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

the means of placing upon a satisfactory footing the law
which regulated the importation of corn. He knew that
there wore many of the mot,t, ardent supporters of a
change in the corn-laws who thought that he had been
lukewarm in that matter ; but to such a view of the
subject he could not subscribe ; inasmuch as he had never,
since he had been in Parliament, given a single vote
which could be supposed for a moment to tend to the
support of the corn-laws. He had never, in fact, omitted
an opportunity of voting for such a change in the law fie
would be in accordance with his own views.—(Hear.)
Whilst speaking of measures for the settlement of the
corn-laws, he ought to state his opinion that very great
exaggeration existed on both sides of that particular
question. He believed that the agriculturists enormously
over-rated the advantages which the system of protec-
tion gave them, whilst the abolitionists over-rated the
cheapness which would be obtained under a system of
free trade. That there wculd be a diminution in the
prices on the average there could be no doubt ; but he
believed it would not be to the extent which many up-
posed, and that we should still be exposed to great and
serious fluctuations in the market, was, he thought, un-
questionable, If there had been exaggerations as to the
effect upon prices, however, he believed that there had
been none with reference to the injurious effects of the
law upon the commercial industry of the country.—
(Cheers.) The greatest man in matters of finance—the
man who had studied it more and understood it better
perhaps than any other living man—the present Prime
Minister—had stated that it was impossible for any man,
calmly considering the currency question, and looking at it
in all its details, not to be aware of the deep importance
that it was to everyman, woman, and child, throughout the
empire. In fact, when tricks were played with the cur-
rency, they trod on ground dangerous to the commercial
man of the greatest resources, but death to the poor
man who depended on a small pittance for his daily sup •
port. The uncertainty which characterised the present
corn-laws affcted, in like manner, every man's income

throughout the empire.—(Hear, hear.) Let them take,
for example, the whole course of exchanges regulated
by the foreign trade. Suppose that there were fourteen
millions of bullion in the Bank; if we had a free, steady,
trade in corn, that bullion, on which the note circulation
of the country mainly depended, would not be affected
at all; but when we for months, sometimes for years,
altogether excluded the importation of corn, then when
a crisis came like the present, which forced us to send
for corn to every part of the globe, we had no means of
raising the money at once to pay for that corn from our
own property, and bullion must in consequence be drawn
from the Bank. The result was, that those who managed
the Bank became alarmed, accommodation was refused,
interest rose, and every commercial transaction in the
country was liable to be disturbed.—(Cheers.) His
strong opposition to the sliding scale arose ratherfrom that
cause than from any great effect which he believed its
abolition would produce on the price of corn.—(Bear.)
Entertaining these views, and sincerely thanking them
for the kind attention with which they has listened to
his address, he begged to second the resolution.
Mr. BASTARD then briefly recommended the adoption
of a memorial in accordance with the resolution, which
was agreed to.
Three cheers were given for Mr. Divett and for free-
trade; and a vote of thanks having been passed with ac-
clamation to the Mayor, the meeting seperated.

