The Sun.
London, England, 1841-09-18 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1841,

THE CORN LANV,,.

GREAT PUBLIC MEETING IN MAN-
CHESTER.
MANCHESTER, TiIIIRSDAY.—This morning - a most
crowded and respectable meeting 0 the inhabitants of
this town was held in the large room of the Town-hall,
to petition her Majesty not tesprorogue Parliament until
they had taken into consideration the intense and aggra-
vated distress new prevailing in the manufacturing dis-
tricts, owing to the existence of the Corn-laws. The
meeting was convened by the Mayor (W. • Neild, Esq.),
upon a requisition presented to him, to which were at-
tached the names of no fewer than 918 of the most re-
spectable firms and individuals in the town.
Shortly after 11 o'clock the chair was taken by the
Mayor, who was surrounded on the platform by the lead-
ing merchants and manufacturers of the town.
The. MAYOR, in commencing the proceedings of the
day, said—All I have to request. of you is, that you will
be kind enough to conduct yourselves peaceably and or-
derly, and to allow every speaker who addresses you a
fair and a full hearing. With the subject-matter itself
I have nothing to do. The subject itself is important to
ell of us ; the requisition is numerously and respectably
signed; and it is my duty to convene the meeting.
The Town Clerk having read the requisition, the
Mayor called on Mr. Absalom Watkin to move the first
resolution.
Mr. A. WATKIN said, this is not a meeting convened
for a party purpose, or with a factious object. I disclaim
and repudiate altogether the opinion which it has been
endeavoured to make current, that our assemblage to-
day is an act of hostility, intended to impede and em-
barrass the administration which has lately been formed.
The requisition originated with men who have a much
higher and nobler object than that of embarrassing the
proceedings of any administration. It originated in a deep
sense of the general suffering and distress which prevails,
and in an earnest desire that no delay should take place
in apply:is:is a proper remedy to that suffering.—(Cheers.)
That no....nistalie, or misrepresentation, or misapprehen-
sion may prevail, with respect to the resolution which I
have to. move, I shall now read it :—" That the dis-
tress now experienced by all classes, from the great
capitalists to the humble workman, is unparallelsd
in extent and intensity ; that, from the want of demand
for this produce, many factories are closed, and the
work-people thereby are entirely out of employment ;
that others are working short time, with a great con-
sequent diminution of the earnings of the employed ;
that immense numbers of handloom weavers are unem-
ployed, and that others are working at a price inade-
quate to their support ; that one-eighth of the houses in
this manufacturing district are untenanted, and that a
large proportion arc paving no rent, and the population
is consequently crowded together in a manner greatly
destructive to health and injurious to morality ; that the
want of employment, the low rate of wages, and the
high price of food, leaving the labouring classes nothing
to expend but in the provision shops, the distress has
spread to the tradesmen who supply other articles of
consumption ; and that all this calamity is aggravated
by the want of confidence arising from the absence of
any prospect of improvement while the present system
of restrictive commercial policy exists."—(Applause.)
It will be observed that the prominent feature of this
resolution is the detail which it gives' of the general
distress. This distress, the pressure of the times,
is felt by all classes. There are at this hour,
in Manchester and in the adjacent country, thou-
sands of industrious families who are in a State of
extreme destitution. This' state of things has continued
during many months; this state of things is progressing
with fearfully accelerated speed. Every factory or print-
works which stops adds a number of honest industrious
people to the list of those who are gradually wearing
down to destitution, to the extreme of poverty.—(Hear,
hear.) It has been, some months ago, ascertained that,
in one district alone of this large town, and at no great
distance from the place where we are now assembled,
more than •V,OOO persons were existing—l cannot say
living—upon less than 15d. a week per head. Since I
came into this room it has been communicated to me
that there has been an actual increase of death
e
.near)—tnat
vation, which occurred joAr ,tuna st,"'
a little water in the 10..4„..:(5hame, shame,) an individual having a family r• sex children, and
living in this town, has di a tl;in want with nothing but
In such tits
C 37
-,a be considered as feetious, if we inquire
cumstances,
ss'it is not factimi,
w hat are causes of thisgetserta distress? In such cir-
starle' it is patriotism, to inquire assi-
- -
saously what are the causes of the prevailing distress,
.
and to take every measure for their immediate relief
The requisitionists believe—and they believe because they
hare examined—that the main cause of the want of em-
ployment which exists, and of the general distress which
is felt by all classes, but in its extremity by the labone-
ing classes—is the restrictive commercial polity of the
country.—(Applause.) They believe that it is to be
found in the existence of laws by which the food that we
want is prohibited from entering the country, and by
which the clothing that he would supply is prevented
from going to those who want it.—(Hear, hears) It is
with this, view-with a view of calling upon Parliament
not to separate until this great question has been
considered—with a view of calling upon the Queen—
the fountain of justice—the appointed guardian and
defender of her people, not to suffer the Parliament
to be prorogued until they shall have taken into
consideration the laws which, in our opinion, inflict
upon the labouring population and upon- all classes
such extremity of distress,- (Applrao:e.) But, not only I heard since I came into the meeting of an indi-
vidual dying from wants but a paper has been put into
nay hands from the starving hand-loom weavers, in
which they beg that the persons who got up the late
tea meetings for their relief, and who are endeavour •
ing to collect subscriptions to help them, that they will
employ that money—for what purpose ? • For the pins
pose of assisticg them to emigrate—to leave the country.
