The Sun.
London, England, 1850-04-24 00:00:00

FISHMONGERS' HALL.

To strangers walking across London-bridge, from
the south towards its north side, if daytime, and it
happens to be clear, the beautiful view London pre-
sents from this situation cannot but be inter-
esting. Arriving at the north end, and look-
ing over the bridge at the first grand entrance
on the left hand, a board, with large and legible letters
stuck on it, announces the edifice to be Fishmongers'
Hall. The spectator on seeing this naturally enough
concludes, " Surely the fishmongers of London
must be a wealthy class that they can afford to
possess such a noble looking mansion to transact
their business." And as it is viewed with a sort of
mingled pleasure and surprise, the impression is fairly
stamped that Fishmongers' Hall must be the place
where all important matters connected with the trade
is carried on. Such were my thoughts on first seeing the
board that is stuck on that side of the house facing
the river. It was some time afterwards I discovered
there was a decided retrograde movement going on in
the white fishing department, in consequence of the
fishmongers supporting the open boat, along-shore,
fine-weather system of fishing, much to the prejudice
of the regular deep sea, bad-weather vessels; that I
wondered how it was the smack owners did not state
their grievances, and lay them before the association
of fishmongers, claiming redress. I could not avoid
remarking also, that there was a laxity of discipline
at the wholesale fish-market, there being much
more confusion, and less regularity than
the law for a wholesale market dictates.
How these anomalies could exist, when there was such
a splendid hall, and as I then supposed a large asso-
ciation of fishmongers for regulating the trade, I
could not well conceive. Various notions occurred
to me whilst ruminating on the subject. Could it
be that the wealth and splendour of their hall had
dazzled their senses and rendered them callous to
important matters concerning the trade, or could it
be that excess of festivities had made them apathetic ?
or was it that selfish motives had caused them to act
upon the principle of "buying in the cheapest mar-
ket and selling in the dearest," regardless alike of
quality, the interest of smack owners, their customers,
or national credit? Such conjectures as these would
now and then present themselves. As I had for
many years advocated the advantages decked-
welled smacks possess over open boats for
supplying -markets with living fish, where
I saw any falling off from that system, of
course it affected me with feelings of regret, and as I
had discovered the London fish-market was certainly
depreciating in quality of fish ; I made up my mind
to try and learn how the association of fishmongers
was managed. I had been told it was a very close
corporation ' • and how to go about the task I was
bent on did not yet appear very clear. It appeared
Snot a shallow, but rather a deep subject to inquire
into. All ready to commence, my first operation was
to take up the London Directory, and open its pages
at fishmongers, fish factors, and fish salesmen. The
list that presented itself, being upwards of 450 in
number, gave me fresh courage. I thought
that, amongst so many; I should certainly be
able to draw out of some of them hints that would
aid me in my search ; and having noted down in my
memorandum-book the names and addresses of a few,
I set out on my intended mission. The first party I
called upon at his shop, after having introduced my-
self with the compliments of the day, and asking a
few questions on the state of the fish market, &c., I,
as delicately as possible, asked the question, Are you
a member of Fishmongers-hall ? " No," was the
reply ; and he looked at me as if he began to suspect
I was angling for information, rather than having any
inclination to buy fish. It is a noble-looking build-
ing, I said. " Yes, it is," he answered ; and looking
as if be had no time to waste unprofitably, he walked
from me to another part of his shop, to transact
business. Seeing it was of no use trying for in-
formation at that quarter, I bid him good morn-
ing, and retired. The next party I called on
told me the same, that he was no member of Fish-
mongers' Hall ; so did several others the question was
put to. I now began to wonder whether or not it
was a secret society, the members of which would not
acknowledge their membership to any but recognised
brethren. It then occurred to me that I should go to
Fishmongers' Hall itself, and solicit an interview with
some of the officials, thinking, that as my name has
been so long before the public in connexion with
fishery improvements, they might know it. I in
due form called—an official that happened to be
in office politely honoured me with an inter-
view. Having stated how I had been en-
gaged for some years past, with which he
had been made a little acquainted from common
report, I asked the question, Are there many fish-
mongers that compose this association ? " Fish-
mongers !" he answered, looking astonished at my
ignorance on the subject; " fishmongers do not com-
pose this association. Branches of the Royal Family,
noblemen, and gentlemen, form this society. There
are scarcely any connected with the fish trade who are
members here." Two or three of the principal fish-
factors, I understand, are members of it. " They
don't meddle with fish maters now, as they did for-
merly. The Fishmongers' Company, as it is called,
is now little else than a charitable institution for
decayed fishermen, widows, orphans, &c. There is
no fishmongers association in London for regulating
e e es

VV_EDNESDAIt EVENING, APRIL 24, 1850.

