The Sun.
London, England, 1840-02-06 00:00:00

GREA'II ANTI-CORN-LAW MEET-
ING IN THE CITY.

A Meeting of the Merchants, Bankers, and Traders of the
City of London, was held yesterday in the Council Chamber,
Guildhall, at two o'clock, for the purpose of considering the
propriety of petitioning Parliament for some alteration in the
existing Corn-laws.
The Right Hon. Slr CHAPMAN MARSHALL, Lord Mayor,
in the Chair.
Previous to his Lordship taking the Chair, there were loud
cries of " Adjourn to the hall." In consequence of which,
Sir MATTHEW WOOD came forward and said that he had
suggested the propriety of their being admitted early to the
Chamber for the purpose of ascertaining if it would contain
their numbers. At present he understood that the Chamber
was not over •crovrded. —( Loud cries of " Yes, yes !"
" Hall, hall !") There was no hustings in the Hall,
and if they adjourned there it was not likely that they would
be able to hear the proceedings, at least only a small portion of
them. If the meeting should become extremely and incon-
veniently over crowded, they might then adjourn to the Hall.
The Loan Mayon then took the Chair. His Lordship
asked if it was their wish to adjourn to the -Hall ?—( Cries of "'No, no.")—Having received a requisition most numerously
signed by the merchants, bankers, and tradesmen of the City
of London, he had felt great pleasure in calling this meeting—
( Cheers) —and he trusted that they would give every gentleman
a patient hearing; and if any person present wished to bring
forward any resolution in opposition to those about to be pro-
posed by the requisitionists, he trusted they would grant him a
patient hearing. —( Cheers. )
Mr. JOHN lIORSLEY PALMER apologised for presenting
himself, to bring forward the first resolution. He had
hoped that some member of the commercial com-
munity of more influence than himself would have brought
forward this important question.—( Loud cries of "Adjourn to
the Hall.")
The LOUD MAYOR said he would take a show of hands on
the question of adjournment. His Lordship then put the ques-
tion, which was carried against the adjournment.
Mr. PALMER then proposed the first resolution, which was that
the present system of Corn-laws are a peculiar and serious evil.
The present system of Corn-laws was liable to several objec-
tions. It was exceedingly uncertain; at one time admitting
Corn without any duty, and at another, inflicting a prohibition
on the importation. Thus giving rise to dangerous speculation.
Great credit was due to the requisitionists for abstaining from
party feeling. It was a subject in which all were Vitally inte-
rested—agriculturists, commercial men, and manufacturers.
The agriculturists might believe it was for their interess to
uphold these laws, but he was convinced that such was not the
case, because laws which affected all other classes so prejudi-
cially must affect them.—(Cheers.) A petition would be pre-
sented to Parliament founded on these resolutions, but did
not pretend to point out a remedy leaving that to the wisdom of
Parliament to decide. Some were for a total prohibition of the
importation of Corn, others were for a free importation, and
others were for a fixed duty. This resolution did not point out
any particular measure of relief, but merely stated the evils re-
sulting from the present Corn-laws leaving Parliament to
decide the question after giving the subject proper consideration..
He asserted that these laws affected the agricultural, the com-
mercial, and the manufacturing interests. It affected the
agricultural interest in this form, it was a prohibition at 605.,
and it was a free admission at 735.—(Hear, hear.) It was
that small difference which increased speculation to a degree
inconvenient to all parties embarked in the trade of corn. 0.1
that ground these laws were prejudicial to the agriculturists.
So far as the commercial interests were concerned, it was a
crying and serious evil ; they were precluded at any price but
the highest of all from having any communication with the
Continent and America, because we could not take their pro-
duce for our manufactures. —( Cheers.) They had seen the
German League advance year after year since 1831; they
had seen them arrive at that point, that, unless they could
make concessions to them, they might increase the restrictive
power of the League. They 'had offered fairly to meet this
question, and to admit upon fair terms the introduction of
Brit:sit manufactures, if this country would only receive front
them that which they offered in payment—( Hear.) That
was a question for Parliament, and he trusted it would meet
with their attention.__( Cheers.) There was another point on
which he wished to speak particularly—it was a most serious.
