The Sun.
London, England, 1840-05-28 00:00:00

rator, the proprietor, and the labourer, it is irremediably hostil
The cultivator needs regular returns, and steady prices ; the la-
bcurer cheap food ; and the lasting worth of the largest property
must be enhanced and secured by the neighbourhood of well em.
ploycd multitudes, rather than by that of want, misery, and des-
perat ;on.
Fri* the present, the House of Commons checks all the resources
of a population, which, nevertheless, goes on a rapid rate of
increase. In this island, more than a thousand human beings
are every day added to a population already larger than our
agriculture can feed, or than our trade can employ, if the cam-
rnerre with corn.growing countries be not allowed its free
course. If the Bread Tax be not repealed, these augmenting num-
bers must be starved down to the standard required for the profits of
the monopolists. That is done incidentally which no one dares
distinctly to recommend. Population is checked by the indirect in.
fanticide and homicide of insuffiment and unwholesome food. The
Legislature prolongs the atrocious work, and consigns the sur.
vivors to the dreary and desperate prospect of a diminishing pro-
vision—of work, wages, and food—in proportion to their numbers.
For the present the House of Commons denies the religion of the
country, and insults Heaven, and brands all Christian piety as hy.
pocrisy, by a policy utterly at variance with the daily prayer for
daily bread. While infidels are prosecuted for blaspheming theo.
logical mysteries, the Legislature practically dishonours, by taxa-
tion on daily bread, the teachings of the Saviour and the prayer of
humanity.
It is only for the present. It can be only for the present.
We turn from the Legislature that has disregarded our peti.
tion,, to you, the source of their authority, the irresistible people
of this great empire. Will you accept this haughty dismissal of the
bread tax question! Will you acquiesce in the continuance of a
curse under which multitudes are doomed to pine, and multitudes
more to perish ? Will you see the axe laid to the root of national
prosperity, that sordid hands may pluck a little more of the golden
fruit upon its branches ? Will you allow the possessors of" a little
brief authority" to smite any portion of God's earth with barren.
'seas, while there are human beings who want Its produce for their
subsistence, and are able to earn that produce by their labour ? We
anticipate your indignant determination, your indomitable perse-
verance. In reliance on your untiring co.operation, we renew our
effort:. Our League will not dissolve nor abate its energy till the
bread tax be abolished. By all legal, peaceful, and honourable
means—and no other befit our righteous cause—will we ceaselessly
agitate, until we obtain justice. We may have to do v. ith a short.
sighted and hardhearted avarice, that neither feareth God nor re-
gardeth man ; but even that may be vanquished by importunity.
It is a pledge of success not long to be delayed, that the strength
of our League, the extent of its resources, and the efficiency of its
operations. have increased with unprecedented rapidity. As the
question becomes better understood, it is plainly perceived that our
object is a paramount national interest. Seeking the benefit of all
classes, we ask the aid of all; their contributions to the funds of
the League from the wealthy—their presence at our Lectures—
their perusal of our Tracts, and their spontaneous petitions from
the poor—the perseverance, through all discouragements, of their
legislative efforts (from the people's friends in Parliament;) and
the practical application of Christian prayers and precepts from the
ministers of religion. Thousands and millions of our countrymen
are associated for the assertion of rights or the promotion of charity,
we respectfully but fearlessly invite their co-operation for untaxing
a nation's bread, as amongst the noblest works of justice and philan.
thropy.
We have not gone into the argument on this occa-
sion. To communicate information, to expose sophistry,
and to court discussion, is the ceaseless object of our Periodical,
of our Tracts, and of our Lectures. By such agency, we hope not
to leave a corner of the land unenlightened. But this Address has
been called forth, not by hostile reasonings, but by a hostile decision
of the Legislature. From that decision, from that iniquitous con.
dominion to forfeit the rewards of industry, to endure the most
wasteful plunder, and to feed only upon the taxed bread of mono.
poly, we appeal to God and our country. Milton declared it to be
the ancient prerogative of England to teach the nations how to live.
Eeeryshadow of such pre-eminence is gone, if the few continue to
oppress the many, by invading their primary rights, sacrificing their
vital interests, limiting their supply of food and the operations of
their industry, and disregarding their petitions. You must unite,
you must agitate, you must incessantly renew the declaration of your
claims, you must employ all your influence at the hustings and in the
relations of society, and thus wring from a reluctant because inte-
rested Legislature, the total abolition of the infamous bread-tax, or
you will only teach the nations how a great and prosperous people
may sink into scorned and starving slavery.

