Star.
London, England, 1826-10-20 00:00:00

VENABLE% MAYOR.

In a MEETING or ASSEMBLY of the MAYOR, ALOIS&
MEN, and LIVERYMEN of the several CO MPA N I ICS of
the CITY of LONDON, to COMMON HALL assembled, at
the GUILDHALL of the said City, on THURSDAY, the
Ipth day of October, Mtn c
RasoLtrato UPARUSOUSLY‘
IFIHAT this Meeting contemplates with alarm and
.416, dismay the present state of the Country, in which, after many
years of profound peace, they sea the Agricultural and Manufac-
turing Population, to a melancholy event, dependent either upon
charitable contribution or parochial relief--the Shipping and Com.
mercial Interests depressed—the Public Revenue diminished,
together with an increase of crime, alike frightful in its event and
threatening in its consequences.

That from whatever catues such &combination of evils may have
arisen, it is the opinion of this Meeting that they have been greatly
aggravated by the operation of the Corn Laws, which, adopted
under the specious pretext of maintaining the general Agricul-
tural Interests of the Country, but really for the purpose of support.
ing a high scale of rents—have exposed the Tenantry to fluctuations
in the value of their produce hitherto unknown—vshilst the Agricul-
tural Labourers have, by the effect of these Laws, combined with
other causes, been driven down into a state of the most deplorable
degradation, and the advantages of Capital, Enterprise, and Taknt,
possessed by the British Manufacturer, have been constantly inter-
fered with and controlled by the operation of Laws, the object of
which has been to protect the exclusive interests of the Landlord,
while the greater and more important and universal interests of the
Consumer have been wholly overlooked.

That since the brat enactment of these Law% in laid, the very
alight securities they gave to the popular interests have been *rural
times broken down by averages taken upon fraudulent and false
returns; and that, upon a recent occasion, the Executive Govere.
intent has seen the necessity of interfering, by an unconstitutional
stretch of power, to arrest the progress of the evils which this per-
nicious system seemed, by its legal operatioo, likely to produce.
That it appears highly important that the Legislators should be
tailed upon to revise these Laws, and to allow at all times the IBM
venation of Grain, under such replatiens as the general interests of
the community demand.
.That in making this appeal to the Legidature, it is the anxious
wish cot this Meeting not to recommend any coarse inconsistent
with the support of Public Credit, which, at the cootrary, it is
their wish strenuously to uphold; bat that, to avert the possibility
of so great an evil as would noemearily arise from a breach of faith
with the Public Creditor, it bosoms the duty of the Legislature
to reduce the whole systma of titre ram Ripsaw', and to put
an end to all unnecessary Establiaimenes, beds at Woe and abroad.
That, by the adoption of a rigid system of ecenemy, and an honest
application of all the resources of the Country, its character may be
11111111t1ined, the Putative may be diminished, and the welfare of all
dusts of the People secured.
And Drafts of Petitions to both Houses of Parlament, agreeably
Anew, being prepared, were read and agreed to.
Resolved Unanimously—That the said Petitions be fairly trans.
scribed, signed by the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, two
Aldermen, the Sheriffs, and Twenty of the Livery, oa behalf of
this Cornmon Hall.
Reselfed Unanimously—That the Sheriffs, attended by the Re-
membrance', do wait upon the Right Honourable Lord King, and
"queer his Lordship to present the Petition to the Right Honour-
able tie Hesse of Lords.

Rasing linanimously..-That the Representatives for this City
in Pastanannt be requested to present the Petition to the Hon. the
Howse of Comsons.
_ _ _

Resolved Useehisously—That the Representatives of this aty In
Parliament be, mod they are hereby instructed, to support the said
Petition in the Hen. the House of Commons, and by every means
is their power to promote the object al these Reseludoos.
Remind Unssinsessly—That the thanks of this Common Hall
be gives se she Right Hon. Lord King, for his manly and patriotic
*Bonbons in the House of Lords, en the Question of the Corn Laws.

_
Reesteed Unambetou3ly—That the thanks of this Common Hall
be given to thaffsel FeveU, E.g. the Mover, and John Dowering.
leq. Seeming attlie Resehotknte and Petition, for the able manner
is which they lave brawl* forwani the business of this day.
WOODTHODPE.

COMMON HALL

CORN LAWS.

