Star.
London, England, 1815-02-24 00:00:00

CORN LAWS.

Yesterday there was a meeting of the Livery of
London, at Guildhall, to take into consideration the
propriety of petitioning both Houses of Parliant:i.t,
upon the proposed alteration in the Corn Laws, now
under consideration in the House of Commons.
At one o'clock the LORD MAYOR took the chair,
amidst the loudest acclamations. His Lordship pro-
ceeded to address the Assembly. He said he had
conceived it to be his bounden duty to call toget:rer.
the Livery and Corporation of London, for the pur-
pose of submitting to their consideration what was
now passing in Parliament, relative to the Corn Laws
of the Kingdom. He viewed, with heart-felt u:iea•
siness, the intended prohibition of foreign wheat, ea.
less the price of corn shall be advanced to Vs. tit:
quarter. If that nseasure shoul.l unfortunately be
carried, he did not hesitate to affirm, that the price
of the quartern loaf, composed of such flour as it
nnw converted into London bread, must inevitab:y
be increased to the calamitous price of 16d. and 18!..
(Hear, hear).—Seeing such an attempt made, and
that by the House of Commons, to fix such a maxi•
mule or atirsimuns, as the exorbitant one propos,fd, fie
felt it would be a feeling unworthy of his high situa-
tion, and a complete dereliction of his duty, it he had
riot called them thus together.= (Hear, and applause).
In fact, he considered he would have acted uticons:i.
tutionally, had he over-looked the threatened evil—
an evil which was directed not only against his fellow.
citizens, but the community at large ! —(Hear, hear).
He did not wish to attribute improper or unjust mo-
tives to any set of men, or to oppose the interests M
agriculture, against those of commerce, but it was
highly necessary, on his part, to point out the mis-
chievous proposition in question, from whatever quar-
ter it came; and to warn his felow-citizeus against
the certain effects of the measure, if carried into a
w—(Lood amlaueer).—The country, for a period
of 2& years, had patiently borne the burdens of sn
expensive war, and these burdens had fallen, in a
great degree, upon the middling and laborious
classes' of the community. Was the country, then,
rtprrr the return of peace, again to suffer new priva-
tions and distress ? (Hear, hear.)—Were the blcs-
"sings of peace to be unaccompanied with its conse-
quences, and the bounty of Providence to be con-
vcrted into calamity and starvation ?—(Hear.)—No ;
he trusted that such pernicious evils would be arrested
and prevented. The population of tl:e country was
12 millions of souls : of this population the Landed
Interest, who are the great supporters of the measure,
formed a twentieth part ! And w.is it to be endureJ,
that they were to force this obnoxious measure upon
the whole country ?—(Hear, hear.)—Were they to
fix a maximum or minimum of corn for such a pope.
latb'n, to the certain injury and ruin of the latter,
fur their own, as certain advantage and ?
(Hear, hear).—The attempt must bc resist.sl by the
great body of the pecyle ; and thoei,h it was a tria•
lification for Members of Parliament to swear 014
were landed proprietors ; yet he trusted the great pro-
portion of the community would notquietly suffer 'lisle
interests to to be thus valued at certain rate, by the
one twentieth part of the people. (Hear, and applautes).
Having thus stated on this, as well as on a format.
occasion, the objects for which he had thought it his
duty to convene the Corporation and his fellow Citi.
zens together, upon constitutional .grounds ; he had
only to recommend to the assembly, firmness in their
proceedings, andtemper indiscussion.—Lordapplaw,
which eotainaed for several minute: 1
Mr. WAITHMAN said, it was already known be had
brought forward motions and petitions upon this sub-
ject last year. He now repeated his firm conviction,
not only of the impoliey of the measure, but of iti rui-
nous coasequesces, if paned bit() a la*. The' land-

