The Sun.
London, England, 1844-01-09 00:00:00

VISIT FROM A DEPUTATION OF
THE LEAGUE.
' At length it may be said that corn-law emancipa-
tion is almost within reach. The gigantic injustice
perpetrated by the corn-laws bids fair to be speedily
numbered among the things that were. England,
throughout all its towns and most of its counties, is
speaking out in accents which are neither to be over-
looked nor misunderstood ; and Scotland is as firm
and as determined too. With a free press, a penny
postage, and the right of public discussion, the cause
of a nati&i, founded upon justice and maintained with
energy, is drawing visibly nearer to the moment of
final and complete SUCCeSB. And when that day has
come, and the peaceful and bloodless laurels of the
triumphs of argument and truth have been won, the
history of the corn-law contest trill form one of the
most remarkable eras in the annals of the kingdom.
When it is remembered that the Anti-Corn-law.
League is a body self-originated, and, in the strictest
sense, non-partisan—a body which a few years ago was
yet in an embryo state, composed of a few public-
spirited citizens of Manchester, all of whom probably
might have been contained within an ordinary pri-
vate room--its rise and growth to its present colossal
proportions are without a parallel in our history.
Never before was there so much energy, intelligence,
wealth, and numbers, similarly organised and arrayed
outside the walls of Parliament ; never before did the
middle classes assume a shape so distinct and palpable,
or take up a position so quietly abreast of the other
" powers that be ;" never before was there such a
vote of confidence passed by a large portion of the
people in favour of such a body, as the raising of a
subscription of 50,000/. for the last year, followed by
a subscription of 100,0001. for the year now current.
And when it is considered how vast a power has
accrued to the leaders of the League, deep is the
debt of gratitude which should be felt for the manner
in which they have acquitted themselves of their most
onerous duties. In spite of gross provocation, in de-
fiance of all attempts to intimidate, and with the
quiet and resolute calmness of men confiding impli-
citly that truth is great and will assuredly prevail,
they have hitherto conducted the great movement
with eminent moderation and judgment. The earnest
eloquence, the clear temperate reasoning, and the
manly courage of Mr. Cobden and his distinguished
friends (some of whom are now about to visit Scot-
land along with him on their philanthropic mission)
have long ago silenced everything like argument on
the side of the monopolists, and have even well nigh
shamed their libellers into mutes.
The gradation by which the monopolists, from the
vaunting tone of confident defiance in 1841, have
come rapidly down to their present level, is one of
those instances of railway progress which seems to
• characterise so many great movements of late years.
In the session of 1842, there were at least some
quack arguments offered on behalf of the corn-laws,
followed up by copious libels on the manufacturers
supporting the League, which were uttered appa-
rently in the vain hope of diverting attention from
the subject at issue. But these resources soon failed.
Then the session of 1843 arrived, and " do-nothing,"
"say-nothing," was the order of the day—an order
most implicitly followed, save when some Mem-
ber or some Minister (like Sir E. Knatchbull)
blundered out the suicidal plea, that the corn-
laws must be maintained in order to keep up
rents, and enable landowners to provide the better
for their wives and children. That session passed
away, and while the influence of Parliament with the
country was palpably on the wane, the influence of
the League was monthly and almost daily on the in-
crease. And now the session of 1844 is about to
open. What may be the next move of the monopo-
lists, it were vain to conjecture ; there being no move
after check mate, which seems to be their present
position.
But nevertheless there are two things re-
specting which a prediction may be ventured, and
both seem worthy of some attention. The first is,
that free discussion and the corn-laws cannot much
longer exist together ; and unless the people can bo
compelled to forego the former, the monopolists must
make up their mind to part with the latter. The se-
cond is, that, judging from the recent tokens exhibited
by the election-hustings, if the monopolists persist
much longer in their present course, they will teach
the much calumniated League manufacturers, a species
of new manufacture of which the monopolists are little
dreaming—the manufacture of a majority of the
House of Commons.—Scotsman.

If England paid her National Debt, it would take
46/. 9s. 2d. from each person to pay it ; it would take
1 ft. 9s. 2d. from each Frenchman to pay the debt of France ;
it would take 55/. tis. 4d. from each Dutchman to pay the
debt of Holland; and it would only take 41. 13s. 9d. from
each Pennsylvanian to pay the debt repudiated.
BUCKINGHAM THE ACTOR.—Our theatrical readers
will regret to learn that this favourite of the Minors, Vauxhall,
&c., is now suffering under all the prieLtions that poverty and
sickness entail. Mr. Buckingham was an excellent performer.
His Trapbois (in the Fortunes of Nigel) would hare made any
actor's fortune ; but, alas ! he pla)ed it at the Surrey, not at
Covent-gardim, and John Bull has a fatal knack of judging
things by where they are done, heeding little how they are
done; and the Surrey then was not what it is now. His Giles
(Miller's Maid) was also an admirable performance. Mr.
Buckingham has not been reduced ta distress by follies or ax-
cess—he has all his He been known as an industious, honour-
able man ; but a life, a large family (we believe of nine chil-
dren), all dependent upon his exertions, at length bore him
down. He has now been ill, helpless, for many months.—
Sunday Times.

