The Sun.
London, England, 1841-09-21 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON. TUESDAY. SEPTEMBER 21, th4l.

CORN-LAWS.

MEETING AT THE TOWN-HALL, SOUTHWARK.
A Town-hall Meeting was held yesttrday its Southwark, for
the purpose of petitioning the Queen not to prorNue Parlia-
ment until it has taken into its consideration the present dis-
tressed condition of the manufacturing population, and alto the
subject of the present Cern-laws; Ttid meeting' vdtt called by
requisition signed by softie of the principal inhabitants of the
borough to the High Bailiff, who presided.
Vile meeting was appointed for one o'clock, and a few
minutes after that hour, the High Bailiff, accompanied by
several of the requisitionists, entered the Hall.
As soon as the High Bailiff took his seat, the requisition
calling the meeting together was read, 83.

The HIGH BAILIFF rose and said—lt had always been his
desire, during the time that he had held the office of High
Bailiff for that borough, to furnish the inhabitants widi every
opportunity to express their sentiments upon all matters con-
nected with the public welfare. He had, therefore, in com-
pliance with a requisition very numerously and respectably
signed, called that meeting. He hal not a doubt, from expe-
rience of past meetings in that borough, that every one would
be allowed to express his sentiments with that liberty and
freedom from interruption -which ought. to be, and wag, the pri-
vilege of every honest and independant man.—( Cheers.) It
might be necesttlry for him to observe that the requisition was
delivered to him on Saturday, and as the requisitionists wished
the meeting to be sailed for that day (Monday), he had
thought proper to comply with that request. As the requisi-
tion bad been read, he should call on the meeting to express
their sentiments upon it.—( Cheers. )
The }licit BAILIFF then read snveral letters from Mr.
Alderman Humphery, Mr. Ilawe.7, &c., with apologies for
their non-attendance.

Mr.'JAMES WILSON rose, and said the following resolution
had been put into his hands to propose for their adoption :
" 'I hat this meeting has watched with great anxiety and
alarm accounts from the manufacturing and other districts,
which exhibit the rapid increase of commercial distress, want
of employment, and all the evils consequent thereon, aggra-
vated by the high prices of food." He rose to pro-
pose that resolution for their consideration, wi-h the
deepest conviction, that maces something were done to
alleviate the distress of the working classes that they were
approaching an awful crisis.—(Hear, hear.) Since they last
met in that To n- h all to consider the commercial Tariff and
the Corn-law, they ha:i found that the Ministers who had
brought forward those questions for consideration had been
turned out of power, after having been sorely pressed by num-
berless petitions to take them into their consideration. They
had brought forward those questions, and for this reason alone
they had been turned out of power, and they had been suc-
ceeded by a class of men who had come into power for the pur-
pose of maintaining those laws inviolate. Indept ndent of the
consideration of these questions as affecting met ely the Corn-
laws and commerce, he could not but view the circumstances
which had taken place, as deeply involving the civil rights of
the country. He could not but be convinced that one class of
the community had claimed the right of legislating for the
whole people, and he could not but be cenvinced that the pre-
rogative of the Queen had been used for a seifils purpose, and
that the agriculturists and the landholders have been
the only parties to be considered by the present repre-
sentatives in the House of Commons. Tlietercre, independently
of the Corn-laws, there was something in the proceedings of
this country which deeply involved their civil liberties and
privileges. If there was one constitutional privilege more
dear than another, it was the liberty they had to choose
their* representatives in the Rouse of Commons ; and
if there was another principle well developed, it wag that the
House of Peers had no right to interfere with the election of
the lion-e of Commons. They found the Duke of Richmond
standing up and telling the country that they had brought into
power the present Ministry fur the purpose of maintaining the
Corn-laws inviolate, and as soon as they attempted to meddle
with them they should put them out of office. These were
the men who had passed a rote of want of confidence against
the late Ministry, because they wi-hod to interfere wi' h those
laws. They had claimed the right of electing the House of
Commons, thereby violating the privileges of the people. It
was a matter of some surprise to him that the House of Com-
mons, which had telt in keenly the breach of privilege of its
House with respect to the Sheriffs of London, should submit to