and important question—he alluded' to the currency of the
country.—(Cheers.) He spoke upon this point with a firm
belief that a large portion of the . inconvenience which had
been sustained in past years had arisen from this cause.—
( Cheers.) He by no means meant to maintain that the im-
portation of corn, of itself, called (or the exportation of gold
and silver to that extent, but it caused large foreign payments,
and these payments, if not made i#t the manufactures of the
country, must be made in the precious metals.--( Hear, hear. )
The s‘reat inconvenience of the laat year was the enormous
corn importation, and other causes, which raised a question
whether this country was able to carry through its specie pay-
ments—( Cries of " Adjourn to the Hall)—though he did tint
think the currency was always affected by the importa-
tion of corn, yet at times it did.—( Here a per-
son in the crowd said he roe,• to order. He should
moved the adjournment to the Hall. The greatest confusion and
tumult here took place. He (Mr. Palmer) would not take up
the time of the meeting further as other gentlemen had to ad
dress them, but conclude by moving the resolution which he
had read.—(Cries here resounded from several parts of the
meeting " Ryon are honest men you will adjourn to the Hall.')
The Loan Ma Yon. then said that it had been reported to
him by their worthy, representative, Sir M. Wood, that there
were hundreds outside who could not gain admittance, and he
should, therefore, most gladly adjourn to the Hall.
The meeting, after considerable confusion, adjourned to tl.e
Hall, and no preparations having been made there, it was with
the greatest difficulty that we could gain access to the platform,
the Hall in a few minutes being. densely crowded.
The Loan MAYOR having resumed the chair,
Mr. LARPENT, in seconding the resolution, said he regretted
the alteration that had occurred in the place of meeting, as it
prevented their hearing the excellent address of his friend
Mr. Horsley Palmer. He had heard before that the
present question had nothing to do with party pelitics,
and in proof of it he, although differing in politics
from his esteemed friend Mr. Palmer, had taken the
earliest opportunity of coming forward. Fifteen years ago he
had stood before them on a similar occasion. He had said he
was right then, and he was right now. The Corn-laws were
most pernicious to the best interests of the country, which
being the case, he stood there as an advocate for their alteration,
and he trusted that the discussion would he conducted with
temper and firmness on their parts. WI ether they considered the
effect of these laws as lowering the price of wages--whether
they considered them as interfering with their competition with
the Continental manufacturers—whether they considered them
as affecting the comforts of the poor, whose chief food was bread
—or whether they considered them as crippling the commercial
interests of tho country, and interfering with their legitimate
trade with their nearest neighbours, and compelling them to
go to more distant an uncertain markets—or whether they
regarded them as deranging the monetary system of the country
as had been observed by his friend Mr. Palmer, they were
equally injurious to the best interests of the country. —( Cheers.)
He did not stand there as a merchant against the agriculturist,
for he belved the interests of agriculture and commerce were
the same.A-( Hear, and cheers.) As he found it impossible
to make himself heard by a large body o f those in the remote
part of the_ hall, he would conclude by seconding the resolu-
tion.—(Loud cheers.)
Mr. SAMUEL WELLS said he came forward as the friend
Those who had signed the requi-
of the poor man.
sition for the present meeting were sufficiently wealthy
and respectable and powerful to take care of them-
selves, but the poor man, alas ! had very few advocates.
He thought there was something in the getting up of the
present meeting which reminded him of the strolliugplayers
who announced the play of Hamlet, with the part of the
Prince omitted.—(oh and uproar.) Why had they Corn-
laws ? What was the necessity ? It was because they hail
800 millions of debt, added to 50 millions of taxation.—(oh,
cheers, and much uproar.) Would they not hear one word
about the debt and the taxes ?—(Cries of " No," and " Off.")
He dared to say that many of the gentlemen on the platform
were corn dealers. —(Laughter, cheers, hisses, and uproar. )
Why did they ask for the repeal of the Corn-laws ? Would
they pledge themselves to encrease the poor man's wages?—
(Cries of " Yes.") Would they take less from the bones and
sinews of the factory children ?_( Uproar.) Could they send
goods to the Continent, while the Prussian League existed—a
league which was founded on the ordonnances of Napoleon ?
Could they compete with manufacturers whose loaf cost only
5d., while theirs cost lod. ? he rich were rich enough
already. What he wanted was to sea the poor richer
( Cheers.) If he could get a pledge that the labourers' wages
would be increased by the repeal of the Corn-laws he should
vote for the resolution, but he could not get that.—( Uproar. )
Their trade was every day diminishing—their commerce was
destroyed by the French, by their blockade of Buenos Ayres
and Mexico, and the recent possession of Algiers.--( Laughter.)
