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

I also agreed, at the same time, to celebrate the passing of
this important measure, by an illumination on the follow-
ing evening.
FREE TAADE DEMONSTRATION AT STR THAVEN.—
On the arrival of the mail on Atondny bringing intelli-
gence of the repeal of the corn-laws having received the
Royal assent, a number of the inhabitants of Strathaven
formed themselves into a committee, and resolved that a
demonstration should take place in honour of the event,
on the following day. On Tuesday, accordingly, the
various trades turned out in procession through the town,
accompanied by two bands of music, with flags, banners,
&c. During the procession, the parish and relief bells
rang a merry peal. The houses and shops in the various
streets were decorated with evercret•ns and sl.rubs,
which gave the town a very gay and enlivt.ning appPar-
ance. In the evening, from 80 to 100 gentlemen assem-
bled to dinner in the Avondale Inn hall.

EAGLESHAM.—Ever since the corn-law question was
introduced into the House of Commons by Sir R. Peel,
the people of this place have manifested the utmost
anxiety for the issue of that question. No sooner,
therefore, was the news learned of the final passing of
that great measure, on Saturday afternoon, than they
began to demonstrate their joy by firing guns, and
hoisting flags and other emblems. The members of the
instrumental band also turnee. out with their instruments,
and paraded round the village, followed by a large por-
tion of the villagers ; so that, with

Banners flying, music sounding,
Laughing, cheering, guns rebounding,
all went merry as a marriagP bell till nearly the clock
struck twelve, when all returned to their respective
places of abode.

AYIL—On Monday last, rejoicings were got up in Ayr
for the safe passage of the Corn Bill. In the evening
some rioting took place, in consequence of the mis-
chievous part of the population having resolved upon
bonfires, and being rather unscrupulous in the means
they took to procure materials. After the arrest of one
or two of the ringleaders, order was restored.
KILMARNOCK.—On Monday a meeting of the Magis-
trates, Councillors, Commissioners of Police, and Dea-
cons Conveners of the Trades, was held in the Town
Hall, at which it was agreed that the gratitude of the
people of Kilmarnock, for the repeal of the Corn-laws,
should he expressed to-day (Tuesday) by a suspension
of business at four o'clock, P.M and a procession headed
by the authorities—the assembling to be at the Cattle
Market, and the procession to terminate at the Town
Hall, where an address to the Prime Minister will be
rrad from the balcony, and submitted to public approval.
The windows of the shops are decorated with bushes.
The magistrates will meet with the burgoses in the
George Inn at eight o'clock, for a social sederunt, as in
the good old times.

STEVENSTON.—The inhabitants of Stevenston had a
procession on Satu'day, accompanied by the band, when
all things went off in a very spirited manner.
GIRVAN.— PUBLIC REJoICING. Mon d being the
day fixed on to give exptession to public felling in re-
f. rence to the joyous triumph of free trade, at an early
hour the houses were decorated tastefully with boughs
and flowers, and the principal streets spanned with gay
and neatly constructed arches. Although the weather
washy no means fine, the town everywhere prescntkd an
animated appearance, most people seeming to vie with
each other in the expression of happy feeling—." all
went merry as a marriage bell." About mid-day,
agreeably to pr ,vious arrangement entered into, a pro-
cession took place, consisting of the various trade,,
headed by the Town Council. In the aft..,rnoon a
numen.us and respectable party sat down to dinner in
the Burns Inn.

SALTcoATs.—On Saturday, after the arrival of the
Fleetwood steamer at Ardrossan, c.ntaining the news
o► the passing of the Corn Bill, the town bells rang a
merry peal in honour of this glorious event Flags were
hoisted on the hon., tops, or other conspicuous places.
In the afternoon a public meeting was called by tuck
of drum, which was respectably attended, when it was
resolved that on Tuesday the inhabitants should have
another day of rejoicing. On that day all the houses
and shops were, accordingly, nicely decorated with
evergreens, &c. About 3 o'clock, a large procession.
composed of merchants, sea car tains, &c. walked through
the principal st.leets with flags, small vessels on poles,
and bands of music, which tended greatly to the enjoy-
ment of the people. The principal shops in town were
closed nearly the whole afternoon. About 100 gentle-
men sat down to dinner in Mr. Campbell's Hall, Sara-
cen's Head Inn.

