The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-20 00:00:00

OF THE

A 1\ R N- L A \V
LEAGUE

AT
COVENT-GARDEN THEATRE

A groat metropolitan meeting of the members of the Anti-
Corn-law League was held last evening in Covent-garden
Theatre. The doors wore opened at half-past six o'clock ; but
long before that hour crowds were waiting outside, anxious to
obtain admittance. Within a quarter of an hour of the time of
the opening of the doors every part of the house—even to the
slips and upper gallery—was crowded to excess ; and long
before the commencement of the proceedings there was not a
single place in the house unoccupied.
At seven o'clock, Mr. Cobden, M.P. for Stockport, Mr.
Bright, U.P. for Durham, Mr. Milner Gibson, M.P. for
Manchester, Mr. W. Brown, of Liverpool (late candidate for
South Lancashire), Mr. W. J. Fox, Mr. J. Wilson, of London,
Mr. George Thompson, accompanied by other well-known
members of the League, entered the theatre, and were re-
ceived with the most enthusiastic cheering.
William Brown, Esq., of Liverpool, in the chair.
Among those present, we observed the lion. Charles Pelham
Villiers, M. P., Richard Cobden, Esq., M. P., John Bright,
Esq., M.P., Thomas Milner Gibson, Esq., M.P., George
Thompson, Esq., James Wilson, Esq., W. J. Fox, Esq., T.
Wordsworth, Esq., Major-General Briggs, Sir John Morris,
Bart., Dr. William Cooke Taylor; Colonel 'Fucker; Messrs.
John Taylor Crook (of Liverpool), Joseph Wrigley (of Hud-
dersfield). Greenham (of Trieste), W. Graham, Robert
Fowler, J. Gerstenberg, C. S. Crowley, D. Dewar, Robert
Toog rod, Thompson, Wm. Garraud, T. F. Ashton, T.
Gosnell, H. Hegginbotham, Bailey, James Mellor, J. T.
Campart, W. A. Wilkinson, J. Fergus (of Kirkaldy ), J.
Hodgkin, John Poulton, John Dyte, John Chalmers, George
Brettell, James Stansfeld, J. Williams, Farrand,
Richardson, Wm. Wilson, James Midgley (of Rochdale), A.
Graham, Wm. Graham, T. R. Pritchard, C. J. Baker, W.
Were, Henry Briggs (of Wakefield), J. M'Conkey (of Bel-
fast), Henry Vandal', F. Scheer, Thom (of Inverary),
S. B. Bayfield, Holland (of Dumbleton), F. L. /lay
Grant. Henry Marshall Fooks, Joseph Heap (of Liverpool),
J. P. Nixon, Thomas Harvey ( of Falmouth ), Henry L. Keel-
ing, Henry Crosfield (of Liverpool), Rev. W. P. Davies
(late of Ashburton, Devon ), Agate (of Horsham ), G. ;
Trowton, George Ridge, J. Fitzpatrick, 'F. Mackenzie, J.
Battiscombe, H. Sparrow, Wm. Geesin, &c.
Mr. Conners, M.P., advanced to the table, the audience on I
his appearance rose en masse to greet him. A most enthu-
siastic cheer was set up—hats and handkerchiefs were waved,
and the cheering was repeated again and again for several
minutes. Never was reception more triumphant. Silence
having been partially restored, the Hon. Gentleman said—
Ladies and Gentlemen—ln the absence of our friend, Mr.
