The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-15 00:00:00

THE SUN LONDON, THURSDAY ViIENING, JANUARY 15, 1846

Mr. CROWDER made a forcible address to the jury, com-
menting on the ill effects of gambling, and urging the ob-
jections already stated, and contending that the notice of dis-
honour was not proved, as Capt. O'Grady might have been
in America when the note was left at St. James's Hotel by
Mr. Irwin.
Mr. Justice WILLIAMS then went through the evidence
very minutely. In his summing up,
The jury stopped him, and returned a verdict for the de-
fendant.

SHERIFFS' COURT.-(THIS DAY.)
(Before Mr. Under-Sheriff BURCIIELL.)
EXECUTORS OF LOVELL, CLERK, V. TUCK.
This was an action brought to recover damages for dilapi-
dations, under the following circumstances :
The defendant suffered judgment to go by default, and the
jury therefore had to assess damages.
Mr. CLARKSON stated the case. The plaintiffs are executors
of the late Bei,. T. Lovell, rector of St. Luke, Middlesex, and
the defendant was tenant ofDyson's farm, at Tottenham, which
was attached to the rectory. According to the custom of
England, the rector was bound to keep in order and repair all
property coming to him by right as rector, and surrender the
same to his successor: In the present case the defendant and
his family had been on the farm for 15 years, and at the de-
eeas.e of Mr. Lovell the dilapidations were found so exten-
sive, and the land had been allowed to run so poor, that on
a valuation as between the executors and Mr. Saunders, the
succeeding incumbent, the executors were called upon to pay
a sum of nearly 4001.

Mr. Wonngwowrif objected that the tenants were not
bound by any claim as between other parties under any cus-
tom, and objecticn was allowed.
Witnesses were called, who estimated the dilapidations at
1951., under an agreement between Mr. Lovell and defend-
ant's father, but the agreement not being produced, they
were directed to confine the valuation as against a yearly
tenant, or tenant-at-will, and they were of opinion that 67/.
was a fair .value.
On the contrary, witnesses were called, who deposed that
there had been great improvements on the farm, and that it
was in a good staee of repair when defendant left, and that it
now fetched 501. a year more than during Mr. Lovell's life
time.

The UNDER-SHERIFF said that defendant had no right to
claim for new premises, but if he put up new premises he was
equally bound to keep them in repair, or would be liable for
dilapidatious.—Damages, 408.
There were thirty cases in the list, but the above occupied
the whole of the morning, and the Under Sheriff intimated
that he would not take any cases beyond No. 14, and that
the Court would sit on Tuesday next at eleven o'clock, in
order to clear up the arrear of causes.

BOW-STREET.-(THIS DAY.)
Amy Hazel, a servant in the employment of Mr. Howell,
landlord of the Hand-in-Hand, High Holborn, was charged
before Mr. Hall with stealing ls. 91d. in copper from the till,
and taking from the vats wine, gin, and rum, to the value
of Is. Bd.

➢ir. Howell stated that having missed money from his till
and spirits from the rats every day for some weeks, he deter-
mined to keep a watch, in order to discover who was the thief
At about seven o'clock this morning he and a policeman saw
the prisoner enter the bar, draw out the till, and take some
money from it. She then drew the spirits from the vats into
a pewter pot, and was about to leave the bar, but witness
stopped her.
The prisoner admitted that she took the money and the
spirits.—She was committed for trial.

MA RLBRW-STREET.—(THIS DAY.)
Christophet Lewis, a powerful young man, was charged
as follows : _

William Sullivan, taskmaster of the workhouse of St.
George, Hanover-square, stated that the prisoner %%as a
pauper there. Between seven and eight o'clock last
evening, violent screams were heard to proceed from the
room in which the prisoner was. He (witness) hastened
there, and on entering found the prisoner in the act of
throwing a boy headlong amongst a set of tea-things
belonging to the attendant of the ward ; and, having
been informed that he had put another boy on the
hall fire, he caused the prisoner to be given into the
charge of the police.
James Colley, an intelligent boy between twelve and
thirteen years of age, stated that the prisoner seized him
as ha was passing along the ward, and holding him by
the neck and leg, placed him on the range-fire in the
hall. He screamed violently, and the taskmaster came
and rescued him.