—(Cries of " No, no," and" Shame.") Gentlemen, with
the object I have named and for the reasons I have en-
deavourtd to give, and thanks to you for the patience
with ss;iiich you have heard me, I beg to move, &c.
(Mr. Watkin again read the resolution.)
The Rev. W. 7.',Plienaow was next called On. He said:
we are assembled this morning to contemplate, more
especially, the distressing condition of our working popu
lation. I echo the sentiment which has been so clearly
and well expressed by the preceding speaker. The dis,
tress is universal ; it pervades all parts of the manufacs
tering or working community : some Ministers of the
Gospel in this town have paid a little more attention than
others to these matters ; and I hold in my hand docu-
ments of the most affecting character. I hold in my
hand a Report drawn up by the agents of the Manchester
and Salford Town Mission ; that Mission occupies 47
districts, each of which contains from 100 to 110 families;
so that at least 5,000 families come under their influence;
and in daily labouring in this large portion of the popu-
lation, they are necessarily brought into intimate ac-
quaintance with the character and eohtlition of the poor.
As the following statements
Uri!
give an idea of the state of the working classes, indivi-
, dual cases are omitted. ; they relate to the different dis-
tricts only. In the Cl.arlestown district, the missionary
states his convition
- "that more than ore third of the
people are
unemployed at present, and that a still greater
numl:aer are suffering from the reduction of wages." In
the district near to Bury-street, Salford, the missionary
says—" One half of the people are complaining of want
of labour, and a great number are out of emplowment
altogether." In another district the missionary says—
" Many are destitute of fuel from want of employment.
What the proportion is of those who are unemployed,
I am unable to say, but I know it is very many." • - The
missionary in St. Mary's district, which extends to Withy--
grove, says—" One half of the people are in distress from
want of employment; and several decent families have
been obliged to part with their furniture and other
articles, to save their lives," In the district near tl
Peter-street, one-half of the inhabitants are working
short time, and one-fourth are nearly unemployed ; the
misery of hundreds of families is such as to defy descrip-
tion. In a district in Hulme, the missionary says—
" My district has the appearance of comfort ; but there
is a great number-who are out of work, and who are
suffering in silence. Between Oxford-road and Brook-
street, the missionary says—" Poverty prevails to a very
great extent, and the general cry is that they have no-
thing to do. Indeed, there is scarce a family in which I
have not met with an individual wanting employ-
ment." On the other side of Brook-street, and be-
tween it and Downing-street, it is stated—" Many
are unemployed, and the wages of others are so much
lowered that many are obliged to let off rooms in a house
which they formerly had to themselves. There are
many who say that things cannot be worse, and
who are consequently regardless of what means may be
adopted." And in Chancery-lane, in Buxton-street. Lon-
don-road, in Travis-street, in Pollard-street, in the Old-
ham-road district, in the Blakeley-street district—in
them all there is nothing but non•employment, and the
most fearful distress. Reference has been made to the
hand-loom weavers, and I will just read the remark
which is made will regard to the Ancoats-lane district.
" The condition of the people is truly appalling ; vast
numbers are out of work, and many are filled with dread-
ful apprehensions that they shall perish of hunger. There
are many hand-loon weavers who can only earn, when
in full work, ss. or 6s. a week, and whose condition,
when but partially employed, is utterly deplorable.
Many who live in cellars have nothing but a few shavings
to lie on, on the damp floors, having sold or pawned
their beds to get food and clothing." This is no ex-
aggerated account ; the description is within the truth.
Who will dare to call in question the accuracy of these
statements ? I challenge investigation. I say fearlessly,
before my townsmen and before my God, that, so far as
I have investigated, and I have done so to some extent, I
can substantiate every item of these most fearful and
lamentable accounts. My friend, Mr. Beardsall, I know
has been very active among the poor ; and, if I be not
taking his work out of his hands, I will read a single
earnings includingar
are
le. hundred
14s.
6d.,
sentence from the report which he has handed in ; of
sixtwhicheen families
t h the average gt visited,
andt etz
individuals,
that is Bid. per head per week ; and, supposing a par-
tial rent to be paid, this redenes it to a peeny per head
per day for food and clothing. He adds, " I have fre-
quently asked some how do you live •, your means are
not sufficient to provide you with food alone ?" and
the general reply is, " Why, Nt.t_! get a ;it 10 food when
we can, and clam it out."—(Applause.) The above, I
believe, is the perishing condition of some thousands of
families in Manchester. And 'nark you, the cases to

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By JOB DURFEE, Esq., America.`
With a recommendatory Preface, by the Reverend
I. C. G (LES, Leeds.
" A beautifully written book, full of graphic delineations,
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Revivalist.
' London . Simpkin, Marshall, and Co.; John Heaton, Leeds.

COURT ANECDOTE.—It has lately been re-
marked that Sir 1. L. Goldsmid is the first gentleman of
the Jewish persuasion that was ever made a Baronet.
