The Sun.
London, England, 1842-12-22 00:00:00

THE CORN-LAWS

A meeting of the Fourth Section of the l-
iY 1.35 held. lat :light, at the 7\ lay\--
l!tl,imno Literary and Selntitlc
street, Portmaa-square. Al. time GoUi ai,poinied, the
hall of the Institution was completely 1111,A, there
i.ut being lesS than 700 persons present. The pro-
ceedings were most orderly. On the stage were M.
Gibson, Esq., M.P., Gen. Evans Col. Thompson, &c.
The chair was taken by Mr. lIENev Wavmorrn,
who stated at some length the object of the meeting,
and alluded, in the course of his speech, to a statistical
return which he held in his hand, and which,
he said, placed in a strong light the sufferings
of the once happy operatives of " Merry Eng-
land." It showed that in Wigan, in Lancashire,
there were, on an average, 981 in full employment at
Is. 7d. per head per week, or 2:1(1., per day, which,
if wholly laid out in bread, would be 11b. 6oz. for
each. There were 1,720 persons whose income
did not exceed ls. per head per week ; 2,330, Is. 6d.;
1,768, 2s. ; 1,786, 3s. ; 538, 4s. ; 1,133 whose in-
come was ss. and upwards. There were 2,745 who
slept three in a bed; 1,852 who slept four in a bed;
830, five in a bed ; 503, six, seven, and eight in a
bed ; and there are many having
.no beds. Of these
beds, a great majority are very inferior, made up of
straws shavings, &c.; great numbers have no bed-
clothes at all'; Some sleep in their clothes, others take
them off for a covering at night, having been obliged
to sell their bed and bed-clothes for subsistence; great
numbers have no change of linen, and many have no linen
at all. lle need not say more to prove how neces-
sary it was that the metropolis should second the
efforts of the people throughout the manufacturing
districts in putting an end to these wasting and un-
just laws.
Mr. M. GIBSON came forward to move the first re-
solution :—" That all restrictions on the free inter-
change of commodities are injurious to the community
by limiting trade, enhancing prices, and diminishing
the demand `'or labour ; evils which press hem ily upon
all, but most severely on the poorer and labouring
classes." As to the first part of the resolution. I can
say that the constituency I have the honour to re-
present has, on numerous occasions, made known
its desire that the same freedom 'of trade should
be extended to manufactures as to agriculture,
that they are prepared to relinquish whatever
protective duties may be supposed favourable to them,
provided such privileges are taken away from others.
—(llear, hear.) In approaching the discussion of the
question on such broad and general grounds, we feel
we occupy a very strong position, and that in com-
mencing an attack on all monopolies we act most
wisely in assailing the greatest—the Corn- and Pro-
vision-laws.—(Loud cheers.) We are satisfied that if
we can abolish the Corn-laws, we shall enlist on our
side, against the other monopolies, the most powerful
and influential Members of the two branches of the
Legislature.—(Cheers.) When we once overthrow
the worst of all monopolies—that in the food of the
people—the others cannot long 'hold out. The step
we are now taking is the most likely to lead to com-
plete free trade. But we are told that, by admitting
corn and cattle, and the provisions of foreign coun-
tries, we shall not extend trade. An agriculturist—
a very honest man, but not having very clear views
of the principles of exchange—said to me the other
dag, "If we take the corn of foreign countries, how
can we answer for their taking our manufactures ?"
I replied, that trade is founded upon barter; and that
if we increase our imports by lowering our protective
system, we must increase our exports. " What
do you mean by barter ?' " said my friend.—
(A laugh.) "When I take my cows to market, I
do not take in exchange so many dozen of gloves, but
dry cash." Well, I answered, I suppose you purchase
those articles you are in want of with the money,
which is but the instrument for the interchange of
commodities.—(Cheers.) What is done by one na-
tion against another when hostilities are commenced ?
Is not the first step to blockade the ports, and, by
preventing imports, strike at the root of trade, and
block up the springs of industry and prosperity ?
(Cheers.) It is highly satisfactory to see how men of
all classes come forward in support of this cause, and
the union of men of all parties and occupations must
bring about a speedy settlement of it. No settlement
can give satisfaction but a total abolition of those laws.
—(Loud and continued cheers.) I believe, had the
measure of an Bs. fixed duty been adopted at the time
it was proposed, it might have had the effect of lulling
for a time the rising agitation, and it would doubtless
have had the effect of relieving much of the distress
in the manufacturing districts, by enabling the Ameri-
cans to make remittances to this country, and so fulfil
their engagements ; but perhaps it is fortunate for
the great question itself that that proposition was not
adopted, for though the temporary relief was post-
poned, the permanent relief, through an entire aboli-
tion of these laws, is brought much nearer to us.—
(Loud cheers.) I quite admit that there has been an
enunciation of free trade principles by her Majesty's
present Government; but I must confess the mea-
sures they brought forward are not quite in accord-
ance with the principles they avow. A great noise
has been made about their giving free trade to the
country in the articles of the tariff; but when you
look through the articles on which the duties were
lowered, you find that a great part of them are of that
description that they will not come in.—(llear and
laughter.) The conduct of the Ministry is not unlike
that of some parsimonious individuals, who, desiring
a character for an ostentatious hospitality, send their
friends a pressing invitation to dinner on a particular
day, having first ascertained that they were engaged.
—(Much laughter.) Even the Morning Post is
anxious to know what Sir Robert Peel means to do.
I dare say Sir Robert would be very glad if the Post
could tell him. But the question is, what you are
going to do.—(Loud cheers.) The Minister of the
Crown is the mere instrument of the public will. He
must act in accordance with public opinion, and it
depends on you and the people of this country, to
show that they are in earnest, and to convince the
Parliament that there can be no settlement, no im-
provement or investment of capital in agriculture,
until this great question is brought to an issue.
Mr. llovEsmEN seconded the resolution.

