The Sun.
London, England, 1841-12-22 00:00:00

titie 2 Alit

LONDON:
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1841.

We imagine that Sir ROBERT PEEL, as he re-
ceives the reports of the interesting meetings at
Derby, Leeds, and Manchester, will imme-
diately set about picking holes in the statements
of the different speakers. He will summon to
his aid commissioners, secretaries, and clerks,
he will order returns from every village and town-
ship wherever there is a stocking-frame or a spin-
ning mill, and he will be prepared, when Parlia-
ment meets, to demonstrate that Mr. T. PUNT has
exaggerated the bankruptcies about Leeds by two ;
that Mr. BIGGS has understated the increase of
population at Hinckley by half a score ; that it
is totally untrue that he now obtains an income
of 4,0001. a-year, as Mr. BROTIIERTON said, or
2,000/. a-year, as another report has it, from a
piece of moor in the neighbourhood of Oswald-
twisle, for which his father gave only 14,5001.,
and sold a portion of it for twice that sum; that
it is not true that this land, under the bread-tax,
is worth 81. an acre, and when it was pur-
chased was only worth ss. ; that the number
of families in that neighbourhood living on an
average weekly earning of ls. 31d., is not,
as was stated at Manchester, 248, but 236; that
the distress is not near so great as has been
represented, for he knew, of his own knowledge,
that some families had blankets, and he had
given the large sum of 201. to relieve the 1,171
individuals whose families were living on
ls. 31d. a-week ; and that, finally, the whole
of the statements of the manufacturers
must be untrue, for while they were complain-
ing of such overwhelming distress a great in-
crease had taken place in the navigation of the
country, particularly in the establishment of
steam-packets to the West Indies, which had
excited the wonder and extorted the admira-
tion of France, our most powerful, but most en-
lightened enemy. Some such objects will now
occupy the Premier's attention, and by the help
of commissioners, secretaries, clerks, and menials,
he will be able, we have not the smallest
doubt, to satisfy the House of Commons that the
distress is grossly exaggerated, that it is one of
the usual and inevitable fluctuations of com-
merce, and that he and they, by their enact-
ments, have had no hand whatever in producing
it. They are conscious, he will assure them, that
they act from the very best intentions, and as it
is quite impossible that men of such sagacity and
wisdom can err, they will feel convinced with
him that the little distress which exists has been
caused by the ruinous speculations of the mill-
owners, and the extraordinary credit given by
bankrupt joint-stock banks.

Sir ROBERT PEEL will succeed. He will be
cheered from all sides of the House, and his tri-
umphant refutation, according to the Tory jour-
nals, of the misrepresentations and calumnies of
the manufacturers, will be received with incre-
dible delight in every parsonage and every
squire's mansion throughout England. We feel
for Sir ROBERT PEEL, bound by the tenure on
which he. holds office to engage in such ser-
Vile toils, and to make out a justification for
the unrighteous conduct of his and our
masters', profound pity and contempt. rßut when
he has succeeded, what possible effect can his
success have on the condition of the people ?
Will it lessen the distress, will it add to employ_
anent, will it increase wages, will it turn poverty
into prosperity, and disease into health ? _Sir R.
PEEL has before succeeded. He convicted Mr. G.
Wow) of an oversight. He showed that Mr.
BROTBERTON had not examined all the elements
of the social condition of his own neighbourhood.
By the help of Mr. MOTT, he convinced the
House of Commons that the distress at Bolton
was not worth attention.

•
In every successive Session since 1838 Sir R.
PEEL, as the bond-slave of the landlords, has
succeeded in making out, to the satisfttction of
the House of Commons, a complete case against
the Corn-law Repealers. With every successive
Session, however, distress has augmented, dis-
content has deepened and widened, the revenue
has fallen below the expenditure, and the suc-
cessful labours of Sir R. PEEL are crowned by
placing him at the head of the nation, plunged in
distress, and almost ripe for revolt. Another
such victory gained by this great stateenntn, nil
the nation will be undone.
e.sh-,eelslitens
nortbe Hstoilulsethoef
Sir ROBERT PEEL'S SUM
Commons neither fill the
discontent of the People. His statistics do not

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