The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-15 00:00:00

OF THE

ANTI-CORN-LAW
LEAGUE
AT COVENT-GARDEN THEATRE

The regular monthly meeting of the members of
the Anti-Corn-law League was held last evening at
Covent. garden Theatre. Long before the time ap-
pointed for taking the chair the theatre was crowded
in every part. Amongst the distinguished persons on
the stage were George Wilson, Esq. (in the chair),
Hon. Charles P. Villiers, M.P., Thomas Milner Gib-
son, Esq., M.P., Joseph Hume, Esq., M.P., Sir Wil-
liam Brynes, Bart., George Thompson, Esq., John
Houghton, E-q. (Broom Hall), Robert Mather, Esq.
(Liverpool), Major-General Briggs, Dr. Cooke Tay-
lor, W. A. Wilkinson, Esq., P. A. Taylor, Esq., H.
Ashurst, Esq., Norman Wilkinson, Esq., Messrs.
Thomas Hodgkin, David Dewar, Thorne, Rawlins,
J. B. Evans, Edward Lucas, Francis Place, Edward
Brownley, Grant, Robert R. R. Moore, W,
Wedgwood (New York), John Poulter, H. Brittain
(Walthamstow), C. Constable (Surrey), Arthur Pat-
tison, J. C. Hutchinson (U.S.), T. S. Prideaux
(Southampton), E. Davy (Crediton), T. Allerdine,
Richard Ware Cole, Frank Eastwood, &c.
Mr. WiLsosi, the Chairman, on rising, was re-
ceived with the most enthusiastic cheering, and on
quietness being restored, he congratulated the meet-
ing on what might be, he thought, a very fair subject
indeed for congratulation, namely, that after an up-
hill fight of seven years, the subject for the further-
ance of which they were assembled had lost none of
its wonted interest. He took it for granted there
were few at least in the present time so besotted as to
think it requisite to ask of six thousand people met in
Covent-garden, in the eighth year of the League's
campaign, what the precise and definite object of the t
great national organisation was, of which that great
meeting was but a small fragmentary part. Seven
years had brought great and sweeping changes with
them. Many a good old prejudice had been ga-
thered to its fathers, and many an honoured and
valued agitator, who had commenced the good work
with them (the Leaguers), had been laid in the silent
grave. But there they were. Great changes might
have taken place within the time. Cabinets had been
formed and had passed away. Power had changed
from one administration to another ; but the
principles of the Anti-Corn-law League had un-
dergone no alteration—(Cheers)—and nothing had
sapped or undermined them. They stood there
pledged to the same principles to which they had
pledged themselves in 1838—to the total, the com-
plete, and unconditional abolition of the corn-laws.—
(Great cheering.) It was in vain to deny that the
present was a most thrilling—a most interesting—
period of that agitation. All parties were agreed that
the crisis of protection was now approaching. The
intermediate ground had been altogether abandoned.
The fixed duty party was gone for ever, and it be-
hoved every man to make his election at once—to
stand or fall with that great party which asked for
the total abolition of the corn-laws, or with that
party which stood out for restriction and security.—
(Hear, hear.) Next week. Sir Robert Peel would
explain to Parliament the course which it should
please him to adopt. He (Mr. Wilson) took it for
granted that Sir Robert was already better acquainted
than any man in the kingdom with the exact nature
of the threatened scarcity of provisions, especially in
Ireland. It bad been shown over and over again
that the rate of mortality increased or diminished
with the increase or diminution of the prices of
provisions, and a great responsibility rested upon
the man, especially upon the statesman, who could
exert a guiding influence upon the cost of provisions
Whatever course may have appeared judicious to the
statesman at the head of affairs in the year 1815, when
the corn-laws were established, in spite of public
opinion, there had since sprung up in this country a
party which must have some influence in the settle-
ment of the question to which those laws had given
rise ; and it was to the state and position of that
party to which he should draw the attention of the
meeting that evening. The first great subject which
the Anti-Corn-law League had in hand was the
qualification movement.—(Hear, hear.) Why, it
might be urged, what could the making of votes,
which could be only used in October next, have to
do with the settlement of a question which might
be settled in February, or March, or at all events
April ? He would tell them. If they had the
question settled in February, or March, or
April, it would be because their antagonists
