The Sun.
London, England, 1841-12-16 00:00:00

of the vessel had been supplied with copies of the cx
tracts of the regulations of the Act of Parliament.
The Lour) MAYOR—I suppose the Marine Society evil
be Fatislied with one conviction ?

Mr. Young—Certainly. It is now your Tywdship's duty
to inflict the penalty of 501. I am, however, at liberty to
tell the defendant that if, with the assistance of Air.
uldham, the clerk of Billingsgate Market, he will draw up
and present a memorial to the Marine Society, express-
ing his determination never to violate the Act again, due
attention would be paid to the application.
The Loup M..tvon then fined the defendant 51x1. His
Lordship observed that from the nature of his business
lie was necessarily conversant with the advantages de-
rivable from the Alarine Society, and he should rigidly
enforce the penalties in every case that might hencefor-
ward be proved before him.
Rickard Bevill, a little fellow, who anpeared to b^ 18
or 19 years of age, was brought before his Lordship
upon the following extraordinary charge :—Mr. Holman,
No. 14, Poultry, tailor, stated that the prisoner came to
him as a customer, and said that he had been just left a
fortune of 250,000/. by an uncle, and that lie wanted
clothes to the amount of about 50/., which he accord-
ingly ordered.

The Lout) MAvon—You did not know anything about
him ? Mr. Holman—Nothing.
Lolly MAYon—And did you believe him ? Mr. Ifol-
man—l scarcely believed him.
LORD MAYOR—CouId you believe anything of the
kind ? Mr. Holman--I asked him fir a deposit., and he
told me that he would leave lot. or 12/. with me. After
seine further conversation, he asked Inc whether I could
recommend him to a haberdasher, as he wanted some
articles of hosiery.

The Lolls M.tvort•- And did you recommend him ?
Mr. Holman--I did. I 0)0k him to Mr. Hancock's, the
hosier, in the Poultry, and he gave an order them also.
Mr. Hancock said that the prisoner, upon being intro-
duced by Mr. Holman, stated that his uncle had be-
queathed bins the large suns of 250,0001., and had left
sixteen other near relatives without a penny. The young
gentleman then looked out various articles to the amount
of about 601., amongst which were three dozens of the
best Irish linen shirts, and numbers of silk and satin
scarfs and hose. As suspicions were entertained of his
character, he was closely watched. Indeed, it was be-
lieved that the prisoner's object was to get what he could
off the counter. Upon being questioned about the pay-
ment, he stated that he was to receive 5001. next day.
Chancy, the street-keeper of the district, stated that
the complainants gave bins instructions about the pri-
soner, whose object was supposed to be plunder, and
whom he, therefore, took into custody.
The LORD MAI-on—What have you to say in answer
to this strange accusation, prisonor ? Prisoner—l am
very sorry for what I have done, my Lord. I acknow-
ledge that it was a very foolish and unsteady act.
Mr. Hancock—We had him taken into custody becalm
we apprehended he might have committed depredations.
The Loup MAvon—Prisoner, it looks as if you in-
tended to plunder these people.
Prisoner—l can take my oath I had no notion of the
kind, but it was foolish entirely. I can produce most
respectable friends.

The LORD Mayou—Very well, do so. I shall remand
you till to -morrow.—The prisoner was then remanded.

DINNER TO THE POOR IN THE
NORWICH WORKHOUSE.
(From the Norfolk Chronicle.)
The Lord Bishop having intimated to the Governor
and members of the Court of Guardians in this city,
his desire to give to the poor Inmates of the workhouse
a good dinner of old English fare of roast beef and plum
pudding, in celebration of the birth of a Prince, the
heir apparent to the Throne, Tuesday last was the day
fixed for.carrying his Lordship's benevolent intention into
effect.

