The Sun.
London, England, 1842-02-28 00:00:00

sure. But before any decided mode of warfare as that
was adopted, we must consider another point. Taking
corn at its present price, lie presumed there could be no
doubt that Peel's measure would be immediately a great
benefit to the country ; because a very considerable
quantity of bonded corn would be admitted at a lower
duty than at present it could be. Considering that, at the
lowest estimate, we had 30,000 people in a state of
starvation, we should pause seriously before we adopted
a measure--however it might be approved as a mode of
warfare on this great question—which would have the
effect of enhancing the price of corn. It would be a se-
rious step, an unpopular measure ; and he did not feel
that we should be justified in taking it. If Peel's mea-
sure should pass, we should have, the whole of the
bonded corn liberated at a duty of 10s., and that must
necessarily depress the price of corn very much, while it
must pro tanto put our depressed starving population in
a better condition than at present. He did not feel,
therefore, justified in adopting a measure which would
enhance their suffering, in order 'to carry on their strug-
gle with the landed interest more successfully. But he
did feel strongly that this question had arrived at a
point where all argument was perfectly useless. He was
not prepared to propose any plan, but was disposed to
think the game was in our hands, if we were united our-
selves, and could raise a sufficient degree of sterling and
stubborn enthusiasm in the people to support us.—
(Hear, hear.) [Mr. Greg then referred to a plan which
he intimated an intention not to state in the presence of
the reporters ; but, as the meeting seemed desirous to
hear it, he subsequently stated it, on the understanding
that it should not have publicity given to it. As the
meeting was one of merchants and manufacturers, and
not strictly a public one, reporters beine, permitted to be
present, rather than having the right to there, we omit
all notice of the plan, which Mr. Greg said he hoped
would be matured by wiser heads than his, and given
forth in a fitter shape in due time.]
Mr. EDMUND ASHWORTH thought there would be
time enough to consider Mr. Greg s proposition when
the landed aristocracy had forced Peel's Bill upon us.
But as the object of this meeting was to consider whe-
ther or not we would advise our friends in Parliament to
prevent the passing of this Bill into a law, he thought
they ought not to separate without adopting some reso-
lution of the kind.
Mr. J. CHADWICK saw insuperable difficulties in the
way of the plans boll of Mr. Ashworth and Mr. Greg.
He would earnestly press upon the consideration of the
meeting, whether it was not better for them to call upon
all the Members who were advocates either for a total
repeal or a moderate fixed duty, and get them to wait
upon Sir Robert Peel, and endeavour to mitigate the evil
which they all agreed must result if the Bill were passed.
If they could not obtain any mitigation of it, for his part,
he did not know what they could do, but sit down and
abide by it.—(General manifestations of disapproval, and
some cries of " No, no.")
Mr. Alderman BROOKS differed wholly with Mr. Chad-
wick. The Corn: laws were a downright robbery ; and
he would sooner sacrifice 500/. a-year for life than submit
to ask for any thing less than their total and immediate
repeal.—(Great applause.) It was as complete a rob-
bery as that of the men who, the other day, stole 2,000/.
of his brother's out of a coach.
Mr. J. MILNE—It's worse ; for that was only robbing
the rich ; but the Corn-laws rob the poor.—Laughter).
The Rev. WM. SHUTTLEWORTH thought Mr. Chad-
wick's proposition was like an abandonment of principle.
We had asserted that the laws of which they sought the
abrogation were unjust. Let us stand on this ground.
We had the people with us ; and, while our circum-
stances were, in this and other respects, becoming better
and better, let us determine, as Manchester men and as
Britons, never to deviate from justice and right ; and if,
in asking what was just and right, we perish, let us perish
like men.—(Hear, and applause.)
Mr. EDMUND ASHWORTH then moved—" That this
meeting unhesitatingly disapproves of the alteration
proposed by Sir Robert Peel in the Corn-laws;
and, therefore, acting upon these broad principles of jus-
tice upon which free trade is founded, now declares and
recommends that an uncompromising rejection of the
proposition be demanded from the Legislature ; and that
all the liberal and free-trade members of the House of
Commons be requested to use all the legal and constitu-
tional means in their power to prevent its being passed ;
and that the following gentlemen be appointed a committee
to draw up a memorial, and to carry out the objects of this
meeting :—The Chairman, Sir Thomas Potter, Messrs.
W. R. Callender, Edmund Ashworth, James Chadwick,
George Wilson, and John Brooks." If this measure were
ineffectual, let us then have another meeting to request
them to stop the supplies ; and by that erne we should
be upon short time, and let us have half a million of
people upon Kersal Moor.
Sir THOMAS POTTER had great pleasure in seconding
the resolution

Mr WILLIAM Evaxs objected to the terms " every
legal and constitutional means." He did not think this
was a time when we should be particularly nice in our
phraseology. He came from London the preceding eve-
ning, and had been in the House of Commons every night
during this debate ; and it was disgusting for any man
of sense to witness such conduct. It was with the ut-
most difficulty our Members could get a hearing ; so
loud and noisy were the cries of " divide," the cat-calls,
and coughing and shuffling of feet and cheering, to pre-
vent them being heard.—(" Shame, shame !") The use
of such terms " legal and constitutional" was therefore,
he thought, unnecessary ; because, if they would use all
the means in their power, he thought that was sufficient.
He would therefore move, as an amendment, that those
words be omitted.