a still higher breach a their House in being elected by the
HOUFC of Lords. They had seen in the manufacturing dis-
tricts the first evidence of the decay of a greae nation had taken
place. It was lamental.le to tee that the town of Steckport.
the town that bad employed upwards of 60,000 operatives, had
fallen off in its population, as appeared by the late census, 8,000
within the last ten years—( hear, hear)—where they 'found
that only one house in 'twenty was occupied, and where they
found chat only one mill in four was working. Let them con-
sider these things, and how could they wonder that such dis-
tress should be in the manufacturing districts? He had re-
ferred to statistical accounts, and he found that they imviorted
in 1840 for the first three months 124,965,0001b5., while in
1841 it was only 122,625,000, leaving a deficiency in the im-
ported quantity of not less than 2,340,0001b5. In the last four
months of 184') the imported quantity of cotton co 00l was
237,540,0001b5., whilst in the same period of
1841 it was 164,000,0001b5., leaving a deficiency
of 76,540,CC01b5., or abOut one-third of the whole.
They had therefore to infer tom that, that fsere was only one-
third of the employment for the labourer there was a year
ago. He would also refer to the article of silk. Sufficient
evidence of the decay of that trade was found in Spitalfields
and other districts. From this source he found that in the
first three months of 1840 there were 931;956ib5. of silk ma-
nufactured in England, while in 1841, and the same space of
time, there were only 719,7861b5., leaving a deficiency of
212,1701b5. In the last four months of 1840 it was 1,109, I 08Ibe.
whilst in the same period of H4l it was 836.4881b5., leaving
a deficiency of 272,6201b5., nearly one-fourth less hen the
former year. When they considered these statements, they
would not believe that the accounts they had heard of the
distress in the manufacturing districts were exagge-
rated. The mills were standing still, and the po-
pulation was not employed. The giant arm of steam was
motionless and doing nothing. They found that in the House
of Commons the Hon. Member for Bolton had, in his place in
that House, stated a fact of a man having died at his loom of
starvation and want. Although this was the only case they
had heard of, of death having occurred from starvation, yet this
was not a soli'ary instance where death had taken place in con-
sequende of the Poor-laws.—(Cheers.) But there was one
person in the present Ministry—one man who was known for
his courage—and he would say, for his candour—there was one
man who stated that he believed there was no distress—the
Duke of Wellington. He ( Mr. Wilson) had not so much
faith in his experienc' in these matters as in his candour and
courage. He (the Duke of Wellington) had declared that he
believed that there was no distress, and that this was the only
country where a man could get at any time employment,
and yet they heard of evidence being given in the
House of Commons ofa man, dying on his loom. However, there
was another Member of the Administration, who did admit the
fact of the distress, but who denied the cause. He denied that
the Corn-laws yerc the cause of that distress. He talked
something about over-production, but he (Mr. Wilson) would
ask the Premier whether it was fit for a statesman to com-
plain of over prcduction ?—(Cheers.) Was it the fact that
heopuse a man did too much work he was to suffer privation.
No, it was not over-production that was the cause of the dis-
tress, but over-restriction.—(Cheers.) They had over-pro.
duction of cloth, and they wanted bread. Therewere other
countries that had an over-production of bread, and it was
little consolation for them to be told that they were well fed
when they wanted cloth for clothing ; and for the people of
England to be told that they had sufficiency of cloth when
they wanted food. But Sir R. Peel said "show me
that the Corn-laws are the cause of the evil, and I
will consent to their repeal ; prove to me that this
is the cause of the disaster, and I will advise my friends to re-
peal them." He (Mr. Wilson) had no confidence in the sin-
cerity of that declaration; for they had seen year after year
that Mr. Villiers had brought forward his motion for inquiry
into the operation of these laws, and th:s very man, Sir R.
Peel, rejected the motion disdainfully, and would not lfsten
even to inquiry ; therefore they had nu right to think him sin-
cere in his professions when he has resisted inquiry, the only
means of evidence.—(Cheers.) It appeared to be the policy
of eArlt. Peel to procrastinate. He had assumed the position
of great state physician, having studied at the great univer-
sity of Tamworth, where he had taken out his diploma as State
Physician.—(Laughter.) When he was under examination
he promised when he was called in that he would prescribe for
the patient's disease : yet now when he was called in, and called
in with his fellow students and colleagues, when he had his fee,