A Meeting of the Livery was held yesterday to con-
sider the propriety of petitioning Parliament for a re-
peal of the Corn Laws, and a retrenchment of Public
Expenditure.
The usual Prockmadon having been made,
The LORD Mayon said, that he had called this Com-
mon Hall to consider two questions—that of the expe-
diency of repealing the present system of Corn Laws,
and of calling on the Government to revise the extrava-
gant system of Expenditure.
The Requisition by which the Comm Hall was convened hav-
ing been read,
hfr. Favatt. addressed the Liverymen. He never
came berme them with more satisfaction than on the
present day. Men of all parties had been consulted ;
and this meeting was neither Ministerial nor Anti-
ministerial, neither Agricultural nor Manufactuting.
Uuion was the principle, and old. England the watch-
word ; to uphold all the interests of the country was its
'object. Within the last twelve monthi very fearful
signi had manifested themselves ; large bodies of ma-
aufacturers had been supported wholly by charity or
by parochial relief; commercial credit had been shaken ;
the shipping interest injured ; and the revenue dimi-
nished. What was the remedy ? Without ascribing
all these evils to the Corn Laws, they were unquestion•
ably a part of the cause, and tl,ey had at least a right
to say that they aggravated the evil. The Corn Laws
stood condemned for the last forty years, ever since the
time of Adam Smith, in the estimation of all political
economists. Those laws now condemned themselves, for
it was found necessary to suspend their operation, in
order to avert the most mischievous consequences.
Bonded Corn, from its unwholeiome quality, had proved
the destruction of many excellent horses, and was pro-
ductive of all the imposition arising from fraudulent,
averages. Though they might be called good protect-
ing laws, they were certainly "more honoured in the
breach than in the observance."—(Hear).—He did not
like laws of such a character as t require occasional
suspension. If no otherwise objectionable, they were to
be regarded with jealousy on the principle suggested by
the Poet, that " Use doth breed a habit." It should be
recollected that James the Second lost his Crown by an
unconstitutional suspension of law, and though the na-
tion might be willing enough to grant an indemnity to
Ministers for dispensing with the inconvenient law under
consideration, it was to be apprehended that the prece.
dent thus raised might lead to the suspension of good
laws Irsome future day. About two centuries ago, in
the reign of Edward the Sixth, it was penal to deal in
corn, but it was shortly afterwards discovered that there
were two uses in corn; one, as an article of consump-
tion, and the other, as an article of merchandise. For
a considerable period then following, England became
an exporting country. Subsequently our ports were
thrown open to foreign grain, and up to the period of
1815, we were an importing country. By the discus-
sions of the press they had arched at certain great facts:
one of these was, that a deir loaf is as injurious to the
agricultural labourer as to the manufacturer; another
was, that high prices of corn were not good for farmers.
He then adverted, in terms of the highest praise, to Mr.
Whitmore's pamphlet.We were,he said, ourselves a pretty
snug little island, and if we had not eight hundred mil-
lions of debt, meaty-one millions of the interest of which
was dependent on the Customs, we might do with less
foreign trade. But unless commerce could be maintained,
the agriculturist must be ruined. The
.agriculturist
would not like to be left to pay the whole interest. They
were now about to call upon a new Parliament for re-
trenchment and economy. Reduction of taxes must
take place, but it was nt,t to affect the public debt ; for
the public credit must be held sacred. Ministers, he
was ready to admit, were not at present on a bed of
roses. Mr. Favell then said that he had much hope
from the new Pediment. The County of Surrey was
something better than it had been; the four Members
for London were as good as a dozen others, though he
was afraid, unless they were well supported by the
people, they would be overcome by the numbers from
Cornwall. He concluded by moving the first resolution,
which, after adverting to the various distresses of the
country, ended by tracing the evil effects of the Corn
Laws, and recommending the Legislature to admit corn
at all times, under a regulated duty ; and by stating
the necessity for a reduction of the public expenditure,
in order to uphold the public credit, and the welfare
of all classes.

