The Sun.
London, England, 1844-01-27 00:00:00

Mr. Close—Go to the report of the Longford meeting.

The Clerk of the Crown then read the speech of Mr.
O'Connell, proposing the health of the Bishop of Ardagh,
and the speech of the Bishop in returning thanks. The next
health proposed was that of the Bishop of Meath, and the

Right Rev. Prelate. in returning thanks said, he cordially
concurred in every expression used by the Bishop of Ardagh.
Some other documents having been read, among them
some referring to the arbitrators, their duties, character,
and appointment, together with a form of submission to an
arbitration award.

Charles Hovenden, a police-constable, was then called and
examined by Mr. Erewster.—The witness proved that Mr.
John O'Connell' acted several times as arbitrator in the
Blackrock Arbitration Court, and. that Dr. Gray acted once
in the same capacity.
This was the last witness called on the part of the Crown ;
and the Attorney-General theii rose, and said that the case
for the Crown was closed. It was now exactly a quarter
past three o'clock.
After a short pause, Mr. Moore rose and said that Mr.
Mr. Shiel, who was to open the case for the traversers, as

counsel for Mr. John O'Connell, was unwell for two or three

days. He had been sent for and stated that he was cop-.
fined to his bed, but he would: be able to. atterukto-
morrow. He hoped under the circumstances that the Court
would adjourn the case till to-morryw.
The Chief Justice said the application was only reasonable.
The Court accordingly adjourned till to-morrow.
Mr. Justice Perrin said he would remain in Court if any
gentleman had motions to make, but there was a general
rush from the court, when it was known the Crown had
closed, and that the State trials were adjourned.

LEAGUE FUND.
GREAT MEETING IN THE CITY OF YORK.

Yon /C, JAN. 25.—A deputation Ana-dinr;law
League, consisting of Messrs. cobden, Bright, and Colonel
Thompson, visited this city for the first time this evening. The
Festival Concert-room, in which the meeting was held, and
which is calculated to hold about 2,000 persons, was entirely
filled by a highly respectable auditory, amongst whom were a
large number of the Society of Friends.
Soon after six o'clock, Mr. Edward Smith, steel manufac-
turer, of Sheffield, who had been specially invited, was unani-
mously called to the chair, amidst tremendous cheei ing.
The CHAIRMAN said that those who lived in a city where
the doctrines of free trade were about to be propounded for the
first time, naturally must feel some little hesitation in coming
forward as decided partisans, until they had learnt a little more
of the principles upon which these doctrines were founded. He
then took a general review of free trade principles, of which he
declared himself a decided advocate, and concluded by intro-
ducing to the meeting
Colonel Trioaresow, who was received with cheers. He
said he had no doubt that he had been called upon to fol-
low the Chairman, in consideration of his near connexion
with the city. Thirty-three years ago he carried off one
of the best and fairest of the daughters of old Ebor and
that he considered ale best and the most gallant action of
his life. He said he could not be charged with any personal
consideration in his advocacy of free trade ; he had no long
chimneys, being, if he belonged to any particular class, a land-
owner. The question for the meeting was whether it was
possible to increase the gain of commerce by any act of mono-
poly. He contended it was not possible, and went at length
into arguments to establish his position. The protective
system was nothing more nor less than an encouragement for
one party to rob another.
Mr. COBDEN was next introduced, and was received with
tremendous cheers. He confined himself exclusively to show-
ing the benefits that must result to agriculture from entire
freedom of trade. He asked the agriculturists to look at their
own affairs, and to think for themselves. His excellent obser-
vations were most attentively listened to.
Mr. BRIGHT was also loudly cheered. He seemed to be la-
bouring under severe indisposition. In the course of his long
and eloquent speech he denied that land in this country was cul
tivated to its utmost extent, and instanced the large tracts which
existed in various places, and which appeared as if they were kept
for the exclusive purpose of growing rushes and thistles. Lord
Ashley had taken great pains to stigmatise the character of men of
his (Mr. Bright's) order, and he had employed men to pick up
the particulars of every case which they could of injuries re-
sulting from machinery, in order to publish them to the world.
Some day, not far distant, perhaps, certain revelations would
be made on the subject. There were, it was true no long chim-
ney in Dorsetshire, and there the agricultural labourers were
not earning more than 6s. a week ; indeed, he knew a respect-
able man at Poole, who recently informed him that he would
undertake to find 150 able. bodied labourers, who would cheer-
fully work for ss. a week. Their cettagea defied all attempts
at description ; they were destitute of every comfort, and even
of decency. The land in the district was probably the
worst cultivated of any in the country, and this was the place
held up by Lord Ashley as superior to the manufacturing dis-
tricts. Mr. Bright also alluded to the harsh language made
use of by Mr. Busfeild Ferrand against the manufacturers, and
related an anecdote respecting a Somersetshire traveller, a strict
Conservative, who, in the course of a business transaction with
him at Rochdale, stated that he believed every word Mr. Fer-
rand had said about the manufacturers. He had taken that
gentleman through his own factory, which he viewed with great
interest, as he had not been in one before; he was silent, how-
ever, and the only exclamation he made use of was at the time
he was taking his leave, when he shook him (Mr. Bright) cor-
dially by the hand, and said, " Mr. Ferrand ought to be burnt
alive." Mr. Bright resumed his seat amidst great cheering.
After a fruitless attempt of some Chartists to create a dis-
turbance, the subscriptions were announced. Mr. Harris, a
member of the Society of Friends, gave 501., and Dr. Rawden
201. ; other sums were given, the whole reaching about 115/.—.
a fair start for an agricultural district.
Thanks were then voted to the deputation and the chairman,
and the meeting broke up about eleven o'clock.

