The Sun.
London, England, 1842-07-20 00:00:00

over the length and breadth of our native land. The
time was come when patience unparalleled, when conti-
nued endurance, .appeared to have exhausted them-
selves, and the last ray of hope had indeed fled.
The two factions which had hitherto ruled the destinies
of their country; had proved themseves alike indifferent
to the sufferings; and insensible to the wrongs of the
people.. Many years ago sagacious men had pointed to
the gathering storm which was rising up from the lower
depths of society. To the middle and upper classes that
storm then appeared to be distant, but it had year by
year risen higher until every class seemed involved in
the common doom of destruction. So long as they could
with safety, the. aristocracy denied the existence of the
distress which was the result of their own selfish legis-
lation ; they now with an hypocritical sympathy,
more insulting than their former bold denial, mocked
the sufferings of the people, by professing admiration
fur the fortitude and patience with which they endured
the very 'wretchedness which they had so recently de-
rided and denied. But though the Government and the
Legislature had admitted the universal distress,
they had taken no steps for its removal. The
people only demanded the free exercise of their in-
dustry, they had not asked for the bread of char4v, they
had preferred no claims which were incompatible with
the rights of other men; they had threatened no inva-
sfon of the property of others, all that they had asked
was security for their own.—(Cheers.) No trickery of
party statesmanship could conceal or falsify the fact that
the people wanted bread, and all they asked was that no
impediments might be thrown in the way of their pro-
curing it. Was it not a most melancholy reflection on
the civilization of the 19th century, that the Legislature
and the Government of the largest the most civilised,
and certainly one of the most densely populated countries
in the world should at that moment be torturing facts and
coining fallacies to show cause why food should not be
brought in to feed a starving people ? Why the very
savages would revolt against such conduct.—(Hear,
hear.) What said the senators of the land ? "No more
food—increase your numbers as you may—no more
food shall be brought into this country. unless the
people pay the price for it which we shall fix by Act of
Parliament." And now, after years of patient forbear-
ance, and trustful expostulation, what was to be done ?
Were they passively to sit down and see the consumma-
tion, the last act of. their awful tragedy ?—(Hear, hear.)
Had they forgotten that, in this country, tyranny had
invariably trembled when the nation had spoken out ?
(Hear, hear.) Were all their old historical associations
shorn of their power to arouse and re-animate, in mo-
dern times, the spirit that nerved, and the het impa-
tience that fired' the patriotism of their forefathers ?
Should they be less energetic, when not the liberties
merel,,, but tht; very lives of the industrious population
were in peril. The aristocracy of this country—such is
that effeminate civilisation which corrupted the habits,
whilst it depraved all the nobles attributes of human na-
ture—had lost every genuine sentiment of humanity or
justice, and in the exercise of power which they were
educated to abuse, knew no law but the suggestions of self
interest, or the dictates of ambition. Thepresent season
had developed the- most awful distress, they proposed
nothing for its removal. They were carrying on war
with two nations, one of which was engaged in asserting
its independence, • and the other had done nothing to
offend us except by endeavouring to suppress an odious
and demoralising traffic. For what purpose are these
wars carried on ? To whet the wanton appetite of the
aristocracy for blood and carnage, and to provide busi-
ness for the scions of noble houses, who dis-
dained all employments but those of legalised assassi-
tion and wholesale plunder.—(Hear, hear.) Tens of
thousands were to be butchered aeroad, and hundreds
of thousands starved at home—for what ? Why, as
Sir Edward Knatchbull had plainly declared, to enable
the aristocracy to maintain their position.—(Hear, hear.)
Taken in connexion with the present awful and lazar-
house aspect of the whole country, the recent legislation
of our rulers seemed to him one of the most hideous in-
sults that tyranny had ever yet stamped on the records of
history.—(Hear, hear.) Was this to endure for ever ?
No ; desperation was • growing up in the minds of the
people. They must wait the current of events ; but,
wait as they would, the current would rush forward, and
unless their legislators interfered to arrest its swelling
progress, they might, rely upon it that not the property
of the middle slasses alone would be swept away, but the
privileges, the supremacy, nay, the very existence of the
aristocracy, would perish.—(Loud cheers.)
Mr. PAIZIER corroborated, with respect to the county
of Essex, what bad been stated by Mr. Paulton. In that
county the labourers during the harvest emigrated from
their homes, and sought work where they could find it.
Years back in that county they could get for the skin,
the fat, and offal of a sheep 205., while. at the present
moment they could not get more than 7s. That was
a reduction of 13s. a single sheep. He mentioned this
to show that the prices of the labour of the Marsh men
were lowered to the lowest possible point. While land
remained at the same price, the wages of labour would
be reduced.—(Cheers.) With regard to the shopkeepers
in London, he was prepared to say that their trade was
exceedingly bad ; they had great difficulty in getting
money, and they did not do at the present moment more
than half what they did some years ago. In Shadwell
the trade was exceedingly bad ; they were scarcely doing
any thing ; and the consumer came to their shops for the
smallest possible amount of the articles they dealt in.
It was, therefore, a great error to suppose that there
was not great distress in the metropolis. Even in the
watch trade, there was the most dep!brable distress. In
Clerkenwell alone, there were thousands out of employ-
ment, and many good workmen were compelled to resort
to the hawking of shrimps or fruit about the streets for a
miserable subsistence.— (Hear, hear.)
.Mr. FINCH, of Liverpool, said he was an iron-mer-
chant, a trade in which, perhaps, more was done in
Liverpool than even in London, and the depression was
greater now than lie had ever known it. They bad
heard of the emeute in the Potteries, at the works of
Mr. Sparrow, an eNtensive iron manufartnrer, who em-
ployed nearly 4,000 people. He (Mr. Finch) had met with
Mr. Sparrow in the course of the last week, and that gentle-
man assured him that he not an order on his books for an ounce
of metal--( Hear, hear.) The iron exported from Liverpool,
from the Ist January to the Ist of June, 1842, from the Cus-
tom-house returns, was— Tons.
Manufactured iron
Pig iron

