The Sun.
London, England, 1845-12-03 00:00:00

6""
...../ .
7,___.------"--7:17; .I_'"---e_--e..- --- \ -•st•
• = ' -vir • -c:,•- .1,
. .
• c) " lir::f--;_
C -.:,''' ,_..r-1-'l.l-----1,,.;:fr,': :,....:':4:44:-1:;,1_,:- N'::: '1.4-,,`,? - ~.....
q 4•419 -::,, . -
--- A.. r. N .1
, eiLL,
„0". e; 1ik,....,..---4. ......,‘....f....:,..
..-
_______ _
, , ~.., ,
~. qui. 3i,„,
~(1. „o,
„ki>14,050,-,,c-'4L r.-,,A15,. 4t -f_, 11)• .. A. RLITHERFLTED, Esq., M.P., who was re iv t.n loud 4 ik' . i",•44(
applause, said—The circumstances w 'eh' hay this day .........:.7 •
It \ ic... i
called us together mr„ as not onl justify, , -,„,-.-.'}
t / -,' , -,i,..' ) WM . '
1 . i t ;•= I}t
~ , , -,,,,i,,,,
tie, ~ t IT ~ 43
~...xe. 4 •4 `'
. , ip.
IPI . ! cAZ: h.-) S---7-'. ~ gmir 1,tz.1• i.l •
P. 42 14, --- •"-fir link ,
''iii ble z 2r...‘'' ''" % ~r' g.-a ..),;,- i::: ...t4S' 't 1
#0416124',,, „ f: 141,
\ Vut : if‘' 'IT• l'ft' N---_ , ( !If/ ---..,r4 `S` ' '') '/: 7' 'l4'.. W"„ei ''\re*i• " ..,)ti-q_ --- IV, ' 1 ir,. ‘ AI '''..lc" *. a weeti
... ~, . l - , ,4.4-.,
\•, , , -
-__i4l ?,-, , gik 40'• ' ~*%O P-rek-74°- I•''''' l'r ' .--
,____-/ ~.,, / ~,•
-\
- '
- -

