The Sun.
London, England, 1844-02-29 00:00:00

MEETING

AT COVENT-GARDEN- THEATRE

The usual weekly meeting of the National Anti-
-- Cornelavir• League, was held last evening, at Covent:.
garden Theatre, and notwithstanding the unfavour-
able state of the weather,.the" theatre was crowded in
- . every part in five minutes after the door was opened.
At seven o'clock, George Wilson, Esq., chairman
of the League., took the chair. I-le was accOmpanied
by. Richard Cobden, Esq.,, ALP.; John Bright, Esq.,
M:P.; James Patteson, Esq., M.P.'; Hon. Charles
PelhaniVilliera„ 21.P.-;' Thomas Milner Gibson, Esq.,
M.P. W. J. Fox, Esq. ; Henry Ashworth, Esq., of
the Oaks, near. Bolton, and other distinguished mem-
berkof the League, who were all loudly cheered as
they made their appearance. Among those present
we , observed- in addition to the above-mentioned
gentlemen :—Sir Valentine Blake 'Bart., M.P. ;
Roger Cunliffe, Esq.; R. it. R. Moore, Esti.; W.
A. Wilkinson, Esq. ' • Arthur Pattison, Esq. ; Pat-
tison, Esq.; Samuel Lucas,. Esq. ; Nelson Hancock,
Esq.; William Evans, Esq., Manchester ; J. Goswell,
Esq.; George Borrett, Esq., - Southampton ; Chris.
J. 'Thomas, Esq., Bristol ; —Phillips, Esq. ; Effing-
ham Wilson, Esq. ; John' M`Lecl, Esq. ; Captain
Ridout; George Crawford Heath, 'Esq. • George
Scrivens, Esq., Hastings ; Charles Scott, F;sq. ; J.
Cox, Esq.; G, C. Dyke, Esq.;. W.-A. Smith, Esq.;
W. A. Thomson, Esq. ; C. Layard, Esq. ; H. S.
Shaw, Esq. ; George Smith, Esq.; R. L. Tweedale,
Esq. ; John Hunter, Esq. ; George Ridout, Esq.;
Sir William Baynes, Bart.; John Eckless, Esq.,
Southampton; J. B. Scott, Esq., Manchester; Francis
Scheer, Esq.; Andrew Hall, Esq., Manchester ; R.
Andrews, Esq., Southampton.; James Wilson, Esq. ;
W. Ibbotson, Esq., Sheffield ; H. E. Adair, Esq. ;
W. Thornborrow, Esq. ; W. M. Burnie, Esq.; Adam
Smith, Esq. ; Wynn, Esq.,.Wolverhampton.
The CUAIRMAN called upon the Secretary to read
the minutes of the last meeting.
The SKCRETARY then proceeded to read the nai-
mutes. At the mention of the name of Daniel O'Con-
nell, Esq., M.P., for the county of Cork, as one of
those who had addressed the meeting last week, the
meeting cheered in the most enthusiastic manner for
several minutes. The ladies in the boxes waved their
handkerchiefs, and many a popular leader would have
been proud of the applause which the ,bare mention
of the name of Daniel O'Connell, drew forth. We
believe that never before has the mere reading of the,
minutes of
_any preceding meeting elicited'; anything;
like such an expression of popular feeling. The pre-'
sent is a perfectly unique instance of such An oc-
currenee.
On the motion of Mr. VILLIERS, seconded :by Mr.
COVEN, the minutes of the preceding meeting were
confirmed. .
The CILAIRMAN then came forward and said—
, Ladies and gentlemen, a distinguished member of
the Administration has been kind enough to inform
the public 'that Leaguers meet in theatres—(Cheers)
—and certainly-this meeting, although not so crowded
as was the meeting of last week---(Cheers)—furnishes
a confirmation of the accuracy of the information
which the Right Hon. the Secretary of State for the
Home Department, was pleased to give to the Mem-
bers of the House of- Commons.-7(Cheers.) • We are
met together here, in perhaps greater numbers than
the entire of the Monopolists meetings pat toge-
ther, which have been held during the last week
—(Cheers)--and although, perhaps, .it may be no
great compliment to say we are not much behind
them in intelligence, yet I am convinced that _when
lie objects which they have in view are compared
with those which we seek to attain, we shall stand
much before them in the estimation of the generous-
hearted and intellectual portion of our felloW-coun-
trymen.—(Lotid cheers.) We have heard of many,
of these meetings, and I am willing to admit that so
far they are, indications of ' renewed activity and
vigour en the part Of 'the More excitable pertion of
that political party which.upholdsthe present system,
so far they are important But, in point of
numbers, with one or two exceptions, they are
utterly beneathnotice, and, considered as an ;expres-
sion of the -opinions of the tenant-farmers, they are
altogether foolish.--(Cheers.) - Why ? Because in
the earlier meetings, -in- which the tenant-farrners
were put forward, they did not by their speeches or
by their acts support the objects of
,those mpetings,
and- in the later meetings the lords and squires have
undertaken to perform those duties in the Time of
the tenant-farmers, and have, taken upon themselves
the entire management of these meetings. The,
meetings have been very small ; frequently
have not beta held in public, and the tenant-farm
have not in general attended them.7—(Loud sheer
But we make no complaint of these close meetint
we do not object to our fellow countrymen aneetil
in any manner which they may think proper, to pr
• mote a specific object, and to pass regulations in the.
own way, But,, admitting this right to its! fulles
extent, still those meetings cannot for one Moment
be compared with, the meetings which Mr. Cobden
held in the agricultural districts during the last sum-
