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

GR
E. T FREE-TIZAI):7 MEETINGS.
Last evening a very numerous and highly respectable
meeting of the inhabitants of Hammersmith and its
L'e'ghhnurhood was held at the Albion Hall, of that
Lo
fiery' er the purpose of hearing Lupo Hon. C. P.
M.Pe deliver his sentiments n the corn-law
question.
Shortly after the hour appointed for holding the
litalei!ting the room was full, and a very large number of
e,ceaspteaeeinupied the reserved seats.
t° the COGAN having been called unanimously
, chair, he said he trusted the meeting
W ewe
%nee
be so kind as to wait patiently for the
peet a' of the Hon. Mr. Villiets, ho was ax-
:ed even' moment.—(Hear, hear.) He (the chair-
a-11) wouldbe sorry if they did not, as he felt assured
(%t all who admired free trade would desirous of
f'li'ng him the reception he deserved.—(Hear, hear.)
After a short pause,
The 0
skid I, -11AIRmAN again addressed the meeting, and
,e regretted very much to find that by that time
Villiers bac not arrived, but he hoped he woul-1
rf" his appearance before the meeting separated, and
efore his speech would be. (Here a loud cry issued
eom
bas 411 ante-room that Mr. Villiers had arrived, which
hailed with loud cheers.)
Mr'
rieed R. Re R. Mooem said that Mr. Villiers had ar-
end ' and would enter the meeting in a few moments,
th therefore he (Mr. Moore) would defer addressing
klecirmeating until then, as he would be very sorry to
ess the meeting before Mr. Villiers.—(Cheers.)
tee: a few minutes more Mr. Villiers arrived, and was
limited with prolonged applause. When the cheering
subsided
ti The
Raenereer said it was only twelve months ago
leiee'etueY held a meeting in that place upon this subject.
then he had great pleasure in congratulating this
Inteett:eg With
all his heart that their exertions in the
tdv :had been the means of securing them many
kinstages; and the very resignation of the present
46717 that day—(Cheers)—had proved that the
Ike" and anxious zeal of the people in this cause were
to t° he crowned with success.—(Cheers.) He had
Vigagratulate the meeting upon the arrival of Mr.
eok, whose zeal and exertions in opposition to the
heehaws had always been prominent, although by them
a„ritst-" separated himself from his own class—the
Y; but he cared not for that when he knew
the tfr Was seeking for the greatest amount of good for
dreikatest number.—(Cheers.) He would now ad-
a% the the meeting, and congratulate them upon being
Lorca
'e of carrying out the greatest and most im-
t• r Public measure that had come from the British
ature since the passing of the Reform Bill.
:11°L1. C. P. VILLIERS, M.P., then came forward,
Ittew,:,,a% received with renewed cheering. He cora-
theCg her saying he was exceedingly sorry to observe
hehielle
.had entered the room nearly. half-an-hournne,lect
Of his his time; but it was not owing to a
btla' or to any want of respect for that uyiee_titngs;
litee bad been misled in his endeavours to find this
}• :„eanci in doing so he had lost nearly half-an-hour.
tre"' of late attended a great many meetings in dif-
kei",Parts of the country on the subject of the. corn-
liefe'"at some others had been held which indisposition
the Prevented him from being present at ; however,
14 Were the fewer number. The Chairman of
Patti meeting, knowing that he (Mr. Villiers) was
'hi:lt through that town to-night on his way to his
ptitiaee in the neighbourhood, requested him to address
eor4 meeting of the people of Hammersmith on the
tltiget.'aws, and that accounted for his presence here to-
4Se --(Cheery. However, that alone would hardly have
teeelipstifficient to have induced him to do so ; but he
pressed,J that the minds of the people must now be
Je, from what they bad seen in the public
keel% of that day, with the 'fact that the moment
`e(l7:°' Come when those cern-laws should cease to exist.
test lid cheers.) He thought he might now fairly con-
te_gratulate the people upon the happy event that_ the
ereeaw .