George Wilson, the Chairman of the League, I beg to move
that Mr. William Brown, of Liverpool, the late candidate and
future member of South Lancashire—(lmmense cheering)—do
take the chair.—( Renewed cheering. )
Mr. WILLIAM BROWN then took the chair, amidst loud
and long-continued applause from all parts of the House. He
spoke as follows :—Ladies and Gentlemen—Our good friend,
Mr. Cobden, has apprised you of the reason why he has called
upon me on the present occasion to preside over the proceed-
ings of the evening ; and I can only express my regret that
during the absence of our friend, *Mr. Wilson, he has not
been able to get a gentleman of more influence and
importance to conduct the affairs of this important
meeting. But I can assure you that there is no
individual in the country who has more at heart the pro-
gress of free-trade principles than the humble individual who
has now the honour to address you.—( Loud cheers.) It is
not the province of a Chairman to make long speeches—( Hear,
hear.) But I cannot refuse to myself the pleasure of con-
gratulating you upon so much of the Premier's budget as car-
ries out the principles of free-trade—(Cheers)—withont at
the same time being considered to express my satisfaction
with any portion of it of which, as free-traders, we cannot ap-
prove.—( Cheers.) Ido hope, and expect, that the progress
which free-trade opinions are making, will be pressed forward
with an accelerating velocity in consequence of the proceedings
of Friday last. —( Cheers.) And I have no doubt that the day
is not far distant when I may be able to congrstulate the
members of the League on all our principles having been car-
ried out in the manner that we could all wish they should be
carried out.—( Cheers.) A great deal has been said about
the declaration made by Sir Robert Peel that it was the duty
and privilege of every man to buy in the cheapest
and sell in the dearest market.—( Hear, hear.) But
while remembering this assertion of Sir Robert Peel's,
we forget what another Cabinet Minister told us some years
ago ; and I consider this, of even more importance than what
was stated by Sir Robert Peel. Some years since Sir James
Graham said that the landed aristocracy ought to recollect that
they were a small minority, enjoying the peculiar privileges
which they did possess, solely because public feeling was not
hostile to the present corn-laws—he spoke this of the late corn-
law—the old sliding-scale, but the words are equally applicable
at the present moment. He said that the receivers of rent were
but a small body, but they were backed by public opinion,
which rendered them omnipotent; but that, in opposition to
public opinion, they could not expect long to enjoy exclusive
benefits. In such a state of things, a most fearful contest
would arise if they were to attempt to continue the enjoyment
of those benefits in opposition to public opinion, and they would
find arrayed against them the power of that hunger which
breaks through stone-walls.—(Cheers.) Ido not know that
lam quoting the exact words made use of by Sir J. Graham,
but I am certain that such was the meaning they intended to
convey. He said that in the event of such a contest the barriers
of society would be broken down, and estates and dignities be
swept away in one overwhelming torrent. Such was the lan-
guage of a Cabinet Minister seven years since, and I do not
believe that he will now be disposed to repudiate it.—( Cheers. )
I will not trouble you with any further observations of my
own ; but again congratulating you upon the great step taken
in advance in our progress to free trade, by what took place
in the House of Commons on Friday night, I will call upon
Mr. James Wilson, of London, who has ever been one of the
greatest friends of the Anti-Corn-law League and to the
principles of free trade, to address you.—l now beg to intro-
duce to you Mr. James Wilson.
Mr. JAMES WILSON then came forward, and was received
with loud applause. He said that their worthy chairman had
already congratulated them on so much of the Budget which
had been proposed by Sir R. Peel on Friday night as carried out,
! inhisown estimation, the principles of free trade ; and he heartily
joined their chairman in that congratulation on the tendency
of the measure which had been proposed by Sir R. Peel on
Friday night. In that measure two most important doe
trines for which free traders had contended for the last half
century, had received, not only full recognition,
but had been carried into practical effect.—( Hear.)
But the Hon. Gentleman, although congratulating the
meeting on that part of the measure, must be permitted to say
that there were many parts of the Budget which were highly
objectionable; and it must be a matter of public observation to
all who considered the relief proposed to be afforded by the
Right Hon. Baronet, that, although he had been praised for
the boldness of his free-trade measures, lie had carefully se-
lected those articles on which he had every reason to expect
the slightest opposition, where be had left unattacked the
greater monopolies. —( ('heers. ) H. did net wish to take
away any of the merit due to the Right lion. Baronet of re-
cognising free-trade principles, but he wished to impress upon
the country that they ought not to give the Right Hon. Ba-
ronet too much credit for what he had done, when they learnt
what he had left undone.—(Cheers.) There were two great
monopolies existing—one of these the Righi Hon. Baronet had
left altogether out of his Budget ; and with regard to the other,
he was prepared to show that instead of ameliorating it as far
as the consumers were concerned, he had rather studied the in-