He thought the abolition of the Corn-laws would destroy the
home consumption.—(Loud laughter, and cries af " Off,"
" Have done with your nonsense, Sam.") It would empty
their mansion-houses, and send their labourers into the bastiles
of the country.—( Uproar.) Having faithfully discharged his
duty, he would be contented, and would now read the resolu-
tion, which he believed he had done his duty in proposing,
whether it was carried or not. The resolution was—" That
while the National Debt remained at 800,000,0001., and the
taxation at 50,000,0001. annually for the maintenance of the
Government, and the payment of the interest, the repeal of
the Corn-laws would but ruin the agriculturists."—( Laugh-
ter, and cries of " No, no.")
The Loan MAYOR inquired for a seconder.
Mr. War,r.s said he had asked no one to second him.
There was a pause of •ome minutes, filled with laughter and
divers liumourous exclamations. At length au unknown in-
dividual volunteered as seconder, whereupon
IVI•Laon presented himself to themeeting, and said the
mover of the amendment had declared himself the friend of the
poor, while he had come forward to oppose the repeal of the
Corn-laws, in defence of the agiculturists.—(Cheers. ) Now,
as a working-man himself, for he lived by his labour, he had
long ardently struggled for the abolition of the grinding mono-
poly of the Corn-laws.—(Cheers.) And he wondered that
a man should have the effrontery to come forward, and before
a public body, avow himself the friend of the poor, at the same
time that he admitted himelf friendly to the Corn-la.vs.—
( Cheers.) The Corn-laws paralysed industry, and depressed
commerce, and thus their effect was to ruin and degrade
the poor.—(Loud cheers.) The result of the repeal
of the Corn-laws would be, if not to give the labourers better
pay, to enable them to procure more bread for their money
—(Cheers.) Unless the Corn-laws were repealed, he feared
that property would not be so much respected as it ought to be.
But he trusted that the people, whatever their poverty, would
always remember that no good measures could be attained ex-
cept in perfect obedience to the laws.—(Cheers.) At the
same time, let them, under the guidance of men of station and
independence, endeavour, by all constitutional means, to obtain
the abolition of the gress imposition of the Corn-laws.—
(Cheers.) Apologizing to the meetingfor having intruded
himself upon their attention, Mr. M'Leod sat down amidst
considerable cheering.
The amendment was then put, and almost universally re-
jected. The original resolution was then declared to have been
carried.

—.—.
Mr. .1. DiLooN came forward to move the next resolution. He
said that the gentleman who had moved the amendment to the first
resolution observed that they had Hamlet without the Prince.
He supposed it was that gentleman's first appearance at a short
notice in the character he had assumed. That gentleman had
also declared that he was a friend of the poor. Now he (Mr.
Dillon) (lid not wish to consider the question merely as a friend
of either the rich or of the poor, of the agricultural interests or
of the commercial interests, but as a friend to truth, to justice,
• and to his country.—( Cheers.) He could not try such great
questions on so small a scale. The object of the meeting
itLt_st
to inquire into the expediency of altering the present Corn
laws. There were three ways of doing so—they ;night
have a graduated duty, or secondly, a fixed duty, or they mi
abolish the Corn-laws altogether—( Loud eheers)—an' eta_dilt
s
blish free trade in corn.—(Renewed cheers.) In a
like that it would be absurd to enter into any abstract Place
of the evils of the Corn-laws. They were enormousglyatpresel.;:;
wished to show that they applied far more sttrhoon
at
of
)refircumstances
than they ever did before. Let them look
wind peace,
the country was in—they were in a state
InlTlght have its
and had been o for many years. But' peace
arts ohfe‘Yv
dangers and inconveniences as well 2
--s ,
ahra,dla ultoi‘nv
to contend with other nations, not in the
the arts of peace. He believed that they
Were Ille Moatn-
dustrious and intelligent among the nations i
irtgre us 0 the earth tuid
they might be in peace a still
had been in times of war. .4110. U 5 nation than they
Bngland miglat still be By 6cultivating the arts of
peace
~ Great, glorious, and free."