Mr. HARDWICK said these outrages by paupers must
be restrained. They might depend on an example being
made of every one guilty of such misconduct. The pri-
soner he should commit to Westminster Bridewell for
twenty-one days to hard labour, and if brought there
again his punishment would be doubled.

THE PROJECTED RAILWAYS.
(From the Times.)
With reference to the list of " Defunct Schemes," pub-
lished in our paper of yesterday, we have received numerous
letters, apprising us of amalgamations and other reasons for
change of names, &c., to which we cannot say more in reply,
than that our three lists, of the 17th of November, 1845, and
7th and 14th inst., must be taken together—the first, as
showing the schemes registered; the second, showing the
plans deposited; and the third, those deficient; and which
we believe will be found substantially correct. In a list ex-
tending to some thirteen hundred names—" Central,"
" Direct," " Great," " Grand Junction," " Union," &c., it
would have been utterly impossible to be correct to the letter.
We subjoin the following as desired to be corrected :
The Direct Birmingham and Leicester, and the Direct
Birmingham, Leicester, and Bolton—both registered, but did
not deposit plans.
The Lincoln, Wainfleet Haven, and Boston',Company have
amalgamated with the Boston and Wainfleet, and Lincoln,
Horncastle, Spilsby, &c.
The Cheltenham, Oxford, and London, are afraid to be
mistaken for the " Cheltenham, Oxford, and London Junc-
tion."

The Direct Manchester, Leeds, and York Railway Com-
pany, and the Direct Sheffield and Macclesfield Railway de-
posited plans.
The Direct Lincoln, East Retford, and Sheffield say they
were originally registered as Lincoln, East Retford, and
Sheffield Junction._

-----
The Deal and Dover are afraid this will be taken for
" Dover and Deal."

The Guernsey Railway and Pier Company say they have
no occasion to deposit plans at the British Parliament-office.
The Great Southern and "Western and Waterford and
Limerick Junction Railway say they have lodged their
plans. (Their scheme does not appear in the list.)
The Isle of Ely, Wisbeach, and Lincolnshire, the Hunting-
don, Isle of Ely, &c., the Wisbeach and Huntingdon, say
that these companies are amalgamated into one, under the
name of the Huntingdon and St. Ives and Wisbeach and
Sutton._ _

The Isle of Man Railway Company say they are not called
upon to deposit before the British Legislature.
The Leicester and Tamworth say they have complied with
the standing orders.
The London and Southend say they were originally regis-
tered as the "London and Southend Railway and Docks."
The New; Ross, Carlow, and Kilkenny say they have de-
posited plans.
The Newry and Warrenpoint has been amalgamated with
the Newry, Warrenpoint, and Ross Trevor.
The St. Alban's, the St. Alban's and Hatfield, and the St.
Alban's, Hatfield, and Hertford Junction Company say they
have deposited.
The Waveney Valley, or Thetford, Bungay, and Yarmouth,
say the Flans of "The Waveney Valley and Great Yarmouth
Company" are deposited.
The Wilts, Somerset and Southampton Company say they
are ready to go to Parliament.
The Worcester and Merthyr Tydvil Junction Railway have
their plans registered, and were entered in our list of the 7th
of January.

FREE TRADE in the WEST RIDING
OF YORKSHIRE.

At a very large and inKential meeting, held at the Music
Hall, Leeds, yesterday evening, the Secretary of the Asso-
ciation announced the subscriptions towards the quarter of a
million fund, collected in various towns of the Riding. The
amount received is upwards of
THIRTY THOUSAND POUNDS,
and there is little doubt, when the returns are completed,
that this sum will be augmented to
FIFTY THOUSAND POUNDS.
The contributions from five of the principal towns are as
follows
Leeds £B,ooo
Huddersfield
Halifax 4,000
Bradford
ThSeheffielei Mayor .o.f Leeds occupied the chair at the meeting,
and W. Aldam, Esq., M.P., H. Cobden, Esq., M.P., and J
Bright, Esq., M.P., were present.
The highest degree of enthusiasm prevailed.—Advertiser.

