The Sun.
London, England, 1844-03-06 00:00:00

NEW LEAGUE.

A new League, under the title of "IThe Improved
Currency League," has been originated in the me-
tropolis, and is holding its weekly meetings 'every.
Friday evening, at the Parthenium Rooms, St. Mar-
tin's-lane. The following petition, as unanimously
agreed to at it's first meeting, and since presented to
the Lords by the Duke of Richniond, and to the Com-,
mons by Lord Ashl4, will supply a tolerably accu-
rate account of the views taken by the new League:—
" To the ilonourable , the Commons of the [Tufted
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, in Parlla
ment assembled.
" The humble PetitiOn of Members of the Im-

proved Currency League,' and other persons in
public meeting assembled, at the Parthenium
Rooms, in the City of-Westminster,
"Showeth,—That it is the opinion of your petitioners
that the present ..sy Stem of inadequate gold, and fluctu-
ating and unsound paper currency,is rapidly pauper-.
ising, demoralising, and enslaving the people.
" That your petitioners believe that, the part of limit-
ing or making all money subordinate to only one par-
ticular and very scarce description of property, and
that an article of foreign produce, and of uncertain
supply, termed GOLD, and maintaining f.r it a fixed stan-
dard of value, is in the, highest degree impolitic, as well
as unjust.
"That its impolicy is shown by the oft-recurring
panics and stagnations in banking, mercantile, and Agricultural'affairs, whereby the banking, trading, agriciil.?'
Aural, and other classes of society, are frequently
compelled to make ruinous sacrifices:of their property,
and labour ; and that its injustice is apparent from the
fact that under it, as compared with the currency which
the country possessed from the years 1797 to 1819, and
when,goldiva-S •left- to= :find its natural leveNn;vahle,
everything except money has become so much cheaper,

or, in other and ''synonymous terms, money itself so
much dearer, that it: now requires, with the labour of
most classes of artisans at 2s. per day in place of 4s. per
day, calico at 4d. in place of at 9d. per yard, corn at 6s.
instead of at 10s. 6d. per bushel, and other articles, the
produce of home industry, in the same proportion, about
double the quantity of labour, calico, corn, and other
necessaries of life, to provide for the taxation of the

country.
"That, under the peculiar position of this country,
with a demand upon it of 50,000,000/. per year to pro-
vide for pensions, sinecures, annuities, and salaries, of
nominally unchanged and unchanging, but of thus really
increased and still increasing amount, almost another
50,000,000/. per year, or an additional 250 millions
of days of labour per year, or of aoout the same
increased proportion of calico, corn, and other
necessaries of life, have, since the .year 1819,
thus silently and almost imperceptibly, but virtually and
actually, been obtained from the tax-payers of this
country; and that such an increase of its taxation is
obviously sufficient to account for the difficulties of the
country, the unprofitableness of trade, and the scarcity
of employment and low rate of wages for lahour.
"That; as in addition to the foregoing, your petitioners
apprehend a still further decline in the ,value of the
labour and produce of this country, arising from a belief
that, notwithstanding the impolitic encouragement given
by this country to the owners of foreign gold mines, in
maintaining for gold the present fixed standard price of
31 17s. 10-0. per ounce, and leaving all its banking and
trading establishments so completely dependent there-
upon—gold is an article that will not be increased in
the same ratio as it is the natural tendency of the popu-
lation and powers of production of this great, and intel-
ligent, and scientific country to increase. They there-
fore feel their imperative duty, as tax-payers, and espe-
cially such of them as are occupied in productive industry,
to petition your Honourable House for a redress of these
grievances.

