The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-30 00:00:00

I,IIDDLESEX FREE TRADE

BANQUET.

Yesterday evening the Middlesex Free Trade Banquet,
in commemoration of the repeal of the corn-laws, took place
at the Albion-hall, Hammersmith, which was tastefully deco-
rated for the occasion. The guests, who numbered about 120,
sat down to dinner at half- past five o'clock. Sir C. Napier
presided, and the following gentlemen had seats in the
vicinity of the chair :—Colonel Thompson, Mr. George
Thompson, Mr. R. Moore, Mr. J. Jennings, Mr. J. Shepherd,
Captain Grogan, Mr. J. Clarke, &c. &c.
The dinner, which was served up in a very superior style,
the
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comprised every delicacy of the season, and the wines were
of excellent vintage.
Non Nobis Do-
mine sung, the usual toasts of loyalty were given in order
The CualltalAN rose amidst the most enthusiastic plaudits,
p"pFlaraesee.t)radlet,
wasand apaeacinetwe•rietslitizalgll
and rather singular'act that on the very evening which
preceded the present day, free trade had been completely
accomplished in the House of Commons where its principles
had been affirmed and sanctioned in a manner which trans-
« nded the most sanguine expectations.—(Hear, hear.)
When he said this lie meant to convey that the free trade
measure of last night had been carried by a majority which
few of its most sanguine advocates in the House of Com-
mons could have anticipated.—(Hear, hear.) He did not
kr.ow whether all whom .he had now the honour of address-
ing had at all periods of their life been friends of free
trade, but it was delightful to reflect that the principles
of justice and of common sense were gradually and surely
obtaining predominance, and that there were many,
very many persons who, though formerly attached to the
protective system, were now as determined and uncom-
promising tree traders as those who from their birth
had been unswervingly so. Last night the proposal
for the complete accomplishment of free trade by the
equalisation of the duties on sugar was simultaneously
resisted by the protectionists, and those who were called the
"Saints," and who indignantly protested that it was im-
proper, irreligious, and inhuman, to admit slave-sugar for
consumption in these countries. Nothing could be more ab-
surd or more preposterous than the conduct of such politi-
cians; for while they were fired with indignation at the idea
of the admission of slave-sugar, they studiously closed their
eyes and ears to this fact—that cotton, coffee, copper, and
various other articles, the produce of slave-labour, found their
way every day into this country, and were in hourly consump-
tion by our population.—(Hear, hear.) Nay, more, they
affected ignorance of this fact, or at least they manifested not
the slightest horror at it, that by every tide slave-produced
sugars were brought into the port of London from Cuba
and Brazil, which, after undergoing the-process of refining
in this country, were sent back to be consumed in America,
and by the black population of the West Indian colonies.
This being the true state of the case, and it being likewise
notoriously the fact, that the merchants of Liverpool, who
sent cargoes to Cuba and Brazil, were compelled to receive
stave-grown produce in exchange, what could be more
irrational or ridiculous than the proceedings of the saints and
protectionists ?—(Hear, hear.) He was happy, however, to
find that by the vote of last night free trade had been com-
pletely and victoriously accomplished by the adoption of the
resolutions authorising the admission into English ports of all
the sugars of the world at a small differential duty, which
was in a few days more to be completely abolished.—(Hear,
hear.) Most cordially did be congratulate the friends around
him on this glorious and happy result. So much for the first
part of the toast. Of the other, he would only say that it
was rather an odd sentiment to give to a sailor to propose—
" Peace with all the world."—(Laughter.) However, if free
trade were to go on prosperously, the peace of the world
would in all human probability follow. Therefore, with these
views, and with these feelings, hethought they might very
safely venture to drink the toast with all the honours.
The toast was received with every demonstration of ap-
plause.
The CHAIRMAN' proposed, as the next toast on the list,
"The late happy and glorious triumph of the late Anti-
Corn-law League," and with the toast he would couple " the
health of Colonel Thompson, the distinguished veteran re-
former."
The toast was drunk with all the honours.