FREE-TRADE FESTIVAL at LEEDS.
LEEDS, WEDNESDAY.—The dinner which is to take place
here to-night, in aid of the great League fund, promises to be
a most brilliant and successful affair. Public attention is on
the qui wive, and much importance is attached to the number
and nature of the free-trade demonstrations to take place be-
fore the opening of Parliament, as affording to Ministers a
test of the depth and strength of the anti-monopolist move-
ment in the country.
The dinner to-night will be presided over by the Mayor
of Leeds. The company will probably amount to four hun-
dred, and will certainly include man of the most influen-
tial names in Leeds and the West Riding. Arrivals from
the neighbouring towns—Bradford, Halifax, &c.—are hourly
place.
t aatßmil
irkeiOldesei
tianntngdigeagoBynooawddfni the objects of the dinner is the increase of the
imtolwilvcmonie
anticipated
tos
el
overpower
LeaguetrhibiteeahhtseiiogsThewfhftibrlhloo
eumbp
rmeesowtopohnelf
the West
p\soavotfnlruciesstatnth.sgeßhiWuirdpeieisitlngot
si
uaedbswtstf
schuernoeffi ifdpro.twrni
efforts
rseni
to the. amount of 30,000/. will be announced, and that the
town of Leeds will come down to the tune of 8,000/. or
9,0007.. He_ re is a goodly tribute towards the quarter of a

Mr. Cobden and Mr. Bright will of course take a prominent
part in this evening's proceedings. Mr. Aldam, the Mem-
ber for Leeds, and Mr. Busfeild, M.P., for Bradford, are ex-
pected to be present;

THE QUARTER OF A MILLION LEAGUE FUND.—
During Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday, the Manchester
subscriptions, and those of the neighbourhood, to the great
250,0001. fund, had been increased by upwards of 1,300/. ; the
amount advertised in our last being 75,7121., and the total up
to last evening amounting to 77,0211. The additional sub •
scriptions include 5001. received yesterday from Mr. William
Eccles of Blackburn ; 200/. from Meows. 'William Higgins
and Sons, of Salford; 2001. from Mr. Clegg, of Manchester;
and 100/. from Messrs. George Benson and Co., Stalybridge.
The Liverpool subscriptions, up to last night, were more than
15,500/. ; and it is said that the Leeds subscriptions consi-
derably exceed 7,0001., though they will not be announced
till the West Riding dinner, this evening. Deducting 1,500/.
of Liverpool subscriptions, included in the total of 77,000/.,
this would give an aggregate total, from Manchester, Liver-
pool, and Leeds, to last evening, of ninety-eight thousand
pounds !—Manchester Guardian of Wednesday.
PEDESTRIANISM.—During the last year there were
no less than 385 public foot-races, varying in distance from
one hundred yards to twenty miles, and in stakes from 2/.
to 50/.

DAMAGES.—What a man gets by going to law;
and, as the word is derived from damnum, a loss, it is ex-
ceedingly appropriate.—Punch.
DEAD WEIGHT.—Vide the National Debt and
other blessings, which are among the venerable institutions
of the country.---Punch.
We regret to learn that Sir George Murray passed
a restless n►ght on Tuesday, and was not at all improved in
health yesterday.

ir a b trb 775 ly ttton

ROLLS' COURT.—(THIS DA Y.)
his Ifoxoun was occupied during the greater portion of
the clay in hearing the remaining petitions.

CAMBRIAN and GRAND JUNCTION

RAILWAY.—(THIS DAY.)
A meeting of the Proprietors of this Company was held
this day at Wood's Hotel, Purnival's Inn, for the purpose of
taking steps for the immediate dissolution of the Company, in
consequence of the unsatisfactory explanations that had been
given by the Managing Committee of local Directors of the
position of the affairs of the Company.
Mr. A. LAURENCE said that it was right for him to state
that he and Mr. Webb had been deputed to represent the
other Proprietors at any meeting that might take place and
also take such steps as might appear to them most desirable.
He trusted that they would now select a chairman.
Mr. APLAurtEN suggested that Mr. Laurence should
take the chair himself; which Mr. Laurence declined, as
being a delegate ; and Mr. Webb also declined presiding for
the same reason.

After some delay, Mr. Ley tor)k the chair, when a resolu-
tion was proposed, to the effect that all persons present
should give their names, which was carried by a majority ;
but several of the gentlemen rising to leave, the resolution
was not persevered in.