In respect to the laws affecting the paper money of
the country, your petitioners believe that it would be
less impolitic in your Honourable House to enact that a
favoured company of bakers should be permitted to dole
out, at their own price or pleasure, all the bread that is
required within sixty-five miles of the metropolis, than
that any particular and irresponsible clars of her Ma-
jesty's subjects should possess a charter to supply all the
money within the same most important part of her
Majesty's dominions, inasmuch as the former (bread) is
only one necessary of life, and it is the latter (money)
that commands every necessary of
" Your petitioners, therefore, pray your Honourable
House to take into your serious consideration the fol-
lowing proposals :—That in place of basing the cur-
rency entirely upon a very scarce, uncertain, and fleet-
ing foreign metal, you found it distinctly upon the
available real or real and funded property of the coun-
try; and that, in lieu of one law for a portion of her Ma-
jesty's subjects, who are proprietors of the Bank of
England, a second and third for bankers in England and
Wales, and a still different one, allowing to bankers in
Scotland and Ireland a privilege that is denied to those
of England and Wales— that of issuing one pound notes,
you make one uniform law for the entire kingdom, and
the entire people. That your Honourable House ap-
point a board independent of the Government, but re-
sponsible to the Privy Council, Parliament, and the
country, in whom shall be vested the power and exclu-
sive right of issuing paper money, for the general good
of the country; and that such board be empowered to
make advances thereof to such persons as shall consent
to deposit double the amount of real or funded securities,
and pay an interest of two or two and a half. per cent.
per annum interest thereupon. That such notes be for
sums of one pound and upwards, and their total number
or amount such as shall be found necessary to give the
heavily taxed producers and industrial classes of her
Majesty's loyal subjects, such an advance upon the pre-
sent low and unremunerating prices for their produce
and labour as your Honourable House, !nay consider
their past and present hardships justly entitle 'them to
obtain. That such notes be at all times a legal tender
in discharge of taxes, and all other payments, but re•
deemable at the office of issue in either silver or gold at
the market price of such metals, as from time to time
may be carefully computed by the state of the ex-
changes, &c., and published in the London Gazette.
" That your petitioners believe that the enactment of a
measure of this kind by your. Honourable House, would
greatly tend to emancipate the industry of this great
mercantile country alike from undue subjection to the
influence of foreign gold and hostile foreign tariffs.
They believe also that it would, in a corresponding
manner, restore the monetary laws, and finances, and
trade, and agriculture, and labour of the country to a
healthy and satisfactory state. Your petitioners there-
fore ask your Honourable House to pass it into law ;
and, as in duty bound, will ever pray.
Signed on behalf of the meeting,
" MARTIN NUNN, Chairman."

SHOREDITCH ANTI-CORN-LAW

ASSOCIATION.

Last evening a meeting of the members and friends of the
above Association was held at the Dun Horse, Kingsland-
road, for the purpose of hearing a lecture front Mr. Sidney
Smith, the great burden of which was to explain the clauses
in the Aets of Parliament relating to registration as regards
voters, more particularly those which affect the occupiers of
compound houses, lodgers, and others, the duties of the over-
seers as to making of the rate-books, with a view to the ex-
tension of the franchise, it being considered the most effectual
means of obtaining the total repeal of the corn-laws. The
large room of the tavern was crowded, and every accommo-
dation was afforded for the convenience of the visitors by Mr.
Gregg, the worthy proprietor of 'the establishment. Mr.
Solomons was called to the chair.
The SHCRETARY read the minutes of the previous meeting,
a portion of which related to a vote of thanks to Dr. Sheri-
dan, the editor of the _Morning Advertiser, for his able and
consistent articles in opposition to the core-laws.. The Se-
cretary also read Dr. Sheridan's acknoWledgement of the vote
of thanks, in which he declared it to be his great pride to
lend his best aid to " release the bounties of Heaven from
the bonds which the iniquity of man had placed upon
them."--(Applause.)