Colonel THOAIPSON said that it was to his good fortune in
having been connected with their late success he owed the
honour of being called upon to answer before that company.
He could be at no loss to point out the benefits which were
arising, and which had arisen from the victory which they
were now met to celebrate.—( Cheers.) Truly it had been
an instance how men with resolution and perseverance, and a
good cause, might rise over all difficulties, and find them-
selves ultimately at that point of success which they desired.
—(Cheers.) A small thing was the League once ; there
was, as often had been observed, a time when the smallest of
small rooms would have held them all.—(Hear.) A few
men in Manchester met together for the purpose of uniting
for the removal of the restrictions on their country's food.
Others joined them little by little—the snow-ball grew into
an avalanche—there was not much extravagance in the
comparison—and not only carried their friends, but their
enemies along with it.—(Great cheering.) What a strange
thing it would be if their Honourable and Gallant
Friend could refer to the time when he saw the enemy's
admiral sweep out of the hostile line, and join the
fleet of which his own vessel made a part. Yet they had
seen something like that, because there was a magnitude of
folly which no prejudice could withstand—because no men
could go on in the absurd and unjust beyond a certain point.
—(Cheers.) The late Premier found that out, and like a
noble and generous man—(Cheers)—he based his change of
opinion upon the one fact, that that change was just.—
(Cheers.) Let them all, whenever they saw justice before
them, change as often as they were able. He had come from
the rural districts, where he had recently attended two poli-
tical dinners, and he never saw such a fusion of opinion as
was there manifested.—(Cheers.) They had the Tory lion
lying down with the Chartist lamb.—(Laughter and cheers.)
It was a perfect commercial millennium.— (Cheers.) It
seemed as if all ancient animosities were swallowed up in the
consciousness of present happiness, and they might have al-
most supposed that men would swear that never should there
be contest in this world again.—(Cheers.) To talk of
getting back the old state of things was as hopeless as
that they should go back to the Saxon Heptarchy.—
(Cheers.) But some mischief might possibly have hap-
pened—some good that might have followed from this
success might have been prevented, but he did not see
exactly at that moment the appearance of anything of
that kind taking place—there had been no stop or stay
in the House of Commons.—(Cheers.) They had gone on
from free trade in bread to free trade in something to
sweeten it withal.—(Cheers.) They had done that, not by
threats or force, but by the most irresistible of all manceuvres
—by the enemy joining them in carrying into effect a com-
mon object.—(Cheers.) He was sure wherever they looked
around them they should find a softening of political.animosi-
ties arising out of the union that had taken place, and of
which no man could calculate the consequences and extent.
—(Cheers.) He was himself, as had been intimated to those
who were not aware of it before, something
.of a farther
going Reformer. He never stopped precisely at the bread
that perishes, because he was always of opinion that although
breast was the first necessary of life, there were other im-
provements required which the fulness of bread could no
longer supply the want of—(Hear, hear)—and they would
now be stronger for the contest before them, not only cor-
poreally many of them, but stronger from the universal
union of minds.—(Cheers.) The poor man would show that
he was ready to go forward with any man who was prepared to
lead him for the increase of public good. On the preceding day
he bad beard a grey-haired Chartist talk of monarchical prin-
ciples as if they had been the objects of his affection all his life.
