The Sun.
London, England, 1841-01-15 00:00:00

LIVERPOOL ANTI-CORN-LAW

ASSOCIATION.

LivapoOL, TiOlagniel MORNiSO•
Litt; evening a numerously attended meeting of the
members of this AsQotiation was held in the Music Hall,
for the purpose of petitioning the Legislature for a
total and immediate repeal of the Corn-laws ; and aho
to cousider the propriety of presenting an addresE to the
Ltbcral electors of Walsall, in favour of Mr. 3. L.

Smith, the Anti-Corn-law candidate for the representa-
tion of that borough.
Sir JOSHUA WALMSLEY was called to the chair, and
after a few preliminary remarks, he said that he consi-
dered this was a question totally independent of party
politics. Before he proceeded to the general question,
he would state that the Liberal candidate for Walsall
was an uncompromising advocate for free trade. He
had known him for many years. He was a retired mer-
chant and perfectly conversant with mercantile Aairs.
For many years he had devoted his time, talents, awl
money to the promotion of the best interest* of
his ft llow-men, without reference to self-interest
Such was the man whom they would be called
upon to recommend to the electors of Walsall.
The first question to come before them was as to
their petitioning for the 'total repeal of the iniqui-
tous taxes upon food, and it was to him a source
of the highest gratification to see the industrious classes
aroused to a sense of what wag due to themselves upon

this important and vital question. He considered this
as the question of questions. He considered that all
questions, compared with this—whether they were of
Household Suffrage, Vote by Ballot, or any other f
the political questions which agitate the country, tota.ly
insignificant when compared with the great question of
free trade. &island was essentially a commercial and
manufacturing naion. She was not as the Continental
countries were, an agricultural country ; but yet
the agricultural interest had thriven by its great
advancement ; they had doubled, trebled, nay quadru-
pled the value of the land, by the taxes put upon the
necessaries of life. Surely this was sufficient, with-
out their still continuing to advance the price of land,
at the expense of every poor man's fatoily in the
country. Bat this was only a small portion of the evil
they interfered with, these iniquitous Corn-laws interfered
' with the rights of labour ; they interfered not only with
the manual production of every man, but they taxed the
articles which he took in exchange for those manual pro-
ductions. Toe) not only enhanced the price of food,
but they made us pay almost double what we ought
for the first necessaries of life. Witness the price of
cure.—( Hear.) Was it not from 60s. to 70s. per
quarter? With free trade we should have it at 405.
--(Hear.) He did not, however, look for that enor-
mous reduction that many persons did ; for it had
been so low as 38s. under the present system ; so
that it was not an absolute protection for the land-
owners ; but what he wished was an equality of
prices as far as it was possible to obtain it. The
present Corn-laws, as they had hitherto been carried
out, had induced other nations to retaliate upon us,
to put restrictions on our commerce, to prohibit

. .
our manufactures, and to advance their tariffs, not
only in Europe, but all over America. We refused to
take their core, their timber, their coffee, and their
sugar; and the consequence had been that they had
raised manufactures to compete with us. The
result had been to produce competition in the
labour market, to reduce the price of labour
here, and wages must go dow'n if the system were con-
tinued ; but the people were deceived by being told that
if the Corn-laws were repealed, the effect would be to
reduce the price of labour. These laws restricted our
commerce, they reduced our labouring population to the
lowest scale of existence, and they made them to have
only half a loaf where they should have a whole one ;
they kept their children from education, they produced
clime and misery, they filled our gaols with felons, and
all in his opinion, was in a great degree attributable to
the iniquitous law which the Legislature bad doom‘ d
the people to suffer under. The Chairman said lie
would draw attention to other articles besides corn, in
which the iniquity of the Corn-law system was felt. He
commenced with sugar. Colonial sugar was allowed
to come into this country at 245. per cwt., and
foreign sugar at 635. What was the simple fact ?
Into whose hands did the difference beeween 245.
and 635. go ? Certainly not to the revenue. It
came out of the pockets of the people, and went into
the pockets of the West India planters, to whom we had
already given twenty millions of. money. The same
was to be said of coffee and timber. The Chairman
then argued the question whether repeal of the Corn-
laws would reduce wages ; and described it as his opi-
nion that, so far from reducing, it would increase them,
by removing competition amongst labourers. He then
referred to free trade principles, and quoted largely
from the Report of the Committee of the House of
Commons, as respects the evidence of Mr. J. D. Hulme
and Mr. Macgregor and others in aid of them, and
concluded by expressing his conviction that, if they
would lend a willing hand to send no man to the House
of Commons who was not disposed to take off every
prohibition and restriction which was imposed upon the
chief articles of consumption, and which pressed so
heavily, and almost to death, upon the poor of the land,
their object would soon be accomplished,
A letter was then read from Mr. Thornely, the Mem-
ber for Wolverhampton, expressing, his regret that he
was unable to attend the meeting, but intimating his in-
tention to vote on every future occasion for a total re-
peal of the Corn-laws.
Mr. JOHN MURRAY moved the first resolution, which
was seconded by Mr. ROBERT JONES, and supported by
Mr. ROSSAN, the barrister. It was to the effect—That
the present Corn and Provision-laws impose upon the
people of this country a burthen of .50 millions a year,
enabling the landowners enormously to increase their
incomes, at the expense of every other interest of the

