The Sun.
London, England, 1842-02-15 00:00:00

THE SUN,- LONDON, TUESDAY AIORNING, FEBRUARY 15, 1842.

ping of this country, for instance, and handed over to foreign
merchants. A statement hail been made showing the enormous
sums of money necessarily spent in the pureetse of corn, in
dear or scarce years, in comparison with plbntiful seasons; in
a pamphlet of Alr. which was quoted by the Bight
Hon. Gentleman (Sir R. Peel), it was stated, that at least
fifteen Millinns of money more were paid for corn in years of
seareity,• than the sum paid for it in seasons of ',key: A
similar statement was made by arr. Whin-twee sled others, who
had written upon the subject of tint commercial interests of
this country, with reference to 'the interdiction of foreign corn;
it might be shown that fifteen millions a year was the greatest sum
put for :ern in seasons of scarcity. .11e( Mr. Wood) believed,for he
heel made a calculation upon the subject, that: it amounted to
thirty millions a year very frequently.—( Hear, hear.) 'Would
ton that enormous additional price of corn put it entirely out of
the power of a great many eersons to consume the same quan-
tity of it in scarce seasons as in those of abundance? 'I hat pretty
cleverly represented the sacrifice which this country was
obliged to make in consequence of the high price of corn.—
( Hear, hear.) If the price of corn was necessarily increased
to the extent of thirty millions in one year, taking the average
amount of -wages earned by families in this country, and de-
ducting from it the increased price of corn, what would he left
for the -purchase of the other necessaries cf life?
(Mr. Wood then went into a detail of the 'comearative sums
expended for the purchase of coin in seasons of scarcity, and
other necessaries of life.) The price of corn had Leen increasing
materially while wages were gradually diminishing throughout
the manufacturing districts of England. He (Mr. Wood)
more particularly alluded to Halifax and °thee places with
which he was connected. He alluded to places whereethough
distress was great and very general, the misery or destitution
of the people was not so appalling as in other parts of the coun-
try, yet wages had to his own knowledge fallen in those
places more than one-fourth within the last few years; there-
fore if the price of corn, which was to essential an artie.e of
food had been so much increased, how could it be wondered at
that distress had also been very general, and very considerable
augmented?—(Hear, hear.) he number of those depending
upon agriculture was, as the Hight Hon. Gentleman ( sir It.
Peel) said, a small proportion of the whole of those who de-
pended upon manufactures. There might be advantages attend-
ing the various propositions made, but upen the whole, he (Mr.
Amid) was of opinion that, in times of peace, a e eat duty was
the only mode by which a steady priceli could he obtained.
—(Hear, hear.) He believed that a s ding scale prevented
any trade being carried on between this and other countries.
It was his firm conviction, under all circumstances, that a mo-
derate fixed ditty might be sustained, and that the objections
which the Right hon. Gentleman urged to a fixed duty
could not be maintained. Under all the circumstances he was
clearly of opinion that a fixed duty upon the introduction of
foreign corn would be a positive advantage to the country at
large.—( Hear, hear.)
Mr. LIDDELL thought that the Fight Hon. Gentleman
the Member for Halifax had commenced his speech in a tone
of unwarrantable triumph, imagining that the Right Hon. Gen-
tleman the Vice-President of the Board of Trade had
been entrapped in his able address into an ad-
mission that the proposition of the Government
Has not likely to be acceptable to either party. As tar as his
(Mr. Liddeli's) experience went he though he might dispel
those illusions of toe Right Hon. Gentleman, because he be-
lieved that the measure of the Government would be acceptable
not only to the agricultural interest, but likewise highly gra-
tifying to a large portion of the manufacturing and eominer-
nterests.—(Cries of " Oh, oh," and ironical cheers from
t.posite side of the douse.) He would assert again that
heved it would be acceptable to a large portion of the
sfacturing and commercial interest who sanction th mea-
sure as a decided improvement in the present law.—( Hear,
hear. ) If the assertions that had been made that the manu-
facturing, commercial, and agricultural interests woos inti-
mately interwoven, and that no measure relating toonebut must
affect the other, he coed not see why the measures should
not be beneficial as well to the manufacturing as the agricul-
tural interests. For his own part, he believed that this mea-
sure would be a signal improvement in the present law.
mid one that was liteiy to confer great benefits on the country
at large. The Right Hon. Gentleman then went on to argue
upon the absurdity of the proposition of keeping this country
dependent on foreign countries for a supply of coin ; where he
would ask, did the Right Hon. Gentleman find that proposition
stated on that side of the House. He (Mr. Liddell) thought
that he made giants first, then he knocked them down; on that
side of the House, such a notion had been repudiated. What
they maintained was this, and in support of that they might
revert to past experience that this country, with a fair harvest,
could very nearly, if not entirely, supply the wants of its
own population ; that argument had been maintained, and was
to be justified by reference to facts ; but when the period came
that the rise of prices indicated a deficiency of supply, then
the value of the sliding scale was proved. They had never
yet failed in such instances of obtaining from foreign countries
a supply adequate to the wants of the country. The Right
Hon. Gentleman then went on to argue against the present
Corn-law, in ,consequence of its causing fluctuation in the
price of grain. He (Mr. Liddell) had heard the same argu-
ments advanced before the fame's of Northumberland by a
Noble Lord whose follower the Right Hon. Member for Hali-
fax was.—( Laughter.) That Noble Lord in vain appealed to
the farmers in Northumberland. In that respect those argu-
ments were not successful. He (Air. Liddell) greatly re-
gretted the absence of that Noble Lord, and, recollecting the
cause of that absence, he would abstain tram saying anything
further ; but he could not help referring to the arguments of the
Right Hon. Gent. opposite. The fluctuations of price to which
he had adverted had not occurred by the competition. of foreign
supply. As the subject of the Corn-laws excited at the present
tune universal attention, he had looked with very great inte-
rest to the arguments made use of on both sides of the House.
He had also attended to the speech of the Noble Lord opposite,
in which he found recommendations, that when changes; were
to be made they should take place upon sound principles. Now,
he asked himself what were those 'Soiled principles—were they
those of the Noble Lord, for which he Lad fought, bled, and
fallen?—(Cheers)—or were they those of the Right Hon.
Baronet, which he (Mr. Liddell) trusted would be cart ied into
effect? The Noble Lord, before he proceeded to the
consideration of this question, thought proper to
put forth certain principles on which all changes ought to take
place ; and he stated that one great object was conciliation of
opponents. He felt that this measure had hot been brought
forward before it was well considered ;. it had been judiciously
arranged, and deserved and was entitled to the consideration of
the House. He could not admit thct safety of the principle
put forth by the Noble Lord, that in making
any change, conciliation should be the great object in view.
