The Sun.
London, England, 1844-10-26 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING. OCTOBER 26

LITERATURE.
DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW ROYAL

--EXCHANGE. E. Wilson, London, 1844.
This neat and cheap little volume is brought out
just at the fitting season, when public attention is fixed
on the imposing ceremony of the opening of the New
Royal Exchange, under the auspices of her Majesty,
which, as every one knows, is to take place on
Monday next. Mr. Wilson, the compiler of this
work, has not only given us a circumstantial account
of the Exchange as it at present exists, but has added
an historical notice of all the former edifices, written
with evident care and attention as to facts, together
with a brief Memoir of Sir Thomas Gresham, the
well-known founder of the original Exchange in the
reign of Queen Elizabeth. The volume is embel-
lished with several appropriate illustrations, and con-
tains a great deal of curious historical and anecdotical
matter within a small compass.

GREAT ANTI-CORN-LAW
LEAGUE MEETING

AT

MANCHESTER.

MANCHESTER, FRIVAY MORNING.—The League
opened their winter campaign of agitation in Manches-
ter by one of the most crowded meetings in the Great
Free Trade Hall which has ever yet been assembled in
that building. The admission was by ticket, and so
great was the number of applications, and the anxiety
manifested to be present, that not a place was to be had,
except for the few seats reserved, after Wednesday
noon.

Among the principal persons present were—Richard
Cobden, Esq., M.P. for Stockport ; John Bright, Esq ,
M.P. fur Durham ; Thomas Bazley, jun., Esq.; William
Evans, Esq. ; Thomas Woolley, Esq.; Sa.nuel Lee,
Esq. ; Peter Seville, Esq. (Oldham) ; Samuel Eveleigh,
Esq. ; Edward Shaweross, Esq.; Joseph Brotherton,
jun., Esq. ; J. Atkinson, Esq. ; R. Nicholson, Esq. ; J.
Whitlow, Esq.; D. Ainsworth, Esq.; C. J. S. Walker,
Esq,; W. It. Callender, Esq.; T. Chadwick, Esq.; Wil-
liam Morris, Esq.; J. Charlton, Esq.; William Shuttle-
worth, Esq.; Higgins, Esq.; T. Whitworth, Esq.;
William Lockett, Esq. (Mayor of Salford); J. T. Crook,
Esq. (of Liverpool); P. Walker, Esq. (Patricroft);. W.
Walker, Esq. (London); Charles Cobden, Esq., W. Raw-
son, Esq., A. Prentice, Esq., Thomas Bright, Esq.,
Jacob Bright, Esq., jun., R. Malley, Esq. (Mottram);
R. R. Moore, Esq., William Rowland, Esq., J. B. Scott,
Esq., T. Woodcock, Esq., John Shuttleworth, Esq., W.
Sale, Esq., John Shawcross, Esq. (Gorton) ; Alderman
Armitage, Esq., F. A. Atkinson, Esq.
Mr. Cobden and Mr. Bright entered the hall, accom-
panied by the members of the Committee of the League,
who had arrived precisely at the time the meeting had
been advertised to commence (half-past seven o'clock),
and were received with great and prolonged cheering.
George Wilson, Esq., took the chair, and called upon
Ilickin, secretary to the League, to read the minutes
of the last meeting in London ; and these minutes were
then, on the motion of Alderman Callendar, seconded
by Alderman C. J. S. Walker, approved by the meeting.
The CHAIRMAN then said—Ladies and Gentleman, if
there should happen to be any strong monopolist here
this evening, I would ask him if he believes the rumours
circulated by his party as to the death of the League.—
(Laughter and applause.) I would ask him to look at
this meeting, and judge for himself how far it is worth
his while to place any reliance on the veracity ofa party.
instrumental in circulating reports to which this immense
gathering gives such a triumphant and practical refuta-
tion.—(Loud applause.) Ladies and gentlemen, after a
comparatively " still" public life of the League for some
ten weeks past, we resume our meetings here this even•
ing; and it will be my duty to give you some informa-
tion as to what has been the occupation of the League
during the last ten weeks, in order that you may inform
yourselves and judge for yourselves, u hether, at this
particular season of the year, there could have been any
other business in which they could engage, so likely to
contribute to the success of the cause of free trade, as
that in which they have been occupied.—(Applause.)