. _ .
The minutes were then agreed to.
Mr. BINGLEY said that the letter which they had received
from Dr. Sheridan was so worthy of his head and heart, that
he thought it ought to be placed on the minutes of the Asso-
ciation, and he moved that it be inserted accordingly.
The motion was put and agreed to amidst cheers.
The CirAmmAx then shortly explained the object of the
meeting, and concluded by introducing to the company
Mr. SIDNEY Smiler, who proceeded to address them; Al-
though his observations were lengthy, the matter to which
they referred can be laid before the public in brief form, and
we shall endeavour to give it in that shape, believing that by
doing so we shall aid the object which the lecturer had in
view, namely, to disseminate his views amongst the great
body to whom his remarks were more particularly directed.
He said that the Anti-Corn-law Leage were so conscious of
the truth of the principles which they sought to inculcate
amongst the people, that they were anxious to show to the
people -how they best could obtain the franchise, in order
that the people, in the event of their concurring in the views
of the League, might support those who advocated free-trade.
principles.—(Hear.) If the League did not believe their
course to be that of truth and justice, they would, by the in-
formation which through hale they proposed to give to the:
working classes, to enable them to be placed on the registry,'
be, in fact, giving a stick to break their own heads —(A
laugh.) There was a saying of Win. Penn's—that " a wise
people never had a bad government." This he believed
truly, and his belief was, the more power the people bad, the
more they would exercise it for the improvement of the Go-
vernment.—(Hear.) There were only 800,000 electors in the
three kingdoms. Now, if every Man did what he ought to
do, there would be at least 2,000,000 electors on the registry.
Why should not the working men do this ? By a recent de-
cision in the Court of Common Pleas, which was now the
final Court of appeal in reference to decisions respecting the
franchise, it was declared, in fact, that any man paying
4s. 6d. or ss. a week, was entitled to be placed upon the re-
gistry. That being so, it was the duty of a person to adopt
the necessary means to be so placed on the registry. If they
did that, they could got a sufficient number into the window
of the House of Commons, and that body, joined with others
iu it, would come and open the door to the great body of the
people.—(Hear.) The first thing to be done by periOns paying
rent was to get themselves rated, and although they might
have compounded for the rates in the rent with the landlord,
and although the landlord might also have compounded with
the parish, still, if they paid 101. a year, and were rated to
the parish, they had a right to be placed upon the registry to
be entitled to all the immunities of citizenship; and it was
the duty of the churchwardens and overseers, under the 6th
and 7th Win. 1V.,.c. 96, to place in. the parish book the name
of every occupier- of a house in the parish, as well as that of
the owner, and indeed, unless they complied .with the • pro-
visions of the Act they were liable to be fined 51. upon con-
viction before .a justice of the peace. and the parishioners
could see if the parish officers did their duty, for the Act in
question enabled them, without fee or reward, to take ex-
tracts from the parish books in reference to this point. But
it might be said that the landlord with whom they had com-
pounded, would not pay the rates due on the
.6th of April or
the 20th of July, and thus the tenants might 'be affected.—
(Hear, hear.) But in the parish of Shoreditch, at all events,
they had a local Act which enabled the tenant to pay the
rates, and stop tiTem out of the rent, so that in that parish
the omission of the landlord could not affect the right of
the tenant. They were aware that every occupier of a
10/. house, warehouse, shop, Bge., was entitled, if rated,
to be placed on the registry. The ingenuity of lawyers
had thrown considerable difficulty in the way of the work-
ing of the Reform Bill, and had limited its operation
very much. The recent decision in the Common -Pleas had
however, declared in fact that the owner of any room is any
house, he having the key of that room, and having solo con-
trol over it—the party being rated to and paying 101. a
year rent, was entitled to be placed on the registry. The
case submitted to the Judges in the Court of Common Pleas
was shortly this i—A feCteryi four Stories. high, and
g joint character. con-
g:. of a
taiuing several rooms, each of these rooms wAI lot off
to particular parties. Each tenant had an exclusive
right to the room occupied by him, and had a key
for it. There was a. common beinentrance, and the land-
lord paid the rates, the 17441
The Chief Justice, upon. this case Doing eithmitted to the
Court, decided that all these persons were entitled to be on
the registry, and in this decision the whole Court concurred.
This decision, therefore, fully established the right of every
person paying 10/. @year for a room in a house, if rated, to
be placed on the registry.--(Hoar,) This placed a great
y
power in the hands of the working classes, and the aughtto take advantage of it. The League intended to tale steps
to have the whole case simplified, so that every one could no-
dtottir onliyhdoidw tthool7 the4or4kty,the fOllld easily beat the county matter hereafter ; and if the
Members returned 110040 1,1i4 IP 114011 P f. - 11)n Plutinles
clause. The Lecturer, after aaverting to' other topics, con-
cluded his address by urging the people generally to take ad-
vantage of the suggestions which he had thrown out.
171101# • furl Motion of Mr. BINGLEY, the thanks of the
meeting were givee t.o Itlf, and the meeting sepaiated.

