The Sun.
London, England, 1844-02-29 00:00:00

GRAND WEEKLY
ANTI-CORN-LAW LEAGUE

MEETING

AT COVENT-GARDEN THEATRE.

The usual weekly meeting of the National Anti-
Corn-law League, was held last evening, at Covent-
garden Theatre, and notwithstanding the unfavour-
able state of the weather, the theatre was crowded in
every part in five minutes after the door was opened.
At seven o'clock, George Wilson, Esq., chairman
of the League, took the chair. He was accompanied
by Richard Cobden, Esq., M.P.; John Bright, Esq.,
M.P.; James Patteson, Esq., M.P. ; Hon. Charles
Pelham Villiers, M.P. ; Thomas Milner Gibson, Esq.,
M.P.; W. J. Fox, Esq. ; Henry Ashworth, Esq., of
the Oaks, near Bolton, and other distinguished mem-
bers of the League, who were all loudly cheered as
they made their appearance. Among those present
we observed in addition to the above-mentioned
gentlemen :—Sir Valentine Blake Bart., M.P. ;
Roger Cunliffe, Esq. ; R. R. R. Moore, Esq. ; W.
A. Wilkinson, Esq. ' • Arthur Pattison, Esq. ; Pat-
tison, Esq. • Samuel Lucas, Esq.; Nelson Hancock,
Esq.; William Evans, Esq., Manchester ; J. Goswell,
Esq. • George Borrett, Esq., Southampton ; Chris.
J. Thomas, Esq., Bristol ; Phillips, Esq. ; Effing-
ham Wilson, Esq. ; John M'Leod, Esq. ; Captain
Ridout; George Crawford Heath, Esq. ; George
Serivens, Esq., Hastings ; Charles Scott, Esq. ; J.
Cox, Esq. ; G. C. Dyke, Esq.; W. A. Smith, Esq. ;
W. A. Thomson, Esq. ; C. Layard, Esq. ; H. S.
Shaw, Esq. ; George Smith, Esq. ; R. L. Tweedale,
Esq. ; John Hunter, Esq. ; George Ridout, Esq. ;
Sir William Baynes, Bart. ; John Eckless, Esq.,
Southampton ; J. B. Scott, Esq., Manchester ; Francis
Scheer, Esq. ; Andrew Hall, Esq., Manchester ; R.
Andrews, Esq., Southampton ; James Wilson, Esq. ;
W. Ibbotson, Esq., Sheffield ' • H. E. Adair, Esq. ;
W. Thornborrow, Esq. ; W. M. Burnie, Esq. ; Adam
Smith, Esq. ; Wynn, Esq., Wolverhampton.
The CHAIRMAN called upon the Secretary to read
the minutes of the last meeting.
The SECRETARY then proceeded to read the mi-
nutes. At the mention of the name of Daniel O'Con-
nell, Esq., M.P., for the county of Cork, as one of
those who had addressed the meeting last week, the
meeting cheered in the most enthusiastic manner for
several minutes. The ladies in the boxes waved their
handkerchiefs, and many a popular leader would have
been proud of the applause which the bare mention
of the name of Daniel O'Connell drew forth. We
believe that never before has the mere reading of the
minutes of any preceding meeting elicited anything
like such an expression of popular feeling. The pre-
sent is a perfectly unique instance of such an oc-
currence.
On the motion of Mr. VILLIERS, seconded by Mr.
COBDEN, the minutes of the preceding meeting were
con firmed.
The CHAIRMAN then came forward and said—
Ladies and gentlemen, a distinguished member of
the Administration has been kind enough to inform
the public that Leaguers meet in theatres—(Cheers)
—and certainly this meeting, although not so crowded
as was the meeting of last week—(Cheers)—furnishes
a confirmation of the accuracy of the information
which the Right Hon. the Secretary of State for the
Home Department, was pleased to give to the Mem-
bers of the House of Commons.—(Cheers.) We are
met together here, in perhaps greater numbers than
the entire of the monopolists' meetings put toge-
ther, which have been held during the last week
—(Cheers)—and although, perhaps, it may be no
great compliment to say we are not much behind
them in intelligence, yet I am convinced that when
the objects which they have in view are compared
with those which we seek to attain, we shall stand
much before them in the estimation of the generous-
hearted and intellectual portion of our fellow-coun-
trymen.—(Loud cheers.) We have heard of many
of these meetings, and I am willing to admit that so
far they are indications of renewed activity and
vigour on the part of the more excitable portion of
that political party which upholds the present system,
so far they are important. But, in point of
numbers, with one or two exceptions, they are
utterly beneath notice, and, considered as an expres-
sion of the opinions of the tenant-farmers, they are
altogether foolish.—(Cheers.) Why ? Because in
the earlier meetings, in which the tenant-farmers
were put forward, they did not by their speeches or
by their acts support the objects of those meetings,
and in the later meetings the lords and squires have
undertaken to perform those duties in the name of
the tenant-farmers, and have taken upon themselves
The entire management of these meetings. These
meetings have been very small ; frequently they
have not been held in public, and the tenant-farmers
have not in general attended them.—(Loud cheers.)
But we make no complaint of these close meetings ;
we do not object to our fellow countrymen meeting
in any manner which they may think proper, to pro-
mote a specific object, and to pass regulations in their
own way. But, admitting this right to its fullest
extent, still those meetings cannot for one moment
be compared with the meetings which Mr. Cobden
held in the agricultural districts during the last sum-
mer.—(Loud cheers.) Twenty-eight of those meet-
ings were held in the agricultural districts, and at
twenty-seven of them, which were open meetings,
attended by tenant farmers, and held in the agricul-
tural districts, resolutions were passed in favour of a
total and immediate abolition of the corn-laws.—
(Loud cheers.) On the other hand, at the only open
meeting which the monopolists have ventured to call,
which was convened in Somersetshire by the High
Sheriff, and over which the High Sheriff presided,
resolutions were proposed, seconded, and passed, in
favour of a total and immediate abolition of the corn-
laws, and a petition to Parliament, founded on these
resolutions, was agreed to.—(Loud cheers.) I have,
therefore, a right to say that those meetings furnish
no evidence to show that the tenant-farmers are
opposed to the National Anti-Corn-law League.—
(Cheers.) I had last week an opportunity of noticing
the observations of a certain Noble Lord respecting
the proceedings of the National Anti-Corn-law
League. This week a Noble Earl who resides in
Yorkshire has chosen to favour us with a notice.
There was a meeting in York held last week, the
Earl of Harewood in the chair. The Noble Earl is
reported to have said that the meeting might learn
what were the objects of the Anti-Corn-law League
in the agitation which they were carrying on, by
considerin what had happened to a farmer in Lin-
colnshire. That farmer had attended a meeting in
Lincolnshire, and had stood up and opposed the Anti-
Corn-law League, and during the course of that very
night his stacks and his ricks had been burnt down.
No man could surely doubt after that what were the
objects and intentions of the National Anti-Corn-law

