The Sun.
London, England, 1842-07-19 00:00:00

ANTI-CORN-LAW GONFERENCE.

The Delegates re-assembled yesterday morning at
- Twelve o'Cluck, at the King's Arms, Palace-yard.
P. A. TAYLOR, Esq., in taking the hair, said they
were met to commence another week's labours. He
thought the position in which the country was placed
showed them that it was well that they should remain
at their posts, for he thought it was quite evident, both
from the public papers and numerous private correspond-
ence, that the feeling—the perception of the intensity of
the distress and the absolute necessity of immediate relief
was extending itself daily. He thought it was well that the
Conference should remain together, for while they were
there as the organs of thousands who had deputed them.
there was a hope that, they being the mouth-pieee—
their giving utterance to the expression of distress and
suffering, would have a tendency to extend the pati-
ence of their constituents, and their willingness to endure
to the utmost possible degree. He (the Chairman)
thought that, when the time arrived that they (the
Delegates) would go home, satisfied that at present it
was impossible to arouse the mad infatuated quietude—
that it was impossible to arouse the attention of the
governors to the distress of the country—when that
time arrived that they should disperse, he believed that
the last Oh imer of hope would be gone, and it would
be impossible to say how fearful the consequences would
be. In commencing their labours he had selected a
portion of the correspondence, which he would read,
f,r the letters poured in from all quarters. The first
that he would read was the answer of the Duke of Wel-
lington to an application made to him on Friday last,
to receive a deputation from the Conference:—

London, July 16, 1842.
Field-Marshal the Duke of Wellington presents his compli-
ments to Mr. Taylor.
He is not in office in the Queen's political service. He is
not entrusted with the exercise of 'political power. He has no
control over those who are.

Ha begs to he excused for declining to receive the visits of
deputations from associations, or of individual gentlemen, in
order to converse with him upon public affairs.
Rut if any gentlemen think proper to give him, in writing,
information or instruction upon any subject, he will peruse the
same with attention.

P. A. Taylor, Esq., Brown's Hotel.
The Duke has received three notes from Mr. Taylor on this
subject.
The reading of this note was accompanied by marks
of surprise and ridicule on the part of the gentlemen
uresent._ . .

The CHAIRMAN then read the following communica-
tion from Manchester. The resulution it contained had
been signed by upwards of 30,000 persons in one day:-
5, Newall's-building, Manchester, July 15, 1842.
Sir,—At a meeting of the Manchester Anti-Corn-law Asso—
ciation, held this evening, it was moved by Mr. Alderman Brooks,
seconded by Mr. F. Warren, and carried unanimously:—
" That, believing this country to be on the eve of a revolu-
tion, and being utterly without hope that the Legislature will
accord justice to the starving millions, a requisition be ferth-
with prepared, signed, and forwarded to the Members of this
h-Tough, calling upon them, in conjunction with other Liberal
Members, to offer every possible opposition to the taxation of a
prostrate people for the purposes of a bread- taxing aristocracy,
by argument and other constitutional impediments, that the
wheels of Government may be arrested through the rejection
or prevention of all votes of supply."
It was also further resolved—" That, for the purpose of giv-
ing greater effect to this movement, the Members for other
boroughs ought to be similarly addressed by their several con-
stituencies ; ' and the Committee trust you will see the neces-
sity and propriety of immediately originating a meeting in your
borough in furtherance of such object. I am, Sir, your olse-
siient servant, JOHN BRINDLE, Sec.
The following letters were then read :
Cherley, June 16th, 1842.
Dear Sir,—l received your note of the 14th inst., and in
reply, I beg to say we are sorry we cannot arrange so as to
send a Deputation from Chorley at this time to meet you in
conference; yet, though we cannot be personally present
amongst you, our heart is with you, and we wish you God
speed, for you are engaged in a righteous cause. Whilst I
have my pen in my hand, I would just beg leave to say that
things seem to be gradually getting worse amongst us. Paupers
are upon the increase, and poor-rates are also getting heavier;
indeed it is a wonder how many with large families get a
putting on, for there are many families around us who never
taste anything for a whole day together. And, sir, to give
you some faint idea of the privations which those are enduring
who are in full work, there are able-bodied men (weavers) who
have to fetch work ten miles distant from their homes,
labour at it a whole week, take it back, and for all that, only
receive five shillings. These are not solitary cases; I could
even mention worse than these, were it necessary. • And, Sir,
the tradesmen and shopkeepers are suffering most severely
from the depressed state of the times. Ido assure you, Sir, I •
do not know of one shopkeeper (and I have as good means of
knowing as any one here) in Chorley. who is doing well ; I do
know this, that four out of five are in a ruinous state—and all
this is attributable to the high prices of provisions, for the
people cannot earn what they can consume.
I am, Sir, yours truly, JNO. HOD GKINSON.
To P. A. Taylor, Esq., London.
Carlisle, July 16th 1842,
Dear Sir,—l feel myself highly honoured by your communi-
cation of the 14th inst. We have had two meetings respecting
sending some one to London. A resolution was passed, a copy of
which would be forwarded to the Conference. For my own part,
( I may say), had not my professional duties been such as to pre
vent me at this time, I believe I should have been proud to have
added one to your truly honourable and praiseworthy body, on
my own account. I may inform you that if the operative spin-
ners and weavers are not so ill off in Carlisle as they are in
many other places, it is entirely owing to the stability and per-
severance of their employers. The carpenters, joiners, masons,
and bricklayers have little, and many of them nothing
to do. Perm-rates increasing, and more houses to let than
ever I remember. Oh, Sir, when so much distress is
abroad, it is monstrous to withhold from a suffering and starving
people the kind and bountiful Providence of God. May the
Almighty bless and prosper your labours, and crown them with
success, is the prayer of your's, truly,
THOS. SHEFFIELD.
Bilston, July 16, 1842.
Sir,—Although this is a week when most of us are fully
engaged in making up our accounts, or attending the Iron
Masters' Quarterly Meetings, yet we held a meeting of the
Free Trade Association Committee immediately upon the
receipt of your printed Circular, dated July 14, and I am happy
to inform you that one spirit animated us all, and we at once re-
t.olved that our esteemed friend, the Rev. W. H. Bonner should
again visit London as our deputation to the Con-
ference; that he should, if necessary, remain a fort-
night, and if the Conference continued its sittings, he
should be relieved by our treasurer, Mr. E. B. Drinck.
We feel with you that this is an important crisis, and we ear-
nestly hope some good will be effected by the Conference pre-
vious to the proroguing of Parliament, otherwise we fear much
an increase of distress, and the coming winter will drive
the at present patient and peaceable working classes to
desperation. The distress in this town is daily on the increase ;
we have now three relieving officers, where we formerly found
one sufficient. Yesterday the Board of Guardians were
engaged from nine o'clock, a.m., till eight o'clock, r.st., in in-
vestigating the cases of the applicants, and they have appointed
a Committee to assist the relieving officer during the week.
To-night a general notice has been given the miners and col-
liers tor a reduction of their wages another ten per cent..; and
the Iron Masters' Quarterly Meeting at Birmingham, on
Thursday last, was one of the worst ever known. Surely, the
Government will try and do something to open the channels of
our trade, so tl.at there may be " employment for the people,
and bread for them to eat."

