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

ORNING SUN

food enough—(Hear)—because it would compel the land-
lords -.to bring the powers of the land into operation.
It would force them to expend that capital in the improvement
of the land, which they now spent on the Continent.—(Cheers. )
They would not now cultivate all the land they might in some
instances. They refused to let corn be cultivated on the land
because they could not get the price they wanted for it,
whereas, if the Corn-laws were repealed, it would be their
interest to produce as much, and at as cheap a rate
as possible, —( Loud cheering.) Then there was another
argument which had been urged by the bread-taxers
with great ingenuity. What should we do in time of war,
they asked? It was necessary for the safety of the
country to be independent of foreigners for a supply of
food during war. His answer to that was in
the. first -place, that commerce was a good means
of preventing war altogether. --(Cheers.) Nations were ace
tuated by much the same motives as individeals. If you vex
me I. will vex you. So was it with the different Governments
of Europe!England had sett a glorious example to the world
iu the abolition of negro slavery.—(Cheers.) The other
nations of Europe had followed it—(Cheers.) Let her
new set them the example of removing. restrictions
frhm the food of the people.—(lmmense cheering.) [A cry
was raised at the end of the room that Mr. O'Connell was
comings and the Right Hon. and Learned Gentleman imme-
diately 'made his appearance. He was greeted with loud
cheering as he walked up to the platform, on his reaching
which some one in the bode of the meeting called out, " Three
cheers for Mr. O'Connell." This call was responded to
with the greatest enthusiasm. When the cheering
had somewhat subsided, Mr. Falvy continued. j He u-ae
no believer in witchcraft ; he was not a superstitious
man, yet he could not but hail it as a happy omen that
at the moment lie was complimenting - them upon their
success in abolishing Negr, o Slavery, the Right Hon. the Lord
Mayor of Dublin should enter the room.—(Hear, and
much cheering,.), Their cause must prosper.—(Cheers.)
every accidental circumstance told in their favour.—( Cheers. )
He was telling them of the glorious example they had set in the
abolition of negro slavery; let them set another, and never
rest until they had obtained the abolition of taxes on food.
—(Loud cheers.) The landlords did not think of being
independent of foreigners, when they wanted their
silks, their carpets, their spiees.—( Hear, hear.) It was
only where the toed of the people was concerned that this
excuse was set up. Now let them look at the fact. We were
at war in 1810 with France, and with all Europe, and although
the ports of the Continent were then shut against our com-
merce, yet those who ranted our manufactures took
them, and we obtained 30Q,000 quarters of wheat from
France aeone—from Fiance :the county with which we were
at war during that year—(Cheers)—and we obtaieed during
that year 1,500,000 quarters of wheat from the rest of Europe.
This showed that where it was the interest of nations to trade
together, it was not in the power of despotism to prevent them.
Even the haughty Napoleon, in highest power, was unable to pre-
vent it. He would not take up more of their time and attention,
but conclude by cordially thanking them, on behalf of himself and
Of the operettas-es of England, for the position they had taken
up that day. They were by their conduct adding to the sta-
bility of the empire, and they would transmit their names to
posterity as the benefactors of mankind—(Cheers). He begged
leave to add that he gave his most cordial support to the reso-
lution. .
The resolution was then put from the chair, and carried
amidst loud and continued cheering.
The CHAIRMAN next said, thet the Executive Committee
to whom they had committed the power of regulating the
order in which the business would be brought forward,
had- come to a preliminary resolution. It was to
the effect, that for the orderly conducting of the business of the
Conference, the Committee recommend that each person de-
sirous of addressing the Conference should send up his name to
the Chairman ; that each person be called on in the order in
width their names were sent up, without at the same time ex-
cluding the right of each member to address the Conference.
