700,000 L, and this too under
a law which was to secure the country cheap bread. The
cry of the free-traders was---" Drive everything down;
make everything ai cheap as possible;" but though that
might be a good principle to go upon for a young
republic, it was madness to apply it to an ancient
monarchy with a fix-el debt which required 28,000,0001. a
year to pay the interest of. The practice ot this country
at one eeriod sea to make th© foreigners pay as much as
possible, and he still held that to be the best
p incpie to go upon. Now, if the present system were
continued, one ot two things must be done ; either they
roust reduce the expenditure of the country 40 per
cent., or the interest ot the public creditor 20 per cent.
• Was there a man present, or in the country, who could
lay his band on his heart aid say that reductions in the
army or the navy could be safely made ? Do that, and
depend upon it the streets of English towns would
not long be undisturbed by the jingling echoes
of foreign sp. are and sabres ; while, on the
• other hand, reduce the interest of the public creditor,
and what would become of the much-lauded English
honour ? And yet, with their West Indian coloniee de-
stroyed, with the. commercial navy of the country falling
to decay, and the royal navy sinking in its supremacy,
something must be done to stop the prt-st-ntdownward ten-
dee cv of the Governmee t of the country, or a nation which
boasted of being greater even than the Roman empire
itself, which was acknowledged to be the cradle of liberty,
the palace of civilization, and the home of affluence
and comfort, would become a ghastly spectacle of misery
and starvation.—(Cheers.)
Major BERESFoRD, in seconding the resolution, de-
clared himself to be the representative of the farmers of
Essex, and he could assure the meeting that to a man
they were suffering from the baneful effects of free trade.
The turns, therefore, had arrived when they must go to
work in earnest. The shipping interest of the country
had joined them; so had the West India colonists, and
they had only to gain over the commercial and shop-
keeping interest to insure the recovery of regenerate
England.—(hear, hear.)
The resolution was than put from the chair, and de-
clared to bo carried unanimously, although some few
-bands were held up against it, and a voice complained
that the meeting would Lot hear any one speak against it.
Th 9 Marquis of DOWNSHIRE movna the second resolu-
tion as
" That the agriculturists of England and the
labourers they employ are at this moment involved in
the greatest difficulty and distress, while in Ireland the
condition of the population is revolting to humanity;
that these evils have been caused in England by the in-
diseriminate admission of foreign produce; which has
also greatly aggravated the miseries and distresses of
Ireland; and that unless just protection be afforded
against the competition of countries comparatively un-
taxed, the ruin of the present race of Engliih farmers,
and the destitution of the agricultural labourers, are in-
evitable, nor will it be possible that Ireland can be re-
covered from her present deplorable condition."
He had no sympathy, he said, for such men as Sir Ro-
bert Peel, nor had he ever taken of the Right Honour.
able Baronet's " hell broth."—(Laughter.) Sir Robert
Peel's conduct was too disgusting for him to have pa-
tience to disatiss it. His advice, however, was, at the next
geheral election,• to send the supporters of Sir Robert
Peel and the Whigs to the right-about.—(Cheers.)
Mr. J(iIIN ELLMAN, of Ludport, Lewes, Sussex,
seconded the resolution, and said Government would be
made aware of the prevailingedistress in his part of the
country, when they attempted to collect the hop dutits.
In his pnrt of the country 12,0004 was invested in a farm
just prior to the rt peel of the corn-laws, and upon the
faith of Sir Robert Peel's pledgee in 1841 and 1842,
-Aich had been depreciated by the free-trade policy:ones
third, as at the present moment the lam would not fetch
8,0004 Is we; riaiculou% to tell him, es the Duke of
Bedford had told ono of his tenants, that the landlord
would take the farms off the purchaser's hands at the
° The man who made use of such subter-
furgl% ' r
as that to support free tradewas e
couldunworthy
restore ef
respect, for it was utterly ijv
his tenant to the position 13.• field on entering his farm.
Captain HyliAN 81./peried the resolutions, and ridi-
culed th, idea that an j thin;; like a wi•es or a soiled po-
licy could be expected from tne MAchester school, Who
had.had the hardihood to stigmatise the British farmer
as a fool. and denounce the British sailor as a drunlit
and' degraded sot. His very blood boiled again when
he heard the tiller of the land and plougher of the
boundless waves vilified in tilts way,—(Hear, hear.)
Too often 1)..d he seen ;the British sailor
battling against the elements and shedding his blood