The Sun.
London, England, 1838-12-22 00:00:00

six hundred millions of people ! That it was which had en-
abled us to bear up against the enormous burdens of taxation
and corn laws under which we were groaning. But whenever
the time arrived that our competitors attained that point of
mechanical skill which we in this country possessed, then was
the time we should go down. Every approximation on their
part to that state of things was so much to our injury, and,
therefore, it was of the highest importance that every thing
which obstructed the increase of our industry, should be dono
away with. He should support the petition moved by Mr. Dyer.
Mr. ASHWORTH spoke in favour of the amendment, as did
Mr. RAWSON, who gave a number of facts showing the decay
of the Nottingham hosiery trade, attributable solely to the
Corn-laws. Mr. Rawson also supported the amendment.
After Mr. Hooks, Mr. Fernely, and Mr. Gladstone had
briefly addressed the Chamber, the PRESIDENT, ill a length-
ened address, defended Mr. Poulett Thomson from the at-
tacks of Mr. Cobden, and said, that from his frequent inter-
course with the Right Hon. Gentleman, as President of this
Chamber, he had the best means of knowing that he was ex-
erting himself, as far as circumstances would permit, to serve
his constituents by endeavouring to procure the Corn-laws to
be mitigated. He recommended Mr. Cobden, and those who
had assailed Mr. Thomson, to compare his speech in the
year 1833, when holding the office of Vice-President of the
Board of Trade, with that of Mr. Huskisson in 1828, when
recommending the House of Commons to adopt the present
Corn-law.

Mr. COBDEN, after explaining the grounds on which he
wished the alarming facts he and others had mentioned
to go before Parliament and the Government, said be knew
nothing of Mr. Thomson privately, and that in this Cham-
ber he recognised him only as a public character. And
as a public character, he (Mr. Cobden) claimed the right
to judge him by his public acts, and he further claimed to
say that Mr. Thomson's conduct upon this corn question was
open to discussion in any public assembly of his constituents in
this borough. And as one of those constituents—and he spoke
the sentiments of thousands—he (Mr. Cobden) was dissatisfied
with Mr. Thomson's conduct upon the subject of free trade,
and especially on that of the Corn-laws. At the last debate,
when Mr. Villiers brought forward his motion, he (Mr. Cob-
den) was in the house, and heard a thousand absurb fallacies
which made his very blood tingle, from such honourable indi-
viduals as the Marquis of Chandos. Mr. D'lsraeli ; and he saw
Mr. Thomson sitting upon the Treasury benches as the repre-
sentative of Manchester, where he ought to have wielded the
prodigious influence Manchester had given him, without speak-
ing a single word in answer to the Tory landlords. When Mr.
Mark Philips rose to speak he was shouted down, but Mr.
Thomson never uttered a single word!
An amendment was here proposed by Mr. HOOLE, and se-
conded by Mr. FERNELY, to the effect that the meeting be
adjourned, for the purpose of the two petitions being amalga-
mated. It was rejected.
The PRESIDENT then rose amidst cries of " Question" to
take the sense of the meeting. He proposed the question in
the Parliamentary form, the effect of which was to put the
original motion first. This was objected to, as not being un-
derstood, but the Hon. President persisted, till he was absolutely
driven from the point. When he put the question, the petition
prepared by Mr. Cobden was adopted by a large majority.
The PRESIDENT--The amendment is carried. What is
your pleasure as to the original motion ?
Mr. COBDEN—In this part of the country, when the :origi_
nal motion has been put and lost, that has usually been con-
sidered as the adoption of the amendment.
The meeting then separated.