The CHA IRMA N next observed that it was the better course,
that as this was the first day of the Conference, the proceed-
ings should riot be protracted to any great length ; he would,
therefore, call on Mr. Dixon, of Carlisle, .to move an adjourn-
ment.—( Cries of "Mr. O'Connell," " The Lord Mayor of
Dublin," and much cheering. )
Mr. O'Coe NELL then came forward, anti was received with
the istost enthusiastic cheers. On the restoration of silence
the Right lion. and Learned Gentleman said, that he felt too
much flattered by the kindness of that call to be able to resist
it ; yet in truth all he ought to do should be to make his bow
and thank them.—(Cheers and laughter.) He had come
there with a different intention from that with which
he generally attended public meetings. He gene-
rally attended to speak, but he came there to lis-
ten, and they seemed determined he should listen to him- .
self.—(Laughter and much cheering. )• That was rather cruel
of them, and for this simple reason, that no person could sup-
pose
he was a prophet, and without being so he could not know
what to say to-day. On Thursday next he would be
able to tell them something. Peel had an easy job, .
before him. All he had to do, was to give the operatives
cheap bread, and the landlords high rents.—( Laughter. )
They seemed to think that that was not quite so easily done as
said.—( Laughter.) Now, if he did not do that, and only
took up one of those measires, he (Mr. O'Con-
nell) piti_d him very much as to the other. He (Sir
Robert Peel) had, however, one refuge. He would give
them plenty of words. He would give them plenty of figures,
and he'd bother them with the figure.; entirely.—(Laughter.)
His (Sir-It. Peel's) struggle would be to do as little as possible
and gibe - them as many words as possible. His endeavour
would be to raise a cloud and create confusion. Their course
at present was • straightforward and " distinct.—( Hear.) They
warned cheap bread; and that they must have.—( Hear.) Was
thelre• anything yet • ever so simple? A talented operative
hid addressed them a while ago, and when there were so many,
men of such, talent among -the operatives, the higher classes
could not ,timng maintain their monopoly. Should the poor
nun come into a market with the price of his skill and-la•
boor. for the purpose of obtaining some of the necessaries of life,
he meets (continued the Right Hon. and Learned Gentle-
man) a person exiled a landlord, who says to him, "You are '
going to-lay out the produce of your labour in purchasing
bread,. but first give me 2d. out of the price of the loaf for
giving you leave to.buy 43.! That was a system which could not
last. It wan criminal in its operation, villanous in its intention,
destructive to- the commerce. autt manufacture of the country.
It was attended with all the grievous consequences which
robbery and vtllany could hive, and. they were now wanting
to see whit the monopolists were • going to do. for them.—
(Loud cheers.) He remembered once reading in an
old romauce, a tory of a knight, who for some
crime was placed at one end of a -church, and upon the
middle of the church was a common needle; at the other end
of the church was placed a sheaf of wheat, and he was allowed to
feed himself with all the wheat which might be
blown through the eye of the needle.—( Hear, hear.)
That was something like the plan of the monopolists. They
would not give you the sheaf of wheat to blow through the
needle —( Laughter) and they tax it before they know
how to put it in a proper position. But the ceuutry was
=used. —( Hear, hear-) England had spoken out, and Scot-
land had spoken out, in a tone that was not to be resisted ; and
they would be aided by a good strong-Irish brogue.—(Cheers. )
Front others they would get nothing but words. He re-
collected a story of a person called Daniel Isaac Eaton,
who said . he was a printer of the "swinish multitude,"
a phrase, which they said, was taken from Burke. But he was
prosecuted, and put into prison for four years. And where he
-was inside the prison walls he put up the following motto :
" Since times are scarce, and solid food is rare,
The swinish herd must learn to live on air ;
Wheat and peas no longer do abound,
. A feast of words is in the hog's-trough found."—(Loud
laughteie. ) Now Peel was the Daniel Isaac Eaton. He would
not give Toas or wheat, but words, words, words.—( Hear,
hear.) He (Mr. O'C.) wished to prepare the people
for what was coming, but he knew the people would
not be put off with delusion. No trickery. Bread was
bread; and if .they did not get bread, they would
take nothing else.—( Loud cheers.) A sliding scale
was a very slippery thing, and a fixed duty was a fixed injus-
tice —(Cheers.) What they wanted was perfectly simple and
plain —( Hear.) They wanted the markets of the world to be
opened for them, for the purpose of getting provisions. They
did not want to rub or steal, but they wanted that England
. should have that food which France and Spain had to spare, after
:Paying the proper price.—Hear.) The thing was plain, but be
knew the dexterity of the high conjuror they had to deal with.
