The Sun.
London, England, 1840-03-19 00:00:00

The Duke of Cleveland is still suffering from
indi.Tosition at Cleveland House. We aro glad to state tilt)
account yesterday was, much better.

:REPEAL OF THE CORN-LAWS
A General Meeting of the Members of the Chamber
of Commerce and Manufactures took place at eleven
o'clock on Thursday, to consider the propriety of peti-
tioning the Legislature for the repeal of the Corn-laws.
Mr. J. B. SMITH, the President, took the Chair.
He had yesterday taken occasion to look at the effects
of the Corn-laws upon the particular branch of industry
in which they were chiefly engaged, the cotton trade,
and the results were rather curious. In 1820, the chief
and the best customer they had for their cotton goods
was Germany ; the export of white and printed cotton
goods to that country, in 1820; was 2,912,0001. ster-
ling ; in 1838, the het return published, it had fallen
to 887,0001. To Russia, in 1820, our exports of ma-
nufactured cotton goods amounted to 683,0001. ; by the
last return they had fallen off to 59,0001. To Hol-
lend and Belgium our exports in 1820 were 881,0001.;
in 1838, 661,000/. Nevertheless, the total exports of
cotton goods had not been diminished, but they had
been driven from those markets, and obliged to seek
others ; and, in all those countries whose produce we did
not exclude, from whom we took either luxuries or the
raw materials of our manufacture, we had no difficulty
in exchanging our manufactures with them. Our
trade to the East Indies, China, and the Indian Islands,
which in 1820 amounted to 817,0001. had increased, in
1838, to 2,660,0001. ; with Mexico, Colombia, Guate-
mala, Rio Plata, Chili, and Peru, it was. in 1820,
412,055/. ; in 1838, 1,273,070/. ; with the Brazils it
increased from 924,0001. in IS2O, to 1,600,000/. in
1838. Now to the United States our trade had in-
creased from 1,158,000/. in 1820, to 2,518,0001. in
1831, having more than doubled itself. But in 1832
the tariff was passed ; we had refused to take the corn
of the United States, and they determined to exclude
our manufactures, and a great bounty was placed upon
their manufactures. The consequence was that, although
in 1831 we exported two and a half millions of manu-
factured cotton goods, in 1838 our exports had fallen
off to 1,206,0001.—(Hear.) Now it was remarkable
that, notwithstanding our exports of cotton goods to
the Continent had fallen off greatly, our exports of
cotton twist had increased in value to about the same
extent as the exports of cotton goods had fallen off.
To Russia, in 1820, we exported 1,094,0001. worth of
cotton twist ; in 1838, it had increased to 1,236,0001.
To Germany we exported in 1820, in cotton twist,
1,411,000/. ; in 1838, 2,265,000/. To Holland
and Belgium, in 1820, 550,0001. which was in-
creased, in 1838, to 1,876,0001. This confirmed
the statement which he had had the honour
to lay before them when that question was lust
discussed by the Chamber of the great increase in the
exportation of raw materials instead of manufactured
articles, to all those places which could supply us no-
thing but corn, and the great diminution in the ex-
ports of manufactured goods. The effect of our
exclusion of their corn had been to raise up manufac-
turing rivals in those countries ; they had begun to
manufacture for themselves, and they needed only the
raw material to furnish employment for their own popu-
lation. The export of the raw material of other arti
cles besides cotton twist was much on the increase. Of
woollen yarn, our exports in 1820 were 3,000 pounds ;
in 1838. 3,085 lbs. ; of linen yarn, in 1820, we exported
not a pound ; but in 1838 cur exports were 14,923,000
lbe. The same process was going on with iron ; and
the average increase in the five years from 1834 to
1838, over those from 1821 to 1825, was as follows :
Increase in the export of manufactured hardwares and
cutlery, 63 per cent. in that period ; irt bar-iron and
pig-iron, 300 per cent ; unwrought steel, 400 per cent.
In coals there was an increase from 261,000 tons to
1,330,000 tons, being an increase of 350 per cent. Oa
the raw material of pig-iron there was an increase of 600
per cent.; whilst manufactured articles had only increased
el 5 per cent. Our hand-loom weavers were deprived
of employment, so were the stocking weavers, and others,
and the rate of their wages was approximating to
the money ate of wages on the Continent.—( Hear.)
