The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-21 00:00:00

to this capital employed inlibil cotton-mills id the kingdom.
—(
Aries of " No, no," and laughter.) Then they were told
tr At there would be no interruption to this beautiful inter-
'Jiang° ; but he (Mr. Ball) assured the meeting that there
would be an interruption. America could send corn cheap ;
but in the Baltic corn was cheaper still, and therefore men

'would go with sovereigns in their pocket to Odessa to pur-
chase corn, and beat America out of the field. Again, was
it just and proper that we should be dependent on America
for corn—that we should import 4,000,000 or 5,000,000 quar-
ters from America when it was possible to increase our own
produce to that amount?—(A voice, "Then why don't you
do it?") Every quarter of English wheat we imported dis-
placed so much English labour. And there was another con-
sideration worth mentioning, that when Great Britain should
.cease to grow corn adequate to the wants of her population,
America might insist upon our giving up Canada before she
should give us her corn. He contended, also, that the ru in
of the agriculturist, which would inevitably follow the with-
drawal,of protection, would involve the ruin of the village
blacksmiths, the wheelwrights, the shopkeepers, &c., who
were at present principally supported by the agriculturists.
Mr. Cobden had cast ridicule upon his opponents, and used
sundry illustrations to excite laughter. He had pointed to
:he portrait of Nelson in the hall, a name which should
secure their love of the aristocracy —(Laughter.) Mr. Cob-
den was most illogical in arguments, but of good temper.
He was a gentleman indeed.—(Elear, hear,. and cheers.)
His excellent manner of receiving Mr. INqelehouse, his
general courtesy and good feeling would make him (Mr.
Bill), thongh he differed from Mr. Cobden, go away from the
ntin., much better pleased ;pith that gentleman than he
iee
was when he entered it.—(Cheers.) He had been told that
he should meet a lion ; but he saw nothing of the lion but
the skin. A speech less calculated to impress the under-
standings of people than that of Mr. Cobden he had never
heard,—(oh, oh, and laughter.) He should, therefore, sup-
port the amendment.
Mr. CAMDEN rose amidst much cheering, and said—Be-
fore the resolution is put I wish, in accordance wish the
rules of public meetings, to offer two or three words
in reply. (Same disturbance was created by a small knot
of persons at the extreme end of the room, which eli-
cited cries of " Turn 'em out 1") No, don't turn anybody
out. In five minutes I hope to put some common sense
into their heads.—(Hear' hear, and laughter.) Why you are
more disorderly than the House of Commons.—(A person
near the plMorm made a noise, and was ejected.)
only a youngwyer who is a land agent.—(A laugh.) When
I came here I expected from the accounts I received in
London that there would be " a great shindy,' as it was
called. I did expect, at all events, to hear a great speech
from the Hon. Member for Norfolk ; but he has said nothing
in reply to my arguments.—(Hear, hear.) He was very
ready to answer Mr. Bright, who is not here; and, no doubt,
if I had been absent he would have answered me.—(Cheers
and laughter.) But if Mr. Wedehouse has not given us a
speech he has sent forward a substitute to do so—a volunteer
in the cause, and you have heard his speech.—(Laughter.)
Whatever you may think of the quality of it, it is quite as
good as I generally hear on that side of the questiep._
(Cheers and laughter.) But I think the third speakse, wbo
moved to the rescue, did certainly display more ',opacity to
treat this question. He has told us, in anse„,te to my re-
marks, something about the failure of the f-Aemersn g 22,
which arose from the abundant seasons of the previous two
years, which exceeded by 4,000,000 quarters the average pro-
duction; and his argument amounts co this, that the far-
mers were ruined by the bounties of nature.—(Hear, hear,
and laughter.) And if there Is anything new in that argu-
ment, it.cpmes to this, thit the farmers would be most pros-
perous if they had the ',east possible production from the
soil.—(A laugh.) Is. 'there not something foully unnatural
in that?—(Hear, laears) Must there not be something fun-
damentally wrong in the trade of the fernier? I have no
occasion to app.40.1 to your judgment. Your moral and reli-
gions feelinga vise up in rebellion against such an argument