Perb.ips it is not generally known that an honour not
ti-uch inferior had once nearly fallen to the lot of an ex-
brother Israelite. At one of those festive meetings at
Carlton House in which hislate Gracious Majesty George
IV. sometimes allowed a few of his more favoured sub-
jects to participate, Mr. Braham was introduced to sing
his then newly composed song, "A Bumper of Bur-
vvhen the, gratified Monarch, rising from his
cghuanidry
''w' as with difficulty restrained from conferring im-
mediate Knighthood on the flattered musician.
CHRIST'S
HOSPITAL —On Tuesday next,
being St. Matthew's Day, the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and
Sheriffs, the Governors cf the several Royal Hospitals,
will eraitfie attend Service at Christ's Church, Newgate-street,
where a sermon will be preached by the Rev. W. Webster,
atical Masterr tofhChrist's Hospital, after
of the a
M.A., Head 11J,::tliern-
w whichTc tolire2t i
ownisllorne ptahier tboenthefietsg in Christ's Hospital,
t Royalh e
ilelivered, according to annual custom, by
lIIS, who are about to proceed to
ort in Englic Cambridge; in Latin by
Henry Newp , .h by Samuel J. Phillips,and in
ems will
French by John Alfred L. Airey. Eight -0 also'
recited by others of the senior scholars, viz. :.—A Greek
Sapphic Ode on "The Emigrants," by PeterZ
Sapp
H •
ammill • a
Latin Alcaic Ode on " The Crusaders," by William Haig
Brown ,_. and English Ode " To the Princess Royal," by John
Smith Benifold; Latin Hexameters, on " The Shipwreck,"
Augustus Spiller Harrison ; Greek Jambi„.
by , on " Leonidas'
i ' "by George
Address to his Sobers,Edwin Pattrnden ; a
Latin Sapphic • Ode to " Prince George of Cambridge on his
Christ Hospital, by Arthur
becoming a Governor of • . „ Chubb ;
reproof to David by
Latin Elegiacs on " Nathan's , George
Banistre Pia • and an English Poem on " Edward the Sxth,"
by William Romains.
; ' the
Patronized by their Majesties King and
Queen of Hanover, and their Royal Highnesses the Princesses
Augusta and Sophia, her Serene Highness the Princess Esterhazy,
the Princesses Mary and Rosa, her Grace the Dowager Duchess of
Bedford, and their Graces the Archbishop of Canterbury, the t
Dukes
of Nrolblk, Devonshire, and Manchester, Lot d Hill, &C. In
addition
to the above distin:tuished patronage in the Newly-Invented Spec-
tacle Lenses and Sound Magnifiers Invisible Operative Voice Con
ductor, hlessis. S. and B. Solomons, 39, Albemarle.sti eet, Picca-
dilly, opposite the York Hotel, and 76, King Williamatreet, City,
feel great pleasure to state that their valuable inventions have also
gained the sanction and unqualified approbation of above four hun-
dred of the principal members of tho medical profession. Imme-
diately these Newly-invented Spectacle. Lenses are placed before im-
perfect vision, either by day or candle-light, that mist and dullness
which appear before the eyes is at once removed, every ebject he.
conies clear and distinct, so that the meat aged imperfect sight be.
comes bright and brilliant, and is brought to its youthful, natural,
and original state. Their invisible Operative Voice Conductor
Sound Magnifiers foi deaf persons, is not the hest perceptibe nor
uncomfortable ; they give immediate relief to old standing extreme
ciises Of dcatliess, and the faintest whisper at a public a,,einbly is
heard with exact distmtitness.— 39, Albemarle-street, opposite the
York Hotel, and 711, King William.street, City.—No COMICCUOIi
with person s:of tke same name.

lamainaliEMWrntagoanwsirmwes.... .., 0......—..--..--
t:on, said the
whials my friend Beardsall refers are not the cases of the i Mr. JOHN BROOKS, in seconding
improvident or the drunken ; for lie is a zealous advo- meeting was called to petition the Qtuhteoeentulh,eobQ‘uut
Queen?
enspoillide
cate of tec-totalism, and he selected the most irrgproach- i like to know how they were to greeatd
to
her..
He never
able cases • and these are families who are noted for in- trusted the resoltitious wouldh. be
havelcts t r yh
been looking
sobriety.—(Applause.)
thew which e Inimother, she would
ihayavesthauteenthat I seconded one so much to his mind, for it was the truth,
I to starve. The given and when she beard the trut , eingua
of late years by some of our public institutions. I find, feel it, and would not allow_ her
receive the pence ("the poor,
re-
for example, in regard to the Provident Society,
excellent Institution a Society which eentte its egpaying 50 millions a
cntS to the Board of Trade, that we were
a most solution was based on the declarationPcoP of two Secretaries of
had plenty of good work, years which, she would to account
for the of sickness and' the hour of need—that in the Majesty saw that statement, bring .
present Ministers, but her past ones.—
to induce them to lay up year for the circumscription of our freedom. When her
plentiful years, when we had cheap food, and the people not only her
They all knew that the aristocrat},
away, that the money deposited With this Society nYees both Whig and T
ho ,
had
given up politic:,—lie
aged about 80C/. ; bat that for the last two years it hail On this account,
Tory,
_,, .