League!—(" Oh, oh," and cries of " Shame ! shame !")
Does the Noble Lord mean to say that the members
of the League set fire to this man's ricks ?—(Cheers.)
He has furnished us with no information on the sub-
ject—(Cheers)—he has not told us where this meet-
ing was held.—(Cheers.) He has not told who was
the party to whom these stacks belonged. The Noble
Lord has not descended to particulars. He was
vtilling to establish an imputation against the League
—he did not consider it necessary to enter into any
particulars, for he knew his audience well, and that
they would be perfectly roidy to accept any insinua-
tion which he might think proper to make against the
Anti-Corn-law League.—(Cheers.) But I would
have that Noble Earl to know that we, the members
of the League, have as great a regard 'for the sacred
rights of property, and as much abhorrence of the
diabolical acts of the incendiary as any Lord, Earl, or
other member of the aristocracy.—(Loud cheers.)
The Noble Earl lives in Yorkshire, and he cannot
east his eyes in any direction without seeing numer-
ous towns and villages and hamlets all indebted to
manufacturing capital for their prosperity.—(Cheers.)
He cannot look around him without knowing that
among the inhabitants of all those towns, villages, and
hamlets, there are persons of every station in society,
high and low, who aremembers of the National Anti-
Corn-law League.—(Cheers.) Does he dare to ac-
cuse those persons of having set this man's ricks and
stacks on fire ?—(Loud cheers.) He is seated in the
House of Lords on the bench opposite to that on which
sit the Earl of Ducie, the Marquis of Westminster,
the Earl of Radnor, and Lord Kinnaird—will he
venture to accuse them of encouraging and as_
sisting any person to set on fire those stacks or ricks?
or will he dare to accuse this meeting of it ?—(Loud
. cheers.) I hope that he will be more careful for the
future of the statements which he makes, and that
when he does make a charge, he will make it fairly,
and give particulars.— (Cheers.) Since we last met
here meetings have been held in various parts of
Yorkshire —at Richmond, at Knaresborough, at
Northallerton, at Thirsk, at which Mr. Plint, Col.
Thompson, and Mr. Prentis, of Manchester, attended
•,-as a deputation from the League. At Colne, in Lan-
cashire, a meeting was likewise held, during the last
week, which was attended by the Rev. Mr. Massey,
. of Manchester, and at which 2001. was collected for
. . the League fund.—(Cheers.) At Gloucester, on
Saturday last, there was an open county meeting, the
Earl of Ducie being in the chair.—(Loud cheers.)
It was attended by a greater number of tenant-
farmers than I believe it would be possible for the
monopolist party to get together at any meeting
which they may think roper to hold in the same
county.— Loud eheers. It was addressed by Mr.
Cobden--1 Cheers)—Co onel Thompson—(Cheers)—
and Mr. oore.—(Cheers.) A resolution was pro-
posed by Mr. Holland, a large a,grieulturist, a farmer,
and an extensive occupier of land, and seconded. by
another tenant.fimenapproving of theroceedmgs of
tfie National Anti-Corn-law League.— Loud cheers.)
We shall be addressed this evening by Mr. Ashworth,
of Turton, near Bolton—(Cheers)—by Mr. Milner
Gibson, the Member for Manchester-(Cheers) Mr.
Gisborne—(Loud cheers)—Mr. Gisborne, I am sorry
to say, is unfortunately detained at hone by indispo-