There are nearly 400 persons in the house, and for
these ample provision was furnished ; plum puddings of
the best quality were made, and joints of beef of the
primest kind were procured ; the hall kitchen, once a busy
scene, in whose grates, since the introduction of a reform-
ing municipality, no fire has burned, nor has the note of
preparation even sounded within its walls for civic hos-
pitality—this spacious kitchen and the materials which
it affords for cooking a good dinner, were again brought
into requisition. About half-past one o'clock the
dishes were pllced upon the tables which had been
arranged, three in the centre aisle, and one by the side ;
and it being announced that all was ready, the boys
and girls in the establishment first entered and took
their places, and were followed by the men and
women, and it was a pleasing sight to see so many,
both of old and young,; whom poverty and not their
will consents to be the recipients of workhouse fare,
sitting down before fine joints of beef, and smoking
dishes of plum pudding.
Grace was said by the Bishop, and " Non nobis,
Domine," was sung by the choristers of the Cathedral,
who were stationed in the orchestra.
The Chaplain to the workhouse (Rev. J. B. Tomp-
son), the Governor, and several of the Guardians as-
sisted in carving, and most successful was the attack
made upon the provisions, every one seeming to enjoy
the day.

Mrs. and Miss Stanley, and several other ladies
evinced much interest in the personal comfort and en-
joyment of the guests, particularly of the junior ob-
jects of his Lordship's bounty,
Grace having been pronounced by his Lordship, and
the seen, women, and children having resumed their

places—
The BISHOP said, " My friends, I am in duty bound
to give a toast, and I shall give you ' The health of
her Majesty Queen Victoria,' our Sovereign, the
guardian of the British empire, and gratified, indeed,
would sho be to witness this scene. True it is that she is
the highest authority of the land, but exalted as is her
station, if she were here, Englishwoman as she is, with
an English heart and a mother's feelings, there is no-
thing, I well know, which would please Queen Vic-
toria more, than to behold the sight I now witness, of
nearly 400 poor persons regaling themselves on the oc-
casion of her son's birth. Her Majesty has received
addresses from the highest and noblest of the land, but
this sight would give her more real pleasure than all the
addresses and congratulations that her Majesty has re-
ceived. My friends, let us drink the health of Queen
Victoria, long may she reign, happy may she be, the
beloved Sovereign of a loyal, free, and grateful people."
" God save the Queen" was then sung by the cho-
risters of the Cathedral, assisted by the organ.
The 131st-toe—Now, my friends, I must this day give
you another toast, and it is the health of the Royal In-
fant, who is, under Divine Providence, to be our future
King. May God Almighty so impress him with a right
spirit within, that being moulded and fashioned as a
child in the true spirit of wisdom, he may, when be
grows up to manhood, prove a real blessing to the land
which gave him birth. As by his birth he will be the
first man in the country, so by his education may he be-
come the best, and fitted for his exalted station. May
he above all things set a bright exainple to those whom
he may govern, that they may feel it both a duty and a
pleasure to obey him, and to yield to him the homage of
loyal, obedient, and happy subjects. I give you, " The
Health of the Royal Infant, who is to be our future
King."—(Great cheering.) Air—Rule Britannia.
The BISHOP again said—My friends, I must give
you one more toast, and I will be short in my re-
marks, but nevertheless it is one in which I boast,
" England, the land we live in," may she ever be the
first country in the world, first in entergrise, first in re-
ligion, and first in the happiness and welfare of her
people."—(Cheers.) Air—Britons strike home.
The GOVERNOR said—l have the permission of the
Bishop to propose a toast, and I will give you one in
which I am sure you will all unite most cordially ; it is
the health of one who does high honour to the high and
sacred office which he holds, and who exemplifies that
office by kindness, by generosity, and good feeling. It
must delight all who venerate our Church, to see the
manner in which the head of that Church in that dio-
cese exercises his office ; it gives me satisfaction to pro-
pose, and I am sure that you will heartily drink, " The
health of the Bishop."—( Cheers.)
His LORDSHIP said—Five years I have been among
you, and I have passed many happy hours in this dio-
cese, but I know not that I ever passed one more satis-
factorily to myself, than in seeiug, es I have done this
day, nearly 400 of the poor regaling themselves on this
auspicious occasion. I have seen St. Andrew's Hall
crowded at many meetings, for benevolent, religious,
and almost every variety of objects, but I have never
seen it filled ip a manner more gratifying than it is now,
by persons of the poorer class regaling themselves on an
occasion joyful to England itself. I myself only regret
that every poor person, not only in Norwich, but
throughout England, is not able by his industry and
honest exertions to celebrate the event in the same
manner. My caraest prayer to God is, that things may
improve ; so that every industrious man may be able
to earn a competency and be able to live in the enjoy-
ment of the privileges of his country.—(Cheers.)
The Bistros then gave" Health, success, and happi-
ness to the poor in Norwich and the poor in England."
His Lordship, Mrs. Stanley, and the company who
had been present in the ha?!, then retired.
We will not close our account of the proceedings of
this interesting day, without paying a just tribute of
praise to Mr. and Mrs. Lowne, the master and matron
of the workhouse, for the excellent arrangements they
had made, and the cleanly and respectable appearauce
of the poor inmates was highly creditable to them as
managers of the establishment.