..
tdasl have passed (Applause.) T
wanted
which Lord Stanley hated
not averaged more than 25e/.. thus proving that the cared not for Whig, or Chartist ; lie
very parties who are anxious to economise and pro- nothing but free trade, that
bleed-taxer. He never
vale, are in a fearful state of distress, that they have no• so tnoch. He hoped the day would come when he would
thing to lay by for the time of necessity. I have in- Its abominably' hate the name of • s
1 'whom he called
quired into the state of things in the public hospitals, met with any upholders of the. Corn- awe,
maiden speech in the House
and I find that, in the plentiful years to which. I have . breed-men, who were willing to accept that title.
alluded the average number of eeees received into the When Mr. Cobden made his
rt dhi Sir Robert I'eel
house of recovery or the fever hosnital, was about 6SO ; and stowed the oppressive operation- a the Corn-laws on
for the last two years the average has been 1,200; thus the poor, no one had contradicted
would unite and
showing that want of food g( nerates disease and tennis anti Lead Btenley had the' chancel ofind;oing so, .had they
nates in death.—(Cheers.) I- have inquired into the been able. If the people at 'leg
(Cheers.)
state of things in respect to the public cemeterici. I disregard party distinctions, it e_solv‘•ro'uti_lidlobse.2mpossible
have found there, that a large class of people, who are to prevent the repeal of , thel U
but had never
wont to gratify he most sacred, the holiest, and the He had been In huffiest tint y' years,r, and had been a
best feelings of their nature, in t electing a family regular shipper twenty-five
it in for; and thus
grave, in which to deposit the body of some be brought home any corn, because could make no
loved oliject, are now unable to gratify such feel-
.‘ calettlation as to what he could get
trade
ings, and are compelled to bury their dead out ot the Corn-laws were a means of keeping
sight in the public receptacle. I have kind cases,down. He
(1 I.e they did,
where parties have laid, to sortie told silent restiob-place lions into tlielf with Vdditets; it r, as the
._rtiii, ke,
in a particular grave yard, some Atelier, *toilet', too; recant not to say that the aristocracy got the fifty mil-
Erother, like rats in the corn. It was UM ri.rY To tothoett-iiiii.
or sister, and have wished Whet). some trying dispense- trade in the prevention of business.
tion again occurred, in the Providence 4 -God, to place certainty N'hieli the Corn-laws introwdune'gedthetraelee
another member of their falatily in the -.same long iilleht , was taken froth the fegtilar merchants and fell into
_,. i
1 tlitg no goods to
home; but because they could not Pay fer the opening of 1 hands of the corn-dealers, who, th for
torn.
the grave, they were obliged to Pealed the, ashes tie their eel!, were obliged.to send out sovereigas
beloved relative to be deposited is emit eritinidii. gl'iti'e; I mt
then; to mingle with the deist of thte.g*. ager. These are it to cramp its discounts. Tints, itietead of sending .....
na'ffecting-tatsees and they-show the des :1-4'.-Siiktr.ati,toor-1 -goods; which gave employment to the. poptit I•6l!stiivi(l__,,T2utit.
the destittitine of-the honest and industrious working profit to the manufacturers, we were obliged
tiass,es. I hold in my hand, Sir, and this is the 'Alt bens gold; and in addition find toir trade stoppg:l:d.':°.Tl's w-s
1 I . were‘
ment with which I will trouble ytnt, a statement Of the his great redson against the Corn:lest& at' ...risigsa_nur
earnings and expenditure of sewed industrious: snber'; stti_ diet illtefiA itithin three years; he deelared tiles lily fsto_
respectable farniliea. I believe; Pita &Wattled with yOIO sons should not remain here lit be the ilatimec!! ai.
own mataira,ctetirea attlibliehment From this statement credo monopoly. He wondered not at tho roof heed-
I see, Sir, that tense person, I- suppose a principal clerk, loom weavers thinking that the money subscribed for
or trustworthy servant, has about 2001. a year ; and he thou at the tea party should be given to enablad, them to
is able to save a little out of that sum for foods etothing. cmitsrlitei sa. etiatenser' of his had lately applied
Ito, hwivai.
and the support of religious inetittitinft . I ilea how- for money Id ehaimi tau to emigrate/ octunt:Aft. :_:,e..re•
ever, that the men who has only it pound a week (and losing money daily while lie was at Ito = . ulliileh:as.
I.:1
oh ! how many thousands,
of families are there in Man- Sir R. Peel was the best man of his party, b
cheater who have not half that sum!)—l find thee, it is the situation of. one who had got a set of wiltd horses to
pushed
utterly impossible for him, if he leas e foully q slit 1.1 irfattl: ill, lie hoped lie would be supported and
eight children, to save a. farthillg-rot clothes, a farthing on as far as he• would go in a right course ; and then,. if
for education, or e. farthing for the extension of the state tither mail ;would gla further, let them support,him.
knowledg a I v the Gospel. cannot place My finger the tflallOtAlt then put the resolution, which was
upon a single item of extravaaetive in this pdpet carried with but two dissentients.
