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

in defence of his country, and be had no hesitation in
giving the lie to thee.e who dared to cull him a drunken
and degraded sot. The Legislature, aho uvght to be
their protectors, entertained but a veiy low opinion of
the yeomanry of the country. Railweeys and the elec-
tric telegraph, however. had proved to that yeomanry
that there was such a place as London, and such a river
as the Thames, studded with its miriads of vessels,
and they had sworn by the God of their
fathers that these ships shall continue to be built by
British artisans on British ground and with British o4k,
and that before one plank shall be struck from the
wooden walls of Old England, they shall make one
struggle that shall shake the island from end to end like
the throes of a coming earthquake.—(Cheers )
The resolution was then put and carried unanimously.
The CHAIRmAN then announced that the next resolu-
tion would be moved by Sir Allan M'Nab, a man who
had risked his own life in defence of peace and order
during the revolutionary war in Canada.
Sir ALLAN 111‘NAn was then introduced to the
meeting. He announced himself not to be an En-
glishman or a Scotchman, but a Canadian, the son
of an old Scotch soldier who had more than once
wielded his sword against the enemies of his country.
He was a native of Upper Canada, which, previous to
the repeal of the corn-laws, was in a most flourishing
condition, but since free trade had been adopted in this.
country its trade had fallen into the hands of
the Americans. He concluded by moving a re-
solution, " That the application of the prieciplcs of
free trade to British colonial policy has produced the
most disastrous effects in colonial interests, ruining in
the West Indies the proprietors of estates, while it has
stimulated the slave trade and aggravated its horrors,
and in the North American colonies causing discontent,
which, ripened into disaffection, may endanger the con-
nexion with the mother country."
Mr. BoSANQuT seconded the resolution, and having
recently returnee from the West Indies, he could bear
testimony to the fact that free trade had almost destroyed
those colonies, while it had increased slavery and the
slave-trade.

The resolution was then put and carried unanimously.
Mr. G. F. YOUNG moved the fourth resolution, as
follows:

" That the shipping interest, together with many,
important branches of British commerce and manu-
factures, are at present in a state of extreme
depression, which can only be removed and :pros-
perity be permanently restored by a return to the
principles of protection to British industry and capital,
and that this meeting deeply regrets, that, pursuing the
principles of free trade, her Majesty's Government have
succeeded in forcing through Parliament, contrary to
the express wishes of the people, the Bill for the Repealof the Navigation-laws, convinced that in this sweeping
extension of those principles to navigation, British mari-
time commerce will be severely injured, and the national
defences be consequently endangered."
He attributed much of the success of free trade to the
name which it had hypocritically and falsely assumed.
Free trade was based upon the principle that if we take
American cotton, which the soil of this country cannot
produce, free of duty, America should accept our manu-
factures free of duty in return. Under these circum-
stances, the policy which the country was now pursuing
was the greatest delusion that had ever bten
palmed off on a credulous people.—(Hear, hear.)
Her Majesty's Ministers, had too long pla)td and trilled
with the great, interests of the country—they had tco
long made ducks and drakes of them; but he would tell
her Majesty's Ministers that there was a limit even t,
endurance, and they had very nearly reached that limit.
—(Cheers.) He might be looked upon as a thoughtless
speaker, considering the preheat state of affairs in
Europe; but he had lived long enough in this country
to become convinced that no political change could be
produced in it without peaceful agitation, and his last
words to the farmers were, agitate, agitate, agitate.
JosIAH &MEER came befuve the meeting to se-
cond the resolution as a miner, a mill-owner, and a ma-
nufacturer, and gave it as hii opinion that unless the
present political policy of the country were re-
versed it would ultimately degenerate, it not entirely
overthrow the institutions of the country.—(Cheers.)
Every trade was suffering from its efftc:a, particularly
icon manufactures. There were G 79 furnaces in this
country connected with the latter trade, at which at
least a third were stadding idle, while, as regarded the
tin trade, the manufactures had been compelled to re•
duce their prices 20 per cent., which hod reduced bis
annual returns 20,0001.—(Hear, hear.) He had the
honour last year of filling the office of High Sheriff of
the county to which he belonged, and during his term of
office he had to sign warrants of execution for half a mil.
lion of money ; a fact which clearly demonstrated the
distress and suffering of the district.—(Hear, hear.) He
would leave the hatter, the glover, and the other do-
mestic manufacturers, to tell their own tales—it was
enough for him to relate his own ; but he had
no doubt that if the truth were known they were
suffering as much as himself.—(Cries of " Hear, hear.")
The resolution was then put from the chair, and car-
ried, like the others, amidst much applause.
Mr. SPARIEHALL, printer, of Cheapside, in proposing
the fifth resolution, read the following statement:—
" There arc, as may be easily proved, no more than
about ten in every thousand of the labouring population,
who can be benefited by free trade. Mr. Spackman, an
authority that will not be questioned, states, in page 147
of his " Analysis of the Occupation of the People," that
about 800,000 (being, as nearly as it is necessary
to calculate, thirty in every thousand of the popu-
lation) are employed in our factories ; that is
to say, in the silk, cotton, woollen and flax ffactories.
which produce the staple manufactures of the kingdom;
and from which alone it would be possible to increase
our exports to any considerable amount. In these fac-
tories the average of wages is only about Bs. 3d. per
week; and of the 47 millions of our exports last year, 33
millions were the produce of these departments of manu-
facture, according to the Gozernment returns, which are
as follow:
Cotton manufactures

... £16,770,868
... 5,927,956
... 2,802,823

„ yarn ... •••
Linen manufactures

~ yarn ...
Silk manufactures ...
Woollen manufactures
„ yarn

489,878
585,033

5,740.634
776,175

£33,093,367
This is about one third of the whole amount produced
in those factories: therefore only one-third, or not more
than ten in every thousand of the labouring population
can be benefited by the increase of our exports, even
supposing a free trade would increase the number em-
ployed in our factories ; which, however, I deny would
ever be the effect of free trade, or of a free im-
portation of corn ; but we will suppose our ex-
port trade to be increased to double the amount of

he exports of lastyear—suppose it to extend to ninety

four itlatesd of forty seven 'millions and that it neces-
sarily rc quired double the number of bands to produce

that amount. What would or could this amountato after
all, but employing ten persona, at the most, in every
thousand, more than are at present employed? Whilst,
on the other hand, there are 118 in every thousand em-
plop d upon the lands (see page 144 same book), aho
must suffer from a reduction in their wages to meet the
foreign competition.
" That the general adoption of the principles of free-
trade must lower wages and depress the labouring classes
of this country to the level of the lowest class in com-
peting countries."
Mr. APPLEING, an operative weaver, seconded the re-
solution; which, like the others, was carried unanimously.
Mr. FRESHFIELD then proposed, and Mr. BALL se-
conded, the following resolution:—" That from the pecu-
liar circumstances attending the last general election,
and the strong reaction since produced by dear-bought
experience on the public mind, the present House of
Commons does not, in supporting the ruinous policy of
free trade, faithfully represent the sentiments of the
people; and that considering the urgent necessity for a
change of system—for the preservation of all the best
interests of the State—it be strongly recommended to
all constituencies immediately to address the Queen,
praying that her Majesty will be pleased to dissolve the
Parliament and appeal to her people."
This resolution having been carried, thanks were
voted to the Noble Chairman, and the meeting, which
had considerably thinned, broke up shortly after six
o'clock.