The Sun.
London, England, 1841-08-28 00:00:00

MiefROPOLITAN ,BRIDGES.

Lord TEYNHAM presented petitions from families
in Westminster for the abolition of tolls on the metro,
politan bridges.

CORN LAWS.

The Earl of CLANCARTY presented a petition from
landowners and farmers of the county of Galway
against any alteration in the existing Corn-laws. He
must inform their Lordships , that the petition was not
agreed to at the county meeting; . where the Sheriff pre-
sided. There was such a meeting held, but (as we
understood the Noble Lord) the meeting was packed,
so that the .populace prevented the free expression of
opinion on the part of the agriculturists.—(Hear, and a
laugh.) He could only assure their Lordships, that not-
withstanding the resolutions agreed to at the meeting to
which he referred,•the people of Ireland felt the strongest.
interest in the maintenance of the existing Corn-laws.
Earl FITZWILLIAM said there was a great deal in
the statement of the Noble Earl, who said that the meet-
ing was packed by the populace, So that the farmers
could not have it all their own way,-.—(Hear, hear,
and a laugh.) The Noble Earl said that a great in-
terest was felt in Ireland on the subject of the Corn-
laws. No doubt there was.—(Hear.) There was a great
.desire to maintain those laws on the part of the oligarchy
.--,and no body of landowners in the world 'constituted a
closer oligarchy than the landowners of Ireland.—(Hear,
hear.) But the interest of the eaters was, that they
should become eaters of bread instead of eaters of pota-
toes.—(Cheers, and a laugh.)
Lord FITZGERALD deprecated discussion upon so
important a subject on the presentation of a petition.
He could assure the Noble Earl that the voice of
those most interested in agriculture in The county
of Galway was stifled by the populace of the
town of Lougbrea. The great majority of the
people of that country were engaged in agriculture ;
they were now cultivatinr, portions of land. Whether
that was or was not a beneficial mode of letting theland
he would not then say; but he could not see how such
a body of men could be called an oligarchy ;
indeed he did not know what the word meant, as applied
to the landlords and gentry of Ireland. He wished to
God the consumption of wheat was greater in Ireland;
but so long as the produce of that country was exported
he thought it would be very injurious to give facilities
for the introduction of foreign corn.
Lord HATHERTON presented a petition from a
parish in Staffordshire, praying for the repeal of the
Corn-laws. No one who had signed the petition was
more anxious for the repeal of those laws than he was.

Lord BROUGHAM' wished to know whether there
would be any objection to give copies of all
correspondence relating to the immigration to the
West Indies. He had been informed that consider-
able irregularities had been committed in the carrying
of Africans to the West Indies, and also in the case of
agricultural labourers from Ireland. Until the papers
were laid on the table it would be wrong to form any
opinion, but it was necessary for their Lordships to watch
with jealousy all that took place on thatsubject.
The Marquis of NORMANBY believed that the
whole of the correspondence had already been .laid on
the table ; if not, no objection would be offered to its
production.