---
Mr. LAURENCE said that lie was a shareholder to a large
extent, and residing in Hereford. From the plans and sec-
tions not having been deposited in the usual way, we gave
notice to the banker not to pay the money. The local com-
mittee bad made a most unsatisfactcry explanation, to the
effect that they did not think it likely the speculation would
succeed, from the circumstance of the money not having been
paid up in order to enable them to comply with the standing
orders of Parliament, and that the blame lay with their
engineers. (The speaker read a correspondence to this
effect.) He would not trouble them with all the cor-
respondence that took place between Mr. Doudney and himself
on the question. In consequence of not receiving an answer
to a qut stion on the subject from the Managing Committee,
the shareholders of Hereford signed a protest to the effect
that there should be no further outlay of the money until the
Directors should have satisfied the shareholders, at a public
meeting held for the purpose of aseem taming the position in
which the Company stood. It further added, that they would
be ready to assist in the prosecution of the undertaking if
their demand was acceded to. Mr. Doudman replied to this
protest, that they had not decided on the course to be pur. ued.
This drew an answer from him to the effect that, viewing
the position in which matters stood, they could not consent
to the Committee proceeding further.
A long and desultory discussion ensued, which ended in a
resolution, to the effect that a Committee of the Proprietors
be formed to investigate the stare of the affairs of the Com-
pany, to correspond with the Managing Committee, and to
calla meeting and communicate the result to the shareholders.

The thanks of the meeting were then given to the gentle-
men from Hereford who had originated it.

RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS.
MANCHESTER, JAN. 14.

STOCK EXCIIANGE.—The sales are—Birkenhead, Lanca-
shire, and Cheshire, 414 p.—Chester and Birkenhead, New
201. Shares, 3 p.—Chester and Manchester Direct, Its. dis.
—Dudley, Iron Bridge, &c., dis.—Eastern Counties, Per-
petual, No. 2, p.—East Lancashire, No. 1, 5 p.—East Lin-
colnshire, 1 p.—Fleetwood, Preston, and West Riding,
7-16 p.—Goole, Doncaster, Sheffield, &c., I%—Grand Union,
par—Huddersfield and Manchester Railway and Canal, 63A
p.—Lancashire and North Yorkshire, % p.—Leeds and
Thirsk-, 3 p.—Liverpool and Bury, New Shares, 3 p.—Liver-
pool, Manchester, and Newcastle Junction, 11/2 p.—London
and Windsor, IA dis.—Manchester and Birmingham, Quar-
ters, 7% p.—'Manchester and Birmingham Continuation and
Welsh Junction, % dis.—Manchester and Leeds, Sixteenths,
3 p.--Nottingham and Boston, dis.—Nottingham and
Mansfield, 14 dis —Oldham, Birkenhead, &c., 3 dis.—
Sheffield and Lincoln Junction, 23/ p.—Sheffield and Man-
chester, Quarters, No. 3,3% p.—Shrewsbury and Bir-
mingham, PA p.—Shropshire Union Railway and Canal, %
p.—Southport and Euxton, 14 p.
HULL, J. 14.

STOCK EXCHANGE. —The sales are—Hull and Selby, Half
Shares, 21% —Leeds and Dewsbury, 33/4 p.—North British,
Half Shares, 7 %—Ditto, Carlisle, 21.185. 9d.—Axholme,
—Buckinghamshire, 3/4 p.—Dudley, Madeley, and Iron
Bridge, 2%—East Lincolnshire, 2%—Goole, Doncaster, Shef-
field, &c., 3/. 17s.—Grand Union, 30s. —Great North and
South Wales and Worcester, 9s.—Hull and Barnsley Junc-
tion, 41s. 6d.—Leicester and Bedford, 11. IGs. —Liverpool
and Leeds, 2/. 6s.—Nottingham, Enmesh, &c., PA—Rugby
and Huntingdon, 1:3/4—Shropshire Union, IA p.—Wakefield
and Bradford, 2 Vs.—Worcester, Tenbury, and Ludlow, 33/4—
Yorkshire and Glasgow Union, 2%.
SHEFFIELD, JAN. 14.

STOCK EXCILANGE.—The sales are—Sheffield and Man-
chester, Qnarter Shares, No. 2, 113/4—Grimsby and Sheffield,
Extension, W. 4s. 6d.—Manchester, Sheffield, and Midland
Junction, 41/2—Sheffield, Buxton, Leek, Potteries, and
Crewe, 1. _ _

G !MAT MEETING

OF THE

ANTI-CORN-lAW
LEAGUE
AT COVENT-GARDEN THEATRE.

