The Sun.
London, England, 1844-03-28 00:00:00

GRAND WEEKLY
11'ri_coRN- LAW LEAGUE
MEETING
dT COVENT-GARDEN THEATRE

:orn.-I_llsual weekly meeting of members of the Anti-
iteosw League, was held last evening in
r, et' garden Theatre. The doors were opened at
Past
six o'clock, and within ten minutes the
was crowded in every part open to the public,
by far the greater number of the private boxes
440
kponfully occupied. There were a great num-
ity weatlies present in the boxes. The pit and gal-
-4.o3te.re_, appropriated exclusively to the use, of the
*ten In members of the League. Shortly after
,4 xr° clock, Thomas Milner Gibson, Esq., M.P.
snchester, Thomas Gisborne, Esq., M.P. for
taogtiani, John Bright, Esq., M.P. for Durham,
4,,,,,rd Provost of Glasgow, W. J. Fox, Esq., and
Metal other influential members of the League,
,lhtLea the house, and were greeted with enthu-
cheering.
Ptii4ng those present we observed—Thomas Milner
it? ~,Esq., M.P. (in the chair) ; Dr. Bowring,
titi:'„.itichard Cobden, Esq., M.P.; John Bright,
~11;084.1)-_,. 11. W. Tancred, Esq.. M.P. ; Thomas
l'il.ille, Esq., M.P. ; Thos. Thornely, Esq., M.P. ;
i'ott leaf, Esq. • Dr. Cooke Taylor ; the Lord Pro
iqtoitsfEdinburgli ; Peter Dixon, Esq., of Carlisle ;
lii4
'Thompson, Esq.; John Ashworth, Esq. ; R.
'4B€l-; Samuel Lucas, Esq. ; P. A. Taylor,
411 Arthur Pattison, Esq. ; W. A. Wilkinson,
clio.l .J. Coleman, Esq. ; Henry Storer, Esq. •, R.
1113tlelueid, Esq., of Rochdale - C. J. Hardman, Esq.,
A. Rose, Esq.; N.'Overbory, Esq., West-
;wilts; Jesse Goldsmith, Esq , Trowbridge,
4itti Henry Lloyd Morgan, Esq.; Count Simo-
4,f' Count Fe ; J. Wynn, Esq., Wolverhampton ;
t4,Bess°r Van Raumer ; W. Tooke, Esq.; Joseph
kjaWorth, Esq. ; Wm. 'Tait, Esq., Edinburgh ; A.
;uB'ood, Esq. ; Henry Ashworth, Esq.; Henry
11441' Esq., Wakefield; John Macartney, Esq.,
iftti. ester; Duncan Macfarlane, Esq., Glasgow ;
ki„,Thornborrow, Esq.; John Richard, Esq., Bir-
,.;scain; Major-General Briggs; E. Wright, Esq.,
‘111; U.S. ; Cressall, Esq. ; George Borrett,
tia' oouthampton ; J. Mollett, Esq. ; J. B. Scott,
tii' Manchester ; W. Cory, Esq.; John Hunter,
q%;,1 John Bickers, Esq. ; Martin Thackeray, Esq. ;
:: Ridout, Esq. • George Crawford Heath, Esq.
ti\este slks MILNER 'GIBSON, Esq., M.P. for Man-
11,r1 took the Chair, amidst loud applause.
V.h SECRETARY then read the minutes of the last
Ling
to :1 the motion of the LORD PROVOST of GLAS••
hi,: seconded by PETER DIXON, Esq., the minutes
ecnfirmed.
tii, c CHAIxAN then came forward and addressed
'fleeting as follows :—Ladies and Gentlemen, I
iiir,"llld at having
•been invited to take the chair
ikiii"' preside over this important meeting, but at the
!k)lettnie I cannot help expressing my regret that
,•• circumstances should have occurred which have
41'' our friends to ask me to preside over our
Lrations on the present occasion. In the first
I regret that our able and excellent friend
Wilson, Esq., of Manchester—(Cheers)—
tts
to , so frequently presided over these our meet-
should, on on the present occasion, be unavoidably
lty 1 on account of indisposition.—(Hear, hear.)
44xcellent friend Mr. Villiers—(Cheers)—who
4i'ti.have taken his place, is also, I regret to say,
\(.1._11 consequence, Ibelieve, of slight indisposition.
47, hear.) I feel proud to take upon myself,
hinvitation of our friends, the duties of chair-
of this meeting, although I feel that it will not be
ktiZ Power to discharge those duties in the able man -
titth!hich those experienced gentlemen have hitherto
SkTiged them. We are so well agreed as to the
Itoth, which we have in view in thus assembling to-
'itZt----those objects are so thoroughly well known
Xt.; greater part of those present at this meeting_
keeeedings are so well understood, that perhaps
'ipe,,ZiMecessary for the Chairman to state to the
iittli 3g the objects to which they should direct their
4i're 2)11--(Cheers.) But if there should be any one
itoti'vr,,,lo has not a clear idea of the end which the
li‘-law League desire to attain, I beg simply
tt,44 Wil
!tirl,, tiltZt the object which we have in view—the
l'ilicli we desire to accomplish, is the total and
`"late repeal of the corn-laws, and all other
,q 0.0,,6.—(L0ud cheers.) Dr. Horsley, the Bishop
44'""nester once said that the people had nothing
111 ° with'
t the laws but to obey them.—(Hear, hear.)
