The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-09 00:00:00

TIT SGNs LONDON, T]TURSDAY JVIORNING, MAI* 9, 1844.

believed a more important event could ncit have oc-
curred in the progress of their cause ; its importance
was scarcely equalled by the election for London, and
they could not forget what vast importance was at-
tached to that election, and what a great impression
was produced by its result, not only throughout this
country but throughout the whole world; for it was
hardly exaggeration to say, when they considered
what was the single question at issue on that occasion,
and what the consequences of it might be, that its
vast importance must be acknowledged wherever the
influence of British commerce extended.—(Hear.)
In foreign countries the result of that election, he be-
lieved, was looked on as the approaching decline and
downfall of that restrictive system of monopoly
which was upheld by those who professed tha
truth and wisdom of the opposite principle
in the abstract.—(Hear, hear.) It formed a
leading topic in the journals of Europe and America,
and was hailed as a sign that the commercial classes
were awakening from the slumber in which they had
too long indulged. 'Wherever they had an enemy, the
result of that election was seen with regret; and those
who wished well to this country beheld it with joy
aid satisfaction. To confirm what he said, he would
call the attention of the meeting to the notice which
was taken of the late London election, by a leading
man in the United States—a man of great talent, and
a firm advocate of free trade, and who, till lately, had
been a candidate for the Presidentship. When he
was about retiring from the field, he put forward an
address to the people, and alluded to the London
election. After professing his attachment to the prin-
ciples of free trade, he said, " that he would not aban-
don the glorious principle now that its banner was
waving in triumph over the metropolis of the com-
mercial world.—(Cheers.) No, he would maintain
the immoveable ground he so long occupied
till he witnessed the great and final victory. A vic-
tory it would be indeed, and the harbinger of a new,
a brighter, and higher civilisation."—(Hear, hear.)
That election was an example of what might be done
if the people of the country only did themselves jus-
tice, and exercised their own sound judgment. It
would give a stimulus to other countries in the di-
rection of free trade. He alluded to the London
election, because a struggle of a precisely similar na
ture was now about to take place in Lancashire.
There was, however, this difference—that the consti-
tuency in Lancashire would be of a mixed character,
part being an agricultural, and part manufacturing
and commercial, so that if the same result attended
their efforts, it would be even more glorious than
that of London.—(Hear, hear.) He did not mean to
say that the two classes were in conflict. He believed
the man was not fit to be at large who thought that
the agriculture of the country was not bound
up with the prosperity of manufactures and com-
merce.—(Cheers.) But he had no doubt there were
a large class in that country who had no sympathies
with the manufacturing and commercial prosperity
of Lancashire, because all their sympathies were with
domination, and they were jealous of the encroach-
ment of the commercial classes. That class, he knew,
would exercise their influence; but when one consi-
dered what was their business and occupation—what
was the history of the people of Lancashire—it
it would be difficult to find an excuse for them if
they did not follow the example of London.—(Hear,
hear.) The commercial and manufacturing classes
understood what was due to their own order and interests
as well as any other class in the community, and he
hoped they would be wise enough to avoid party spirit
and party zeal.—(Hear, hear.) The question of free
trade had nothing to do with party. At the very
first meeting he attended in Lancashire on the sub-
ject, he was happy to say some leading Con-
servatives took a prominent part to further the
principles of free trade.—(Hear, hear.) He re-
membered that just the same thing occurred
with regard to the Anti-Corn-law Association in
London, a few years ago. The late Right Hon.
Thomas Peregrine Courtenay, who had been Vice-
, President of the Board of Trade, who was a Tory,
but who. had always been an advocate for free trade,
asked him (Mr. Villiers) whether if he (Mr.
(Courtenay) were to address the constituents of a
metropolitan borough, as a candidate, the Anti-
Corn-law Associations of London would support him.
He (Mr. Villiers) had, in consequence, consulted the
leading persons belonging to those Associations, and
they all stated that they were anxious to give Mr.
