The Sun.
London, England, 1840-04-04 00:00:00

wh7cli h^ mezt have knewn these experts woell rot ceMe
answer..—( Hear, hear.) Then Sir Robert Peel turned to
the Customs' duty, and stated that inaimuch as the
custom duties had not declined during the lest year, there
could not have been a diminution in the prosperity of our
manufactures, and the prosperity of the country generally.
Sir Robert alleged there had been an increase of the
Custom duties of 1839 over 1838, of about 320.000/.
The Customs' duties, he said, for IS3B, were 23,081,0001.. '
and of 1839, 23,405,0001., and then Sir Robert Peel said
here is proof that the country is in a prosperous state. But
it did not suit Sir Robert Peel to turn back and see how
much of that wes made up by the duties on foreign corn.
If it had not been for those duties, the customs in all
the other articles of consumption in this country would
have been found not to show an increase of 320,0001.,
but a diminution of 780,000/.—( Hear, hear, hear.)
Why the duties on corn alone in the year 1839 were Shown
to be 1,116,662/. and odd ;laud that was as compared with
the year 1838, in which the amount of the duties on corn
were 188,3151. It was not, therefore, as compared with
the year in which they only had the produce of their ordi-
nary customs, but it was compared with a year of which
188,315/. uas made up by the duties on corn, which was
not an article of ordinary custom. He knew that under
an ordinary state of things, if they bad consumed as much
of the other commodities during the years 1838 and 1839
as they had done previously, the revenue would have been
swelled to the amount of nearly 200,000/. in 1838, and it
would increase to the amount of 1,160,0001. in 1839 ; but
instead of that, they found that in 1839, as compared with
the year 1838 there was only an increase of 320,000/. in-
stead of 1,100,000/. That showed a positive diminution
in the ordinary receipts of the Customs to the amount of
928,367/. as compared with 1838, and to the amount of
1.116,682/. as compared with the previous years.—( Hear.)
But it did not suit Sir Robert Peel to treat the subject in
this manner, for if he had done so instead of showing an in-
crease he would have shown a considerable decline. He
believed there were other parts of Sir Robert Peel's stele
merit which were equally fallocious, but he happened to be
familiar with the subject treated of in those parts to which he
bad alluded, and be knew that great and gross fallacies
were contained in Sir Robert Peel's speech on those
points. He knew how unfairly he had acted, first with
regard to his statement of Mr. Smith's opinion on the
cause of the drain of bullion; 2d, in quoting what he
(Mr. Baines) had admitted with regard to the exports, but
not quoting at the same time the manner in which he
showed that those exports proved not a prosperous, but a
declining trade; and, lastly, not in quoting the increase in
the Custom duties, he had omitted to notice that most
important item the Corn Duties, which, if he had noticed
he would have shown, not an improvement, as he had
alleged, but a serious decline. He thanked the meeting
for the attention with which they had heard him—
( Loud cheers)—and concluded by proposing the following
resolution :--
" That the following Deputies be appointed an Execu-
tive Committee, to meet in London after the recess, arid
to take such measures as may seem to them advisable, for
the persevering prosecution of the object in Parliament
and the country :
Alexander Johnston: Glasgow.
H. Stansfield

....
W. Rawson Manchester.
Richard Cobden
Dr. Bowring
James Aiken Liverpool.
E. Baines Leeds.
Joseph Sturge
T. M. Gibson
W. Boultbee
_...

V_v
C. Todd Glasgo-w.
John Dixcn

—.... „.. ......
_... ..
Edward Ashworth
George Wilson
James Wilson ...
L. Heyworth
W. Johnson
John Witham
Rich,:rd Taylor
W. Weir
W. Lees
W. Brook
W. Morris
Isaac Milne
W. Biggs
R. Ricardo
G. A. Young . London.
J. B. Smith London.
John Crawford
Bean

