The Sun.
London, England, 1842-06-17 00:00:00

eject.
bout

OP-

„.,,,, to support a religion which he believed to be erroneous.
;t' :it,i'et, •hers fore, the Pig's- Hermerable Ge. ficinsn's ; wn
W'ne'lne? If to-morrow this Chut ch-rate were levied for the
f °mail Catholic Church, would the Right Hon. Gentleman
eel his conscience at ease in raisin g it ? Perhaps there might
be some ancient recol:ections about the Right Hon. Gentle-
man which would make him submit to the rate. The Right
H°°. Gentleman had said that the Church had been asleep for
centuries, but was now awake ; perhaps it was so. It was de-
parting more from dissent and coming back to what he humbly
!ailed unity.—( Hear, hear.) He (Mr. O'Connell) must pro-
test against any man being compelled to pay for a Church in
whish he did hot believe.
~.Bir J. EASTHOPE rose to reply. There was one fact
Wuich strengthened his conviction of the power of the members
of the Established Church to support their own form of reli-
iftan• • In a small village in his own neighbourhood, the pews
"ese found to be insufficient for the population; a subscription
wanacsi entered into for the purpose of supplying the deficiency,
tit from 6001. to 800/. was subscribed towards enlarging
s e Church. Notwithstanding all that had been said, he be-
!ed that the abolition of Church-rates, in their present form,
would be found advantageous to all parties.
th?ntraerfingje:, wreordered to withdraw, and the House divided,
--
Fur the motion ..
Against it
Msjority against bringing in the Bill
THE SLAVE TRADE
ohOk°
furseturn to the gallery, we found Captain PEC HELL
sulasegs who rose to moveßeturn of slave vessels
aitu_Rnt before the several Courts of Mixed Commission for
of.l.!clication between the Ist day of January and the 31st day
ssueeettiber 1841, with the name of the capturing ship and the
a'neguttnander thereof, describing the flag under which each
,srideil,„ was seized; distinguishing those under the late treaty
te.iotialn, and under the Act 2 and 3 Vic., c. 73; the regis-
sa'gtmulage of each vessel, as well as that by British admea-
reeraent, and if slaves on board; stating the number at the
1,1Z,,uf =seizure, the date of the decretal part of the sentence,
ofben forfeiture or restitution, with the amount of proceeds
of tete, or of costs awarded ; the expenses of condemnation and
t,',qflkillg up of each vessel; the period whets the proceeds
air atetribution were paid into the Registry of the High Court
kioA4AwiraltY, and when the same was paid to the captors.
it ' -'•••egnunt of all Claims for the several Bounties or Ton-
hsge betrieeti the Ist day of January and the 31st day of De-
eentber 1841, and of all slave vessels that have been taken into
isii:eAlajestv's service, under the provisions of the Act 2 and 3
sera” e' ,3; stating the appraised or estimated value of the
suiee• the registered tonnage, as well as that by British admea-
neZents and the sums which the Commissioners of the Ad-
Ulu I have deemed a proper price for the same." He hoped
sect the Right Honourable Gentleman would not ob-
het M furnishing the House with these returns; he hoped
It ss. would be no objection at all to his itotion.
„_.nuld be satisfactory to know in what office, or in what de-
47"roent, were the proceeds of all vessels which had been
,„_:n under ihe Act of Parliament of 1839. There were two
4e,,Taspurehased last year—one for 350/. and the other for
ist;vd` Vessels of such a build that they could hardly be brought
er-the guns of her Majesty's cruisers on the African coast,
iree...t they
had been taken by the Board of Admiralty at a
ts nominal amount.' This was not just to the captors. He
:_theVe4 Govsrnmen would seriously consider the nature of
seeviee the navy was called on to perform, and that without
, if.iline, or being scared by the treaty with Portugal, by
At tatted States, or b shat might be said in the French
liatith6rs, but boldly act up to the Bill of 1839, and apply it as
.. li:aecient intended. This great country ought to exercise a
iesitii.e.:laeral power, by doing that justice which the ease re-
aeliZt, . The Hun. Gentleman concluded with the motion of
lisse -tle bad given notice, stating that he wished the returns
~.sr, fPven from January, 1840, instead of 1641.