he refused to offer an opinion on the disease which he was
called on to cure.—(Laughter.) He refused to express an
opinion upon the disease of the country, and seemed rather to
take the part of the Coroner than the physician.—(Laughter.)
When the Hon. Member for Bolton told him that avian had
died on his loom he then consented to send down a commission
to inquire into it. This was but poor consolation to the widow
and children, sending to inquire the cause of his death now
that he was taken away from them. He still, however, re-
fused to send commissioners to inquire into the state of those
that are not dead, but leaves them to die, and then perhaps
he would again become Coroner, instead of the physician to
apply a remedy .—( Cheers.) There was scarcely a feature in
society in which they did not find that hydra-headed monster
the Corn-laws staring them in the face.—(Cheers.) They
found, year after year, that its voice was heard increasing
throughout society. It was heard in the increase of patients
to the hospitals. It was heard by an increase of prisoners in
'our prisons, numerous bankruptcies, and increased embar-
rassment in trade. A noble friend of his had moved in the
House of Peers for a return of the number of fiats in bank-
ruptcy which have been issued during the last five years. It ap-
peared by that return that in the year 1838 there were 1,087 fiats
issued. In 1839 there were 1,485; in 1840 there were 1,879.
With such evidence of increasing distress, with such symptoms
of national decay. was it fitting that such a man should take
the reins of Gevernment ; and that, when he had got them,
he should refuse to give the slightest remedy for these evils ?
(Cheers. ) Let them consider, for one moment, what was all
-this suffering for. Why was the country threatened with de-
cay? He would again refer to tt e Duke of Richmond, to be
informed on this head. For in his speech, that he had before
quoted, he stated for what purpose the Government was formed.
He stated in a few words, that if the Corn-laws were to be in-
terfered with, that he would be the first to more in that House
that the present tenants should be absolved from their present
leases. Why did he do so, but that he assumed that they
would not be able to pay their present amount of rent ? And
if so, they (the farmer) were only enabled to do so by the
present laws ; and, therefore, he says they were framed for the
purpose of making the landholders wealthy. The Duke
of Wellington said it. was in order to secure to the inhabitants
food at the most equal prices. But the Duke of Richmond
said that it was simply for the purpose of rent. It then was
the little word rant to which they must bow and submit.—
(Hear, hear.) It was tke Jugernaut before which every feel-
ing was to be violated, and that little word was to represent
Kings, Lords, and Commons. He could not believe that the
people of this country would quietly submit to such a change
in the Constitution, for if they did they gave up all privilege in
the choice of representatives in the House of Commons; and if
they mere not willing to do so they would rise not only to pro-
tect their commerce, but for a higher and a nobler aim—that of
their civil rights.—(Cheers.) tie believed that this was a
time when they should exercise the eight of petitioning their
Sovereign. He, therefore, hoped that not only there would
that feeling pervade, but throughout the kingdom. The Hon.
Gentleman sat down amidst great cheering.
Mr. THOMAS MARTIN said that he had been re-
quested since he arrived on that platform to second
the resolution, and he should, therefore, do so with
but a few words, after the very eloquent address they
had just heard. He had looked to other countries, and found
no sliding scale there; and that caused him to reflect Ceeply
on the subject. He had looked in history. and found that
those nations of the earth which most excelled in manufactures,
and everything that curbed the manufactures, reduced the
country.. That system was now being adopted here; audit would
result in England being deprived of her right-arm—her manu-
factures.—( Cheers.) Before the war, land was not half the
price it was now : deprive the country of her manufactures,
and land would fall again to the same price it was before the
war. He hoped thei e was no man there but would put his
shoulder to the wheel, and get rid of this incubus on com-
merce.—( Cheers. )
The
Mr.A.
p resolutionsLEy pz wasLt
Et hTe.rn
rpouset atnodnicoavrer
iethdetnnaenxit m°uresolution
sIY
:
" That, in consequence of the apprehended deficiency of the
present harvest, the county is already threatened with de-
rangement of its currency . and monetary affairs, from
necessity of importing corn under the unwise
provisions of the present law." lie thought they had arrived
at a time when something should be done to retrieve our
present difficult position. This opinion he had found much
strengthened by a recent tour he had made in the manufactur.