But what was the difference between them ? While
the English labourer only got the same money-rate of
wages as the seen on the Continent, he had to pay
two or three times as high a price for his food ; the con-
sequence was, that while the foreign labourer lived in
comparative comfort, our labourers must live on the
coarsest food, and support a miserable existence. That
the fate of our hand-labourers would shortly be the fate
of our skilled labourers, appeared to him certain. He had
been very much struck with the great increase in the
exportation of machinery, expensive machines, nuil-
wheels, &c., which had increased from 52,0001. in value
in 1832, to 627,0001. in 1838. If our machinery were
planted in countries where food and labour were cheap,
then the wages of our skilled labourers must, like the
wages of our hand labourers, approximate to the conti-
nental price of wages ; and the fate of our skilled la-
boureri would shortly be the same as that of our
band labourers. NV hy sbou.d not Germany send us
corn and cattle, as well as wine and wool? Our
trade at present was confined to the import of luxu-
ries and of raw materials ; in fact, everything but
what t.bc people could eat--ever thing but food was
allowed to be imported. Our trade with the United
States, and with the countries of northern and
central Europe, might have been doubled had we
taken the corn of those countries in exchange for our
manufactures. There could be no doubt at all that
the increase of our trade with Germany would be very
considerable, if our Government would listen to the
proposition made them by the German States. The
Slates of the German League were willing now to enter
into a treaty with us to receive our manufactures on
more favourable term-s than at present, provided we
took in exchange their corn, cattle, and timber. He
would not detain them by any fur(her observation, but
would read the petition to Parliament which had been
proposed by the Board, and which it would be for the
Chamber to adopt, or make such alterations in it as
they saw fit.
The Chairman then read the following petition :
To the Honourable the Commons of the United King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, in Parliament
assembled.
The humble Petition of the President, Vice-President, and
Me:obers of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce.
Showeth—That the cotton manufacture of this country,
in which the capital and skill of your petitioners are chiefly
embarked, affords employment for a numerous and indus-
trious population, and furnishes nearly one half of the
amount of all our exports to foreign countries.
That your petitioners beg to call the attention of your
Honourable House to the relative circumstances of the
manufacturing and agrieultural interests of the country at
the rresent time, as compared with former periods.
That, down to, the latter part of the eighteenth cen-
tury, our agriculturists were under the necessity of resort-
ing to foreign markets for the sale of a portion of their
produce. But about this period the great extension of
our trade and manufactures, and the consequent increase
of population and wealth, reversed the condition of the
agriculturists, and caused a greater demand for food in
the home market than they were able to supply. The en-
viable position to which the British landowners were thus
raised by the sudden possession of advantages unparalleled
in the history of nations, was mainly owing to the rapid
growth of the cotton manufacture, which owes its exist-
tence to foreign trade, the raw material being wholly de-
rived from abroad.
That your petitioners especially intreat the attention of
your Honourable House to the fact that, whilst chiefly
owing to the extension of our cotton manufactures, a
greater amount of food has been consumed than could be
produced at home, one-fourth only of the weight of cotton
imported into Great Britain is consumed at home, the
spinner and manufacturer being left to seek customers
for the remaining three-fourths in foreign and distant
markets.
That, from these facts, it must be apparent that we
have long passed that point up to which the prosperity of
a nation is based upon its land. Our trade has outgrown
our agriculture, because it has led to ar increase of popu-
lation which the land can neither profitably employ nor
plentifully feed. Any increase of our number?, therefore,
must derive their food from abroad, through the propor-
tionate increase of our foreign trade.
That, so far from deploring as an evil this state of de-
pendence upon other countries, your petitioners believe
that Divine Providence has given to different nations di-
versities of climate, soil, and capacities, that, by means
of the exchange of the productions of one country for the
productions of another, happiness may be increased, and
peace and good-will promoted among all the nations of the
earth.
That the Corn-laws, by interposing a barrier to the free
exchange of the products of our labour for the food of
other countries, directly opposes the obvious designs of a
munificent Providence, subjecting the great mass of our
industrious community to extreme suffering, exposing
them to the evils of disease, demoralization, and even
premature death.
That your petitioners submit to your Honourable
House that the late derangement of the currency, from
which all classes of her Majesty's subjects have suffered
so severely, the present depressed state and the gloomy
prospects of our trade, and the consequent de-
terioration of the moral and physical condition of
the labouring classes, are mainly attributable to the Corn-
law; and that, in their opinion, those evils are increasing.
That it is the duty of every Government noe to permit any
obstruction to an abundant supply of food for the people;
and so long as an unjust law it maintained for making food
scarce and dear, it must continue to be a source of legiti-
mate discontent to the great body of the people.
e a
oYsem,
opdeet irt iaonnye resi,r
efoormtshteanreeeass,o nas
taaab onvpeon b statedrea,d ainsdi
ndbee:
ene Corn-laws
sih le, nd because ewc aounsl ed they
conducelee l i et voet
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be
et
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iennttei
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ee
srt
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Dull
h
classes of the community, humbly pray your Honour-
able House that the Corn-law may be forthwith repealed.
The CHAIRMAN said that was the petition which had
been prepared by the Board ; and it was eligible for
any gentleman to move that it should, be adopted or
amended.
