The Sun.
London, England, 1845-11-12 00:00:00

2, 1845.

OPENING THE PORTS.
NEWCASTLE TOWN COUNCIL
NEWCASTLE• UPON-TYNE, MONDAY.—The Town Council of
this borough met this day, according to the provisions of the
Municipal Reform Act, to elect- the Mayor and the Sheriff
for the ensuing year, when there was a full attendance of
members.

Mr. Alderman Honcsox having nominated Dr. Headlam
as a fit and suitable person for Mayor, the motion was se-
conded by Mr. Alderman T. DUNN, and carried with accla-
mation; and the new Mayor was duly invested with the in-
signia of office, and installed accordingly.
Mr. M. R. Bigge, a managing director of the District Bank-
ing Company, was elected Sheriff by a majority of votes, Mr.
M. L. Jobling, a solicitor of the town, having also been put
in nomination.

Sir J. FIFE then moved the suspension of the standing
orders of the Council, in order to introduce a memorial to
the First Lord of the Treasury in favour of opening the ports
for the free importation of foreign corn.
Mr. Alderman Crawhall, Mr. Preston, and Mr. Armstrong
opposed the motion, which, after a short discussion, was put
and carried by a large majority.
Sir. J. FIFE then moved the adoption of a memorial in
favour of opening the porte, and expressed his opinion that
such a measure was absolutely necessary. He concluded
by reading the memorial as follows :
" TO THE HON. THE LORDS OF THE PRIVY COUNCIL.
_ _ _ _

" The Memorial of the Town Council of the Boroi-tiii-'O-ii;iew

castle-upon-Tyne,
" Showeth,—That with the prospect of distress among the
humble classes of society in the United Kingdom, and more
especially in Ireland, from the result of the late harvest, your
memorialists are convinced of the expediency of opening the
ports of the United Kingdom for the free importation of
grain. And your memorialists therefore respectfully entreat
your Lordships to adopt those measures which the Legis-
lature has prescribed for that purpose."
Mr. L. HARLE, in seconding the motion, observed that
after the opinions expressed by Lord Ashley, Mr. Justice
Coleridge, and Mr. Escott, he might say the fate of the corn-
laws was sealed; and the highest authority to which he
could appeal, the most influential organ of public opinion
in modern times—the Times newspaper, representing as it
did the 'great commercial interests of the country, had said
that to hold by the corn-laws a day longer might be injurious
to the country. He hoped and trusted that memorials from
such bodies as this was would convince the Ministry that the
ports must be opened. He was convinced the corn-laws,
sooner or later, must go, and he believed Sir R. Peel was
himself of that opinion.
Mr. PRESTON deprecated the introduction of political ques-
tions into meetings of the council, as they were ,calculated
to make their discussions degenerate into the mere squabbles
of a debating club.
Mr. ARMSTRONG saw no advantage to be derived from the
opening of the ports, and should, therefore, oppose the motion.
The duties were nearly at the lowest. On oats the duty was
ss. a quarter, and in a few weeks it would be as low as 2s. or
3s. a quarter, so that there was no necessity to interfere in
respect to that article. The duty on barley was coming
down every week, and would unquestionably be as low as 3s.
or 4s. very shortly. Then in respect to the great article of
consumption, wheat, he would say that the only effect of re-
moving the duty on wheat would be to eause our merchants
to pay an advanced price of the same amount for it abroad.
The very agitation of the question had already caused an ad-
vance in the Baltic market of 2s. 6d. a quarter. The price
there was higher than it was in England at this moment.
Unless they could show that we would get more wheat by
opening the ports, he could not see the slightest advantage
that would arise from the proposed measure; and, therefore,
though an opponent of the corn-laws, and though by voting
against the present motion he voted against his own interest,
he should give it his decided opposition.
Mr. CHARLES RATNE thought the arguments of the pre-
ceding speaker supported quite a different view of the subject
from that which he had taken, and instead of proving that
the ports should not be opened, showed the absolute necessity
there was for such a measure. What was the cause of the
present high price of corn, and the consequent low duty, but
the anticipation in the public mind of a deficiency in the
produce of the present year? No one supposed or dreaded
the approach of famine during the next two or three months,
though a scarcitymight be created thus early by holders of
,corn keeping their produce back, in the hope of a better
market ; but they could not shut their eyes to the fact, that
before the next harvest came round a serious deficiency of
bread-stuffs would be experienced; and was it not the most
prudent course to provide against the evil now, when all
the information they had obtained showed it to be inevita-
ble? This was a question that came home to every mem-
ber of that body, and it was therefore unnecessary for him to
enlarge upon it. He quite concurred in the propriety of
the proposed course, though he considered it was not act-
ing justly to our neighbours on the continent. We made
laws, and other countries, calculating on the permanency of
those laws, entered into arrangements accordingly; and the
sudden abrogation of those laws could not but be attended
with inconvenience, by introducing us as competitors in a
general scramble. Though he admitted the opening of the
ports to be an act of injustice to other countries, it was yet
our duty to look at home, and he considered self-interest
ought to sway us in the present instance.
Mr. A. G. GRAY supported the motion, which was opposed
by Mr. CRAWHALL, who thought there was no necessity for
such a measure ; and, besides, as the subject was under the
consideration of the Cabinet, who were in possession of the
best information on the subject, and had shown themselves
prepared for the emergency, it would be best to leave the
subject entirely in their hands.
Sir JOHN FIFE replied ; after which the motion was put
and carried by a considerable majority, the Council having
first negatived " the previous question," which was moved as
an amendment by Mr. Preston.

The memoriarwas thereupon engrossed, and the Corpora-
tion seal affixed thereto, preparatory to its being forwarded
to London for presentation to the Privy Council.

GATESHEAD AND THE CORN-LAWS.
Some years ago when Mr. Alderman Brockett brought
before the Town Council of Gateshead a motion for the repeal
of the corn-laws, it was negatived by that body. On Mon-
day last, at the annual meeting, the standing orders were sus-
pended, that the same gentleman 'might move, without pre-
vious notice, a memorial to Sir Robert Peel for the opening
Of the ports, and the following memorial was unanimously
adopted:—
" TO THE EIGHT HON. SIR ROBERT PEEL, BART., FIRST LORD