7, eoe_reotion haying been put,
bet.t irn• : COCKBURN said he never heard of any fault being
lc with that part of the navy employed on the coast of
;Oa :Wl'allil he had no doubt that what was done was right.
Ati-tili..,ass happy to be able to state that the slave-trade was di-
tt4 setUtg every day, and not a single slaver now left the Ha-
he,dia He would not go into the subject at large, because
c not intend to oppose the motion.
Ofer ein PECHELL was glad that the Hon. and Gallant
aes,,, uid not oppose the motion, but he did not give any
iti
her, and that was what he wanted. He did not think the
:MeV Hon- Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer
11;11‘ to have left the House fill he answered the question.
.ies„driVed he would be sent for, and he (Captain Pechell)
A' continue on his legs till he came.—(Laughter).
-IC n El". MEMBEa moved that the House be counted out.
ihytratallig eryers were ordered to withdraw, and, on our return to
e g
h The WEAKER announced that there were forty Members
eresee t
The .
_ .I„,,motion of Captain Pechell was then agreed to.
4-116 TRESS IN THE MANUFACTURIa G D 15....
....
TRICTS.
ila-Ajorts• ERRAND rose, pursuant to notice, to bring forward
of ,sl'l for a Committee of the whole House for the purpose
.h.s.-mang into consideration measures for the relief of the dis •
he'''tniew prevalent among the working-classes in the menu-
ru districts. The Hon. Gentleman said that the exist-
' of deep distress was admitted upon all hands, while the
4742e:.er in which that distress had been borne entitled the
117 ers not only to respcet but to a relief of their necessities.
t _ ,as Prepared to prove that night in the House, that the
azislature of the country had caused the distress that existed,
te having done so, he thought it was their duty to assist in
li.4.tuying it. He stated this not only on his own authority,
t'tta that of the Right Hon. Baronet at the head of her Majes-
tt Government, who, in February of the present year admitted
bat distress had been caused by the emigration of the working
asses from the agricultural to the manufacturing districts.
hat had caused that emigration ? Why the Poor-law Rill.
stkfter
manufacturing districts a stimulus was given to trade • all
went on prosperously, and during that time the House of dont-
••'aims voted twenty millions of money far emancipating the
11
Itic slaves, men whom he would venture to assert were better
eft snore contented, far better provided for, and less slaves than
1, working classes of England, who were at the present mo-
Zewt dying at the doors of their masters. Therefore it was he
',realed to the House of Commons, the representatives of the
74:ePle? to do something to save them from death and
lats.,l4,lou•—(Hear, hear.) The working classes of Eng-
Desie; 'had been robbed of their property—their only pro-
thieestai, was their hands. Did they find such a state of
The'isifefore the passing of the Poor-law bill ? Certainly not.
the Cable Lord, the Secretary for the Colonies, in asking
ste Home to grant fifteen millions for the emancipation, told
,thing Gentleman who asked him why they should give any-
as, & at an, that it was because the laws of England forbad
•VgaiMe to take the property of another without compensation.
/iettata,t!eotild lie say when he (Mr. F.) asked him to give corn-
e could
to the working classes ? The landed proprietors of
toglialoiii,e.tisttnhseofy England had been relieved of a burden to the
her% ." 0' 2,200,000/. b the emigration of labourers to the
emigrated under promises that had never been
ratd, and the state of the north of England at present was
Ihataaetetful l
thousandsess of the working classes, including many of
I°ll th7.'grants, were now living on boiled nettles, and drink.