BEITIL—As soon as the intelligence reached Beitb,
on Monday, the 29th ult., that the Corn and Customs
Bills had received the Royal Assent, the windows and
doors were profusely decorated with flowers, shrubs, and
evergreens, whilst the Beith instrumental band peram-
bulated the streets. A number of miners from the
Kilbirnie iron works and neighbourhood came into the
town prec-ded by a piper; the bells on the spires of the
Town-house, Free Church, and Old Church, rung a
merry peal, and the whole town assumed the appearance
of a gala day. At six o'clock, P.M., a procession of be-
tween four hundred and five hundred of the inhabitants
took place, without almost any intimation being given,
showing the decided interest which the people of Beith
took in the passing of these great national measures.
The procession, after making a circuit of the town
formed in the principal square, when the Queen's health,
aid Sir Robert Peel's, were given and received with the
greatest enthusiasm. Short addresses were made on the
momentuous occasion which had called them together,
by Robert Ramsay, Esq., merchant ; and Mr. Robert
Shedden. A meeting of about 120, took place in the
evening, in the large ball of the Saracen's Head Inn,
when several toasts, prefaced by brief and appropriate
speeches, were given, and warmly responded to. As
soon as it was dusk, a display of fireworks took place,
whilst four large bonfires of coals, which had been
kindled during the day, cast their illuminating gleams
along the streets, lighting up the countenances of the
crowds of joyous citizens assembled. As far as we learn,
the whole went off without the slightest injury or offence
of any kind to any person.
PERTIL—On Wednesday last the city authorities and
inhabitants of Perth celebrated the passing of the Corn
Law Repoal Bill by a grand public procession, with
banners, music, &c. ; a public meeting on the North
Inch, where the assemblage were addressed from hust-
ings ; and a dinner in the evening in the City Hall,
The Perthshire Advertiser says, " There mu.t have
been fully 10,000 individuals on the Inch before the
procession commenced. We cannot say how many
might have been in the procession ; but those conver-
sant with the town may form some idea of its magni-
tude when informed that it extended the whole length
of South-street. A number of the dev.cps on the flags
and banners were very apt and appropriate ; such as—
Let those who till and those who weave,
And all who by their labour live,
11,,joice, for now their market ground
Is measured by the world's wide bound.
Let the corn consumer rejoice, and may the producer
never have cause to mourn.' Thanks to Sir Robert
Peel.' The Triumph cf Free Trade,' &c. The
bakers, who were preceded by a very fine band from
Strathmiglo, in Fife, carried a very spirited representa-
tion of a baker and corn-dealer in combat, with the
motto, No more bonded corn.'"

FARE WELL ADDRESS.
(From the League.)
Our task is concluded, cur labours are at an end. We
have seen the great principles fur which we have strug-
gled through seven years of doubt and difficulty brought
to a triumphant issue, and permanently established in
the legislation of the empire. The records of Parlia-
ment are the evidence of our services ; the freedom for
which wise men wrote, and good men sighed, and brave
men struggled, has been won peacefully, honourably, and
completely. Laws devised by a jealous, monopolising,
and ungrateful spirit to restrain the bounties of Provi-
dence, and fetter the energies of an industrious, a brave,
and a loyal people, have been swept from the statute-
book to take their place in the records of unhonoured
history. We have extended the right hand of fellowship
to every nation upon earth, and laid the foundation of a
brotherhood which will unite the whole family of man.
Compared with such a victory the triumphs of con-
querors and the achievements of heroes sink into insig-
nificance. Our march has been stained by no blood—
our success is sullied by no tear. There is no regret in
the bosom of the victor, and there soon will be none in
the heart of the vanquished, for ours is the triumph not
of force but of reason ; not of ambition, but of bene►o-

lance ; not of a party, but of the united empire ; and,
we might add, of universal humanity. As there is
nothing to cloud the joy of present success, so is there
no painful association connected with the history of the
agitation by which that success was obtained. Our
march from the starting point has been steadily
onwards ; our course has never swerved from the single
object which we had resolved to pursue, and our means
have been as noble as our end.

For the first time in the world's history a great revo-
lution has been accomplished without physical force
being so much as mentioned in the whole struggle. Con-
vinced of the power of intelligent opinion, we set our-
selves to develope that intelligence and to form that
opinion. We foresaw that our mission should be educe
tional, and we accepted its conditions. The League
undertook to instruct the people, to reform the economic
creed of the country, and to overthrow the fallacies
devised by an ignorant selfishness, and supported by an
unthinking credulity. We had no bribes to offer our
converts ; on the contrary, large sacrifices were re-
quired from all w!to joined our cause. So hopeless did
our enterprise appear when first undertaken, that it was
regarded as something little short of insanity. Hope
and encouragement, however, grew rapidly around us.
We asked men to inquire, to investigate, and to examine,
and we found th4t every one who thus exercised his mind
ended by adopting our sentiments.
The system of lectures was an early and necessary
part of our educational course; the gentlemen employed
for this purpose by the League spread the doctrines of
fre,. trade thr)ugh the length and breadth of the land,
and the reception which they everywhere met convinced
the Council that there was a mass of sound opinion
spread over the country which only required to be
organised and concentrated to attain its object. Nothing
was more surprising than the rapidity with which sen-
timents of sympathy and confidence were developed
among free tradt.rs. Community of feeling became the
bond of friendship, and it was cemented by community
of stiff Ti tig.
The financial and manufactin ing digress which the
free traders early saw would be the result of a perverse
code of comir ercia! legislation after sending before it
a premonitory shadow, spread a d: ep gloom over all
the branche3 of lit itish industry, but more especially
over those engaged in the production of textile fabrics.
The rninigers of religion met to protest against a sys-
tem which violated the first principles of Christianity,
and outraged every precept of the Gospel. Appeals
were made to the Government of the country by &puts-
tiou after deputation, but instruction had mit penetrated
into high places—the educational mission of the League
remained still incomplete. An outbreak of a singular
character in the manufacturing districts equally attested
the distress of the operatives Lad the etrogth -of-their