Some months ago we made no secret of a resolution to
which the Council of the League had then come, to in-
stitute a searching inquiry into the condition of the re-
sister of nearly 140 boroughs of the country ; and we
were compelled to do this from the knowledge that some
one should do it, and that no other body existed, whose
funds, whose agents, whose correspondence, and informa-
tion in every other respect, entitled them to do this so
fully as the League.—(Hear, hear.) And although we
have heard that the League have undertaken to do
many things for which they have deserved the censure
of their opponents, I have never heard it said of them
that they had undertaken anything in which they have
manifested a deficiency of energy in the business, and
that energy, I will undertake to say, has never been
shown to greater advantage than in the present regis-
tration.—(Applause.) The moment we announced our
intention, a cry was set up as to the unconstitutional
proceedings of the League.—(Laughter). " Oh "it is
,aid, " Look here ! here is the League going to pry into
every one of those snug little properties that have escaped
schedule A. What business has the League to inquire into
those little family jointures of men, who, as Byron de-
scribes them, were only born to hunt, and vote, and
raise the price of corn; —(Applause and laughter.)
They were greatly offended at this interference; some
threats ned to resign—some of them thought it was of no
use to have a Parliament if these things were not to be
put an end to, or to have an Attorney-General, or to have
law, or anything else.—(Laughter and applause.) Now,
what is this interference of the League alter all ? The
League is a great, a national body; it has its ramifica-
tions in every district of the country, and its registered
members in every district. It may have its head-guars
ters in Manchester or London, or elsewhere, but still it
is the recognised organ of free trade in the country, and,
as such, it has its agents in every part of the country.
Well, what then? The members of the League aro the
agents of the League for that district, and, as such, have
a right to interest themselves and interfere in the repres
sentation of those districts; and we say that we interfere
by correspondence and otherwise in perfect good-will
and fairness in those districts, and upon these letters and
information we determine what steps we shall take in
that locality where we are requested to interfere; and
in no other case.—(Hear, hear.) What is the nature of
this interference? We want to make the honest voter
an independent and free voter.—(Bear, hear.) We in-
terfere, not to bribe or corrupt, but to enable the honest
voter to drive away the corruptor and briber from his
premises. We interfere to show him that the vote is his,
and to be given for the best interests of himself and
fellow-countryman, and not to be used by any man for
the advancement of his own purposes. Well, gentlemen,
we are here to-night to give some account of these last
ten weeks' work in the registration in different parts of
the country—not merely here, but in the country gene-
rally, though more especially in these districts, which
were the birth-place of the League,—(Applause.) And
first, as to the boroughs of South Lancashire. Well,
we all know the position of the boroughs in South Lan
cashire at the last general election. The boroughs re-
turned at that election twelve free traders and ten
monopolists. There were seven boroughs which re-
turned free traders (or a free trader), and five
which returned monopolists (or a monopolist).
There were two boroughs which returned one and
one ; and of the other boroughs there was one which re-
turned a free trader (who has become a monopolist),
and another which returned a free trader, who was tins
seated on petition ; but the Members for each side of
the question are 12 and 10, as I have already stated,
Well, over and above these we have four county Mem?
bers, making fourteen monopolists to twelve free traders
for the county and boroughs together ; and I am sure
no man in this room, knowing the state of feeling, but
will say it is high time such a condition of things was
put an end to.—(Hear, hear.) Well, then, I hold in my
hand a list, showing the result of the attempts made to
purge the register in the boroughs ; and in the first
place I would draw your attention to this fact, that in
four of the boroughs returning seven free traders the
monopolists have never shown their face in the registrar
don courts—a pretty fair proof that the change of opi-
nion, and the attention of the free traders to the regis-
tration has induced them to look with no expectation to
the likelihood of altering the state of things in those bo-
roughs.—(Applanse,) Now, those boroughs are—Man-
niPnrgesttwono Members), Salford (returning
(returning two Members), and
cohneest3,eireni(hreetru;
Oldham (returning two Members) ; in all these boroughs
on the recent revision, the alteration has been op she
side of the free 4'aders, and the monopolists have not
