The Sun.
London, England, 1841-04-01 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 1841

seated the people, and he insisted that the middle classes
were actually working this work. The progress the
question had made even amongst the aristocratic classes had
been very great in that most oligarchical assembly, the 11 ,use
of Commons ; the progress they had made was shown not
only in the Members who voted far them, but in the fears
which evide-tly operated on the minds of their opponents.
Peel bad cautiously retired from the field and left the
opposition to be conducted by such paltry orators as
Darlington and others of that class, who were better sble
to adorn than to advance or defend any cause. In that
House they were not reasoned with, they were out-
voted, and even once they were hooted dowr. Cur gain
gentlemen came down at a certain time of the i fight
satiated not with debate but with ei aner—( Loud ieugl ter)
—and not having heard one word of the proceedings,
wisely determined to put an end to them. If they wio.ed
to destroy themselves, they had obly to maintain those
odious laws which the Association cordially wish the
assistance of all men to hate repealed. He proposed
"'I hat this Association reeetve, with increaoed confidence,
is former recommendation to the Electors and Non-E:cc•
tors of the United Kingdom, to promote the return to
Parl ament of those Candid, tee only who wall support a
Repeal of the Corn and Previ,i in Laws."
Dr. WADE had almost intended to g ve up attendirg
public meetings while the present disunion exited bee wee'.
the middle and the working classes, for if he could not be
a peacemaker, he was determined he would not be a fire-
brand. The theory of the Chartists was etil untried, and
lie earnestly called on them to join the middle classes, who
were doing the work of the Chartists, by breaking down
the head and front c f the oligarchy by a repeal of the
Corn-laws. He would strongly edvi as them to come for-
ward boldly, and join in getting quit of a bad law, and not
disturb every mseting with the cuckoo cry of ‘• Chatter,
charter."—( Cheery.)
Mr. WATKIN, the Chartist, expressed himself a stre-
nuous opponent of the Corn laws, but he was qu te con-
vinced they could never be repealed by a Legislature
constituted as ours at present woo. He consichnd feat a
repeal at the present time, with the Jeitat- Stack Ba ,ks
in full operation, would create a cured monopoly in the
food market, to the great detriment of the working classes.
Mr. PALLISER strongly supported the objects of the
Association.
The Resolution was then put and carried.
THORNELY, M. P., felt great pleasure in corg-etu-
latieg the meeting on the great Trogress of free trade
principles within the last year. As a prod' of the f )11y
of the tariff system, he stated diet a cargo of coffee come
into Liverpool, but it king found that when for, ign
coffee was shipped from the Cape of Good Hope, the
duties were much lower, the same coffee was actually
sent from Liverpool to the Cape, transhipped there, and
brought back to Liverpool; yet the merchant was a gainer.
This was a most absurd system, and ore which, a hen
fully known, as it soon would be, by the valuable
Report of the Import Committee, could not steed.
It had been said that low prices of food caused low a a'_ or,
but his experience taught bias otherwise. He remem-
bered that in a remote part of the State cf New York,
when wheat was 9s. 6d. a bushel, the wagij were v,ry
high, and if all joieed heartily in knockieg off those 0-
striations to the industry of the country, the people
would maintain themselves without Peor-laws ; and he !lad
too good an opinion of the working classes to think for
one moment that if they could do so, they would stoop t,
receive the boon of education for their cffspring, ci her
from the nation or their richer neighbours. He moved
" That, relying not only upon the growing enlightenment of
the public, but the, certain ultimate triumph of truth, and
entertaining an earnest conviction of the justice of their
great cause, the tr.embers of this Association renew their
solemn pledge to each other, and to their country, to con-
tinue their exertions with increasing energy, until that
cause is brought to a completely successful issue."
Mr. MILNEk GIPSON seconded the resolution with ranch
pleasure. Ho was of opinion that God helped those who
helped themselves, and therefore if the people did not a I
join heartily in the cause, he would despair of its succe,s.
The question resulted itself into this, that a party ef n en,
Noble Lords and Hon. Gentlemen, kept a bread and beef
shop, and they did not like to see any one else open Nl-
other in opposition.—( Loud cheers and laughter.) That
was the real question of the Corn-laws, and very natural
it was that the owners of the shop should act so; but it
was equally natural that the consumers of bread should
desire to have as many,shops opened as possible, that they
might have the advantage of the reduction of price which
competition produced. HL was much pl aced to see the
great change which had taken place in the arguments
nsed in support of the Corn-laws. In a very short fate
there would he no argument left in their defence except
that used by the Earl of Eldon in defence of slavery, alto
said " Slavery cannot be such a very horrid thing as ! as
been represented, or the Bench of Bishops would hate de-
nounced it long ago."--( Loud laughter.) 'When they
were reduced to that argument, that the Corn-laws could
not be bad because the Bishops did not denounce then
the emancipation of trade would be carried as the ematici
potion of the slaves had been before

Mr. WILSON stroegly supported the repeal of the Core_
laces as being, when well understood, for the benc fit of
all classes in the kingdom.
The CHAIRMAN said, as th had now come near the close
of their proceedinw, he must agaia express his regret at the
system pursued by the working classes. Unt 1 they were
supported by the great mass of that body they could never
succeed—their success would be abolutely certain if they
were united. If they continued their present system of
interrupting all discussions the new gagging bill would be
far worse than even Castlercagh's in its worst times. All
monopolies hung together and supported each ether. 'I he
Corn-law was the crying monopoly of ail, and if it were
destroyed all the rest would vanish like vapour before ae
sun.

