The Sun.
London, England, 1842-07-11 00:00:00

Ult.
rut

LONDON:
MONDAY MORNING, JULY 11, 1842.

We rejoice to see the condnct of the Conference. It
has resolved to continue its sittings, and it has appealed
by circulars, for support, to all the manufacturing towns.
It has also requested the ministers of religion to put up
their supplications to the ALMIGHTY in behalf of the
suffering people. They cannot consecrate the great
work they have taken in hand by too much earnestness
and solemnity. Let them not conceal its magnitude
from themselves. In the teeth of the Parliament, which
has passed a law for keeping bread from the people,
they have undertaken the great task of procuring the aboli-
tion of that unhallowed law. In commencing this great
undertaking they have piously, humbly, and wisely ap-
pealed to the ALMIGHTY for assistance and support.
The language used, too, is bold and manly, worthy of
the men -who have singly resolved not to pay taxes as
long as taxes are contaminated by class plunder.
" Winged words" have ere now " scattered armies;" and,
now that our friends have adopted a bold course, they
need not despair of scattering the monopolists-
Their language is the true description of vast suffering
amongst the people, and has already penetrated to the
heart of the Premier. He dare not encounter the awful

responsibility of meeting the winter, whether the harvest
be good or bad, with such a mass of unrelieved distress
and such a mass of persons out of employment. The
Conference has acted nobly and admirably in taking on
itself the responsibility of remaining assembled under
such circumstances, and in speaking to him, to Parlia-
ment, and to the country in strong and emphatic terms.
Now, what does it ask ? The total and immediate re-
peal of the Corn-law just passed. That is the motion
Mr. VILLIERS is to submit to the House of Commons
this evening. And what is that motion to do, if carried?
We answer, give employment instantly to the majority
of the unemployed, and give bread to all. At a meeting
of the Conference Mr. IBBOTSON declared that he would
employ five hundred men the day after the law was re-
pealed, and he asserted that, in a short time there would
nocbe an unemployed workman in Sheffield. Deputies
from Dundee have made a similar statement ; but we
did not want their assurances to convince us that such
would be the case. We are well convinced that the instant
the Corn-law is repealed, speculations for the supply of
the foreign market will give employment to the bulk
of our manufacturing artizans. Having employment,
they would be able to purchase food and clothing, and
present distress woul d disappear as if it had been
charmed away.
And what objection is made to the measure? It is
said that it would throw agriculturists out of employ-
ment, and add to the existing distress. Let us calmly
look at the objection. Harvest is approaching, and not
a single farmer will fail to gather in his crops, whatever
may be the state of the law. At present, therefore, noi,
a day's work in agriculture will be diminished • by
abolishing the law. Will the farmers plough and sow
less for next harvest, or the harvest afterwards? That is
the question to be decided. It is abundantly certain
that no great quantity of food has been anywhere pre-
pared to add to our supply this year. We must wait for
a twelvemonth before much can be grown for us. In the
meantime our people are much -in want. The conse-
quence, therefore, of employing them would be at once
greatly to increase the demand for food. The months
are ready, but the food is.not. Undoubtedly, therefore,
there would be a greater demand for the first year than could
be supplied from all the world, and in that demand would
be a complete security That the farmers would not plough
and sow less next year. There would be no diminution
whatever of agricultural employment.
The assertion that agricultural distress would arise
from repealing the Corn-law is a mere fancy—a fiction
of the brain ; but the distress of the manufacturers is an
actual and painful existence. It is clearly caused by the
law which impiously shuts out the food they would ho-
nestly earn and honestly purchase. Supposing it
possible or probable that the agriculturists would
be injured by the repeal of this law—which
we deny—the manufacturers have a right to de-
mand that misery be not inflicted on them, in order to
save others from misery. Admitting, for argument's
sake, all that is fancied about land going out of cultiva-
tion, and farmers going to ruin, they are to be saved
from the decay and ruin to which nature, on that sup.
position, has doomed them, at the expense of the ma-
nufaeturers. The latter have a right to demand the in-
stant repeal of a law which inflicts poverty and misery
on them, whatever may be the consequences of that re-
peal to others ; and they have a right, before GOD and
man, to resist a. law which, on mere suppositions and
fancies, actually and positively dooms them to starvation
and death.

In our report of the proceedings at Union-hall or.
Saturday, there will be found an appeal to the Court, mad.
by three climbing boys, whom the Chimney-sweep Act
have put out of employment. They have a right to say
that the law intending to promote humanity has doomed
them to starvation. They had been brought up to the
trade ; they cannot find another ; they are no longer
allowed to exercise 'it, and they must go to the poor-
house, starve, or commit crimes. We quote that case as
an illustration generally of the effects of legislative hu-
manity, and of the probable effect of Lord ASHLEY'S
Colliery Bill. It prohibits certain persons from getting
their living by the labour to which they have been
brought up, and it will certainly doom no inconsiderable
number of them to destitution and the poor-house.
Such a case enables us to assert that a Morning Con-
temporary, distinguished for his zeal in favour of Lord
ASHLEY'S Bill, and not sparing in his insinuations and
charges
against those who do not support it, con-
founds together the evil and the proposed remedy.
Making every allowance for the exaggeration of the Re-
port of the Colliery
Commissioners, there can be no
doubt that many evils exist in connexion with the col-
lieries, but it by no means follows that Lord Amur's