s t) wn tthhcrierefahceerso. fughs eces.—(Applause.) ltaeur shedg
freeT lse
traders
itwdee
rhea veet,
the in ad-
dition,t
election, in which he gain on the registration this time
has been so considerable as to place the Members of the
boronghs out of danger. These are Ashton, Bolton, and
Rochdale.—(Hear, tear.) You have, then, seven bo-
roughs in this county, returning ten Members to Parlia-
ment, in each of which there is not the slightest possi-
bility of a monopolist being returned to Parliament,
provided a general election took place upon the present
register.—(Loud applause.) Then wo have two bo-
roughs which return one and one ; and I blush to name
as tie first that of Dolton, whiph returned at the last
election two free traders, but the only man who has
thought proper to change his opinions on this question
aphdasathlaeu gh.) Well, the
misfortune to re-
turnagai n sto t its
Parliament.—(Bear, ther ure
gain there is 57. The register was fully as good last
year as at the last election, and there is no doubt that,
atoewaut.lfo lleele tro,n
at another election the burgesses of that borough will
amply retrieve the mistake of the last election, and re-
turn two good free traders.—(Great applause.) The
next place is Wigan ; and this was the only loss we have
had ; we have gained, in 13 cases out of 14 ; we have
had a loss there of two votes, and we give them the full
benefit of it.--(Laughter and applause.) We have next
Clitheroe, which was represented at the last election by
a free trader, but who was unseated on petition. The
state of the borough on this revision is such as to render
the return of a free trader safe there—at least our infor-
mation leads us to this belief, and we have the informa-
tion upon good authority. Then we have the borough
of Lancaster, which returns two monopolists ; the gain
on the revision there is greater than to cover the majo-
rity by which the highest of the monopolist candidates
was returned at the last election.—(Hear, hear.) The
borough of Lancaster may be considered, with exertion,
safe, should an election take place on this register.—
(Applause.) We next come to Blackburn, which res
turns two monopolists to Parliament. The highest of
the monopolist candidates there at the last election had
not a majority of more than half of what we have gained
this year, and the borough of Blackburn may be added
this year to the gain. At Warrington the gain on the
revision is 32 votes. Our friends there believe it qui:e
sufficient to change the representative for a free trader
at the next election.—(Applause.) I have now shown
that we shall have a gain if an election takes place on
this register in the case pf Bolton, two in the case of
Lancaster, two in the ease o Blackburn, and one in the
case of Warrington ; and we come lastly to the borough
of Liverpool. I wish I could report of' the borough of
LiYerpool as of the others. but I am ha,
'Veen
to spy,
such'ia not the case,' that there has 'Veen a gain
on behalf of ihe free tradersof 45 ever their oppo-
nonta,—(Loud applause)—and that that dose 4,epeuted
will be sufficient to change the representation of that
town.—(llear.) Well, now we come to the county. We
all know the position of South Lancashire. On the one
hand you have evidence of the greatest amount, I may
nount, _
ca.
say the gigantic amotu
it, of 'energy, of industry, of
pi-tat, and wealth ever seen i and, "on the other, You have

a landed proprietary es:fh a territory
.almost unknown
in any other county. At i e last election, the firstc9n-
te,t on free trade principles, we all know the trifling
majority which gained the victor et of the monopolist
:can-
didate. It has been no secret the e- the work of registra-
tion a
tion has been going on ever sit ,ce that time. T
monoplists placarded the walls im, nediately the contehste
st
was over, inviting their friends to c anae and claim
on the register, and the League gas o,
tee
them due ndn elves ready
to put their house in order, and hold then
against another election—(Applause)— It hey have
cisnot done so, it is fur the best of all reasons,
they could not.—(Hear, hear.) Well, the first re:ik.
from the monopolists of what we We Te doing was an
index to what would be the result, fol 7 they began tel
cry out against the shameful number oA. objections made
by the free traders.—(Laughter.) We admit there were 1
a great number, and why? We took the register, and
every one knows that it was in a most shameful state.
The properties giving qualifications were described
in
the most vague manner. We took the reghtrationin our
hands, and with the greatest anxiety to place it in the
best possible state, we induced 2,600 of our friends to
reclaim, in order that they might give, as they were
bound to do, the best and fairest description they could
of the property for which they claimed to vote. (Hear,
hear.) Then we objected to our opponents, finding they
had not done so, on that ground; and Y am sure no man
here will feel sympathy for men wishing to remain on
the register with a wrong description, while they had it
in their power to amend that description.—(Hear, hear.)