I find that if such a man prts'vides his finhilyaVith fttel; Mr: W:
M tt:, GREGG moved the adoption of the follow-
and gives them a little toffee al staple 'filid fleilflie:e irq.s, rtiailatifiril iii alb h'-
himself s-
himself even of butchers' iiiehts that ne has nothing to "TO THE QUEEN ti MO OAACIOTHI HAJESTY.
expend upon clothing, education, and religion.—(Hear, " May it please your Majesty; „ . .
heer, ) And the sum of the whole matter is this; Sir, it We; yotie Miro-sty'e dutiful and. loyal subjects lit
that while the man who has 2001. ase ear hair atilY Ili by-- ptibild theetitig tiSS2fillileti, ih the Town Hail of Man-
pend one-fifth of his income nit of el' that he may obtain cliestar, on the 16th of September, 1841—00fitOlkt!
.b;.a
the necessaries of lifb fell' his family, the poor operative; his Wbrship the Mayor, in compliance with a requist-
who has only a )
pound a wetle has tb bitpend bris fib an* il tit 1164 Signatures of merchants and mantle
half his income before he ean nbthin the .necessaries facturers, and other reapeettibie hiliabitants of all classes,
of life,— (Applaute.
Ought this state of things to approach your Majesty With sentiments of profound
continue ? I have found that there is the greatest vettetatioit for ytiiit petsbri; and ardent attire to
state of distress, not only in lthrecheeterfisi; I Rilshd Pilin Trifoite, at a crisis of oomitterclui depraesion,
read or bring before you account; tAktittiy tweeting from Whieh; for duration and severity, is altogether unex-
nearly every manufacturing' digrks,t in the. country: ampled ; and when all classes, and especially the poorer
But I have been told that the tlisiets is dated. Mr. &tests; of your Majesty's subjects; are enduring priva-
Cobden told me he verily, believedt .itt, hi the circles of tions more general and afflictive titan were ever pre-
splendour and Chilean~'our'distress was not believed. viously known to our oldeit inhabitant',
Vera, wa-iis 11W•X.,
in the presence of our townsmen, and ..
hefi etas ale eyes of God, we assertthat that distress oriels, 1.17`e beg leave to assure your Majesty that, during
the last four years, these suffer ings have been accumu-
-(llean Naar.) Who can attend to the assertions of in- hating,
d;• • -
_.idual a, who have never investieated the subject ?If and that they have been borne by the thousands
of their victims with an enduring petleace highly credit-
they with for information, let :hem 'send down here, able to their moral character. Charitable itaiivideals
and we will present them with abundance of it.— (Ap- have pitied, and rendered munificent aid; but no charity
plause,) Surely our legislators would be better employed can keep pace with the prolonged and:extending distress
in visiting the collars of the sorrowful than in enjoying that prevails. Indeed, the ability to exe, case acts of be-
the vanes of the field—(Applause)—and Ido not con- nevolence in the upper and middle classes already begins
sitter that it would be unbecomirg : the dignitaries of the to fail, and the causes which have so long depressed the
church, those who rear their mitred fronts in courts and poor, now threaten to visit these also with their disas-
Parliaments, to cone down and show that they are trouts effects. And when we look forward to the ell-
truly apostolically descended—(Applause)—that they are proaching winter, with its increasing claims, accompa-
the followers of him who was the friend of the poor, and vied with the certain prospects of a still greater corn-
who went about continually doing good ; and if they
mercial depression, our hearts instinctively turn from the
would but accept of our company, I pledge myself that I
scene, and sigh in the bitterness of their sorrow.
would conduct them to many a family who are unable to "Nor is the suffering confined to our own locality ;
dig, to beg are ashamed, who cannot find employment, for the sake of our fellow-subjects, with whom we cordi-
and who are perishing beneath the pressure of want and ally sympathise, we wish it were. Suffering, though not
disease. There can be no question, then, in regard to universal, is lamentably too general. The'cOuntry sufs
the matter of distress. Let us inquire, then— but I fear fern; and, as we conceive, not from any mere temporary
lam occupying too Mach of your attention==--(lio, no)— commercial derangement, but chiefly from the injurious
let us investigate the cause of its Why, some people
operation of those laws in our fiscal system which restrict
will tell us that the banking system is the root trade,
especially in the articles of food.
or all the evil. I have no doubt, indeed,. that the ..
At the time of their enactment, these laws were
banking system has been productive of much local petitioned and 'Faceted against by many eminent British
evil, and that to some degree mischief has arisen from statesmen and others, as fraught with 'direful
.conse-
the extension of the accommodation that has been quences ; amongst whom stood foremost distinguished,
afforded by joint-stock banks, But I ask if these patriotic, and beloved relatives of your Majesty, whose
banks are the cause of the agricultural distress—it
they are the means of restricting commerce —if names grace the annals of our history, and affectionately
live in our grateful remembrance.