Courtenay every support, because they considered the
country to be in a state of severe distress, and that
the more markets were opened to them the greater
would be the field opened for the employment of the
people. They said they would support any man
who would support a repeal of the corn-laws; and
that in support of the doctrines of free trade they
should be glad to avail themselves of the talents and
services of Mr. Courtenay, without regard to his po-
litics. He could not believe that in the present
state of the question the manufacturers, the capitalists,
and the employers of labour could be so faithless and
treacherous to their principles, or so forgetful of the
trust reposed in them, as to return to Parliament one
who would vote for the perpetuation of that curse and
grievance of which they complained.—(Cheers.) His
Honourable Friend Mr. Warburton had alluded to
the immense importance of our maintaining our
superiority in manufactures. It was more important
to Lancashire than to any other county, that this
superiority should be maintained. When they con-
sidered the immense population which in that county
depended for their bread upon manufactures, they
could not think without horror upon anything which
should bring such a disaster upon that place as the
destruction of manufactures. The reason why the
question of free trade had becorn; one of so much
importance was, because they were under the appre-
hension of losing those advantages by the eager rivalry
of other.countries. They were about to try the ques-
tion at this contest.—(Cheers.) They were about to
apply a test to this great manufacturing district.
-The manufacturers, capitalists, and the employers of
labour would now have an opportunity of showing
how far they were sincere in those wishes they had
expressed to promote the interests of the industrious
classes.—(Cheers.) When they supported free trade
and called out against restrictions, they said that they
opposed restrictions because, by limiting the field of
production and lowering the profits of capital, they
compelled them to reduce the rate of wages. The
question now was, for whom would they vote ?
(Loud cheers.) They objected to limiting the hours
of working, by Act of Parliament, because it would
have a tendency to limit the number of people to be
employed and lower the rate of wages. But let them
enlarge the field of production, and more employment
and higher wages would be the consequence, and
every one who wished well to the working people
would refuse his support to any candidate who would
not support the doctrines of free trade.—(Cheers.)
Never was there at any time less excuse for with-
holding their support from those doctrines than
there was at present.—(Loud cheers.) Many
might have doubted as to what would have been the
operation of the corn-laws when they were first
passed. Many might have doubted when they had
no experience, but now that they had had a long and
dreary experience of those laws, no man could expect
any good from them, and most men had experienced
evil. There was hardly a week passed in which some
of those who had hitherto supported them did not
come forward and acknowledge their error in so doing.
Those who were capitalists—in the true sense of the
word, cultivators of the soil—(Cheers)—whenever
they had spoken out, had denounced the corn-laws as
inflicting more mischief upon them than upon any
other class. Those who had addressed these meetings
had been unanswered. They had stated facts which
had been uncontradicted. There had been different
opportunities -of answering their statement, but not
one syllable had been uttered in reply to them.—
(Cheers.) They would be followed to-night by a
gentleman, a fanner, who would tell them, as
others had done, that no advantage had resulted
to him from the corn-laws, and that he was ready
to give them, heartily, all his assistance to pro-
cure the abolition of those laws, and to promote free
trade. He had only risen for the purpose of comply-
ing with the request which the Chairman had made
to account for the absence of those gentlemen who
would have addressed them, and he would now retire
and make way for sonic other gentleman.—(Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN then announced that Mr. Gibbs, a
Buckinghamshire farmer, would next address the
meeting.
Mr. Grins then came forward, and was received
with loud cheers. He believed that the stage of that
theatre had furnished this large metropolis with a
great deal of information and a great deal of amuse-
ment for many years past—a variety of different
characters had there been presented before them;
but he thought they would see a fresh one there that
hamshire farmer. He
er. He was a native
dnwivagcshe td
a. —t
Bo( Cu
themchke ienr
gs
haaas nmdas
hlßiaruue ge
khf
ait
ner
grm.) He had been intro-
and resident of the principal town in the county,
living under the immediate and heavy influence of
the great Duke, who had been so often brought
before them —(Loud cheers and laughter.) He
had been introduced to them as Mr. Gibbs.
It was rather a delicate matter for him
to introduce himself to them, but it was
necessary that he should have some further in-
troduction. He must therefore lay aside all coy-
ness, and appear before them as a straightforward,
plain-spcken man ; and he hoped that he would be
allowed a somewhat greater latitnde in speaking than
was usually 4opodea to those who addressed them in
that assembly.—(Cheers.) There were two reasons
why he should give them a history of his life. The
first was to encourage every young tradesman; and
the second was, to
_. show the meeting that they must
not expect anything from him but plain Buckingham-
shire facts, in plain Buckinghamshire language.—
(Cheers.) About 33 or 34 years ago, he first became
a commercial man—a man of business, under rather
adverse circumstances. He was pot a large farmer,
be merely Armed in a small way to provide food for
business was in another line, He