the Corn Laws, petitions against these laws covered
the table of the House, but they passed the Bill never-
theless, because this also put money into their pockets.
Those who gained all in times of trouble, were un-
willing to part with any portion in the calm which fol.
lowed, and they were now adhering to their gripe, not-
withstanding universal distress, and the ruin of com-
mercial interests. When the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer brought in his Budget, he told the public that
21,000,000 of taxes had been taken off by means of an
increase in the exports. But this was is fact saying just
nothing ; for, if before a person gained sixpence by the
sate of three articles, he was now obliged to sell four
articles to gain just as much. The jargon of land-
owners was perfectly unintelligible, when they affected
to commiserate the poor firmer, who found it so diffi-
cult to procure a livelihood, and when they talked of
the necessity of a protecting duty to affect that object.
This was the language of,the Upper; House, who were
themselves represented) by the Lower House ; and it
Malt no more than this—A Reduce as Much as you
please is all, other clatters of finance, but do not voa.
tine to touch our rents."—(Heer, hear). “ We, who
are 72,000 strong, ought lb live in palaces; no matter,
how extensive may be the distress of the lower-orders—'
we are not to fall to the level of our fellow English-
men.'? The poor man, whose industry once produced
him thirty shillings a week, most now be content to
receive twenty shillings for the same measure of labour;
but the rich man, whose income amounted to 20,0001.
a year; would not listen to the reduction of a single
thonfland. He would, however, tell them, that if the
poor man should fail of procuting corn cheap, he
would be sure to get it fop nothing—Wear, hear).—
lie not mean to say that this would be effected by
riot. No, the people were now iirown too sensible and
intelligent for such a course. They would not be in-
duced to commit riot—even to please the Aristocracy
—(A laugh).—But if their labour was uwivailable to
their support they would go to the workhouse, and
there be supported at the expense of those whose per-
verse and unwise policy chkew such a butthen on them.
selves. It was notorious that the landowners paid the
labourers not mere than seven :billings a week for
work worth fifteen, and the poor man was thus thrown
upon parochial relief, to woke up the deficiency. This
tended to.induce service habits, and thus the landowners
were not only starving the people, but destroying the
energies of their minds, and turning them flour inde-
pendent citizens into abject slaved--(Hear). The agri-•
cultural interest was indisputably most important ; but
lithe manufacturer mere in danger of starvation, be
would emigrate to some other country, where his labour
might be beneficially exerted, and it would be found
utterly impossible to retain twenty millions of slaves.
The peculiar mark of the present times was selfishness,
and it was no great wonder, for when the pocket and
the belly were touched, every man began to provide.
with anxious care for himself, his wife, and his imme-
dine family. But in no quarter was selfishness so
observable as in the highest orders of the State : witness
the attempt made to increase the salary of the Presi-
dent of the Beard of Trade from three thousand to five
thousand pounds, at the very moment when the loudest
complaints were made of universally pervading distress.
He would pay no attention to what people said, he
would only regard what they did. He would call for
immediate reduction in the Military Establishments and
in Tithes. Rats had gar between the timbtra of our
bark, and there was no hope but in the life-boat of It--
form. He had but one further remat k to make: if those
who talked of Reform did not reform themselves, they
could have no sincerity. It was the bounden duty of
every man to commence the work of reform in his own
department •

Mr. Howr having been received with liud cheers,
put forward his head interrogatively, as if distrusting
the sound, and on its repetition, he began by saying—
What I no hiss, Brother Liverymen I—(Load laughter).
This was the first time he ever bad the honour to ad-
dress them there, that some tool of Government dii
not lurk in their ranks to receive him with hisses. It was
really strange; but perhaps he might redeem his cha-
racter and elicit the well-known sounds before he con.
cluded—(A laugh). Those who precede) him had
treated the-subject under discussion with great ability,
but then their arguments were entirely theoretical.—
He would therefore confine himself to practical illus-
trations of the truths they had endeavoured to impress.
It was trut that whoever came before the country, and
pledged himself to a repeal of the Corn Laws as the sole
mode of relieving the public distress, was either an
postor or was imposed upon himself. The Corn Laws
were in fact only a part of the system of distress. It
was mere cant to say that the English farmer was not
the same in character now that he was a century ago,
with the exception of the distress arising from taxation.
No doubt he shared in the temporary extravagancies of
his neighbours, and he (Mr. Hunt) had recently seen a
green grocer's daughter playing away at her piano with
as much taste as any farmer's daughter in the country.
—Facts were stubborn things, and he would prove by
facts, that the agricultural interest was not equally be-
nefitted by a change in the times. Within the last forty
years rents were tripled, and in order to an equalization
of benefit, it would be necessary that the price of corn
and of labour should be tripled also. But this was not
the case. To prove this proposition by a case--forty
years ago the estate of J. Benett, Esq. M.P. for Wilts,
was let for 6001. a year. The same estate now pro.
duced its owner 180 W. a year. Forty years ago the
farmer got 20s. a sack for corn ; and he now could get
no more than 275. for the same quantity. Forty years
ago the labourer was paid six shillings a week, but he
now received no more than 7s. For 6s. he could then
procure 14 or 15 quartern loaves ; he could get bacon
for 4d. per lb. butter and cheese proportionably low ;
but now he could only procure ten quaitern loaves for
7s. and all the other articles were dear in similar pro-
portion. In fact, while the landowner was benefitted
300 per cent. the farmer was benefitted on 46.75 n, and the
labourer not more than 15 per cent. be was
young, there were not more than three reputed thieves
in the parish where he lived, but now there w ere scarcely
as many reputed honest men there. This melancholy
change in the character of the people was attributable
to their distresses, aid the oppressive systom pursued,

