The Sun.
London, England, 1841-05-17 00:00:00

NG HDITION.

CORN-1, A.WS.
WESTMINSTER 11 -
A requisition, numerously and respectably signed, haT-ifir
been presented to the High Bailiff, requesting hint to-. ceinveve
a Public Meeting of the Inhabitants of this City, to considet
the propriety of retitionng Parliament for the Repeal of the
Corn-laws, and a Modification of the Sugar and lumber and
other Fiscal Duties. To which he has been pleased to assent
by the following Letter :
" 40, Jermyn-street, May.ls, 18-11•
" Gentleman,—ln reply to the requisition I have received
from you, calling on mo to convene a meeting of the Howe'
ho'ders (inhabitants) of Vie City of Westminster, to consider
the propriety of petitioning Parliament for the Repeal of the
Corti-laws, and such a modification of the Sugar and Timber'
and other fiscal duties, as the meeting may deem re cessanl,
I beg to appoint Thursday next, the !:Oth instant, for such
meeting, to be held at Covent Garden, at twelve o'clock for
one o'clock, precisely, •' Your obedient servant,
"FRANCIS SMEDLEY."
" To Messrs. Prout and other Requisitionists."
The High Bailiff will take the chair at one o'clock precieelfi
THE COUNTRY AWAKING.—THE ALTERNATIVE.--So
great had become the dejection and apathy of the ceuntilt
that we doubted last week whether the people would arouse
them elves to suprort the gallant onslaught made by Ati,,i.tef.
upon our evil genius—Monopoly. We now doubt no mote. It
could hardly be expected that the country should pass at
once
from the freezing point to boiling-heat. But the thermometer
is rising ; and we shall yet see the combined phalanx of enoen-
polists and Tories, natural confederates, broken and overthrows
by a demonstration of enlightened public opinion. We en not
disguise from ourselves that we have a hard battle to Eght'e
On former occasions we have striven to obtain the means of
good government. But the object now is the end contemr
lated in our former efforts—plenty, and the happiness of the
people. And if we need any other stimulus, let us look at the
alternative that lies before us. We have at present—
Failing Trade,
Intense Misery, and
A deficient Revenue.
The Government perceive and boldly declare this state .of
things. Those appalling truths which have been reiterated 10
the ears of the people and the Legislature, by the opponent;
of monopoly, for several years past, are now acknowledged by
the Ministers of the Crown. They propose a remedy, "le'
which goes to the root of the evil. .They recommend a ckanges
entire in principle, most comprehensive in its range, but
moderate in degree, to restore our trade, and relieve the
people. who thus acquiringe augmented resources, Will
enjoy increased comfort, and thereby replenish the revenue.
Ministers have rivals, who obstruct their measures. eger to
obtain their places. But if the Opposition should succeed to
office, how do they propose to deal with the difficulties of our
position? For Declining Trade, for the Misery of the People,
they have no remedy. They avoid these subjects as if me
sa.all for their notice; and when hard pressed, Me. GouI•
burn tells us " they would let things alone." Then these be
the chime of the Tories—
Fall'ng Trade—They will let alone.
The Misery of the People—They will let alone.
For deficient Revenue—Two millions of New Taxes.
While the Government offer for
Failing Trade—The Abolition of Monopoly.
Popular Misery—Diminished Burdens
Deficient Revenue —Restored Prosperity.
Between these parties let the nation choose. But to be 20
effective it must be an active choice. It is not enough to 5111
—these Whig measures are good—pity they can't carry thetas
The only language which befits the occasion is—.
These Measures are good—
This cause is ours—
And we will carry it.
Of this let the people be well assured, that no Government,
Whig or Tory, can of itself succeed in such measures as these.
We urge our countrymen, then to bestir themselves. 114
can never have stronger arguments than now. In all proba-
bility, they will never have greater power. Now, or never, is
the time for exertion ; and the spirit of it must be, not the belie
of success, but a fixed and English determination to succeed.--
Sheffield Independent.
