The Sun.
London, England, 1842-02-09 00:00:00

The CHAIRMAN thanked the meeting for the honour con-
ferred on him, and trusted his conduct would give them
satisfaction.
Messrs. Joseph Hickey and Sidney Smith were then elected
Secretaries to the Conference.
The Executive Committee was then appointed, the follow-
ing gentlemen being nominated members :—Mr. James Wil-
son, London ; Colonel Thompson, ditto ; Mr. P. H. Taylor,
ditto ; Mr. Sidney Smith, ditto ; Mr. Scobell, ditto ; Mr.
Kershaw, ditto ; Mr. Wm. Rawson, Manchester ; Mi. W.
Evans, ditto ; Mr. E. Armitage, ditto ; Mr. A. Prentice,
ditto ; Mr. S. Lees, ditto ; Rev. J. W. Massie, ditto ; Mr.
-J. Bright, Rochdale ; Mr. L. Hey worth, Liverpool ; Mr.
Stansfield, Leeds; Mr. Milligan, Bradford; Mr. Clayton,
ditto; Mr. Dixon, Carlisle ; Mr. Ashworth, Bolton; Mr.
Joseph Sturge, Birmingham ; Mr.
_Bell, Coventry ; Mr.
111‘Laren' Edinburgh ; Mr. Aytoun, ditto ; Mr. Wm. Bu-
chanan, Glasgow ; Rev. J. Burder, Stroud ; Mr. J. C.
Symons, ditto; Mr. Biggs, Leicester; Mr. Ackroyd, Hali-
fax ; Mr. Batley, Huddersfield.
Amongst those present we observed—Mr. Cobden, M.P.,
Mr. Schol,'field, M.P.' Han. C. P. Villiers, M.P., Mr. T.
Milner Gibson, M.P., Dr. Bowring, M.P., Mr. A .Johnstone,
M. P., Alr. Heatheote, M.P. for Tiverton, Right Hon. D.
O'Connell, M. P., the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Rev. Dr. Wade,
Rev. T. Spencer, G f Hinton, Col. Thompson, Mr. Boultbee,
Mr. Ashworth, Mr. Heyworth, Mr. Joseph Sturge, Rev. Dr.
Pye Smith, Mr. Muntz, M.P., Birmingham, Mr. Prentice, &c.
Mr. ASHWORTH proposed the appointment of the Finance
Committee.
The Rev. J. SPENCE, of Hinton, near Bath, in seconding
the motion, said he would, with the leave of the Chairman, ad-
dress a few words to the meeting instead of merely confining
himself to seconding the motion. He would not take up their
time by urging of the i epeal of the Corn 4aws, as he took it for
granted that all the gentlemen present had made up their minds
that the present state of distress-was mainly owing to the ope-
ration of the Corn-laws, in diminishing trade, and lessening
the supply of food. Wheat on the Continent could be pur.
chased for 20e. a quarter, and yet with such a supply
within our reach our people were suffered to perish
of hunger. They were suffering from want of
employment; they would fain earn their living honestly by their
industry, but they were prevented from doing so by the Corn-
law monopoly. The foreigner who possessed this corn said,
" If you will take our wheat, we will take all the goods you
have in Manchester. We want these goods, but we have no
money ; we can only pay you in what we have—food ;" and the
Corn-laws prevented us from the taking their food. He had
been on the spot, and knew that these people had no money to
send; and when they asked us to take what they had to send
in exchange for our manufactures, we said " No." Now
those who would not accept the only terms. on which employ..
ment could be given to our labouring classes, in effect said the
poor shall have no employment—they shall have no money—
they shall not have food—they shall not have the means of living
honestly, they shalldie, beg, become paupers, or, steal.—( Hear,
hear.) There was one point, however, to which he was de..
sirous of directing their attention, and that was the state of the
agricultural districts.—( Hear, hear.) He had considerable
experience of the state of those districts from the state of his
own parish. He had recently attended a large meeting at
Southampton—he had afterwards read a long account of the
meeting in the Times Newspaper, and he would take upon
himself to say that scarcely one word in that account was true.
