The Sun.
London, England, 1845-12-24 00:00:00

A MILLION

FUND.

GREAT MEETING

OF THE

ANTI-CORN-LAW
LEAGUE

AT MANCHESTER.

(FROM OUR OWN REPORTER.)

MANCHESTER, TUESDAY, HALF-PAST Fag*
Manchester and Manchester men have spoken 00
nobly on the question of free-trade—in a manner which
cannot fail to strike terror into the ranks of the monor
lists. It will be recollected that two years ago a meeting
was held in the Manchester Town-hall, when Fourteen
Thousand Pounds were subscribed in a few hours. Ile
Sun was the first to publish that great fact." To-dsl
more than four times that amount has been subscribed in
an equal space of time.
One of the most influential meetings ever known in Oil
town was held to-day at the Town-hall, for the purpose
of adopting the necessary steps for raising the stun Of
250,000 L for the purposes of the League—i. e., to "
ralise" the county electors.
The meeting was held in pursuance of a requisition
signed by the following gentlemen :—Mr. Cobden. M•r"
Mr. Bright, M.P., Mr. Marsland, M.P., Mr. Wiilkert
M.P.,!Mr. Watkins, mayor; Aldermen Kershaw, Walker'
Mayson, Boyd, Armitage, Potter, and Harvey; Messrs°
Bazley, Brooks, Munn, J. B. Smith, Henry, BrickleP
Whittaker, Matley, T. Thomson, George Wilson, R.!'
Greg, Henry Ashworth, E. Ashworth, P. R. Arrowsint
W. Bickham, W. Rawson, W. Evans, T. Whitehead, s'
Taylor, J. Wrigley, J. R. Barnes, Barnes, june
Barrett, E. P. Thompson, J. Simpson, E. Hall, IL BIT
nerman, J. Acton, W. R. Gallendar, Nathan Lees,
Scholefield, A. Prentice, John Harding, T. B. Potter,
T. Woolley, R. A. Thicknesse, Wigan; J. Midgeler
Rochdale; W. Morris, C. Potter, Darwen; J. Grab'
S. Lees, N. Heald, T. Bright, E. J. Kay Wbitworth,l
Platt, Staleybridge ; E. Grundy, Rusholme; W. Alf::
Warrington; R. Stuart, H. Rawson, T. Ashton, W. P";
J. Whitworth, J. Gallemore, J. Cheetham, J. 110Y"'
Rochdale; T. Booth, Rochdale; J. Petrie, Rochdale.,
The meeting, which comprised nasty of the loin*
merchants, bankers, manufacturers, and traders of Mme,
cheater ter and the surrounding towns, though held at t
early hour of 11 o'clock precisely, was most nusner°oll
~,0
attended, the spacious hall being densely crowded "14
the very commencement of the proceedings. -gebe
Hyde Greg, Esq., took the chair.
The CHAIRMAN, in opening the proceedings, 56id of
Gentlemen, if my feelings meet with any echo 10 icsok
breasts, which I am convinced they do, you will °lir
with me that we are met here to-day, in this most
teresting, anxious, and unprecedented crisis of sffscl
rather to back up the resolutions of the League, which
will read to you, than to go through any formal Iss
of proceedings, by making speeches or otherwise. or,
resolutions to which I refer were contained in a ell°
of which the following is a copy : f ale
At a special general meeting of the Council of
National Anti-Corn-law League held in Manchester'
Saturday, the 13th of December, 1845,
"It was moved by HENRY MARSLAND, Esq' stlr
seconded by R. H. GREG, Esq. ; and resolved o.° the
inously--‘ That from the altered position of partiestipi so
House of Commons, in reference to the royal of
corn-laws, it is desirable to rescind the existing re, 05
don against petitioning this present Parliament, ao"ts
this meeting recommend that petitions be sent
_lus"ii
every town and district in the kingdom, as 11110!!.`L,,s1
signed as possible, praying for the total and uncont1111"
abolition ef the corn and provision laws. mks' hi
" Moved by JOHN BRIGHT, Esq., M.P.;
tp°
sousrliTo';
R. WALKER, Esq., M.P.; and resolved unalien7
' That a subscription of a quarter of a million
be immediately commenced to meet the presentb _or
gency. That a call of twenty per cent. thereon e.of
with made. That a public meeting be called 14r
Town-hall, Manchester, for Tuesday, the 23d Deana.
instant, for the purpose of giving effect to the forer—
resolution.' "
Gentlemen, I think you will agree with thster° sr
me fb,
met here to-day, in this extraordin y „
for the purpose of backing the resolZionesr/1 h'sl"tre 0,
by our deeds—(Loud cheers)—than for discussing le*
in words; and as we have on former occasions esi-fst
seem
the cheques which the League has drawn upon us' for
2,000!., 10,000/., 50,001)1., and—two years sg° ale
100,0001.—(Loud cheers)—so, now that they Pps
thought fit to draw upon us another cheque, .
their
250,0001.—relying upon us that we shall accept
cheering.)
draft, and that it will be paid when actomnfiadtuenrictey—wetil
cheers)—we will not deny them that o
shown on former occasions.—(Vehement
Gentlemen, when we think of the very great services
the League has rendered by their unwearied struggle
during seven years—with the prejudices against them!
facturing classes—with the opposition, even to
of the greater part of the mercantile and moapeeni
violence of the operatives—l say, when we reutio
lent these things, we must be filled with admiration in.e
we are about to, see their efforts crowned with color;
success.—(Cheers.) And if from the body of the Letna,
we turn our eyes to its leaders, we must say thatfife
sacrifices of time, and health, and every comfort in
—services which they have never alluded to thele the
—(Cheers)—are such as we cannot, and wahic, upon
country can never forget.—(Cheers.) If we remf,f; bril-
this, and upon the conaummate skill and upen_rning of
liant talents they have displayed from the hegt".tede•
this contest, we must be filled with the deepest g;-1100 it
Gentlemen, this is an important apposi, fad are
will be met as ft ought to be, and we shall then he soot
-of triumph. 800, Gentlemen, until that time,we,„, the
not be caught wpinsts We must not fly ito—occo•
helm, as seine other patties have stone on * late f our
sion.—(Hear.) It is clear that the termination o
struggle cannot be far distant ; if any one doubtitt„,
let him put the heartier hand to help it forwou,bis
(Cheeis) The very uncertainty that prevails onosto
question, and the mischief that results from it► she
make every one desire its end. If any one doublook
desirability of putting an end to this law, let hint see
see
at the result of that uncertainty •, let him IoA at
state of the money market—at the panic iU nee
affairs—(Hear, hear)—let him look at the circuosq'r not
of a famine actually existing in the sister count* !sing,
in this, and at the fame time the price of bread r
and the ports the more firmly closed the more tuer,s)
cessity becomes apparent for opening them.---(Chedeee-
Let us, then, gentlemen, stick to our standard, °sot,'
pend upon it in a short time the whole country-- od
interest and every class—will feel and join with yOu' of
call, in one universal voice, for the immediate reps..'
the corn and provision laws.----(Loud cheers.)
amen, I will nimaortnof
detain
theyouLe
longer,ague, but call upon o•Wilson,
street of the Treasurer's account in connexiont
100,0001. fund. and
Mr. WILSON came forward amidst loud cheers,
said he had been instructed by the Treasurer to presets.,„
his accounts ; and as it was desirable, before gen"h'otad
committed then 'elves to a new subscription, they s-„sid,
know what had been done with the money alreadY ray%
he would request the patient attention of the Betse*
while be read the statement put iu his hand. 1."" -
read the two statements following : ogive yr‘v the
LEAGUE FUND, £lOO,OOO.
Dr. (A
January 1, 1845. To balance) on hand £26,675 19 9
December 6.
ceipts to this date Subscriptions and Bazaar re-
35,678
8 10
To discount and interest received this year 8'"
ig 6
.£63,174 s"