WAKEFIELD.—The lethargy so long prevalent amongst th..!
reformers in Wakefield, respecting the Corn-laws, has aflengiii
given was, the first sign of which made its appearance on Sat day last. On that day, Joseph Holdsworth, Esq., peoprieforive_
the extensive dye-works, at Belle Isle, drew up a petition fire
support of the Government measures now under consideration:
embracing the duties on sugar, coffee, &c. ; and also in support
of the project of Ministers for remodelling the laws relating to
the importation of foreign corn, which, after receiving the vo-
luntary and unanimous signatures of his numerous and intelli-
gent workmen, was handed to other parts of the town for the
same purpose. On Tuesday, a petition to the same effect,
emanating from the pen of W. -lenry Leathern, Esq., went the
round of the borough, and was numerously and respectably
signed.— Sheffield Independent.
If anything could add to the urgency, and indeed the inevit'
able necessity, of adopting, in substance, some such measure;
as the Ministry now propose, it would be the startling fact that
our system of excluding the goods and produce of other coi,'
tries by prohibitory duties, is causing them to establish Inv
nufaetures for themselves, and to exclude our goods by eountert
prohibitory duties. A feeling of animosity is created again'
us, which manifests itself in such measures as the Prussian
league, the American tariff, the intimation given by the B"t"
zis of a hostile tariff as soon as the existing treaty expires,
and in general, by the rapid and dangerous spread of an anti-
commercial system—of which we cannot justly complain,
so long as we set the example of it as we now no'
But this must be looked to before it be too late; and that
makes the present crisis at least as impoi tent for the kingd"r
as it can be for the Ministry. Napoleon, at the height of his
power, could plan nothing worse than the anti-commercial sYs-
tem for the destruction of the pie sperity of Britain. We have
lived to see the day when a system, which is rapidly producing
precisely the same results, is keenly defended by the Tories
and the monopolists. But the Ministers of our Gracious Queel
have stepped forward in the spirit of a manly, just, and nation:
po:icy, and they offer to save the country. It rests with t.el
people to give the answer ; and let it be given now with th
voice ant the strength of a free petiole as it was in the days of
Reform.— Scotsman.
We regard the defeat b y the Tories of the G
proposition to reduce the duty en foreign sugar, as a moatovernments
grievous evil to the middle and working classes at home'
Had this reduction been ass •n'ed to by the House of Commo",
Mr. Labouchere stated that the whole tariff would immediately
undergo revision ; and coffee, whieh is now becoming, as this
whO'esome berry ought to become, a daily necessary .at. the
working man's table, would soon be sold at one shilling instead
of• two shillings per pound —and cheap sugar and cheap coffee
might be enjoyed by this country, without augmenting the
evils of negro slavery in any part of the world—fir 50 per cent-
is certainly a protection of sufficient magnitude to the free-
labour producer. At present, after paying the West Indian
planters twenty millions sterling, our industrious classes 1"!:
being pinched, in order that more money may be put ,
the pockets of these West Indian Shylocks. In the eyes of
party men, the real welfare of the agricultural and commer-
cial classes appear as dust in the balance. When will the day
arrive, when the public weal shall forM the ruling principle In
the actions of our legislators ?—Hereford Times. -
We think that the Ministerial budget is entitled to suirrt:
It is net tariff reform--it is not free trade—but it is sometbil
better than we have at present, and it is infinitely preferable
to the additional taxes which must be laid on, if it is not car.
ried. We would impress this practical, unexaggerated,,l;
partisan view of the question on all our countrmen. ',"„
gift held out by Ministers is worth accepting. 'The motif
opposition of philo-blacks and ex-slave drivers, of East Indian
monopolsts and West Indian monokists, of rampant ultra..
Royalists and Canadian rebels (as the se Royalists call them),
is not more incon,ruous in its constituent members, than ill
fallacies by whiclithey want to cloak their base, selfish,
short-sighted-end.—Edinburgh Weekly Chronicle.
What we may truly call the grand struggle commenced on
Friday night week ; and if it be terminated at the time 'we are
writing, the result has not yet reached us. We shall endee;
visor to communicate the result in a "second edition.
We said—" if it be terminated." If what is wall'
slated? The debate in the House of Commons may 1)°.
terminated--Ministers may be in a minority Minister;
may have resigned—Sir Robert Peel may be in common''
cation with her Majesty—or her Majesty may be abet',
to dissolve Parliament, and to appeal to the genes' '
sense of the United Kingdom. But in whatever oeY
matters may stand in Londt n, there is around us all the
signs and symptoms of a grei t mo -al and commercial Revel'
tion—the " grand Debate" s ort.y begun. Here and there
foo,ish Chartists are still squt akia t out about the Charter, andf
still trying to fill the stomachs of hungry I men with bit; I
paper, and talk about prospective political rights. But
sensible Chartists are coming round; they see that a good re!
and a good dinner are not, after all, very mighty impediment:
in the way of obtaining political power ; and therefore—as
been exemplified in Kendal—they are joining the ranks of the
agitating free trailers, and swelling the great current which
begins, slowly, steadily, yet majestically, to sweep over al
country.— Kendal Mercury.