as that the' blessing of abundance ruins the farmer. Why,
then, does the Church offer up prayers and thanksgivings
for abundant crops?--(Hear, hear.) I told you why the
farmer is refined by abundant crops : his rent was fixed with
the expectation on his part that he is going to get 80s. a
quarter for his wheat. The Hon. Gentleman tells us be
held out no such promise. But I put it to any candid
farmer whether it has riot been the general delusion from
1815 to the present day, that the farmer could regulate
the price at which he could sell his wheat? Sir Robert
Peel. by his last Act proposed to secure from 555. to 58s.
a quarter; and is not rent fixed according to that valuation ?
So it was from .1815 to 1822, as any old farmer will
bear me out. In 1815 the law said that no foreign wheat
should be brought in until the price reached 80s.
The farmers believed in that delusion ; the landlords
pandered to it; and the land-agents fostered it. But if rents
were fixed on corn instead of money, abundant crops could
never be otherwise than beneficial to the farmers, at what-
ever price it might be sold.—(Hear, hear.) In 1835 the
average price was under 40s. ; and you know the ruin that
came upon the English farmers. But what was the state of
the Scotch farmers? One of the most intelligent farmers in
the East Lothians told me that he never made so much
money as in the year 1835, when half the farmers in England
were completely ruined. Why, because the Scotch farmer
paid his rent in so many quarters of corn, let the price be
whatever it might.—(Hear.) Bnt the Hon. Gentleman says
you 'will ruin the millers by the introduction of American
flour, for there was more capital invested in flour-mills than
in manufactures.—(Laughter.) And then in the next
breath he said that would not Last long, for we should go
and get corn at a cheaper rICe from the southern provinces
of Russia, and from M''.:tdavia and Wallachia. What does
that amount to? That the millers will find more employ-
ment and the people cheaper food.—(Hear, hear.) The
Hon. Gentleman talks at one moment of our being corn
palled to go to America with our money in our sacks'
mouths, begging with bended knees for food from Brother
Jonathan ; and he also balks of our farmers being able to
grow 4,000,000 quarters of wheat above the average quan-
tity.—(Murmurs.) A person has anticipated me, and asked,
" Why don't they grow it, then ?"—(Hear.) The gentleman
says that if we import 4,000,000 quarters we prevent the
growth of sera, and the cultivation of land is proportion.
Well, if ttte people can eat the 4,000,000 quarters more of
wheat, why is it not grown for them ? and why are they
made ce eat potatoes instead of bread ?—(Cheers.) When
these gentlemen talk of throwing the poor land out of culti-
vation and of depriving the labourer of his employment,
mind it is their argument and not ours. I have always held
x different doctrine. The poor soils will be better cultivated
than they are now.—(Hear, hear.) Let me tell those gen-
tlemen who wish to frighten the agricultural labourers, that
there is no force in that argument. It was well dealt with
at Goatacre.—(Cheers.) A labourer said, " Let me have
four acres of land of the same rent that the farmer pays,
and I will maintain myself, wife, and six children far
better than I can upon my present wages."—(Hear, hear.)
I wish I could see a prospect of land being cheaper.—(Hear.)
tut if these are the arguments with which we are to be
staved off from the adoption of the principles of free
trade, let it be understood, that if farmers are frightened,
if the farmed tenantry are in a panic, if the value of stock
is depreciated, if the soil is neglected and reduced to
three-fourths in its worth through the absurd teaching and
preaching of absurd protectionists let it not be imputed to us.
I say that, with the utmost supplies we can get from abroad,
the feod the people are likely to have will be dear enough ;
and if there should be a want of food, it will not be because of
an inundation of food, but because there are more mouths
than therenre mean of supply.--(The Hon. Gentleman sat
down amid loud cheering.)
The CHAIMSIAN then put the amendment, for which be-
tween twenty and thirty hands were held up. On the
original resolution all the rest of the multitude voted, and
the Mayor declared tt to be carried by an immense majority.
Colonel THOMPSON and others afterwards addressed the
meeting, which, after a vote of thanks to the chairman, broke
up at a late hour.