The regular monthly meeting of the members of
the Anti-Corn-law League was held last evening at
Covent. garden Theatre. Long before the time ap-
pointed for taking the chair the theatre was crowded
in every part. Amongst the distinguished persons on
the stage were George Wilson, Esq. (in the chair),
Hon. Charles P. Villiers, M.P., Thomas Milner Gib-
son, Esq., M.P., Joseph Hume, Esq., M.P,, Sir Wil-
liam Brynes, Bart., George Thompson, Esq., John
Houghton, E•q. (Broom Hall), Robert Mather, Esq.
(Liverpool), Major-General Briggs, Dr. Cooke Tay-
lor, W. A. Wilkinson, Esq., P. A. Taylor, Esq., H.
Ashurst, Esq., Norman Wilkinson, Esq., Messrs.
Thomas Hodgkin, David Dewar, Thorne, Rawlins,
J. B. Evans, Edward Lucas, Francis Place, Edward

Brownley, Grant, Robert R. R. Moore, W. B.
Wedgwood (New York), John Poulter, H. Brittain
(Walthamstow), C. Constable (Surrey), Arthur Pat-

ison, J. C. Hutchinson (U.S.), T. S. Prideaux
Southampton), E. Davy (Crediton), T. Allerdine,
•

Richard Ware Cole, Frank Eastwood, &c.

Mr. WILSON, the Chairman, on rising, was re-
ceived with the most enthusiastic cheering, and on
quietness being restored, he congratulated the meet-
ing on what might be, he thought, a very fair subject
indeed for congratulation, namely, that after an up-
hill fight of seven years, the subject for the further-
ance of which they were assembled had lost none of
its wonted interest. He took it for granted there
were few at least in the present time so besotted as to
think it requisite to ask of six thousand people met in
Covent-garden, in the eighth year of the League's
campaign, what the precise and definite object of that
great national organisation was, of which that great
meeting was but a small fragmentary part. Seven