knew that they had the votes ready for
use in October.—(Cheers.) Now the quali-
fication should be registered before the 31st
of. January, and he would show them what had been
the success which had attended their labours hitherto
on this qualification movement. The Council of the
League would have incurred a fearful responsibility
if they, in getting up so enormous a fund as a quarter
of a million, had not given their best consideration to
the most advantageous mode of disbursing it. They
had to deal with the revision of registries containing
144,600 voters, a quarter of the whole franchise of
England, and they had gained on those registries
16,446.—(Cheers.) But he (Mr. Wilson) did not
come there to tell them what gains had been already
made by that revision, but he would take from the
mouths of the protectionists that which he was about
to lay before the meeting. They all knew South
Lancashire, the most populous county in England.
At the last election the monopolists beat the free-
traders. How did it stand now? Lord Francis
Egerton—and there he (Mr. 'Wilson) would
take leave to say, that if a monopolist
could be selected by him, a more honourable man
or a more amiable one in private life could not
be found than Lord Francis Egerton, the member
selected by Sir Robert Peel "to move the address.
Well, what said Lord Francis Egerton?—" I will
fight no more. Look out for another candidate.—
(Hear, hear, and laughter). I have had enough."
And at the next election Mr. Villiers and Mr. En-
twisle would walk over unopposed.—(Cheers.) Then
there was South Cheshire, represented by Tatton
Egerton, and they had not a man of equal pluck
amongst them. Well, what said he ? " Look out
for another man.—(Laughter.) I have fought hard
battles here for you. I have been at the head of the
poll, but you must look out for some one else now."—
(Cheers and laughter.) Well, let them next look at
the West Riding of Yorkshire.—(Cheers.) That
great county, with its million of population, and its
32,000 votes on the registry, and its majority of 800
on the last election. What was taking place there ?
Lord Morpeth had been out on his canvass for the
last fortnight, and not a man could be found to con-
test the county with him.—(Tremendous cheering.)
Those, then, were a few of the results which had
taken place. They knew of a great many others
who were prepared to follow the example of those
honourable members at the first convenient oppor-
tunity. and as surely as they (the League) had the
slightest ground of excuse for continuing the agita-
tion for another year, so surely as their opponents
left one single rag of protection to keep the League
open, so surely would they proceed until they got the
men of Scotland to cross the border, to join hands
with the men of Northumberland, and Cumberland,
and Durham, and thence they should
_proceed to
unite with the men of Yorkshire, and Lancashire,
and Staffordshire, from whence they would pass to
Birmingham, and if more was necessary, they should
go on, and those should join hands with the men of
London, who should go out on all sides purifying the
counties and knocking down the monopolists one
after another—(Laughter and cheers)—and if there
should be one refractory county left, such as Buck-
ingham—(Laughter and cheers)—why then they
would crowd sail on all hands, and take it out of the
possession of the Duke. He (Mr. Wilson) next
came to speak of the great League fund of
a quarter of a million. It was agreed on a
month ago—there were gentlemen then on the
platform who could vouch the accuracy of this asser-
tion—that it did not take five minutes in debate before
it was agreed on in the Council. There was a meet-
ing then called at Manchester, the greatest meeting
he (Mr. Wilson) ever saw, where, at the rate of 5001.
a minute, 6,00001. were at once subscribed—(Cheers)
—and there were then upwards of 70,0001. There
was another meeting at Liverpool last week in fur-
therance of the fund, where their excellent friend,
Mr. Brown, presided, heading the list with a subscrips
tion of 1,000/.—(Cheers). There was another gentle-
man present, Mr. Mather, who followed him
with another 1,000/.—(Cheers.)—and they received
somewhere between 12,0001. and 13,0001. in
Liverpool.—(Cheers.) He (Mr. Wilson) had letters
from all parts of the kingdom, stating the ease
with which the fund would be raised in all parts
of the country. Mr. Baxter, of Dundee, presided
at a meeting there, where, in twenty minutes,
1,600/. were raised for the League fund; and that
very night there was a dinner at Leeds, of delegates