upon the !subject NV a nececarily final. He consi-
sidered that laueuege to be a positive insult to the
et, rumon sense and the good feeling of the country.
Surely a law was not necessarily final because it had
been tried for a year. Surely no Act of Parliament
could be considered necessarily final, and least of all an
Act of Parliament upon a fiscal question. He could
understand that the abolition of persoral privileges con-
fined to a class might be final; but to say that a fiscal
enactment was necessarily final was the leneuage of
decrepit men who had only sufficient strength left to
enahie them to move in one unvarying attitude. The
price of corn still continued to fall; it had not only fallen
within the last two mouths, but it had fallen within the
last week. The last average that had been published
was that for the week ending Saturday, the 13th inst.—
that average being 38s. a quarter for wheat. The average
for the week ending on last Saturday would not be
published until to-morrow (this day); but he could
state from information which had reached him,
that in almost all our principal markets the
price hail fallen during the last week. lie
found that during that week the average price
of wheat at Salisbury had been 375. and of
barley 215., which would not be more than a remunerat-
ing price for oats. He found that at Swindon the price
of wheat last week had been 355., at Dorchester 365., at
Warminster 355., at Norfolk 375.; that in Northumber-
land it had been below 355., and that in London the
average price had fallen by 25., in consequence of an
importation during the week of 100,000 quarters of dif-
ferent kinds of grain. Now, their Lordship should re-
member that a fall of 2s. on 38s. was one of very consi-
derable amount, and was of course much greater than a
fall of 2s. on 58s. We had begun the year with an ave-
rage of 405.; and in the face of that average a very large
importation of foreign corn had taken place. At the
beginning of the month of December it must have been
known in foreign parts that the price of wheat in our
markets was reduced to 403. a quarter; and notwithstand-
ing that fact, we had received in the months of Jan. and
Feb. importations of 275,000 quarters of wheat, of 47,000
quarters of barley, and of 29,000 quarters of oats; and
tee importations were still being continued. The fact
was, that even at prices ehich could not remunerate
the British farmer, foreigners could inundate our mar-
kets.tln the year 1849 the average price of wheat in
England had been only 445.; and yet in that year we
had received from foreigners 4,509,626 quarters of wheat,
1,554,860 quarters of barley, 1,368,763 quarters of oats,
and 3,937,219 cwt. of wheaten flour; making altogether
an ,importation equivalent to 10,000,000 quarters of
grain, without including pulse and Indian corn. We
bad, besides, received from abroad during that year
52,000 head of cattle and 129,000;sheep. He had stated
these facts for the purpose of showing what vast powers
foreigners had of importing into this country; and their
Lordships might depend upon it that they could continue
their importations at a profit to themselves, even though
the prices were lower than at present in our markets.
There had, as yet, been no meats of knowing the exact
price at which foreigners could import into this copntry—
hut he believed that that point might soon be ascertained.
The British farmer was already well aware that he could
be undersold by the foreigner; and when he demanded
38s. for his wheat, the corn-factor showed him a
sample of wheat which he could receive from Havre, or
some other near port, for 375., and then asked him how
he could require 38s. Ho (the Earl of Malmesbury)
had himself heard that language held, and so, no doubt,
had many of their Lordships; and then, he would ask,
whether it was surprising that under such circumstances
a panic should spread among our farmers? It was well
known that the farmers had still large stocks on their
hands, which they had been induced to bold in conse-
quence of the language employed some time since by
members of her Majesty's Government and by other
free-traders, who had stated that prices should necessa-
rily rise; and the result was, that at present, at the end
of April, within three months of the harvest, they had
large quantities of grain on hand, whilst increased im-
por ations and falling markets were staring them in the
tale.—(Hear.) The large farmers might be able to hear
up for a while against such a state of things; but how
would the small farmers faire? lie knew it was said that
the small ferraers should be destroyed, unless they pos-
sessed capital, and were conversant with ehemi- try ; but
that was a quivaleut to stating that, without these ativan-
taeese they had no right to live. He recollected that,
during the discussions on the corn-laws in 1846, a most
eloquent prelate had declared that to repeal those laws
would be to return to a more natural and normal at ate of
things. But was there anything, he would ask, in our
normal nature that was to teach chemistry ? Or was it
the natural state of mankind to be born with capital?
He would warn their Lordships that the destruction of
the English yeomen would be the removal of what had
been the most loyal and the most peaceable portion of
her Majesty's subjects. But he could confidently state
that the farmers were now finding fault with the form of
government which had reduced them to their present
condition. He might be asked why they had not held
similar language in the year 1835, when prices had been
as low as at present. Now, his &use er to such a question
would be, that prices had at that time been low in conse-
quence of a plentiful season, which still left them pros-
perous, while their present unhappy position was the re-
sult of human intervention and of Acts of Parliament.
The agriculturalclasses bad aright tocome to the Legisla-
ture and say to it—" You have depreciated the value of
our property to the extent of one-third ; it was worth
565., it is now only worth 385.; yet, while you have done
so, you ask us to pay the same amount of faxes as we
formerly did.—(Hear, hear.) We pay the same taxes