Nee tiet Liquor of them, and lying in bed all day in order to
.4%14, eir bodies frorn'the exhaustion of walking about. He
lehtep both parties were to blame for this, in having con-
_N„. itl° Pass the Poor-law Bill. He believed that the Right
4414 4 th 'ronet had done all in his power to rescue the reople
44011.1 eir state of distress. In words that ought to be written
It'lleitt' he had said that he was one of those who had derived
"Aped !tune from the industry of the working classes, and he
*tip ethers who owed their prosperity to the same cause
Aakian Mel it their duty to relieve the public distress by their
qiereig'o° themselves the charge of the classes from whom
-tral'- biting
was derived. He would ask whether the
sheYseeio e= who made by the labouring classes the wealth
'.ue ritisaYed. would desert those classes in their adversity ?
the by
tae
facturers had stood by and seen the working-people
ts•llefactete_uad-side. Look at the amount subscribed by the
aiortb),
of e.t!rs for the relief of the poor : it wasa sum utterly un-
teete desadt,o,e case. It was disgraceful to think how the poors
fleas Of tivu and oppressed by the manufacturers. The di s-
i'tte, en, and ' People had borne heavily upon the mind of the
p..e'l, the ,r, she had implored all classes to come forward and
.rta' r°r• Had that appeal been responded to as it ought?
din es'smY not. the Queen Would herslf have relieved the
tlitelet!ielf the people, but for one obstacle—that obstacle was
s? Ilune;',,a° House of (Commons. The Hon. Member concluded
treat at-'e't"•••'' That it is the opinion of this House that imme-
,,sstittt 'tires be taken to alleviate the deplorable distress and
it'Atstsfac?,,n which now afflict many of the workine• classes in the
peet•kajes-tr,trig districts ; and that an address ber presented to
...eary tei).! beseeching her Majesty to employ for their tern-
""ittl.that slraa_stun of money not exceeding one million sterling,
, sir R. Tir,gouse. will provide for the same..
l°t tits rtsEL said his only reason for rising was the fear
eatioa,e
.decided opposition which he should offer to this
Zil.tgt I) it it were unaccompanied by a single word,
2slres, e construed into indifference to those severe
eweistliaish---selattasehieh were sustained by many of the
is eoass., s of this country.—(Hear, hear.) Bt wash
could
:e.t.the eavalt to establish so dangerous a precedent as nvolved
itat'l the I 'me of the Hon. Gentleman. The Hon. Gentleman
it°lta a eht dholders in the. south of England had been relieved
eet ge of two millions and a quarter. If that were true
4141 no Inoilght that the burden should fall upon them. There
set fail i de of relieving the poor but taxation, and taxation
Ses
--- t
A,,a
ilea great measure upon the labouring and consuming
'AN
'ofto the rine; , r, hear.) Nothing could be mere contrary to all
. I. t —Pie than to tax the great body of the community
the eMPor •
iluti;:titieli4ievaery relief of particular classes. One consquence
so woaid . . be the suspension of local relief.—(Hear, hear.)
those who were bound, by every moral and
4pteria
a3;:etiv:s Make every exertion for the alleviation Of the
as
reef 4roulld them—(Hear)—exertions from which alone
lotion could be expected. —( Hear.) He would
te,otral'urther into the subject. 'the Hon. Member for Knares-
LZthed issl?ad acknowleded that one pathetic story with which
I;eari‘h-eltied the feelings of the House was without foundation
oi Ron. V —and Inc trusted that this would be a caution_ to
.gti ear, h 5 entleman not again to make such statements.—
vittress was He agreed with the Hon. Member that the
'llentsss as such that there was a strong claim upon the
eentrib .( Hear, hear)—and however small had been the
kite ..11tinns f
Iv, ritg it • ew could have an idea how great a quantity of
tb"dicl, ad, been relievell.—Hear.) He hoped that the
the appeal well as manufacturing proprietors, would listen tg
oracle , that had been made.—( Hear, hear.) He trustea
PPosition which he made to the motion would not be
(flea, e°l isito
he, ss hear a want of sympathy with the distress.—
de kaiest. • ) He could assure the Hon. Gentleman that
tovourics, alai her Alinisteis (although silently) ware en-
peh isZo'?