etre 8, and the enormous evils attendant upon them,
leesihaoout to be removed ; and that events were now
adi "4 in the political world, in reference to those
tkre es nu oppressive laws, which the people would take
407 turn to good account.—(Cheers.) For the
bMLePeriod of thirty years, during which those laws
eller;74 existence, no moment of their history had l
oc-
th eb."‘Which was of greater importance to the public
present.—(Cheers.) The people had at all
ittliB4lee their enactment been complaining of the
sti .'e° of these laws, sometimes more and sometimes
1)44 ,)nt during the last few years an association had
most ; °ruled or leagued together—(Hear, hear)—the
eeißte'Pportant, influential, and intelligent that had ever
11.1501 d M this country or any other—(Hear, hear)—with
th"v of making manifest to the meanest understand-
itepr e bearing and mischiefs of this law, and so great an
the n had been created by those complaints, that
tbeirpepPie had the gratification to witness accessions to
gboause of men who had yielded to conviction, and
'kW Position in society made their accession of great
kid Import
Well the results of that day
slat menu the good effects produced upon the minds
Ze I,_,in power by the additional information
41eflit-'4Q been all along acquiring about the
helot Cl,and pernicious operation of those laws upon
thee eheers)—and it was now beyond all question
the e late first Minister of the Crown would not hold
!tie en'as of power unless he also had conceded to him
Ct4-'
e's,wer to repeal totally and entirely the corn-laws.—
*LIN The people, then, had the leaders of the
• parties in the State against those laws, and
boleere resolved not to accept the seals of the rown
the• ailthe people now supported them in removing from
,QPlC'tute-book a law which imposed a tax upon the
aoldelleeessaries of life.—(Cheers.) Meetings had been
tom all over the country in order to consider the best
bbd °f taking this subject into consideration. They
414 f," length triumphed over the landed aristocracy,
t° e believed they would not allow that party again
>de.:111P11 over them.—(Cheers.) Canning and Hus-
N6°-;twenty years ago intended to alter this law in
ktleirv,lss° some measure to meet the wants of the people,
NI, igen those great men entered the lists for that pur-
Ili% he landed aristocracy used every nerve to defeat
tktiiithand they left nothing undone to secure success
,",ey had secured it.—(Hear, hear.) In later times,
'Llter;,;'ew years ago, Lord Melbourne also proposed an
,°feicrla or modification of the corn-laws, in the shape
414 11:8' fixed duty upon the prime necessaries of life ;
nth e' too, and his colleagues were hurled from power
(Aller'adig_nation by men who sought to aecomplish no
*".(1/ good than the preservation of their own monopoly.
time eftr, hear.) Well, what was the result ? A short
40.,le'aPsed, and they had now, not a modification or a
tige4 duty proposed, but the real thing, and every ves-
theb°l „ those laws should now be repealed.—(Loud
kiai3') Both Peel and Russell had now agreed on this
toed ',Ulu all further obstruction to a free commerce in
the „..liantlld cease to exist.—(Renewed cheers.) Were
Nedople to be defeated now, for the third time ?
'Altuce;3 of " No, no.") Would they not now be
N„'n the novel position of supporting those two
lied nothing
a faction ?—(Cheers.) In fact the people
they
more to do now than to consider in what
cite ""e'Y would render that support and at the same
ctth. secure themselves.—(Cheers.) The people had
01. ea to do with the controversies, or the differences,
great feuds that had hitherto existed between these two
izen ; they might have heretofore been what they
Z 1 be- ` consistent ;" but they now said that if they were
;01 ennsistent any longer they would be consistent
h'',4lw„reing—(Cheers)—and that in the course they
'aul'e "cv about to pursue they were doing a great
`thlielt,- pod in opposition to the will of that few only
• t-v.etonged to their own station and order.—(Cheers.)
"qoaen'e countenance and approval and friendship of
Prefe were to be withdrawn from them, because they
,kiveorted being the advocates of the community to the
~Ntittej of a class. Well, lie (Mr. Villiers) had no
elee be'ueer would be satisfied to bear with the loss if
theil?Ple supported them ; and he had no doubt from
1.441),- Ze_s had seen of Lord John Russell last year, who
't- '7l his annual motion for the repeal of the corn-
ii,?l:34„ that he would firmly adhere to his purpose.—
fisr.l.) Lord John Russell in bringing this motion
;4erithq showed that his only object was not to prevent
t°le-es_froln becoming richer, but to prevent the poor
,916,re,coming poorer.—(Cheers.) When he (Mr.
he brought forward his motion for the repeal of
that ern-laws he was opposed by Sir Robert Peel,' but in
,v°lt4 ,?Position he did not say that the motion was a bad.
meehl that the corn-laws were good, but he said in-
tgemtuat the people ought to thank God that they had
of harvest and that food was cheap.—(Laughter.)