Now he (Mr. Liddell) remembered when the question of
Catholic Emancipation was conceded, and it was coucedid in
the best spirit ; he remembered when that concession took
place, that conciliation lasted but a short time.—( Hear,
hear.) He remembered also, when the Noble Lord opposite
introduced his great measure of Parliamentary reform, when
some people thought he was going too far, the answer was con-
stantly the people would not be satisfied with less.—( Hear,
hear.) Now they had all seen how little satisfied some men
of extreme opinions were even with that measure, and the No-
ble Lord opposite might depend upon it that precisely she same
conssquences would follow if, unhappily for the country, he were
to succeed in carrying his proposition of a fixed duty of tis.
It bad been admitted by all free traders that all
duties on the necessaries of life were unsupportable and
intolerable • what, therefore, was to be expected from such
men, why that if they agreed one day to a fixed duty` hey
would the next try to get rid of it.-- ( Hear, hear.) at
then was the duty of the Government in effecting chagges?
In his opinion the duty of the Government was the adoption
precisely of that line which the Right Hon. Baronet, at the
heath of her Majesty's Government had adopted ; namely t , hat
of carefully considering the details of the measure, and after
such consideration fairly to lay the results before the country
as the deliberate opinion of the Government. lie felt con-
vinced that the same arguments that had induced him to come
to the pinion he had formed, would not faii to recommend the'
measure of the Right .Hon. Baronet to the House and the
country.—(Hear, hear.) Those who brought forward mea-
sures tor popular conciliation would find themselves as the
N o b
of
fotrhde had
Nobledone,
Lord,
n n disappointedh ea f i n
of thea fi rxeesdu lt.
duty, Ina a
htdh ei
n eargu-
mentsmt-
d thrownl con-
demnation i
in
nn
the
ethe a
ys sliding nfeer
free-trade
wherehy thespokehe
sliding. ot
scale,
it impedimentsap -
peared to .him, that he was at guing on behalf
of the merchant, who had entered into speculations ;
his sole attention seemed to be directed to the chance of the
success of the mei chant who had entered into the foreign
trade, It was surely to be considered that the result of corn -
mercial enterprise was of advantage to the country, but the
merchant traded for his own exclusive interest, not for the in-
terest of the public. The Noble Lord brought his proposition
before the House, and the country had rejected it at the last
election. For his owe part, he did not think that at the time
the Noble Lord brought forward his proposition he had any
very sanguine hopes of carrying it in that House. The two
questions fairly before the consideration of Pailtament were,
sttm
telert- tltioe
an-
swerhe-wnth,fiettheet.rtthbee
cent
trdingy sactallea
rogre
?a fi xneed
wouldd ut
me that a Corn-law
League. He had, however, a right to assume the propositions put. forward by the Anti-Corn.!aw
ywansottfloa
of some sort was for the benefit of the country, and he
concurred with the Right Honourable Baronet in thinking
that the sliding scale was better than the fixed duty.
The sliding scale conferred these two great advantages—on
the one hand it secured to the home grower the command of
the market, so long as he could supply it at a reasonable price ;
and, on the other hand, it gave an opportunity to the foreign
grower, when corn was so high here as to threaten a deficiency
of supply. Ile thought that it had beets long ascertained that
the sliding scale was superior to a fixed duty, and the opinions
of Canning and Iluskision were so cistinctly in favour of the
sliding scale, that he was surprised to see a large peaty in fa-
vour of a fixed duty. He believed that the measure which
her Majesty's Government had brought forward, was calculated
to realise the hopes entertained respecting it; and he had so
many reasons for believing so, as altogether tojustify him in the
support which he should give to the measure—that it was a de-
cided improvement on the present system, and removed many
evils which he had not been blind to —(Cheer..) He firmly
believed, and if any party in which he placed confidenc,
had brought the present measure forward within the last
ten years, he should willingly have supported it.—( Hear,
hear.) Now with regard to the question of averages,
and the frauds committed and said to have been committed by'
fictitious means and undue returns. He believed a good deal
of that sort of trickery had taken place ; he had made certain
inquiries in the market of I\ ewcastle, and had at times heard
large ,ales had been fraudulently made, but on wi,hing for
for further inforination there was so much reserve as to
giving authority that he (Mr. Liddell) was not able to lay
before the House any certain facts, but it was quite notorious
that great frauds had taken place in taking the averages. He
thought the provisions introduced into the proposed plan, if not
entirely sufficient, would be adequate to prevent frauds.—
( Hear, hear.) The widening the range of those towns in
which the averages should be taken would induce individuals
no longer to combine, but to make honest and honourable
returns. His Right Hon. Friend, the Vice-President of the
Board of Trade,, went into many of the objections made to the
present law in so masterly a style, that he (Mr. Liddell) would
not go over the same ground, particularly as to the derange-
ments produced in the country. It appeared to him (ilir.
Liddell) that there was one point in which this de-
rangement in the country might be contemplated, it was the
export of hullicn in exchange for supplite of foreign corn.
tohfe
The insufficiency of the harvest in this country required a
great supply of foreign corn, and which must be paid for in
triagdhet
showed,
hHnonne. d Gentleman,
whatever the
was
the Vice-Presidentsta te e f
the
Corn-laws,
ofa th
supposing a deficiency in the harvest took place,
the derangement of the currency mutt take place. It was net
fair, therefore, to lay on the fixed duty, or on the sliding scale,
the deficiencieszi the currency, which were, in fact, owing to
dthee deficiency
al i
more money there rani
the harvest. But they had heard a great
four successive seasons might
ten
nut
uhnetsroy
much
n eti undoubtedlydistress;
ifb
ut
.
thereth e
tw.,aetri et
of money must be lard to the deficient supply, the result of
of
there must be ebbs
plenty again of scarcity ; and should a season
for it was certain taha
be dissipated. occur, there cloud on their horizon might
antdfath.haatteivterwabsraimnephossoibfletrtaodedeinnyctolnilt.t
com-
merce
capurosemdiseGdy flows in all pensions of our trade ;
into it so much, that th.
r
ever-production, over-production produced an
r te es sremuneration,eeti
became capital
lowered; flowedgreat
over-glutted market, and slackness of trade followed, which
could only be assimulated to the ebbs and flows of the tide.--
(Hear, hear. ) Let them hope that before long the current
would change—that by treating
be brought forth and matured these impoetant subjects with
the calmness and the deliberation clue to them, a measure might
'e
thevie acountry, zest protect the agricultural, at
of
ga
had
dhbieeh eammiogshtt invigorateshaken the
.
weakened resources
to the manufacturing interests,
anthedsraemsteorteimetht it
confidence
a where
it,

eia-1 ici
the el
he be
M all 11

Dr. BOWRIN i said he hoped he might be allowed to i
say a few words, es the Right Honourable Baronet opposite, in
bringing forward his Corn-law scheme, had thought fit to
make use of some statements of his (Dr. Bowring's).