Mr. Bowaido, in seconding the motion, observed,
that the great bulk of the community was interested in
cheap bread. The effects of the Corn Laws had led to
a most alarming degradation of the people. The little
farmers of the last age had been swept away; the bold
peasantry, of whom our ancestors acre so proud, had
been annihilated. He held in his hand a letter front one
of the first ports in Europe, which said that there were
500 cargoes ready to be exported ; but which, owing to
our laws, could not be sent away. The Pole and the Rus-
sian were half clothed, the English peasant half stirred.
The former had plenty of corn, the latter plenty of cloth-
ing. Both were desirous to exchange; but then came a
fragment of aristocracy, in the shape of an Act of
Parliament, which said, 44 You shall not ; the English
peasant shall starve, and the Pole shall go naked:—
After paying a high compliment to the Ministry, he
(Mr. B.) went on to say, that they could do nothing un-
less the people declared their will loudly, perhaps im-
peratively. All the privileges of this country had been
absolutely nullified by that incubus, the Corn Laws.—
Yet all the talents and industry of this country were to
be thrown away, because a handful of individuals chose
to put in their pockets a few shillings out of the pounds
that were extorted from the people.
*Mr. STEVIMS said, that the evils we were now ex-
periencing had sprung from principles which had been
long operating ; the monopoly against which this meet.
ing was met, was not a monopoly of agriculturists, but
of the landowners. Were not these landowners the
legislators of the land? and when they met to legislate
for the peyple, did they not too frequently legislate for
themselva only ? In 1815, when petitions poured
in from all parts of the 'country against the Income
Tax, they repealed the tax, because they then put,
money into their pockets. When they were about to plus

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which had the effect of demoralizing the country.—
Forty years ago his father paid two- pounds less for a
farm, tithes and all, than he himself now paid to the
Clergyman alone. He gave much credit to Messrs.
Canning, Hnskisson, and Robinson, for what they had
already done, and be hoped they would do more. Mr.
Hunt, after a few further observations, proceeded to
deliver his opinion of the present Administration in
terms little suited to the style of eulogy in which a few
moments before he spoke of the Ministry, and alluded
to the character of Lord Castlereagh in language too
repulsive for repetition. He gave a short sketch of the
system which he would pursoe if a Minister, the leading
trait of which was, the confiscation of all Royal, Eccle-
siastical, and Corporate property. He concluded with a
heatty expression of support to the Resolutions.
Mr. WILIGUT said a few words on the same side;
The ant Resolution having been carried, it was vossived that
Petitions founded upon it should be preseoted to botb Houses of
Parliamknt, and that dut Representatives of the City of London
should be hutructed to support their prayer.
Alderman Wm, hoped it was not aesesliatilli him
1 to *dare bow aglow ho was to follow dretteg
of his fellis.cidneas on everything wh to
promote the general good of the country. In the pre-
sent instance his conviction was in unison with theirs,
and be felt assured that the landed and commercial in.
tereits of the nation would be, equally benefitted by the
furtherance of their views.

