The Sun.
London, England, 1842-02-08 00:00:00

(THIS DAY.)

The Delegates from the different Anti-Corn-law Societies
composing the great Anti-Corn-law League of the United
Kingdom, held their first Conference this morning, in the
large room of the Crown and Anchor, in the Strand. The
Delegates began to arrive shortly after ten o'clock ; lout al-
though the meeting was advertised for half-past ten o'clock, it
was half-past eleven before the proceedings commenced.
DUNCAN M‘LAnEN, Esq., was unanimously called to the
Chair.

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
son, London ; Colonel Thompson, ditto ; Mr. P. H. Taylor,
ditto; Mr. Sidney Smith, ditto; Mr. Scobell, ditto ; Mr.
Kershaw, ditto ; Mr. Wm. Rawson, Manchester ; Mr. 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. Heyworth, Liverpool ; Mr.
Stausfield, Leeds; Mr. Milligan' Bradford; Mr. Clayton,
ditto ; Mr. Dixon, Carlisle ; 31r. Ashworth, Bolton ; Mr.
Joseph Sturge, Birmingham; Mr. Bell, Coventry.; Mr.
M'Laren, Edinburgh ; Mr. Aytoun, ditto ; Mr. Wm. Bu-
chanan, Glasgow ; Rev. J. Border, 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. Seholefield, M.P.' Hon. C. P. Villiers, M.P., Mr. T.
Milner Gibson, M.P., Dr. Bowring, M.P., r. A. Johnstone,
31. P., Mr. Heathcote, M.P. for Tiverton, Right Hon. D.
O'Connell, M. P., the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Rev. Dr. Wade,
Rev. T. Spencer, of Hinton, Col. Thompson, Mr. Boultbee,
Mr. Ashworth, Mr. Heyworth, Mr. Joseph Sturge, Rev. Dr.
Pye Smith, Mr. 31untz, M.P., Birmingliame.Mr. Prentice, &c.
Mr. Asiswoften 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 repeal of the Corn-laws, 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 tor 20s. 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 yon
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 was 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 led. When the loaf was at 5d., cheese was clid. 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. 6d.—( Hear, hear.) He (Mr. Spence) knew of farmers
having 300 acres of land each, who hail 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 what had happened there occurred in
other parishes. 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. lie
(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 orrthe 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 duty of its. would be ruinous to them. Well, what
did those people now say? Why, that they found they
could be easily worse off be any of the plans proposed,
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 seen, too, that their principles
were best 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
result.—( Hear, hear, hear.) It was thought desirable,
some time past, that a Conference of the districts of
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 21. 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 did those misguided hire-
lings. The Earl of I'adnor 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
the-r 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 dist url ed 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—by not going to the meeting. There was
logic. If they feared danger let them shut them-
selves up in their houses and they 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-people 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
purpose of setting the pnblie right as to the quarter from
which the disturbance proceeded. There were several Chartists
present at the meeting, who were most anxious to give a calm
Bearing to the Delegates. But it was apprehended that it
would be sought to lay the disturbance at the
osssd door of the Chartists, and accordingly before the
sosso meeting separated, the resolution alluded to was passed.
:11- 'The Magistrates refused to enforce order within the assembly,
ut they said they would preserve the peace of the town. The
Delegates had accordingly no alternative but to adjourn to an-
other place ; they therefore assembled at the York Hotel, and
in that place were expressed those sentiments, and those docu-
ments were read, the publication of which was so much feared
(Mr. Spence here read the resolution from a Newspaper. It
was to the effect that the Chartists present at the meeting did
not in any way participate in the disgraceful and deliberate
disturbance caused by a few individuals in the assembly, but
that it was solely attributable to the instigation of persons in-
terested in the existence of the present Corn-laws, who hired
ignorent and intoxicated men to frustrate, as much as
possible, the objects which the Conference had in view.
He was very glad the Conference did them that act of justice,
—(Hear, hear.) He would not make any further remark,
but to show the effect of the Corn-law in his own union.
When a union was first established they had only 350 members.
This he knew to be correct, because he was himself one of the
Board of Guardians at the time. But they amounted now to
700.—(Hear, hear.) There were in his union 3,000 rate-
payers, rated at 91. a-year, who found it difficult "to provide
honestly for themselves in the sight of God," and these were
taxed,though
suffering themselves from the restriction of
trade,
b to
pay for 700 paupers. He had been present when
read was contracted for at 43/4d. the loaf, and when the same
was contracted for at Bisid. the loaf. Then taking the difference
between 350 inmates and 700, and multiplying it by three, the
increase cf the price of bread in the weekforeach pauper, it
would be found that the expense was between three anti four
being
thousand pounds, there
1,800 loaves consumed in the
week. —( Cheers. ) Phis
was a matter of importance to every
guardian, and he was sure thataf. .
petitions would be forwarded
from the Boards of Guardians i Tiere not said by the Com-
missioners that it was a matter
in favourw of theit ch)otohre-
aw, and b
Guardiansedid
hadthe
nothing to do. He was
not care who knew it, but Poor-law passed
the Corn-law should have been repeale ( Loud cheers.)
As a Poor-law Guardian he advocated the repeal— of the Corn- .
law—as a 31inister:of the Church of England, bound to give ewr
to the cries of the suffering poor, he was against the Corn -law
--(Cheers)—as a Christian who was bound to feel for his-feal-
low men, he must oppose the Corn-law—( Cheers)—as a per-
son wishing to see all artificial distinctions between men done
away with, and desirous of seeing the great family of man
united together—as a person anxious to see the chances of war
diminished, he was hostile to the Corn-laws.—(Loud cheers.)
Mr. PRENTicv, of Manchester, in supporting the resolution,
said he would say a few words en the subject of the
finances of the Association. It was well known that
there was a splendid demonstration, called the Anti-
Corn-law Bazaar, and that as large a sum as 8,0001. had been
collected there.—(Loud chiers.) But the Bazaar was not
Z4..o"`lds He was happy to say, on the contrary, that the in-
1