The Sun.
London, England, 1845-12-13 00:00:00

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'EIT FREE-THAD ce MEETINGS-.
Ivl.re) M MI-2 RS •,; I TH.
tae°ent. Thursday a e numerous and highly respectable
ee4ng Of the inhabitants of Hammersmith and its
4,,..e bourbood was held at the Albion Hail, of that
n, fer the purpose of hea:ing the Hon.
rs, te.o
aieestitme.e-e deliver his sentiments upon the corn-law
keShe rtl y after the hour appointed for holding the.
kil_tl
eng the room was full, and a very large number of
c occupied the reserved seats.
to 4Pt'in Coolie having been called unanimously
ae I.'"e ehnir, he said he trusted the !reefing
altiKl be . so kind as to wait p,atiently for the
Peet:d of the Hon. Mr. Villiers who was ex-
alts "erY moment.—(Hear, hear.) He (the chair-
ki would be sorry if they did not, as he felt assured
tiveall who admired free trade would be desirous of
Auerlhim the reception he deserved.—(Hear, hear.)
he a short pause,
kid? CHAIRMAN again addressed the meeting, and
kr I.regretted very much to find that by that time
414• \ tillers hare. not arrived, but he hoped he would
the 9 his appearance before the meeting separated, and
hotefore his speech would be. (Here a loud cry issued
betn" ante-room that Mr. Villiers had arrived, which
Mailed with loud cheers.)
fitee It R. R. Moone said that Mr. Villiers had ar-
Me teantl would enter the meeting in a few momeitts,
the th'nerefore he (Mr. Moore) would defer addressing
NdsZe.et,ing until then, as he would be very sorry to
le--'etne meeting before Mr. Villiers.—(Cheers.)
het; a 'ew minutes more Mr. Villiers arrived, and was
btstaebd.with prolonged applause. When the cheering
sided,
blikeeteeLklretteese said it was only twelve months ago
eiece","LeY held a meeting in that place upon this subject.
Sethnen he had great pleasure in congratulating this
leteri;ht With all his heart that their exertions in the
th-:had been the means of securing them many
ilki-4
test-lea; and the very resignation of the present
idlest that dey—(Cheers)—had proved that the
40. e-tlend anxious zeal of the people in this cause were
'n "" be crowned with success.—(Cheers.) He had
Vat-ria
titippgratulate the meeting upon the arrival of Mr.
keo.l,,twbose nil and exertions in opposition to the
11 hmee had always been prominent, although by them
-"ti, toeiloBeparated himself from his own class—the
teth ,l't but he cared not for that when he knew
(re esee,'„as seeking for the greatest amount of good for
;tea th-esst number.—(Cheers.) He would now ad-
-11 the see Meeting, and congratulate them upon being.
.tt-te of carrying out the greatefstomandthme otartitiimsh-
-s,:ktil:ruebeliie measureh thitbrafdthceoßm
eeform Bill.
klel Vlore Cn.c;etveleaesesaes', M.P., then came forward,
sitgese.," r,ceived with renewed cheering. He com-
e4tt e by saying he was exceedingly sorry to observe
°t hit entered. the room nearly half-an-hour
17 hi. his time; but it was not teeing to any neglect
tilt it-: ,Or to ' y want of respect for that meeting ;
nltle,: had been misled in his endeavours to find this
it -414 in doing,so he had lost nearly half-an-hour.
sotall °F late l4 plir._ e attendeda great many meetings in dif-
-0,1,4 Le of the country on the subject of the corn-
tiNpee some others had been held which indisposition
;4, y 4ented him from be:.ng presenthowever,
Let itere the fewer number. The Chairman of
"Oltie:ee,eting, knowing that he (Mr. Villiers) was
elet;- ''`rough that town to-night on his way to his
L'Pelainte in the neighbourhood, requested him to address
,74.1,',.'lleetihg of the people of Hammersmith on the
Lllit '",, and that accounted for his presence here to-
Zee .„„c„keheers.) However, that alone would hardly have
Zeolie-,,lneient to have induced him to do so ; but he
'lll. ;:',4 that the minds of the people must now be
'paled' from what they had seen in the public
Dow of that day, with the fact that the moment
-lie 4cl cone when those corn-laws should cease to exist.
tee cis
, true, eers.) Re thought he might now fairly con-
Nuiate the people upon the happy event that the
IN boutd the enormous evils attendant upon them,
me to be rei.ooved ; and that events were now
t'di tlt
in
se?tts Ran the political wworhldic,hinthereference to those
0 te sn oppressive laws, people would take
Lee, su,rei to „aood account.—(Cheers.) For the
Ige,_ beePeriotl (1 thirty years, during which those laws
tiNwilia exietenee, no moment. of their history had o?-
titri the bleb Was of greater importance to the public
VI I;' Present.—(Cheers.) The people had at all
lßie-nee their enactment been complaining of the
L ; be of these laws, sometimes more and sometimes
Ott ruin (luring the last few years an association had
I,7timilted or leaeued together—(Hear, hear)—e
k'qted-Pertant influential and intelligent that had ever.