He could not agree, however, with the deductions drawn by
the Right Horn Baronet from those documents of which he
made Use, for though it should have proved that the people of
this country were in a better condition than those of a foreign
land, he (Dr. Bowring) did not see why the people of Eng-
land should continue in a state of wretched destitution ; for
after all, this and every law should be subject to one great
test, should be constituted so as to produce happiness to the
multitude—(Hear, ar)—and if he could prove that this
law was pernicious to many, he thought he had
made out a great cause for a change.—( Hear, hear. )
But the Right Hon. Baronet omitted to quote many portions
of the Report which he had done him (Dr. Bowring) the ho-
nour to refer to. He (the Right Hon. Baronet) did not say that
there was a great improvement latterly in the condition of the
people of Prussia; and while the people here daily got worse
and worse, and became more unfortunate, the situation of the
eople if Prussia was every day getting better. The Right
Hon. Baronet found a passage in which he gave some account,
furnished no doubt by the Prussian Government, of the con-
sumption in Prussia of various articles of food, but there was
an enormous difference in the consumption of different places,
as there was here in the consumption of different chisse,.
The average consumption of this country was greater than the
consumption on the Continent, but that of the working classes
here was less than elsewhere. The consumption of sugar and
other articles hat doubled on the Continent since 1832 ; and
in many other articles there was a constant increase of con-
sumption in Prussia. The consumption of spirits was twice or
three times as great in Prussia as it was in England, and the
consumption of vegetables was very much greater. .There was
also much more.money spent in Prussia than in this country in
hooks, and for purposes of instruction. 'I hroughout Prussia,
he was bound to say, that the working classes seemed most
willing to lay aside portions of their arnings for their mental
improvement. The stock-framers of Saxony, he had rea-
sen to know, from a communication he had received,
were a frugal and thrifty people, who were in general the
owners of the houses in which they lived. Ard he believed
that there were very few of the most industrious artisans in
this country of whom the same thing could be said. The
returns from different parts of the country were very varfing
as to the amount of corn .consumed. In London the con-
sumption of animal food wses stated to be 107 lbs. per head,
and Lord Ashburton placed the average comsumption at more
than one 100 lbs., while he (Dr. Bowring) placed the average,
if the entire country at no more than 50Ios. An Hon. IZart.
who had long been a member of that house, and who had
taken a great deal of pains to a-certain the consumption of
animal food in Cornwall, estimated it at 45 lbs. per head.
But in many of our workhouses the consumption was
greater than that. In the Hulks the consumption
of animal food was 3lbs. Buz. per week ; and in one of our colo-
nies, Hobart 'fown, servants were allowed 101bs. 3oz. per
week. • Taking the whole population of this country to be
£6,000,000, and the average consumption to be tabs. per annum,
4,000,000 might be supposed to be consumed by the opulent
and middle classes, thus leaving only 8,000,0001b5. for the
22,000,000 of the working class, or 241bs. per head, which was
undoubtedly less than the average consumption in the other
states of Europe. It appeared from documents he had received
from the French Government that the average consumption in
hat country amounted to 20 killogrames, or 441bs. English,
while, in the city of Paris, the average consumption
amounted to 46 k.ll,grames, or 102Ibs. English. He had
reason to believe, from returns he had received from Belgium,
that the average consumption in that country amounted to
961b5., which was nearly double what he had ventured to state
as the average consumption here. In Belgium the army was
allowed 14 killogrames per wick, or 2001 ts. per year ; and the
navy, 2 killogrames per week, or 2281b5. per year. In voting
for the motion of the Noble Lord, he should be very much
grieved if it were supposed that he concurred in any argument
tavourable to a fixed duty upon corn.—(Hear, hear, hear.)
He believed that the time was when the fixed duty Which the
Noble Lord had proposed would have been welcurned by the
public, who, he believed now repudiated it ; and he thought
.he Hon. Member who had just spoken was pea: silly right in
the lesson he had given the Noble Lord in respect to finality.
He believed that no settlement but a total repeal of the duty
upon fund—(Lout cries cf Hear, hear, from the Ministerial
benches )—Would satisfy public opinion, or ensure the public
tranquillity. 'Some reference had been made to the effect of
of the sliding scale Olson our relations with foreign countries ;
and. the Right Hon. the Vice-President of the Board of Trade
Awed that the United States were adjacent, and that the
Corn-laws did not operate.on our relations with that copntry in
an unfriendly or pernicious way. But that could not certainly
he said in relation to more distant parts, such as Efsypt or
Odessa. He held in his hand a letter from a merchanten Leg-
horn, which stated that speculations in corn w ith England were
so desperate or uncertain; that though wheat were 90$. 'h quarter
here, no prudent man would venture to embark corn for Brigland.
Some cargoes had lately been embarked f om Egypt;eVut the
speculation proved most disastrous to the adventurers.;; Egypt
might, however, be made the granary of the world if her trade
were properly encouraged. It appeared to him that the new
measure of the Right Hon. Baronet would be in effect mole
stringent and despotic than the present ; and although
there were frauds under the existing ays em, these' frauds
were in reality for the benefit of the consumer.—(Hear.)