ANTI-SI•AVE FUN DS.
The Committee of the British and Foreign Anti-
Slavery Society are under the necessity of calling the
attention of their friends throughout the country to
the low state of their funds. The list of contributions
which they have the pleasure of presenting to-day,
shows that their kind and valued co-operators do not
forget them ; but the supplies at present, and for a con-
siderable time past afforded, are not equal to their ne-
cessities. So very far, indeed, is this from being the
case, that arrears have accumulated to the very serious
and embarrassing amount of fifteen hundred pounds,
and the evil is increasing every week. The attention
of the Committee has been closely directed to an exa-
mination of the expenditure, and to measures of eco-
nomy, of which latter we may have something more
to gay in our ❑ext. But no idea can be entertained of
carrying on the highly-important operations of the So-
ciety on any scale of efficiency, without larger supplies.
—Anti-Slavery Reporter.

IMPORTANT MEETING AT LEEDS
(ti" AN TI-CoRN-LAW DEPUTIES FROM THE
WEST RIDING.
(From the 17erfreehesice Guardian.)
A numerous and higimly-s.-sPeetabl" meeting was
held on Menday last, in the Mush: 11,1,11, Leeds, of de-
putations from the various Auti•Ceen.,:w Associations
of the West Riding, to make arrangements for the col-
lection and publication of statistical reports rele:i" to
the state of trade in that district as effected by tn°
Corn and other Monopoly-laws ; and to determine upon
the course of proceedings to be adopted previous to the
meeting of Parliament. The gentlemen who attesetted
as Delegates are almost all extensively engaged in mi•
nufecturiug and commercial pursuits, and therefore well
qualified to speak as to this present and past condition
of trade in their respective localities ; and the state-
ments made were such as to convince every one of the
deep injury inflicted on our trade by the operation of
the Corn-laws, and all commercial restrictions. Amongst
the gentlemen present, we noticed W. Aldam, jun.,
Esq., M.P., Joseph lloldsworth, Esq., M.P., Edward
Baines, Esq., Hamer Stansfield, Esq., T. Flint, Esq.,
&c., of Leeds ; Jonathan Ackroyd, Esq., John Bald-
win, Esq., of Halifax ; J. Batley, Esq., W. Willans,
Esq., of Huddersfield ; lt. Milligan, Esq. ; W. Mut.-
gatroyd, Esq., H. Forbes, Esq., of Bradford, &c., &c.
The chair was taken at twelve o'clock by James
Marshall, Esq., one of the most extensive flax-spinners
in this or any other country. He commenced by stat-
ing, that the present important meeting had been con-
vened for the purpose of joint discussion and inquiry as
to the actual effects of the Corn-laws upon the various
important branch es of trade in the West Riding, and
of enabling them at once to adopt the most active and
energetic measures for obtaining the repeal of those op-
pressive statutes. The circumstances of national dis-
tress, under which they were mct together, called
upon them for the exertion of their best judgment in a
serious, earnest, and dispassionate inquiry into the
cause of those evils ; and no less called upon them for
the adoption of prompt and vigorous plans to obtain
their immediate and entire removal.—(Cheers.) Their
first great business would be to hear from eye-witnesses
as complete a statement as possible of the condition of
the population ; and also to express those general
principles, by reason of which they thought that the
oppressive taxes amounted to an infraction of the in-
alienable and constitutional rights of the people.
Mr. T. FLINT, of Leeds, moved the first resolu-
tion, in a very spirited and eloquent speech. The re-
solution was in these terms :
" That the Corn and Provision-laws are unjust and
unconstitutional in principle, and in their effects pro-
ductive of deep injury to the community;—that they
deprive the industrious classes of the free use of their
labour and capital, and thereby directly invade the
rights of property as well as the sacred and inalien-