(elusion was the object, for what else could be the meaning of
the Duke of Buckingham retiring from the Administration ?
'He wished forsooth to be called tke "Farmers' Friend," and
lie retired from the Government; but he said that he would
support them on every other question except that of the con-
; templated alteration in the
.Corn-law. But if he gave up his
office on principle, why support an Administration that was
.wrong in principle ?--( Cheers.) Did it not give them an in-
. sight into the secrets of the closet, and show what alteration
might be expected? The thing was a complete delusion,
ind the Duke knew what he retired for.---( Hear. hear,
leer.) The thing was a clumsy humbug. But he could
promise them a strong phalanx of Irish force.—(Cheering.)
.sn'here were four of his own family who would vote for nothing
Bless,than extinction of the Corn-law —but he . was wrong—he
aretild vote for a good instalment to be able to, come at the
snehers.e--( Cheets. ) Half a leaf was better than no bread.—
ri(eheters anti laughter.) The cry for cheap bread had been
raised in Manchester, and had travelled through.. the land.
:':They should not let that cry die away, for when the cheering
ceased, the, hunt was up.—( Cheers and laughter.) If they
failed, they would lose every thing. This was not a Tory or a
Whig, or a Chartist- question.--(fear, hear.) It was a ques-
tion tbi cheap foOd. and is which the whole nation was con-
eerned nerintstlow one clam to tax the bread, of every
,other.—(tends cheers.) This was not a question of
the propriety of raising taxes for the support of the Stater but
it was a question whether the poor were to have that food
which Providence had so amply provided for them, if it had
. •
." not been stopped from them by iniquitous legislation. The
necessity of the demand was so obvious that it would be a
mockery to detain the meeting any longer upon the subject. There
was no person who came from the manufacturing districts who
had not his talc of woe and misery to detail. These laws had
entailed upon the people depression of every sort. Wages had
• been diminished—povertv had increased. It was now fast,
' and now slow. Misery had' increased, and the wretchedness of
the manufacturing districts was the consequence of the law.
Foreign rivals were beating them out of the markets—even in
their own markets they were now being undersold ; and
he would ask, were the people of England to be led by the
anag,ic of palavering words to submit to such a state of things ?
(Hear, hear.) No, the people were too strong to be laughed
at, and too ranch in the right to allow themselves to be
deluded. They would have the victory if they were
• determined on it. If there were Tories amongst them
end he supposed there were, he would beg of them not to allow
their prejudices to interfere between the salvation of the poor,
• the good of the nation, and the remedy for their evils.
The Whigs were in favour of a fixed duty, and the Tories
of a sliding scale—but let them not be deluded by one
or the other, • for a total repeal was the only treasure which
could bring lasting good.—(Cheers.) TLey had not cue.
ceedod last year because their cry was not strong ; but now it
-had become too universal and ton extensive to be mocked.
lie would entreat of them net to allow the spirit of folly to
come amongst them, which would make them satisfied with
ileintive and deceptive promisee. Let all parties be unani-
mous, and let them raise a general cry, and it would he
answeredl" such a way as to relieve the poor from their misery
• and wretchedeess, and place England where she ought to stand
' —above and beyond a 1 rivalry in the career of competition
The moment the struggle reached its height, Enelislimen never
shrunk. Englishmen never knew how to be beaten.—( Laugh-
-ter. ) It was a secret they had never discovered.—( Renewed
laughter. ) Let them not find it out now in a erisii of the most
vital importance.—( Hear.) They could not be beaten if they
• were- true to one another—if they continued united in their
Worts to get ritl'of that abominable monopoly, that incubus on
their trade—the present Corn-law...et tt
s --ear.,e
Let them stand
yeerether front. and rear, and they
.would be sure to triumph.—
. .( ford cheers, amidst which the Right Hon. Gentleman retired
-• front the meeting. )
Carlisle,Dl came forward amidst cheers to
r. .Azxos,
o f i
11
move the, next reslo_utun. e would not have attempted to
address thtiln on that occasion' were it not for the long and
felt in the manufactures of- the country.