Arrangements for expressing this most important meeting
were facilitate, by both the Norfolk and Eastern Counties
Railway Companies. To Mr. Roney and Mr. Clay in par-
ticular thanks are due for their attention.

---
GREAT FREE-TRADE MEETING
IN DIARYLEBONE.
Last evening a large meeting was held in the Riding-
school, Albany-street, Regent's-park, called by the Anti-
Corn-law League, for the purpose of expressing the opinions
of the inhabitants of Marylebone regarding the corn-laws at
the present crisis, and principally of hearing the addresses of
several gentlemen on the advisability of taking immediate
means to extend the 40s. freehold franchise throughout the
metropolitan counties. Upwards of 3,000 persons filled the
body of the building; and on the platform, amongst others,
were Sir William Baynes, Mr. Bagahawe, Rev. Mr. M'Crea,
Windsor; Professor Keye, Mr, J. Ivarney, Mr. Wingfield,
Mr. Reay, Dr. Heath, Mr. Fogg°, &c.
Mr. J. Hussy, at the hour appointed, took the chair, and
on opening the proceedings, after having requested silence
and attention from the vast assembly, in listening both to
those agreeing in, and to those opposing the opinions en-
tertained by the majority of those present, said, that as de
possessed a constitution the object of which was to deal ,%;t ic'
all equally, they should, as honest men, whenever they found
that particular laws which had been enacted proved partial
to one portion and oppressive to another portion of the com-
munity, do their duty and carry out the views of that consti-
tution in such a way as should repeal the injustice and re-
store the right.—(Hear, hear.) He did net appear before
them as a mere tyro in public speaking, advocating a cause
for the first time, but he came.there to tell them the result
of his experience,, and to declare that the sentiments on the
particular subject in question, and on all other subjects in
the discussion of which he had ever taken a part, were now
the same as when 34 years ago he entered the House of
Commons. With what a difference, however, did he now
express those opinions ! At that period there were few, if
any hoped of seeing the laws against which the whole country
now protested, repealed. Little prospect of such complete
and ample success as that which now attended the almost
universal appeal made by the people against the system from
which they proved they derived no benefit —a system which,
it was now found, was and only had been sustained for the
limited advantages of a numerically insignificant class.
(Hear, hear.) And when in England, as in all other coun-
tries, the voice of the people was unanimous and energetic
in its declaration for any good cause, no Minister existed
but would see, if he had common sense, that it was his
polies if his sense of justice: did not urge him, to yield
to ate demand.—(Cheers.) They had now met not
only to declare that they would no longer remain quiescent
undeetthe protective laws, but also to prove that these laws,
which were enacted for the express purpose of benefiting a
class, inseality not benefit that class, while their inevit-
ablean Y?rown effect was to injure and deaden the progress
itabilar of the industry of the nation.—(Hear.) To
carry those 'views it,was incumbent upon them all, and espe-
cially, .e_n Ltuiseaxereisieg the constitutional privileges in that
poprtuurciagn, to use every exertion in their power. The
powcrof electing the representatives inTarliament was entirely
in the hands of the middle elan% and if that class now acted
honestly, what they desired would speedily be effected to the
men andb thofetitokusehiontd. If the country
be: of.thpir country
had. been fairly representrd
Commons those
laws would never have passed. Their object, that
to take into consideration, and to pass esolutionngpl% was
g
thetuseives to adopt such means as for the futureewoUld
secure. to them representatives who would legislate for the people, and not for the private profit of a portion alone of the
community. In a few days—in 48 hours—they would, it
was not improbable, receive. from the Premier a declaration
that'such legislation should bo adopted at once and for ever;
...
but if no such, or a contrary declaration were made, and that
it
,ceonCschiaol-
usr would not no one could as yet tell, then
ileen(th
Chair-
man) trusted they would like men,
that they were injured, and determined to be righted.—
(Loud cheers.) The .Hon.
Gentleman concluded by intro-
ducing Professor Key' to the notice of the meeting.
Professor KILYE rose to propose the first resolution—
" That this meeting enters its solemn protest against the
corn-laws, as impolitic and unjust, and urges their total, im-
mediate, and unconditional repeal."
Professor Keye then continued—Like the Hon. Chairman,
though the term of years was somewhat shorter, he had,
since he had arrived at maturity and exercised his reason,
ibieae.n of opinion:that protective laws were injurious and he
. 11—and 'every occasion in his power, been the advo-
.9, for weir total, immediate, and unconditional repeal."
it nappened that wheat he, then a young man, left the Uni-
versity of Cambridge, he with • •
e to London Mr. Villiers,
whose aequaints.nce he had the
logo; :rho` was the first the of forming at col-
repell'ofithe cern4a74; that ever proposed the
047-..tits betzefttal that might,b,..4etivsnth rg led to inquire
free trade,
••.) juiti

~ti `~J

L.- 1 i

/

)./