The Sun.
London, England, 1841-09-22 00:00:00

EVENING SUN

CORN LA \
AigD COMMERCtAL REFORM.

PUBLIC MEETING IN SALFORD.
IVIANcHEsTER., MONDAY.—Our sister borough, Salford,
-sok% its populatioe of 100,000, second only in importance
atnongst the manufacturing boroughs to Manchester, held this
:morning a most unanimous and enthu'iastic meeting of
the inhabitants, in the I'4'4n-hall, convened by G. H. Hall,
Esq., the Borsoughree*se, (the head municipal officer ),
upon a requisition 'presented to him, to which were et-
bhed the sie,natur es of all the leading inhabitants of the
ougs. The noject of the Meeting, as stated in the re-
quisition, as• tor the purpose of considering the present
distressed ;tale of the pre ulation of this town and neieh-
bourhood, and the alarming prospects of the approaching
whiter ; and the propriety of memoralising the Queen, praying
flier Majeaty not to prorogue the two House's of Parliament un-
til they 'nave entered upon a full consideration of the Corn and
Provisson laws, which, with our other commercial restrictions,
are, in the opinion of the requisitionists, the main causes of the
sufferings of the people " There was a crowded at-
taadance, the large room of the Town-hall being filled from
staid to end. Upoo the platform, near the Boroughreeve, were
:Sir Thomas Potter, Thomas Ilazle• , jun., Esq., Holland
-Hoole, Esq., R. P. Livingstone, Esq., W. Lockett, Esq., J.
Harding, loss., &c.
• The 13or.ouctineeve, in taking the Chair, was loudly
decred. After reading the requisition, he called en Mr.
Houle to more the first resolution, an announcement which
Was loudly applauded, Mr. Houle being a Conservative.
Mr. 11. Ilooee was loudly cheered. He spoke as follows :
Mr. Boroughreeve, wnen I signed the requisition request-
ing Sou, Sir, to summon a meeting upon this subject, I had no
intanition whatever ot presenting myself to the meedng, or
na:Csing any speech upon the occasion. I have told my tale be-
ti,re. I have only to repeat what I have said on former occa-
sions at meetings in this borough and in Manchester—that our
trade is at present in a state of vs ry deep depression, and that
that depression has been more lasting and permanent than ever
any similar depression was known to be, I think, in the memory
of the oldest tradesman in Mauchester.—( Hear, hear.) I
have laid it down as an axiom, which I think cannot be
disputed, and it is one which my own observation
*nd experience enable me to place much confidence
,e, 'that we never can have a good trade with per-
manently high-priced food—( Hear, hear)—that, in order that
:Isis country may stand as she ought to do, and has hitherto
*teed, pre-eminent in manufactures, the people ought ,to have
'Mood at the lowest price for which it can possibly be biought to
our doors. And if it be the case that there are laws now in
existence in this country which prevent food from being brought
tt,he labouring classes at the lowest price at which it can be
afforded, then it naturally follows they will have so much less to
expend in the consumption of articles of manufactures ; they
Will be worse clad, the manufacturer will languish, and, at the
lame time, in conseqrence of all this, there will be a greater
Pressure on the markets, and our foreign markets partake of
diet depiessien, which is mainly perhaps found •to be pro•
•ducsd at home. It is on there accounts, gentlemen, that,
without any respect to party, fur we know, and ought to know,
nothing of polaice, I cotiteret in them questions. I, as a
tradesman laegely engaged, as you very well know, in the
staple man'afaeture of this torn and neighbourhood—largely
engaged in the production of cotton tw:st, and paying, as I
ought to do, upwards of 20,0001. a year in wages—( Hear)—
it is on. these accounts that I have come forward en this occa-
sion, as I have come forward in tittles past, to advocate an ap-
Tlicatren to the Queen, that she will not allow Parliament to he
prorogued till they have given their full consideration to the
Core and Provision-laws.—(Applause.) The resolution I
fna-ve to propose has been drawn up by a Committee, who have
iinvestigated the facts • therefore what is stated in it may be
:fully depended upon. It is, " That an intensity of distress,
unprecedented in this borough, has prevailed (hying the last
three years, by which the labouring classes are placedin a most
destitute condition, and the capital hitherto employed in busi-
ness has most ruinously diminished. That °sere are at present
of dw,iliiekhouses 2,030, and of cotton-mills, factories, and
mechanic,' and other workshops, 74 in number, wholly unoecu-
pied, svi•dch would yield a rental of 27,3:52/. per annum ; whilst
vast no sabers of respectable and industrious individuals, who
were 'tenants and work- people, are deprived of comfortable re-
sidersces and the means of labour and support, thus engender-
ing disease and demoralization, and threatening to involve the