(14.13, interestlie had
connected with-our cotton manufac-
tslefAlad ftrrt,„„yewars well acquainted with the
• ando 4. mars commerce throughout the
.esthautnetryo.f
gs win h those engaged in that
De-liner, the great sufferin
enradielied lately been subjected to: he knew that those suffer-
7w4e, ings Vero iteet'grea.t measure attributable to the present Corn-
' —loves .131 e had from the Moment of the enactment of a Corn-
taw in. 1815, protested against such a measure, because he fore-
saw the evil, to which it would inevitably give rise.
N thing could have given him greater pleasure than

meet-
ing had adopted a resolution
to have witnessed the unanimity
na
ti.o expressivenwoir their determination
•
not to compromise that great question.—( Cheers.) No
Their case was based upon the wen-
promise would do.
ciples of lustice, and with anything short of justice they should
hear.) He felt sure that if they per-
not be sontent.—( Hear,
severed in their righteous efforts, even Sir Robert Peel, net-
must bovr to them. And why? S'mply because they advo-
cated a just cause. They wished to interfere with
the rights-of no man ; and he believed that if that great
question.were once settled, all parties in the State would be
essentially benefited. A large portion of our farmers and out
a,gricultural labourers were deeply interested in the solution of
that great_question. Our agricultural population were in
reality most injuriously affected by the present Corn-laws. The
r_ men of the north, the men of the borders—men as hardy, as
willing, add as able to work as any others upon earth—were
now in a state of the deepest'ssuffering, in consequence
of the depression of our trade and the low rate
of wages they received for their agricultural labour.
Even a large body of our farmers were advocates for a total
and immediate abolition of the Corn-laws. On a former oc-
casion the Convention had asked of Parliamed't to be heard at
the bar of the House. That prayer was refused. They next
asked to be heard before a Committee of the House, and that
request, too, was not complied with. They told them they
should hear from them again, and they had heard
from them again. He wished to congratulate their
Hon. Chairman on the state of the movement in Scotland.
The Scotch people had made up their minds upon the gun,-
tion ; and Scote.hmen deliberated before they determined.—
( Hear, hear.) The people of England had long ago made up
their minds upon the subject; and he believed the people of
Ireland were also pretty unanimous with regard to it. He
had been himself entrusted with a petition to the House of
Cemmons, signed by 5,000 inhabitants of the town of Car-
lisle, which he then represented, and that was a pre-
ponderating majority of the whole population of the city.
He earnestly hoped that the other cities and towns of this great
commercial country would imitate their example.—( Hear,
hear.) The Hon. Gentleman concluded by moving ihat the
meeting should then adjourn till eleven o'clock to-morrow.
Joule BROOKES, Esq., of Manchester. came forward amidst
general cheers to second the resolution. He had reason to
know something of the Corn-laws—for a man generally knew
most of his own business.—( Hear, hear.) He had been him-
self engaged in the corn-trade for the last thirty-three
years, and he had been a shipper for thirty-six years;
but during that time he had never purchased any foreign corn.
The uncertainty and the instability of the trade had
prevented him from doing so. Purchases must under the pre-
sept system be made in a hurry ; and it was impossible to
calculate on a regular and steady trade. He had been in the
habit of bringing, hides from Monte Video, but he had never
brought the flesh of animals in consequence of the high
rate of duty. The flesh was left to be de-
stroyed, and could be turned to no use whatever.
He had lately had a portion of this beef transported to this
country, and he found it cost him but 144 d. per pound.
Ile could buy beef in Psoenos Ayres at the rate cf 9d. for
25 lb. ; and a friend of his had lately bought sheep
at 2d. and 7d. a-piece. In June last Sir Robert Peel had de-
clared at the hustings—the hustings was the place to catch
them—(Laughter)—that a fixed duty of S. did not appear to
him to afford a sufficient protection to the farmez.—( Hear.)
The Right Hon. Baronet went on to say that they must con-
sider the burdens to which land was subject in this country.