changed with safet ;
REGIMEN,---" Long habits, either of practice or
the (etas vergens especially ti
,'the human body „er,, not freely
and after
admit of changes. Sudden repletions and depletions are
Ptlfsnif, tire !lever suddenly y
equally injurious. Those who have been long accustomed to
i gonoroP diet of flesh-meats and wine, will not bear a .sud-
-4g4 PhApgp to # IPIY fgqi
qpq, PEI thti Adler 40? tb asp tivbo
have lived long on water 'apki ysegptAPlPsi very spoil suffer
from one more nutritious. Still, wkere tip pri al fault lies
in the too great indulgence of the for Mer of these extivines,
we cannot rooppably. liPpe t Tell49YP ii§ (1111sPrill9.11cP0 !P
by amending it .keeping in mind. at smile want
will not bend must not be trOtherheqd
on Diet.

THE THE ANTI-CORN-LAW LEAGUE.
IN GLOITCESTERSII. IRE, S.VROPSHIRE; AND
HEREFORDSHIRE..
(Fuose A conr.ESPoNnt(r.)
During the past and present weeks, Ilir. Falvey has been
lecturing in Tewkesbury,, Leominster, mid Ludlow on the
evils of the cornTlaWS, and the talvantaiges of industrial free-
dom. The lectures were delivered in Tewkesbury on the 27th
and 28th ult., in 'the Town-hall, and were remarkably, well
attended. On the second evening large members were obliged
to go away who could not obtain room, such was the intense
interest felt by all classes of . the inhabitants in the
portant question. of the day. Mr. Elisha Robinson occupied
the chair on each occasion, and in a clear and explicit man-
ner, stated his reasons for supporting the 'principles enun-
ciated by the Anti-Corn=law Leagne. Mr. -Falvey spoke for
two hours each evening, supporting his views and answering
objections to the entire satisfaction of the meeting. When
the lecturer stated the 'firm resolution of the League to gut
down bribery, the cheering was absolutely deafening. At
the close of the proceedings three times three cheers were
given for free trade, accompanied with a vote of thanks to
the lecturer. There is little-doubt 'that, in the event of -in
election, the men of Tewkesbury will relieve, their monopolist
Member from his Parliamentary duties. Mr. Falvey lectured
at Leominster, on the Ist instant, to a large and respectable
audience iu the Assembly-room, at the Lion Hotel. At the
close of his address, a-Mr. Cartwright stepped forward and
delivered himself of the most ludicrous address that, perhaps,
was ever heard at any meeting. Ile said the corn-laws were
passed to make bread cheap as well as dear! that free trade
would inundate us with bread, and that then the people would
not get any I. The other parts of his speech were equally
reasonable and consistent. Mr. Falvey " showed up " his
logic amid the -cheers and laughter of the assembly, after
which a vote was taken, when six hands were raised in favour
of monopoly, and about five hundred in favour of free trade.
Mr. Falvey is to lecture at the same place again this (Wed-
nesday) evening.
On Monday, being • market day at Ludlow, Mr. Falvey
addressed the, farmers in the Market-square, at three
o'clock, and again at seven in the evening, in
,the large room'
at the Golden Lion Hotel. He was listened to on each occa-
sion with 'marked attention, and was never interrupted except
by the cheers' of his auditors. Mr. Falvey delivered a third
lecture on Tuesday evening in the same room.
Perhaps the most pleasing feature in all these Meetings is
the ardent desire manifested by the people to see an end put
to the soul-debasing system of bribery and corruption at
elections.