39,691

Shipped to the United States
Alediteranean 5,424
British East Indies
Canada and British America
South America and Foreign West Indies 2,850
China
France, Holland, and Germany ......
Africa 756
Portugal 547
Spain
British West Indies

39,691
being at the rated 2,600 tons per week actually shipped at the
port ; about one-third of each of these quantities is in pig-iron
—the value of 39,691 tons at the average price of the last six
months of the descriptions shipped—will be in round numbers
240,000/., and the loss to this • country by its exportation at
that value cannot be estimated at less than 20,0001. The
quantity here stated merely refers to the shipments from Liver-
pool, and has no reference to the actual business done in this
article by those engaged in the trade there, but as an approxi-
mation it may fairly be presumed that the actual sales effected
n Liverpool in the home and export trades for delivery at
Liverpool, Glasgow, Cardiff, Hull, Bristol, and other places
will exceed 200,000 tons per annum. Ii was asserted in some
of the Conservative newsiapers that at the interview which the
Delegates had with Sir Robert Peel on Saturday week last,
they were completely puzzled to find an answer when
he asked them had not the export trade of Liver-
pool increased. It had increased in consequence of
the necessities of the iron-masters and the decline of home
manufactures, and he could say that the exports of iron from
Liverpool last year were effected at a loss of 20,000/.--(Hear,
hear.) The shipping trade was of more importance, perhap.,
at Liverpool, than, perhaps, it any other port in the world,
but it never was depressed as at present. One of the largest
ship salesmen in Liverpool informs me that on the 10th of this
month, he had on his books for sale 82 ships, principally of
Canadian build, and registering together 30,105 tons. Two
years ago the price for British American ships of the first-class
was 10/. per ton ; of English build, 18/. per ton. It is now
almost impossible to sell ships at any price. The most recent
sales that have been affected are, first-class North American,
51. 10s. to 61. per ton ; ditto, British 141. per ton. It is now a
misfortune to possess ships, as freights have been so ruinously
low of late, the money received has not paid the ship's ex-
penses. A sale of eight large ships was attempted a few days
ago by a Liverpool house of eminence, but they were
bought in, there being no bidders. The shipping interest
was never so prostrate as it as at present, and no
prospect of any improveement. Out of 1,500 ship
carpenters there were not more than 300 now employed.
He had an account of the expenditure of 50 families in 1842
and in 1835, in Vauxhall Ward, Liverpool. In 1842, when
corn was high, the income was 4995. 3d. per week, and in
1835, when corn was low, the weekly wages were 8775. 6d. ;
so that the earnings in -1842 were about one-half what they
were in 18'35. Expended in meat in 1842, by these 50
families, as compared with 1835, about half, bread about equal,
oatmeal about doubles-potatoes one-third more, left for the
purchase of groceries, clothing, payment of rent, &c. in 1842
as compared with 1835, about one-third.
Mr. Mooar. wished to ask Mr. Finch if he was not connected
with a machine manufactory in Blackburn, and if so, if he
would state what was the condition of trade there.
Mr. FINCH said he was interested in a machine making estab-
lishment in Blackburn. Five years ago there were five estab-
lishments connected with • making looms and spinning frames,
and at the present time his (Mr. Finch's) was the only estab-
lishment engaged in the trade. They used to employ 200
people, and paid from 130/. to 140/. of wages a week. Since that
time trade had fallen off to a great extent. Last week they only
paid 45/. in wages. They only employed about sixty or seventy
persons now. One party who was in competition with them
two years ago had gone to Belgium, another had been made
bankrupt. Perhaps in the iron trade they were as largely
connected as any house in the country. A few days ago he
called at one of the largest engine houses, and he was much
surprised to find that the English superintendent had left, and
a German had supplied Isis place. This foreigner was an ex-
tremely intelligent man. He said that a few years ago on the
Rhine, an English workman was looked upon as gold ; but
they were drunken people. The manufacturers of the Rhine
had instructed their own native men, who were much
mote steady, and they were discarding the English people.
Ile said that the iron and steel at the mine
were equal to the English, and they would in a few years be
able to compete successfully with us. A friend of his, a manu-
facturer in Warrington, had gene to Rouen, and he had
engines to make, which would occupy him 18 months; another
friend of his had gone to Russia, and he said that, although
2,000 miles up the country, they were manufacturifig 50 tons
of iron a week, and the iron was splendid.
The CHAIRMAN then read the circular addressed to the
different mercantile houses in the City, calling upon them to
grant the delegates an interview. The requisition had been
sent to upwards of 1,600. firms in the City, and the interview
was appointed for to-morrow (this day). The usual meeting
would take place at this house to-morrow and would adjourn
at two o'clock, to give the delegates an opportunity of at-
tending at the London Tavem at three, till the next day at
eleven. The ;sleeting then adjourned.

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Kean left the Brunswick-
wh•arf, Blackwall, on Sunday, in the General Steam Navigation
Company's steam-ship \Yilberforce, for Antwerp.