The Sun.
London, England, 1845-11-21 00:00:00

NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE.

A special general meeting of the Chamber of Commerce
was held on Wednesday in the Council-room at the Guild-
hall, to consider the propriety of addressing her Majesty's
Ministers on the subject of the corn-laws.
Mr. WlLsox, alderman of the borough of Gateshead, and a
member of the well-known firm of Losh, Wilson, and Bell,
having been called upon to preside, in the absence of the Pre-
sident of the Chamber, briefly opened the business.
Mr. POLLARD, an extensive corn merchant, rose and said,
it was not his intention to offer any remarks upon the sub-
ject, but simply to propose a memorial which he had pre-
pared, and which he trusted woukt be adopted by the meet-
ing. The object of its prayer was, that the ports of the
United Kingdom might be opened for the free introduction
of foreign corn.
The memorial was read by the Secretary as follows :
" TO TILE RIGHT HON. SIR ROBERT PEEL, BART., FIRST LORD
OF HER MAJESTY'S TREASURY.
" The Memorial of the Chamber of Commerce of Newcastle-
upon-Tyne, at a special general meeting, convened for
that purpose
" Showeth,—That your memorialists, believing that the
corn harvest in the United Kingdoni has been defective, and
that the potato crop, particularly in Ireland, a failure, hasten
to entreat that you will be pleased to advise her Majesty in
Council to give an immediate sanction to the admission, duty
free, of foreign grain into all the ports of Great Britain and
Ireland, as the readiest means that can be adopted for not
only preventing the discomfort, but promoting the prospe-
rity, and thereby securing the contentment, of the people.
" -And your memorialists will ever pray, &c."
Mr, W. 13itocKgrr, alderman of the borough of Gates-
head, seconded the adoption of the memorial.
AttnisnioxG, an extensive corn-merchant, and a mem-
ber of tile Ne*gastle Town Council, said if the motion had
been for a petition to Parliament for a revision or molifica-
Hon of the existing corn-laws, he should have been perfectly
ready to have glyen it his support, but it did appear to him
that not the slightest ground existed for the extreme mea-
sure which had been proposed. What was the condition
or the country, which must be well known to. Mr. Pollard
as a corn-men:WO Ile recollected that in
letshsea)iteaaf
1800. in this same month, when there was
• - -Amission of foreign corn than
tion in the country about ttl. U ' .oneared by an
at present, the price of wheat at Lynn, . a
old circular which he held lii his hand, was t 0...
quartet, atld tye etis,lL duartef, ar iiihre thali double the
price it was at present. No alatni ihilsttd then pi r€spect
to a scarcity of food. In 1812 the average pried 6f the
whole year of wheat was 1225„ and still there was no alarm
about dearth or famine. Why, then, should such apprehen-
eions be entertained now ? He had stated in the council the
ether day, when this subject was tinder diseussion, that if
the duty were taken off, it would be compensated by the
additiolial price that would have to be paid to the turc.:glier,
and since then a circumstance had occurred, which proved
beyond all doubt the accuracy of that position. A house in
Konigsberg had written to a cornfactor here, desiring him to
atii 100 lOU of Wing; fro 9rl bard there; At 596, g gum