as we did before you meddled with us, and that is equi-
valent to having raised the taxes from 50,000,000/. to
67,000,000/., so far as regards us. You have added one-
third to our burdens, when you have depreciated the
value of our productions by so much. Is it fair, then,
that we should pay the same fixed annuities which we
were to pay before you made these changes? There was
nothing given us in return for that depreciation which
would entitle us to pay the same rate of interest to the
public creditor as we did before."—(Hear, hear.) In
conclusion, he had only to say their Lordships and Par-
liament would have to consider whether or not it was a
wise thing to ruin their debtor or retrace the steps
they had taken. If they did not do so he thought that
neither the condition of the country would be safe, nor
could it be governed with honour.—(Hear, hear.)
The Duke of RICHMOND said he could bear testi-
mony to the truth of all that had fallen from his Noble
Friend. There never was a time when greater agricul-
tural distress prevailed in this country. The irmers
and yeomen were at the present moment loyal, but ho
warned the Government, and all who were interested in
maintaining the institutions of the country, not to drive
these men desperate. What was loyalty P He would
remind their Lordships of the French proverb—" Le
people
rnaetiseenseoe de so
u leTepuaffs
rpi.
par envies
ies
knew
eese sloeurgleevedri,stimreatiss
par
once prosperous, in which whole families had been re-
duced to the condition of paupers, and compelled to
take shelter in the workhouses.—(Hear.) It was im-
possible for the farmers of England to continue to pay
taxes at present prices, and it was also unfair to single
them out alone for this reduction, while the public
creditor and all other bodies continued to receive
(to:Ie pwpnosoilfea:ttphr:i.iicyeesw.—eexr(epeerctie toesod odnf I
deeply
i`
liylngepalref,dr
from
ale d a r."
tNoo)ibrleele
Lords
his
roardd trade
to rece le, but he looked to the good sense of the people
of England, and especially of the people of Scotland, to
compel them to return to a fair and adequate protection.
—(Cheers.) He trusted that instead of being daented
by the bold assertions of the free-traders that this ques-
tion was settled, they would not give in, but continue to
bring forward their own views by every constitutional
means. It was a farce to say that such a measure
could be final. Nothing short of protection could be of
any use, unless they were prepared to sweep away a
great body of property, and of the industrious population
of the country. There was another class who opposed
them—he meant the occupants of the episcopal beech.
But these Right Reverend Prelates were not affected by
the law--their incomes were fixed.—(Laughter.) But
he warned them an agitation was beginning among the
farmers, who did not see the justice of peeing the same
amount of tithes now as they did under old prices.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said he would not
enter upon the discussion which had been opened up by
the Noble Earl and the Noble Duke opposite, in moving
for returns. When these returns* had been made he
would be perfectly ready to enter on a discussion that
might be raised as to whether it was necessary to effect
any change in the present system. He was certainly not
prepared to say, that he believed a state of things had
arisen in which Parliament should be called upon to re-
view its policy. It was not his int eition to offer any
opposition to that which had been made by the Noble
Earl. The returns would be useful; but as it was de-
sirable that their Lordships should be in possession of
all the information necessary to enable them to form a
correct opinion, he should move, as anasklition to the re-
turns specified by the Noble Earl, a return from the corn
inspectors of the average prices of the corn sold in our
markets during the last five years.
The Duke of RICHMOND said that he did not be-
lieve a single syllable of the returns made by the corn
inspectors.
Lord STANLEY did not go the whole length of the
Noble Duke, in entirely disbelieving the returns from
the corn inspectors, but ho did not think the addition
would give them any information as to the quantities of
corn sold on which they could place reliance.—(Hear,
hear.) He must, however, take that opportunity of ex-
pressing his satisfaction at the change of tone upon the
subject. Instead of treating the question as decided ir-
revocably, the Noble Marquis had admitted that the
prices were exceptional, and lower than he had antici-
pated. He collected from that statement, and he hailed
it with satisfaction, that the Noble Marquis was of opi-
nion that an extravagantly low price was not of itself
desirable, or in itself a public good.—(Bear, hear.) He
inferred also, that not only the Noble Marquis, but the
Government, were of opinion that the prices were now
lower than they ought to be, or than the repeal of
the corn-laws were intended to make them—
and, therefore, that so far the experiment had
not succeeded.—(Hear, hear.) But when they
treated this as an experiment, and admitted
that prices were lower than they expected, he asked how
many more hundreds of their fellow-countrymen were to
be ruined before they were convinced of the folly of the
experiment, and began to retrace their steps? They
had been told by the Noble Marquis, at the beginning
of the session, that the low prices could not last. In five
or six weeks, at all events by the month of March, they
would recover—the ides of March had come and had
passed—the ides of April were here, and were passing,
and still the prices had not risen—they were falling,
with every prospect of continuing to fall—and, as his
Noble Friend had truly remarked, this was at a time
when they were within three months of areseher harvest.
—(IL ar.) Under these circumstances his Noble Friend
asked for returns of the ports from whence these impor-
tatiens had come, which produced this effect upon our
market, in order that they might know whether there
was any prospect of improved price or of such an in-
creq sed demand as would make agriculture ;trent Ile

did not believe there as such a iroPiect. In the case of