years had brought great and sweeping changes with
them. Many a good old prejudice had been ga-
thered to its fathers, and many an honoured and
valued agitator, who had commenced the good work
with them (the Leaguers), had been laid in the silent
grave. But there they were. Great changes might
have taken place within the time. Cabinets had been
formed and had passed away. Power had changed
from one administration to another ; but the
principles of the Anti-Corn-law League had un-
dergone no alteration—(Cheers)—and nothing had
sapped or undermined them. They stood there
pledged to the same principles to which they had
pledged themselves in 1838—to the total, the com-
plete, and unconditional abolition of the corn -laws.—
(Great cheering.) It was in vain to deny that the
present was a most thrilling—a most interesting—
period of that agitation. All parties were agreed that
the crisis of protection was now approaching. The
intermediate ground had been altogether abandoned.
The fixed duty party was gone for ever, and it be-
hoved every man to make his election at once—to
stand or fall with that great party which asked for
the total abolition of the corn-laws, or with that
party which stood out for restriction and security.—
(Hear, hear.) Next week Sir Robert Peel would
explain to Parliament the course which it should
please him to adopt. He (Mr. Wilson) took it for
granted that Sir Robert was already better acquainted
than any man in the kingdom with the exact nature
of the threatened scarcity of provisions, especially in
Ireland. It had been shown over and over again
that the rate of mortality increased or diminished
with the increase or diminution of the prices of
provisions, and a great responsibility rested upon
the man, especially upon the statesman, who could
e-sert a guiding influence upon the cost of provisions
Whatever course may have appeared judicious to the
statesman at the head of affairs in the year 1815, when
the corn-laws were established, in spite of public
opinion, there had since sprung up in this country a
party which must have some influence in the settle-
ment of the question to which those laws had given
:rise ; and it was to the state and position of that
party to which he should draw the attention of the
meeting that evening. The first great subject which
the Anti-Corn-law League had in hand was the
qualification movement.—(Hear, hear.) Why, it
might be urged, what could the making of votes,
which could be only used in October next, have to
,do with the settlement of a question which might
be settled in February, or March, or at all events
April ? He would tell them. If they had the
question settled in February, or March, or
April, it would be because their antagonists
knew that they had the votes ready for
use in October.—(Cheers.) Now the quali-
fication should be registered before the 31st
,of January, and he would show them what had been
the success which had attended their labours hitherto
on this qualification movement. The Council of the
League would have incurred a fearful responsibility
.if they, in getting up so enormous a fund as a quarter
of a million, had not given their best consideration to
-the most advantageous mode of disbursing it. They
had to deal with the revision of registries containing
144,000 voters, a quarter of the whole franchise of
'England, and they had gained on those registries
16,446.—(Cheers.) But he (Mr. Wilson) did not
come there to tell them what gains had been already
:made by that revision, but he would take from the
:mouths of the protectionists that which he was about
Ito lay before the meeting. They all knew South
:Lancashire, the most populous county in England.
.At the last election the monopolists beat the free-
traders. How did it stand now? Lord Francis
:Egerton—and there he (Mr. Wilson) would
• take leave to say, that if a monopolist
could be selected by him, a more honourable man
or a more amiable one in private life could not
be found than Lord Francis Egerton, the member
, selected by Sir Robert Peel
-'to move the address.
Well, what said Lord Francis Egerton?—" I will
fight no more. Look out for another candidate.—
(Hear, hear, and laughter). I have had enough."
And at the next election Mr. Villiers and Mr. En-
twisle would walk over unopposed.—(Cheers.) Then
there was South Cheshire, represented by Tatton
Egerton, and they had not a man of equal pluck
amongst them. Well, what said he ? " Look out
for another man.—(Laughter.) I have fought hard
battles here for you. I have been at the head of the
poll, but you must look out for some one else now."—
(Cheers and laughter.) Well, let them next look at
the West Riding of Yorkshire.—(Cheers.) That
great county, with its million of population, and its
32,000 votes on the registry, and its majority of 800
on the last election. What was taking place there ?
Lord Morpeth had been out on his canvass for the
last fortnight, and not a man could be found to con-
test the county with him.—(Tremendous cheering.)
Those, then, were a few of the results which had
taken place. They knew of a great many others
who were prepared to follow the example of those
honourable members at the first convenient oppor-
tunity. and as surely as they (the League) had the
slightest ground of excuse for continuing the agita-
tion for another year, so surely as their opponents
left one single rag of protection to keep the League
open, so surely would they proceed until they. got the
men of Scotland to cross the border, to join hands
with the men of Northumberland, and Cumberland,
and Durham, and thence they should proceed to
unite with the men of Yorkshire, and Lancashire,
and Staffordshire, from whence they would pass to
Birmingham, and if more was necessary, they should
go on, and those should join hands with the men of
London, who should go out on all sides purifying the
counties and knocking down the monopolists one
after another—(Laughter and cheers)—and if there
should be one refractory county left, such as Buck-
ingham—(Laughter and cheers)--why then they
would crowd sail on all hands, and take it out of the
possession of the Duke. He (Mr. Wilson) next
came to speak of the great League fund of
a quarter of a million. It was agreed on a
month ago—there were gentlemen then on the
platform who could vouch the accuracy of this asser-
tion—that it did not take five minutes in debate before
it was agreed on in the Council. There was a meet-
ing then, called at Manchester, the greatest meeting
he (Mr. 'Wilson) ever saw, where, at the rate of .500/.
a minute, 6,00001. were at once subscribed—(Cheers)
—and there were then upwards of 70,000/. There
was another 'meeting at Liverpool last week in fur-
therance of the fund, where their excellent friend,
Mr. Brown, presided, heading the list with a subscrip-
tion of I,oool.—(Cheers). There was another gentle-
man present, Mr. Mather, who followed him
with another 1,000/.—(Cheers.)—and they received
somewhere between 12,0001. and 13,000/. in
Liverpool.—(Cheers.) He (Mr. Wilson) had letters
from all parts of the kingdom, stating the ease
with which the fund would be raised in all parts
of the country. Mr. Baxter, of Dundee, presided
at a meeting there, where, in twenty minutes,
1,600/. were raised for the League fund ; and that
very night there was a dinner at Leeds, of delegates