He eras fully aware of the deep distress existing in the agri-
cultural districts, from the state of the labourers in his own
parish. Had it not been for the operation of the allotment system,
he knew not how the poor labourers could have subsisted
during the bad weather. He had asked the shopkeepers in the
neighbourhood how the poor people were off, and they all re-
plied that they had never known such a winter. Not only
was bread dear,' but every other article of consumption had
risen in price in proportion. The shopkeepers had told him
that they had sold the loaf for 5d., and the same sized loaf now
sold for 10d. When the loaf was at 5d., cheese was 4id. a
lb. ; now the loaf was 10d., cheese had risen to 10d. a lb. also.
Bacon, which was sd. a lb. when the loaf was 5d., was now
10d. a lb. ; so that as bread doubled in price, bacon and cheese
doubled in price also. The shopkeepers said that it was almost
dangerous to sell these thinga.—( Hear.) The wages of the
agricultural labourers were 9s. a week, and in many instances
only Bs. On wet days the agricultural labourer only received
half-pay, so that during a wet week his wages only amounted
to 4s. fid.—( Hear, hear.) He (Mr. Spence) knew of farmers
having 300 acres of land each, who had not-, for six weeks toge-
ther during this winter, more than one man employed on their
farms. That was pretty generally the state of things in his own
parish of Hinton, and %%hat had happened there occurred in
other parAe,. Such a state of things arose from the distress
which existed in the manufacturing districts. Much had been
said respecting the Conference at Manchester. Of that assem-
bly he must say that it commanded the respect and reverence of
all save those whose own selfish interests were involved in an
unjust opposition to the objects which it advocated. He
(Mr. Spence) had taken the trouble to ascertain the
sentiments of people of all classes on the important subject
of the. Corn-laws, and he found that at least two-thirds of the
individuals whom he addressed on the matter were in favour of
a repeal of the present system. In his own parish, out of 144 of
its inhabitants 96, at least, were in favour of free trade. Many
who had been opposed to repeal of the Corn-laws had, he
found, altered their minds on the subject. Those people, most
of whom were farmers, said that they had been deceived on
the question—that they were told it was a farmer's question,
and not one having reference to all classes of the community—
that a fixed due, of Bs. would be ruinous to them. Well, what
did those people now say? Why,
that they found they
could be easily worse off by any of the plans proposes!,
than they could by a fixed duty—that, according as they
got a high price for their wheat, so did their rent become
higher, and that consequently they derived no benefit from
getting a good price for their wheat. It was stated, some short
time ago, that if the Corn-laws were repealed, the land
should go to the devil.—( Laughter.) That was a fallacy. It
would be found that their principles were the best for the ma-
nufacturer and the operative, the farmer and 'the labourer.
Nay, before long, it would be seeh,
too, that their principles
were beat for the landlords themselves. Those who sought the
repeal of those mischievous laws would never consent that the
land should go to the devil. But there was no fear of such a
some time past, that a Conference of die districts of
result.—( Hear, hear, hear.) It was thought desirable,
Hampshire, Dorset, the Isle of Wight, and other
places in the south, should be held at Southampton. A meet-
ing of Delegates from those districts was accordingly convened
at that place. It was very numerously attended by persons
anxious to hear the statements of the Delegates. But there
was in the neighbourhood a landed gentry who thought it not
conducive to their interests that those statements should get
abroad. They accordingly hired 200 or 300 men, at 2s. a day,
to enter the assembly, and, standing in front of the platform,
to perform one single service. And what did they think that
service was? Was it one that required talents or ability ?
No ; far from it. The business those men were hired for was
to make a great noise; to interrupt as much as possible
the proceedings of the meeting. That was the duty
imposed on them by the landed gentry, and well did they
perform their duty. Would that every man in the kingdom
would so well discharge his duty as (lid those misguided hire-
lings. The Earl of Radnor presided at that Conference in
Southampton, and nothing could be more desirable than that
the sentiments and language of that Noble Lord on that occasion
should have got abroad ; but the hireling disturbers continued
their diabolical uproar for two hours and a half, and com-
pletely prevented the hearing of a single word. The as-
sembly was therefore dissolved. The Delegates then went in a
body to the Magistrates and Mayor of the town, they represented
to those gentlemen that the people of Southampton paid heavy
rates for the protection of person and property, and that they
( the Delegates) expecting that they would be disturbed wherever
they assembled in the town, claimed, in conjunction with the
towns-people, the protection to which they were entitled. But
what was the- reply of the Magistrates? Why, that if they
(the Delegates) expected disturbance they might avoid it by
not assembling—hy not going to the meeting. There wee
logic. If they feared danger let them shut, them-
selves up in their houses and thy, would avoid it.
