The Sun.
London, England, 1841-08-23 00:00:00

ANTI-CORN-LA NV CONFERENCE.

MANCHESTER, AUGUST 20.
The members of the Conference assembled this morn-
ing at ten o'clock. The business had been got through
on the previous evening, but it was thought advisable to
prolong; the sitting another day, in order to afford se-
veral Rev. Gentlemen, who had been unavoidably put
wide at the previous sittings, an opportunity of ex-
pressing their sentiments on the all-important question
of the Corn-laws. The interest manifested by the public,
in its proceedings, was in no degree abated, and the
great hall was crowded.
The Rev. THOMAS SPENCE, of Hinton, near Bath,
took the Chair.
A great number of statements were then laid before
the meeting., bearing upon the Corn-law question, by
ministers from Ireland, Wales, and Scotland, and se-
veral counties of England. The manufacturing, the
agricultural, and the milling districts, were all re-
presented. The inhabitants of • those several lo-
calities had hailed the P.nnouncement of the
Conference of Ministers in Manchester with joy, and
had m )st cheerfully contributed, and that, in several
instances, most liberally, to supply the means to defray
the expenses of their journey. The statements made by
these gentlemen as to the effect of the Corn-laws in the
various localities in which they resided strongly ex-
emplified the evils resulting from elms legislation and
our present system of restrictive policy, and when arranged
and condensed into one focus, they will tell powerfully
upon the public mind. Lord Ducte, Mr. Gisborne, the
late Member fI. Carlow, and other visitors of influence
were on the platform. The latter addressed the aseembly
at the special request of the whole body. The Hen.
Gentleman said that, although he was a farmer, the
Corn-laws were no protection to him, while, at the
same tithe, they were the cause of an unascertainable
amount of mischief to almost every class of .the commu-
nity. The following resolution was proposed by the
Rev. Walter Scott, professor of Airedale College, to the
following effect :

" That, without pretending to exercise any authority
which its temporary constitution does not give, or pre-
suming to prescribe any course to be pursued by the
members of it. after its conclusion, this Conference would
respectfully suggest that considerable efficiency may be
given to its purposes and resolutions by such publications
of its proceedings as they may deem suitable in their se-
veral localities, by availing themselves of the instrumen-
tality 'of the press to circulate information on the general
subject, and by congregational or local petitions to both
Houses of Parliament."

Thanks were voted to the inhabitants of Manchester
for their kindness and hospitality in entertaining the
members of the Conference during its sitting.
. _

The SECRETARY intimated that a deputation of the
Anti-Corn-law League would wait upon them in the
evening, and that George Thompson, Esq., would then
eeliver a valedictory address.

The morning sitting then terminated.

AFTERNOON SITTING.

The members of the Conference assembled as usual at
four o'clock. The interest manifested by the public in the
proceedings had, if possible, increased, and the hall was
crowded to excess. The Rev. Dr. Cox having taken tl.e
chair,

The Rev. Mr. APKERROW opened the business by
reading a letter from the Rev. Mr. Candlish, of Edin-
burgh, one of the leaders of the non-intrusion party in
the Church of Scotland. The Reverend Gentleman agreed
generally with the party who had summoned the Con-
ference as to the injurious tendency of the Corn-laws,
and apologised for his absence on other grounds.
The Rev. Mr. ACKWORTH, of Horton College, Brad-
ford, came forward amidst loud cheers to move the con-
sideration and adoption of an address to the Queen.
The Committee, in wording the address, had avoided all
allusion to party politics. They would, if possible, have
made some reference to the late measures proposed by
her Majesty's Ministers, and which were likely to cost
them the forfeiture of the Government of this country,
but fearing that it might have the appearance of a party
movement they had thought it better to avoit it alto-
gether.—(Hear, hear.) He then read the memorial,
which was to the following effect :

" TO HER MOST GRACIOUS MAJESTY.
" May it please your Majesty—We your Majesty's
dutiful and loyal subjects, being Christian Ministers of
various denominations, and from different parts of the
United Kingdom, assembled in Manchester the 17th,
18th, 19th, and 20th days of August, 1841, to consider
the laws restricting the food of the kingdom, beg per-
mission to approach your Majesty with an expression of
our sentiments in relation to the momentous subject
which has thus brought us together.
"In craving this indulgence, we beseech your Majesty
to believe that we are influenced by an affectionate vene-
ration for the person, and an ardent attachment to the
throne of your Majesty, as well as by a deep heartfelt
interest in the subject itself.

" Our unceasing prayer to the Supreme Ruler is, that
he will continue to smite on your Majesty, your august
Consort, and your illuStrious offspring, preserving your
Majesty in the uninterrupted -enjoyment-of health, sur-
rounding you with all the endearments of domestic life,
and after rendering you, through a long course of years,