distresshe sufferings of those who were exposed
alkisii).. p. AjAal
j—( Hear. )
kg • egged t LE concurred with the Right Hon. Baronet,
Oltst t 0 caution the Hon. Member for Knaresborough
tei'lieh heap
a,,,angerous tendency of those unfounded accusations
Out this : made against that class (the manufacturers) to
ohser.: ReseNrlttnitZY owed so much of its greatness and strength.
Of ~Vatior, io eLIsG would occupy the House with only one
en i"'.lltoe, t... defence of that excellent man, Mr. Ashworth,
4tiona;ejailwrio::o:owawdhvoieme,thieladHoenrn. Memberig for Knaresborough had ,
s,t7uWorth,:'Y alluded.—( Hear.) The persons who, by Mr.
"j.g' of great' and rated from the south, where
e.mployment was scarce, were now in a
I,o4ptai, ,„,9ruparative comfort.—( Hear. )
I_l'oll4 w!-A-'1..1-IILL hoped the Hon. Member for Knares-
-lots Lae 'dd mithdraw his motion. He thought the Right
also,.
ro
jeofn_et
out if this proposition were negatived, advance
'istsis "ur- of the public funds, in his capacity as Prime
al ' mareheeli'or
hi Sir
11' PEEL said his Hon. Friend had certainly mistaken
arils altogether objected to any vote of public money to-
tiamr.
vv.:illy) pg;seug
Misch
as a ating
rienatthearteHdiotutsoe.the
üblic distress. He regretted that distress
••:4:4th*.earrlll'.!,.tudestre to ameliorate the distress but bilutohne. thoughtßaronet
sizakisernes eteeonet
.7 4 to
a:t: n of the Hon. Member for Knaresborough would
arate‘he distress which the Right Hon. Baronet
Use eonste oe,,,s' .rho" ard) had received a letter from one of
e,e',iieuesi " tae stated stated that no over estimate could be
„tr,,, ii,ri,fiL...
opread of distress throughout the countr. He
s•tem:ight ',sat., s,aY that the tariff had taken a step' in the
:t , poor_ s, mit it did not go far enough. It extended
,eatutrs.a4o,FineisBp,,e,eially the trade with the United States. Six
1;; ground t:- •In'
no operative was unemployed in Sheffield,
'' 'etre° the uu
s th.. s.
No tetucet tohleosiprogress had been continually down-
tn.dusinry
ihsa3d6 beenthere able 7 to make good
,tl.-.1 eyed from ney had
was no individual
L it the 'what was called
ast esent ..__r .the casual relief fund, and dur-
%last beess 29,,. year in One week the amount of relief granted
slt. three
w_.,.', :_ttn another 350 t, 370/., and 4001. ; and the
s.,vireeeived`fra_
Ins amounted to 1,115/. This was the account
s :° Was con em a very eminent manufacturer of Sheffield,
ea, that
aunija=eted with the United States. His conviction
tti, g bat an altered line of pokey on the part of

the Government could afford any relief ; and their only hope
s that the Bight I too. Baronet would take the subject into
his serious consioeration next year ; for the ruin or the rescue
of the country would entirely depend on the line of volicy
adopted by the Government. These were the reasons why he
fund himself utterly unable to support.the Hon. Member for
Knaresborough, as he thought the motion would do snore
harm than good.
