The Sun.
London, England, 1846-02-10 00:00:00

CORN-LAWS.

Mr. BRIG HT presented petitions from Exeter, signed
by 1,864 persous ; from Stockport, signed by 9,000
persons ; and from 25 other parishes, praying for a
total and immediate repeal of the corn-laws.
Dr. BOWRING presented petitions from operatives
in Warwick, and also from a parish in Wales, of a
similar nature.

Sir B. HALL presented a petition from Marylebone
and Paddington, signed by 27,000 persons, praying for a
repeal of the corn-laws.
Mr. STRUTT presented a number of petitions from
the county of Lancashire, also praying for a repeal of
the corn- laws.

Mr. ROSS presented a similar petition from the opera.
tives of Bdfast.

Lord JOHN RUSSELL rose to present petitions;
from several parts of Devonshire in favour of a total
and immediate repeal of the corn-laws.
Mr. SCOTT presented a similar petition.
A petition from au HON. ME3IBER, signed by. 6,600
inhabitants of a town, the name of which we did not
catch, praying for a repeal of the corn laws.
Mr. BENNETT preeet.ted a petition praying that
nothing should be done respecting the corn-laws until an
appeal was made to the constituencies of the country.,
Mr. HAWES rode to present petitions from a great
number of towns and villages, one of which petitions
was signed by 26,000 inhabitants, praying for an imme-
diate settlement of the corn-laws by repealing the same.
Mr. MARK PHILIPS presented a petition from
South Laccachire, signed by 14,500 inhabitants, pray-
ing for the immediate repeal of the corn-laws ; alsol an-
other petition from the Chamber of Commerce, Man-
chester, for a similar object. The petition generally
approval of the commercial policy adopted by the Mi-
nistry with all becoming respect, they prayed that with
the present session protective duties of every kind would
terminate. He had also to present another petition from
the Manchester Commercial Association; it coincided
with the expressions of the other petitions, approved
of the commercial policy of the Government, but prayed
for an immediate repeal.
The petitions were ordered to lie on the table.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL presented a petition
from Abingdon, in favour of the propositions of the
Government with respect to corn and other arti-
cles.—(Great laughter.)
Mr. MILES presented several petitions in favourof the
exi-ting protective duties imposed on corn ; one was
from Somerset,
another and another from
a parish in the county of Gloucester. The petitions
another
Glamorgan,
fromthe county offroth a parish in London,
prayed, that it there should be a reduction made in the
present duties, an appeal would be first made to the
country.
Sir W. CLAY presented a petition from the Tower
Hamlets, in favour of the Ministerial measures relatie g
to corn ; it was signed by 80,000 individuals.
Lord DUNCAN presented a petition from Bath,
signed by the Mayor and 67,000 inhabitants, praying
for the immediate and total repeal of the corn-laws.
Sir W. MOLESWORTII presented a petition to the
same effect from the borough of Southwark, and another
from St. Luke's, Chelsea.
Mr. WAKLEY presented a petition from the borough
of Finsbury signed by 53,700 persons, and expressing a
strong approval of the measure proposed by the Govern
ment, but praying
.that the abolition of the corn-laws
should take place immediately. Also a petition to he
same effect from a town in Montgomeryshire. Also a
petition signed by fourteen agricultural labourers in
Pusey, Wiltshire, in which they state that the system
of protection had reduced them to the lowest state of
degradation and misery. The petition states, that not-
withstanding the system of protection, they have been
obliged to submit to labour only suited to beasts of
burden. They have been harnessed to carts. The
aggregate number of their families, some of which
comprised eight individuals, amounted to eighty-six,
the aggregate amount of their wages was only 82s. He
(Mr. Wakley) had reason to believe that the statements
were correct. - _ _

An HON. MEMBER presented a petition from Stam-
ford, Crowland, and twenty-seven other parishes in Lin-
coln, against any alteration in the laws relating to the
protection of agriculture.
Mr. ELLIS presented a petition from the city of Co-
ventry in fav(,ur of the abolition of the corn-laws.
Sir It. PEEL presented a petition from the city of
Glasgow, very numerously signed, approving of the
propo.,,ed policy of the Government with respect to the
corn-laws and the system of protection ; also a petition
to the same effect from Hawick and the burgh of Pol-
locksha w.
Mr. MILNER GIBSON presented a petition from
Huddersfield, signed by 3,000 hand loom weavers, in
favour of a total and an immediate repeal of the corn

laws. •
Mr. F. T. .BARING presented a petition from
Deptford in favour of the measure proposed by her Ma-
jesty's Ministers for a change in the corn-laws.
Mr. ESCOTT presented a petition from James Adam
Gordon, Esq., of Frome, near Bristol, praying the
House to pass the measure of her Majes•Js Govern-
moot for a repeal of the corn-laws into a law.
THE COMMERCIAL • POLICY OF THE
COUNTRY.
The SKI:AKER having left the Chair, •
Mr. Y. MILES said, he rose to move that the House
should resolve itself into Committee that night six
months. lie trusted that he sheuld approach the ques-
tion in a mild and dispassionate manner. The question
was one of the most important that had ever been sub-
mitted to that House.—(Hear, hear.) He would repeat
that it was a question so important to the country that
he trusted it would not be treated in a light manner.
It was a question oF the greatest vitality. The proposed
change in the commercial policy of the country was of
far greater interest than the netirm Bill, and created
far more dismay amongst all classes of the people than
did that great measure.—(Hear, hear.) 'This great
country had gained for itself a character for commercial
policy, • and he hoped she would uphold it in all
its glory. The measure proposed by her Majesty's
Government was one that affected the merchant, the
fanner, the mechanic, and the labourer.—(Hear, hear.)
Nothwithstanding the explanation given by the Right
Hon. Baronet at the commencement of the session, he
could not but agree in the expression of the Noble Lord
the late
lieved the expression of a large majority of the
Secretary for the Colonies, and ho be-
Right Hon. Baronet's colleagues, that there was no
peculiar necessity for the measure. There was an
undoubted- failure • in the potato crop in Ireland, a
calamity which no one more sincerely deplored than
himself, yet there was no real ground to appreherid
famine in that country, for every report stated that the