Mr„VTilson — Southirark.
Mr. Bowler
Samuel Jacksoa
Mr. Wynn Wolverhampton.
Mr. Miller
Mr. Peter Taylor London.
Mr. Beacon j,.,.-. Maidstone.
Mr. Coates ..
Mr, T. Gibson._ Tower Hamlets.
Mr. Milligan,,,.__ Bradford.
.........
Lord NUGENI- was sure he was not giving expression
more strongly to his own feelings than to those of all pre-
sent in the room, in congratulating the Deputies on the
effect that must l to produced on the public mind by the
exposure of the fallacies of their opponents, which had
just been made. He had great pleasure in seconding the
resolution, and nn doing so he would mention to the meet-
ing that which lee thought it was important should not be
lost sight of; ; Ind the events of last night he considered
proved more 'dean ever the importance of the point to
which he alluek ed. It had been imputed to the Delegates
that they had • not conducted their proceedings in a suffi-
ciently practie al manner. He certainly did not wish to
extend that observation to statements such as they had
just heard fie im Mr. Baines.—(Hear, hear.) The con-
test, however, between them and their opponents should
Leneeforward be cat ried on before the country : and one of
the most effectual means of advancing their cause would
be to prepare well-considered and detailed reports of the
nature of tilt! Corn-laws, their pressure on the best in-
terests of th.e country, and the grounds on which they con-
sidered their infliction unrest, and therefore to be abolished.
7( Hear, h ear.) The discussion of the question in Par-
liament would be protracted for a time, and he thought
that one of' the principal duties of the Committee they
w
reports,again which
T hie mightreports b
were appo'.nti ng would be -to collect evidence and prepare
e submittedcould
b, to
setnhet
the into theyhen
countrym et
under the !sanction of their name. Contenting himself
with makin
these observations, he felt great pleasure in
seconeing The resolution.
The resolution was put and carried.
Mr. miss sort remarked that the tea intended for home
importation bad increases.—from 1:,30, 3,3640001., to
3,660,0001. in 1840—(Hear, hear)—a further amount of
300,000/. i n. addition to tt e million which had been stated
by Mr. B aineF. Our rn anufactutes had declined gene-
raily 20 or 30:per cent.— Hear, hear.)
Mr. Ma. Nett GIBSON moved—
'° That the Council eof the National Anti-Core-law
League determine the time of the meeting of the Execu-
tive Council in London ,- or, if they should deem it ad-
visable, s amnion the wh ale body of Deputies again to as-
semble in. the metropolis. "
He thought that as great-. a number of Delegates should
asserrnole here as could, or the spectacle of many gentle-
men devoting themselves,. at great sacrifices, and leaving
their ordinary avocations, to the Anti-Corn-law cause, must
have a strong effect upon the country.—( Hear.) Now
he felt the great importan co of the fallacies which were
constantly delivered upon the subject being at once ex-
nosed—and exposed before they were forgotten.—( Hear.)
With regard to Sir Robes., ; Peel's speech he felt that no-
thing a hich bad occurred ',during the debate ought to be a
subject of greater congratunetion to the Corn-law repealers
than that speech.— ( Hear, hear.) The speech is nothing
but a lame rand impotent a ttempt to find an excuse for
doing wrong, nr,t a statesmanlike endeavour to point
out what is right, and to urge its adoption. Sir Robert
said that the C;orn.law ought to be maintained right or
wrong, becaust ; it had been maintained, and found no other
argument for supporting it but its present existence.
Sir Robert :admitted this great principle—" the best
friends of -the landowners were the manufacturers—
and the manufacturers (net the Corn-laws) were the
main_ element of their prosperity."—( Hear, hear.)
Ho ,v could manufactures pro tper unless markets increased
ie. number, and how could t hey do so unless the power of
taking the staple commoditielt of other countries increased
also? It flier efore appeared to him a direct argument
against the Co. rn-laws, by saying they did not form an ele-
ment of the pi esperity of the land.•—( Hear, hear.) He
had omitted an tother important thing. He showed they
were right in advocating the repeal of the Corn-laws.
He showed all. tho arguments against them applied to a
fixod'duty, and, consequently that they were right in advo-
cating a total repeal. Had they brought forward a half
measure, they; wom:d 'nave excited no popular enthusiasm,
because they would have adopted half the arguments of their
adversaries —at lenst have admitted there, was some justice
in the principle of protection. He had only p lanced at
the speech ininself, and could net say what other fallacies
there might be in He would not, therefore, detain
them longer., but co. teluded by moving the resolution.
Mr. Sweet secon; led it, and expressed a hope they would
not separate; without a vote of thanks for the exertions
that had been made in-. Manchester.
Mr. CORDEN wiSlic d to make one remark with reference
to the speech of Sir Robert Peel. It was rather remark-
able for its omissionslatan what it contained. It was a sin-
gular fact. he had gin en up all the old topics. Not one
word of t he exclusive' burdens of the landed interest—of
the country being thi cwn out of cultivation—of the horrible
effects of being dep e:ndent upon foreign supply—( Hear,
hear, b. ear)—not ev en the least reference to Pre-
sident Van Buren's ;Message. The omissions were as
importr:nt arguments in their favour as anything be said,
which was saying a gee at deal.—( Hear, hear.) And while
upon this subject he co uld not help thinking the fixed-duty
men bad been used. There were two or three gentle-
men came amot'g therm ,(and were said to have been nearly
frightened) with. a petitie nin favour of a fixed duty. He
believed that pet ition was: lost. It had been stated to have
been spirited aw ay by his friend Mr. Rawson, or that he
had thrown it int o the Th antes.—(Laughter.) The Duke
of Richmond ha d said a Feted duty was the wildcat scheme
he had ever he; rd of. Sir James Graham said he could
understand what at 'total ri Teal or a sliding duty meant, but
the advocates of a -fixed duty were either insincere or great
fools. The .:ilornin 7 Herald declared that the fixed-duty men
were the most p estiferous in all Englund—( Laughter)
—and now Sir R. Peel declared that he could not under-
stand what a fiat -d duty meant, so the advocates of that
injustice met wieh little sympathy. Next year there would
be no discord : ,ong them on the principle—they would
go for justice, aod nothing else.
The motion Tvas agreed to unanimously.
Mr. Decors, ilia; or of Carlisle, was brought up to Lon-
don in conscq aenee of '.he great distress he found existing
around hit; In ighbourhoed, and he had no doubt many
other Got:licit ter, had been vetuated by the same motives
and nothing re to] eified him so much as to find that that dis-
tress had met, I 4ith so little attention from the Govern-
ment and flae H ouse of Commons generally—it might be
owing to the in anner in which the debate had concluded
that so Little te slice had been taken of such distress, but
and much on the increase.
still it. was ie existence,
He felt the subject not only as, one of interest,
but of deep rei'igious feeling.—(Hear, hear.) What
_ .