The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-04 00:00:00

GREAT FREE TRADE FESTIVAL

AT THE MUSIC HALL, SHEFFIELD.
(Abridged from the Sheffield iris.)
The commemoration of the passing of the glorious
measures of free trade was celebrated on Wednesday, at
the Music Hall, by the Free Trade Association and their
friends, and throughout the town by the majority of
tradesmen closing their shops at noon, to give their
assistants and apprentices a holiday. The soirée, at the
Music Hall, was held at six o'clock in the evening, when
the orchestra, platform, and saloon were crowded in
every part, to say nothing of the occupants of the gallery,
who attended as spectators of the scene. In the centre
of the orchestra sat the Chairman, W. Fisher, Esq.,
supported on the right by Lord Morpeth, Edward Smith,
Esq., 11. G. Ward, Esq., M.P., Mr. Alderman Dunn, R.
R. R. Moore, Esq., and Richard Solly, Esq. ; and on the
left of the chair were John Parker, Esq., M.P., Edward
Vickers, Esq., Colonel Thompson, W. Jeffcock, Esq.,
H. Wilkinson, Esq., and S. Butcher, Esq., Mayor. In the
orchestra seats we also observed T. A. Ward, Esq.,
town regent, T. B. Turton, Esq., master cutler,
Ashmead, Esq., from Philadelphia, U.S., Eckman,
Esq., from Sweden, Dr. Bartolome, F. lloole, Esq., R.
J. Gainsford, Esq., John Ryalls, Esq., John Yeomans,
jun., Esq., C. Appleby, Esq., Wm. Waterfall, Esq. ;
Revs. B. T. Stannus, Rhodes, and Wright ;;Aldermen,
Carr, G. Turton, and W. Hoole ; Councillors, 11. Wil-
kinson, Thompson, H. Atkin, W. Fisher, jun., I. P.
Cutts, J. Stevenson, G. Tucker,
Jon. Roebuck, T.
Rodgers, Roper, and Jackson ; Edward Bramley, town
clerk ; Henry Vickers, Esq; Messrs. W. A. Matthews,
Hobson, Unwin, Moss, Oates, David Johnson, Zachariah
Dyson, and George Johnson. Immediately behind the
chair were several sheaves of wheat, ripe and full, and
inscribed on a large banner, at the back of the orchestra,
" Union, Perseverance, and Victory." The railings in
front of the orchestra were ornamented with flowers and
evergreens—with a fine wheat sheaf in the centre. On
the sides of the orchestra were splendid stands of rare
and choice flowers, from which, along the sides of the
building to the gallery, ran superb festoons composed
of evergreens and flowers. In front of the gallery
hung a spacious banner inscribed, " Wisely use the pre-
sent, learn from the past, and trust to the future." " Time
works wonders." One cross table was placed for the
distinguished guests in the orchestra. The platform
contained six tables at right angles from the orchestra,
and nine other tables occupied the remainder of the
saloon. At the bottoms of the chandeliers hung gigantic
ears of Indian corn—show ing that the increasing popu-
lation of our own little island, can, through the blessing
of free trade, be supplied with the surplus produce of
other and distant lands. In front of the chairman was a
superb silver vase, on an equally magnificent silver
waiter, filled with a most beautiful bouquet of flowers.
The company consisted of some of the best men of Hal-
lamshire. heir wives and daughters also graced the
scene with their presence, and it was truly gratifying to
see so noble and immortal a cause countenanced by so
many hundreds of the lovliest and fairest members of
creation. Both from the orchestra and the gallery the
scence was a most imposing one, and will be long im-
pressed on the memories of those who witnessed it.
At the conclusion of the repast, the CHAIRMAN pro-
ceeded with the business of the meeting. He apolo-
gised for having taken so prominent a position, and
regretted his inability to fulfil the duties in connexion
with it. He paid a high compliment to the ladies of
Sheffield for the part they had taken in the victory
which had been achieved, many of them having ren-
dered the most valuable services in connexion with the
bazaar at Covent-garden Theatre, and having shown
that their sympathies were enlisted in this great cause.
He was satisfied in his own mind that by a repeal of
the corn-laws the labouring population would be
much better clothed, and many other happy results
would arise which he hope 1 they would live to see.
At any time the repeal of the corn-laws would have
been acceptable, but it had come at a time when cir-
cumstances rendered it doubly so. They were fearful
of a great falling off in the potato crop, a more early
and more extensive failure than last year, and in
the face of such a calamity free trade in corn was indeed
a great and important benefit. He hoped they would
all live to see the sentiments of free trade more fully