—(Hear.) They might have supposed that no man in the
country had ever grumbled or lifted his voice against the
defects of the constitution. Such was the importance of
doing justice on one important point.—(Cheers.) fist Eng-
lishmen leans this lesson—that they had got hold by the
end of the rope, which being hauled up would bring them
more advantages, and that without the peril of revolutionary
violence.—(Cheers.) What they wanted they could
obtain by their own exertions, and from this fortunate
moment he trusted there began a new era, when all
classes of Englishmen would be united to an extent
never heard of, or dreamt of, in toiling for the human
good.—(Cheers.) Having been in some degree a party
to tse movement of the League, he would say a few
words, though they were needless, in illustration of
qualities of those eminent men whose perseverance and
energy had been the instruments of their final success.—
(Cheers.) Had the League been anything but what it was,
they would not have been at. the point at which they were
at present—had it even been less enthusiastic, everything
would have fallen to the ground.--(Cheers.) Had it been
less conciliatory, opposition would have been raised
against them, and they would not have arrived at their
present point of success.—( Hear, hear.) He had heard
charges against members of the League, as if somebody
bad been violent. Who was it said—could anybody state
or explain what some men in high places did intend when
they shook their heads and said, " It must be confessed at
some times the League was violent."—(Hear, hear." " Some
times"—he (Colonel Thompson) would allow one moment
for self-examination. The question might occur to him
whether he was the individual pointed out. He knew no-
thing any man could have against him—once, indeed, it
was intimated to him in Manchester, at a large public meet-
ing, that he had said something a little strong. He had ap-
plied to some of the supporters of the corn-laws some epithets
that went to the verge of what was proper in that pacific
public assembly. He said he would explain—that he was a
great hand at explanation. He went forward and said if he
had used epithets that seemed to be strong, he meant them
said
they mustto a
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themse s utpopr
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purposet he
ofm corn-lawsak hw
e
who
a
t
marriage-
settlements for their daughters.—(Laughter, and "Oh, oh.")
No other demand was Inwle upon him for explanation.—
(Laughter.) Everybody was satisfied that he had not gone
one inch beyond the limits of propriety.—( Hear, hear.) When
they heard a charge of that kind thrown out let them search
after them, and they would dwindle down to that natural
irritation of spirit which men feel when they see their efforts
to maintain a great evil unsuccessful.—( Hear, hear.) And
now he would bear to them a message with which he was
charged by two distant assemblies of their fellow-citizens.
They hoped that metropolitan assembly should always show
themselves the friends of freedom of trade and all useful re-
form, and they declared that in their remote district amongst
the hills and wilds of Yorkshire they should never be found
wanting to re-echo their feelings and even to offer in return
new ones of their own.—(Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN said, the next toast he had to propose was
one which he thought would be drunk with great satisfac-
tion by the present company. The toast was, " The Earls of
Radnor and Ducie, and the free-trade Members of the House
of Lords."—(Loud cheers.) He was sure when they consi-
dered the great interest the House of Lords had in protect-
ing the corn-laws as they were, or rather what they thought
was their great interest, they would think that they owed a
great deal to the House of Lords for having come forward in the
glorious manner they did, and, by a large majority, to put an
end to this infamous law.—(Loud cheers.) There were many
protectionists in the House of Lords, amongst whom were
Lord Stanley and the Duke of Richmond, who fought to the
last moment against repealing the corn-laws; but with the
Duke of Wellington, at the head of other Peers, the corn-
laws were abolished by a lance majority of the House of
Lords.—(Cheers.) In conclusion, he would propose "The
Earl of Radnor, the Earl of Ducie, and the other Members
of the House of Lords who supported the late abolition of
the corn-laws."—(Cheers.)
Mr. GEORGE THOMPSON who, on rising to address the
assembly, was received with loud cheers, said he had the
honour to propose the next toast simply because on the pre-
sent occasion they were favoured with the company only
of one Member of the House of Commons. It would
scarcely be competent for a chairman, being a Member of
the House, and the toast which he held in his hand refer-
ing exclusively to the Members of the House, and calling, as
a matter of course, for their acknowledgments to them—it
would scarcely he right, when there was only one Member
of the House of Commons present to acknowledge the toast,
that he should be himself the individual to propose it. He
(Mr. Thompson) did not intend, however, to anticipate the
speech of the Honourable and Gallant Chairman, as he was
sure he was as much disposed as he (Mr. Thompson) was
to do all honour to those who were his associates in the
House Of Commons.—(Hear, hear.) And anything that
could be said in eulogy of their efforts must be far mere
acceptable to them, and far more entitled to their considera-
tion, when coming from the chairman rather than from him
(Mr. Thompson). A great number of the Members of the
Rowse of Commons had laid them, and the country at large,