Mr. W. R. GREG said, he could not stand by and
have his name reported as having attended a meeting, of
this kind, without expressing his strong reprobation of
the meaning of the last speaker. The use of such lan-
guage on our part would give immense advantage to our
opponents; and it must be recollected, that measures
were carried, not by hard words, but by stern deeds ;
and the mere reporting of the proposition of the last
speaker would give a tone to the meeting which would
very much damp its character aud influence. He (Mr.
Greg) did not agree with the resolution, and did not
wish it to pass, for the simple reason that by so doing
they would throw an argument into the hands of Peel,
which he would not be slow in availing himself of. He
' would predict that Sir Robert would say—" Here you
oppose a measure which will, pro tempore and pro tanto,
relieve the sufferings of the people ; which sufferings
you have been professing to regard as one of the
greatest evils of the Corn -laws, and yet you reject the
very measure I bring forward to relieve them." Depend
upon it, that was one false step.
Mr. T. GASQUOINE perfectly agreed with Mr. Greg in
every word he had uttered. Could they suppose such a
measure could be carried out ? He did not believe they
could find forty members with such a degree of moral
courage as to give a factious opposition to the proceed-
' ings of the House, and the business of the country. He
thought a much better plan would be to advise the free-
trade Members quietly to withdraw from their places,
and leave the landed aristocracy to pass the measure alone.
Mr. W. R. GREG had no hesitation in coming for-
ward again to moderate the tone of excitement which
prevailed. His motives could not be doubted, for he be-
lieved no man had suffered more by the Corn-laws than
he had, and no one was more desirous to get rid of them.
But if Peel got up his measure, they, would be in no better
position ; whereas the passing of that measure must
bring totalrepeal nearer. It was the first blow given to
a system which had set up the pretence of vested in-
terests in its favour. Let Sir R. Peel give that blow
to the system ; they need not relax their exertions. It
would not place them in a bit worse position than before;
but, if they compelledakiim to throw up that measure,
they put themselves in a false position, disgusted many
men who had hitherto gone with them, and did no sort
of good. If they chose to wait till the time came for
passing the ?upplies, and then saw that it was desirable,
and that they had the power to do so, they might then
suggest to their Members to adjourn the House, and stop
the supplies. Then they would have got a boon for
our starving population, if it were none to trade ; and
they would still have the means of stopping the supplies.
Mr. WILLIAM WHITWORTH wished to show that Mr.
Greg's fallacy was in supposing the proposed Bill to be
an advantage. Thetford was a well-known market
town in Norfolk. Nine-tenths of the corn grown in
Norfolk was sent to the London, Hull, Wakefield, and
Liverpool markets. Under the proposed bill the whole
of the corn grown in Norfolk would be returned at the
market towns in that county, say at 50s. If he bought 100
quarters at Wakefield, it was returned at 58s. and the
averages were thus raised throughout the country.
Mr. LAWRENCE ROSTRON thOught forty determined
Members had it in their power to stop the present course
of Government. If we must use constitutional means,
that might be a case of years, and we were sinking daily
and hourly. He thought, if there were forty Cobdens in
the House, they might bring Government to their senses.
By the present forms of the House, they could keep
moving the adjournment ; and he for one would say, that
the sooner the present course of Government was
stopped the better.—(Loud applause.) He would sup-
port Mr. Ashworth's motion, but would like to add to it
a recommendation to stop the supplies.
Mr. EVANS had merely thrown out a suggestion, and
would offer no amendment; but he wished it to be under-
stood, that it was the opinion of our Liberal Members in
London, that, unless they were supported by the people,
they could not take such steps as the resolution re-
ferred to.

Mr. Alderman CALLENDER said it was a regular
course of argument in Parliament, when a new law of
any kind passed, a large number of Ministerial ad-
herents would say, " Let us try this law before we con-
demn it. We have not had it yet two years or three
years ; give it a fair trial." And thus it would be car-
ried over a spare of two, three, or four years, and we
should be ruined while the law was on its trial,—(Hear.)
Our case, as to the landowners, was that of the boy in
the old man's apple-tree. First,, the owner tried fair
words to get him to come down and desist from plunder-
ing it, but the lad only laughed at him ; next, he threw
clods of grass at him, but these were soft, and did not
hurt the young thief ; but next, the old man gathered
some stones, and then the lad came down immediately.
(Hear.) NoW we have tried fair words and grass for
a long time; we have been talking and arguing, but
they have put it all aside ; and we must now show that
we are a combined body, for the landowners were com-
bined against us ; and we must show them that such
laws shall not be passed, or, if passed, shall not continue.
If we show that we were in earnest, we should be certain
to get a better law than this, and therefore he supported
Mr. Ashworth's motion.—(Applause.)
Mr. WM. DixoN, of Accrington, said, hg came from a
great manufacturing district, of which Accrington was
the centre; and he was specially instructed to support
the resolution now before the meeting, and, if no gentle-
man bad proposed such a one, he was instruc ed to pro-
pose it himself; and to call on the free-trade Members to
obstruct in every manner, form, shape, way, and twist
that could be advised, fair 11cPbert lEfill, and try to
throw It out altogether; to maintain their advocacy Oa
total and unconditional repeal of the Corn-laws, and" no
surrender."—(Applause.)
The CLUBMAN then put Mr. Ashworth's motion,