Cr.
By distribution of tracts, including
349 0
expenses 1 1
,„
of distributors, carriage, &c. ~...
By expenses of furniture and fixtures ... 218 1,
By deputation expenses, i'acluding travelling
expenses to attend meetings and Parlia-
mentary electins in various parts of the 4
United Kingdom
By grants to local Free-trade Committees
(Inn 17
By general salaries of office-staff, including
All employed in London and Manchester
on the general business of the League, 6
weekly wages, &t., &c.
By postage-stamps 'and postages, sundry
Once expenses, petty cash and incidental
expenses, including repairs and arterations, 1 6
coals, cleaning, &c 1,528
By expenses ofl meetings, including hire of
coon- s, erecting hustings, and s_ll other 16 6
expenses connected with public, meetings 1,669
By salaries and expenses of lecturers, includ-
ing travelling expenses, &c. !
By rents, taxes, and, as including rent of
Covent-garden Theatre, house and offices, 81
London and Manchester 3,02
By stamped, publications, printing and sta-
tionery, reporting, &c. *c
137 bazaar expenses, including wages of per-
sons employed during the bazaar, fitting
up Covent-garden Theatre, and general
expenditure in advertising, printing, tilt-
. yelling expenses, &c. &c.
By expenses of League newspaper, in-
cluding salaries of conductors, editor,
and contributors, stamps, paper, and
' printing
Deduct receipts for casual sale 1,227 6 3-10,18.1 7 1
By registration expenses, including salaries,
traveginit and other expenses of registsa-
tion agents, legal expenses, wages of
clerks, printing and stationery, expenses
in registration courts, and general expenses 4 1
on registration business
—. . 15,634 1
Balance on band .......................... .. . 12,033
------- 6
£63,174 13 s
WILLIAM BICKHARI,/ Members of the Fini'lle
SAMUEL LEES, Committee.
W. RAWSON, Treasurer,
Examined and found correct
WILLIAM ZVASS• Member of the Council/

2,320 4 9

6,854 1

5,712 13 4