He would have them look at the amount of poor-rates on land,
and see who paid the Church-rates, the Highway-rates, and
the Tithes. These, he said, were paid by the landed occupiers.
Observe what Sir Robert said. Not the landed proprietor
but the landed occupier. The tact was that land would let
for more money with the Corn-laws or: it than it
would without it. He (Mr. Brooks) remembered when he
was at Harrowgate, there were sixteen Tories there and only
two Whigs; they were talking about the Corn-laws. He
(Mr. B.) asked them one question. He said—Suppose he
had two houses to let, one furnished and one unfurnished, for
which would he get the highest rent ? They answered—" For
the furnished house, of course ;" and so it was with the land.
Land well furnisbed'would bring more rent than unfurnished
land. Well, Sir Robert continued, and if you let in corn pro-
duced by other countries, not subject to these burdens, it would
he evidently unjust to the growers of this country. But
what had we to do with them ? Nothing at all. The fact
was, they were cheating them.—( Cheers.) He never yet
found a man who could justify the Corn .laws. Some say, why
we only get 2/Iper cent. for the money which we have invested
in land ; he replied, that they were not bound to buy, land if
they only got 2k per cent. for their money. He had had the
honour of putting a question or two once to Lord Stanley,
and that Nobleman admitted, without any hesitation, that land
let higher with the Corn-law upon it. There was an
admission for them. What right had one section of the com-
munity to tax the other ? It was a fact that there was a Corn-
law, and it was equally a fact that that law had been made for
a certain purpose ; what then was that purpose? Wu it to
prevent foreign corn from getting into England? It was—
they could not deny the fact. He was not surprised at that part
of Lord Stanley's story, but he confessed he was surprised at his
Lordship's sentiments with regard to foreign trade, when he
said that they must take care of their colonies, and not mind the
foreign trade. It was the duty of Members of the House of
Commons to represent the mercantile interests—if such were
their duty he (Mr. B.) would say that Lord Stanley was as fit
for the office he held as he (Mrs B.) would be to fulfil the du-
ties of a Bishop.—( Laud cheers.) He (Mr. B.) knew that
mercantile men had more interest in the foreign trade than in
the Colonies. He himself had 249,0001. in the foreign trade,
and, only 38,000!. in the colonies ; and yet they were
to sink the foreign trade for the sake of what ?
That the sons of the aristocracy might reign over them.
The fact. was, Lord Stanley belonged to the aristocracy, and he
backed them through thick and thin. He must tell them one
thing—they must sink Whigery, Toryism, and Chartism, and
bind themselves together never to give up, and then they
should see whether they were to have their rights
or not.—(Cheers.) Hundreds and thousands of ,people were
being converted to their opinions, and he hoped the time was not
far distant when they should obtain their rights. He remembered
a story about one Billy Whittaker in Lancashire,, which he
would tell them. This Billy Whittaker owed a great deal, of
money to different people in the town, yet when any
one went to the public-house, there Air. Billy, might
be seen drinking and smoking with the merriest
of them ; no one there so comfortable as he.
.1 person said to him one day, " I wonder to see
you here so comfortable ; if I were in your
circumstances, owing so much money, I could not sleep in my
bed." lb !" said Billy, "if I were the people that I owed it
to, then I should riot sleep in my bed; as it is, I sleep soundly."
The aristocracy of this country are all Billy Whittakers—
( Loud laughter)—they think the people were asleep ; but they
will soon see that they are wide awake—(lncreased laughter
and cheers)—if the people slept at all it must be with one eye
open.--( Laughter and cheers. )

Mr. Brookes concluded, amidst loud applause, by seconding
the resolation which was put from the Chair, and unanimously
adopted.