Mr. BROOKE, in seconding the motion, observed that every
gentleman who had preceded himself, had expressed himself in
favour of an ulterior change in the Representative system.
With them he differed ; fur while he would concede to
.every
gentlemen the right to think for himself upon this as well
as any other question, he could not help fearing that such a
general display of thirst for political change, might by chance
diminish the interest in their cause throughout the length and
breadth of the land. He thought it was an admirable arrange-
ment to exclude politics. They were supported by gentlemen
of all parties and grades in the Hocse of Commons, and for
them to say there was no other alternative but a change in the
representation to effect a change in the Corn-laws, would, he
thought, have the effect of taking away a good deal of the support
which they at present possessed. The great evil was in
the public remaining in ignorance of the true state of the Corn-
laws, and the evils that were inflicted upon society. by them.
He trusted they would not, suffer themselves to tie disunited by
the introduction of political questions ; for the moment they did
so they gave to their opponents the greatest boon which they.
desired.—( Cheers.) He trusted that the Address would have
the effect of bringing the endeavours of the League to a suc-
cessful termination.—(Cheers.)
The Address was unanimously agreed to.
Moaafs moved the sixth resolution, which was to the
effect—

" Resolved—That the Executive Committee be requested to
communicate with the London Association, in order to take
such measures as may be necessary to further the objects of the
League."
He lamented the inertness of the metropolis in the present
agitation, and he trusted that the mutual cooperation of the
Council of the League and the Metropolitan Association would
be productive of great good.
Mr. MILNER Glasost said he thought some one who was
not a member of the Executive Committee, would have been
a more proper person to second the resolution, but as it had
been placed in his hands, he could not refuse doing se. He
thought it desirable they should know, as there
were a great number of members absent from the
House at the late division, who of them were absent
without pairs, because, although the numbers who would vote
for a total repeal did not seem considerable, there might be
many who had not voted at all, conceiving that their consti-
tuents began to take a serious view of the Corn-law'ques-
tion, and he thought the landed monopolists would find that to
them on this question " A statesman who deliberates is lost"—
(Hear, hear)--and that those who had declined to vote on this
occasion would at a future Session vote for the repealers. It
was the general precursor of change not to vote at all. He
would, therefore, recommend there should be circulated with the
votes the names of those who were absent without pairs.
He cordially concurred in the recommendation that had be, n
given them—not to despair, for be believed no question had
made so rapid a progress in the public mind as this. When they
considered the number of signatures for repeal, last year was
only 500;000, and this year a million and a half—that the num-
ber of signatures last year in fi.vour of the Corn-laws, was
420,000, while this year they were but 225,000, he thought
they would think with him their cause had made extraordinary
progress, and that that of their adversaries had declined. He
was indeed astonished at their great success, and at the number
of signatures they had obtained from the agricultural districts.
—( Hear, hear.) That in those districts the farmers should
have been obliged to resort to physical force,
to put down the lecturers, for fear they should make converts,
was a sure sign the enemy felt the repeal cause was gaining
ground.—(Cheers.) He understood from good authority that
the Magistrates of East Suffolk had mooted the question whe-
ther it was not possible to arrest an Anti-Corn-law lecturer for
a seditious libel—(Laughter)—i. e. for libelling the Corn-
laws. Having the opinion that it was one of the institutions of
the country, and that it was acknowledged constitutional policy
to maintain the landed intensst, even at the sacrifice of the
manufacturing and commercial interests of the country, what
can Justices of the Peace do better than prevent a law being
libeled which keeps up rents; and what more constitutional
than to treat the advocacy of free trade as sedition ?
Truly worthy of the great unpaid: He understood, in fact it
was rumoured, that an application had been made to the Secretary
of State to know whether it would not be right and proper to arrest
an AntiXorn.law lecturer for a seditious libel.—(Loud laughter.)
He did not think these Magistrates would take such an imprudent
step, but if they did, he thought they would thereby greatly ad.
vance the cause of repeal. The violence which had been used to.
wards their lecturers had had the effect of rallying the labourers
to protect them, and in the town of Saxmundham, after the
attack on Mr. Acland, of which no doubt they had road in the
newspapers, the labourers in the neighbourhood assembled, deter-
mined to protect him, and to hear the arguments fairly through ;
and after the lecture, a petition was numerously signed
and many of the signatures where those of many farmers them-
selves. Yet they had been told it would be impossible there for
any one to get a petition signed by the agricultural labourers for so
obnoxious a measure.—(Cheers.)
Mr. BEACON said he would recommend that some Member of the
House should be requested to move as shortly as possible the total
repeal of the Corn-laws. Their former motions had been for a ,
Committee, and he thought the opinion of Members for a total
repeal had not yet been sufficiently tested. lie would,
therefore, recommend that the Executive Committee should
be requested to take this into consideration.—(Hear, hear.)