We had not the means of striking odf these voters if
they attended before the barristers ; but we considered
ourselves justified, in order that we might have the de-
scriptions corrected and given in accordance with the
law. Most of you are probably aware of the result of
the last election for South Lancashire. There were
14,544 votes given for the two candidates together—
being for Entwisle 7,571, and for Brown 6,973, and leav-
ing a majority for Entwisle of 596. On the objections
against those 7,571 voters who polled for Entwisle, we
struck off 878 at the revision.—(Loud and repeated
rounds of applause.) And of the 6,973 who voted for
Brown, our opponents have struck off 422; we striking
off upwards of two to their one, and having a majority
or gain on the objections over them of 456, and within
142 of the whole majority by which Mr. Brown was
defeated at the late contest.—(Load applause.) Then,
again, at this revision, there were 4,982 new claims ;
of these the free traders made 3,141, and established
2,B2l—(Loud applause)—being a failure of only 320
of the whole of the claims made. So much for
the reports propagated, week after week, that the free
traders were filling the registers with spurious claims
The number of claims made by the monopolists was
1,841, of which they established I,3s7—being a failure
in 484 cases, and giving us a majority on the claims of
1,464 votes.—(Cheers.) Well, then there are 109 new
claims, belonging,to parties whose opinions we have not
yet had time to ascertain; but we willgive the monopolists
the whole of these, and wo shall still have a gain on this
revision, taking claims and objections together, of 1,751
votes.—(Great and prolonged cheering.) Now, it is
quite right that we should see in what districts this great
gain has been accomplished. In the first place, in the
polling district of Ashton, we have 40 of the 1,751 ; in
Bolton, 142 ; in the district of Bury, 75 ; in that of
Wigan, 11 ; in that of Ormskirk. 17 ; in that of Old-
ham, 102—(Applause)—in that of Newton, 106—(Bravo)
—in that of Rochdale, 233—(Applause)—at Liverpool,
490—(Applause)—and in the district of.Maneliester, 704,
—(Loud cheers.) This makes a total of 1,920, from
which deduct the 169 unascertained ones, and that leaves
us a gain of 1,761. Then take from these 1,920 the
598 majority of Eutwisle at the last election, and the 169
unascertained, n eking altogether 767, and we have a
working majority upon this register of 1,153 votes.—
(Loud cheers.) An analysis of the new register, there-
fore, shows of old electors (free traders), 6,551 ; new
electors (free traders), 2,821 ; total free traders on the
register, 9,372. Of the old electors, b. ing monopolists,
6,093 ; ditto, new electors, 1,357; neutrals, 169; leaving
a total of 8,219, or
.a working majority, as already
stated, of 1,153. (Applause.) And now, gentlemen, we
come to the Northern Division. We have not done much
there, but we have done something ; we have obtained a
gain there upon the revision, with comparatively little
exertion, of 533,—(Applause ) The result has been,
then, to give us a gain of 533 votes for North Lancashire;
to give us two seats for South Lancasaire—(Cheers)—
and to leave the monopolists three seats in the boroughs,
or five out of the whole 20 Members for the entire
county; and I think you will agree with me that there
never was, in the history of registration, so complete
sweep of a county as this has been.—(Loud cheers.) I
have also in my hand a list of returns for 70 out of the 140
boroughs over which the League has exercised some in-
fluence, and of these there are 68 in which there has been
a clear gain upon the registration—in some a great
gain ; but less or more in all.—(Applause.) Well, now
we will leave these results to speak for themselves. They
are here before the country. Our opponents may gather
from them whether the League has been dead or slum-
bering, and they will, accordingly, derive what consola-
tion they may from them,—(.A.pplause.) We have con-
centrated our energies on these points. We thought it
was where, for the season, our efforts were most re-
quired ; and although I may say we have done much, I
believe the League is but yet in its infancy, and that in
opening up this field of labour, it is occupying ground
not before occupied, and to which the exertions before
made afford no parallel.—(Loud cheers.) I now beg
leave to call upon Mr.Cobden to address the meeting,
RlcitAtin Esq„ M.P., then came forward.
After much cheering the Hon. Gentleman said—Mr,
Chairman, ladies, and gentlemen, I congratulate you
upon this magnificent meeting. I was thinking as I sat
there, that probably there never had been so many per-
sons assembled under a roof in England or in lJpropc as
we have at this great League meeting ; and the occasion
and circumstances under which we meet afford the most
encouraging symptoms—{hear)—encouraging, inasmuch
as they prove that it is from no transient motive that you
have joined together in this great cause—(Hear)—that
it is not from the pressure of distress, temporary dis-
tress, that you have banded yourselves together—that
the cause of free trade is, in your minds, something more
than a remedy for present evils—that you look at it,
under all circumstances, as a great and absorbing
truth, and that your minds crave for it with an hitch
lectual and moral craving which has made it almost a
part of the religion of your souls.— (Hear, hear, and ap,
plause.) I venture to say that this meeting, held under
these circumstances, with no pressure or excitement to
call you together, will have more weight, more effect,
upon public opinion than a score of those assemblies we
used to hold when we were drivers together, as It were,
under the pressure of local and temporary distress.—
(Cries of "Hear, hear.") And quiet as have been
those statisical statements that you have heard from
our chairman, I venture to say they will strike
more terror into the ranks of the monopolists than the
loudest demonstrations, or the most brilliant declama-
tion with which we have tried to interest you.—(Cheers.)