they are the means of generally high prices for food ? a
The evils unavoidably consequent, as we conceive,
Others, again tell us, that it is over-produotion which has on the operation of these laws have fearfully overtaken
occasioned the distress. Over-production 1 there can be
no over•production so long as our population at home our industrious population, and have reduced them in
vast numbers, to penury and want ; and with the cer•
are so miseralq, so scantily cladeathere can be no
tainty, too, that their distress will be still further in-
over-production so long as there is a nuked savage its creased, if that relief is not speedily afforded, which
t'
the wilds anxious to be invested with the comfort-- cannot be looked for in any quarter with so much cur-
able clothing which our looms provide. No ; there tainty as in the entire abolition of those restrictive laws,
is something else than the joint-stock banking system whose natural tendency is to diminish employment, and
or over-production which we .must contemplate as the to render food scarce and dear.
mainspring
of our distress. • Now, Sir, I will go at ..
n-or-
once to the root of the matter ; I have paid some at• thy of your Royal regard to notice, that petitions for t
tendon to the subject, and I will give you the conviction May it please your Majesty—We consider it
he repeal of the Corn and Provision-laws have been
at which I have arrived. I believe, whatever collateral presented to Parliament during each of the three last
causes may be in operation, that the Corn-law is the . sessions ; and that the increase to the number of the
source of the evil.—(Cheers.) Yes, the Corn-law is the signatures in favour of repeal, at each presentation, with
source of the evil.—(Applause, and cries of "The b—d
aY the decrease of such as were presented in opposition
Corn-law V') Call it what you please. I employ no harsh thereto, shows that your people are becoming more and
eplthete ; but I have stated my opinions with regard to more alive to the real cause of their alarming destitution.
it frankly. But I have done with the matter. My wish .a In 1839, the number of signatures attached to peti-
is that our legislators and ministers would attend to wis- tions praying that the petitioners might be heard at the
dom and learn righteousness. We seek nothing but in- bar of the House, was 527,334. In 1840, the number of
vestigation ;we are persuaded that the country is suf- petitioners praying for the repeal of the Corn-laws was
fering-a that multitudes of our fellow-creatures are dying 1,459,545. In 1841, the signatUres attached to petitions
of want ; and we merely present our humble prayer to for the same object amounted to 1,756,645, while the
the Queen of these realms, that she would prevent those signatures against repeal for 1839 were 318,723 ; in
who are our Senators, and who hold in their hands our 1840, only 240,000 ; and in 1841, only 113,300 ;
destinies, from going to enjoy their own pleasures, and making a total majority on the three years of those
leaving us to pass through a winter of starvation with our of your Majesty's subjects who petitioned for repeal, of
distresses unrelieved and our complaints unnoticed. 3,743,524. •
The MAYOR then put the resolution, and declared it o And we venture respectfully to assure your Majesty
carried, only one hand being held up against it. that, since the presentation to Parliament of the last peti-
Sir Tisoaras POTTER, who was received with loud tions, the number of your subjects opposed to the Corn and
cheering, said—Mr. Mayor and- Gentlemen, I have a Provision-laws is greatly augmented; and will continue to
resolution put into my hands to the following effect : augment still more as the public mind becomes disabused
"That, in the opinion of this meeting, the corn and a!' opinions which opposing parties have entertained and
provision taxes amount, according to the evidence of propagated. In proof of this (to say nothing of more re-
two of the Secretaries of her Majesty's Board of' Trade, mote and less obvious occurrences), we respectfully call
to upwards of fifty millions per annum upon the first the attention of your Majesty to the great assemblage of
necessaries of life, exacted not for the purposes of re- Christian ministers from all parts of the United King-
venue, but for the exclusive advantage of one class of dom, which lately took place in the hall where we are
the community, compelling, as they do, the consumers of now assembled ; and which, after mature deliberation
food to purchase it at nearly double the price for which solemnly and unanimously denounced the Corn and Pro-
it was sold in foreign markets, and denying the right of vision-laws as anti-Christian in themselves, and inimical
the people to exchange the produce of their industry to the best interests of their beloved country ; and we
for the food and the provisions of other countries recollect, with no ordinary feelings of gratitude, that
—are in themselves the chief causes of the present your Majesty was pleased very graciously to accept the
unparalleled depression in trade, and of the intense dutiful and loyal address of that pious and influential
and aggravated sufferings of the poor." I think, body.
Gentlemen, we shall be pretty unanimous in passing "We Wish, further, most respectfully to state to your
this resolution.—(Applause.) In addition to the various Majesty—and herein we are assured we utter the senti-
distresses that have been enumerated, and the causes of ,cents of increasing thousands of our felloW-subjects—
these unjust laws, I sent down to the New Bailey—for I that, with hearts penetrated with sorrow at the sufferings
did not know the exact number—to ascertain the number we are compelled daily to witness • with a fixed and
of felons that were tried at the last sessions, and of mis- growing consciousness of the high advantages that would
demeanants. However, I know that there were 300, if accrue to all classes of our country from the abrogation
not all out, within a very few of that number. Now, I of the corn and provision laws, we cannot but continue to
think, gentleman, this is a most appalling circumstance— use every lawful means for the accomplishment of this
I think it is most appalling ; and I have had the horror object. And, beloved Sovereign, it is proper to state that
to receive the observation from prisoners who have been the working classes plainly understand the cause of their
brought up at the Court, that they would prefer going to heavy and unmerited sufferings. Sympathies and exer-
the New Bailey, that they wished to go to the New tions like those which have convened us together to pre-
Bailey, for there they were better fed than they could be pare this our dutiful memorial to your Majesty, give
at home.—(Hear, hear, and " That's true."). Nov this them hope, and nerve them to a patient endurance of
is a shocking state of things.—(Applause, and "We their grievous privations ; and we are assured that, were
want to go.") No, no, you don't deserve to go. such sympathies and exertions to cease, the inspiring
And Ido say that there is not a population in the world hopes they originate and sustain would be succeeded by
who are bearing. their sufferings with such fortitude a despondency which, in its consequences, might prove
and such resignation as you are bearing them.
