The Sun.
London, England, 1840-02-15 00:00:00

LITERARY INSTITUTIONS.

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CORN LAWS.

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Pursuant to a requisition signed by the two members for the
borough of Southwark, and by a great number of the most re-
spectable and influential inhabitants, a meeting was convened
yesterday at the Town-hall, to take into consideration the effect
of the Present Corn-laws, with a view to petition her Majesty
and the two Houses of Parliament on the subject. In the ab-
sence of the High Bailiff, occasioned by illness, Mr. Humphery,
M.P., was called to the chair.
The CHAIRMAN, after regretting the absence of the High.
Bailiff, said he was there to hear the sentiments of his constitu-
ents on this most important question, and he could promise
them that he would act in accordance with their sentiments in
his place in the House of Commons.—(Cheers.) Be hoped
the meeting would give all parties a fair and impartial hearing,
as it was only by fair and calm discussion that they could arrive
at the truth.
The requisition convening the meeting having been read,
Mr. A. PELLATT said that this was a commercial country,
and as such required that the monopoly of the supply of food
should be abandoned. He would do full justice to the agricul-
turists, and all he required was, that by a moderate duty, and
ultimately without any duty, this manufacturing country should
be enabled to exchange its surplus produce for the corn that
was rotting in magazines, in consequence of the restrictions im-
posed by the Corn-laws upon such exchange. He thought all
would agree that it was a principle of trade, whether with
makers or sellers, to buy as cheap and to sell as dear as possi-
ble. Unless people could ensure a profit, they might as well
give up business. This could not be done with the present
Corn-laws. The landowners, through the operation of these
laws, were becoming the natural enemies of the people. If mat-
ters went on as they were proceeding at present, the time was not
very far distant when they would see a complete cessation of pros-
perity, and when national starvation would stare them in the
face. He earnestly hoped that a timely alteration of the pre-
sent system would prevent such consequences. The free
im-
port and export of corn would be a sure preventive of scarcity,
and would also tend to cultivate a feeling of general peace
throughout Europe. When Sir Thomas Robinson, in the pre-
sence of Dr. Johnson, said that if the corn trade of Ireland
were unrestricted it might be prejudicial to the corn
trade of England, Dr. Johnson replied, " Sir Thomas, you
talk the language of a savage. Would you prevent any people
from feeding themselves, if by any honest means they can do
so ?" All the people of England mei- wanted was, that they
should not be prevented from feeding themselves, if by honest
means they could do so.—(Cheers.) He would conclude by
moving a resolution, to the effect that the present Corn-laws
were deeply injurious to the trading and commercial interests
of this country, whilst they afforded undue advantage to one
class of the community; that they were unjust in themselves,
and ought to be repealed.
The resolution was seconded by Mr. VOUSLEY, then put
and agreed to.
Mr. Timis moved the ascend resolution, which was to the
effect that the meeting was convinced that the present Corn-
laws, in prohibiting the free exchange of the surplus produce f
our manufacturing industry, for the surplus food of othi r
countries, unjustly interfered with the rights of the producing
classes of the community.
Mr. BRADY seconded it. The resolution was then put and
carried.

Dr. BEDFORD moved, that a petition be presented to
the House of Commons, praying for the total repeal of the
Corn-laws.

The petition was read, and its adoption was seconded by Mr.
MA y EW.

Mr. ELLis opposed the adoption of the petition, and con-
tended that cheap bread meant cheap bread and low wages.
The petition was adopted, only one hand being held up
against it.

On the motion of Mr. VoustAty., Messrs. Humphrey and
Wood were requested to support the petition in Parliament.
\lr. HUMPHREY advised them to be firm, if by firmness
they could get a total repeal, but if they could not get a
total repeal, they must endea•:our quietly to obtain that which
would give them the cheapest loaf. He feared that the landed
interest in the House of Commons was too strong, but as their
representative he would do all in his power to obtain the total
repeal of the Corn-laws.—(Cheers.) He would support
the petition.

Mr. Woor then rose and said that he felt solemnly convinced
that the time had arrived when the Corn-laws must necessarily
be repealed. He said that the time had arrived when, it was
his conviction, that it was impossible for the working classes of
this country, for the manufacturers, or for those who were en-
gaged in the commerce of the country, to bear the burdens
they were now labouringounder. He agreed in the position on
which that meeting took their stand—namely, a total repeal of
the Corn-laws. But he and his colleague could do little unless
supported by the people ; if the people would support their re-
presentatives, and induce their representatives to support the
repeal of the Corn-laws, then, and not till then, could they
expect that the righteous and good cause would be success-
ful.—(Cheers. )

It was then put and agreed to, that the petition to the House
of Lords be entrusted to Earl Fitzwilliam ; and after a vote of
thanks to the chairman, the meeting separated.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

BOW-STREET.

Thomas Dunn Webb, whose case appeared on Saturday
last, was yesterday brought before Mr. Jardine for re-examina-
tion, charged with stealing money and other property from a
number of letters which came into his possession as clerk in
the post-office in Birmingham.
It appeared from the evidence taken at the first examination
that the prisoner was traced on the Ist instant from Hatchett's
Hotel in Piccadilly to Brighton, Hastings, Dover, and from
thence to Calais, where he apprehended him with 100 sove-
reigns in his possession, together with several documents relat-
ing to the contents of letters, which have since been identified
by the persons by whom remittances had been sent to various
quarters. He travelledunder the assumed name of Stanley ; and,
on his being taken irto custody, he used every means to per-
suade the officer that he was mistaken in his person.
On being placed at the bar, he was charged with embezzling
a letter, directed to Mr. Hoare, of Smith-court, Chelsea, and
stealing from it two 51. Bank of England notes.
Mr. Peacock conducted the prosecution, and called wit-
nesses to prove the delivery of the letter at the Post-office con-
taining the money, the employment of the prisoner in that
department of the Birmingham Post-office through which the
letter was likely to pass, and his sudden departure from Bir-
mingham without notice given to the Post-office authorities.
Inspector Pearce repeated the evidence he gave at the former
examination, describing the property found upon him.
The prisoner declined saying anything in his defence, and
was ordered to be committed. A similar charge was brought
forward against him, to which he declined making any defence,
end at the request of Mr. Peacock was remanded for a week.