The whole country is aroused on the subject of the Corn;
laws, and petitions are pouring in from all quarters in'supP°
of the Government measure. __Aberdeen Herald.
The petitions for repeal up to the 3rd May, were 204, the
signatures 83,779. The petitions against repeal were I°'
th signatures 7847. The proportion is as 11 to I!—Scotsman;
The Town Council met to-clay to consider the impertn.
questions in reference to corn, sugar, t mber, &c., which ee
Alai sty's Ministers have just declared their intention of
mitting to the decision of Parliament ; and on TuesdaY
compliance with such a requisition as has seldom been trey'
ted to a public offic'r in Manchester, a meeting of the nibs
tants of the borough takes place for the same purpose. I`;°'—e •
of other meetings, held, or to be held in this neighbourion. ,
with copies of petition; and memorials adopted, have so Inuit':
plied upon us, that, in the unavoidably crowded state of oar CO'
limns, we are wholly unable even to specify them as we. 7: e
have wished, still less to give any report of them. We
tlierncphuebsltteer reacritdin,gv%o.ef
belTuesdayitve,
el l bein asyu
venturee a s to
that such attempts at disturbance as were made at the Anti-
Corn-law meeting, some two months ago, will not again be to;
lerated. If any persons should go there in The caragter.al
public disturbers. they will he dealt with as public disturbers
ought to be.--Manchester- Guardian of Saturday.
A meeting was held on Friday of certain inhabitants,
.treeles`'
artisans, and woi king-men of the borough of King'isLynn,
Norfolk, when a petition was unanimously agreed to in fa,vonr
ttacnriemoiritne:to,
of the reduction of the Sugar and Timber Duties, and for their
peal of the CornAaws. A dutiful and well-written address
was also agreed to, caling upon her Majesty to support her
Ministers against the Tory faction that fermerly tried to force
their way into the Palace. We regret we cannot find room
for the petition and address.

'THE MOVEMENT IN IRELAND —MET'
trio OF THE CITIZENS OF Du pus. —Under the presideneY
of the tr, ly patriotic Earl of Charlemont, the Liberals of th'.,s
city, including all sections of the great Reform party, crowded
the Royal Exchange yesterday, to give emphatic, expression t,°
their undying hostility to the Tory. Orange faction, the heredv
tary oppressors of Ireland. That meeting was—in numtierg, in
the standing and character of those who attended, and in the
feeling of determined resistance to a resumption of rang
sway, which pervaded the assembled citizens— everything 'Ail'.
the crisis demanded. It was an example of energy and union ta
the country ; but at such a period the Reformers in the pro-
vinces require no example to stimulate them to the prompt
performance of their duty, when the hand and the heart.°
every honest man is required to sustain the Government in
efforts on behalf of the people against the combined bigots a",_
monopolists, who strive to displace that Government in crdai
to maintain and increase their power of starving, grinding,
oppres,ing the industrious classes of our population.—Dubi '-
Evening Post of Friday.
A very Babel has been created in both Houses
of the Legislature by the word of fear pronounc•ed by
Lord John Russell ; and if there be amon the Frtc
Trade agitators any men who know what theyy• would' be
AO'
te, and possess courage and energy to put it in act, --
may say of our legislators as Cromwell. said of the Scots
at Dunbar, " The Lord hatli delivered them into my
liand."—Specfi:tor.
THE lIAT TRADE.—There are more than 01/!.
thousand journemen hatters out of employ in London and the
North of England, in consequence of their demanding an aj':
n_
vanee of wages arid regulation of prices ; the strike has Co
tinned eleven weoks, and there is no ehan,:e of a settleme This applies to the fur hats ; and as the country sl-,opkeerP:ni
not get a supply of their beavers, they are compellei "
silk, so that the makers of: the latter sort of goods itrit now rear
ixg a rich harvest.