able right of the workman to the fruits of his honest
industry ;—that these laws are a tax upon the nation,
not for the common benefit, but for the benefit of one
class only, and in their operation inflict a far larger
amount of evil on the people at large than they confer
benefit on the protected and privileged class ;—that
thus they violate the spirit of the British Constitution,
which rests upon the principle that Government exists
for the benefit of the whole people, and which no less
forbids the taxing of the whole for the exclusive advan-
tage of one class, than it does the abolition of the
great safeguards of public liberty—the trial by jury,
the liberty of the press, and the right of meeting and
petition. That on these grounds this meeting regards
the Corn and Provision-laws as equally unconstitu-
tional, unjust, and injurious ; and as tending, if perti-
naciously maintained, to destroy the attachment and al-
legiance of the people to the Government."
Mr. Plint said, said, that it devplved upon him to
make the first statement to this meeting. He would,
first of all, give them a few plain and undeniable facts,
relative to the state of trade, and the condition of the
working population, in the town of Leeds. The first
subject on which he would touch was the amount of
insolvencies of this town, since 1838, to the present
time. There had been, during this period, twenty-nine
houses engaged in the woollen trade (he referred to the
town of Leeds, not the clothiers in the surrounding
villages), twenty-nine houses that had become insol-
vent, whose united liabilities amounted to 515,500/.
There had been cloth finishers connected with the trade
who had failed, and their liabilities amounted to
38,1001. In the woollen trade, therefore, there had
been thirty-nine failures, to the amount of 553,6001.
Of flax and tow spinners, during the same time, there
had failed eighteen firms. He had not been able to
ascertain their liabilities, but the amount of capital
employed in them was 217,800/. ; and it was found,
almost invariably, that the liabilities were more than
the capital employed. In one instance, he knew that,
where the capital was 40,0001. the liabilities were
70,0001. Of machine makers, sixteen firms had failed,
with a capital of 47,0001. With regard to the wool-
staplers, it appeared that, whilst from 1834 to 1837
there had been but three failures, from 1838 to 1841
sixteen houses had failed, or gone out of trade, with. a
capital of 174,600/. Of stuff merchants, and worsted
spinners and manufacturers, there bad been nine
houses failed, whose liabilities amounted to 457,8001.
The total amount, therefore, of bad debts, be calcu-
lated at no less a sum than 1,451,4001. He would ask
whether, taking the whole of the period from 1819 to
1837, there had been anything like this amount of
failure ?—(Hear, hear.) And what had been the divi-
dends paid on this enormous amount ? He spoke
within bounds when he said, that, taking one with an-
other, there had not been more paid than 63.81 in the
pound. In the calculation he had preiented to them
he had thrown entirely out of the account the insol-
vencies in all the surrounding villages. If he were to
add these to what he had already given them,
they would, he was convinced, amount to not
less than two millions, or 500,0001. during each
of the four years to which be had referred.—(Cries
of " Hear, hear.") Mr. Plint then alluded to the
amount of employment in the woollen trade of the
town. There had not been, during the last twelve
months, more than one-half employment. It would be
within the recollection of all, that, from 1833 to 1836,
all the machinery had been fully employed, and,i in
many cases, working over-hours. Now they were not
working more than three short days in the week, and a
great number of hands had been thrown entirely out of
employment.—(Hear.) With regard to the deteriora-
tion in the value of mill property, he had three very
important facts to state. In a valuation of the pro-
perty of the town, recently laid before the Town Coun-
