The Sun.
London, England, 1845-01-16 00:00:00

looked elsewhere, have seen a real collision
with these societies ; for while there are as-
sociations for all these purposes, there is also an
association for leaving the poor needlewoman unable
to buy more than three-fourths of the bread which
she might purchase—there is an association for mak-
ing a poor man spend so much for food, that he can-
not buy a stock of linen to go to wash !—(Cheers)—
there is a society that so interferes with the rights
and wants of the poor, that they lose all
heart and desire to put themselves into better
habitations—there is a society that has a direct ten-
dency to diminish the amount of work for the poor,
to curtail their employment, and to deteriorate the
worth of that employment—there is an antagonist so-
ciety to all these professed benevolent institutions, 1
and. that is the Central Society for keeping up the
taxation on bread ! They are the parties who
ought to be accused of those who are so much
'addicted to these special charities. On their heads
ought the thunderbolts to fall. It is they who are on
their trial, not the leaders of the League. The
League on its trial, indeed ! Why, Providence has
given it a trial, and they have stood it bravely and
triumphantly.—(Cheers.) They have summered and
wintered it ; in the season of heaviest suffering
and in times of comparative prosperity they
have pleaded the cause before the Legislature ;
they have pleaded it before assemblages of tremendous
multitudes; they have been, to use an apostoli
phrase, " instant in season and out of season ;" every
time has been to them a time and season for advancing
the great cause of justice and charity. They stand
not merely acquitted, but deserving of all honour
and praise. It is the other party that is
on its trial—it is the moral courage of the
Premier that is on trial ; it is his disposition to carry
into practice his own professed principles ; it is the
constitution of the country that is on trial, to see
whether it can furnish the means of redressing this
great and pervading wrong; it is the spirit, and
energy, and determination of the British people that
are on trial, to see whether they will hold
out till they do themselves right by putting down
the oppression of a class. They call themselves pro-
tection societies ! Why, we are the true protection
societies. They are a protection society for the rich
and powerful—we are a society for the protection of
the needy and helpless. They are a society for the
protection of high prices of food—we are a society
for the protection of the highest worth of wages.--
(Loud cheers.) They are a society for the
protection of indolence and rent—we for the protec-
tion of industry and enterprise. They are a society
for the protection of a demoralising, degrading, and
destructive system—we for the protection of universal
right, justice, and charity !—(The conclusion of the
address was received with loud and long-continued
cheering.)
The CMAIRMAN then thanked the meeting for the
good order that had been kept throughout the pro-
ceedings, and announced the next meeting for that
day month.
After giving three cheers, the immense assembly
separated.