N OVEL DEER I fUNTING.—The inhabitants
of
Woolwich were surprised, between two and three o'clock on
Saturday afternoon to witness a tine full-grown deer run down
the New-road, and along Thomas-street and Wellington-
street, into Lower Market-street, and shortly afterwards fol-
lowed by a field of sportsmen, with a pack of hounds. The
deer took refuge in a timber yard, ih Lower Market-street,
where it was secured and taken to the Earl of Chatham public-
houe, until a cart was procured to take it home. The run
after this tine animal must have afforded excellent sport, as it
was started at Lock's I3ottota, near Tonbridge-wells, by the
subscription pack hunting in that quarter.
THE ANTI•CORN-EAW MEETINGS.—THE LEAGUE
Furs.—During the ,resent week, a number of spirited meet-
ings have been held in various parts of the country, to promote
the cause of free trade, and to aid the great League fund of
100,0001. That at °Alain, on Tuesday evening, we noticed
in our la't, and accounts of ethers appear in our columns this
day. The subscriptions at-these meetings were as follow :
Bacup, 2151. (in all 1,315/. ) ; Bolton, 505/. (in all 1,2051.) ;
Bury, 800/. (in all 1,1001.) ; Oldham, 8601. ; Ossett (York-
shire), 50/. ; l'udsey (Yorkshire), 1121. ; and Leek (Staf-
fordshire), 37/. Total of these amounts subscribed in the
room, 2,579/. ; and, including former amounts subscribed this
year to the same fund, 4,679/. There was to be a meeting last
evening at Burnley, which would be addressed by Mr. Cobden,
91. P., and Mr. W. J. Fox, of London ; and another at
Orley, Yorkshire, to be addressed by Mr. Plint and other
gentlemen ; and almost every evening for so,ne weeks will ha
similarly oocupied, the great difficulty being to gratify the
general desire to have a deputation from the League to address
the meeting.—Manchester Guardian of Saturday.
Till: I:UN-AWAY LADY.—The girl NlllOSe myste-
rious appearance amongst us recently caused considerable ex-
citement, and who so adroitly escaped from her watchers, has
again emerged from her obscurity. We understand she is now
staying at an inn in Linton, East Lothian, where the impression
is the same as that formed at other places, that she is decidedly
insane.— Scotsman.

A very beautiful sword has been transmitted to
Captain Sir George Sartorius, of the Malabar, by General
Espartero, in commemoration of Sir George's services in Por-
tugal, which so powerfully influenced the establishment of
Spanish freedom. The sword was presented to General Espar-
tere by the province of Santander.— Devonport Telegraph.
W e are assured that up to a late hour yesterday
afternoon no filial determination had been come to at the Home-
office on the case of the four unhappy men now under sentence
of death for the brutal murder of Lord Derby's gamekeeper.
The applications in their favour were still undergoing most
anxious consideration.— Observer.

LOVE AND Suicum—Some weeks ago, a young
woman, called Mary Whiteley, who had lived as housekeeper
with Mr. Hay, surgeon, in Park-square, was missing, and,
from the circumstance of her clothes being found on a post near
the river side, there could he little doubt that she had sought a
watery grave. Day after day, however, the river was searched
in vain for the body. and hopes began to be entertained that
she was still alive. These hopes have proved to be groundless.
On Wednesday last, upwards of three weeks from the day when
she was missed, her body rase to the surface of the water, and
was discovered floating down the River Aire, betwixt the flood-
gates and the dam, at Knostrop. From the investigation whick
toop place at the inquest, held on the same day, it appeared
that an attachment had subsisted for some time previously, be-
twixt the unfortunate woman and a tivh.dealer, called Robert
Armstrong. The intimacy, however had been broken off, and
Armstrong was going to be married in a short time to anothe
woman. The 'jury gave in their verdict—" Found drowned,
but by what means there is not sufficient evidence to show ."
Leeds Times.

TILE MURDER NEAR WEST CALDER.—We learn
that a clue has been obtained by the county police, which is
likely to lead to the detection of the murderer of the old man
Geddes, near West. Calder, to which we referred in our last ;
but at present. it might. be injudicious to give particulars.—
Scolsmox.

DEATH or LADY GREY, OF G RODY.—I Ter Ladyship
died at the Earl of Stamford and M arriogton's seat, Dunham
Massey, Che'hire, on Thursday, after a long illness. She was
Lady Katherine Chatteris, fourth daughter of the present Earl
of NVemyss, and married Dttli of December, 1824, Lord Grey,
of Groby, eldest son of the Earl of Stamford and Warrington,
by whom, whn died 24th of September, 1833, her Ladyship
has left issue two children, the present Lord Grey, of Groby,
born 7th of January, 1827, and the lion. Margaret Grey, born
12th of December, 1835.

ERUPTION OF MOUNT ETNA.—Accounts from Pa-
lermo, of the 9th ult., state that the eruption of Mount Etna
at that period was considered to have come to its termination.
Foe the fortnight previously the old crater continued to semi
forth hot ashes, smoke, sand, and lava. The latter
had contine.ed to flow, but had turned aside from the
direction of lironte, which was deemed out of danger. The
lands of lia-ibani are half covered over, and it is thought
that the lava will go as far as Gripito. The whole distance
it has run over is about ten miles, it having gone across the
public road in a stream 69 feet wide. On the 24th November
a second crater opened year Coriazzo, from which a fresh
stream of lava flowed towards Cartiera. It continued to ad-
vance in the same direcion up to the day when the accounts
left, making its passage by a frightful accident, which occa-
sioned a considerable loss of life. Not far from Cartiera the
lava collected in a low spot, where a quantity of water was
lying. As it continued to form a smoking mass, a number of
spectators came from various points to look at the unusual
tack number of workmen were also employed in cut-
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