r

owners, and the Parliamentary interest, were, he con-
tended, the same; and it appeared to him, that a sys-
tem of conspiracy had been adopted by Parliament men'
land owners, and farmers, against the people, to uphold
the price of corn !—(//ear.) A printed paper, he
stated, had been put into his hand that morning, be-
fore entering the Hall; but, from what quarter it
came, he could not possibly say. This was signed
" 4 real Fri, u.! to the Poor," and recommended, in
the strongest possible terms, the law now in progress'
in the House of Commons, with respect to Corn !
He considered the thiag, however, if not a subterfuge,
absurd. Was it nit absurd to suppose, that the pro-
posed minimum of SOs. on Corn would benefit the
poor ?—(//eae.)—lt was said, that the farmer
would not be enabled to pry his rent, on account of
the high price of land, if he had not value for his Corn.
This principle, he would not hesitate to admit, in
proportion as trade and the price of uecessary articles
would continue as they had been. But if these, and
other expenses, are decreased or lessened, why should
not Land and Corn fall in proportion? (Hear, hear.)
Let us look, thereto's., to the cause of land being
raised, and Corn being enhanced. We were told,
during the late war in which we were engaged, that
if we but contributed for a short time to the necessi-
ties of that contest, all our clamours should be si-
lenced—that we were merely called upon to sacrifice
a part, in fighting for the remainder. This doctrine
was constantly ringing in our ears—and all this time,
nay, even at a period when the quartern loaf was
raised to the enormous price of 29. d. the landowner
was enriching himself, and accumulating wealth from
the miseries of the people. (Hear, hear.) And
were traders, labourers, and the poor thus to suffer,
and bear all the berthen, while the landowner came
safe through the trial, and out of the fire unhurt ?
(Hear, hear.) But surely after all the promises that
had been made, there ought, at least, to be a re.
duction of the necessaries of life. (Hear, hear, hear.)
This was but common justice to expect, and it was
unpardonable to suffer land-owners and others, by
artifice, to keep up the price of Corn co-oval with
the War System ; and thus entail upon the country
the dregs of its horrors, when we should expect to
enjoy the blessings of Peace. It was rather a strange
proceeding this, for the Legislature to set about rais-
ing the price of Land and Corn, or at least to uphold
them in value, upon the footing they were during a
dis..strous war. It was evident that the evil was
meditated by the I'nd-owners, not one of whom, he
ObSCrVed, came forward to resist the adoption of the
measure now proposed.—(Hear, hear.)—The people,
however, must by all possible means resist it. Now
that he was speaking ou this subject, he could not
help remarking the wonderful Alteration that he bad
wirliessed in the Common Council on AVednesday, in
the conduct of ow of our Representatives (Sir Wil-
liam Curtis), who had voluntarily come forward to
resist the pernicious measure in question. For him-
self, he would say be had always spoken freely upon
men and measures ; but he did not think he ever
went so fully ipto the freedom of complaint or cen-
sure as the worthy B aronet had done, in animad-
verting upon the proposed alteration in the Corn
Laws.— (Hear, and applaute.)—The worthy Member
had gone so tar as to state to him, that he was a
Member of some et the Committees in the House of
Commons, and among others the Corn Bill Committee.
Their proceedings, however, were of such a nature,
and the proposed measure respecting Corn, so unjust
and unwise, that he not only refused to attend the
ComMittees, but said, he would just leave them,
taking care, that 6, as they bad plenty of rope, they
:night go and hang themselves !"—(Loud laughter
and alttelaute).Mr. Waithman said, he did not mean
to detain the Hall much longer. Before he con-
cluded, however, he wished to state one or two facts
relative to the point in question. A reduction was
about to take place of the Property Tax, which at
present affected the Land-owner to the amount of
l7t per cent. A reduction would also take place in
the Poor-rates. The Chancellor of the Exchequer
had stated, that six millioni of war taxes remained to
be provided; and these, by removing the burthen from
the Land-owner, were to be raised by new and unwar-
rantable taxes upon the commerce of the country.—
(Hear, hear).—Thus, while during the war no Land-
owner was hurt, thousands of traders were ruined; and
now traders are again singled out by the Legislature
to pay, six millions of war taxes !—(Hear, hear).—
The whole system, indeed, appeared to him to be not
only gross and mischievous, but bordering upon in-
Lanky ; and lie was thHs led to notice an observation
lately made to him- by rather a ludicrous friend
" That instead of a certain Right Honourable Mem-
ber of his Majesty's Govermnent being employed in
seperintendieg IVar Taxes and Finances, be would
appear to much greater at!vantage in superintending
a child-bed warehouse !"—(Peal: of laughter and all-
platme.)—Mr. Waithman conclude ii by recommend-
leg to the people perseverance and firmness against
the pernicious measure they were met to discuss, and
'trusted their exertions would prevail over monopoly,
artifice, and iejestice.—He (Mr. Waithman) then ,
moved a series of Resolutions expressive of the ob-
jecu of the meeting.
Mr. Alderman Wools, in a short speech, seconded
the Resolutions. He said, that in considering the,
question, we should recollect the three great points
and evils which would necessarily result from the
proposed measure, if carried into a law :—the price
of land was still to be maintained—the price of loud
must be exorbitant,— and, taxes were to be increased.
The taxes recently proposed were unjust, and, instead
()flaying them upon trade, commerce, and the ne-
cessaries of lite, they should have been affixed to
those who indulge in pleasure, in sports, and in
luxuries!—(Hear, hear.)—The worthy Alderman
concluded by saying, that his feelings and his con.
Science were vitally against the proposed minimum of
80s. on Corn, and the. prohibition of importation,
measures which, Le feared, if adopted, would lead to
the most wretched consespience.
Mr. Hittite supported the Resolutions :—He
mask some ingenious rimer ks upon the principles re.
ipecting population and supply, as laid down by Mr.
Malthus, who professed himself the enemy of popu-
lation. This worthy Gentleman, Le said, was very
*likely. to be gratified in his views area wishes, prove
idettthe measure in question WAS can led into a law.
For as that measure would inevitably produce scar.
fity, so scarcity would very flatus:thy lead *to S::41-Va.
k.n,aud an abridgement of time human r'.lc, (Hear,
earri4iwer.)—kle was Ewe that *proposed tutu-