Combination was easy; those who made the returns were not
under any very heavy responsibility, and public sympathy was
whh them.--(Hear, hear.) Now, the returns were intended
to he accurate ; the duty uf making them was entrusted to a
branch of the executive which was lei ked upon with dislike,
and which would perform the duty in a most stringent' man-
ner. The addition of 150 towns must also tend to lower the
averages, and by so doing to increase the duty. ' 'fife only
question the public asked was on what condition could they
rece ve corn at a low duty ; and be would affirm, that under
the prosiosed system, they could no; actually get corn imported
at so low a rate of duty as they would under the ex'istiln, s3s-
tern. Under the present law corn was actually adniittetr when
the real price was from 655. to 665.: but under the proposed
plan it could not be admitted at the low duty until the price
ineLactually reached 73e. He would refer to the documents
before their House to show the amount of corn returned, from
which the averages had been calculated, in order to show hoe
small was the quantity returned from which the duty was calcula-
ted. In 1836, the year in which the largest quantity had been re-
' turned for the calculation of the averages, the amount returned
was only 4,333,000 quarters, and in the year 1829, in
which the least quantity had been returned, it amounted to
2,500,000 quarters. The average annual quatity by which
the amount of duty was regulated, did not exceed three and a
half million quarters. Under these circumstances he felt but
little anxiety respecting the amendment of the_ Honourable
Member for Linconlnshire, and as far as he ( Dr.. Bowring)
was concerned, and there were many who thought
ith him, the Right Honourable Baronet might make
the Hon. Gentleman a present of the difference between the
20s. and the 255. The Right Hon. Baronet had stated that
that he thought 565. about the pivot price, hut he was of
opinion that from 54a. to 585., would be a proper remunera-
tion to the agriculturist. Now if that was the case. what
legitimate grounds could there be for making the price per-
manently 735. ?—( Hear, hear.) ( The lion. Member here
referred to some documents which he held in his hand, when
some Hon. Member on the Ministerial side called out in a
feigned voice, " aye, read," for which the Speaker
called the Honourable Member to order. This interruption
created some laughter on the Ministerial side of the House,
but was met by indignant cheers from the Opposition.) He
understood certainly, that in addressing the trolse, Members
had a right to refer to documents.—(Cheess.) He was aware
that the House was disinclined to listen to statistical details, but in
treating of such a subject a reference to them was absolutely
necessary. Mr. Meek bad estimated that the whole of the
corn which could be exported from the corn-growing countries
of Europe to England would only amount to two and a halt
million quarters of wheat; and his (Dr. Bowring's) opinion
was, that the whole world would scarcely furnish more
than double the quantity, and his perfect persuasion was, that
if trade was prosperous, and a free trade in corn permitted,
the whole of the additional quantity would be consumed, and
no less a quantity produced at home. Looking to the dimi-
nished importations of the different corn-growing countries of
Europe, and to the increase in our population, he feared rather
that the time was not far distant when they might find it diffi-
cult to produce food for the people, than that we should •be
deluged with an over-supply. lti many places there was a
growing indisposition to export corn. Many countries
had endeavoured to procure the partial opening of
our ports to their cora, offering in return to receive
our manufactures. They had been met with ,a refusal,
not from any unwillsngness on the part of her Majesty's
late Government to promote the trade of the country, but be-
cause they knew that such improvement could only be ob-
tained
t heh
enbeyti
benefit
of
asking thertihge eouangtrt iy, eualnt ud that
a iltai interests tteirmess
those sacrifices
to make stahceriafiuee
tural interest was not willing to make. With regard to the United
might States, British manufacturers
supply the greater portion
at.e would have
mountainsavew furnished ere beco m
a ir,
of the United States. But he stated, on the auttn rity of an
riscu forl-
American gentleman, that the emigrants beyond the Alhe-
gn.y
sboundlessmanufacturers.'fieldfor t
heThiemUponrittaed
Mates
g
tion of our manufactures, if we would have consented to an in-
terchange of commodities ; but by our Corn-laws we had forced
them to become our manufacturing rivals instead of our cus-.
tomers. At the present moment the cotton manufacture of the
United States was one-fourth in extent compared with
that of Great Britain. Emigration • was reducing the
value of labour there, by adding to the population,
and the consequence was that, instead of increasing our com-
merce, we had forced those people to become our rivals, and
they were now driving us out of the markets. The Right ion.
Baronet would
excuse him for reading a passage frorl one of the
reports which the Right Hon. Gentleman had done him the
honour to quote for the purpose of showing the operation of the
English Corn-laws on the agricultural interests of foreign
states.—(The Hon. Gentleman here read an extract from one
of his reports, for the purpose of showing all the
fluctuations in the English Corn market were fclt
with increased effect in the foreign Corn market,
producing a depreciation of price in the early part of the sea-
-1 son, when the small cultivator was forced to bring his produce
to the market, while it added immensely both to the price ob-
tained by the wealthy proprietor or the speculative merchant,
who could afford to wait to take advantage of the inordinate
profits of an uncertain demand. That the English Corn-law also
deranged the whole monetary system of Europe in consequence
of the sudden:manner in which it interfered with the exchanges. )
If they look to the history of past times they would find that
the increase of our rnanutactures had increased immensely the
value of land and the amount of rent. From 1697 to 1786
England was a corn exporting country. Then came a transi-
tion in which manufactures began to be introduced. In 1817
the importation had began, and had continued Yarling from
its lowest annual amount, 424,000 quarters in the year 1823
to its highest annual amount of 3,100,000 quarters in 1839,
making an average annual importation of '2,500,000 quarters.
At the period when corn was exported from this country, the
cost must have been on the average at least 6s. a quarter in this
country more than in the places to which it was exported. Now,
no one would eitimate the difference since, atless than 6s. h.gher
in this country than in those of the continent, which showed
an advantage in favour of the corn growers here, of 12s. a
qua:ter at the least—(Hear, hear). No one would estimate
the quantity of corn grown yearly at less than 45,000,000
quarters. '1 his increased the value of the. rental by 27,000,0001.
which gave to the owners of the fee simple, a gain of
810,000,000/., in the thirty years. But the land-
lord talked of the burdens the land had to
bear, as a reason of covering it with a protection which
was possessed no where else. He hoped that the House would
have returns to illustrate that part of the question before the
conclusion of the debate. In Belgium the budget last year was
3,500,0601., of which the land paid 1,363,0001., which is nearly
as much as the whole amount of the land tax in this eountry.—
( Hear.) In Prussia the direct taxes amounted to 6,700,0001.,
of which the land contributed directly (as was understood)
nearly 4,000,0001. In Austria the t axes amount ed t o 16,000,0001.,
of which 8,000,0001., fell upon the land. In France there were
40,000,0001., and the hates upon land amounted to 14,000,0001.
—an impost so heavy that it was_ divided into twelve
collections, and was received by collectors Every month.
Now, in this country, the land-tax was not one-fortieth part of
the revenue.—( Hear, hear.) He hoped that in this debate
they would receive some information as to how the landlords
had managed this, while the burdens of the people went on in-
creasing in the meantime in an enormous progression.—( Hear,
hear.) Take the rental of sixty parishes in the poorest part
Scotland, which was, in 1660, no more than 17,8381. From
1791 to 1796, it was augmented to 227,8241. In the years
1832 and 1341, it had risen to 744,273/. —( Hear, hear.) But
in all that time, from 1660 to the present period, the land-tax
had remained the same, vastly as the burdens of the people
had been augmented in the meanwhile.—(Hear, hear, and
' some laughter from the Tory benches,) He thought

that this was a state of things which could
not long be tolerated.=(" Hear, hear," and laughter on the
Tory lido.) It was vain to suppose that this question would
be disposed of out of doors as easily as it was in that House.—
(Cheers.) The feeling of the people was growing terrible.—
(Ironical cheers and laughter.) It was not for them (the
Opposition) to menace though they might foretel ; and he
would say that the prospect was full of darkness and dan-
ger,' and there could be no solution of this question but that
the bread of the people should not be taxed.—( Loud cheering
from the Opposition )
Mr. FER RAND then rose amidst loud cries of " Adjourn."