from the West Riding of Yorkshire, which would be
attended by Messrs. Cobden and Bright, and he (Mr.
Wilson) dared to say that 20,0001. or 25,0001. would
be put down at that meeting.—(Great cheering.)
Now, he would discard the small sums. Let them
take the sums collected at Manchester, Liverpool,
and Leeds, and they would challenge the Dukes of
Buckingham, of Richmond, and of Norfolk, and the
whole of them, with all the squirearchy of England
to their back, to call meetings everywhere, and put
down one-half the sum for the furtherance of the
cause of protection, of which they were such stre-
nuous advocates. But that had not been all which
had been done. Those meetings had never inter-
rupted the ordinary business of the League. He
had the curiosity to reckon how many meetings they
had had since October last, and he found that Messrs.
Cobden, Bright, and Moore had attended sixty-
two meetings in that time.—(Cheers.) He found also,
that their excellent friends, in all parts of the country,
had had their meetings either for the opening of the
ports or the furtherance of other objects, in accord-
ance with their views, and those meetings had num-
bered between 100 and 120. Well, they had heard
of meetings on the other side—great meetings.—
(Cheers and laughter.) He (Mr. Wilson) had re-
ceived some information respecting some of those
meetings. At a good many of them not more than
sixty or seventy people attended, just enough to form
a decent committee for a ladies' charity.—(Laughter.)
One of their own speakers, at a meeting at Lincoln,
osafitdhce o
thahreirm oin,
otheranbe
said it w day that a cat might seen at any part
it w sso a s
the largest crowded—(Laughter)—and
de d— (
meeting
La u gh t e
of
r ) at nh d
the e
kind he had ever seen.—(Cheers and laughter.) But
they (the League) would admit that the protec-
tionists had exhibited unwonted alacrity, and had put
forth unaccustomed strength. At Chichester
(Laughter)—and other places they had had great
meetings. They should have all the benefit of it, and
the Leaguers would admit that, with a good deal of
abuse of Sir Robert Peel and of Lord John Russell
and others, both those who did not come to the meet-
ing and those who did, but were not pleased after
coming, they contrived to make up a very interesting
report. But what did it all prove ? Merely that
there were men in the country who would never yield
until the minister had decided that they should be
brought to book. Let them meet—let them abuse the
League as much as they please—let them threaten them
with the fabulous animal the British lion.—(Laughter.)
Let them be loosed at them. The Leaguers would catch
him and bring him to Covent-garden. Let the Protec-
tionists meet them at the qualification movement. They
knew that they had already caught the people
at that whilst they were asleep. But let them
try it naw, and the League would beat them ten to
one in any county they liked. But there had been
another meeting—not one called by the Protection
Society, nor by the Anti-Corn-law League—one
furnished with no speakers from Willis's Rooms, but
a meeting which, thanks to the Times, had been re-
ported throughout the breadth and length of the land.
He referred to the meeting at Goatacre—(Great
cheering—during a lull, in which a person in the
second tier of the proscenium boxes called out, " Three
cheers for the Goatacre labourers," which was re-
sponded to instantly by three distinct rounds.) And
there, on a winter night, a thousand agricultural la-
bourers met together. For what? To abuse the League ?
No. To support agricultural protection ? No. But to
ask the Government to look at their pale and haggard
features, and as they were actuated, or could be
actuated by the feelings of humanity to open the
ports, and give to them the advantages of free
trade. Now, they would not put into the scale the
advertised meetings of the League, or claim advantage
for them over the protectionists, but they would put
in evidence against them that single meeting at Goat-
acre, and they would set that against all the meetings
held under the auspices of the Protectionist Society,
of 17, New Bond-street. They might meet at New
Bond-street and announce that the agricultural la-
bourer was in favour of the corn-laws.—(Cheers.)
The meeting would be that evening addressed by Mr.
Villiers and by Mr. Milner Gibson. Mr. Gisborne,
he (Mr. Wilson) regretted to say, was seriously in-
disposed in the Isle of Wight, but his place would be
supplied by Mr. Moore; and Mr. Houghton, the
largest farmer in the United Kingdom, was anxious
to say a few words. He had, therefore, great pleasure
in calling on Mr. Villiers.—(Cheers.)
The Hon. C. P. VILLIERS, in coming forward, was
received with most rapturous cheering. He thought
they had come to that point in the progress of their
cause, when every person was anxious to know what
prospect there was of their success.—(Cheers.) What
was going to be done ? The last time they met in
that theatre, their spirits were much elated at the
prospect their cause presented, owing to the position
of political parties.—(Cheers.) Several events had
occurred since that time extremely interesting to
their cause.--(Cheers.) Those events had been viewed
differently by politicians of different parties, but when
they assembled in that theatre they professed to have
nothing to do with party politics. Parties of all
