The Sun.
London, England, 1841-10-05 00:00:00

not oppose the measure of the late Government,
e n
remind you that the real governing power,
and other monopolists, held fast by the, I.
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td
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the old la.
never attempted to force the fixed duty upon us. r.
regarded the Government proposal not as an offer from
a party strong enough to concede anything (as you will
find by consulting thein advance
pages o f the
taken Circular
by a
at thatportion of time)
but merely as a step
the aristocracy. It was not our business to attack them,
whilst another party, more powerful than the
Government, and the people, were resolutely opposed
to any concession. To my humble apprehension, it
is as unwise as unjust, in any kind of political warfare,
to assail those who are disposed to co-operate, how-
ever slightly, in the attempt to overthrow a formidable
uncompromisingand . enemy. With regard to the opinion
expressed m your letter, that the fixed duty of eight shil-
lings would be a worse measure than the present law, I
must say, although this is no longer a practical question,
that lam of a different opinion. I know it has been
urged, in defence of this opinion, that the average duty
which has been paid under the present law amounts to
ss. 9d. a quarter only, but the question is, what duty has
been payable ? You will find, I think, by the Gazette
returns, that the chity payable has averaged upwards of
275. since the passing of the present law.
I am sorry to remark the desponding tone in which
you conclude your letter. It is something new and un-
expected, I must confess, to find Joseph Sturge disposed
to despair of any cause founded upon ustice and humanity.
For my part, I cannot be brought to the conviction that
the Government of any country can long withhold from
a people their natural right to feed themselves. Last of
all, shall I be willing to believe that the British nation
will submit, like paupers, to have their dietary fixed by
Parliament, and their appetites forced to conform to a
sliding scale, framed by a few landowners to suit. their
pecuniary interests.
Our unanimous protest from the bread-eaters is alone
wanted to ensure the downfal of this system. Let every
town and village, every congregation, workshop, and fa-
mily, prepare, during the winter, a petition for the repeal
of the bread-tax. Let our countrywomen have their pe-
titions for the Queen. Let them all be ready by the time
of the assembling of Parliament next spring. Let the
number of signatures be sufficient to speak the voice of
the whole people, and they will not speak in vain.
Believe me, yours respectfully,
RICHARD COBDEN. ,
TO JOSEPH STURGE, ESQ., BIRMINGHAM.
My Dear Sir—At a meeting of the business Com-
mittee of the Metropolitan. Anti-Corn-law Associa-
tion, held this day, your letter to Mr. Cobden was
specially brought under their notice. While they
were unanimously of opinion that the fixed duty
on grain proposed by the late Ministry was greatly j
to be preferred to the existing Corn-law, they were quite
as cordial in their approbation of your vigilance in
enforcing the careful adherence of the National Anti-
Corn-law League to its sole bond of union, the cause of
the total, immediate, and unconditional repeal of the
Corn and Provision-laws. The Committee have, in-
deed, a thorough confidence that their friends at Man-
chester have never for. one moment departed from the
strict principle which solely and exclusively they are
authorised by their national constituency to advocate,
and for the Metropolitan Anti-Corn-law Association and
all its numerous branches, they have the satisfaction to
refer you for the evidence of their watchful adherence to
the sole object of their exertions--
1. To the resolutions passed at their annual general
meeting, on 31st March, 1841, which declare it to be
their "imperative duty to increase their exertions in the
cause of the repeal of all duties on the first necessaries
of life ;" and "renew their solemn pledge to each other
and to their country, to continue their exertions with
increasing energy until that cause is brought to a suc-
cessful issue ; and
2. To the address issued by the Association imme-
diately after the announcement of Lord John Russell's
measure, in which they say, " the propositions of Mi-
nisters are no more than palliatives ;" and that " we
must consider ourselves bound to follow the directions of
the body which appointed us, and our public pledges
that we would continue to demand the total repeal of
the Food-laws."
I may add that, in the full knowledge and with, I be-
lieve, the entire approbation of the Association, I have
lost no proper opportunity of repudiating the acceptance
of the late Ministerial compromise with monopoly, even
while I cheerfully acknowledged the merit of Lord John
Russell's attempt to loosen the foundations of corruption
by a contraction of the radius and a change in the opera-
tion of monopoly. The public can bear me witness that,
in the strict line of my official duty, I have advocated
exclusively the total and immediate repeal of the Corn-
laws, and openly declared a fixed duty to be a fixed in-
justice.—l am, my dear Sir, yours faithfully,
448, Strand, Oct. 4, 1841. SIDNEY SMITH.