The Sun.
London, England, 1842-12-26 00:00:00

SPEECH OF RICHARD COBDEN,
ESQ., M.P., TO THE LEAGUE.
MANCIIMER, FRIDAY MORNING.—Last night an-
other great meeting of the League was held in the
Corn Exchange, one of the chief inducements to at-
tend it being the presence of the lion. Member for
Stockport, who it was understood Would deliver an
address on the present advanced position and prospects
of the movement.

The CHAIRMAN, in opening the proceedings, said—
It was a source of great gratification-to that the
report they should have to make this evening was of
the most satisfactory nature—(Hear, hear)—not
merely on account of the pecuniary contributions en-
tered into in different towns, in aid of the great League
fund, but that at some of the largest of the meetings in
those towns a vote of unqualified approval had been
passed of the proceedings of the League, and an ex-
pression of equally unqualified reliance for the conduct
of the great question in future.—(Applause.) He
had mentioned last week that two of their members
were in London inviting the co-operation of the iner-
zbants, traders, and other influential parties on this
ill-important subject. This week that deputation had
been reinforced by R. H. Greg, Esq,, of Manchester,
and Hamer Scansfield, Esq., of Leeds—(Applause)—
and ,he had now the pleasure of being able to announce
that an influential Committee had been formed in the
city, over which Mr. Travers presided, and another
had been formed at the west end, over which the Hon.
Charles Pelham Villiers presided.—(Applause.)
Mr. BRINDLE, Secretary to the Association, re-
ported that the total number of registered' members of
the League, up to the present time was 11,225.
Mr. BROTIIERTON was received with loud cheers.
We regret to have to omit almost all of his excellent
speech. We give, however, an allusion to the late
article on the League in the Quarterly :—" I really
think that article has been a great deal more noticed
than it deserves. I understand that part of it is of
Manchester manufacture.—(Hear, hear.) This is not
a party question ; I wish not to consider it as such ;
but I am surprised there should be so much incon-
sistency as to find Manchester manufacturers engaged
in fighting against their own interests and the claims
of humanity and justice. We find that in 1815 the
rory manufacturers came forward to denounce the
CdriActivs ; they then foresaw all the evils which
have since resulted from it, ard yet these are the men
who will not now join with us in. reii,oving thelaw.
And why ? Because they want to serve adirty party
interest.'