sure was the offspring .of. speculators, and the land?
owners ; and it was a melancholy consideration that
after suffering the privations of a protracted war, the
country should be made to groan lxiieatli a most in-
tolerable taxation; and their very existence threat-
ened, in the proposed plan of upholding the price of
Corn ! ! He ridiculed the Committee in the House
of Commons appointed to examine into the proposed
Bill, four of whom were land-owners. Ile would to
Goo, that the ancient yei,men of the country were
once more in possession of their 100 acres, and the
monopolizing land-owner turned adrift.-44 Then
might the blessings of returning Peace smile upon
the cottager, and the community at large enjoy the
favours of a gracious PROVIDENCE.— (Hear, hear.)
Mr. HUNT (of Bristol) defended the land owners
and farmers generally from the imputation of conspi-
racy. He stated, that he was a farmer and land owner
himself, and that he not only was most decidedly
against the measure proposed, but he would under-
take to obtain at least the names of five hundred far-
mers and land owners from Hants and Wilts, who
would sign any thing, or do any thing, against the
new Corn Bill. He contended, that there was not
sufficient evidence produced to the House of Com•
mons to arrest the coarse of their proceedings upon
this important subject—when, after a few more words
upon the truth of this opinion, he concluded by
moving an amendment to the Resolutions. This,
after considerable opposition and clamour, (accom-
panied with hisses, and cries of 44 withdraw") was
proposed, and unanimously negatived.
The original Resolutions were then put and car-
ried amidst the acclamations of the Court. A Peti-
tion, founded on the Resolutions, was afterwards
read, agreed to, and ordered to be presented in the
evening to both Houses o: Parliament.
Sir WILLIAAI CURTIS, Sir JAMBS Suaw, and Mr.
Alderman Amass, severally pledged themselvei to
support the Petition s and idler thanks being voted
to the LORD MATO% the Meeting was dissolved.
_._—...__

THE EVENING STAR.

LON DON.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21., 1815.
ST. MA ri ulAs.—Holtday at the. Stock Exchange.

We have received a copy of all the documents re.
lative to the mission of General LAVAYSSE to St.
Domingo, and his negotiation with President PwrloN,
which we shall lay claire before our Readers as soon
as we can find room in our columns. It does not
appear that LAVAYSSE had any mission from Loma
XVIII. llis own concerns required his presence in
that colony, and be requested to be empowered to
treat. NVhen this proposal was submitted to the
King, he refused to give him even the power of a
Commissioner ; but he was permitted to sail, and
was informed that when there be might sound the
Chiefs as to their inclination to acknowledge the so-
vereignty of the King ; but, in direct opposition to
the. King's mind, private instructions, drawn up by
a Committee of Colonists, were given to him, and
it was in conformity to thes.: that he acted in threat-
ening to visit the Ktytians with the vengeance of the
European Powers, should they hesitate to agree to
his propositions.

We have the Paris Papers of Monday before us.
The reports they continue to echo lions Vienna are
still of doubtful authenticity. The Congress has
certainly decided some greit points, such as the fate
of Saxony and Poland for instance; but a multitude
of other topics have occurred, to detain the Sove-
reigns and their Plenipotentiaries. We are now told
that the fate of Naples and Italy engrosses all their
attention : in the mean time, King JOACHIM, by his,
agents, eagerly seeks to entrap some of the Conti-
nental Powers into a recognition of his title. Lately,
for instance, his Minister, or Resident, at Basle, for-
mally demanded, why the Helvetic Federation Pact
had not been officially announced, through him, to
the King of NAPLES ? The answer given referred
him to the Congress at Vienna.
The Barbary Powers occasionally renew, on the
coast of Spain, the scenes which took place two or
three centuries ago. Will it he believed by posterity,
that in the nineteenth century, there was a country
in civilized Europe, in which Barbarians were per.
mitred to land and carry off men, women and chil-
dren into slavery ? Yet such is the present state of
Spain, and such is the energy of its Government,
under the Beloved FERDMAND