The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-12 00:00:00

GREAT MEETUNG

OF THE

ANTI-CO RN-LAW
LEAGUE.

COVENT-GARDEN THEATRE.

The first great metropolitan meeting of the men"'
bers of the Anti-Corn-law League fur the pielt.
season, took place at Covent-garden Theatre 106
evening. The doors were opened at six o'clock. this;
rush was tremendous, and within ten minutes frigi!
the time that the doors were opened, the house 106"
crowded in every part. Even the upper gallery 1/11$
full. The greater part of the private boxes were full/
occupied; the stage was crowded; and such was the`
desire to obtain admittance, that a great number
persons, including several ladies, were accommodate!.
in the orchestra portion of the house, which he "
hitherto been appropriated exclusively to the use. °f
reporters. There were not, perhaps, so many Wts,
present as has been usual at these meetings, but thhe
number of gentlemen was much greater, and tha
meeting was characterised by a degree of earnestness'
and quiet enthusiasm, if one may be allowed tbl'
phrase, which showed that all present were actuete9'
by a fixed determination to carry out the great prin.:
ciple of free trade, in support of which they lver,
leagued together. From the general appearance of;
the meeting we should say that there were mere,'
the enfranchised present at it than had been cone'
gated on any former similar occasion.
At a quarter-past seven o'clock, George Wile.'
Esq., Chairman of the League, took the chair, amidst
the most enthusiastic cheers.
On his entrance into the theatre he was aceo°'
panied by several of the most active members ergs
League, who were loudly cheered as they made 00.
appearance.
Among those present we observed—George 01"
son, Esq., chairman, Hon. Charles Pelham
M.P., Richard Cobden, M.P., John Bright,
Dr. Cooke Taylor, Robert Clark, D. Dewar,
Stainton, J. Baines, Brooksbank, Rev. J. Wolk."
G. P. Fletcher, W. Wilson, W. Hickson, Feelpsl,:
Alfred Novello, J. H. T. Lewis, Captain Cosset 1"
Bauer, G. Thompson, Major-General Briggs, 11/$llll
A. Lyon, S. Lucas, W. A. Wilkinson, S. Harrieel4
Joseph Ivimy, P. A. Taylor, Cowden Clark, --Lesvet,
—Harker, W. Ellis, J. P. Burnard, J. A. Patties,
Dr. Lewis, Colonel Tucker, Colonel T. P. Theteroll-
- Bourne, Isaac Sewell, Josiah Conder,
Lattimer (Wheathampstead), Arthur Move,
_us
Chalmers, Ralph Ricardo, Richard Sharpe, 'lt
Lowe, Thomas Ruston, W. Geesin, Joseph rhell;
W.A.Brown, James Brotherton, J. Hewer, E.
(Crediton), John Fish, L. W. Ash, Charles vvt7-;
stable, R. L. Tweedale, R. R. R. Moore, W. B°ll,
J. Poulter, John Jee (Northampton), J. Cooke,
Parry (Ilfracombe), John Butterworth (Mancheetes:ims'
Charles James
_Wilson, Henry Lloyd Morgacl.,,J6P-
Wilson, John Smith, Professor Key, W. Tl's
borrow, &c.
The Chairman then came forward to addriele
meeting, and was received with loud cheering It
waving of hats and handkerchiefs, which lastede
some minutes. The pit rose to welcome. him': -17-10,
congratulations were repeatedly acknowledge.gria
Mr. Wilson. Silence was at length restored, 01;0
was about to commence his address, when there/mil
a call for " One cheer more, and a good one.". Pc,.
call having been most enthusiastically. responded
The CHAIRMAN commenced his address as foil° tif
Ladies and Gentlemen,—Had we not. been perflocfs
accustomed to see this theatre crowded—crayern,Lo
suffocation, to use an ordinary phrase--et
League meetings, this immense meeting would
excited some surprise in our minds,' occurring,l7o-
does, at the present season of the year—a season_ aw
is supposed to be the least favourable to politice.i. lg
iit
citement, and when the greater number of our fri_l,6l
are generally engaged in different and more cheTds•
avocations. But as it is, we look upon this Lg,
meeting as a sign of the great and- the ifier"r-il
interest which is experienced by a large I:o4°w
the inhabitants of this vast city in favour of the $ sO
lition of these restrictions in trade ivhiela-WiLi-
acknowledge, and in favour of the abrogation of
leas which interfere with the sustenance ni_s
people. We have met together to-night .to refreo