~ In this Conner or any other—(Hear, hear)—with
44 th-ewh!frnaking manifesty to the meanest understand-
Olaf': erine and mischiefs of this law, and so great an
Peetin had been created by those complaints, that
leee ar: had the gratification to witness accessions to
-se of men who had yielded to conviction, and
L.pctt4tosition in society made their accession of great
s 7 therite•—(Cheers.) Well the results of that
.day
Lekr,""wn the good effects produced upon the minds
iisl_ 11-adin power by th• additional. informationhe
lofta : been all along . acquiring about t
eta,. j'a,(l pernicious operation of those laws upon
`et the ;\`'heers)—and it was now beyond all question
tht rej4;ate first Minister of the Crown would not hold
caktee-erc'i Power unless he also had conceded to him
tceerih' t,O repeal totally and entirely the corn-laws.—
.14ete,-,F•I The people, the n, had the leaders of the
ki ee." Parties in the State against those laws, and
its*, trhe resolved not to accept the seals. of the Crown
a
11-414ittito. People now supported Them in removing from
lottiee 'book a law which imposed a tax upon the
•,,.,'ldstilesaries of life.—(Cheers.) Meetings had been
qt 41.1. over the country in order to consider the best
ku at leaking this subject into consideration. They
he t,:t'rsh triumphed over the landed aristocracy,
Lttitt -neved they would not allow that party again
q*albtlyPhe..over them.—(Cheers.) Canning and Rus-
Vie B,i4Y years ago intended to alter this law in
Pe_lvhee'rn, e measure to meet the wants. of the people,
ttlth " those great men entered the lists for that pur-
ep7f,;(l„,l4rided aristocracy used every nerve to defeat
Otc-" they left nothing undone to secure success
ti, 4 p hal secured it.—(Hear, hear.) In later times,
sPati,ew Years ago, Lord Melbourne also proposed an
it% hri or modification of the corn-laws, in the shape
ei,1,11e,-, fixed duty upon the prime necessaries of life ;
10,9 triri)°, and his colleagues were hurled from power
Cesp.''„"nation by men who sought to accomplish Do
til,Nit'en than the preservation of their own monopoly.
Cesinte hear.) Well, what was the result ? A short
lipnitle,sed, and they had now, not a modification or a
a" or,Proposed, but the real thing, and every ves-
itts,) toese laws should now be repealed.— (Loud
et, th Both Peel and Russell had now agreed on this.
k 41,,a,t all further obstruction to a free commerce in
e, p4,,ti,nl cease to exist.—(Renewed cheers.) Were
brie to to be defeated now, for the third time ?
t"4 •,-, °I " No, no.") Would they not now be
1:114 4,1"; the novel position of supporting those two
its'irti:;e2t a faction- ?—(Cheers.) In fact the people
tie ti,„„‘ng more to do now than to consider in what
kt;',! 4--:, would render that support and at the same
e",,nitik-ture themselves.—(Cheers.) The people had
eered() with the controversies, or the differences,
bl,cat ,s-1118 that had hitherto existed between these two
led Cierl ; they might have heretofore been what they
14% t consistent ;" bait they now said that if they were
)0 the :nsisteet any Linger they would be consistent
444 he't"g—(Cheers)—and that in the course they
ehhe :0 about to pursue they were doing a great
11: hel about
in opposition 0 the will of that few only
ktti th,enged to their own station and order.—. (Cheers.)
lie Iv t°ontenanee and approval and fnentlehip of
'''ts "'e to b withdrawn from them, because they
‘lfs:retl beinge
Lett, the advocates of the community to the
Vet the of a class. Well, he (Mr. Villiers) had no
aj;llse-taq Would be satisfied to bear with the loss if
14,4 hArt Supported them ; and he had no doubt fro:a
ltrPo - "ad seen of Lord John Russell last year, who
LLi', rtstcl his annual motion for the repeal of the corn-
'cere,4t he would firmly adhere to . his pt.irpose:—
tit, ed, Lord John Russell in bringing this motion
Qlee ;lifted that his only object was not to preven
..1, h,,,r,0nl becoming richer, but to prevent the poor
Vieette-I°ining poorer.—(Cheers.) When he (Mr.
g,_ eon` forward his motion for the repeal of
0 tip24ws he was opposed by Sir Robert Peel, but in
cerreation he did not say that the motion was a bad
CO thZhat the corn-laws were good, but he said
hini
1111'N " the people ought to thank God that they a
I, 4O harvest and that food was cheap.—(Laughter.)