wisole community in general ruin.."—( Applause.)
Mr. W. LOCKETT seconded the resolution.
Sir Twos. POTTER came forward to address the meeting
amidst great cheering. Sir Robert Peel had determined not
to take their case into consideration till next Rbruary. Now
what was to become of the people in the meantime ?—(Leud
cries of " Hear, hear.") What ! was no effort to be made to
give relief to the perishing thousands ? Were the people to
starve, and no effort be made to ameliorate their condition ?
—Aplause.) And this rom men who affectd to denoune
the( crpuelty of the new Poor-flaw ! The new Poar-e law did afforcd
relief in some shape, but Sir Robert Peel's answer was, " wait
till February !"
The resolution was then put, and carried unanimously.
air. T. BAZLEY mcved—" That the existing Corn and other
nenjust laws which prevent the people of this country from ob-
s quitting the means of subsistence in the markets of the world
'by the exchange of their manufactured produce, together with
the taxes exacted from them, not for the benefit ot the State,
but for the profit of monopolists—(Applause)—are, in the
opinion of this meeting, the main causes of the prevailing,
lamentable, and heart-rending distress "—(Cheers.) Mr.
Bailey, in the course of a statitical and excellent speech, re-
xnarked—We have been told that other people are unwilling to
trade with us, that they will not give us food for clothing, but
those who say so do not choose to give us the right--I was
aboist to call it the privilege—of trying to exchange our menu..
f aelcures for food.—( Applause.) But we have amongst us at
the present time a living witness, Mr. Curds, who has come
*out America, creasing the broad waters of the Atlantic, who
115 S been brought here, like another son of Jacob. to tell
-the father-land that there is abundance of corn in
America—(Cheers)—that there are vast resources in
that country undeveloped to feed the people of this coun-
try for centuries yet to come. The people here and the
People there might be made mutually happy, but our un-
aise laws entail misery here, and raise up to us rivals there,
w, horn ultimately we may be conquered.—(Applause.)
° 'ens; as laws exist, by which one part of the community
eats te.x another part of the community, not for the benefit of
the state, but to support some monopoly, the people can
rmwar expect prosperity ; and if they would like their interests
44 be promoted, they must look after their intereets.—(Cheers.
would advise them to trust to themselves, and never cease
.from the peaceful struggle in which they arc engaged, until
they possess happiness and sufficiency of food and employment,
and all the comforts of life, which I believe to be within the
grasp of all if justice be done.—( Loud cheers.)
Alc• J. HARDING, in seconding the resolution, alluded to the
attempts that had been made to trace the causes of distress to
Machinery, and said he was at a loss to see what these parties
would do with our artisans, supposing machinery were destroyed.
Could the agriculturists find work for them?
The resolution was agreed to unanimously.
ri'm Rev. J. W. :Massie came forward, and was received
w*.i, great cheering. He said he came because the cry of
he inanity had entered his ears, and penetrated his heart, and
Vial it would be a neglect of his duty as a Christian Minister
:were he to he absent on such an nceasion.—( Hear.) Was it
:not an atrocious thing that every man should not have the
ower of doing what he liked with his own—with his labour?
Why, the very 'west
.than in the community—and a ducal
coronet adorned his brow—he meant the lowest in intellect—
( Laughter and cheers)—had asserted this privilege; and why
should he have such a privaege, and the industrious, the in-
telligent mechanic be refused?—(Cheers.) What the poor
man claimed as his own was the labour of his hands, and
surely he had a right to the fruits of that. What was the first
slaw.af our Creator in reference to remuneration ? " By the
sweat of thy brow shalt thou eat thy bread all the days of thy
life. "—( Hear, hear.) This was the first principle laid dawn by
the righteous Ruler of the Universe, and the man that turns
aside his fellow-man and gals, " You shall not have the reward
, 'of your labour," not merely trampled under his foot his fellow-
-mars, equal in the sight of God with himself—(Cheers)—but
be rebelled against the laws of that righteous God who hail es•
tablished the universe.—(Great cheering.) Even the Ray.
Dr. Chalmers, who had come forward with a panacea for all
the ills of the country, admitted that the Corn-laws were an
unjust thing, and admitted that their repeal would" sweeten
the breath of society." The Rev. Gentleman concluded a
powerful speech by proposing a memorial to the Queen,
founded on the foregoing resolutions, to be presented by Joseph
lirotherton, Esq.
The reselmion was seconded by JOSEPH HALL, jun., Esq.,
and carried.