Mr. VILLIERS said he rose in consequence of the Right
Hors. Baronet having adverted to a statement made by him
(Mr. Villiers) relative to the distress in a certain district of
Scotland. It alluded to a poor Cathor c family,, who were
found in such destitution, that they were actually eating a slog
which had been boiled in the house. The Hon. Member'for
Knaresborough, who was not in his place, stated that there
was no foundation for that statement. He (Mr. Villiers)
would ask the House to pause before they believed that there
wa, no foundation for that, when he told them on what autho-
rity he made that statement. Seeing the Hon. Member inhis
place—( Mr. Ferrand here entered the House)—he would
again repeat that he hoped the House would pause before they
supposed that that statement was without foundation, as the
lion. Gentleman himself often made statements which were
loose and turned out to be untrue. No doubt he believed
them, but he did not take the trouble to inquire into them.
Ihe statement he (Mr. Villiers) had made he had seen in a
Scottish newspaper, and the paragraph had been copied into
an English paper. This it was that he stated to the House,
and he had since written to the Provost of Stirling, and he had
received an answer, saving that he would inquire into the sub-
ject. His Hon. Friend gave the Hon. Member credit for be-
nevolent motives. He (Mr. Villiers) ,lid not wish to dis-
pute his benevolence, but he did not agree with his
system of personal attacks.—( Hear, hear.) Both from
his manner, and the topics he introduced, he always seemed
to have a party object. He had described persons who were
going about the country lecturing for the purpose of mislead-
ing the people. He begged to tell the Hon. Member that the
people of this country were well enough informed to appreciate
the motives of such persons. He begged to remark that the
Hon. Gentleman who had brought these charges had been for
sane months resorting to every topic calculated to excite the
common people both in that House and out of the House. He
had referred to the ill usage of men by their masters. He had
alluded in the most violent language to the mode in which the
public relief had been administered.—( Hear, hear, from Mr.
Ferrand.) But the people were in a far different state to wi.at
they were in when he first began. The people's patience was
nearly exhausted. He had stated these things so frequently,
that the people now began to believe it, and he (Mr. Villiers)
could not help thinking that the Hon. Member was beginning
to be a little alarmed at the aspect and state of the country. He
thought he had pretty strong evidence on his own Committee.
It was there stated that one cause of the riots of Newport was
the exciting topic of the truck sy-tem.

Mr. FERRAND rose to order.
The SPEAKER intimated that what had occurred on a
Committee then sitting could not be alluded to by the Hon.

Member.

Mr. VILLIERS only mentioned this to show that the Hon.
Gentleman was beginning to get alarmed. He thought he
could not read a newspaper without seeing some cause for ap-
prehension from the distress and temper of the people. Coln-
plirnented they had been, no doubt, on their patience, but there
was something different in their spirit. Now the Hon.
Member came forward, without the most distant chance of suc-
cess, and in the most reckless and loose manner proposed that
one million should be given to the people. Did he mean to
say, that he even for one instant had an idea that the grant
would be made, or that there was the slightest chance of the
money being,. given ? Did he suppose that the people would
not appreciate his motives and his conduct? What wss the
course of the Hon. Member against every single measure that
was calculated to relieve the people?—( Hear, hear.) If they
were wrong in proposing that relief, they had also proposed to
give them the p ewer to legislate for themselves. The Hon.
Gentleman refused them that relief—he refused them the power
of legislating for themselves. He had refused to repeal bad
laws, causing a burden to the people of millions. The people
came there and claimed their political rights, they claimed to
have the power of redressing their grievances, and pointed at
the character of the legislation which caused them. Where
was the Hon. Gentleman then? Was he for extending that
power? He (Mr. F.) condemned that House. He had said
that the House was standing between the benevolence of the
Crown and the poor. But when the question of reform of abuses
came before the House, where was the Hon. Gentleman? Did
the Hon. Gentleman think the people were so stultified as to give
credit to his motives in proposing a measure which could not
relieve the distress such as had been described? He (Mr.