Mr. B. PEARSON moved—That the petition for the
repeal of the Corn-laws be forwarded for presentation to
the House of Commons, and that the draft now read be
adopted as the petition of this Chamber." He re-
joiced to see, by this petition, that the Chamber
by no means shrunk from the responsibility that rested
usopomnnietiT:(asHatehery)—batt
ahadoneinlsatsed of confiningtayear,tothe injuryh temwsehlee
which
had been done to their manufactures and commerce, the
question
op
o n
the t
was nowri
sof t
taken up upon the princi;le of jus-
tice, poor, and the suffering

of the working community.—( Applause.) That was
the only ground upon which they could expect their po-
sition to be firmly maintained ; unless this was made a
moral question it was scarce likely that the whole coun-
try would be so united as to enable them to overcome
the powerful resistance which they knew would be
offered. But if they advocated it, as was done in that
petition, upon the ground of justice and right, rind the
iniquity of taxing the bread of the poor, he had no doubt
whatever thnt they must prevail. The principle as-
sumed in the petition left them no option as to the
course they should pursue ; they could not denounce
the Corn-law, or any law which raised the price of
food, as indefensible under any circumstances, and pe-
tition for any thing less than its entire repeal. From
information which they had received yesterday, it was
stated that the price was 48s. abroad, and that the
freight, with any other expenses, would be 6s. a quar-
ter, but it was generally understood that the freight
might perhaps be 10s. It was well known that in
1838, when our duty fell to a shilling a quarter, the
price of wheat on the Continent rose 50 per cent.,
and the price of freights rose 100 per cent. It was evi-
dent from all the information they had, that the stores
upon the Continent, by the very large importations of
1838 and 1839, were very much exhausted, and that an
immediate repeal of the Corn-laws would cause such a
demand for grain from abroad as would materially affect
the price, and that freights would rise in the same way.
Mr. Porter, of the Board of Trade, had shown that the
average importation of several years was equal to two
million quarters ; these would require 400,000 tons of
shipping ; they therefore could not wonder when
4,500,000 quarters were imported in fifteen months, at
the extraordinary rise in the price of freights. Some
persons imagined that a large portion of the land of
this kingdom would be thrown out of cultivation by the
instant repeal of the Corn-laws.---(No, no.) It had
been well observed that, taking the cost of bringing
foreign grain to this country at 10s. a quarter, and esti-
mating the production of an acre of wheat at three
quarters, which he supposed was the lowest, the landed
interest would have a protection against foreign com-
petition equal to the whole rent of the land,—that the
farmer, with respect to the foreigner, as far as rent was
concerned, stood in the same condition as if he were
rent-free. They would therefore see from the amount of
shipping which would be required, from the extraordinary
rise which would take place, both in the rate of freights
and the price of wheat, that no large quantity could
possibly be imported but at a very high price ; that the
present price being 545. at the lowest estireate that
could be made, it was not likely that wheat could, for
a year or two, be imported at less than 60s. a
quarter. They were told by Mr. Porter that two
million quarters required 400,000 tons of shipping ;
therefore they might suppose that in the first year
800,000 tons would be required, But he had put it
lower, and estimated that four miilion quarters would
take 700 vessels, of 500 tons burden each, to make five
voyages in the year. If they estimated the import in
the second year to be six million quarters, which was
not in the least degree improbable, they should want
an increase of 350 ships for that trade solely. In 1843,
if the import were seven millions, 525 additional ships
would be required ; and in 1844, if it increased to
twelve millions, which was possible, and not in the least
degree improbable, 1,400 additional vessels would be
required in that short period for that trade alone. But
how was it possible that we could pay for this corn ?
'raking it at 50s. a quarter, the value of twelve million
quarters of imported grain wound be thirty millions.