GREAT MEETING AT SHEFFIELD.
(From the Sheffield Iris.)
On Wednesday, a meeting was held in the Cutlers' Ball,
Sheffield, to hear a deputation from the League. The opening
of the proceedings was delayed for some time by Mr. Cobden 's
non-arrival from Sunderland; but the delay did not put the
meeting out of humour with the Hon. Gentleman. The chair
was taken by Edward Smith, Esq.
A letter was read from Mr. Parker, Member for the borough,
apologising for his absence on account of the dangerous illness
cf a very near and valued relation.
The CHAIRMAN, in alluding to the deputation from the
Anti-Corn-law League, said that many who once doubted were
now disposed to admit that the principles advocated by the
League were abstractedly just, and also thedictates of common
sense. After referring to the meetings now getting up by
those who called themselves the farmers' friends, the Chair-
man said there were individual duties devolving upon every
one ; and no man had a right to sit indolently by and
leave the working out of the question to others.—
( Hear, hear.) Had they not been suffering enough in
Sheffield, for the last four or five years, that they were to
have the markets of North America and the Brazils taken
from them again by bad legislation, and not lift up their hands
and their voices against it ? Some parties were for settling the
question at issue by a moderate fixed duty. He considered that
it was an injustice to tax the labouring man, and he trusted
that their representatives would speak in terms of indignity
and remonstrance against any such proceeding. Feeling
greatly interested himself, he should now take up no more of
their time, but would call upon Mr. Cobden to address the
meeting.
Mr. COBDEN, M.P., addressed the meeting in an able
speech, of which we can only find room for one passage. He
agreed with the Chairman, that those who entertained strong
free trade questions must not look for others to do the work.
Their opponents were now becoming violent and inflammatory,
just as the League was five years ago.—(Laughter.) The
proud Sir Charles Knightley, speaking of the League, called
the members Radicals, Jacobins, and the refuse of mankind.
He said that the League was the most pestiferous society ever
formed since the days of the Jacobin Club during the French
Revolution—its members were ragamuffins, Jonathan Wilds,
and Jack Sheppards.—( Hear, and laughter.) Who, he would
ask, would belong to a set like that? Besides, it was not safe to
belong to them, for he found that they were forming themselves
into corresponding societies, and thus placing themselves under
the ban of the Attorney-General. In conclusion he would say
that they must not conceal their light under a bushel, but must
strive to disseminate the truth. If it were true that nations
should interchange with each other the bounties which Provi-
dence had bestowed, rather than go to war with each other, it
was not a small matter that they should thus unite in accom-
plishing that object. There was nothing sordid in the
principles of free trade, nor in buying in the cheapest market,
nor in selling in the dearest. Buying in the cheapest market
was going into a country where there was a superabundance,
and selling in the dearest was taking that superabundance' to
where the article was wanted. The Hon. Member, on resuming
his seat, was loudly cheered.
Mr. BRIGHT, M.P. on presenting himself, was loudly
applauded. He referred to his visits with Mr. Cobden to
Scotland, and to an association at Glasgow, called the East
India and China Association of Merchants, most of whom
were Conservatives, and who wished for a reduction in the
price of tea, but who found it impossible to carry their object
into effect. He also adverted to the impossibility, on all for-
mer occasions, of keeping the price of food up to a certain
amount, and to the distresses in 1817, 1818, and 1819, when
there were outrages in almost all parts of the country. He
held that the coin-laws were unjust, inasmuch as they denied
to man that which was necessary for his bodily strenfth, and
that which was necessary for his sustenance and com sat. It
also denied him the right to exchadge in th6' market where he
could get the highest price. It gavo the rich men the highest ,