The Sun.
London, England, 1840-01-11 00:00:00

to grow corn in one of his fields, it would not grow some-
thing else. —( Hear.) It was the greatest fallacy to say
that the country ought to be enforced to grow wheat, ex-
c •pti.ig so far as it was wanted, and could be supplied on
advantageous terms to all parties; for if thry did not
grow wheat. they could grow cattle, and he did not s. c if
the gentlernon was so fond of a loaf, why he should not
like to have a round of beef along Y:•ith it.—( Much cheer-
ing.) Such stuff as this was unworthy of notice, a. dhe
would not say a word more upon the subject.
Mr. JOHN MURRAY, a working man, and, we believe,
a Chartist, called upon his fellow-workmen and the meeting
to make truth the basis of their argument, and to employ
the reason with which the Creator had gifte td
thean had
m, to
separate the true from the false. The gelem
called the Anti-Corn-iaw movement a delusion, but unfor-
tunately for the working classes, who had to buy bread at
the present ruinous prices, the Corti-la-=-s to them were no
delusion. The gentleman had said that cheap bead would
involve a reduction of wages, and he said truly that wages
were relative. He ( Mr. Murray) granted that position,
but did it follow that there would be a reduction in the
price of bread alone ? Would not milk, butter, cheese, and
other matters follow ? and if wages were relative to labour,
he would ask the gentleman whether rent also was not
relative? and he asked further if the wres of labour
had been advanced in an equal proportion to the Itre
of the landlord —( Loud . cheers and applause.), t
not, what became of the just man who appeared tnere
as the advocate of the landlords. The gentleman
loved the principles of those who gave them the Co,n-
laws ; they might be Solomons in their day, but, like So-
lomon, they had gone to the grave of their fathers ; and
they (the meeting) wanted to send some of their works
after them.—( Laughter and cheering.) He told them
that rent was diffused as soon as it was got. " Ha, ha,"
exclaimed the speaker, " any of you inhabitants of an
agricultural district—can you tell me where it is diffused ?
Is it amongst you, or is it in places which I will not offend
" ears polite" by mentioning—at Paris, Rome, Naples, or
Brussels ? It vanishes from the hands of the farmer into
the hands of the agent, from the agent into the fashionable
circles, and long, indeed, are the peregrinati. ns of an un-
fortunate sovereign before it reaches the hands of the
farmer again.--(Mveh laughter and cheering.) Not so
the merchant—not so the manufacturer—not so the com-
mercial man. They may have their faults and their fol-
lies—and they are neither few nor far between—but, at
all events, the money is spent in or about the place
where it is raised."—( Hear, hear.) It had been said
by the gentleman that the Peerage could be pur-
chased ; that was no great compliment to them from their
advocate ; but if the Peerage were willing to be sold.-4S
they had often been sold—or not, what should they think
of men who represented themselves, anii on the strength
of that representation enacted the present system of Corn-
laws, in order to rob their fellow-countrymen.—( Hear,
hear.) His (Mr. M.'s) choice was a cheap loaf. He
recollected with pleasure the comfort and hilarity enjoyed
by the working classes within the last twenty-six years,
when bread was cheap. The chambers of the landed pro-
prietors were not then lit up by the red flame of the incen-
diary ; that was the work of the Corn-laws. The gentle-
man told them that the number of hands employed in the
factories had greatly increased; but where did they come
from? Were not many of these driven from their own small
cottages to make room for the monopolists—men from
Kent and Surrey, and Sussex—driven from the midst of
the Corn-law prosperity to come and beg employment
from the manufacturers ? They were also told of an
increase in the exports. Now, he chanced to remember
something of the exports of 1824, and did not the gentle-
man know that they then exported cotton goods finished
—(hear, hear)—when the greatest amount of labour had
been laid out upon a pound of raw cotton—and could the
gentleman tell him how they exported now ?—( Hear. )
Would the gentleman tell him that the forty-three mil-
lions now left more in the hands of the labourer than the
twenty-three millions then? The gentleman might boast,
he might dance and fiddle, as Nero did when Rome was
burning—but formerly they exported goods in a finished
state, whilst now they exported principally in the shape of
twist and yarn. There was a greater import of raw cot-
ton now, and also a greater export, but the gentleman for-
got to tell them that it was only half manufactured.—
( Cries of " Hear, hear.") The question was whether the
Corn-laws were beneficial or otherwise, and these were the
fruits ; if the fruits were beneficial then the Corn-
laws were beneficial to commerce and manufactures.
But before all and above all, were the labourers in
the agricultural districts in a better position in
consequence of the Corn-laws? Did they re-
ceive more wages relatively to the amount paid
for corn ? He asserted that they did not. Did the gen-
tleman know that the average amount of wages within
three miles of the Liverpool Exchange was Bs. a week ?
This he maintained was the effect of the Corn-laws, and
the gentleman had wholly failed to show that the Corn-
laws were beneficial to any class whatever. The gentleman
asked triumphantly, alluding to the distress of the working
classes, whether the manufacturers had done anything for
them ; he (Mr. Murray) asserted that they had, for they
had found employment for many of them. Had the land-
owners, who brought them to that distress, done anything
for them? Yes ; they had been the almighty creators
of a rural police—the supporters and makers of a New
Poor-law, to separate the aged from the partners of their
youth—they bad opened the floodgates of despair on a once
industrious and prosperous people ; they had swept away
the contentment of the poor man—they had taken away
his stake in society—they had lowered his head—they had
made him dependent, and then they taunted him with the
name of pauper. These were their works, be they for good
—be they for evil. Another gentleman had stated the pro-
portion of rent enjoyed 1)3 the landlord, and contended that
it was only a fair proportion. Give him 7-24ths of the
produce, and let the produce be cheaper ; but the landlords
first raised the raw material to an enormous amount, and
then took 7-24ths of the whole. He was very much de-
lighted with the gentleman who moved the first resolution,
and expressed his sympathy with the working classes. It
were well if the divisions of classes had never been intro-
duced—it were well if all considered themselves members
of one great body; things would not then have been as
they were now, and no wonder that the working classes
were now looking to themselves for help.—( Hear, hear.)