terests of these who already profited by the monopoly.--
( Hear, hear.) The Right lion. Baronet, the other night, had
proposed an alteration of the sugar duties. Now, although that
alteration was upon the face of it very specious—although
the Right Honourable Baronet pretended that he
was about to lower the duty upon sugar for the
benefit of the consumers of the country, he (Mr. Wil-
son) believed that he could show, to the satisfaction of every
reasonable man, that the alteration intended would not really
benefit the consumers but the producers ; and that while the
revenue suffered the people would not be benefited. The ex-
perience of the last four years had taught the people the great
fact that their interests were identified with those of the re-
venue.—(Cheers.) And the last thing the people would wish
to see was the revenue sinking to such a state as should en-
danger the safety of the country. For the purpose of main-
taining the revenue they had been willing to submit to the im-
position of the income-tax, and he believed that they would
willingly submit to the imposition of a more onerous tax, even
than that, rather than see the country disgraced by the loss of
her credit. But in the case of the reduction of duties they
should always see that the benefit of that reduction went to the
consumer and not to the producer ; if they were called 'spun to
submit to a fresh tax to make good a loss arising from the re-
duction of duties, let them at all events see that the benefit
from that reduction found its way into the pockets of the people
for whose benefit it was pretended to be made.—(Cheers. )
No principle of government or legislation was so delusive—no
principle had produced so much evil to the people, as the prin-
ciple of differential duties ; and if the true character of diffe-
rential duties were known, if the operation and definition of
differential duties had been as well understood some years since
as the meaning of prohibition, he was convinced that, at the
present day, neither differential duties nor prohibition would
have been in existence. He was afraid it was a very difficult
task to explain the real operation of differential duties to such
an assembly. But so important did he consider the subject,
that he would attempt to do so, even if he should fail. /ki
order to illustrate the operation of the differential duties, let
them take the proposition of the Right Hon. Baronet on Fri-
day night last. He had told the country that he had estimated
what would be the supply of sugar during the next year, and
the amount of revenue which would be derived from it. He
sought to establish four different rates of duty. At one rate
he expected a supply of 160,000 tons, the produce of our own
colonies ; at another rate a supply of 70,000 tons, also the
produce of British possessions; at a third rate he expected
5,000 tons of foreign sugar ; and at a fourth rate he ex-
pected a supply of 15,000 tons, also of foreign sugar. Now
he (Mr. 'Wilson) would call their attention to the work-
ing of this scheme, The 15,000 tons of foreign
sugar was to be admitted at a duty of 28s. per cwt. It was
clear, therefore, that before they could get these 15,000 tons
of sugar into consumption they mast pay2Bs. percwt, added to
the first cost of the sugar. That being a foreign sugar it was
admitted into competition, not only in the English market but
but in all the markets of the Continent ; and the price in this
country would be rendered so much the higher by the amount
of duty imposed. The price in bond of this sugar was 245. per
cwt. It was the same at Hamburgh—it was the same at An-
twerp—and in fact in every market in the world. This sugar
paid the highest rate of duty, and that added to the first price
would make the cost in the English market 525. Now, if
you take any sugar whatever, you will only get the same quan-
tity at the same price; but when another species of sugar was
brought into the country the Minister said that that might be
admitted at a lower rate of duty, but any difference of duty
that might be made must go to the enhancement of the price
to the import merchant. The Premier said that he hoped to
get 15,000 tons at the duty of 28s, the cost of which to the
public would be 525. He expected 5,000 of the second class,
at the duty of 235., but the import merchant would get the
advantage of this difference of duty, for the price of that sugar in
bond, instead of 245. would be found tube 28s. Bd., still making
the price to the consumer 525. Then there was another rate of
duty proposed at 16s.—that was a colonial sugar. At thatrate
of duty he expected a supply of 70,000 tons, but the importer
says, " You get in the market 525. a ton for sugar. This
only pays a 16s. duty, and therefore the price which I shall
charge in bond will be 335. Bd." Then there was a fourth
class, produced from al our West Indian Islands, of which he
would take the quantity at 160,000 tons. Sugar of that qua-
lity commanded a price of 525., but that sugar was to be ad-
mitted at a duty of 145., which would enable the producer to
receive 38s. for it, Instead of the original price of 245. In all
giving up dut les, they were not
these processes, while they were
rendering the commodity cheaper to the consumer—they were
not lowering the price by lowering the duty,
they let the consumer
duty, but they were in-
creasing the price to the importer, while
pay 525. ; and while the revenue lost tne benefit of the in-
crea-ed duty on these 160,000 tons, the consumer had not got
his sugar one fraction cheaper than he would have
had it had these 160,000 tons paid the 28s. duty.
They therefore saw, by those four different rates of duty, that