The Sun.
London, England, 1841-05-19 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 1841

4 4 IWENING EDITION.

The question was not one as to who should be in or who should
be out ; it was one of life and death to the people of the
eotntry, and would within a very short time force itself upon
the attention of all, and the people would not confine them-
selves to a demand for the abolition of the protective system as
applied to corn only, they would extend their demand to the
abolition of the system altogether.
Mr. Alderman lIEYGATE contended that the question wa as
political one--(" No, no")—it was brought forward for the pur-
pekOnsolstering up an Administration which the people of
Engle/id had repudiated at every election which had occurred of
'ate. The present was not the proper or fit time for 'consider-
ing the question, it ought to have been brought forward not in
the mentli of May, but in a speech from the throne. (Laugh-
ter.) He trusted the Court would not lend any assistance to
men who, because they could not live in a house, set lire to it. •
Mr. HALL felt bound to say that the sentiments expressed
by the worthy Alderman were not the prevailing onus in the
ward he presided over. The Court, to be consistent, ought to
agree with the address, for the same proposition was carried in
1839, and also in 1840. Surely it would be uebecoming in
that Court to refuse to tome to some determination on the im -
portant question, as they were asked to do by the amendment.
Mr. Alderman BROWN rose amidst loud cries of " Divide."
He said it was a strange feature in that debate that all the
supporters of the proposed address had carefully denied that
they had brought forward the motion with any intention of
aiding a Government who were incapable, and velebrated for
nothing but a tenacity of office, which reminded him of the
eel. He contended that the price of bread vinaldlall h a
repeal of the Corn-law, and consequently the price of labour.
—(Laughter, and cries of " Oh.") The Corn-laws were not
intended as a protection for the rich man against the poor ;
they were for the general protection of all.—( A laugh.)
Mr. J. LART instanced the case of America, where food
was very cheap and labour high ; while in this country the
price of corn was twice as high as in 1835, vet wages were never
so low as at the present moment. The 1-lon. Gentleman con-
filmed to speak at considerable length, but the Court was so
impatient that his voice was drowned.
Mr. ASUURST remembered when King William refused the
Reform Bill, the worthy Alderman quoted Scripture to him
(Mr. Ashtustl, and told bier to " Fear God, and, irmour the
King." Now he was disposed upon that occasion to return
the compliment, and the passage be would quote was, " He
that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse."—(Cheers.) So
well hail the people of former times understood the question,
that even in the tune of Solomon that had become a maxim,God,
for the purpose of protecting his creatures, caused corn to
grow in every country on earth. There were two instances
which he was anxious to state to the meeting. The first was
Holland, that country could not grow corn enough for her sub-
sistence: she had not land enough for the purpose—she was
not cursed with a Corn-law, yet she hail at all times a suffi-
cient. supply of food.—(Cheers.) The people of that country
trusted to God's providence, and they were liberally supplied.
Again, take the case of Ireland she hada Corn-law, under the
operation of which her labourers were starving on 6d. a day,
and every fourth one was a pauper, that was the state of things
under a Corn-law. But then he was told that he must not
go to a country where corn is cheap, or his 6d. a-day will
dwindle in proportion. Now, suppose he was to leave Ireland
and land at New York, there he would find the wheat selling
at 255. a quarter, having left it in Ireland between 70s. and
80s. Well, remembering what he was told by the pretended
friends of the labourer at home, he would naturally
fancy that his 6d. would not be more than
2d. or 3d. a day, how astonished then would he
be to find plenty offering him work at a dollar a day.--(Loud
cheering.) Let them contrast those two cases, and then say
whether the poor had anything. to do with the Corn-laws. If
laour had been represented in the Legislature would those
things ever have been allowed. The real root of the evil was
this. In this country we had a labouring power equal to 600
millions of men—the population was 28 millions—and if they
manufactured to such an extent, it was clear that they could net
consume the productions ; they must therefore starve if they
could not have the advantages of foreign trade. With such a
population as.outs in a starving condition, would life and pro-
perty be safe ? It. could not. Then he called upon the Court
to take their choice of the least of two evils, for it was a moral
impossibility to put a stop to the powers of steam.—(Cheers.)
Me. DAvisost did not desire to see the previous question
carried, nor could he agree in the resolution proposed. When -
an opportunity offered he intended to propose an amendment to
the effect that the present Corn-law had not given satisfaction.
—(Cheers.) That, he believed, was universally admitted, bat
he would only consent to call upon the Legislature to reri!e the
system' without pointing out any course for their guidance.
Mr. WELLS would cheerfully support the previous question,
and that because he was a friend of the poor.—( Laughter. )
Every one who had spoken on the question had carefully shrunk
from even alluding to the 800 millions of debt. —( Cheers.) '1 he
Prussian League was a mere carrying out of the Berlin and
Milan decrees, and would yet be carried further. Did Hon.
Gentlemen want to bring the Bank of England again to such a
degraded position as that its Governors should have to :go
again on their knees, to beg assistance from the Bank of France.
Mr. STEVENS replied. There was no question that the corn
imported of late years had made a large drain upon the gold of
this country ; but that gold was only demanded from us, be-
cause we were not regular, but only occasional customers.
The Court then divided upon the previous question, which
was negatived by a majority of 16. The Lore Mayor, 6 Al-
dermen, and 58 Commoners voting for it ; while 2 Aldermen,
and 79 Commoners voted against it.
Mr. DAvisore then proposed the following amendment :
" That this Court, being impressed with a conviction that
the existing Corn-laws have not worked beneficially for the va-
rious interests of this country, and fully convinced, therefore,
of the necessity of the subject being revised, do petition both
Houses of Parliament for a revisal of the laws which regulate
the importation of corn, with a view to the introduction of such
measure or measures as in the wisdom of Parliament shall be
calculated to increase the trade, both domestic and foreign, of
the country at large, and ameliorate to the utmost the condi-
tion of the labouring population."
A desultory and angry discussion arose on points of order,
in the midst of which Mr. King made several motions for ad-
journment. The amendment was' negatived. Many of the
members made their escape by the Alderman's entrance door.
Mr. KING then put it to the Lord Mayor • whether, some
Members having left the Court after the question had been put,
the. Court was not dissolved.—(Much laughter. ) '
Mr. Alderman COPELAND moved that the Town-clerk read
the oath taken by Common Councilmen.
After considerable confusion the resolutions and the petitions
founded upon them, were allowed to be carried without a divi-
sion.