Mr. HENRY ASIIWORTII, of Bolton, next addressed the
meeting—He said there was so much intelligence, and spirit,
and energy, displayed by every individual at the meeting, that
it was impossible for him to add anything to what had been
already said ; he would merely suggest, as he was sure every
one of the Delegates had come charged with intelligence from
their respective districts, that each of them should prepare
something like a statistical detail of the matters that
ought to he submitted to the meeting, and that that
detail should be left with the League, to be used afterwards as
was thought best. He had himself gathered 4 good deal of
argument from many of the newspapers, and bad collected a
great deal more from the facts stated at the meetings
held at Leeds Manchester, and other places. He had
them all collected together, and he would submit them to the
League. If each of the Delegates collected the facts relating
to his own district there was no doubt but a greatdeal of inter-
esting matter would be obtained. The Delegates might for in-
stance sit down that evening and contrast the present state of their
districts with its condition a few years ago ; and in that way,
by showing it in a statistical detail, most interesting and im-
portant information • might be had.—( Hear, hear.) He
merely mentioned the matter to the meeting, in order that
the Delegates might adopt the suggestion if they thought
it of use.—( Loud applause. )
The' CHAIRMAN said the meeting had heard Mr.
Ashworth's suggestion, and he was sure it was worthy of adop-
tion. The Committee had, yesterday, waited on Sir R. Peel, to
obtain an interview with him, and they were in expeetation of
receiving an answer every hour. It was the wish of the Com-
'mittee that the entire of the Delegates should wait upon Sir
Robert Peel, if he granted the request of the Conference.
It was therefore most desirable that they should be all in at-
tendance - punctually at eleven o'clock - to-morrow
morning All" the petitions for the abolition of
the Corn-laws should be presented to Parliament
as early as possible ; and thoie petitions brought to London by
the Delegates, should be each-given forthwith for presentation
hy each Delegate to his own Representative, provided
that that Honourable 'Oentleinan *ere favourable to
the object of it. But if not, then the petition
.shbuld be left with the Executive Committee, who would take
means-to have it immediately presented. The Chairman then
said he could not allow the meeting to separate, without
expressing the very great satisfaction it afforded him to
' see the tone which they had taken up, and the deter-
mination with which they were disposed to act.—( Hear. )
This was a simple point that every one might understand. Let
them keep by this principle till thelast, regardless of all oppo-
sition, and they mightdepend on it that the force ofpublie opi-
nion so expressed would be fonnd irresistible.—(Cheers. )
Mr. SIDNEY SMITH said it was important to inform the
Conference before it separated that several Metropolitan Anti-
Corn-law districts were de=irous to receive deputations from
the Conference to address meetings in their respective locali-
ties. To carry out this object he had therefore to request
that gentlemen from those districts would leave their names
and the places to which they belonged below stairs, and also
the times and places where they desired the addresses tole de-
livered ; and also that gentlemen, Members of the Conference,
willing to deliver their addresses, would leave their names
below stairs with the Executive Committee. They would
then most effectually agitate the question.—(Hear, hear.)
It was desirable that their friends in the metropolis
should hear their friends from the country. A perfect under-
standing between the capital and the provinces would be thus
established, and London would resume the station she held
when this abominable law was passed.—( Hear, hear. )
Mr. SMITH then read over again the list of the Executive
Committee, to which the following gentlemen were added :
The Rev. W. W. Williams, and Mr. Evans, the Chairman and
Secretary of the Welsh Anti-Corn-law Conference ; Mr. W:
Ibbotson, and the Rev. T. Bailey, of Sheffield ; the Rev. W.
Roof, of Wigan.
Up to three o'clock, between 500 and 600 Deputies had given
in their names.
The meeting then adjourned until 11 o'clock this day.

THE SUN', LONDON. 'VVEDN''MDA--,4;---FEBRUARN 9. 1842.

thus much on presenting the petition, considering the import- •
once and respectability of those who had signed it.
On the motion of the NOBLE %awns the petition was
read at length by the Clerk.
Lord BROUGHAM was sure that his Noble Friend did
not mean to say that this was the only instance in which a
body of manufacturers had petitioned for au abolition of all
protecting duties. It was true that in general it had appeared
that they were more in favour of protection than of free trade.
The_ Marquis of LANSDOWNE had only said that it was
very rare to receive a petition from a body of manufacturers for
the abolition of all protection.
Lord BROUGHAM remembered two instances of such pe-
titions,
om
hiferhwasapetition, not from one body of delegatesma-
from all the trades, which
ma-
nufacturers, onee rs, bet
prayed for the total repeal, not only of the Corn-laws, but of
every kind of ,protection. But the present petitioners wished
to have a fixed duty on corn, that is, a bread-tax.