He had been requested by the working classes of the north
of England to stand up and defend them from their
oppressors.—(Tory Cheers and laughter from the Opposition.)
He hoped he would receive a patient hearing from the House,
for which he and the working classes would be truly grateful.
From his youth he had lived amongst the working classes, and
the, first public act of his life was to stead up and defend them
from the allegations of their oppressors. He had their autho-
rity to say that the allegations of the petitioners from the Anti-
Corn-law League were false, and that the sienatures to them
were obtained by fraud and oppression. The manufacturers
belonging to the League exacted the signatures of their work-
people, with a tyranny that. was an outrage upon the
liberty •of the subject..—(Tory cheers.) Before he
oroceeded ' to prove that, he wished to advert to
What had been said by the Noble Lord the Member for Lon-
don. The Noble Lord said that this was a question for the
country, and not for the Legislature to decide. Well, the Noble
Lord appealed to the country, and there he had its answer.—
eb y
a majority
, uponi()ri
tyof the snliindei nig n scale.the (Great cheering on the Tory side.) The Noble Lord ap-
pealed to the c itietry on the fixed duty, and the Right Hon.
Baronet
Noble
Lord (fir
waslt.
backedPel)
appealed
London—some said of nine dead men.—( Great laughter and
ele crb.g.) The Right Hon. Baronet was backed by a majo-
rity of 91 living representatives in that House. But the Noble
Cit Tyh ofe
Lord, boiling with rage at his ignominious defeat, declared
that the majority on that (the Tory) side had been obtained by
titty false eretenees. But in the \Vest Riding of Yorkshire,
Lord Morpcth, in the presence of his Hon. Friends below
him (Mr. S. Wortley and Mr. Beckett), who were now the
Member; for the West Riding and for Leeds, raid there could
be no mistake as to the question at issue—it was whether the
country would have a moderate fixed duty or the present Corn-
laws. There was no mistake then in the decision of the West
Riding.— (Cheers. ) But Mr. Baines, of the Leeds Mercury
—( A laugh)—had said that there could be no mistake about
the West Riding—that there the sentiments of the manufactur-•
mg classes would be expressed—( Great laughter and cheering
on the Ministerial side) —and they, the manufacturers, declared
is favour of the present Corn-laws.—( Renewed cheers.) When
the Anti-Corn-law League was agitating the country, they
published most. infamousplacards in every district, denouncing the
landlords as " base, brutalZand bloody' _se( Cheers)—and they
were now raising the money to pay for their agitation, by ex-
posing their wives and daughters in Manchester to the insults
of any hall-drunken rascals that chose to pay a shilling for the
the amusemeet.—(Great laughter.) What was the compari-
son Letween their gains and those of the landlords? Why,
there was the firm of Messrs. Marshall of Leeds, who
hart made, in the coarse of a very few years, two millions of
money, and had become landed proprietors. 'fire Hon. Member
then read an advertisement from the proprietor of a large
and well watered estate in Belgium, inviting English
manufacturers to join him in establidilog factories upon it.
The advertisement stated that about 700 operatives could be
had from the surrounding villages, and that in making a mill of
10,000 or 12,000 spindles a saving of 2,000/. a year would be
effected; and farther, the Belgian flax-mills were protected by
a duty of 10 percent., that farther duties were expected, and
that, elm,• all, wages were much lower than in England. This
was a specimen of the real feeling of the Anti-Corn-law ma-
nufacturers of the north. Yet the Hon. Member for Manches-
ter stood as high in credit as ever. 'lhe Hon. Member for Sal-
ford, having amassed an enormous fortune by the manufacturing
business, had now retired, determined to devote the remainder
of his I fe to a removal of its evils.—(Hear, hear, and laughter. )
The Hon. Member for Stockport had amassed a million by ma-
nufactures, and while he complained last year that Lancashire
was ruined, he was running nis mills day and night.---(Hear.
Indeed, he carried the principles of free trade so far that he
might be called a freebooter—(Hear, hear)—fat he had got
70,0001. out of the public money. As a farther specimen of
their feeling, he (Mr. F.) would dissect an , Anti-Corn law
petition adopted at a meeting in the town of Bingley last ;wa-
rner. The petition was full of the usual phrases about nevi-
gating the earth, and exchanging bobbins for cheese across the
elps.—(Laughrer and cheers.) Of the thirteen persons
signing the petition, the first had erected one of the largest
nulls in the country, and he held another.--(Hear, hear.)
The second had -four cotton-mills, said to produce an income
of 18,0001. a year ; he had an estate in England, was con-
sideret to be worth 25,0001. a year, and was still accumu-
lating wealth. The third was a linendraper a few years since,
but within a few years he purchased a mill, fitted up two more,
and was carrying on a rattling trade.—( Laughter.) The fourth
was an operative paper-maker twelve years ago, but within the
last five years he purchased a large paper-mill, had a pretty
landed estate, and kept his carriage and pair. •1 he fifth had
erected a large mill and had filled it with power-lootns. The
next, from being a grocer, accumulated a nice fortune, educa-
ted his children in first-rate style, and, being a Dissenter, in-
troduced his son to a living-in the Established Church. The
'hers were manufacturers, mill-owners, and rich men, or
were the relatives and dependants of the foregoing. But this
was not all—one of the leaders, while accusing the landlords
of grinding the poor, took a mill himself, and instead of em-
ploying his own poor neighbours, be went to Lancashire, where,
in consequence of the infamous conspiracy between the Poor-
law Commissioners and the Cotton. spinners, for equalising
wages, and reducing the 10 per cent. that had been advanced
to the poor weavers, he picked up a number of poor fami-
lies, who had been reduced to such distress that they were glad
to eat food off their dunghills, and brought them to Bmgley to
amass another fortune out of their sinews, casting off those whom
he hail brought up and educated around him, to stiffer the moat
frightful disiress.—( Hear, hear.) Those oppo.ite him might
wt 1l blush at this disclosure, for it exposed that the secret of the
Manchester Anti-Corn-isw League was to reduce waees—
(Great cheering from the Tory Benches) —to the level of
those on the Continent, to fill their mills with power-mills,
to cast off the working peo,-le to wander seeking for work in
miserable distress.—(hear, bear. ) The • Anti-Corn-Law
League said that many manufacturers hail become- insolvent
through the Corn-laws; the fact was that these men were
never insolvent in their lives.--(Great cheering:) He would
dieet ibe the manufacturers of the present day—.they were the
remnant of that high-minded class of men who raised the com-
merce and trade of this country to the highest respectability,
who walked through the market-.streets with honesty in their
countenances, and stood upon Change not fearing to look their
creditors in the face.—( Cries of "Hear," and cheers. )
There were few who dared to follow in their steps. The re-
mainder were men who knew no bounds to their desire of accu-
mulating wealth. There were a set of men who haul been set
up in trade by joint-stock banks, and many of these banks
were litt'e better than societies for the protection of swindling.