kiltit Wit had been discovered that they had had a de-
-o,4'a -,-,telvest, that the privations the people had suf-
Nhenp, no longer be endured, and, therefore, it was
\r,ek-4,,,eirfhl that the Prime Minister should propose
etti".eue` of laws that perpetuated. those privations.
i ,3' i Leheera ) He (Mr. Villiers) had beard,
titl4 Witui,..n the last few hours that morn-
th„ tineh -t-eel's colleagues having deserted him
lef repeal had expressed his opinion that it was only by
letiPo of the corn laws that he could continue to re-
k t at l: ; but was it not rather astounding that, so
kt:t7 su he continued to assail minor monopolies, his
11:114 Ported him strenuously, but the moment he
it? th,,,,e,ir own, the greatest and worst of them all,
all 4(a-elalinediately desert him?—(Hear, hear.) They
„ie, B"riuk from the application of the principle in
%Plied t' Matters but the moment it was proposed to be
41(1 14
a '
affect their . il,,_ ea, manner to own pockets, they
ot,'-'t, ,".., understand the application of it at all.—
iioe e 7, laughter.) He had heard it said that some
lAr:lttieZ'n, k.pt. Sr R. Peel in power declared that the
146)4144 .°I the free-trade principle was all very good ;
40-4 et telt Proposed to annihilate a great and dominant
te:it hi,--ey differed from him entirely, and turned away
ta Part----(Laughter.) Well, be (Mr. Villiers) hoped
eta, 44 Were going to form a Government of their
4441 in Pon their own principles, and if they sue-
le 'tt. "Mg so, the people had only to blame them-
,, t.40.1-e-eti(Cheers.) That that faction should form a Go-
tl,'llle, but their own principles depended upon th.e.
If t 311 oh '
ogle
had very little fear that the people owe
0 jhre foole to themselves as to permit it.—(Cheers )
ttpertae*.ras a time or an event which gave a favourable
104 0 toey for the people to demonstrate their:hatred of
age_ teZezilelaws, that moment was the present.—(Cheers.)
char et erevs! were now called upon to say emphatically
a,iteeerneY considered these laws of an objectionable
N'tleip!,' ;).f •a character that was opposed to every
tkfCheer°l Justice, and of reason, and of common sense.
till to )03.) Rut the question now was, would the Queen
tticee rises
councils those men only who would support
41104 th'ures ? and if so, were the people prepared to
to at ‘ eeein ?---(Hear, bear.) He (Mr. Villiers) had
se` Aeoe'eat many meetings, at every one of which
. *tell tree unanimously declared they would not support
thNtt eutell,--, (Cheers )—and, therefore, he now put the
e De '8"011 to this meeting, and he would ask, were
(t,„`"llle'of /la
NI -ttd cri_ rn„tni.rstuith prepared to support them ?t
tti 414111 thy" No, no," and cheers.) He did no
oneipiet be people to support man of anti-corn law
tilt to exer(!, any violent or unconstitutional condulct,
thiolatitatittua their opinions and determination open ye
keteartitt.)l4eJ,o Y, and plainly.—(Cheers.) Ha wanted
look well to the state of the ry, to
who the electors were, and how itregist
ruy dim

were in each locality who were opposed to or in favour
of a repeal of the corn-lsws.--(Cheers.) Let them re-
member that in the county of Middlesex there now ex-
isted a reproach to the anti-corn-law electors. He
had heard it said in the House of Commons, in torus of
reproach, that the county of Middlesex, which of all
other couuties in England was least interested in the
continuance of the ,corn-la Ars, returned a pro- corn-
law Member.—(Cries of " Shame," and " We will turn
him mit.")
A Voice —Who is he ?
Another VOICE—Wood ; his name is Wood.—(Cries
of " We'll turn him out," and cheering.)
Mr. VILLIERS—III mentioning that incident, he
wanted to show the electors, the anti-corn-law electors
of Middlesex, that they ought not to let such a thing be
said of them. No doubt the Anti Corn-law League was
working well and perseveringly to correct this, and to
remove from the anti-corn-law county of Middlesex the
disgrace of having returned a Member who voted for
the perpetuation of these laWs.—(Cheers.) The Anti-
Corn-law League wanted to ascertain who the men were
who would now vote against Peel and Russell, and those
other men who would still seek to keep upon the statute
book that disgraceful law which made the food of the
poor man dear and scarce.—(Loud cheers.)
A VOICE—They vote for the corn-laws, because they
regard nobody's interest but their own.—(Cheers.)