Colonel I 110MPSON addressed the meeting at some
length. He said Sir R. Peel's tariff alterations were
fiddling changes. The people wanted a larger dose of
free-trade principles.—(Laughter.) They could never
rest content with the Right Hon. Baronet's homoeo-
pathic system.—(Much laughter.) People were
greatly puzzled to know what great change Sir Ro-
bert was meditating now. For himself he was
anxious to give the Right Hon. Baronet rope enough,
and they should see whether he did not, like Mr.
Punch, hang his master.—(Loud laughter.) The
Gallant Colonel, who made a very happy speech, co-a-
eluded by moving—" That with the view of securing
this repeal ere it be too late, this meeting pledges
itself to co-operate with the Anti-Corn-law League
in its just and righteous object, and to use all its ener-
gies to obtain for the suffering people of this realm
the right, of which an iniquitous legislation has de-
prived them, to exchange their labour for their bread."
General EVANS was most warmly received. He
said, that one point in the question of how far the
Corn-laws should be abrogated was generally care-
f'ully omitted by the landlords, and that was rent.
Now this point must ere long be settled, and he hoped
to see that consummation brought about in such a
way as to admit of the farmers acting on the principle
always in the mouths of agriculturists, of " Live and
let live." The aristocracy could not select a more
unfavourable battle-field than the bread-tax. if this
agitation were long kept up, people would begin to
stir the questions of primogeniture and hereditary
legislation ; and as the current of authorities in mo-
dern times ran rather against such privileges (he
alluded to the practice of such countries as America,
France, Belgium, and some States of Germany), it
behoved the aristocracy to beware how they exaspe-
rated the nation.—(Cheers.)
Mr. B. SMART said, that whenever any great change
was about to take place in the Legislature, a sort of
foregone conclusion was announced tmrough a croak
in the Quarterly. The first time this croaker—
(Laughter)—commenced his vaticinations was at the
passing of the Emancipation Act, in 1829. Then he
said that if Roman Catholics were admitted to the
Legislature, the Church of England would be over-
whelmed. Well, that was twelve years ago ; and if
any danger now threatened the Church, it was not
from Papists Without, but from those within.—(Loud
and long-continued cheers.) The next croak was at
the time of the Reform Bill. We were then told that,
whereas any man could see in the year it passed 300
equipages in
Hyde-park, they would be diminished in
the proportion of 100 to 10 after it became law. Well,
we had seen ten years of it, and no one could say that
there were fewer carriages in Hyde-park. The last
croak was in the present Number, and it afforded the
strongest ground fur believing that the Corn-laws
R
would be speedily abolished. He must say that Sir
Peel had -shown himself a greater man than
he thought he was. It was impossible but that lie
must be convinced of the destructive working of the
Corn-laws, and only waited for the fiat of the people
to pronounce their destruction.
The meeting was subsequently addressed by Mr.
Taylor, and several others ; but want of space pre-
cludes us from giving their speeches.

THE LATE COLLISION Orr Hasmas.—A short
time since her Majesty's steamer the Rhadainanthus
ran down the trawl boat Ellen, off Hastings, when
drowned. i
i
"he other tsvo were picked up by the
ulif°4ll"telY 000 the ii§bOrioolnanied Apps Wt
steamer and carried into Portsmouth, The Board of
-AdMiraity have sent down 100/. to the widow of
Apps: The accident occurred from the dangerous
practice of the fishing boats going to sea without
lights.
Airs' TtlYng PAYIY7 Wid9lY 9.f IT! TlPpies PRyly4
e r
Esq., the celebrated lyrist, and popular dramatic
author, passed through our city this week, with her
rP1117? P!'l her way to Poi.ger .401, Shropshire, from
r esidence in
Ireland.—fah Clovnick. • - h.-