our engagements with each other, to enter into * Jo
bonds with each other—(Hear, hear)—to ePeress
exertion until we shall have obtained the totlit
the conditional—but the total—(Loud cheers d~°
repeat it, not the conditional, but the total abregso.'
of the corn-laws.—(Renewed cheering.) Vire
met here to-night, having gathered experience 'eittif
the past. We have now served our apprehtic.A
to the calling of agitation. We are. determine
overcome any obstacles which may oppose usg,ioo,l
joicing over those which are past, and havinglat
cause for rejoicing in the progress .we have.ol7,ol
made, and in that we are likely to make.--(Cheedll
We are now at the commencement of 'our .01,0
campaign, and we visit you under different, $1.13,0.
think, more favourable circumstances, than If s
attended any of our previous meetings• oe
are here to-night, after having diffuseaoJt
formation on the subject of free ;:rof,
through every part of the kingdom
having sent missionaries to the remotest cane* j
the realm—and after having placed on the tivid
pretty nearly every elector the fruits of the snot
the greatest men of the day in relation to this
—(Cheers)—we have met here, five or six th°, tidy
strong, a small number in comparison of thet
organisation of which we are the represent
(Cheers)—the greatest organisation of caPiro
middle-class men, and operatives which this co ,$
has ever seen. When we last met you were
that the League was going, to use a feell7:rfog
phrase of the day, " for a time into retiresinente
were told, that if you heard no more of the Les
for a time, you were to take it for granted that -/
were hard at work in the registration courts'
the
explained to you what was taking place
51-001
purpose of purifying the representation-4A 140
to you that we were busy in ahhuL,,,,jog
boroughs in England, with a view of 7.7tsesi
registration committees, where no such ce0.70,11
existed, and of rendering assistance and alnof ob'
committees, already existing, for the purr)" oto
taining fuller and more complete inforreati°°oool;
the state of the registration throughout the rood_
generally. Well, we have done this; we ha' ' ober'
committees, and we have assistant-committeegr_ _ ~stO
they have already been formed on behalf of thelistot
traders, for the purpose of revising the electoral be
and, although we do not possess the entire of
.wooly.
ports from the 140 boroughs so visited, owing zud j 4
• ts
cases to an irregular transmission of the Its I S
bbe
others to some of the claims having been iA t infer
for re-investigation, yet, so far as we have receifto
mation on which we can depend—and I prclsseosaeet.
you no information to-night on which Yea
s,;(0
depend—so far as we have obtained inform_
_Poo,
which we can depend, out of 108 of these re
in 98 or 100 we have obtained a majority in.
voichi
visions.—(Loud cheers.) In 98 of these r_ouito;
there has been a gain in the revisionalo sex
of the free traders—(Cheers)—while only 1 jo fy_
seven, or at most eight, has there been 8,81/:Ps5 Otte
vour of the monop _
olists, and in no instance I'ffect tbe.
been any gain in their favour so far as to io it!!
seat of a free trader. We have been told $11$0.01::
again that we could judge but little froni.lotib:
registration courts, and that gain or lossr _
sion courts would not furnish sufficient d
ate of the;
any judgment as to what would be the ste_o art:,
gistration at the time of an election. z„
extent this must be admitted. The reesetr_l_„,;"
onlf
piled by-
takes eognisines:
the overseer, and the revisiocalati7oo
of objections made ear the relate
sn
on the list as published by the overseet.,e%st cbaclft,
tration courts takes no cognisance. of
..%136 in
070
which are continually occurring ;Ifieh?.sfaralchisesicceo,
sequence of deaths, removals, or t di
itnancii°edits
or enfranchisement of borough electors,m
knowledgeoraftteherevisigerost.hnie.u2iesteriejitptil;
from these causes. We have frequently
at ;08.0007
on can
courts beofobthtaeinchedanf
that a borough is at a dead lock, the
be so 10-4.00,
a change did take place,,,ecitt the oat.
constituency could take place, r that, et
AO A could Pever