Villiers) advised the Hon. Gentleman to study the character
of that people, before he attempted to practice on them. The
lion. Gentleman said it would raise the indignation of the
people against that House, if they refused the relief there pro-
posed ; so that he anticipated the refusal of the proposition,
and he condemned the House. He ( Mr. Villiers) could not
suppose that the Hon. Gentleman could believe that the House
would grant it. He (Mr. Villiers) could not believe that he
was earnest in his proposition. There were four millions in
the country--say two or three millions—who required relief,
and were suffering the greatest distress. What was a million
of money to those people ? Every head of a famly was supposed
to represent five persons. What was a million of money dis-
tributed amongst those people? The Hon. Gentleman was
violent against the New Poor-law. What had the Poor-law
to do wi h the distress of the country? Did not the Hon. Gen-
tleman know that before the present Poor-law was passed the
agricultural labourers were much worse off than now ? Did he
not know that those agriculturists were then treated worse
than the people were in the collieries, as described the other
night ? How then could he attribute the distress to the operation
of the New Poor ? No, there was a more permanent cause
than that. He would advise the Hon. Member to inquire into
that cause, and he would see that there were other laws which
had caused that distress. This was the opinion of more expe-
rienced men than the Hon. Member. The Hon. Gentleman
seemed to him (Mr. Villiers) to come into that House as the
champion of those laws, and in order to be consistent with that
character, he asked for a grant of money, to save the people
from the consequences of those laws, or rather to save the
landed proprietors. The poor-rates were increasing in the
agricultural districts, and the reason was, the people were go-
ing back, from the manufacturing and commercial districts, by
shoals, to their parishes. He would find that the agriculturists
were suffering ; and he would tell him another thing, that the
consumption of agricultural produce was diminishing. Well
might he come forward as the champion of the Corn-law, and
ask for a million of money. Anything that was not a perma-
nent relief, was a mockery. This proposal was almost an insult
to the people, and was making them paupers.
Mr. J. HEATHCOTE said, the masters and manufacturers
were in as great distress as the work people.
Mr. WALL ACE exceedingly regretted the manner in which
this question had been introduced to the House ; and the
Hon. Member would see that the House did not approve of
such a tone and manner on a subject so distressing as the want
of food, and raiment, and every comfort among the working
classes. He did intend voting with the Hon. Member, hut
alter the statement he had made, and the allegations he had
thrown out, he would feel himself compelled to decline giving
him his support at present. He begged to express his dissent ,
from the principle laid down by the Right Hon. Baronet, the i
Member for Tamworth ; for he (Mr. Wallace) was decidedly
of opinion that public money might very properly be applied to
relieve distress; and he was much mistaken if this very course
would not ere long be forced on her Majesty's Ministers. He
admitted that grants of public money should be a last resort ;
bu in that view he was prepared to vote a .larger sum than
that now proposed, whenever the proper time should arrive.
Before he sat down he begged to express his conviction in the
unprecedented extent and intensity of the distress in all parts
of the empire, and his fear that the Queen's Ministers did not
sufficiently apply themselves to ascertain in how far the distress
really entered into every trade arid business in the country. He '
agreed entirely with what had fallen from the Hon. Member
for Wolverhampton, that as far as regarded the roposed grant,
or tee sum expected to be raised from the Queen's Letter,
they would be only as a drop in the bucket. If the Hon. Mem-
ber would divide, he (Mr. Wallatie) should, however reluct-
antly, divide against him.—( Hear, hear.)
Mr. ESCOTT protested against the doctrine that, because
there happened to be an extraordinary distress for a short time
in the country, grants of public money should be made, which
money must itself be levied from the pockets of the people.
He thought the speech in which the Hon. Member had intro-
duced his motion to the House, was a most mischievous one.
For these reasons, he should divide against the Hon. Member ;
at the same time, he did hope that he, having heard the senti-
ments of Hon. Members on both sides of the House so strongly
expressed, would not press to a division.
Mr. AINSWORTH supported the motion, and would divide
in favour of the Hon. (Member for Knaresborough, if the ques-
tion went to a division.
Mr. WILLIAMS was of opinion that the course pursued
by the Hon. Member for Knaresborough that night and his
votes upon every subject were strangely inconsistent. When-
ever a motion was made in that House to lower the price of
the provisions of the people, had not the_Hon. Member opposed
it with his vote? Had he ever once voted for any motion to
lower the price of provisions ?