• The Marquis of LANSDOVfNE—OnIy for the purpose of
revenue, not for protection. .
Lord BROUGHAM—If they wish for a fixed duty on corn
for the purpose of revenue, that was in plain short language a
bread-tax.
__ _

Lord ASHI3URTON. was sure that be would not be ex-
pected on the presentation.of a petition to enter into a discus-
sion of the questions of free trade, the Corn-laws, and the
calves of commercial, and manufacturing, and agricultural dis-
tress. Each of those topics would be sufficient for a whole even-
ing's discussion, yet, he couldnot allow the observations of the
Noble Lords opposite to pass without a few words. He be-
lieved that there was really very great distress inthose districts
of the West of England from wbieh the petitions came. But
it appeared from the words of the petitioners themselves that,
out of 3,000 looms, fully one-half were unemployed. Now, as
no such decline of trade was experienced generally in other
parts of the country where the woollen trade was carried on, it
must be supposed that this particular district was subject to
some disadvantage in Carrying on that trade, which was not felt
in other parts of the country. The decline had not been sudden; it
had been gradually going on for years. The woollen manufac-
tures had in fact gone to the coal districts, from the west to the
north, just as the silk manufactures had gone from Spitalfields
to Manchester and Macclesfield. In fact, he believed that the
migration of particular branches of manufacture from one part
of the country to another—not to say from one country to an-
other—was one of the penalties, as had been said by a Noble
Lord upon another subject, this country must have to pay for
the possession of this kind of wealth. Whenever distress was
occasioned in one part by this sort of disturbance, or other
cause, the petitioners were not content to state the extent of
the distress, but to explain imaginary causes, and point out
supposed remedies. There were always changes of some sort,
and nothing could be more mischievous than perpetual change
—one day a protecting duty, another day an alteration of
it, and again the transfer of the protection from one
branch, or one article, —to another.(Cries of " Hear, hear.")
He was snprised that
his Noble Friend had been deceived by
such a fallacy as the supposition that the Americans could not
trade with WE country because we could not take their corn.
His Noble Friend seemed to think that the time had now ar-
rived when the millenium of free trade was to take place. No
one would more rejoice than he would at such a circumstance;
but what was the real fact ? Why, every country in Europe
was endeavouring to exclude the articles of commerce of this
country. Whether the alterations contemplated by the pea.
tioners would be beneficial or nor, he would not attempt to
say ; but, for himself, he believed that there was necessity for
protection.—( Hear.) He would say nothing with respect to
the present system of protection, but of • this he was con-
vinced, that protection was necessary. He believed that
any Government that was foolish enough to propose a
total repeal of the Corn-laws would, by doing so, sign
the warrant of their own destruction.—(Cries of " Hear.")
If the House considered the subject attentively, they would
find that the interest of the agriculturist and the general inte-
rest of the country would not be served by a total repeal of the
protecting duties. He (Lord Ashburton) wished to enter his
protest against the principle that whenever any distress existed
in the agricultural districts, that that should be a reason why
the Legislature should interfere and upset the whole system
acted upon. in the country.
After some conversation, it was ordered that the petition
should be laid upon the table.
The Earl of MINTO presented a petition from a place in
Scotland, praying for the immediate and total repeal of the
Corn-laws. the petition, which was signed by 1,600 persons,
prayed that all duties imposed apon articles of commerce were
founded upon principles of impolicy and injustice ; they there-
fore prayed the establishment of free trade in corn, and all other
articles of provision.
Earl FITZ WILLIAM presented petitions from the borough
of Leeds, and also from Nottingham, praying for the repeal of
the Corn and Provision-laws.

Lord MONTEAGLE moved for copies of the appointments
of Mr. Percival and Mr. Eadon, together with the production
of the other papers of which he gave notice yesterday.