A vote of thanks was then given to the Chairman, and the
meeting separated.

MOVEMENT IN PAISLEY.
PAISLEY, SATURDAY.-Arrangements are on foot to call a
poblic meeting iu this town, on an early day, to petition the
queen " not to prorogue Parliament till the present wnprece-
dented and alarming state of distress in which the nation is
plunged be taken into consideration." There cannot be a
,doubt that the sentiments expressed in a requisitiors such as
•. the above would meet with the unanimous sanction and
approv4l of tho whole population of Paisley. But we are
heartless and dispirited, and God knows that ever a com-
munity had reason to execrate the upholders of the Corn-
laws, as the authors of more distress than the greatest
tyrant that ever breathed—that community is Paisley.
For three weeks past, such of our manufacturers as were
solvent, and had goods to di pose of, transacted what
might be considered a fair business, but this was en-
tirely to be attributed to the fact that a great cpantity of
manufactured goods, owing to the insolvency of the parties,
twas locked up ; but these being brought to sale, busine•s is now
worse than ever it has been since the present stagnation corn-
silenced. Besides, having had more failures this week, the
numbers of unemployed is sure to increase fearfully, and where
this state of things is to end nobody pretends to divine. We
are now upon the approach of winter, with the certainty of
having nearly exhausted a voluntary assessment to assist the
unemployed, which most of the inhabitants cheerfully sub-
"slimed to, and paid as far as they could We hare moreover
. vent nearly all the money subscribed by the county gentlemen
and others, wko cannot be always giving. Under these dismal
prospeetc, are you not surprised that no outbreak has taken
. place amongst a body of men, who, though ingenious, pains-
taking, and anxious to gain a sc inty livelihood, are unable, by
all the means in their power, to provide food to satisfy the
cravings of nature ? How can Sir Robert Peel for a moment
seek to retain power in the midst of such fearful responsibility
'without proposing a remedy? Repose he cannot have, and
• this struggle, which is one for an existence, is not to raid by Sir
Robert's refusal to take the state of the country under itnine-
diate consideration. At the usual weekly meeting on Tuesday,
the 14th instant, Mr. Henderson alluded to the unprecedented
losses and distress in :which the manufacturing interest was
!tivolved ; and he was of opinion that the sooner this was taken
Into consideration by Parliament the better. He would, there.
sore, propose that petitions sbould be presented to the Queen
and the House of Commons, praying that the state of the coun-
try should be immediately taken into consideration before any
Vr:orai
ng- ion or adjournment do take place. Mr. Campbell, a
Tory Chartist, thought that there was great need for such a
Course being adopted by Parliament, and would second the mo-
!ton, which was unanimoesly agreed to. The petitions having
!een signed by the Provost, Magistrate, and,Council, have been
forwarded for presentation.

11U13LIC MEETING AT READING TO
.„, MEMORIALISE THE QUEEN.
, READING, TUESDAY, SEPT. 21.—One of tie greatest
tueetings ever held in Berkshire assembled in this town yester-
cla)* evening, to consider the causes of the existing sufferings of
te working population i:i the manufacturing districts, and to
Memorialise the Queen, praying her Majesty not to prorogue
, Parliament until a due investitmtimi of the Corn and Provision
• , , laws has been entored into. Messrs. Bsylis's extensive manu-
ftetorY, ere( ting in the King's-road, was granted for the pur-
-, Pose, and it was computed -that between 1,400 the t .•
. r...desmen and mechanic of the town were
and 1,500 of
- ld-r present. Mr.
• 3 . lc, an Havekes was called to the Chair.
7'4- 'W
~- . Parliament. and
" EF•DoN said that Sir Robert Peel proposed to crismiss
to; l
1.4 undis,•wse deave the question of the people's distress
-, 2 for period of five months.—(Shame. )He
(Sir it. Peel) blamed the late Mir.i.try for not inveslig_ating
the Subjec t five years ago, and yet, desjte the fellure of the
•'t 111, failurc of bLnks in ever': nn::,rfrr awt the pro-
, . p,, I, s,ing ,iallute of manufactures, i,r,d the i otei est sof intilbtvy,
I.if now coolly and deliberately tells us that he hall have no-
tt Mg to say - about the matter for a period of five months.
( Ilear, hear, hear.) lie contended, therefore, that they
NGvere adopting a proper course in addressing
with
Most
racious Majesty, who deeply sympathised with the