• -()%v it had been discovered that they had had a de-
ttrer harvest, that the privations the people had suf-
hot ~,eould no longer be endured, and, therefore, it was
the p",°nderful that the Prime Minister should propose
."(Peal of laws that perpetuated those privations.
Iv "d cheers.) He (Mr. Villiers) had heard,
th; within the last few hours that morn-
-4,4ek,. of, Peel's colleagues having deserted him
gle ne had expressed his opinion that it was only by
Ititi4-ePeal of the corn-laws that he could continue to re-
; but was it not rather astounding that, so
part he continued to assail minor monopolies, his
tt him strenuously, but the moment he
th their own, the greatest and worst of them all,
did- en immediately desert him?—(Hear, hear.) They
4-cit shrink from the application of the principle in
441111d°1 matters, but the moment it was proposed to be
c7alde- '4 a manner to affect their own pockets, they
kAlee, not understand the application of it at a 11..--
h,,-s. and laughter.) He had heard it said that some
who ke t Sir R. Peel in power declared that the
„„,1• 40t1 of thep free-trade principle was all very good ;
41ter.ue proposed to annihilate a great and dominant
fretee.kat they- differed from him entirely, and turned away
the Part (Laughter.) Well, he (Mr. Villiers) hoped
°Wa`:rtY were going to form a Government of their
NtlecOd upon their own principles, and if they sue-
el es n so, the people had only to blame them-
verg,--(Cheers.) That that faction should form a Go-
etnenttupon their own principles depended upon the
v.e'b'it he had very little fear that the people would
Zf th, r,, se;" fools to themselves as to permit it.—(Cheers.)
'3,,Ppor;„e Was a time or an event which gave a favourable
`,h4ose-"nttY for the people to demonstrate their:hatred of
,er • corn laws, that moment was the present.—(Cheers.)
IThetriaqiu were now called upon to say emphatically
cherl they considered those laws of an objectionable
ArinCiple of
a character that was opposed to every
t• oofjustice, and of reason, and ot common sense.
are.) But the question now was, would the Queen
tilecsivaii_oartutthejahrsgeurcrareoeaustncils those men only who would support
? and if so, were the people prepared to
?---(Hear, hear. ) He (Mr. Villiers) had
,
many nr, eetini,s at every one of which
Auehl/a°Pie unanimously declared they would not support
Mme zneu—(Cheers)—and, therefore, he now put the
the question to this meeting, and he would ask, were
the
of Hammersmith prepered to support them ?
lid cries "No, no," and cheers.) He did not
tritille,l3,lll the people to support men of anti-corn law
the
titvu'etiBonhaYilya,ny violent or unconstitutional conduct,
Col,al express their opinions and determination openly,
and plainly.—(Cheers.) He wanted
Aseeteople to look well to the state of the registry, to
ttka who the electors were, and how many there

were in each locality who were opposed to or in favour
of a renal of the corn-laws.--(Cheers.) Let them re-
el,' muec inc: iblit..cii(scx nosy ex
isted a reproach to the anti•cern-law elector& lie
had heard it said in the House of Commons, in tei ms of
reproach that the county of Middlesex; which of all
other counties in England was least interested in the
continuance of the :corn-laws, returned a pro•corn-
law Member.—(Cries of " Shame," and " We will turn
him out ")
A VOICE —W ho is he? _

. .
Another VOICE—Wood ; his name is Wood.—(Cries
of " We'll turn him out," and cheering.)
Mr. VILLIERS—In mentioning that incident, he
wanted to show the electors, the anti-corn-law electors
of M;ddle. ex, 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-coin-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—
nanre!y, 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 corn-laws—(Cheers)—because a farmer
bad 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 not all, the grievances they laboured under, had their
origin in the corn-laws.—(Cheers.) 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)— for 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 had heard that there was a gentleman
now canvassing :the electors 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 ho 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—Tn aiaswer to that, he could only say,
as he had said before, that that gentleman was opposed
by a tenant-farmer, who had challengeclithe 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 wi-at 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 Duke 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--(Renewed 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 w hich the following -resolution was unanimously
adopted :
" That this meeting, being fully impressed with a sense
of the flagrant injustice which 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 bean passed to the
Chairman, the meeting separated.