nier.—(Loud cheers.). Twenty-eight of those meet-
ings were held in the- agricultural districts, sand at
twenty-seven of them, which were open meetings,
attended by tenant farmers; .and held in the agricul-
tural districts, resolutions were passed in fay* of a
totaland immediate abolition of the corn-laws.—
(Loud cheers.) On the other hand, at the onl open
meeting which the monopolists have
ventured. o call,
which was convened in Somersetshire by the High
Sheriff, and over which the High Sheriff presided,
ty
resolutions were propmed, seconded, and passed, in
favour of 'a total and immediate abolition of the corn-
laws, and a petition 'to Parliament,, founded 6111 these
resolutions, was, agreed-to.—(Lotid cheers.) I have,
therefore, a right to say that those meetings fiirnish
no - evidence to show that the tenant-farmers are
opposed to the National, Anti-Corn-law League.—
(Cheers.) I had last week an opportunity of noticing
the observations of a certain Noble Lord respecting
the proceedings of the National Anti-Cohn-law
.. League. This week a Noble Earl who resides in
Yorkshire has. chosen 'to favour us with a notice.
There was a meeting in York held last weelr, the
Earl of Hareweod in the-chair. The Noble Earl is.
'reported to have said that the ;nesting mig learn
what were the objects of the Anti-Corn-law League
in the agitation • which ,they were . carrying On, b'
considerimg what had happened to a farmer it Li'
. eolnshire.' That farmer 'had attended a meeting .
. Lincolnshire, and had-stood up and opposed the !Anti
Corn-law League, and during the course of that ye
night his stacks and hiS•ricks had been burnt or
No man could surely donbtafter that what we e t
objects and intentions ofthegu ,National Anti-Co -laA
i
Leae !—(" Oh, oh," and Dries of " Shame!
sha e I",
'foes the Noble Lordmean'to say that theme be-
of the League set fire to this man's ricks ?—(C erg.,
s He has furnished us with no information on th
sub-
ject—(Cheers)-he: has net told us where this meet-
ing was held.—(Chfers.) He has not told Will) was
the party.to whonithese stacks belonged. The Noble
Lord has .not descended to partieulars H' was "%Tilling' to *stablish'artimput,ition against the L• , ague'
—he did
.not consider, k necessary to enter into any partieulaii for he knew his,audience well, an that
they WAN be perfectky, ready to accept any ins nua-
tion whickhe mightthink proper to make again t the
1
Anti-Corn-law League.—(Cheers.) But I would
have that Noble Earl to know that we, the meMbers
of the League, have as grept a regard
for the sacred
rights. of property, and as much abliOrrence, of the
diabolical acts of the incendiary as any Lord, Ezirl, or
other member -of the
.aristocracy,—(Loud cheers.)
The Noble Earl lives' in Yorkshire, and, he cannot
cast his eyes in any direstion without seeing ntimer-
ous towns !O ,Villa es and hamlets all indebted to,
manufacturing capital fur their prosperity.—(Ch4ers.)
Re cannot look around :him without knowing; that
among the inhabitants of all those. tovvns, villagesi and
hamlets, there are-persons of every station in socilety,
high and low, who'areniembers of the National 4.
ac-
firCorn. law League.--(Che'ers ) Does he nli-
d
cuse those persens of having set this man's r are tel
icksl and
stacks on e ?-(Loud' cheers.) He is seated i 4 the House of Lords on the bench opposite to that ort which
sit the Earl of Ducie, the Marquis of Westminoter,
the Earl of Radnor, and Lord Kinnaird—will he
venture to accuse them of . encouraging and, as-
. sisting any person to set on fire those stacks or ricks?
or will he are to accuse thiS'ineeting of-it ?—(feud
cheers.) I hope that hit will be more careful for the
future of the statements which he makes, and that
• when he does make acharge, he will make it fairly,
. and give particulars.— (Cheers.) Since we last met
here meetings have been held in various part's of
Yorkshire—at Richmond, at Knaresborough, at
Northallerton, at Thirsk, at which Mr. Plint, Col.
Thompson, and Mr. Prentis, of Manchester, attended
as a deputation from the League. At Colne, in Lan-
cashire, a meeting was likewise held, during the last
week, which was attended by the Rev. Mr. Massey,
of Manchester, and at which 2001. was collected • for
' the League fund.—(Cheers.) At Gloucester, ,on
Saturday last, there was an open count meeting,the
Earl of Dude being in the chair.---(Loud cheers.)
It was attended by a greater numher, of tenant-
farmers than I believe it would be possible for the
monopolist party to get together at any meeting
which they may think proper to hold in the same
county.—(Loud cheers.) It was addressed by, Mr.
Cobden—(Cheers)—Colonel Thompson---(Cheers)-
- and Mr. Moore.—(Cheers.) A resolution was pre-
' posed by Mr. Holland, a 'large agricultnrist, a farmer,
and an extensive occupier of land, and seconded by
. another tenant-farmer, approving of the proceedings of
the National Anti-Corn-law League.—(Loud cheers.)
We shall be addressed this evening by Mr, Ashwerth,
of Turton, near Bolton--(Cheers)--by -ltfr, Milner
: -.Gibson, the Member for Manchester—(Cheers) Mr.
Gisborne --(Loud cheers)—Mr.o4ls6lllo4,Tn...4erzy
to say, is unfortunately ditakfill at lie lie bj:, nidispo-