The Sun.
London, England, 1841-10-02 00:00:00

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LONDON, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2, 18-11.

THE CORN LAWS
AN]) COMMERCIAL REFORM.

formed part of the deputation which came to London, as
a deputation for their distressed townsmen, in 1837, and
'
both of them should be good judges of the truth of the
the statements they have set forth :
After setting forth in general terms the deplorable
condition of the Paisley operatives, and fervently impor-
tuning a revisal of the whole British Commercial Code,
and deprecating the effects of delay any
longer so to do,
the subjoined clauses follow, particularizing the distress
of Renfrewshire, Greenock, Johnston, &e.:—
" May it please your Majesty,—While all of us are
personally and officially connected with a manufacturing
community, several of us are also very much interested
in the condition of the agricultural and landed interests,
and we would press it on your Majesty's serious consi-
deration that the landed interests are beyond question
vitally concerned in the commercial prosperity of the
country, and in the securing of the means of a comfort-
able subsistence to those masses of industrious operatives
in such large communities as this, who form the best
customers for agricultural and dairy produce,
and without whom the pasture and arabte lands
in our vicinity would be of comparatively little
value. Indeed, the whole of Re:tfrewshire may
be sa'd to form a teeming population
dependent
on manufactures and commerce and the exten-
sion of machinery and public works ur all kinds, not
only to Greenock, hitherto an entirely commercial
town, but to many of the country districts where the ad-
vantages of water poxer are enjoyed, cannot but ren-
der all commercial questions doubly interesting to our
people, while it demonstrates the impolicy of separating
from one another the kindred interests of agriculture
and manufactures. We may also notice to your Ma-
jesty another very ominous feature in the present state
of our community, that whereas a short time ago it was
ex.remely difficult to find any number of families ready
tCt.emigrate to other, lands, of 41ite- the smiler of emi-
grant I:)cieties in Paisley, composed not of aged and
decayed persons, but of respectable and able-bodied men,
has rapidly multiplied, and the reason assigned by every
one of their members, without exception, is the inability
of a poor working man, kowever inclined, to provide his
family with the bare necessaries of life.
_ _

spect to the Corn-laws, on which subject he took it they
were that day assembled.—(Hear, hear.) But from
what had passed at the re-elections of several Members
of the Government, it was much to be apprehended that
at the end of five months the Ministers would not bring
forward any measure which the country might think
would afford sufficient relief from the present unwise, im-
politic, and unjust Corn-laws.—(Hear.) He could not
' believe that the heads of the Government were aware of
the real distress existing in the country—nor would he
believe that if they were, they would hesitate to bring
before Parliament some Bill fur the admission of foreign
corn into the country before they could deliberately dis-
cuss the question ; but the time was not distant, he be-
lieved, when the Ministers would be aware of the state
of the present crops, which at that moment was only
known to a few. But it was daily gaining; credence that
the crop was as small if not much smaller than in any
year since 1816. He spoke as a person interested in the
trade—he had spared no pains nor expense to obtain
correct intelligence, and he found that the further the
farmers got into their crops the worse they found them.
He thought they were met there as Englishmen, irre-
spective of politics—(Hear, hear)—and he should con-
sequently throw all political feeling overboard. It
appeared to him that the opinion of her Majesty's
Government was, that before the whole of the grain which
had been recently admitted iuto the country would ha
consumed, the country would be able to use its own corn
and no more foreign grain be required. The fact was, how-
ever, the contrary, for from a failure in the great growing
counties it was doubtful from whence the. supply could be
got to make good the deficiency, unless prices became so
high as seriously to lessen consumption. Much of the
new wheat was either too damp to use at present, or
unfit; and whilst it was selling as low as 50s. per quar-
ter, fine foreign was worth nearly 80s. per quarter—so
that the poor man must eithet.use very bad bread, or pay
a price for good, which his wages were unequal to. Mr.
Fox also referred to the wages of the poor man remaining
stationary, whilst prices of flour fluctuated from 10s. or
203. per sack. The duty, now 2s. Bd., would soon be
20s. Bd., which amounted to a prohibition. It was the
opinion of many that the low duty would be again
brought about to meet the consumption of the people ;
but was it not most unjust to be constantly kept in this
see-saw way ?—(Hettf, hear.) He considered it a mon-
strous evil to delay fur five months an inquiry into the
present system, which ought to made in less than five
days.—(Hear, hear.) Perniciously as the system had
worked, he believed that its operation for the next six
months would still be more so. Mr. Fox then moved the
second resolution.

" Nor is it the operative part of our people only that
are suffering' under the present (1,-pression. May it
please your Majesty—out of fourteen cotton factories in
one district of our locality, one half are shut up; and as
the town of Johnston mainly .depends • on cotton-spin-
ning, the distress there has been greatly increased in
consequence. Other factories of the same description,
of which there are many in our town and county, are
going upon half time, and such as are kept up at full
work by their owners are sustaining a very heavy loss.
In this way proprietors as well as labourers are suffering
under the pressure of the times, arid thus the ability to
keep the distressed poor is diminished, and is rapidly
diminishing every day. The bankruptcies of late, in
this place, have been. to the unprecedented number of
nearly forty houses, and .the money invested in them
amounts to nearly 700,60 C/. Nor can we believe that
the present distressed condition of our manufacturers is
only temporary. For years past there have been un-
doubted symptoms of decline, while at present the pros-
pect is more gloomy than ever. May it please your Ma-
jesty, the time is past for concealing, or attempting to
conceal, the disease which is consuming the vitals of our
national strength."
The petition then closes with importuning her Majesty
not to allow the patience of her people to be further
.tampered with, for fear of disorganization and distur-
bance, and concludes with the customary prayer.
SLATEFORD.

S43IIIEL D.Eurti seconded the resolution, and said his
feelings were so overcome by the heart stirring facts
which had fallen from Mr. Fox, that it was with diffi-
culty he could find words to express his sentiments. A
more fearful position could not possibly be presented to
them, and he would charitably hope with Mr. Fox, that
the Government could not be aware of the distress which
existed in the country, and which was likely to extend
throughout the nation.
On the motion of Mr. GIBBON a Committee was ap-
pointed to draw up and address her Majesty, praying
that her Majesty will be graciously pleased to continue
the deliberations of Parliament until measures be
adopted for securing to her people the most plentiful.
supply of food at a cheap rate, and thus conduce to the
general interest of the whole community.
The address was unanimously agreed to, and the
meeting separated.—(From the Plymouth Journal of
Thurslay.)

The members of Colinton and Slateford Anti-Corn-law
Association, held a meeting on Saturday last, and agreed
to memoralise her Majesty. The memorial is forwarded
by this post to W. G. Craig, Member for the city of
Edinburgh, for presentation.

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS.