The Sun.
London, England, 1842-07-12 00:00:00

THE ANTI-CORN-L A W
CONF ERENCE.
(THIS DAY.)

The Delegates met again this morning at Eleven
o'Clock, at Herbert's (late Brown's) Hotel, Palace-yard,
Mr. P. A. Taylor in the Chair.
The CHAIRMAN said he thought that although. Mr.
Villiers had been defeated last night in the House of
Commons—an event which be apprehended would not
astonish any of the gentlemen around him, because they
could have expected nothing else—yet he did think that
there was some subject of congratulation for them in th
tone of many of the speeches made last night by their oppo-
nents: In the first place, there was a very great soreness
manifested towards the Anti-Corn-law League ; and he
took that to he no very bad sign.—(Hear, hear.) They
were spoken of as an annoyance, but he did not read in
the reports of the proceetangs that they were treated
with any marks of contempt. He read nothing tha
showed their efforts were undervalued. Their opponents
were dissatisfied with their power, but that was not a
thing for them to grieve at. They were dissatisfied that
parties out of the House should attempt to influence
Members in the House. He need not remind them that
it was for that very object they had come together
—(Hear)—and therefore the regret expressed was at
any rate an evidence that to some degree at least they
had succeeded in that which they had attempted. He
thought also that Sir R. Peel had not crowed quite so
loudly as he had done a little 1% bile since. A short time
ago he did not hesitate to say that the measures which
the Government had passed would be most certainty per-
sisted in. But now he only hoped that a fair trial woule
be given them ; and he spoke of his policy as a sort
experiment ; and supposing the experiment did not suc-
ceed, he expressed his readiness, notwithstanding hi:
by-gone opinion, to try something else—(Hear, hear)
—that was to say, he should be prepared to alter that
which he had- been so confident would sucued. In
the " whole t':.ne of the debate of last night, in the
mode in which • the proceedings of the Delegates
were estimated, and in the annoyance expressed at thoit
proceedings, it appeared to him they bad satisfactory evi-
dence that they had succeeded to some extent since they
had met together in London.—(Hear, hear.)
The CHAIRMAN then read the following letters, or ex-
tracts of letters, from correspondents in tte country:—
Bury, July 10,1842.
My dear Sir,—l assure you I cannot express the gratitude
I feel for your exertions, in order to rid our country of that,
its fattiest blot, the Corn-law. For your three letters sent me
I am very much obliged, and have to inform you I have cir-
culated the contents of them as much as possible, and that they
have given unlimited satisfaction to all those who felt themselves
interested in your oleputation. Your remarks to the Confer-
ence have pleased all parties here, Whig, Tory, or Radical—all
entertain and express themselves that they are a true state of
the condition of the inhabitants of this town and neighbourhood.
Since I received your letter this morning I have seen seven
or eight cf the friends, who take a part in these proceedings,
who are all of them of one opinion, that is, you must
remain in London until the Conference separates. Yon
are aware we cannot get up a meeting of the Council
of the Association before to-morrow evening, when your com-
munications shall be laid before them, and I will write to you
full particulars, which you will receive on Tuesday afternoon,
or Wednesday morning at latest. All the friends to whom 1
have spoken express their readiness to join in the expenses
which may occur in the increased time of your attendance in
andon.

I shall be very glad to hear from you at all times, and
I particularly rejoice that you have had an opportunity of
stating your opinion of things to the head of the Government,
knowing full well you would deal faithfully with him. Mrs.
Holt joins me in kind regard:, to you, and believe me to remain,
your obedient servant, THOMAS HOLT.
P. S.—Mr. E. Hardman, it is reported, has informed his
printers that if they mil work for the prices paid to apprentices,
he can employ then; if not, he will have all his work done
by boys.

Todmorden, Friday, July 7, 1842.

We beg to express our approval of the plan-s
of agitation re-
commended by your Committee; we thinkthem prudent and
judicious, and hope they will be fully and effectually executed.
We also presume it unnecessary for us to urge upon you the
necessity of your remaining in town, with other friends, until
these efforts have been fairly tried ; don't let Peel's party
exult over another •' early separation," but remain firm, reso-
lute, and seem determined not to return until something be
done to alleviate the distress and calamities that await us.

The House of Commons, it seems, did not think it worth
their while to muster sufficiently numerous to enable business
to proceed (on Monday last) when the distress of the country
was to be taken into consideration • 'make them feel this in all
the ways you can invent, and make them understand that you
are for having; ocular demonstration of their attendance in the
House, to vote the supplies.
Our grocers, and other shopkeepers, are about to have a
Conference respecting their prospects. Something will be done,
but whether a man from their own body will be sent up to
town, or their wishes will be communicated to you, I am un-
able at present to say, but no doubt shall have something for
you :on this subject in my nest. Accept my best wishes on
behalf of self and friends, and remain yours.

Toamorden, July 7, 1842.

We bee to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of yester-
day, and take the first opportunity of informing you that it is
' the opinion of all here, that the Conference have acted wisely
in deferring their departure, as a little agitation in London is
likely to have a greater effect on the Government than if pro-
.ceeding from the country. The shopkeeper ,here are now mov-
ing, and *though slew, we think they will do something at last,
as they must feel the distress more severely every week.
It is the wish of your friends that you should not return at
the time you mentioned, but join in keeping up the agitation in
town some time longer. In all probability you may be re-
lieved by some other person's attendance when the shopkeepers
have completed their arrangements.
The Rev. Mr. HAWKES, of Kendal, was then called
upon by the Chairman, and proceeded to address the
'meeting. When he had left home at the commencement
of last week, in order to represent the town of Kendal,
and the surrounding agricultural districts, he felt that
he was. coming, to discharge a very solemn and a very
melancholy duty. He knew of no place which called
more deeply for the public sympathy than the town of
Kendal. There might be other places in which the dis-
tress was still greater; but the town of Kendal exhibited
this peculiarity, that, for the last six years, the progress
of the annihilation of its trade had been so ex-
tensive, and yet so gentle, so gradual, so progressive,
that hope had been just kept alive in the bwoms
of its unfortunate inhabitants. With this hope they
had been induced to linger in the precincts of the town
with starvation daily written in their faces, while they
were sinking one after another into the workhouse.—
(Hear, hear.) rhe town presented the strange condition
of being in the same state with regard to the number of
its r opulation as in the year 1841. The census of 1841
showed an increase of only 137 souls as compared with
the census of 1831; and that had happened in what had
been one of the most prosperous of our manufacturing
towns. The condition of the unfortunate inhabitants
was calculated to make the hardest heart bleed—nay,
even that of Sir R. Peel, and if he had witnessed it, he
could never have made the speech he had delivered
last night in the House of Commons.—(clear, hear.)
He thought that the sight of this distress would melt a
heart of stone, and it was because he was surrounded by
the glitter of the nobility, by splendid buildings, by
massea of wealth, that he could not realise to Isis eyes
the scenes of destitution and gradual death which
they, especially those who were ministers of the Gospel,
were compelled day by day to behold. He was not
going to detain the meeting with any statistical details;
the Report he had condensed before he came, which
would be put into the press without the meeting being troubled
with its details. But he hadpointed out that one peculiar fact
in their case was, that owing to the gradual operation of the
Corn-laws the:population of Kendal had been emigrating to
other towns or other countries in search of that employment
which they could not receive at home, or were sinking into a
premature grave. They had the same population now as they
had ten years ago, but they had lost much of their independence,
much of their manly spirit, much of their capital upon which
one-fourth of their population had been feeding
(Hear, hear.) The amount paid in wages in Kendal had
diminished by 18,5601,. and this was considered so complete an
under-statement, that if it were fixed at 20,0001. the amount
of the decrease would be nearer the truth. In lieu of this, the
working classes only received, at the hands of the Poor-law
Guardians, the sum of 1,122/., which left them less to spend
on clothes and rental, by 14,7381. What was the influence of
this on the agricultural district surrounding Kendal? It de-
pended on supplying Manchester, Liverpool, Bolton, and
other places with agricultural produce, especially eggs, butter,
and poultry. From the diminution in the amount of wages
paid to the operatives, the sale of these articles had
greatly decreased ; butter was quite a drug in the market,
and could not be sold at Bd. a lb. Did not the poor farmer,
whose rent did not fluctuate, suffer by this state of things ?
When his produce was depreciated 30 per cent. in value, would
his landlord return him 30 per cent. of his rent? ; he
would make a great favour of returning perhaps five per cent.,
and be lauded in the newspapers for his benevolence. This
was the effect of the depression in the agricultural districts,
which had first been made rich by the rise of manufactures.
If the means by which these mechanics lived were taken away,
the evils of the Corn-laws must ultimately fall on the landlords
themselves. But it was a melancholy reflection to
think that in the meantime, the greatest suffering fell upon
those who, by their leases, were in their landlords' power, and
bound to continue on their estates, whether for evil or good.
The accounts from all parts of the country confirmed this 11
statement, and it was their firm belief that the price of corn
could not rise much higher, without causing a national convul-
sion. He believed that in the manufacturing districts they
were on the verge of disturbances which would not be repressed
except by shedding blood, because the obstinacy of their go-
vernors led them to look on these things with calm and unruffled
eyes, and they would employ the force in their hands, the police
and soldiery of the country, to repress tumult, rather than
take other means to prevent it. In Parliament they disco-
vered that they must wait the progress of events—the Minis-
ters said their measures had not been sufficiently tried—it was
evident that .hey were to wait till the country was raised tothe
utmost pitch of deperation, and not till it had shown itself in
a manner not to be mistaken, would any new consideration he
given to these laws, to which they all attributed their present
distress. Sir R. Peel bad again repeated his belief that much
of the local distress arose from the increase of machinery ;
but what caused this restless invention of machinery ? It was
to evade that heavy and costly element of production in manu-
factures which the Corn-laws created ; it was to evade the em-
ployment of human labour, which the Corn-laws made so
costly. The Corn-laws compelled them to pay one-third more
for their food than other nations, and from this cause arose the
restless invention of machinery, to take the employment
out of the hands of men, to which they were com-
pelled by Sir Robert Peel's own laws the dreadful
and impious Corn-laws. Sir Robert Peel had taken a re-
view of the prices of corn since 1815, asking that as they were
high in 1815, low in 1833 and 1835, and were now high
again, how the Corn-laws could be said to be the cause of the
depreciation of wages ? In 1815, the Continent had been
ravaged by a quarter of a century of war, and it was impos-
sible that it could compete with England, and was compelled to
take their manufactures, whatever was the price of food here.
But they had since had another quarter of a century of
peace, of which the Continent had taken advantage, and
were now manufacturing for themselves.—( Hear, hear.)
Sir R. Peel asked how it waif, if this distress existed to the ex•
tent stated, that our exports had increased? Why, he could
answer the Right Hon. Baronet. We had sent our manirtae-
tures abroad at random, to almost every part of the world,
almost without a chance of disposing of them, because there
was no means of disposing of them at home, in eenseqaence of
all the earnings of the operatives being absorbed by the high
prices ofprovieions. And even in foreign countries our manu-
factures were forced into the market under the disadvantage
of our being compelled to dispose of them at twelve months'
AitSits: with perhaps a risk of. not being paid at all. De.
. •