The resolution was fien put and carried.
Oa the motion of Mr. COATES, the thinks of the meet-
ing were voted to the Chairman, who liLving returned
thank;, the meeting separated.

POLITICAL SUMMARY OF THE

MORNING JOURNALS.

The Times of yesterday continues its attacks on the new
Poor-law, and its Commissioners, and glancing incidentally at
the question of national education, observes :—" Every one
knows how much has been lately said in certain quarters upon
the subject of education; but we suspect there are few whose
eyes are yet open to the existence of a systematic design to
supersede the parental relations, and borrow from continental
absolutism a system which will compel all parents and guar-
dians, especially the poor, to surrender into the hands of the
State the education and management of their children."
The Morning Chronicle remarks, with reference to the
Church-rate question :—" It is clear that the object of fixing
the qualification for voters for Poor-law guardians was not to
invest Church-rates with any additional security, but to pro-
vide that the guardians should be chosen by those who had the
deepest interest in the proper administration of the poor-rates.
'1 he substitution of the term poor-rates for parochial rates
would at once put an end to the evil. The payment of Churche
rates has nothing to do with the qualification for voters for
Members of Parliament, or fur municipal authorities, and why
should it have anything to do with the qualification to vote for
Poor-law guardians ?"
The Morning Post observes,
in a leading article on the sub-
ject of the Mintsterial system of policy .—" The Ministerial
Journals profess Very moderate and even Conservative views, le-
cause it is deemed very prudent, and pressingly expedient, to
quiet the apprehensions of moderate politicians who have
hitherto supported the Administration. But the acts of the
Government are as much in favour of the movement as the
power and resources of the Government will permit."
The Morning Advertiser, commenting on Mr. Colquhoun's
proposal on Tuesday in the Commons, that the religious mstruc-
tion of children in workhouse schools should be confined to
clergymen of the Established Church, remarks as follows
:
We regret that this proposil evinced far more o' a sectarian
than of a religious character, and was aimed rather at uphold-
ing the undue ascendancy of a State Church than at the incul-
cation and diffusion of those broad and general principles of
religion and morality which all sects and creeds admit to be
essential to the well-being of the individual and of society.
About creeds opinions may be infinite in variety ; about the
broad duty of man to man a second opinion can scarcely exit."
The Morning Herald observes, in an article on-the Eastern
Question :—" Get rid of that incubus on our oriental policy,
Lord Ponsonby, and we dare undertake that all the intricacies
of the Eastern Question, hopeless as they are deemed to be by
some among us, will speedily vanish before a little English plain
dealing, honest negotiation, and a straightforwa-d, manful re-
solution to fulfil the contract which may be agreed upon."
Fennel TILE EVENING PAPERS 01, YESTERDAY.
(From the Globe.)
The Royal Assent was given last tight to Lcrd Keane's
Annuity Bill ; a subji ct on which, as we did not agree
with the only. objections which appeared to be brought
against tbe grant, we have not hiiherto expressed tar
opinion. We think there are objections, and grove
ones, to the present manner of rewarding. services ; but
e do not think those objections consist merely in the money
voted for them. In an inst ince such as the pi esent, where
toe money buithen upon the public is neither very large in
ameunt nor long iu duration, we do not object to the grant,
so much as we do to the Peerage. We should hesitate g• eatiy
to show our naval or military defenders, by our parsimony,
that, after the most &gnal successes they might gate
for their country, their faiiiiies would be tsft, by its io-
gra ilude in a worse position than if they had de.
voted themselves to any obscure private occupatior.
The mass of services performed to the country are
ill paid enough ; but when those services are very dis-
tinguished, ne bold it a bad economy to damp
whatever ardour for distinction exists, by failing to reward
them. It is a declaration to all whom it miky concern, that
we do not value the generous
qualities spent in our service,
at the price of talent in ether vocatione. '1 he feeling implied
in such an avowal would IA ing on us justly the fate of Car-
thage. But we think the device of ennobling the families ef
pnblie servants exceedingly questionable. If the nation
is burtheced in Perpetuity to keep up their dignity, it
is Lurthened to maintain what may be very little worth
maintaining. Who looks for a long succession worthy
the first Marlborough, Nelson, or Wellington ?
Those who had looked for it, in some future instances,
would have been disappointed. But if the publ c
bounty is limited and temporary, as in the present in-
stance, what is the policy of turning the peerage into
a pauperage ? How is the dignity of Lord Keane's
des.cendants to be provided fro ? They will be em-
barrassed with a distinguished name and hereditary
rank to support. flow is tl.e State expected to a.d
them in supporting this charge imposed before Sis.l, ?
By rewarding their merits in turn ?—Yes, if they
happen to hove any. But if they h ippen to have none,
the times a e passed for providing for pears ad libitum.
(From the Standard.)
Last night's debate in COiT.mittee on the New Poor-la y
Bill was intcrestivg and instructive, and, on the
gratifying. Mr. Colquhoun's motion for the appointn.em
%%hole,
of chaplains to workhouse union schools ear carried by a
great majority, 119 to 33s notwithstanding a viru.
feet opposition by Messrs. Hawes and Hume. Dr.
Lusbingtcn, much to his honour, supported Mr. Celqu-
houn's Christian prqoaition,
in a very.able speech, Which
"his conviction that no e
in that house was so base as to consider a dimioation of
be concluded by expressing
the poor-rates an object of the least importance, when, pat
`• in competition with the interests of the poor. Now
words of Doctor Lush_
we could wish to impress the
inglon npon the 'bind of every man, Dissenter or
"Churchman. H, re is an eztreme dijj7euliy, op_
Posing a proposition about the Wisdom. benevolence,
and piety of which there could be no question, if it were