Supposing that in the first year we parted with all our
gold—ten millions, it was perfectly clear we should
have no ten millions to give in the next year ; there was
an end of paying for corn in gold, and we must begin
to pay in manufactures ; the increased demand for manu-
factures would necessarily have the effect of raising
wages. An increase of exports would also raise the
price of wool amazingly in this country ; it would cause
a most unprecedented demand for cotton. It would also
cause an increased demand for shipping, all the expenses
attending it would be increased, and our manufactures
could not be afforded at anything like their present
price. It was obvious that this of itself would be a
material obstacle in the way of a large import of foreign
corn ; and considering that the value of our cotton
manufactures was thirty-four millions, it was almost
ph, sicelly impossible that in the course of four years
they could be increased thirty-one millions in addition
to their present amount. This would show that the
landed interest had nothing to fear from the sudden
repeal of the Corn-laws. But, in addition to all this,
he certainly thought the demand for shipping and for
shipwrights, for builders, machine-mak era, spinners, and
weavers, would be greater than could possibly be sup-
plied —( Hear, hear.) A demand of this kind improved
the condition of the farmer ; it acted in a double way ;
it relieved him from the pressure of Poor-rates, and
gave him wealthy customers instead of poor ones, for
the produce of his land.—(Hear, hear.) With respect
to its ultimate effects, which they must certainly took
to, it would, no doubt, have the effect of making us
dependant upon foreign countries. The petition said
that was not a matter to be deplored ; and he thought
it was just the contrary. However selfish our motives
might be in spreading our commerce throughout
the earth, we were merely instruments in tho
divine hand for diffusing the knowledge of Chris-
tianity. Whilst they must not overlook the
possibility of our being so far dependant upon
foreign countries, that we might be starved into
submission, he thought our security would be increased
with the extension of our commerce ; the more sources
that were open to us for the supply of grain, the more
certain should we be not to be in want. But if it were
otherwise, we had but two alternatives ; we must
elsewhere.nd
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Mr. HOLLAND 3100 LE—Within his own memory
very considerable quantities of manufactured goods, of
the highest possible finish, were sent to the continent
of Europe ; that fell away, until yarn was sent, dyed,
it was true, the most expensive colours, and got ready
for the weavers in the most costly manner. By-
and-bye, this fell off, not only in Germany, but also
in Russia, till at last nothing was wanted but the bare
yarn. It then fell off from being hank yarn to a very
large quantity of cop yarn ; Russia began to spin her
own yarn, and then we begen to send them cotton. That
morning he had heard that a very large exportation of
power-looms to Germany awas going on ; • and then we
should send them cotton. It might be true that there
was a very great increase in the exports last year ; he
was glad that the question had been put, as it
offered him the means of giving an explanation to it.
Large manufacturing establishments could not be sus-
pended all at once for want of a demand ; gentlemen
who expended 20,0001. a year in wages, would not stop
their wooks suddenly, and throw out all their hands at
once. What was the consequence ? If they were driven
front the home market their stocks were sent out to the
foreign markets, to seek markets, not to supply them ;
it did not follow that these exports were paid for ; it did
not follow that they were sold at all. It was a positive
fact, which he could demonstrate personally, that exports
might be years and years without being sold till they
were eaten up by interest and absorbed by charges. A
man might appear to be carrying on a prosperous busi-
ness in this way while he was sapping it, and exposing
himself to ruin.—{Hear.) He cared not that the exports
were two or three millions more than last year ; they
were exports at a loss, exports at ruin.—(Hear, hear.)
Let them look about and see the vast establishments
supported by almost incalculable capital ; and let them
read the very interesting letter which was written bs.
Mr. Thomasson (who was then in the room), in the
Sun of last week, which did credit to his hand and
heart, and deserved to be printed in a separate form
and sent to every town in the kingdom. If they
could not obtain a remunerating trade, to ruin he
firmly believed they must go.—( Cries of" Hear, hear.")
They wished to hurt no one—God forbid ; the land-
lords would be no worse off.. They wished merely to
advance the truth, and to settle this important ques-
tion of the supply of food to the operatives, many of
.:hembt.gge were,dto se second
dthat o
resomoment,loti
0 for want. He
resolution,—(Applause.)
in
the
Mr. Ross suggested that
ncowlac in h was
some morepn petition that one-fourth only of the cotton yarn of this
country was retained for home consumption, they
should say about one-third, for Burn's Glance gave it
2
trade was in a very depressed state, our yarns having
been forced out in such quantities that they had rt s than
of Europe,one-fo one-fourth.
spilntnwgs
ina
well per
known
w ennt
that
sup-
planted the foreign article, notwithstanding all the ad-
vantage of cheap bread. But a very different process
was going on in other parts. He had it from one of
the largest engrivers to calico printers that, during the
last spring upwards of 200 patterns had been given out
to be engraved for one Prussian house. (The
Chairmain : In this country ?) Yes ; they could
not engrave yet in their own country, and they
came here and got them engraved at very
high Prices ; eighty patterns had been given out
to one engraver ; and the engravers bad been so much
engaged that their regular customers had to wait. But
it might be said, then the engravers were going on very
well, if the calico-printers were not so very well off.
Why, the engravers complained that their best hands
were being seduced away to the continent, and he
knew for a fact that many clever hands, machine printers
and pattern engravers, were gone. He knew of one
man who had violated his engagement by reason of the
high premium held out to him ; fourteen machine
printers had gone away ; and they knew how difficult it
was to get skilful hands in that department. In
Austria cotton spinning was in a prosperous state ;
a circular from Trieste, dated the 16th of January,
1840, from a house of the name of Boren, some years
established there, said " The consumption (speak-
ing of cotton) may be assumed as tending to in-
crease the profits on spinning and dying cotton in this
neighbourhood are here represented as being great, and
new works are in progress for that purpose." Th
reimeoe. constnnetion of wheat in manufactures was
point which_ he never remembered to. have, hear
e