Mr. LEES moved—" That our most cordial thanks be given
to the Honourable Charles Villiers, for the continuation of
his valuable services, and especially for the eloquent and
emphatic manner in which he introduced the subject last
night. To the seconder of the motion, and to the other
Members of the House of Commons who supported it."
He cordially concurred in the motion, for Mr. Villiers from his
talents, his unanswerable arguments, was eminently entitled to
thanks, and the more so as he had left the aristocracy, and taken
the part of the country upon this occasion. Argument, however,
would never affect the House of Commons, for most of the Mem.
bers had common sense, and were convinced that it was necessary
that these laws should be repealed for the welfare of the country—
they had the knowledge, but not the will—they felt that it would
injure their own interests, and they were determined to stand by
them at all hazards It was impossible to exclude politics from
such a question ; they necessarily formed a most important consi-
deration in it; it was the 501. tenants at will and the
Members for small boroughs that were against them—
all the large towns where corruption dare not show
itself were in their favour.—(Hear.) It appeared to him
that that was the machinery through which the repeal must be ob-
tained, and it was absolutely necessary that they should renovate
and reinvigorate it- The agitation which was going on could never
act upon the constituencies under the present laws, because they
could not expect that men who had children and families dependent
upon them were to sacrifice themrelves by voting against the wishes
of those upon whom they were dependent. He cordially supported
the motion he proposed to the meeting.
Mr. 11. Maa►Hatt seconded the resolution, which was passed
unanimously.

The CHAIRMAN perceived in the room a gentleman who was last
night clamoured clown in the House of Commons, and partial* be
would favour the meeting with a few observations.—(Hear.) _
Mr. MARK PHILLIPS did not coasider the reception he metewit
last night as any personal affront to himself, but to his constitunts
h.
There was a great disinclination last night to hear any further
argu-
ment, and two or three gentlemen got up and said the subject
had been exhausted, but still made very long
speeches.—
(Laughter.) The subject could not be stifled.
interest had taken a degree of courage from
they
seemed to
thTelactlheaensd.r:de-
freshing rains and B a
flee weather,
think because the harvest promised to be abundant that the agi-
tation on the C wt,-laws would be shelved
tced that with cheap food
.They would, however,
find themselves mistaken. He was convinced
among the people.
,
there would be an abundance of employment
great regret last night, that
confidence —(Hear, hear.) He observed
Members with vast e withhed upon the idea that the repeal
introduce of the Corn-laws would
re
a lower grade of wages. It was
.
' the duty of the Delegates communicating with the great body of
operatives, and those who were suffering from the operation of these
1 laws, to reason with them upon that particular point. Hon. Mem.
bcrs were fond of referring to figures, and he would give them figures
in-return, and ask them whether the increased number of signa.