They might be tnisled, but their claim for an equality of
freedom ought not to be discouraged. If they refused to
give the working classes power to put down the Corn-
laws and all other nuisances, they might be too late, but
as he considered the Corn-laws one of the means which
had laid the nation prostrate, he wished them to be re-
moved, and heartily supported the resolution.— (Great and
long-continued cheering.)
A Gentleman in the gallery, whose name we did not
learn, stated that, in 1813 or 1814, he was employed by
the British Government to purchase wheat and cattle for
the troops in Spain. He went over to Afri-a, arid pur-
chased cattle at ss. a head, and wheat at 2s 2d, per
bushel, and the poor in that country were in a better situa-
tion than they were here. In 1830 he wa- in France, and
he found that there, too, the poor and the labouring classes
were better looked after than in this country, and enjoyed
much better food and clothing. Wheat was then from
3s. 3d. to 2s. 4d. per bushel., and the agricultural la-
bourers were getting about 4s. 6,1. per week, whilst in
Gloucestershire they were getting only from ss. to 7s. per
week, and giving for wheat at the rate of 85. per bushel.
His father had lived in a small farm and accumelated
money before the Corn-laws were in operation, but the
Corn-laws came and swept him away. His farm was joined
to two or three more; one family was placed where four
had brought up large fau.ilics, and the person who came
to take the whole land could not support. even a small fa-
mily out of the produce.—( Hear, hear.)
The MAYOR then put the question on the amendment,
and declared that there were from ten to twelve hands
held up in favour of it. The original motion was then put
andcarried almost unanimously amidst tremendous cheering.
Mr. Councillor RATIIDONE, in moving the next resolu-
tion, strongly. urged the importance of something being
done immediately towards returning to sound rineiplesg
owfh‘eovml
emps.loomßyemßoefv,no,otN,d. aaEntdscial.tlhe means of
Take away the Corn-laws, and they would haveptho-mear;
procuring c.'ea' and
secondedtirne( the Cheers.
lutio-n 'He con-
tended that an alteration of the Corn-laws would' be
bene-
ficial to the landowners themselves. Prior to th, enact-ment of. those laws, the population of the countr. • had
rapidly. increased, and it was population which gave) land
its value. He was in America last winter, and he visited
most of the manufacturing States. In Massachusetts,,
ma-
nufactures had increased to the amount of e;(ibty - m•al-
hons of dollars, a great proportion of which 'av ' have-lstilxml-
been fabricated in England but for the Corn-lawsou
pre-
venting us from receiving that which the Americans had
to pay in exchange for our manufactures.—( Hear, hear.)
The American manufacturers now :undersold them in
South America and other markets; and this they would
never have done but for. the Corn-laws. The result
of free trade was manifested in the shipping interest.—
( Cries of " Hear, hear.") In 1815, when the restric-
tion system was in operation, the amount of American
foreign tonnage as distinguished from coasting vessels was
804.294 tons; the result of reciprocity was, that it had
fallen by 31,753 tons, whilst the British tonnage in their
ports was 416,000 tons, a convincing proof that the Legis-
lature ought to leave merchants and manufacturers to fight
their own battles.—( Cheers.) He had it from undoubted,
authority, that, if we would only receive their corn in pay-
ment many df the American manufacturing establishments
would be given up.
Mr. HARDY denied that the distress of the commercial
and manufacturing districts was m drily to be attributed to
the Corn-laws. He maintained that neither the Corn laws
nor the Bank screw had caused that distress, though the
Manchester Anti-Corn.law Association had said one day
that the Corn-laws were the cause of it, and the Man-
chester Chamber of Commerce, consisting of the same in-
dividuals, had said the next that it was the Bank screw.
He denied that it was either one or the other, and con-
tended that the agricultural interest was the best customer
of the manufacturers. He was in favour of a moderate fixed
duty.
The resolution was put, and only four hands were held
up against it.
JA NIES AIKIN. Esq., in moving the next resolution,
showed that the meeting of delegates from all parts of
the country had agreed, before they demanded the re,teal
of the Corn laws. to give up all sorts of protecting duties
on manufactures, and that all they asked was a clear field

and no favour.
HENRY BOOTH, Esq., seconded the resolution in a
forcible speech.
The resolution was carried with only one dissentient
voice.
Mr. BOLTON, in moving the next resolution, exposed
the fallacy that wags were dependent on the price of
corn. He pointed out the probabiit tht the Ameicana
would increase their tariff duties ify thea
Corn-lawsr were
not abolished.
Mr. VINCENT HIGGINS seconded the motion.
Mr. Alderman SHELL pointed out the :;b4urdity of the
assertion that a repeal of the Corn-Lwi mtw occasion a
reduction of waes by a reference to Ireland, where thou-
sands and thousands of able-bodied men were working fur
the pittance of 6d. a day.
Motion carried unanimously.
Mr. Councillor BLACKBURN delivered a long and elo-
quent speech in introducing the next resolution, and was
loudly cheered.
JAMES MoLuNsux, Esq., seconded the resolution.