Upon the subject of this registration there is one
thought that occurred to me as our chairman was giving
you an account of the proceedings in the county revi-
sion. It is this—that the counties are more vulnerable
than the small pocket boroughs, if we can rouse the free
traders of the country into a systematic effort, such as
we have exercised in the case of South Lancashire.,--
(Hear, hear.) In many of the small boroughs there is
no increase in the numbers ; there is no extension of
houses ; the whole property belongs to a neighbouring
noble, and you can no more touch the votes which he
holds through the property than you can touch the
balance in his banker's hands.—(Hear, hear, and a
laugh.) Now, the county constituency may be increased
indefinitely. It requires a qualification of 40s, a year in
a freehold property to give a man a vote for a county. I
think our landlords made a great mistake when they
retained the 40s. freehold qualification ; and mark my
words, it is a rod in pickle for them.—(A laugh and
cheers.) I should not be surprised if it does for us what
it did for Catholic Emancipation, and what it did for the
Reform Bill—give us the means of carrying free trade
and if it should, the landlords will; very likely, try to
serve us as they did the 40s. freeholders ha Ireland when
we have done the work.—(Hear, bear, and Oh, oh.)
The 40s. franchise for the county was established Ave or
six centuries ago. At that time a man, in the constitu-
tional phraseology of the time, was deemed to be a
" yeoman," and entitled to political rights, provided he
had 405. a year clear to spend. That was at that time a
subsistence for a man, probably it was equal to the rental
of 100 acres of !arid, What is it now ? With the vast
diffasion of wealth among the middle classes, which
then did not exist, and among a large portion lam happy
to say in this district of the superior elms of operatives
too, that 40s. franchise is become merely nominal, and is
within the reach of every man who has the spirit to
acquire it.—(Cheers.) I say, then, in every city where
there is a large town population, as in Lancashire, the
West Riding of Yorkshire, South Staffordshire, North
Cheshire, Middlesex, Surrey, Kent, and many other
counties I could name—in fact, every county bordering
upon the sea-coast or. having manufactures in it, may be
won, and easily won, if the people can be roused to a sys-
tematic effort to qualify themselves for the vote in the
way in which the South Lancashire people have reached
to this qualification. We find counties can be won by
that means and no other. It is the custom, sometimes, for
many to put their savings into the savings'-bank. I be-
lieve there are fourteen or fifteen millions, or more, so
deposited. I would not say a word to lessen the eonfi.
deuce in that security, but I say there is no investment
so secure as the freehold of the earth ; it is the only in-
vestment that gives a vote along with the property.—
(Hear, hear.) We come, then, to this—it costs a man
nothing to have a vote for the county.—(Hear, and a
laugh.) He buys his property-601. for a cottage is
given-801 or 401. in many of the neighbouring towns
will do it ; he has then the interest of his money, he has
the property to sell when he wants it, and he has his
vote in the bargaln.—(Loud cheers and cries of " Hear.")
Sometimes a parent, wishing to teach a son to be eco-
nomical and saving, gives him a set of nest eggs in a
savings' bank; I say to such a parent, " Make your son,
at twenty-one years, a freeholder ; it is an act of duty,
for you make him thereby an independent freeman, put
it in his power to defend himself and hie children from
political oppression—(Loud cheers)—and you make that
man; with 601., an equal in the polling booth to Mr.
Scarisbrook with his eleven miles in extent of territory,
or to Mr. Egerton."—(Renewed eheers.) This must be
done. In order to be upon the next year's register, it
requires only that you should be in possession of a free-
hold before the 31st of next January.—(Hear, hear.)
We shall probably be told that " this is very indiscreq—
what is the use of coming out in public and aunouneing,
such a plan as this, when your enemies can
tube
tandavta ,
tage of it as well as you l"
that our opponents, the meonjOlpyottsst answer
take ad
iromdesar, hear.) In the first
rage of it as well as a
ess
convition or prejudice
opiltoinceopvocil:,o
wunreseftherr capacity for inquiry, or their
sympathies, have been blunted by already possessing an
undue share of wealth.—(Hear, hear.) In the next
place, if they wish to urge upon others of a rank below
them to qualify for a vote, they cannot trust thou with
the use of the vote when they have got it. —(llcar, anfl
cheers.) But apart from that, I would answer those