Alderman WAITHINAN said, that he would have great
pleasure in supporting the prayer of their petition. In
181.5 be took an active part in opposition to the enact-
ment of the Corn Laws, and the Resolutions which he
I then had the honour to draw up, were signed in the
course of three days by no less than 60,000 persons.
They were in substance the same as those now proposed,
and he concurred in the observations which bad been
made upon them. He congratulated them upon the
unanimity, firmness, and good temper, with which the
proceedings of the day had been conducted. It was
ever his principle and maxim, that a Member of Par-
liament should represent the whole community, and not
barely a particular portion of electors, and on the same
principle he would conceive it dishonourable in them to
seek any thing from Parliament inconsistent with the
general advantage of the State. He looked on the re.
peal now sought to be in favour of the real and per-
manent interests of the landowners, as well as of the
commercial 'and manufacturing population. It was
with the body politic, as with the body natural, no one
part could enjoy sound and perfect health, unless a
wholesome circulation was kept up throughout the en-
tire system.--(Applause.)—After arguing the constitu-
tional effect of the repeal of the Corn Laws, he con-
cluded by promising his warm support to the prayer' of
the petition.
Mr. Alderman Titomrsohr said, that, although the
Idiscussion had been protracted to so great an extent, he
could not forego the satisfaction he felt in declaring his
readiness to co:operate with his constituents in that great
and, in his opinion, necessary object. the Repeal of the
existing Corn Laws—(Applause). The sentiments of the
Livery were in unison with those which he had always
maintained and expressed,when an opportunity had been
afforded to hint. The system of the, Corn Laws was,
it appeared to him, decidedly unjust, and grievous
to the interests of the manufacturer and tradesmai.—
He trusted. that the forcible language in which t! e
Resolutions were expressed, would not fail to excite
in other great corporate bldies a disposition to co.
operate with the City of London in this struggle, and
thereby enable them the better to diminish the power
and influence which would be exerted to maintain the
present system—a system not entitled to any respect on
the ground of the antiquity of its origin, nor cer-
tainly for any scintilla of benefit it had rendered the
nation! They were asking for the revival of the old
system of the Corn Laws, and the abolition of a
mischievous innovation upon them—(Loud applause.)
In the early p rrt of his late Mjesty's reign, corn was
admitted to home consumption on payment of a mo-
derate duty. When the price of the quarter of wheat
did not exceed forty-four 'boffins, the duty payable on
the importation of foreign corn was only 24 6d. They
were asking for no popular theory. but for that practical
system which experience had taught them worked wel4
and had contributed to raise the country to its greatest
prosperity. Since 1815, the fluctuations of prices tad
been ruinous to the cultivator of the soil. Other highly
injurious consequences had flowed from this cause,
affecting other into ests. 'Had they not seen the master
manufacturer and the workman brought into collision--
the one trying to reduce, the other to raise wages? Al.
the great branches of industry had been paralysed,
while the foreign ports were filled with grain, perishing
for want of a market, and ready to be exchanged for
the manufactures which were refused them. The Li.
very were asking for the application of the same prin.
ciples to agriculture which had been already applied t,
commerce. The manufacturers of this country were no
longer protected by bounties in the market abroad, nor
at home by prohibitions. The Livery, in fine, were
asking that the landed interest should surrender a
grievous monopoly, at variance with every.principle of
wisdom and justice. While the system lasted, how
could they complain of the foreigner who refused to
admit English goods, while his own produce was ex-
cluded from this country? This system had mainly
contracted the sphere of the commercial operations of
England. For his own part, he(lklr. Alderman Thomp-
son) was so convinced of its injustice, that he would be
ready at his post, when the Petition was presented, and
he would support it to the utmost of his ability. He
felt confidence in Parliament. He was sure that talent
and intelligence would there be found adequate to trace
the cause of the difficulties of the country to their real
source, and, be would add, virtue and integrity sof&
cient to apply the needful remedy. The worthy Alder-
man was loudly cheered on the conclusion of his speech.
Mr. Wass said be did not come for the purpose of influencing
the decision of Ms constituents. He would be most happy to be the
means of conveying their sentiments to Parliament.---(4,fouse.)
On the modal of Mr. Ho= thanks were voted to Lord King.
for his patriotic and manly exertions in Parliament.
Thanks were also voted to Mr. Fara and the Lord Mayer.
Ma Louisan, in expressing a grateful eenee of the honour demo
him, bade farewell to his fellow-citizens, and said that if ever he
appeared before them in any other capacity than that of a Magis-
trate, it would be more In accordance with their wants and wishes,
shalt with his own intikation.