cil, it was shown so clearly that no one could dispute it,
that mill property had depreciated in value, during
the last few years, not less than 25 to 30 per
cent. Next in time Registration Court, at Brad-
ford, a few months ago, a great many votes had
been struck off the Pudsey list, on the ground
that mill property in than village bad so much
lowered that they would not give the owners a vote ; so
that the tendency of the Corn-laws had been, not only
to deprive men of their property, but to rob them also
of their political rights. And, thirdly, all would know
the ruinous price at which machinery had been sold of
late, when, in consequence of failures, it bad been brought
under the hammer. They would bear him out in the
assertion, that it had not realized more than one-third of
its value.—(Cheers.) lie would next allude to the con-
dition of the people, as shown by the number of uninha-
bited houses as compared with 1831. In the West
Riding, in 1831, there had been 12,147 houses unoccu-
pied; in 1841, 18,870—an increase of 50 or 5.5 per
cent. Another important fact was, that the rate of
mortality had been going on increasing during the
last ten, and especially the last two years. In 1780,
it had been 1 in 40 ; in 1801, 1 in 48 ; in 1831, 1
in 58 ; whilst in 1841, it was 1 in 45.—(Hear, hear,
and cheers.) Mr. Plint next entered into some highly_
important statements relative to the consumption of
butchers' meat in Leeds.. The information was derived
from a gentleman thoroughly acquainted with the
subject, and went to prove, that, whilst the prices had
risen something like 40 per cent., the consumption had
decreased from 2,450 head of cattle weekly, to 1,800 !
Mr Flint next brought forward a great quantity of
facts relative to the failures amongst the retail dealers
in Leeds, and calculations as to the diminished amount
of wages paid by the manufacturers and others. He
referred to the causes of the prevalent distress alleged
by different parties, and traced the distress to its
grand source, the operation of commercial restrictions,
and the monopoly of food ; and concluded by an elo-
quent appeal to his audience, to join energetically in the
demand for the tot 11 abolition of these iniquitous and
oppressive laws. Mr. Pilot was loudly cheered on re-
suming his seat.
Mr. BATLEY, of Huddersfield, seconded the resolu-
tion, and gave some interesting statements as to the
condition of trade in that town.
HENRY FORBES, Esq., of Bradford, proposed the
second resolution :
" That,all restrictive and prohibitory duties, inter-
fering with the free interchange of commodities, and
not levied solely for the purposes of revenue, are in prin-
ciple unjust, and in their effects ultimately prejudicial
to all clinics of the community. That this meeting,
therefore, claims as a right the removal of all prohibi-
tions or restrictions on the importation of corn and pro-
visions ; and at the same time is willing and desirous
that the duties intended for the protection of British
manufactures should he repealed ; and that the just,
wise, and peaceful principles of free trade should govern
the entire commercial legislation of the empire."
He statel that, for fouryears past,trade had gradually
been getting worse in that town. Thirty failures had
occurred in three years in one street and its immediate
neighbourhood, all connected with their staple trade.
Mill property had deteriorated 'fully 35 per cent. The
rents of cottage property had lowered from 71. to 51.,
and many proprietors would not get any rent et all. A
greet reduction had taken place in wages ; in the comb•
iag of English wool 16 to 25 per cent., and of forelgn
wool as much as from :30 to 50 per cent. Three
fourths of the combers were on shortdworkir,eaenydeadrisdangoot.
earn more than half the wages they id ti
JONATHAN ACKROYD, Esq., of Halifax, seconded
the resolution, and gave a statement of the condition of
that town, which, although not suffering so much as
some others, was yet gradually declining.