They deeply afflictive your Majesty,and to all your dutiful
to
cannot be endured long, gentlemen ; it is impossible. and loyal '
And I have stated frequently that I deal in subjects.
" May it please your Majesty—Lamenting, as we do,
as many articles as most people, and there is not an
the critical' and suffering state of our beloved country;
article but what is to be
dohad for less than
lit can pose and dreading at this period any, the slightest, postpone-
sibly be made for. But consider that the reduce meat of a due consideration of an effectual remedy to the
tion of wages is dreadful, most dreadful, and at such a evils now endured and deplored, we are compelled, from
rate as will merely keep body and soul together,- sup-
a sense of the duty we owe to ourselves, to our famish-
posing
i
employed. But we all know
families to be fully
the number that are out of work, and the number that ng fellow-subjects, and of ardent loyalty to you, our
beloved Sovereign, to place this our humble petition at
are working only short time. Gentlemen, let me urge your feet, praying your Majesty, in the exercise of your
you—it is hard, it is unreasonable—but let me urge you Rosd prerogative to he pleased not to prorogue the two.
to endure a little longer the pressure of the times ; but -•- - '
Houses of Parliament, until such time as that portion of
I hope there will be some means adopted to ameliorate your Majesty's gracious Speech, delivered at the open-
your situation. But let me
be conjure you to be peace- mg of the present Session, relating to the Corn-laws,
able, and your voice mustheard—you must be ; .
, shall have been fully deliberated upon; and which por-
your wrongs must be redressed. As to the assertion of tion confirmed to us the cheering assurance that you are
the Duke of Wellington, that there is employment for graciously disposed, as you ever have been, to interest
every man; now really it is astonishing that he shouldl yourself in the welfare and happiness of your people.
make such an assertion.—(Applause, and " He never " " Encouraged by a grateful conviction of your Ma-
said so.") I think he is tarnishing his glory by mak- I.e , ,•
I ,
in g such an assertion. Gentlemen, that you - solicitudefor the permanent
1 sty s unceasing parental
prosperity of your people, we humbly approach you,
are willing to work, and you are willing to work hard, for trusting that our earnest prayer on their behalf will be
a very little, for a trifle, for much less than you ought graciously regarded, and your constitutional interposition
to receive ; but it cannot be endured long, it must not -
secured.
be endured long.—(Applause.) We are not met here
" In the mean time we devoutly pray that the Su-
for any political purpose, but we are met here for the Creme Ruler may smile upon you, and grant you and
purpose of praying our
.9ucen not to allow her Parlia-
your august Consort and your. illustrious offspring, the
ment to be prorogued till our grievances are taken into - '
uninterrupted enjoyment of health and ...I' peace ; an that
consideration. Surely. this is not unreasonable. As to
you may long be spared to reign over and to live in
the extent of our grievances nobody can deny • and - .. • of
really, a party of gentlemen__ having
put out circulars' to
people.,,
the anections a prosperous, a contented, anti aloyal
say that we are met for factious purposes, I do think
that they are charging us very falseoe,
a for we know that —He observed that a little while ago Sir Robert Peel
bad said that the present distress was nothing more than
we are in the right. lam quite satisfied that the resolu- •
tion I have read over to you is correct, and that these ' w they
hat might expect and make up their mind to ;
lied ••• -t dandalways a
' theee distressesexia e
wicked and unjust laws are tine main cause Of the pre- " -
sent distress. It cannot be endured : only be patient a He could
of not rest satisfied with d idle
so easy an d
little longer, and your TOIOO will be heard, and must be 1 a • painful •
solution that question, without en ea-
osari.—cipplauee.) - vouring •
to itsceo4Fl the catisqs of that oufferipg,

PRICE 5d

or whether the
.remidies for it lay within the reach
of human wisdom to discover, or human power to avoid.
—(Applause.) It was all very well for Sir Robert Peel,
and persons situated at he was—removed by affluence and
station far above the people—who did not live with the
people nor for the p?ople—who knew nothing and cared
nothing about the people—it was very well for them,
when told of empty houses and stagnant trade, and
ruined families, and starving thousands, to meet it will)
a cool statement that this suffering must exist. BLit
we, who lived in the midst of all this misery, whose
path was beset with clamorous supplications for re-
lief—whose lives were daily empeisoned and em-
bittered with the sight of suffering we could
not relieve, and which we had not the heart to flee
from, or shut our eyes to—we could not rest satisfied
with so easy a solution of the difficulty—we demanded a
searching inquiry into the causes of this distress, and an
unflinching, bold, and impartial application of the re-
medy, whatever that remedy might prove to be. Sir R.