Lord CLIFFORD rose to beg their Lordships to postpone
till after the Easter recess emotion of which he had given no-
tice to the House on the Ist of October last, for the appoint-
ment of a Committee to inquire how far it was in the power of
the Government and Council of Madras to afford protection to
natives of this country and Hindostan, and to hear evidence on
the subject, and report it to the House. The reason why he
thought it necessary to bring thatmotion forward was, that the
Governor-General of India had asked for the.fullest informa-
tion on every point to which he had referred when speaking
upon that subject on a former occasion. He understood that a
report had been sent to the presidency of Madras, stating what
had taken place in that House on the 23d of September. His
speech on that occasion lasted upwards of an hour, but did not
occupy more thantwenty lines of the columns of the newspapers.
He had, therefore, thought it necessary to make a protest in the
papers as to the report which had appeared on the 24th, rela-
tive to what he bad said on the 23d. If any of the reports
which appeared in the public papers of the 24th. had been for-
warded to India, those reports were only calculated to promote
confusion; and the question on which he had addressed their
Lordships was one of so great consequence, that it was abso-
lutely necessary that false reports should not go abroad. He
would not now go further into the motion, which he wished
their Lordships to postpone till after the recess, but would
merely ask, whether any answer had been received at the
Board of COntrol, with regard to the information which had
been sent out relative to the correspondence between Lord
illiam Bentinck and .1. Manuel de Castro, the Governor of
Goa ? Notwithstanding the decided measures on the part of
the Crown of England, by the law of India no Roman Ca-
tholic is matura could enter a Roman Catholic chapel, though
built with his own money on his own ground, without having the
sery ice pet formed by people declared to be out of the See of Rome.
The Roman Catholic population had at present to submit to
the alternative of not entering a Roman Catholic chapel to
assist at divine worship, or of contravening the orders of the
head of their Church, by assisting at divine worship performed
by Priests not. in communion with the See of Rome. He would
not say that he was quite positive on this subject, but the in-
formation he had received was from his own brother, who had
been a resident on the spot. Such was the state of the Catho-
lics of a large district, and it might be the state of all the
Catholics to the Khistna. This was the statement to which
he had drawn the attention of their Lordships on the 23d of
September last, making a motion at the same time for the pro-
ductionsome of those papers were laid on
; certainothers papers
it was declared could not be found at the
which was the case with nearly all the papers
the
e(lita ab
House, of
relating to the subject. He repeated his motion on
the 4th of October, and notwithstanding this declaration, the
papers were produced. He entreated their Lordships, between
the present time and the Easter recess, to direct their atten-
tion in some degree to the subject, which he considered as one
of immense importance to the peace of India, and one on
which he thought it most material that no false reports should
go abroad. He had thought it right to protest against what
he had been made to say in the public papers, though he did
not think htrnself called on to state what he did say on that
occasion. When the aggrieved parties came forward, as they
intended to do, with a petition and address to her Majesty, and
not till then, he should bring his motion forward. He bad ex-
pected that the address and petition would by this time have
arrived in thiseeuntry, but circumstances had occurred to pre-
vent it; he expected both the petition and the address, how-
ever, would reach this country by the Easter recess, when they
would be presented in due form. He was not authorised to
state the precise terms in which they were cou.ehed, but there
was one particular about them which had pleased him much.
In the address to the Queen it was expressly stated, that if,
on examination it should be: found that any injury had been
done to any one, it was the petitioners' first request that ne
vindictive measures might be taken on their account against
the persons who might have aggrieved them. They asked for
tranquillity and security for the future, and not for vengeance
for the past, which they utterly disclaim. Ile concluded by
asklng the Noble Lord the President of the Board of Controul,
if he bad received any further communication on the subject ?
Lord FITZGERALD agreed with the Noble Lord in the
importance of the subject he had brought before the House, and
when the matter was brought before it in a proper shape he
was sure that it would meet with that attention which it de-
served ; at present, however, all that he could say was, that
information had been received on the subject that day, but the
Noble Lord who had sent it accompanied it with a statement
that he was afraid it.would not be so satisfactory as it might
has 4 been had more time been allowed.
After a few observations from Lord CLIFFORD, the sub-
ject dropped. •
The House Adjourned shortly before -Eleven o'Clock to
, Thursday.