MANCHESTER.
A great and interesting meeting of the Anti-Corn-law
League was held, in the Free-trade Hall, Manchester, on
Wednesday night. The greatest excitement prevailed
for several days previously, on the part of the public, to
get tickets of admissiou, and many persons came a dis-
tance of twenty or thirty miles to be present. When the
usual supply of tickets was exhausted, every gentleman
known to be connected with the Council was applied to
for the exertion of his personal interest on behalf of the
applicants ; and many gentlemen we know in this posi-
tion denied themselves the gratification of being present,
and gave up their own tickets. Under these circum-
stances it is scarcely necessary to say that the hall was
crammed ; the doors, in fact, had to be closed against the
multitues who besieged them, nearly ten minutes before
the time announced for the proceedings to commence.
At twenty five‘minutes after seven o'clock the Chair-
man, George Wilson, Esq., took his place on the plat-
form, accompanied by Richard Cobden, Esq., M.P. ;
J. Bright, Esq., M.P.; T. M. Gibson, Esq., M.P. ; J.
Brotherton, Esq., M.P.; W. J. Fox, Esq., and other
gentlemen, and amongst upwards of five hundred other
persons of respectability and influence on the platform,
we observed the Mayor of Salford, General Briggs,
Alderman Walker, Mr. W. R. Callender, the President
of the Chamber of Commerce (Mr. Bazley), Mr. W.
Rawson, Mr. 11. Rawson, Mr. Edward Grundy, of Park-
hills, Bury; Mr. D. Ainsworth, Mr. W. Bickham, Mr.
S. Lees, Mr. S. P. Robinson, Mr. W. Evans, Mr. Alder-
man Potter, Mr. T. B. Potter, Mr. Alderman Lockett,
Mr. Thomas Bright, Mr. J. T. Crook (Liverpool), Mr.
J. B. Smith, Mr. S. Matley, Mr. Samuel Nicholls, Mr.
B. Syddall, Mr. George Sale, of Atherstone ; Mr. 0. S.
Leavitt,fof Louisville, United States ; Mr. G. C. Crook,
of New York ; Mr. R. P. Livingston, Mr. Alderman
Burd, Mr. Chadwick, Rev. Dr. Massie, and Mr. J. A.
Hoyle.
The CHAIRMAN opened the proceedings by stating
that the present was the most important meeting ever
held, and :proceeded to discuss the merits of the con-
tradictory statement respecting the intentions of the
Government. As regarded the result of the registration,
he stated the following to be the gains of the fie e•traders
in the counties named :—North Warwickshire, 106;
Buckinghamshire, 328, or 5 per cent. on the whole con-
stiteency ; East Gloucester, 271, leaving them a majority
of 201; East Somersetshire, 574, or 6 per cent. on the
register; South Cheshire, 669; East Surrey, 553, or 9
per cent. on the constituency; North Staffordshire, 942,
or 9 per cent.; South Staffordshire, 936; North Cheshire,
899, or 14 per cent. on the register; Middlesex, 1,520;
West Riding of York, 1,271; North Lancashire, 1,492;
South Lancashire, 3,084; making a total gain of 143,731
in the counties which the League had attacked. This
announcement was received with loud cheers by the
meeting.
Mr. MILNER GIBSON was the first speaker. He said
that in the whole course of his life he never attended
so important a meeting. The people of old had secured
the liberty of the press and of themselves, and they
were again met under the protection of that liberty to
demand a total and immediate repeal of the corn-laws.
They were met to proclaim to the world that the
industry of England was no longer to be enslaved. It
was the industry of the manufacturers of the country
which contributed to the wealth of the landowners, and,
therefore, they (the people) ought and shall have free-
dom of. trade. The present was a time of more than
usual importance. Sir Robert Peel might or might not
bring in a Bill to repeal the corn-laws, but, be that as
it might, the people of the north had a duty to perform,
and they must not lack in their determination to wit
away the cursed corn-laws. They must demand t in a
tone not to be mistaken. The people must stand by Sir
Robert Peel, and wring from the monopolists that mea-
sure of justice to which they were justly entitled. He
(Mr. Gibson) knew many thinking agriculturists who
had given up the whole question, and were agreed that
the time was not far distant when the protection to corn
must be abolished, and that Sir Robert Peel was deter-
mined to stand or fall by that measure. He (Mr. Gib-
son) had frequently in his place in the House of Com-
mons cautioned the country gentlemen not to lead their
tenants astray by holding out to them the hope that those
laws would be maintained, and now that the question
had been conceded, he (Mr. Gibson) wondered how they
could meet their unfortunate dupes. He then proceeded
to advise the meeting not to trust any Minister, but con-
tinue their exertions until the object was obtained, and
sat down amidst loud cheers.
Mr. Fox then addressed the meeting at great length,
but, owing to the press of matter, we can find room
only for the conclusion of his speech. In 1815, said he,
there was a sort of instinctive blind outbreak against the
passing of these corn-laws; there were riots; blood was
shed in the streets; the people struggled, like blind
Sampson, and like blind Sampson were sent hack to toil
in the prison-houses for the benefit of their task-masters.
—(Loud applause.) But the lancet of knowledge has
couched blind Sampson's eyes. There is wisdom to
direct the guidance of that strength; and thus put forth,
where is the power that shall stand before it? It is
coming; we know it is coming; be you but firm, unree
laxing, unbending in every exertion, in every legal and
peaceful exertion that may promote the good cause. New
allies are announced every day. They are all coming in,
but it is somewhat misnamed to call this leading. Much
has been made of Lord John's Russell's name as the
Liberal leader, because twenty years' consideration has
led him to the poixt which the intelligence of the coun-
try had arrived at so long before. We welcome him
gladly. I believe he was one amongst us because the
cry was so loud and strong ; being made a little louder
and stronger, it may bring us another Liberal leader in
the person of Sir Robert Peel. And raise it to its loudest
pitch, and we may have that great Liberal leader, the
Duke of Wellington in our ranks.—(Applause and
laughter.) While we remember all this, let us never
'orget who they are that have done this, and who in the
dayaci as
ninm may
ynfl
chariotett
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erd
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free-tradefthoa
tactics,
t politicalc,eshouldmoi ;tahswaedtbeshveaeeareenni
eminent
wthdaieogrn
rieel
kva,
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sighthe laurels.—(Hear.) .oi )sinnoaGe
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f
goal ; and Russell, Peel, and Wellington at best are
only yoked
destination.—(Applause.) to it to drag it along the few remaining
paces to its final lt is ran
honour for them that they do that ; and I hope they will
put their shoulders to the yoke kindly, and not let it be
a moment longer on the way than is absolutely neces-
sary.—(Applause.) But trust them not. Lord John
Russell may not have the power, and the Duke of Wel-
lington may not have the will, and Sir R. Peel, having
played the monopolists a slippery trick one way, may
play the free-traders a slippery trick another way.
Trust in yourselves under the guidance of that power
which ever smiles propitiously on the true, the just, and
the right. There is a piece of advice which was given
some time ago, with no very charitable intent, perhaps,
to the Orangemen of Ireland—" Trust in Providence,
and keep your powder dry. —(Laughter.) We don't
use gunpowder; our weapon is of a very different and a
much more patent descriptio!a. Bay onets cannot pierce
it—balls cannot level it, Opinion is a power which no
form of physical force, multitudinous or military, can
eventually prevail against.—(Applause.) But means
must be employed ; and I say to you, as was said to the
Providence,;trustil
ranrodvidkeeneepe,yaolur
iA
names Ora g Orangemen—t
h"
e multiply your 405. freeholds ; trust in Providence, and
win cities and counties, and lio%:kr Parliament and the
Trust
registrationin
world your unalterable determination that the shackles
of trade and industry shall be knocked off for ever."
Mr. COBDEN—After these splendid orations, I think
I should only mar the effect of our meeting by de-
laying you for a single moment longer. We meet here,
I think a larger meeting than I have ever bad the pleasure
of witnessing before, and I am sorry to say that many
hundreds are outside storming the doors. We have had
an invitation to go outside and address an anti-corn-law
lecture to them in the street.—(Cheers and laughter.)
And, gentlemen, it is the same wherever we go. Within