—(Laughter and cheers.) They got their names entered on
the joint-stock bank, they then went to the wool-staplers
and offered to purchase. a quantity of wool. They referred the
wool-stapler to their joint-stock banks, and they said, " Oh,
yes, he is a highly respectable man, you need mt be afraid to
trust him." - (Cheers and laughter.) The purchase was then
made, the wool was sent home and immediately converted into
goods, and these goods were in the following wetk sold
for ready money ; the consequence was they
sacri-
fices to a large amount to the merchant, who purchased the
goods. When the time came to pay for the wool, they gave
the manufacturer a two months' bill. Therefore, they had to
pay five months' interest. The consequence wee these men
could go on very prosperously, had to make
goods in the market, but when there came a stagnation in
trade they immediately broke. What a scene there was then
so long as there was a call for
in the Court of Bankruptcy. The manufacturers and trades-
people who had been for years amassing a small amount of
ctpital, found themselves suddenly ruined by the artful
villlany and swindline of this man. This man had scarcely
crossed the threshold of the Bankruptcy Court before he was
started in trade again. He had some friend, who personated
his petitioning creditor, who had a claim to a large ainount, and
if there was a shilling or eighteenpence in the pound the man
came in as the largest creditor, and immediately turned the
syesnte:vmhheeln'etyhe
poor
went to re-
money over to the bankrupt to commence trade again. The
commencement of the Corn-law League took place about three
years ago, and they attempted first only an alteration in the
Corn-laws, but they found very few supporters in the country.
They then looked out for the enemies of the Church, and
told them that if they would join them ;(the League) in ob-
taing the repeal of the Corn-law, then the Established Church
should be attacked—( Cheers)—after this the Hon. and Learned
Member for Cork was invited to a dinner, arid there he de-
clared that the manufacturers were possessed of sufficient wealth
to buy all the landed estates of the nobility of England. He
then asserted that the landlords' bread was softened by the
widow's tears, and their claret dyed with the children's blood.
Be (Mr. Ferrand) would ask what had the farmers to expect
of these cotton lords, if they were able to purchase the landed
estates of England? What was their principle when they
purchased an estate? Why immediately to have it re- valued.lThey
carried the principle of their ledger into their rent roll. The
rents were doublsd, and he (111 r. Ferrand) had known many
families to have been ruined by the oppression of these men.
He remembered an instance where a poor farmer had had his
rental doubled. He struggled on for a few years against this
increase, and then he had to pay the few hundred i ounds he.
had saved to meet his rent ; and when the time came when he
found that his cattle would have to be seized by his landlord,
he died of a broken heart, and it was not long before his wife
followed him.—( Hear, hear.) Their eldest son, by dint
of iadustry, endeavoured to keep the family together, but
the la t time he (Mr. Ferrand) had heard of him, reason
had left her empire o'er his brain, he was the inmate of a
lunatic asalum. But he ( Mr. Ferrand) would ask these cotton
spinners and members of the An, i-Corn-ntw League if they did
not want to increase their profits by increasing the prices of
labour ?—( Loud cheers from the Ministerial Benches-) They
wished to become the cote merchants of the land, they wished
to make granaries of their mills, and to ire their machinery
to grind their corn. —(Laughter. ) But they could not deceive '
the working classes. They had striven to make them believe it,
but their agitators could not do it. They wished the
Navrnishoeudntcao
poor of England to
the labourer
traichlreee clown to
of
having
noutgi:
his
hhi
steerNmuv
lacy
truck system?
wages
snsl
dypsatciedotmhmi the
with their scanty
buy corn. This was a part of their system, but what came
manufacturing districts,
ngHeoaxottdi
goods?
they HTa
This
iesHv
e‘ovrna
heard
eill,aairerdtmeobtfe
tris
the
rfrimedoneyto
out.—
(Cheers from the Ministerial b
manu-
facturers in the north of England. He would produce before
tyranny Oppression - sod
more particularly to the treatment r.ife._the poor by the
that House a system of tyrat ,
plunder dis-
graceful to a civilised country.
facturer
ceive their work from the manu
The wool
they found it
con-
sisted of very inferior articles, dealt out to them
scarcely
that they could , get the comb through it.
v as so poor
that period vt Inch ought
The Saturday came,to be the
sweetest of the week to the working re an —thet period when
his labour, and his
he received the price of
1 they think hire, the reward
of his labour ; from whom diet
but he received it ?—not
from the master of the mil
"a' nd h an
overlooker. That
overlooker examined the work, .
... e found fault with it.
He said " you have done this ss,erk ill, and I must deduct so
'I he poor weaver
much from your wages." only received
• a week, and
about three or four shillings . the wages of the
overlooker were partly rod ofluet. fO. what he deducted
from these poor people.. would now come to
the poor, who had their small amount of wages
paid in goods. Their wages were
ipaid to them in rotten flour
and cheap corn, and when the poornan earried it home to his
wife and family, after in vein inducing
he had his master to give him
money, he found that the flour.taken home the week
be:ore, and given to his faintly, was unfit to he consumed.
It had made the children sick.—( Loud laughter.) He
(Mr. F.) asserted this as a truth ; he had heard it from the
mouths of hundreds of the working classes.—(Loud cheers
from the Ministerial benches.) And thus it was that the work-
ing men had no hope of relief or succour from the Anti- Corn-
law League ;the only chance theylhad of being assisted was by
the landed interest of England rallying round them, and res-
cuing them from tyranny and opp.ression.—(Cheers from the
Ministerial benches, answered by ironical cheers and laughter
from the Opposition.) These were the men for whom the landed
interest of England was to be destroyed—these were the men
'Who trampled the poor under were the men who
were to become the soul of -tEngland—hese were the men who
ruined the character of British merchants on the Continent—
these were the men who lived and moved and had their being
for money alone. Money was the sole motive of their life.