but to require, from every influential comm.
expression of their sentiment with respect to
crisis in this matter; and, undoubtedly, in such
this, the object which we have now before us is not only pe-
culiarly expedient, but especially important in a community
like Leith, which, for its connexion with the corn made, as
well as the general commerce of the country, has maiterial
advantages in point of information on the subject, as well as
material interests to press. I am very happy to hays an
opportunity to attend you here to-day, and to express e
complete and entire concurrence in the sentiments which
see so generally pervading the meeting.—(Applause.) lr
venture to propose to this meeting, in anticipation of that—if
the folly of Government will force us to further measures of
agitation—a resolution which demands the removal of these
raves. The 'resolution is, "That the existing corn-laws are
at all times productive of evil, but are peculiarly. so in the
present emergency of 'the country, by excluding the relief
which could be obtained from abroall; and that the continued.
`apathy of the Government, under present circumstances, is
highly reprehensible and full of danger to the people."—
(Applause.) I take it that the fate of the existing corn-•
laws is doomed ; and I take it further to be clear that with
the present system the corn-law, and the whole system of
corn-laws will fall. The arguments for a free trade in corn
are now happily triumphant ; they are in themselves
so clear, that all except interested parties, or parties wh©r
are still interested in the maintenance of a fixed duty,.
are convinced of their truth. There is some plausibility nu
the argument for a fixed duty—not, I think, a sound argu-
ment, however—but for the sliding-scale, all our experience'
goes to show its inutility and disadvantage. I profess that
all the consideration I have been able to give the subject has
only satisfied me—and I believe satisfied all who are
ionopreed3ni
aotutoer conviction—that sr•
prospectskicetti o,na—onfdtshufaoptrp
laiytnyi s
market,
ahrabsolutely
e will
el l and entirely un-
tenable. The sliding-scale puts an end to all foreign growth
f
excepting
hising seed'for i
then
the
spring time, when lie is uncertain. of a buyer in the harvest,
and when he may be left with corn in his hand, which is not
necessary for his own country, and which will not be allowed
into yours ?—(Hear, hear.) Those who supported the sliding-
scale refused the point of a fixed duty. They said a fixed
duty won't do; the only thing that would do, they said, was
a sliding-scale, and therefore they imposed a sliding-scale on
the country as an experiment. Well, they have got their
experiment made, and if they are now obliged to give it up,
as indefensible, as I am persuaded it is, these men cannot
fall back on the question of a fixed duty, but must join us in
the question of a free trade in corn.—(Hear, hear.) A great
defect in the sliding-scale is this, that it gives no en-•
couragement at sll to, and, indeed, it quite prevented,
growth abroad to supply our market. Another gross defect
in it, and a most singular fallacy is, that a harvest should
only be deficient in point of quantity. It was said by the
proposers of the sliding-scale that their system was an ad-
mirable one. They said that when the harvest was . small
. the prices ros.s, and that they rose in proportion to the small-
ness of•t';ie tarvest. Well, when the prices rise, we open ahe
ports, say they ; a little at first, but afterwards to a greater
extent ; and this supply which we let in, in the extent to
which we open the ports, is exactly equivalent to the defi-
ciency in the quantity of the harvest, so that the people are
supplied as nearly as possible with their ordinary quantity of
food. Now, this sounds all very well ; but alas, who shall
tell me that the only difference °in the harvest of one year
from another is the difference in quantity ? Is there no
such thing as a difference in quality ? Are we not now
suffering, and in a marked and signal manner,, from the dif-
ference also of quality ? And if the quality of the harvest
be bad just look at the absurdity of the statement of the
supporters of the sliding scale—if the quality of the harvest
be bad, the badness of the quality keeps down she
which the deficiency in the quantity should raise ;
and the sliding scale fails entirely.—(Hear, hear.)
But there was one great advantage promised by Sir R.
Peel to flow from the sliding-slale. It was hisgrand argument
when pressed for a fixed duty. He said that if they adopted
a fixed duty, they might depend on it that the law would
not stand the first season of want and scarcity which would
occur. They would be obliged to forego 4s. or ss. of fixed
duty, as the people would rise against it, and it should be
taken off, and the law would become ineffectual; whereas a
sliding-scale would gradually open the ports, and there would
be no violent contest between the practice of trade and the
law of the country. Sir Robert held this to be a
conclusive argument. See, now, how. Providence and the
necessities of the country will destroy everything that
seemed most plausible at first. The sliding-scale has
been for three years in existence. These had been years
of prosperity, and it now happened that on the first oc-
casion on which it could be tried, in the first season
in which there was a deficiency, the sliding-scale has been
found defective ; and I don't believe that there is a
man in the community, excepting those parties who met in
Cabinet Council by themselves, who was not of opinion that
the sliding-scale must, like a fixed duty, give way before the
dangers which threatened the country, and that the ports.
without regard to this system of plausibilities and theoretical
argument, must be opened to let in food for the people. I
venture to think that you will accord in the sentiments I
have propounded, and, therefore, without detaining you
further, beg leave to propose the resolution entrusted to me.
—(Cheers.)

PRICE, SD.

JAMES MILLER, Esq., seconded the motion.
ROBERT PHILLIP, Esq., seconded by ARCHIBALD YOUNG,
Esq., moved that a memorial be sent to her Majesty's Minis-
ters, calling on them to give immediate directions for opening
the ports.
The meeting, which was most unanimous, then broke up,
after a vote of thanks to the Chairman.

SIR R. PEEL and the LIVERPOOL
MEETING:
LIVERPOOL, TuEsDAT.—The Liverpool Times publishes the
following reply from Sir R. Peel to the memorial agreed
upon at the meeting in the Amphitheatre, on the evening of
Friday last :

" Whitehall, Dec. 1, 1845.