Mr. FERRAND—CattIe.
Mr. WILLIAMS did not think that the Hon. Member was
in the division for the duty of is. a load upon prize cattle.
FERRAND—I voted for a reduction of the duty upon

foreign cattle.
Mr. WILLIAMS did not think that the Hon. Member
voted for the proposition of the lowest duty upon cattle.—( Hear. )
He was of opinion that the grant for which the Hon. Member
had moved would only slightly alleviate the existing distresses,
and it certainly would not strike at the root of the evil.
Mr. COBDEN felt a great interest in the present distress
in the country, and he should beg, therefore, to detain the
House for a short time whilst he briefly stated his views upon
the subject. He thought the motion of the Hon. Member was
like playing with firebrands upon a barrel of gunpowder. In
the first place there was not the slightest hope that the tariff
would lessen the price of provisions, or at all alleviate the dis-
tress.—(oh, oh.) It was because he heard lion. Gentlemen
say " oh, oh," that he wished them to know the facts. He
said that there were more persons unemployed to-day than
ever there were before; food was dearer, and commerce and
manufactures were in a worse position than they had ever been
befere. They had been told that the manufacturers allowed
their men to starve at their doors ; what was the state of the
manufacturers themselves? Let them look at Stratford ; there
were 29 concerns closed there, and scarcely one of the proprie-
tors was an Anti-Corn-law League man, but they were
nearly all supporters of Hon. Gentlemen opposite. He would
mention one instance in particular. There was one concern
in Stratford, which, seven years ago, was considered to be
wo th 100,0001. ; the senior of the establishment retired,
th nking himself worth that sum, and that man's son was now
now in the receipt of parish relief. A 2s. rate now was not
worth a quarter so much as it was a few years age ; it was not
wor.h two-thirds so much as a 6d. rate was a short time since,
and the reason was that the people were too poor to pay the
rates. Out of a rental of 86,0001. a-year, rates were only paid
upon 30,0001. a-year. The capital of the manufacturer con-
sisted almost entirely of machinery and appliances for aiding
them in their manufactures. APCulloch said that there was
20,000,000/. sunk in that kind of capital ; but, however valu-
able that might be to the country when trade was prosperous,
it was of no value whatever when trade ceased. He (Mr. C. )
told the House nine months ago that the capital of Lancashire
was not then worth two-thirds of what it was six years ago :
and now he told them, and he told it for a fact—for he did
not makb statements without first inquiring into their
correctness —that it was not worth one-third so much as
it was six years ago. This was a most perilous
state of things, and deeply concerned every Member upon the
other side of the House who possessed an acre of land. In the
Chamber of Commerce at Manchester, these things were fore-
told some time ago, a petition was sent from that Chamber
warning that House of the evils which were seen to hang_ over
the country, and that petition was the origin of the Anti-Corn-
law League. But Manchester now was not in a worse condi-
tion than other quarters of the country. Let them take the
Midland Counties; there the men were not working above half 1
their full time. Look at the mining districts ; wages were cony
stantly diminishing, and the colliers were ernrloyed, perhaps,
twice a week. In te whole of the ,a estern counties, people and
things were in the same wretched state. Go to the glove trade,
and they would find no machinery at work, all was dead there.
Turn again to the watch trade at Preston, and they would find
that 200 people out of 1,000 were summoned for the payment
of rates, and though a complete watch movement might
be purchased for four shillings and sixpence, there were
positively no buyers. It became that House at once, and he
exhorted them not to separate till they had done something
avowedly to give contentment and relieve the digresses of the
' country. They must not, they could not, wait till next spring
for relief; the lion. Member for Sheffield said that the Bight
Hon. Baronet must reconsider the Corn-laws by next spring;
he (Mr. Cobden) said they could not wait till then a starving