They cared not how they got it, or what cruelty they adopted,
so long as they amassed wealth. They sought to reduce the
price of labour, to raise enormous profits, and declared their
religion to be in their trade. They were, to use the language

of Burke, a set of men who looked at their ledgers, and not to
their Bibles--their country house as their church, ►heir money
as their God. (He ( Mr. Farrand) had heard a great
deal said about the principles of free-trade, and th.t
they were to Axe the country.—( Hear, hear. )
It happened that during the recess the Noble Lord the Member
for the City of London and the Member for. Tiverton were,
something like the poor in the parish of Bingley, wandering up
and down the country in search of employment.—( Cheers and
laughter.) He (Mr. Ferrand) had not a copy of the address
presented to the N,,ble Lord the Member for the City of Lon-
don, all that he remembered of it was, that it asserted that the
principles of free trade were those upon which he was rettirned,
and that his would be a very easy office. He (Mr. Ferra nd)
supposed that during the last few days he had been trying to
prove that in that House.—( Loud cheers and laughter.)
He had tried to find out the principles of free trade from Adam
Smith, M'Culloch, Ricardo, and Huskisson, but itswas reserved
for the Hon. Member for Wolverhampton to dispel the cloud
that hung around these men. The Hon. Members for Bolton
and Stroud had become bright constellations—( Laughter)—
and the Hon. Member for Dumfries was the morning star—
(Great laughter)—and the two Noble Lords were the sun and
moon of the expansive social and divine systeni. . (Laughter.)
The Hon. Member then read extracts from Mr. M'Culloch's
" Principles of Political Economy," from Adam Smith's
" Wealth of Nations," and from Mr. Malthus, to prove
that it was beneficial to secure the home market to the home
producer. He could show that Mr. Huskisson was of opinion
that this country could not thrive under the operation of a
fixe I duty on corn. He would appeal, before he sat down, to
the landed interest, and ask it if they would assist the manu-
facturers to reduce the wages of the working classes. The
labourers nevi r appealed to the landed classes in vain, who
were always ready to steed by them in their necessities.—
( Heat, hear.) The labouring classes looked to them with
confidence, and they felt assured that the Right Hon. Baronet
would assist them , bit., above all, they looked on the landed in-
terests as their best friends.—( Cheers.) .
S.r WILLIAM CLAY (as we understood) moved the ad-
journment of the debate, which was agreed to.
Mr. PEMBERTON moved for leave to bring in a Bill to
enable hi; Royal Highness tho Prince of Wales. to grant
leases, which was agreed to.
1 he other orders of the day were then disposed of, and the
House adjourned at Twenty 'Minutes to One o'Clock.

THE CORN-LAWS.
MEETING AT SOUTHWARK

A public meeting of the electors and inhabitants of the Borough
of Southwark, was yesterday held at the Town hall in the Borough,
for the purpose of aonsidiriug the propriety of petitioning Parlia-
ment against Sir Robert Peel's new Corn law scheme, and of ad.
dressing her ISLjesty on the subject.
The meeting was called by the High Bailiff, in compliance with a
requisition most numerously and respectably signed, which was
presented to him immediately after the details of the Ministerial
measure became known.
The High Bailiff took the Chair at one o'clock.
Among those present we observed Mr. Cooper, Mr. Weston, Mr..
Pske, Mr. Embleton, Mr. Vousely, Mr. J. Q. Harris, M.P., Mr.
ltainstie, Mr. Proven, Mr. Wilson, Mr. Maynard. Mr. Hamilton,
Mr. Riven, Mr. Jeanes, Mr. Hearne, Mr. Taylor, Mr. French, Mr.
Martin, Mr. Soler, Mr. Balls, &e.
The CIIAIRMAN said, that having received a requisition, signed
by upwards of 200 inhabitants of the Borough, he had felt it his
duty to comply with the request ; anu he trusted the meeting would
give every one a fair hearing, and their resolutions could not fail to
produce a great effect in the proper quarter.
Mr. WESTERN rose to move the first resolution. He had de.
clined to attend the last meeting on the subject, because Sir Robert
Peel had stated that it was his intention to take the subject of the
Corn-laws into his most serious consideration, and to endeavour to
devise some measure which should be satisfactory to all classes.
Under these circumstances, he had thought it but fair to Sir Robert
Peel, to abstain from interfering. Most of those who heard him
were aware that he was more in the habit of acting with the party
now in power than with the other party; but he retarded the
present as a most serious, as a most sacred cause.---(Cheers.)
When they saw the constitution of the present 'House of Commons,
they could not but be aware that they were banded together to sup.
port the present system, and that even if the Ministers wished to
introduce any great alterations, it would not be in their power to do
so ; therefore, he had not anticipated any great relief from the
Ministerial measure, but he had thought it his duty, to'wait to hear
what they had to say.—(Careers.) That House had been elected
by a combination of the landowners, with the owners of mortgages,
and he was sorry to say with the clergy.—(Cries of " Shame,
shame ")—who, from old associations, from their desire to
keep up their tithes, had acted in a manner unbecoming
ministers of the Christian :religion.—(Hear, hear.) (Mr.
Alderman Humphery, M.P., here entered the Hall, and
was received with a loud burst of hisses, mingled with a few
cheers. Order laving been partially restored, through the inter-
vention of Mr. Maynard, Mr. Weston proceeded.) Every circum•
stance showed the existence of a combination among the land-
owners on this subject. (Mr. B. Wood, M.P., here entered the
Hall, and was received with loud cheers.) He was aware last sum-
mer that there was a prospect of Blot an indifferent crop of wheat,
but the Agricultural Associations had taken immense pains to cir.
culate reports throughout the country that there was every
prospect of an abundant harvest. They had circulated these
reports for, the purpose of preventing corn being admitted from
abroad, azid they had done so at a time:whets they must have known
the crop to have been any thing but abundant.—(Cheers.) Did
not all these facts go to prove the existence of a confederation of
the landowners?—(Loud cheers.) Was it not most inconsistent
cn the part of the clergy to get up i❑ their pulpits, and offer
prayers for fine weather, and next day give all their energies
to support a law which prohibited their countrymen from
benefiting by the bounty of Almighty God ? Tile crop during
the last season had turned out even worse than the most
gloomy anticipators had expected. If it had not been for the dis.
tress that had prevailed, and still continued to prevail, and also for
the consequence of that distress, the small demand, the price of
corn would have risen enormously high. The fart was, the poor
had been starved, and the price continued moderate. But for that
circumstance corn would have been t is. or '205. per quarter dearer
than at present. Sir It. Peel in introducing his measure, had ad-
mitted the great distress that pervaded the whole country. He
also had admitted that distress was borne with the greatest patience
by the people ; but yet. had he brought in a measure that
would alleviate the prevailing distress? No such thing. He brought
in a measure which would merely secure something to the revenue
and for the benefit of the landed proprietor maintain corn at almost
its usually high price. Sir It. Peel had no right to take
credit for his measure. He had been by no means happy
in the comparison which he had thought proper to institute
between the Prussian -people and the inhabitants of
this icountrY.-a-(Cheers.) Amongst the former there were
but two:classes, the mobility and their serfs. In England there
were four or five different classes, and among many of which lie
would even call tire subordinate classes, he would instance servants,
more meat was eaten than by the not:les of Prussia.—(Hear, hear.)