creeds and opinions assembled there together, and they
might be excused in considering those events, as they
bore on the corn-law question alone, and in that view
he ventured to express his opinion that nothing had
occurred since they last met at all calculated
to discourage or weaken those hopes which they en-
tertained upon that occasion. The moral of all these
parties' mis-statements seemed tole, that their good
cause of free trade was in the ascendant, and that
they were approaching in their struggle to a speedy
and successful issue.—(Cheers.) At their last meet-
ing Lord John Russell had received the commission
of the Crown to form a Government, after having
placed on record his identity of opinion with them-
selves. They had had the satisfaction of learning
since, that those colleagues he had called to his
councils had entirely agreed with him in his support
of the measure of the League ; and they had further
reason to believe that if he had succeeded in forming
a Government, he would have received the cordial
support of Sir Robert Peel, and such friends as he
could influence. They had also the satisfaction of
knowing that Lord John Russell did not complete his
arrangement for forming a Government from any cause
of a difference of opinion on the question of the corn-
laws—(Cheers)—and though it would have given
the personal friends of Lord John Russell great sa-
tisfaction to have seen him in the post to which he
was called by his Sovereign, and which he (Mr. Vil-
liers) believed he would have worthily filled, and
would have had strength to support, notwithstanding
what had been suggested by their worthy friend
Punch.—(Great laughter.) Yet he was convinced
that the force which would be presented in favour of
the repeal of the corn-laws in the House of Commons
would be greater than it would have been under any
other circumstances.—(Cheers.) Sir Robert Peel
had returned to power ; his dissentient colleagues had
returned to reason—(Cheers and laughter)—and
there was nothing had transpired that would induce
them to believe that any of them had returned to their
former opinion in favour of the corn-laws; and
though it was difficult to confide in the course pro-
posed to be pursued by any public man—(Cheers)—
yet he could not find it difficult to believe that Sir
Robert Peel would never return to power to call upon
himself the universal odium of the nation.---(Cheers.)
If his will was not wanted, he was now is a position
that a Minister never was in before.—(Cheers.) He
was relieved from all party consideration ; he had not
only the whole patronage of the Governmenth at hia
now, command,for the
hbeut
firstthe t
iOmpep Opposition.—(Cheers.)
unitedt io n .
andey were
de-
termined to extend to him their earnest and cordial
—an(edhdeeecriVedT,
support if his measures were honest and complete—
(Hear, hear)—but they were equally determined, if
he was false to the interests of the nation, to resort to
every means to obtain justice for the people.
Under these circumstances, he (Mr. Villiers) felt
sanguine of the success of their cause, and he could
not bring himself to think that the present year
would pass away without some satisicachteoerrys.)settHletenen
of the great corn-law question._
be-
lieved that their rulers would not so far disregard the
voice of common sense in this country as to deny
that the time had come when the question should be
settled.—(Cheers.) Whatever they might choose to
do, of this he was convinced, that the time had come
when all trifling with this question must be passed
away.—(Cheers.) There had always been a reality
in the question which time and circumstances would
sure to aid.—(Cheers.) The corn-law now stood
before the country stamped with being a law
alike obnoxious to the obtaining of food
and the trade of the country. (Cheers.)
They had now reached that point in their progress
when no Minister would undertake to conduct the
affairs of the Government if he was to be responsible
for the continuance of the corn-laws.---(Cheers.) It
was only the other day that they had learned from
Mr. Gladstone's letter, that the party who would sup-
port the corn-laws would not be able to carry on the
Government.—(Cheers.) They had shrunk from that
test—(Cheers)—they wished to have all the advan-
tages from the corn-laws when they could be main-
tained quietly, but they would have nothing to do
with maintaining them when there was any risk.—
(Laughter.) In perusing the addresses of the pro-
tectionists it would appear that they claim superior
integrity, a majority in both Houses of Parliament,
and seven-ninths of the population of the country. If
such was the case, was it not curious that they would
not undertake to administer the Government ? But
no ; they turned from this duty, and they contented
themselves in the most scurrilous abuse.—(Cheers.)
They had now arrived to that period of the history
of this monopoly when no man would
undertake—no, not even the strongest Mintihs;
ter—(Cheers)—would attempt to govern
county, if, at the same time, he must undertakeertake the
responsibility of maintaining thecorn-lasys.—(Cheers.)_
Such was the result of this law after thirty years' ex-
perience—a law which prevented the proper supply of
food to 28,000,000 of people.—(Cheers.) Yet they
were told that they were not safe, that they were not
out of danger; they were told that the parties opposing