I remain, Sir, yours, very respectfully,
ROBERT BEW, Vice-President of the Bilston
Free Trade Association.
To G. Thompson, Esq., Secretary of the
Ant i- Corn •law Conference, London.
Dalquhoun, near Dumbarton, July 16, 1842.
Sir,—l am this morning favoured with your circular of the
14th. The bad state of my health precludes the possibility of
my going to London at this moment ; and as I leave home on
Alonday with a view to the recovery of my health, I shall not
have it in my povler to do much personally in aid of your cause.
I have, however, put your circular into the hands of my excel-
lent friend, the Rev. A. Somerville, of Dumbarton (author of
the Address of the Edinburgh Conference), than whom the
cause has no more zealous, able, or active partisan. You may,
therefore, depend that whatever can be done, will be done.
With best wishes for the success of your endeavours, I re- '
main, yours respectfully, J. STIRLING.
P. A. Taylor, Esq., London.
Beaminster, July 16, 1842.
. . . .

Sir,—Your circular I duly received, but am sorry to say we
cannot afford to send a Deputy from this town, we are feeling
deeply the sad effeets of those starvation laws. When I was
at the Conference in February, I stated that our poor's-
rates in 1b36 and 1837 were 1,100/.' the year ending
March, 1842, they were 2,600/., and for this summer
half year two rates have been ordered amounting to
lOW. This is sufficient to pi ove what a state
trade is in in this town. We are surrounded by
an agricultural population, and I believe them to be
in a far worse state than when they rose in this and the ad-
joining counties in 1836, and, I hope to give you some particu-
lar statement in a day or two to prove it.
At the time I refer to I was in correspondence with Lord
Portman on the sad condition of the labouring population ; he
then urged on me the necessity of quelling the mob. and then
he said their condition must be inquired into. I followed his
advice, and was sworn in a special constable with
most of my fellow tradesmen ; happily, the mob
was quelled without our asssistance. But what was done for
the poor starving wretches? Why, Yeomanry Cavalry were
raised to keep them down, and to keep up the accursed Corn-
laws. _ _

With all the boast of the aristocracy about the happy con-
dition of the peasantry, I have no hesitation in saying, they
were never worse off than they are at the present time, and if
the manufacturing districts and the agricultural labourers will
join them—call me a fool, if ever I protect anything be-
longing to the aristocracy (excepting their persons).
Trusting your endeavours will be crowned with success, I
am, Sir, yours faithfully, JOSEPH TITE.
_

. . .
Rochdale, July 16,1842.
Dear Sir,—On account of the continued supply of work for
most of the hands employed in the woollen trade, Rochdale
has not suffered near so much as many other places, yet it is
very evident the pressure is constantly increasing. Bricksetters,
joiners, and many other trades are suffering much from want of
work, consequently shopkeepers, butchers, shoemakers, tailors,
&c., complain of want of trade.
year usually
employed from thirty to fifty hands, toil me
haitnfestret'lf daysd son.
that, now he has scarcely work enough
Similar evidence of the deplorable want
Our present business
abun-
dant. Take, for instance, my trad.e.ht
Years of diligent
connexion is the growth of twenty-elgrs,
of for
rade is very
without travelling to
ap-
plication. During most of these
seek orders, we have had as manyt
a 1 fallen of, so that now,
for two years back they bare ).ay'e,sawe could execute ;but
greatly
soliciting orders, we are not
though I spend much of my
time
than four days a ~,,eek, at prices
employed, on the average,
Inconstantly becoming worse. I find
ruinously low, and see are
this week the lent
the amount of wages paid - . . . .... .-. . ,
thz week is tue Lew we bavg paid for