EXETER.

A very large and highly influential meeting of the
inhabitants of Exeter and the neighbourhood was held
yesterday, at the Guildhall, in pursuauce of a requisition
addressed to the Mayor, and signed by upwards of 800
inhabitants, of whom 517 are Parliamentary electors,
"to consider the propriety of presenting a memorial to
her Majesty's Government on the present critical state
of the country, in regard to the supply of food."
Amongst the gentlemen present we observed C.
Brutton, Esq., the Mayor, in the chair; E. Divett, Esq.,
M.P.; S. Maunder, Esq.; J. D. Osborne, Esq.; J. C.
Sercombe, Esq.; S. Haydon, Esq.; E. Davy, Esq.; C.
Bird, Esq.; R. Bastard, Esq.; Dr. Ludlow; 1)r. Barham;
Rev. Mr. Bigwood; F. Orchard, Esq.; T. Besley, Esq.;
Dorville, Esq.; Rev. Mr. Hellings; C. Richards, Esq.;
R. T. Abraham, Esq.; T. Latimer, Esq.; W. Drew e,
Esq., &c. There was also a goodly sprinkling of the
working classes present, who appeared to take a deep
interest in the proceedings, which were characterised
throughout by the enthusiasm and unanimity which
prevailed.
The Ma.vonhaving taken the chair, and briefly opened
the proceedings by stating the object for which the meet-
ing was convened,
Dr. BARHAM came forward to propose the first reso-
lution, and after a brief speech, moved that " It is highly
desirable that a memorial should be presented to her
Majesty's Government, requesting them to take such
steps as shall ensure a sufficient supply of food in the
present critical state of the country."—(Cheers.)
Mr. DIVETT, M.P., one of the Members for the city,
then came forward, and was received with the warmest
applause. He said, that it was with great satisfaction
that he rose tosecond the resolution which had just been
proposed ; and great as was the pleasure which he
had anticipated in attending that meeting, lie assured
them that that pleasure was greatly enhanced by
being permitted to second a proposition based on such
sound principles as those which bad been enunciated
by his friend Dr. Barham.—(Great cheering.) He
considered that it was no ordinary occasion on which
they had assembled. For his own part, he had generally
felt an indisposition to be present at public meetings,
unless he was called on either to give an account of his
proceedings in Parliament, or to state what his views
were with reference to any particular measure; but the
present was a matter of such general interest, that he
was glad of an opportunity of expressing his feelings
with reference to it. Till within the last few days he
had had some doubts as to the policy of the agitation
which was at this time going on in the country—doubts
originating in a fear that possibly they might be creating
an alarm for which there was no occasion, lest they
should produce an impression elsewhere that there was
a greater scarcity of food than really existed, and lest
foreign countries should, in consequence, place restric-
tions upon the exportation of food. That point, coupled
with a doubt as to the possibility of obtaining an adequate
supply of food, had, he confessed, caused him a great
deal of uneasiness, and had made him hesitate before he
approved of the policy of the present agitation.—(Hear.)
Ou that score now he was able to say that he was per-
fectly satisfied. If the law were put on a proper footing
with regard to the food of the people, he was convinced
that there was ample sources whence to procure an abun-
dant supply for all. The Hon. Member for Winchester
(Mr. Escott) had proposed to introduce maize as an arti-
cle of food, and he (Mr. Divett) concurred with that gen-
tleman in his opinion that it might be used extensively
and very advantageously for food. On looking at the scale
of duties imposed on the importation of maize, he found
that it atnounted to ss. a quarter, or at least 50 per cent.
on the prime cost of the article. It appeared to him to
be of immense importance that in articles of that sort a
relaxation should take place which would enable them
to obtain a supply of food from the most distant parts of
the globe.—(Cheers.) Having thus expressed his views
with regard to the possibility of obtaining an adequate
supply of food from other sources, it would no doubt be
expect( d from him that he should enter more fully into
the great subject of the corn-laws—(Cheers)—and, im-
portant, no doubt, as vas the urgency of the moment, it
wouli still be ridiculous to ke( p out of sight the fact that
the final settlement of this great question, upon a sound
and satisfactory basis, was a matter yet more requiring
their earnest consideration —(Cheers)—and he confessc d
heshould rejoice if this visitation of Providence should be