Peel's intention undoubtedly was to do nothing this year,
but to wait till the spring, and trust to the chapter of
accidents to relieve hint front the difficulty.—(Hear.)
But suffering and famine would not wait till the coming
spring, and therefore the remedy ought not to be de-
layed. If something were not done before spring, things.'
would be so far worse, that in many cases no remedy
omit' be applied. He moved that the memorial should
be adopted, signed by the Chairman, and forwarded to
Mr. Mark Philips, with the request that he would take
the necessary steps to secure its presentation to her Ma-
jesty with the least possible delay.
The Rev. Dr. BEARD, in seconding the motion, gave
some affecting details illustrative of the prevailing distress.
The MAYOR was about to put the motion, when
Mr. GEORGE CLARKE, the Chairman of the Manches-
ter Conservative Association, presented himself, and
claimed a hearing. Amidst much uproar he was under-
stood to protest that the meeting was one of a party
character, and that the prevailing distress was not so
great as in 1839. He went into a long history of the
means of relief adopted by the parochial officers of that'
year, of whom be was one, and. blamed the introduction
of the New Poor-law as preventing the adoption of the
tome ifmtsUres, The feeliog-pf-the meeting being do•
eidecliy tigalnat him, he made no attempt at moving an
asiendment.
The Bev. J. W. MAME ably replied to the allega-
tions of Mr. Clarke.
Mr: J. C. DYEa, in moving the Publication of the re-
aohdionsf adverted to the result of the late election, and
contended flint there was no remedy for the existing
state of things but Universal Suffrage.
Mr. W. RAwsoN seconded the motion, which was
unanimously adopted. •
Thanks were then voted to the Mayor, and, after a
highly interesting address from Edward Curran, a hand-
loom weaver, the meeting separated about half-past two.

REVISION OF VOTERS.

(YESTERDAY.)

CITY OF LONIATS.
The REVISING BARRISTER took his sea; on the Bench
at ten o'clock.
After some cases of a similar nature to those on wit- :SY
judgtnent had been pronounced yesterday were heard
before the Court, with the same result,
Mr. Quin said he was totally at a loss how to act.
Mfg Xlilnes, who revised the City list last year, and who
had the adttintttge of fire or six years' practice in the
same capacity, and who, it was consequently natural to
suppose, had acquired a vast fund of information, and
maturely considered all the provisions of the Act, held
such service to be good.
On the list of the Fishmongers' Company coming un-
der discussion,
Mr. Quin objected to the name of Mr. Henry Christie,
hatter, of 35, Fenchurch-street, being retained, on the
ground that he became a liveryman of the Company, by
purchase, after the 31st of Match, 1831. Now, by the
32d clause of the Reform Bill, any person becoming .a
liveryman by purchase, and nut by servitude or patri-
mony, after the 31st of March, 1831, was disqualified
from voting. Mr. Christie had served his time to his
father as a felt-maker; and, in 1839, he became a livery-
man of the Fishmongers' Company, and having served
his time to rt felt-maker, he could snot consequently be-
come a liveryman of' the other Company by servitude.
Mr Douse, the clerk of the Fishmongers' Company,
handed into the Court Mr. Christie's certificate as a
liveryman.
Mr, Quin inquired whether Mr. Christie paid a
greater sum as " redemption" than the fees required of a
person who had served his time regularly to the trade ?
Mr. Douse—l don't think the Act requires of me to
answer that question.
Mr. Quin —The Court I trust will feel it necessary-
to know how the right was acquired. If Mr. Christie
acquired under the law which gives such privilege, they
should be informed if it were acquired by purchase,
whether indirectly or otherwise.
Mr. Douse again declined to answer.
Mr. Sewell said he had been for n years a clerk in
the Chamberlain's-office. Mr. Christie,
,although having :I
served his time in the Feltmakers' Company, was desirous
of becoming' a member of the Guild of Fishmongers, and,
in consequence, petitioned the Court of Aldermen. It
was his (Mr. Sewell's) opinion, and also that of the Town
Clerk's, who was considered a high authority in all matters
connected with the rights and usages of the,.Qity, that
if Mr. Christie were admitted by redemptionoe would
not be qualified to vote ; and, therefore, he w4s admitted
by .servitude. He quite disagreed from this proceeding,
but the Court of Aldermen said they acted on precedent;
although he was not aware of any precedent to justify
them in such a course for 150 years.
Tile Revising 13arrister—According to the certificate
I now hold in my band he has been admitted by servi-
tude, and I can go no further than that documeist.
Mr. Quin—That was so far as the Court of Aldermen
went. But the question was, what 'would be the fate of
Mr. Christie's vote before a Committee of the House of
Commons ? It had been shown by an officer of long
standing in the Chamberlain's•office, that the prot3Ced-
ings on the part of the Court Of Aldgrmen)fit's:unusudt.
He trusted.the Court would dissent—as h'riVas sure a
Committee of the House of Commons would—from
what was nothing more than a juggle of the Court of
Aldermen, who, he was sure, had gone beyond the law.
Mr. Douse said Mr. Christie had paid no more than
the ordinary fees.
After some further discussion the Court determined
that Mr. Christie's name was entitled to be retained on
the list.