DUEL.—On Saturday morning, about seven
o'clock, two gentlemen, connected with the most respectable
families in the country, with their seconds, met in May's-
ground, Belfast, near the new bridge across the Lagan, to de-
cide an affair of honour. The space of twelve paces having
been nu asured, and the parties placed, the word was given and
they fired ; one of the gentlemen was sliGhtly wounded in the
breast, the other fired in the air and thus the matter termi-
nated.

THE 13KROMETER.—On the morning of Tues-
day, the 4th inst., the barometer indicated a depression lower
than has teen observed at any period within the last twenty_
two years, the quicksilver having fallen to 270 91.
SHOCKING RAILWAY ACCIDENT.—On Mon-
day evening last, a shocking accident occurred on the Ballach-
ney line of rail Way, near to the town of Airdrie. The circum-
stances of the case, as far as we have been able to learn, are as
follow :—A number of coal miners employed at the coal work
about three miles north of Airdrie, were returning home from
their work, and in coming down an inclined plane on a part of
the Railway were overtaken by another train of carriages, of
which the man in clarge had lost all power, and seeing a con-
cussion was inevitable, had thrown himself from his seat. Those
in the foremost train, seeing the other waggons coming upon
them, a number leaped out, but not in time to escape, and the
result was, that four men and boys were killed, and eight or
nine dreadfully mangled. At least three of the survivors lave
lost either a leg or an arm. Some of the sufferers have lelt
large families to deplore their loss.—Glasgow Chronicle.
BITUMINOUS PAVEMENT.—On Thursday, in
the Court of Queen's Bench, an action was brought for the
alleged infringement of Claridge's Patent for making bitumi-
nous pavement. The evidence was conflicting, some of the
scientific asserting that the plaintiff's discovery was as old as
the walls of Bi.bylon, while others declared that the process
was quite new. The jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff on
all the issues of fact, but for the defendant upon the question
as to the right to grant a license to moi e than twelve persons,
with liberty to the plaintiff to move to enter the verdict on last
ssue for plaintiff.

THE HARROW RIOTERS I—ln the Court of
Queen's Bench last Wednesday about twenty Harrow boys,
including Sir Robert Peel's sons, were indicted for having
tumultuously assembled at Harrow. Mr. Ballantine having
!tiled the nature of the charge in this general manner, Lord
Denman, smiling, said he observed that this was a proceeding
against schoolboys for breaking wineows,and he thought that such
a subject might better be arranged out of Court, and sug-
gested that the prosecutor should receive 1501. as a compensa-
tion for the injury which he had received. This proposition
was agreed to by all parties.
The majority of ten on Thursday night on Mr.
Herries's motion on the financial state of the country, was pro-
cured by a ruse for which the Tories are celebrated. A tem-
porary absence of a number of the Alinisterial supporters, who
did not anticipate an early division, induced the Tory whippers-
in to muster their forces, and thus a factious majority was
snapped for the sake of obtaining a paltry party triumph, at the
risk of shaking the financial credit of the country.
The Observer of Sunday, Feb. 16, will be two
sheets, the price Tenpenee. The Conductors of the Observer
will endeavour to give the most Complete Account of her Most
Gracious Majesty's Marriage to .his Royal Highness Prince
Albert, with all the Movements erthe Royal Bride and Bride-
groom, the whole of which will be illustrated. Covers gratis,
to send to the Country, at the Observer Office, 170, Strand.
The Observer will be kept on sale all the following week. A
Monday Afternoon Edition, as usual.
ANTIPATHY OF DESTITUTE PAUPERS TO
GO INTO WORKHOUSES.—Durirg an inquest held on Wednes-
day before Mr. Wakley, M.P., that gentleman stated that, in
the course of his official inquiries, he repeatedly met with
instances of the extreme dislike paupers entertained to going
into workhouses for relief that really surprised him. Last Saturday
he held two inquests at Stepney on persons who had died of
destitution, and he was told that both of them had invariably
refused, though advie•ed, to seek for in-door relief. One of
those cases was the mest deplorable he had ever witnessed.
The inquest was on the shockingly-emaciated body of a
female, who was upwards of eighty years of age, and who ap-
peared to have been literally starved to death. There could be
no blame attached to the relieving officer of the parish in which
she died, because the woman positively resist xi going into the
workhouse, and refused the offer of relief on such terms. She
was in the habit of receiving 4s. a week from a palish near
Cornhill, and the moment she received it she spent the money
in drink. She was even solicited by her husband to enter a
workhouse in which he was kindly treated, but she rcfu.cd.
What must be done with such paupers? If they were forced
into the workhouse a clamour would be raised, and it would be
said that they were forced in in order to get rid of them. LYNCH-LIBEL LAW.—Two. avenging spirits
flew from sTewkesbury to Cheltenham a day or two ago, and
pounced upon the printer of the Paul Pry, whom they bela-
boured with blows neither few nor light.