It was ridiculous. It was a mockery—Cheers)—to seek to de-
ceive the people thus, by arguments of which everybody must see
the fallacy. Mr. Weston was then about to read an article on the
subject from Bell's Life in London, when he was interrupted by
loud ci ies of " Adjourn, adjourn to the Leather-market."
Mr. HLARNE, amidst the greatest uproar and confusion, intimated
to the meeting that it was probable that another meeting would be
held on the subject this evening, but that if they adjourned the
present one now, the petitions to the House of Commons would not
be in time to be presented this evening.—(Cries of " Adjourn," and
much confusion, in the midst of which Mr. Maynard endeavoured
to obtain a hearing, but to no purpose'
Mr. VOUSELEY then advanced, and silence having been, in some
measure, restored, said that the proposition of adjournment would
be a very good one if they had any place to adjourn to.—(Cries of
"To the Leather Market.") As this was Market-day it would be
impossible to adjourn there.—(lncreased confusion.)
Mr. VVes-roat again came forward, and said that the Ministers, in
introducing into her Majesty's Speech a paragraph, recommending
the revision of the Corn-laws, did but offer an insult to the dignity
of her Majesty, who no doubt firmly believed the Ministers had
really intended to legislate for the advantage of the people on
the subject.—(Cheers, and loud cries of " Adjourn, adjourn.")
Mr. Weston then attempted to read the petition, but the tu-
mult and confusion were so much increased it was impossible to
hear a syllable. The persons who occupied the body of the Hall
called on the Chairman, from all directions, to adjourn, and several
voices called on Alderman Humphery to give the meeting the use
of a room in his premises to adjourn to. This suggestion seemed
to meet with general approbation, and elicited loud cheers, mingled
with cries of " Adjourn, adjourn."
Mr. COOPER then presented himself to the meeting ; and,
silence having been partially restored, he stated that Al-
derman Humphery had at once consented to accommo.
date the meeting with the use of part of his premises in
Montague-close.—(This announcement was received with loud and
reiterated cheers.)
Mr. alderman Huumenzer then advanced to the front of the plat.
form and was warmly greeted ; he said he would with great pleasure
give the meeting a room in his premises if they wished to adjourn
there—Loud cheers) —and if they signified their wishes to do so, he
would in five minutes have a platform or stage prepared for their
accommodation.—(Vehement cheeriug.)
Mr. MAYNARD again addressed, the meeting, and urged the pro.
priety of their retiring peaceably and quietly. They should meet
in hundreds and in thousands, :and show their enemies that they
had but one common object in view, and that was that they were
determined to be free.—( Cheers.)
The question of adjournment was then put and carried by accla.
mation, and the meeting adjourned to Montague-clase.
THE ADJOURNED MEETING, •

The adjourned meeting was held in a room of one of Mr. Alder-
man's warehouses, to which the High Bailiff and the other gentle-
men, proceeded in a body. They were joined here by several
hundreds, who could have found no place in the Town Hal. But
the room, though spacious, afforded in other respects but very im-
perfect accommodation, either to the press or to the public; and
we regret to state that our report of the procedings must therefore, be
very imperfect.
Mr. WILLIAM Fawns seconded the adoption pf the petition
to Parliament which had been moved by Mr. Weston, against the
proposed measure.of Sir R. Peel, which the petition denounced as
insufficient and utterly valueless. The Hon. Gentleman proceeded
to say that Sir Reber t Peel himself acknowledged that the
measure would afford no adequate relief for the distress at present
existing in the country. It would satisfy no class—neither the laud.
lt-rds on the one hand, nor the people on the other; and the Ministry
who proposed so heartless and unavailing a measure, shOuld be
driven by an indignant people from the offices which they filled
so unworthily.—(Cheers.)
Mr. RAINSLEY, a Chartist, then addressed the meeting, con.
demning the Corn-laws, but contending that it would he impossib'e
to obtain a repeal of them, till the working-classes were
possessed of the franchise. He pointed out that the
assistance of the working-classes was absolutely neces-
sary to ,the middle classes to enable them to carry their mea-
sures, and contended that the middle class, as a bod, was not
friendly to the labouring part of the population.—(Cries of " Ques-
tion," •" Go on," and great confusion.) Mr. Rainsley farther ad-
dressed the meeting to the same effect, but so great was the confusion
that his observations were unheard except by those on the platform.
He concluded by proposing an addition to theapetition, asserting
the principle of the adoption of the People's Charter.
Mr. PARKER, a Chartist, said that Mr. Rainsley had prepared
an addition to the petition, similar to the one moved on the la,t
occasion. It then received 5,600 signatures from the borough of
Southwark alone. They were now called on to petition the House
of Commons not to pass Peel's Bill on the Corn-laws—that House
which had treated them with so much contempt and contumely.
It was useless to petition them, or to have anything to do with so
bad a lot.—(Cries of " Question.") They would not destroy class
legislation till the Charter was the law of the land. The working
man had as great a stake. in the country, and as great
a right to the franchise as any aristocrat, or landed pro-
prietor or millocrat.—(Cries of " Shut up," and " Question."
Under the present system there was no hope. The people must
have the power of making their own laws. There would be no use
in attempting to bolster up the falling Whigs, who had had power
during the last ten years to repeal the Corn-laws if they had honesty
enough.—(Cries of " Hear, hear," and interruption.) If the
Anti-Corn-law party then were honest, they would join the
working millions of the country, and persevere until they
had) procured a democratic House of Commons, in which
would be soon done away with those laws that pressed upon
the food and industry of the people. Let not the Tories gull you as
the Whigs did.—(Cheers and uproar.) Let the present meeting do its
duty, and give a tone to all the future meetings of the country. Let
the middle classes unite with the working classes, and they would soon
have the elective franchise extended in favour of both, for the
force of public opinion would be irresistible.—(Cheers.) Then they
would have a House in which the people would be fairly repre-
sented, and the operatives would have a fair day's wages for a
—(Cheers.) With these words he supported the
fair day's tem k.
motion. (Cheers.)
I*, BL&CKMORE Warned the operatives against the middle
classes; whO called for their, assistance now because they wanted
"-•-