There also it was agreed that Mr. Thompson should deliver in
Southampton a lecture on the subject of the Corn-laws. On
that occasion several thousand persons assembled, and such was
the feeling of the towns Teeple that they would have risen in
defence of the Delegate if it had been required. At
the meeting in the York Hotel a resolution was come to for the
thev,o,sewnetr.h.adi
la.ia,imesettiet 1 1
tanhPtePst royeehoerrnked, et
rdi e
t thatkin oi
ft
accordingly
!I to was passed.
purpose of setting the pnblia right adsist:o.eartbhhientte
etieuearatsesrerafrboimys
which the disturbance proceeded. There were several Chartists
present at the meeting, who were most anxious to give a calm
was so much feared
at the
hearing to the Delegates.
door of the Chartists, and I.)Hefontreel,
andth
worldinTheeetMagistratesimeeting
g bs ee
p a r soughtat
erefused
u
present.. at the meeting did'
:tit they said they would preserve thepeace of the town. The
rase-solution from a Newspace,.. 1'
)elegates had accordingly no alternativebut to aasdlouumrnblyto,
butan-
u , and those docu-
ments
of
(o tmh er an-
other
Conference had * • as
not in any way participate in thdudallsgrs43eful and deliberate
n
o. the
they had only 350 members.
persons in-
to frustrate, as much
amounted now to
Corn-laws, who hired
possible, the objects which present Cornst
itt.dgehi
nrsa in-
terested usritretebndawt niacnsae
thensodlel
existence
causedintoxicated
attributable lt eh
mieti individuals
thevi
( Hear, hear.) He would not mate 'llly tuCtii4 remark,
but to show the effect of tho. Ogr4-lar( in his own union.
present when
He was very glad the Conference did them that aet in ivillsetilve;).
Bent theyh.
This When
hhe knewuni°il twoabsofiCostrreesotta,ilibibeiraduse he was himself one of the
Board of Guardians at the time.
700. ( Hear, hear. ) There were
di it di!alicini.l4 3,000 rate-
payers, rated at 9/. a-year, who found
r, i til (.`, tul /iico\cle
honestly for themselves in the tig,bt °f,...‘-440,",_9:nci These were
taxed, though suffering
uardian., ad
wi n a
s thattopswtipphaelecearnecee:;ffer
ewetheaheetderr
:yeeht
etahrhxteeepsttaperhrhdedueetefsobtotshcioreireeedheeansinttoarbillYtsouiensrstnassembled
sebsfn.ei
tresle, tQ WV fqr Ns Riper&
bffiqd was contracted for at Ad. the loaf, and when the same
He had peen
was contracted for at 814 d. the !oaf. Then taking
--. the difference
between 350 inmates and 700, and multiplying it by three, the
increase of the price of bread in the week foe es e
, S • "'i.4l, Pauper; it
would be found that the eYpeilifdel tre." qtrWaYer'four
thonsend. isnodi;, steers vcie'illg li,bVu lo %,,*!i'c/Cistiin'ed "in the
veiny; ',4 elthri. i., Thikivii a tu,k4er, q i,.P()Ptti,.,i,!l ig '144)6
glitrebanirilitibane',Danniti.:i'shen;,,v6.:r4uirt,_:,vl,,,b.tiv:7wterlinsor
31:11j
4.ii_ Al 1g,...1-'
0?13411u'Itel
...ea
~_
..3.. ~ the C
iti,,,,lotel tii4i ii, was a matter kith „well the G Y . eel-
not care who knew it, but OM 114-nqo 4r".t,;)° le
did
Iluunug to do( He t".! 'i favour of the P00r..1,
the Corn-law should hay ,it 4,49 r'?Pea'r.".......A
,dw passed
As a Poor-jaw guardian e advocated tire re,,4"°_!t ohOers.)
law —as a Ministrorthe Burch of Etiglandju, iul Ow Cont-
i! he' cries 4 the suffering' poor, he was, aanlqilA tc'ive ear,
tee Corn_ ChCheers?-as a Christian Yfilo 'way )04144 fee/ fir slaw
41 fel,