Mr. COBDEN, M.P., then came fol•ward and was re-
seived with loud cheering. He spoke as follows :
Mr. Chairman, Ladies, and Gentlemen, the last time
f had the pleasure of addressing the members of the
League I thought we were lodged in very spacious
quarters at the Picture Gallery, in Newall's-build-
ings. I have been absent but a fortnight, and I find
that your strength has so grown, and your members
have so increased, that you have expanded into the spa-
sious premises where I now see, I think, double our
usual numbers—(Cheers)—and I learn, moreover, that
there is in the course of erection in this town, a build-
ing which is intended to hold 10,000 people under one
..00f, and which building you are preparing to fill
about the 31st of January.—(Applause.) Well, this
!s all symptomatic of great progress in Manchester ;
but I am very happy to say that we are not
making here so rapid progress in this cause as
is going on in other parts of the kingdom.—(Ap-
plause.) We had already grown so near maturity,
chat there is not room in the course of nature that we
should go on increasing, as they are now doing in the
Potteries, in the midland counties, in Scotland, in the
south of England, and wherever I have gone, or in all
quarters from which I have lately received communi-
cations.—(Applause.) The cause everywhere is
progressing gloriously ; it is advancing safely an]
steadily upon the only safe track, that of intelligent
conviction.—(Applause.) A just cause never goes
'sacic when it hassaade, progress in the right direction.
Gentlemen, you have heard something of the munifi-
cent aid which we are receiving in different parts of
the country to our great fund. Why, what better
test could there be of the earnestness of the
convictions of our countrymen, than when
those convictions take the direction of their
purses and their pockets?—(Applause.) We are asked,
shall we get our 50,0001. ? Why, Gentlemen, I have no
hesitation in saying—if we could answer the de-
tnands that are made upon us from all parts of the
country, to pay them a visit, set them a going, and
tell them how we are managing in these towns in
collecting the funds—l have no
.hesitation in saying,
if we could divide and subdivide ourselves into about
a score persons instead of one, we might raise 200,0001.
at. 300,0001. as well as 50,000/.—(Applause.) But as
a good deal has been said by gentlemen here about
a certain attack upon us, in seventy pages of a certain
Review, I say let us give but one !answer to those
seventy pages, which are intended to spoil our sub •
Aeription : we'll answer them with a 1,0001. for every-
rage.—(Laud applause.) And that is the only an-
swer I will ever condescend to gave to such attacks.
Why, who are the parties that are attacking us, who
are attacking the Anti-Corn-law League, and finding
quilt with our proceedingS ? The very parties whom
we are going to uproot.—(Cheers.) Why, it is not
likely that they will be pleased with our doings.
Show me a meeting, fairly and honestly assembled, in
the face of England, that will pronounce anathemas
against the Anti-Corn-law League. Let us hear, it
you please, of the dissatisfaction of our constituencies
with the proceedings of the Anti-Corn-law League.
When that is done, it will be time for us to answer. We
are not going to answer the very,parties that we want to
affront. Why, when I get into the House of Commons
again, I know what their tactics will be ; there will
be a great outcry against the Anti-Corn-law League
and its proceedings. Well, do;you think I shall con-
descend to answer attacks coming from such quarters
If Ido, I shall answer them thus—" It's all very well
for you, Gentlemen, to quarrel with the Anti-Corn-
law League ; you have very good reason ; for unless
you mend your votes, it is very likely that the Anti-
siorn-law League will substitute better men for you
at the next election."—(Loud applause.) Now, that
is the business of the Anti-Corn-law League ; it is
our business ; we're going to operate upon these
worthy gentlemen, and I don't expect they will like
us for our operations.—(Great applause.) No, no;
don't let us be diverted ; it is one of the games of the
.nemy, and always has been, to try to lead us upon a
wrong scent, to induce us to enter upon a defence of
the Anti-Corn-law League, where our business is to
attack them, and to upset them too.—(Cheers.) Well,
Gentlemen, we have made progress everywhere; but
there has one little incident occurred since I last had
the pleasure of meetingyou, which I have observed with
some regret—a little incident that may, perhaps, have
come to your knowledge. I have seen a letter, published
by Earl Fitzwilliam, in which he declares himself an
advocate for a fixed duty on corn. Now, it is with
very great regret that I see a nobleman whom I have
always regarded as not only a free trader, but as one
)pposed to the principles of monopoly—it is, I say,
with very sincere regret, that I see him publishing a
letter containing such an opinion. But there is one
cause why I think good will grow out of this. It has
raised the controversy on the subject of a fixed duty
with our own friends, and it must be entertained, and
it must be carried on in an amicable spirit. Now, I
believe that Earl Fitzwilliam, when he is brought to a
rigid consideration of this question, will see the injus-
tice of a fixedd uty on corn ; and when he sees the in-
;ustice of it, I have that opinion of his high moral
',minciple, and his great moral courage, to believe that
lie will at once disavow the. opinion.--(Hear, hear.)
Now, if that tax upon corn is to be levied, it must be
levied for purposes of
,revenue; Earl Fitzwilliam dis-
tinctly says so. His object •is to lay a tax on corn
for the purposes of revenue. Well, then, we come to
the question—how shall this tax on corn be levied so
as to bring the whole amount of the produce of the
tax into the Exchequer, and not allow any portion of
it to go into the pockets of private individuals ?
(Hear.) There is but one way, and that is by levy -
lag the tax in the shape of an excise, at the mill, or at
the oven, and allowing foreign imports to come in
free, by taking it as au excise, and not as a
customs' duty.—(llear, hear.) Now, are we
advocates of a bread-tax like that ? How do you
think it would be collected P—(Hear, hear.)
tell you about what it would amount to. An
eight-shilling fixed duty upon corn would amount to
something very near a penny upon each quartern loaf.
Well, now, don't you think the old women with their
brooms would very soon get rid of that tax ?—(Ap-
plause and laughter.) Doyou think the tax will ever
be levied in that shape ? It has never been done in
any Christian country yet, and Lain sure it never will
be done in England.—(Applause.) Well, now, see
how we are advancing in the discussion. The sliding
scale is now given up by all liberal and intelligent
men. Then we come to this amicable controversy
with our friends, with some of those excellent friends
who have gone thus far with us on the road, and to
whom we are thankful for their assistance thus far ;
and now we come to discuss with those friends the
justice or injustice of a bread-tax—of any bread-tax.
—(Applause.) Now, we are a League associated
together for the purpose of abolishing all taxation en
bread.—(Applause.) That is our object, and that
must not be misunderstood; now is the time especially
to avow it.—(Applause.) Now, is this operation
of the Corn-laws clear to the perception of all ?
And now I say again, we must have no bread. tax in
this country ; but if a bread-tax is proposed by our
opponents, they must he prepared to show that the
whole of what they are going to raise will go into
the Exchequer ' • and when they show that, the far-
mers and the landlords would have to pay a tax at
the mill or the oven, and there would then be no
party in the country who would advocate a bread-tax.
—(Loud applause.) Now, Upon this subject I should
like to address a word ortwa to the men of the work-
ing classes that I see present here. I see a good many
of the operatives in this room, and I beg to say a
word to them on this subject.—(Hear.) The sliding
scale is now abolished—virtually abolished ; you may