The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-13 00:00:00

" That the society is most anxious to impress upon

the local protection societies the necessity of supporting,
in the event of an election, only those candidates who
will steadily maintain the present amount of protection,
without political his or p trty feeling."
Mr. EVERARD seconded the resolution, which was then
put and agreed to.
Mr. NEWDEGATE, M.P., said he was glad to see so
many men of all parties supporting the Central Protec-
tion Society. The reproach was cast upon a nation of
antiquity, that they never went to market but for the
purpose of cheating one another. Now, the agricul-
turists of England, he trusted, would never act upon
such a principle. He believed that the people of Eng-
land, in a mass, were incapable of being influenced by
such habits of thought and feeling; and our ancient law-
givers, deeply impressed as they were with the fraudu-
lent tendencies of human nature, had laid the founda-
tions of a system of jurisprudence calculated to check
those tendencies in an extraordinary degree. Upon
these foundations a superstructure of property law
was erected, which far surpassed in depth and com-
plexity the criminal law of this country. It was a
system so vast that none but the mightiest intel-
lect could master it. The operation, however, of that
system upon the national character had not been
without its beneficial effects, and in the name of the
people of England he might repudiate the chat go that
they never consulted any interest but their Own. Let
the aristocracy look well to every step they took ; if
they once conceded a repeal of the corn-laws, then the
farmers would be thrown into the ranks of the free
traders. Notwithstanding these disheartening circum-
stances, he ventured to persuade himself that the cause
would ultimately triumph. A right and true cause was
one from which they should derive hope, no matter
what talent might be opposed to them, and so long as
they had leaders like the Noble Duke in the chair, they
might confidently go forth and encounter their oppo-
nents ; but to do this with effect, they must organise
their forces, and invite the coolest heads to their
counsels. He should now move the following resolu-
tion :—" That the General Committee of this Society
be instructed to appoint a Sub-Committee, to take into
consideration those measures which the excision of the
latter part of the 4th rule may render necessary."
Mr. Histneren rose to second the motion. He said
that their opponents would find that their union was
strong and indissoluble. Let them remember what they
had lost ; and let them beware how they incurred fur-
ther loss. They had been bound by the new ropes of
the cattle tariff—the green withes of the Canada Corn
Bill had fettered their limbs—but let them beware how
they laid their heads in the lap of ;he modern Delilah
of the House of Commons, for, so surely as they yielded
to so soft a dalliance, the Philistines of free trade would
be up and upon them.--(Laughter.)
The resolution was then put and agreed to.
Mr. WODEHOUSE, M.P., rose to move the thanks of
the meeting to his Grace the Duke of Richmond for his
readiness in taking the chair, and for the ability with
which he had conducted the business of the meeting.
Mr. STAFFORD O'BRIEN seconded the vote of thanks
to the Noble Duke.
In acknowledging the vote, which was carried with

cheer upon cheer,
The Duke of RICHMOND said it was to him always a
gratification to serve them ; but it was not in his power
to do as much as younger men, who had not had a
musket ball through their lungs —(Cheers.) He was
requested by the Duke of Buckingham to say that he
was obliged to leave that meeting at an early hour
through important business calling him to the country,
but that he cordially acquiesced in every one of the
resolutions, and was determined to stand to the last by
the flag of "protection"—(Cheers) ; the Duke of
Buckingham had desired this to be mentioned, but was
there a farmer in England who would not have felt cer-
tain that the Duke of Buckingham would not abandon
his position ?—(Loud cheers.) Mr. Ball had asked
what the aristocracy would do in the present crisis ? he
(the Duke of Richmond) could not answer for the aris-
tocracy, but he hoped and trusted they would never fail
to remember the lines of one of our poets :
" Constant still in danger's hour,
Princes own'd our fathers' aid;
Wealth and power
Well their loyalty repaid.
" Perish wealth, and power, and pride,
Mortal boons by mortals given ;
But let constancy abide,
For constancy's the gift of Heaven."
He believed it was necessary that this country should
have an aristocracy —(Che( rs)—and he felt that it was
their duty to come forward and support men whom they
knew to be in the right, fearless ot all consequences. if
the aristocracy do not do so, he should not be surprised
if the middle classes despised them, and, in that case,
these had too much English blood flowing through their
veins to follow the aristocracy.—(Cheers.) Ile consi-
dered protection to agriculture absolutely necessary.
He agreed with all that had been stated there that day.
He believed that the home manufactur,r for the home
market was deeply interested in protection. If the
farmer's interest was destroyed, what would become
of that class of our manufacturing population—the
most respectable manufacturers, those engaged for the
home market? Why they would fall in the same ruin
with themselves (the agriculturists). This was no class
or party question, but a question whether England chose
to be degraded into the lowest scale of nations, and to be
laughed at by foreigners, who were much wiser than
ourselves, because they took care to protect their native
industry by their laws.—(Cheers.) He must entreat
them not to slumber when they returned to their
counties. True, the battle was to be fought in the House
of Commons ; and he hoped—but it was impossible in
these days to know to whom they could trust—(Cheers)
—that they were sure of victory ; but let them be pre-
pared what to do in case of defeat. Let an appeal,
however, be made to the people of England, and he
would answer for it the corn-laws would never be
destroyed.—(Great cheering.)
The meeting then broke up, after giving cheers for
Lord Beaumont and Mr. Gladstone.