The petition to the Commons was ordered to be presented
by the Sheriffs, and Earl Fitzwilliam be requested t 4) present
that to the House of Lords.
The Court adjourned at half-past six o'clock.

SPIRIT of the PUBLIU JOURNALS.

FROM THE MORNING PAPERS OF THIS OAT.
ADVERTISER.—At last Sir Robert Peel has declared
himself. Followsing the Duke of Wellin&ton's example in the
memorable declaration of I b3O, that Reform in Parliament was
not needed, he has taken another false step, and declared for
the Corn-laws as at present constituted. We need not say that
the issue will be the same. We shall not vraste any words
upon his cunning speech addressed to his suppOlters, and
calculated only for the meridian of Parliament. The coun-
try will decide. The merchants and the artisans, whose
cause he has so madly . repudiated, must pronounce on
the matter. In regard to the sugar duties, he 'threw over en-
tirely the philanthropists, and stated the question to be one of
mere prudence, which another year might not call for. The
timber duties he would say nothing about. In short, he has
declared himself for monopoly against free trade. The
cowardice that compelled him but lately to obey the call of his
pai-ty to lead- on the Stanley tactics has enslaved him.
He has forfeited' any claim which he ever had of holding •
even the seals between the friends and foes of progress—and
has thrown himself entirely into the hands of the party of his
Grace the Duke of Buckingham and the Sir Edward Knatch-
bull ; and discarded the commercial interests; and the in-
dustrious working classes. It is now for the Government to
dissolve the Parliament ; and then comes the task of the Peo-
pk to meet the appeal ; but, in the mean time, to prevent
accidents, the country should omit no manner of way
of expressing its sentiments on the matter. Shall .we have the
Corn-laws or not ? Shall trade be stopped ? Shall Ireland be
trusted to the tender mercies of the Tories? Shall .monopoly
rule the land? Shall the poor starve for the .benefit of the
few? Shall the labouring man be deprived of a fair remune-
ration of his labour to put money into the hands of the wealthy?
This is the question at issue, and the Tories have dci ided the
matter is their favour by a majority of thirty-six ! With Ire-
land upon their back, they will now travel at a rail-road pace.
CHRONICLE.—The discussion on the. sugar. branch of
the Budget has terminated. On a division the numbers Were
317 to 281 in favour of Lord Sandon's resolution. Now that
the debate is over, we may conscientiously say, that a
more degrading exhibition than that of the monopolists,
from first to last, never was made to an injured and insulted
people. The argument has been all on one eide. The pre-
text of humanity was soon torn from the monopolists ;
and, indeed, after the signal failure experienced by them
at Exeter Hall, on Friday last, it was • obvious that
they. had abandoned all hope of deceiving. the peo-
ple. When the division was announced, Lord' John Russell
announced, to the no small mortification of the monopolists,
that he would give the House another opportunity of expressing
its opinion on the question of the Corn-laws, and that if the
House did not respond to what the interests of the country de
manded, he should be justified in appealing to the country.
The Noble Lord stated that he considered what had lately
taken place at tingle elections no test whatever-of: the sense of
the nation. The monopolists were conscious that the Noble
Lord here uttered only the language of truth,• and the an-
nouncementith of an appeal to the .country struck themw