f'!l tnocate obedience to the law whilst it remains
ktiea Statute book—(Cheers)—but we at the same
!th claim a right as free citizens, and as free citi-
we consider it to be our duty to endeavour, by
Vigent reasoning, to induce the Legislature to
the law upon the basis of justice—(Cheers)-
4 due regard to the rights both of the rich and
ilt —(Loud cheers.) In that spirit we are as-
14sti together on the present occasion to discuss
corn-law
question, because we believe that the
thtt laws interfere with our civil rights—(Cheers)—
4 they unnecessarily limit our trade—(Cheers)—
that they are maintained for the interest of a
kt4„,tted few at the expense of the great body of the
kt;',iinity.—(Loud cheers.) We desire not to in-
-4 with agriculture.—(Cheers.) We only ask
St, not to interfere with trade.—(Cheers.) We
liikicd that our merchants have as good a right to
trild our markets with corn through the operations
l'itli„ eas our farmers have to supply our markets
corn‘loo through the operations of agriculture.—
S I cheers.) All we desire is freedom of industry,
'As ,;" Mvocs.ting that we believe we are advocating
141,71'1.8e &justice, and pursuing that course which
°file 'eve will best secure the welfare of all classes
ilkottipt Majesty's subjects.—(Loud cheers.) I will
• -tav,in yolonger, butwill at once call upon my
ffiti:riend Thomas Gisborne, Esq., Member for
kr Awn, to address you.—(Loudcheers.)
40t• GISBORNE, M.P., then came forward, and was
Iticlited with loud cheering. The Win. ,:Gentleman
iNeinat certainly a person who considered the una-
IkALize.al of the Anti-Corn-law League,- and the
t,i• t„-'%4'e sympathy
•which had been exhibited
u. 4110- ~ public on this subject, would be led to form
'44, • `righter anticipations as to the ultimate result,
k ~.I,f he had witnessed other scenes' in other places
I, 7alell he (Mr. Gisborne) and his friend the
Si," n frequently moved.—(Cheers and laughter.)
104, respect to himself, he felt that he should be
:4 44, usefully employed in discussing this question
°' iii,A.,Ket day at an ordinary of farmers than before
~10rcence in Covent-garden Theatre.—(Cheers.)
el• ,`) sad habits did this custom of addressing one-
Nil tZeetillgs.—(Cheers and laughter.) It led per.
Nizt ,iinagine that they were immediately to carry
Lt • ' mg before them.—(Cheers.) In saying this,
4 not allude to the Noble Earl who had pre-
ilk Tver. them last week. That Noble Earl boldly
Sit"is part, and stoutly maintained his own op..
li 'in the midst of the most opposing audience in
1 :khealin'''"(LOUd cheers.) He was in the habit
44 itm.'rressing and maintaining his opinions before
~.eilence of landowners and lawyers, and bishops.
or, at jeA__rs-) All agreed that the landowners were,
;1/4.40,7.4,5 t, thought they were, interested parties—
'illivy---and if they looked for those who
wolitcred the greatest ignorance on the subject,
e they not not find them amongst those
ia Were clothed in lawn and ermine.—(Loud
Ibit,') Nor, when he said it led men into bad
tiler' address one-sided audiences, did he allude
'se ,r distinguished friend Ur. Cobden.—(Loud
,'
`444, -,;) He was able to take his part before any
Nti-ce in the world.—(Cheers.) They saw him
‘ithillst them from time to time, in the House of
Secs, hardly moving in their system, but pro,
igserg-ig in his own orbit, like a comet—(Loud
ZIA n',7";_ynaking them see his brightness, convincing
"cktisq,l'is power, and leaving no doubt upon their
o,oiiat when the great interests to which he had
".t ,11 himself would allow, he would at once take
l'etirininent position in political strife to which his
(CL talents and acquirements entitled him—
LiteZBs)---and it was one not of the least remarkable
lil`tioilaitanees attendant upon the present great
Ili• ti movement for a repeal of the corn-laws, that
,-feept6gen to a calico-printer, not previously known,
titua2.e.r his untiring industry and his domestic
Zihtth, (Cheers)—a place in the history of his
1,. h.,,,Which was the more honourable because
11,1-.". n. obtained it without personal ambi-
t:litierud cheers)—and without seeking for
allud aggrandisement.—(Cheers.) Neither did
itticntl,
~_,to their worthy Chairman, who had fre-
Cns.'4uvocated their cause in the HOll5O of Com-
,all',. ibut he alluded to himself and to those other
141,15 d luminaries—if luminaries they could be
rit - who were hardly able to exhibit their small
°tole ia the cloudy atmosphere. There might be
11:1hieePers°ns who were not so well informed on the
4* lir aa
he was who might expect him to state some
t3tll,lpraent on the subject, or to put some old ar-
il:4.ln a new light. That he believed to be im-
4_pe4e.,
.There was one point, however, which had
o° doub? to strike him, and which, although he had
thane ,e,‘ ,it had been alluded to one hundred times
til4n "nft‘nnad,.he believed, been a little less alluded to
,p7reeore Y other points. He was a farmer, and he,
'41444fb I asked himself this question—What had the
Nt,ltitthadactili!ers done for him, simply as a farmer, and
‘,1.44 hut ile, as a farmer, done for them ?—(Cheers.)
':' leli t„ „ Way to answer the question would be to go
ovd
iine times of his grandfather—(A laugh)—it
tehee, a fair time to go back to, because
thaYted
_t,hat if they inquired they would
c.t:clture Kb that time manufactures and
acim to i were much in the same state with
counterparts to
The old plough and the
thel were
100 'linterparts to the old spinning wheel and
(111104_ iii• At that time the farmer got for his
'4117 a wheat
i, 04_ . about two and a half such shirts
Vt. tau " shorn) was in the habit of wearing.—
gh.) Now he
sot a dozen of sucih shirts for