The Sun.
London, England, 1841-04-05 00:00:00

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nit

LONDON:
MONDAY, APRIL 5, 1841.

News from the United States to the evening
of the 19th ult., brought by the packet-ship
North America, will be found in another part of
The Sun. It was rumoured at Liverpool on Sun-
day afternoon that the steamer President was
seen by the captain of a merchant vessel from
St. Michael's, bearing upon Fay-al, probably to
obtain a supply of coals. The intelligence to
which we direct the attention of our readers is of
mote commercial than political interest. Mr.
M'LEOD was still in prison at Lockport. His
trial .:•as fixed for the 28th ult., but the belief
was that it would be postponed for another term,
rstensibly to afford time for the appearance of
witnesses from England, but in reality to admit
of fut-ilter negotiations between the Federal and
the Bridsh Governments.

The Gla'igow _Evening Post contains the fol-
lowing anriounah.r...ent :
We learn that it has been resolved that the demonstration
announced to take place in this city during the Easter recess,
will not be confined, as was originally intended, to the consi-
deration of the Corn-laws alone, but will embrace the broad
general ques!ion of the duties on every description of goods
and produce imported into the United Kingdom, including, of
course, the duties levied upon corn and provisions. We believe
that this change will afford very general satisfaction, by giving
au interest to the meeting which would have been wanting had
it been restricted to the Corn-law question. The attendance
.of Members of Parliament will also, in consequence of the al-
teration, le largely increased; and we may expect to hear the
entire subject of the commercial policy of the country deie-
loped by many of the ablest Members of the Legislature, and
by deputations from several of the leading commercial and ma-
nufacturing towns. We understand that the Riding-school,
in Cambridge-street, has been fixed upon as the place where
the demonstration is to be held. It forms the largest covered
since within the city, and is capable of being fitted up to held
etazfortably somewhere about fifteen hundred individuals. The
Frecise day for the festival has not been named, but we believe
it will shortly be announced.
We doubt the wisdom of the course here pro-
posed. The object, as we understand the an-
nouncement, is, t) abstain from discussion of the
Corn-laws as a separate measure, and to combine
it with a discussion for the general revision of
the Import Duties. Against that we submit for
consideration the following arguments.
The Corp-laws, passed for the express purpose
of enriching one class at the expense of others,
are a gross viowtion of the first principles of po-
litical society, of morality, and of religion. They
1-iolate the duty:- which the. State owes to the
ptople, they justify disobedience, and risk the
continuance of allegiance. They levy a most
grossly unequal tax, suppose it were levied for
the purposes of the State, but being levied for
the benefit of an idle class, they are a shock-
ing and disgusting robbery of industry. They
deny to man the blessings which a boun-
teous ALMIGRTY has showered on the earth,
and, by exposing him to misery and want, they
sow discontent in his heart, and snake him irreli-
gious and immoral. To repeal them would
.strengthen the Government, increase the na-
Stk.snal wealth, and add to the general prosperity.
taking this high ground, the question of the
abolitio.l of the Corn-laws has made great pro-
gress in ti:e hearts and minds of the people, and
has served te. elevate their moral perceptions. It
;ewes enlisted in its favour the sympathy of the
pious and the goz,d. The ministers of religion
have taken an active part in its favour, and the
abolition, far from being confined to those who
merely look to their rockets, now interests the
religious and serious part of the community.
The import duties have my such clairnS to po-
pular support, and are not conoected with such
.high considerations. They are ilevied for the
purposes of revenue ; and they all go into the
Exchequer, except the discriminating duties on
sugar, timber, and coffee, which partake of.
the chatacteristics of the Corn-laws, and are the
plunder of one class for the benefit of some
other class. The import duties are founded on
the necessity of supporting the State, and,
'were we to ask to abolish them, we should
destroy the Government. Although they are
in some cases impolitic and injurious, although
many of them inflict a great injury on trade, it
may, on the whole, be doubted whether, judi-
ciously levied, they do not constitute one of the
best methods of providing for the wants of the
State. The import duties, therefore, rest on a
totally different foundation from the Corn-laws.
The former are, to a great extent, expedient; the
latter are nothing but robbery, which, like all
robbery, wastes arid destroys infinitely more than
lit benefits the thieves.
On this great difference of principle, we doubt
very much the propriety of adopting the course
proposed at Glasgow, and we would strongly re-
.commend all classes to join with the League to
:procure the total and immediate abolition of the

Corn-laws.
There are some -considerations of expediency
which ought to weigh with those who seek the
abolition of the Corn-laws.
Of late several clergymen of all persuasions have
cone forward to take an active part in the aboli-
tion of the Corn-laws, and have hallowed our
cause by the most sacred of all motives, and the
most reverential language. Of late, too, the ma-
trons of Britain have graced and ennobled this
cause by their presence and their exertions. Both
classes have been called on by the highest motives
tv exert themselves, and every day will obtain
tium them more active co-operation. But
we can offer to these two classes no mo-
tives or reasons for concerning themselves
about the import duties ; and the course pro-
posed at Glasgow will deprive us at once
..
of their .nestimable help. On moral and
vlicrious pr.taciples we invoke their aid to abolish
tateCorn-law-s—on principles of expediency we
cannot ask them t 9 concern themselves with the
import duties.
The rev.:sion of those duties involves the Ties-
equality of duties on produce the
tian of an
growth of sla•-e and free labour. On that paint
the great organi
:::ed and influential body opposed
•
to slavery are decidedly against abolishing the
present discriminating duties on the sugar and
coffee imported from the Brazils and from Ja-
maica. Unless that be abolished the object of
the merchants will not be obtained, nor will
justice be done. We think the Anti-Slavery
people decidedly wrong, but they are powerful
and united; and while we may count on their assis-
tance to procure the abolition of the Corn-laws
we should surely encounter their hostility in
proposing a just revision of the import duties.
Further it cannot be expected that the revision