Mr. VILLIERS—WeII, if the electors told that to those
men practically, it would have a very important effect
upon many, who though anxious for the welfare of the
poor, were still in doubt as to the policy of a total repeal
of the corn-laws.— (Hear, hear.) Now, it was rather a
remarkable fact, that if a person took up the
votes of the House of Commons, and read over
the names of those who supported the corn-
laws, and asked them why they did so,
the answer would not be, it was because they possessed
more talent, or more political honesty, or a stronger
desire for the welfare of the poor than those who voted
against them ; but it was because they had a very great
wish to keep such articles as beef, veal, pork, mutton,
cheese and bread, at a certain price.—(Loud cheers.) Now
he (Mr. Villiers) was one of those who could not be
persuaded that any man who really felt a desire to im-
prove the condition of the poor, could do what he heard
some men do in the House of Commons last session—
namely, to call upon the Parliament to withdraw its con-
fidence
from the Government, for no other reason than
because they apprehended that Government were about
to declare that a repeal of the corn-laws would, make
provisions cheaper than ever they were before.—(Hear
and cheers.) But such a step would never have been
taken but that those who attempted it believed that the
people were too apathetic to express any determined and
unanimous opinion against such a proceeding.—(Hear,
hear.) However, he would deny that the tenant-farmers
of the country were of the same opinion as the landlords
upon this question.—(Cheers.) It was quite clear
that the landlords had not as yet dared to call a
county meeting for the purpose of declaring in
favour of the correlaws—(Ctieers)—because a farmer
had told him no such meeting could be held at
which the farmers would not stand up boldly, and
declare they differed from the landlords, and that many,
if net all, the grievances they laboured under, had their
origin in the corn-laws.—(Chesrs.) There could not be
the :least doubt but that the tenant-farmers of England
would now make a stand against the cupidity of the
landlords—(Cheers)— fur they demanded to be relieved
from these grievances which they now laboured under by
reason of the selfishness of those landlords.—(Cheers.)
But the landlords grumbled at this agitation, and the
newspapers complained of it ; but if the former con-
ceived they were the aggrieved parties, why did they not
call county meetings and declare their grievances ?
(Hear, hear.) He bad heard that there was a gentleman
now canvassing :the elect, rs of Hertfordshire upon the
principle that he would vote for the " protection" laws,
as they were called, and he (Mr. Villiers) was happy to
say that the man who had the courage to oppose him
was a tenant-farmer of the county of Hertford.—(Loud
cheering.) That farmer asked this gentleman, would he
support the tenant interest ? Would he support the
repeal of the game-laws ? Would he support
the tenant's independence, in order that the tenant might
vote independently ? Would he support the corn-
laws or the contrary ? But to all those questions he
never received a direct answer, but was met at every
point by equivocal replies and shabby evasions.
A VOICE—What were the League doing in Hertford-
shire ? No protectionist should be allowed to walk over
the course.—(Cheers.)
Mr. VILLIERS—In answer to that, be could only say,
as he had said before, that that gentleman was opposed
by a tenant-farmer, who had challengedithe gentleman
to meet him at Covent-garden Theatre, and contradibt
his arguments if he could.—(Cheers.) The Hon. Mem-
ber then alluded to the game-laws, and the oppressive
manner in which they operated against the farmer. He
said he was a member of a Committee that had been
appointed for the purpose of inquiring into the manner
in which these laws operated. A great number of far-
mers were summoned to give evidence, and every one
of them agreed in declaring that no law could be more
oppressive and annoying than the game-laws.—(Hear.)
The inquiries of that Committee occupied four or five
months, and strange to say the Committee would not
allow the proceedings to be published.—(oh !) There
lay the evidence to this hour without going to the
public, for what reason he would leave the public
to judge.—(Renewed cries of " Oh, oh !" and groans.)
Well now, the people saw that though the Duke of Buck-
ingham and the I)uke of Richmond were opposed
to them, they had Lord John Russell and Sir Robert
Peel in their favour.—(Loud cheers.) They had Russell
and Peel on one side, and Richmond and Buckingham
on the other—(Rei.ewed cheers)—and therefore let the
people forget all the minor differences of Peel and Rus-
sell, and gird up their loins for the present great fight,
and, in order to be victorious in the battle, let them take
Peel and Russell for their leaders, and the Lord prosper
them. The Hon. Member sat down amidst the most
deafening shouts of applause.
Mr. R. R. R. MOORE next addressed the meeting in a
very powerful and impassioned speech, at the conclusion
of which the following resolution was unanimously
adopted :
" That this meeting, being fully impressed with a sense
of the flagrant injustice witch is entailed on the indus-
trious classes and the community at large, which enhance
the price of food, and especially by the continuance of
the corn-law; and feeling that such a crisis in reference
to this impost and matter has arrived which has never
before occurred, and most favourable for putting an end
to the evils resulting from such law, pledges itself to
the most strenuous exertions in this district of the county
of Middlesex, to return two free-trade candidates when-
ever a fresh election shall occur."
A committee was then formed to carry out the object
of the resolution, and attend to the state of the registra-
tion, and a vote of thanks having been passed to the
Chairman, the meeting separated.