The Sun.
London, England, 1845-11-19 00:00:00

iiltorning 4Ant+

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, NOVEJIBER 19 1845.

Let the corn-law monopolists make up their minds to this
that not one brick of the corn-law robbery fabric will be left
unturned in the coming period of national scarcity. The
lords and gentlemen who protect themselves, must now look
out for no mercy. There hat been hope that the corn-laws were
now to be allowed to die, and that PEEL and WELLINGTON were
to hold their pall—but this hope has been dashed away. Mo-
nopoly still holds out, and the besieging army has no alter-
native but to renew its attack with increased vigour. We
see that the League has lost no time in announcing new ar-
rangements for more extensive operations. Its last year's
registration work has gained four counties ; it now aspires to
gain more than a dozen more, and what the League says it
will do, will be done. The monopolists know that eow•
Bristol, Sheffield, Leeds, all the chief manufacturing towns
.of Yorkshire, are to hold public meetings. Let Sir ROBERT,
if he has been disheartened by his Cabinet defeat, still have
hope. The people of England will beat the Duke, who has
beaten him. The Duke's victory in the Cabinet will be, like
his famous declaration against all Parliamentary Reform,
the sure and speedy instrument of his defeat.
With the failure of the potato crop, and deficient harvest,
which now threatens high prices and starvation during the
coming winter, every grain of food wasted or destroyed by
the self-protecting clasees becomes important; and the corn-
destroying tendencies of the game-laws will be viewed much
more seriously next year than they were the last. The
game lords— those who stifled Mr. BRIGHT'S report last year—
have not then been so wise in their generation. We have
been led to this subject by a letter in the Times, written by
Captain FORBES, who describes himself a Deputy-Lieuten-
ant and Magistrate for Berkshire, and whose letter does him
infinite honour. When famine impends, the case which Cap-
tain Forums states, speaks for itself:—
" I am a freeholder living in the neighbourhood of a
mighty Nimrod's game preserves. the effects of which this
year (nearly a repetition of last and others preceding) are,
that I have been obliged to plough up and entirely re-cultivate
twenty-six acres, originally planted with wheat, and five
with beans. and to dibble in beans in other land where the
wheat was destroyed, which also, together with the rest of
my crops, were ruinously damaged.
."
This is a year of scarcity. My land being in the highest
state of farming would yield, in ordinary seasons, a load of
wheat to the acre. Now, at the average of one quarter, or
eight bushels per man ( which I believe fair) in this year of
scarcity, the bread of so many human beings is destroyed on one
Jw.m, not to mention other produce, and this sole y for the
.o.4nusement of the leisure hours of a powerful neighbour.
I think you will agree with me that, with onr increasing
peTalation, and the severe competition farmers are exposed t 9
in the markets, it is high time to expunge the game-laws from
the sta.4ute-book."
As for !be farmers being exposed to competition, what
cares the gameelord for that, except as it will diminish the
rent which he re,"eives; and if he will not consent to a dimie
nution of rent for any other reason, will he not for the gratis
ticstion of his own pleasures? He protects the farmer, not
for the farmer's sake, Nit his own, and will protect him
against every one but himself and his own pleasures. There
seen he a duty on poultry from France or Belgium to protect
the Briti:h farmer, but the fanner may do the best he can
egsti est the competition of his landlord's game at the pout-
te,,,e; Never was Khislinese so complete as that of the
corn • Lev-upholding game-protecting English squire. For
the pretectioe of the English landlord, the supply of food to
the people of England is narrowed, and the English landlord
narrows the supply of food still further for his own amuse-
ment. With a free supply of corn—with the ports open—
the game-laws might be let alone. As it is, with famine im-
pending, all the game prosecutions and all the scurrilous
letters of all the GRANTLEY BERKELB ICS in tke kingdom
cannot save them.
-

The position of the French in Africa, and the means for
extricating them from countless difficulties, will form the
most prominent topics of discussion in the ensuing session of
the Chambers. Year after year their affairs have become more
and more complicated, and while for a moment they had the
prcspect of utterly subduing the indefatigable and enterprising
-chief who has so long opposed them, some accident, some out-
break, or skilful military movement, on his part, disappointed
their hopes, and they were again reduced to the mortifying con-
dition of fighting for their very existence. Latterly affairs
have assumed a more serious aspect than airy yet exhibited.
The spirit of the natives, and their enthusiasm, called by the