dismay. Sir Robert Peel was evidently borne downh
by the consciousness of his hail cause.
was far from being one of his happiest efforts. 1
. His speech
was characterised by the reserve and evasion observed
by every speaker on the same side of
Russell spoke only a short while in reply. Lord Palmerston's
It pursued
admirable speech told amazingly on the Ilense.„-
and lashed
the monopolists through their various doublmg.
relieved, from
them most unmercifully. The arguments were
We shall reenet o
the questioie Lord .lobo
time to time, by a happy vein of pleasantry. _ . , . _
. . For tne i e.wit, of
this most powerful and admirable sprecii
d, and Ministers were' of
Prelf,L bold language of Lord
the division the country were
course equally prepared for it; and '.
John Russell tells the people
the people will do their duty.
it
is one which no sophistry
that the question it now in their
hands. We have no doubt that
They understand the question;
has come
tchoemeat HouselasotriChoemmons hue
can perplex
'long-pro-
t r aTc tleAdi E
struggleS.: T h
e i a
f,the country by • •
a majority of 36
ratified the expectations o
• ious of animals has only nine lives, and
votes. The most vivacious of
Administrations could not adjourn
the most leech-like of Admiri .
lownfill for more than nine nights together.
moment of its c . .
7 Resignation or dissolution This
dievni,dimotri has
What is to follow . ? is now
the all-absorbing question; and the only clue which any man
of the interest which Ministers may have in
can have to the answer is to be found.,. in a conside-
rationrather than the other. 'No scruples
the one
• ti,o,--ito thoughts of the public I goo( —no appre-
hensionsof patrio
to the •
of mischief country from the tumult of a fire-
brand agitation, would hinder them from following any course
which might seem the most likely to secure to Lord Mel-
course,
bourne his " working majority" of Palace,clineers, and
to Mr. O'Connell his measuring-cast majority in the House
of Commons. Nevertheless, we think their resignation is a
far from impossible event. A dissolution would serve only to
expose in a stronger light than ever their miserable weaknrsv
and hopeless unpopularity. It is very well to talk of " classes,"
in opposition to cc the great bulk of the people ;'' but the
people consist of classes; and we should be glad to know
where is the class
(unless it be the master manufacturer) to
which the Whig Ministers can think of looking for support?
The landed interest,
which commands all the- counties, and
which has hitherto returned them some few Members, is now
11ni'vertally exasperated against them ; and the only possible ef-
ittt, in that direction, of a dissolution upon the Corn-law ques-
tion,, would be to Convert reluctant opponents, like Lord VC ors-
ley, Mr. Handley, Air. llcatheote, Mr. Hodges, Mr. Cayley,
&c., into hitter and irreeoncileable enemies. . Nor will the in-
fluence of the clergy of the Church of England be 'smaller, or
less decidedly thrown into the Cosservative scale upon this than
pretty sure that the Whigs will not venture to dissolve.
on former octasious. All these things considered, we feel
deAliTtekstst;TigilAttLiTigiljints",
adjourned. without any further division ;
raillaEul fate of the Adminis- .
:',..Es ei
d 4eßre kt
lr [cm'. characterrll°rnNn
'0 al'.ftTe'
may. excite some surprise),, withept any deila-
n tlble'eplair:sc.of Minister*. that,
,after a.voto of the House
Icalnat(sP:a.Q.Sa—ti. l,oleln:h(ege,f,..hili'iliclec.°lh
rt ra at tion
no.
of Commons lu:equivocal!), pronouncing them unworthy of the

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