The Sun.
London, England, 1841-02-11 00:00:00

CORN-LAW AND POOR-LAW•

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Sin,—The friends of the poor in this town and neigh-
bourhood have been long struggling to counteract, as
far as they could, the severe operations of the Corn-law
and the Poor•law combined. But, notwithstanding a
great extent of private charity, our workhouses are
crammsd full, and thousands are enduring the severest
privations. We have above ten thousand persons in
our town, who have not a single blanket to cover them.
Vast numbers, including many ruined farmers, are with-
out employment ; and we have 1,600 hand-loom
weavers, whose average clear earnings do not ex-
ceed 6s. 6d. per week. We all see the direct in-
fluence of the Corn-law in producing this poverty ;
and it is equally clear that those who support this law,
have also endeavoured to throw the burden off their
own shoulders by passing the New Poor-law. Tbit has
produced dreadful calamity during the present winter,
and I have no doubt many are now in the churchyard,
who would have bees in health and vigour if it. had not
been for this law. The cruelties of separation, by send-
ing the husband to one house, and the wife and children
to another, have been practised with impunity ; and the
poor have yielded to hunger, nakedness, and- starva-
tion, rather than submit to such horrid treatment.
A determined spirit of opposition, therefore, will be
raised in this district, against Lord John's new Bill.
Petitions will be immediately got up in every town and
village, praying' for impartial before the
law be renewed. And my object, in now troubling
you with this letter, is to call upon all the friends of
humanity, and the friends of the poor, to adopt a simi-
lar course throughout the country. Both Ministers and
Parliament, 4 believe, are deceived- as to the working
of this measure ; and nothing has tended to keep up
the deception, so much as the one-sided Reports of the
Commissioners. Let the powerful voice of England's
humanity beheard within the walls of Parliament, and
I trust the Legislature will pause before,they again give
their sanction to this wicked am yours,
Preston, Feb. 8, 1841. J. LIVESEY.

THE WEATHER.

ROYAL GALLERY OF SCIENCE, ADELAIDE-

STREET.

Noev. FEB. 10.
Barometer 3O 08 In.
Thermometer

Highest ..... . 30
Lowest
Wind S. S.E.—Freezing Point 32 Deg.

A fatal accident, attended with the death of
three individuals, occurred on the Manchester and Bir-
mingham Railway, at Holmes Chapel, Cheshire, on Sa-
turday last. A viaduct is being erected over the river
Dane and the adjacent valley, somewhat similar to the
one at Stockport. About seven o'clock on Saturday
morning, three young men, named Jobn and Thomas
Butterworth, brothers, and John Rlley, and a married
man named Williams, were pushing a waggon loaded
with bricks along a temporary wooden bridge laid across
the river, when one of the large beams composing the
bridge broke, and the whole fabric fell into the river with
a tremendous crash, carrying along with it the above four
individuals and several others who were on the bridge at
the time. Three of the above-mentioned individuals were
killed by the•materials falling upon them, and John Butter-
worth was seriously injured.—Dofieester Chronicle.
STATE OF THE RIVER.—On Tuesday morning
in consequence of the high tide and the immense quan-
tity of ice which floated up the river, serious damage was
done to the wharfs and craft at Shadwell, and a great
destruction of property took place. In the evening the
ice had accumulated in the lower poet to such an extent
that, for the iret time since the memorable winter of
1813-14, person began to pass over the ice, with the as-
sistance of hurdles, from the north to the south shore.
The river in the neighbourhood of Shadwell was covered
from side to side, the ice in many places appearing six
and seven feet shove the surface of the river. The Albion
steamer, from Ipswich, landed her passengers at Black.
wall on Monday night, and came up the river next morn-
ing with the tide, to the surprise of every one. The Royal
Victoria steam-ship, for Leith, left St. Katharine's yes-
terday, at two o'clock, with a schooner in tow, bound for
the same place. She got as far as Execution bock, Wap-
ping, when she was brought to a dzad stand. The
warps made fast to the schooner gave way. and the vessel
was carried back again. The Victoria had no sooner got
rid of her charge than she ran into a lighter, navigated by
four men, who were drifting up.
LORD CHATHAM ON TIMELY CONCESSION.
—" We shall be forced ultimately to retract; let us retract
while we can, not when we must. I say we must neces-
sarilye undo those violent oppressive Acts ; they must
b
repealed—you will repeal them ; I pledge myself for it,
that you will in the end repeal them; I stake my reputa-
tions.
on it :--I will consent to be taken for an idiot, if
they are not finally repealed.—Avoid, then, thi humili-
ating, disgraceful necessity. With a dignity becoming
your exalted situation, make the first advances to concord,
to peace, and happiness : for that is your true dignity, to
act with prudence and justice. That you should first con-
cede is obvious, from sound and rational policy. Conces-
sion comes with better grace and more salutary effect from
superior power ; it reconciles superiority of power with
the feelings of men ; and establishes solid confidence on
the foundations of affection and gratitude. So thought a
wise poet and a wise man in political sagacity—the friend
of Meezenas, and the eulogist of Augustus. To him, the
adopted son and successor, the first Cassar—to him, the
master of the world, he wisely urged this conduct of pru-
dence and dignity—' Tuque prior, to pares ; proj,ce tela
menu.' "—Lord Chathmn's Letters.
DISCOVERY OF A GENTLEMAN IN THE
Mem —Oa Sunday night, Police-constable Evans, 190
of the R division, received information that a man was im-
mersed in the mud, near to the General Steam Navigation
Company's works, in the Stowage, Deptfo,t, tic pro-
ceeded to the spot, and, by means of a ta:kle and rorpes,
succeeded in hauling the person on board the Catherine
and Mary. At four o'clock yesterday, symptoms of re-
turning life presented themselves—warm water in bottles
having been applied to the hands and feet, together with
continually rubbing the body all over, particularly the
vital parts, and forcing restorative medicines into the sto-
mach. He is a young man, and resides at Croome's
Grpenwielt. .He says another gentleman was in his com-
pany, 'whiaiteupposed to have perished. How he becam
in ttiadiareelicatnent has not
sequen*: 1310 extreme weakness.
yet been explained, in con-
'Mt. Smythe, the succeszful
dat i! election for Canterbury, and Mr. Antro.-
J 31111114: %tire candidate for Last Surrey, are both
ni•inlierotSy ' John's college in this University, and took
- theitedogider an lately as the Baiter of last- year,— Cam-
. bridge Chronicle.