appreciated and understood. They had not yet got
quite all they asked for, but a good instalment of some-
thing like seventeen and sixpence in the pound, and
very good security for the remainder.--(dear, hear.)
The corn-law being repealed was the removal of the
centre arch of monopoly. Sugar had already given way,
and they might infer that all other monopolies would
soon go in the same way. As a proof of the good likely
to be effected by such proceedings, and their effect upon
other countries, he referred to the alteration already
made in the United States, and to the reception which
Mr. Cobden had met with in Paris. He (the Chairman)
was of opinion with the Frenchman in the observation
lesser nous fuire, meaning in English "Let us alone,"
and all he would ask was permission to buy in the
cheapest and sell in the dearest market. Having said so
much, he would not occupy the time of the meeting, but
would proceed to the business of the evening, and leave
it to others to address the meeting.
The CHAIRMAN then read the following letters, which
had been received from the parties, in excuse for their
non-attendance:— _ _

Wentworth, Aug. 14, 1846.
Sir,—Being otherwise engaged on the 2d of Sept.,
and at a distance from home, it will not be in my power
to attend the soiree intended to commemorate the great
step in commercial reform by passing the recent Corn
Act.—l have the honour to be, Sir, your very faithful

servant, FITZWILLIAM.
5, Charlottte-street, Bedford-square, July 18, 1846.
Dear am much gratified by the request of the
Association of which you are the President, that I
should join in their rejoicings for the recent free-trade
victory. lam sorry to have to add, that I can only sym-
pathise with them from a distance, as it will not be
practicable for me to be in Sheffield at the time men-
tioned.
With thanks for the added kindness of your son's
invitation, I am, dear Sir, yours truly,
To Wm. Fisher, Esq. W. J. FOX.
West Lodge, Putney Lower Common, July 27.
Sir,—By some accident your letter was delayed in its
transit, or I should have curlier replied to it. Now,
and for some time I fear, the increased occupation laid
upon me by this new paper, will render it more than
inconvenient fur me to leave London, otherwise I assure
you I should have most gladly availed myself of the
honour of the invitation conveyed to me—the more so,

too, as I am anxious at the first opportunity, to pay the
debt, or part of it, that I already owe to the courtesy
and forbearance of the good people of Sheffield.—Yours
faithfully, DOUGLAS JERROLD.
Leeds, July 24, 1846.
My dear Sir,—l feel greatly honoured by the invita-
tion of the Sheffield Free-Trade Committee to attend the
public soiree. I assure you it would have given me the
greatest pleasure to be present on that interesting occa-
sion; but a business journey, previously fixed, and which
cannot be put off, compels me to deline.
Accept, my dear Sir, my hearty congratulations on
the great constitutional victory which you are about to
celebrate.—l am, dear Sir, yours very faithfully,
EDWARD BAINES, Jun.
W. Fisher, Esq., President.
Great Houghton, near Barnsley,
29th July, 1846.

Dear Sir,—l thank You for your invitation, and wish
I deserved it; but I could not accept it without becoming
an object of derision to myself. having taken no part in
your four years' battle, why should I share in your tri-
umph? Without the funds of the League, even the abi-
lities of Mr. Cobden would have been useless; and to
those funds I contributed not a farthing! On the 21st
instant, in reply to a letter of invitation from John 'Yeo-
mans, jun., Esq., I said all this in many more words, my
objects being to express, however inadequately, my
sense of the appalling difficulties encountered and over-
come by Mr. Cobden, and to remind the world of an-
other benefactor, Colonel Thompson, who, to say the
least, is the father of free trade agitation, and whose
deeds, in their blessed consequences, will not be found
to be " of the things which pass away."
I am, dear Sir, yours very truly,
EBENEZER ELLIOTT.
EDWARD SMITH, Esq., the Vice-President, next rose
and read the report of the Free-trade Association:—
" THE FINAL REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE
SHEFFIELD FREE TRADE ASSOCIATION.

"On former occasions we have met to keep alive our
hopes, to note the progress of our cause, or to devise
new and liberal measures for its promoticn. We now
meet for the last time, but we meet to congratulate
each other that the principles of free trade have pre-
vailed. That their opponents have become their Mi-
nisters, that every statesman has acknowledged them
to be true and just—that they have received the au-
thority of law, and that therefore our labours have
ceased. We shall not weary you with a retrospect of
1 the past history of this Association. The leading facts