The Sun.
London, England, 1841-05-12 00:00:00

EVePNING EDITION

CORN-LAWS AND COMMERCIAL

REFORM.

SECOND GREAT MEETING AT LIVERPOOL.
(Abridged, for want of space, from the Liverpool Times.)
A public meeting was held on Monday night in the Music
Hall, for the purpt,se of petitioning the Legislature in favour
of the proposal of Ministers, for a fixed duty on foreign Corn
of Ss. per quarter, in lieu of the present sliding scale. 'I he
hall, as on Thursday night, was again densely crowded, and
there were on the platform a large body of gentlemen favour-
ab e to a repeal' or modification of the Corn-laws.
Sir J. WALIISLEY was called to the Chair.
Mr. H. HOANBY seconded the resolution. Government
had at length brought forward a measure of reform,
which, in his humble opinion, entitled them to the grati-
tude of all classes of her Majesty's subjects.—( Applause.)
One argument used against the alteration of the Core-laws,
was, that though the pour would obtain cheap bread, their
wages would decline in the same proportbri.—(Hear, bear.)
That was an arriment contrary to common sense. If they
imported foreign corn, they must pay for it in the produce of
British labour, and he had yet to learn that a great demand
for labour would cause a decline in wages.—( Hear, hear.)
Mr. Hornlsy concluded after reading the first resolution.
W. RATHBONE, Esq., said—Ministers might, as some peo-
ple had said, have been tardy, but at length they had a Minis-
ter in the House of Commons declaring that the Administra-
tion would no longer consent to legislate for any class interests
iu oppo.ition to those of the people of this coun.ry. Country-
men ! That Minister has done his duty ; will the people of
England do theirs ?—( Tremendous applause.) Let them hare
no longer any supineness. They had formerly no hope, but
they had a hope now, if indeed they would only be just to
themselves.—( Applause. ) They must now come foreard—
they must keep the Tories out.—(Tremendous applause).
They must be honest themselves, and then they would have
honest Representatives, but not till then.--( Applause. ) The
country was on the brink of a financial revolution. It was the
derangemt nt of the finances which brought about a revolution
in Fr..nee and all its horrors—and a financial revolution would
be of dru deepest interest to the working classes. He
did not expect to see similar horrors in England—but a
financi revolution would be the most horrible thing that
could happen, and they were on the brink of one.
Let every man take that home to himself. —( Hear. )
In God's name he called on them to come forward, or die as
slaves as they would deserve to do. In the name of common
sense, in the name of common justice, in the name of morality,
in the name of the awful religion hich they proressed, let
them now come forward—lct the people of England be true to
themselves, and let them say to Ministers, " You shall not
resign till we have a dissolution. If you do resign we sha 1
hardly think jou are in earnest. Stick to us, and if we do not
stick to you may the bands of slavery be rivetted on us for
ever." He begged leave to second the resolution, which he
hoped would be followed by three hearty cheers, and the deter-
mination of every British heart to do his duty when the time
came..—( Loud cheering. )
The Rev. WILLIAMGILES warmly supported the resolution,
not as politician, but as philanthropist, a patriot, a Christian,
and a Christian Minister. _ _ _

LAWRENCE HAYWORTH, Esq., said—What had the Corn-
laws done for them ? They knew that they had given them
dear bread, and put them to a very greet degree of suffring,
in consequence of that bread being dear. But they had not
felt it as they had done in the manufacturing districts—they
had not felt the absence of demand for their labour. In Man-
che,:er, Stockpixt, Bolton, and the large and populous villa.2,es
in the I.4.ighbourhood of these towns, the mills were then only
working MIT days in the week. What would be the effect
of circumstance; like these? The poor labourer was reduced
to one half his usual wages. Was it not a shame, a most abo-
minable shame, that the bread, which was the support of the
poor man, was made to cost ls. 6d. when it ought only to cost
Is. lie concluded by calling on them not only to petition Parlia•
ment for a repeal of these laws, bnt offer up prayers to the
Almi,thty that he would dispose the hearts of the Legislature to
repeal these laws.—( Applause. )
Several other able speeches were dint made, after which the
meeting, which was crowded to excess, broke up.

MART LEBOHE.—Yesterday_ a pudic meeting of the rate-
payers of the parish of St. Marylebone took place in the spa-
cious area of the Workhouse-yard, New-road, for the purpose of
eonddering the propriety of petitioning Parliament for a repeal
of the bread tax. Hugh Biers, Esq., was appointed to the
chair. The meeting was addressed by Mr. Robinson, 31r.
Kennett, 31r. Cochrane, Mr. Savage, and others, who were
unanimous in their determination to support the Government
against the monopolists. A peti'icn to that effect was drawn
up and adopted.
PARISH OF ST. BRIDE.—In compliance with a requisition,
numerously signed, addressed to the Churchwardens, a public
vestry will be held in the Vestry-room of the above pariih
church on Thursday evening, to take into consideration the
ro; riety of petitioning Parliament for an alteration in the im-
port duties. and especially the Corn•laws.
Rtenstoso, YORKSHIRE.-Six petitions to the House of
Commons, with about 650 signatures, in favour of the propo-
sition of Ilinitters for a reduction of the import duties on corn,
sugar, &e., have been forwarded by the post from the borough
of Richmond, in the county of York, to the members for the
borough for presentation. The post closes at one o't,lock at
noon, and a great number were precluded signing owing to the
shortness of the time, the names having been signed this (Mon-
day) morn:og. Great enthusia m prevails on the subject.