community.
Mr. DUFFEY and Mr. BOYD moved and seconded
the next resolution, which was that a petition be adopted
for a total, immediate, and unconditional repeal of the
Corn-laws.
Oa the motion of Mr. AP INTYRE, seconded by Mr.
NPKENNED, the following Address to the electors of
Walsall was agreed to unanimously :
" TO THE INDEPENDENT ELECTORS OF THE BOROUGH
OF 'WALSALL.

" On you is devolved the signal honour of being the
first constituency in Great Britain to repudiate the pre-
tensions of any Parliamentary candidate unpledged to a
repeal of the inhuman starvation laws, which so fear-
fully affect our beloved country. In a few days your
borough will be made the battle-field for a great princi-
ple. On one side is the fearless and disinterested advo-
cate of the enlightened principles of unrestricted com-
merce ; on the other, the scion of grasping and re-
morseless monopoly, who would make the hunger of
Englishmen, like the sweat of the n2gro, the source of
unholy wealth in the coffers of insatiate ambition.
What man in whose breast lives one generous feeling,
will hesitate to side with the champion of industry and
plenty against the supporter of monopoly and want. Men
of Walsall, the eyes of the empire are upon you. The
wives and daughters of England, working men, look with
intense interest to the progress of your struggle. Our
unemployed operatives for a time forget thr]ir pri-
vations in the excitement with which they watch
your conduct in the coming contest ; our drooping
commerce and decaying manufactures feel a vivifying
spirit in the expectations which arise from the noble po-
sition you have taken. Britons! Brothers ! Men! from
this great mart of commerce we send you our sympa-
thies, and pray for your success. Let not, then, we
implore you, the triumph of monopoly in your borough
blast the high hopes you have created. Strike, men of
Walsall, strike a manly British blow for the prosperity
of Old England, and your first loud shout of conquest
will give joy to every honest heart throughout the land ;
and towns and counties, catching up your glorious spi-
rit, shall, in imitating your example, make ' gallant
Walsall,' a rallying cry to many a future victory."
Mr. Itathbone and Mr. Shiel next addressed the
meeting, when the proceedings terminated.
Two indkiduals attempted to oppose the resolutions,
but the Chairman refused them a hearing, on the ground
that the meeting had not been called for discussion.

CONTEST FOR THE OFFICE OF

BRIDGE-MASTER.

Yesterday a Common Hall was held, for the election
of a Bridge-master, in the room of Mr. Watson, de-
ceased. The City has been in a bustle fcr sonic
weeks i❑ consequence of the exertions of the friends of
the two gentlemen who have actively sought the suf-
frages of their fellow-citizens, and who seem to be ex-
pending a great deal of money in the struggle. They
arc both most highly esteemed.

At one o'clock tlie Livery assembled in no very great
number, for upon such an occasion, when a contest of
seven days is known to be about to take place, the show
of hands is considered as no test of future victory.
Alderman LAINSON proposed Mr. George Ledger
as a genCeman qual'ficd in every respect to fill the
office of Bridge-master.
Mr. LAWRENCE seconded the nomination.

Sir PETER LAURIE proposed Mr. David Gibbs, who
had contested the election for Bridge-master ten years
ago, and expressed a hope that that candidate would
prose successful upon the present occa'ion.
Mr. STEVENS seconded the nomination.

Thcre were two other candidates. Mr. Richards,
who was proposed by Mr. Price, seconded by Mr. D: al ;
and Mr. Hoard, who came forward for the purpose of
withdrawing from the contest.
The show of hands was declared by the Sheriffs to be
i❑ favour of Mr. Gibbs, and a poll was immediately
demanded upon the part of Mr. Ledger.
The polling commenced at three o'clock for the day,
and ended at four, when the following numbers %sere
exhibited :
Gibbs
Ledger

The Hall adjourned to this moaning. It is expected
that the struggle %slit ue tremendous.

BRUSSELS, JAN. 13.--The average price of
wheat last week was 18f. 98c., and that of Rye, 11f. 42e.