Star.
London, England, 1826-11-16 00:00:00

CORN LAWS.

*esterdav, a numerous Meeting of the Inhabitants of
the Borough of Southwark, was held at the Town Hall,
in compliance with a Requisition addressed to JOHN
HOLMES, Esq. High Bailiff.
The Chair was taken at a quarter past one, by the
High Bailiff, who said he felt it to be his duty to call
the present public Meeting, in consequence of the!
Requisition that had been put into his hands for that
purpose. That 1 equi,ition was signed by two respecta-
ble Magistrates, Solomon Davis and William Holmes,
Estes. and by upwards of one hundred of the most
respectable inhabitants of the Borough. The subjects
for consideration, as pcinted out by the Requisition,
were most important ; and it was not necessary for him
to impress on the minds of those present the necessity
of observing order and decorum in discussing them ;
they should hear every Gentleman deliver his senti-
ments with candour and impartiality, that the Resolo,
lions to be passed might be such as would do the
Meeting credit. The Resolutions would, he trusted,
be temperate, yet firm, that they might be attended to
in the pro, er quarter (Great applause). .
Mr. MOULDING said, ne had a resolution put into his
hands, w:lich accorded so much with his own feelings,
that he had the greatest pleasure in supporting it. He
had been connected with the manufacturing interests of
this country for the lest thirty years in a very large way,
but lately, unfortunately, in a very small one, at as iny
were in different parts of the kingdom; whose ware-
houses had been shut up, and whose workmen had
become paupers! And why ? In consequence if the free
import of corn not being allowed. The Legislature had
said they would allow a free trade with respect to seve-
ral things ; but with great deference, in his humble
opinion, they had put the cart before the horse, as they
should have allowed the tree trade of corn first—(Hear.)
He knew will that the Americans would gladly take
the manufacture of this country, provided they were
allowed to pay for it in corn ; so also would our conti-
nental neighbours. Mr. Moulding here entered into a
long statement, c,ncerning the public expenditure, and
instanced particularly th.• improper site of an hospital a
Deal. He concluded by moving t' e first resolution.
After the Resolution had been put from the Chair, a
consultation took place amongst the Gentlemen who
appeared the chief normagers of the Meeting, as to what
the importing IS4F,F -corn was; and athough Mr.
Calvert repeatedly tired whether there was any per-
son present convers of with the corn trade, no informa-
tion could be obtained on the subj-ct. Some Gentlemen
gave it as their opinion that the importation of foreign
corn could not take place until the average price was
130 s. Others contended, that when the average price
Was up to 70s. foreign corn was almitted, subject to a
low duty. In this conflict of opinion it was suggested,
that it would be unwise to state any thing in the Reso-
lution as to the importing price, lest the Meeting should
commit itself by a display of ignorance on the subject
they had met to consider, and of which they professed to
have a competent knowledge.—The first Resolution, in
an amended shape, and the second Resolution, here then
put together by the Chairman—they were as follow :
Ist. That it is the opinion of this. Meeting, that the law re-
stricting liviportation of corn, until at a price double that of any
other country, is attended with the most dangerous and alarming
consequences to the manufacturing and commercial interests, and
unless such an alteration be made in the Corn Laws as shall place
our Manufacturers and artisans in a situation more nearly approxi-
Mating those of other stately, there is great reason to apprehend that
'the capital now used, in siting employment to our own manufac.
toting population* will be transferred to those countries where the
rate of subsistence will enable the capitalist to obtain a more adequate
return, and consequently a large proportion of our manufacturers
will be Unemployed, subjected to the most severe misery and dis-
tress, and inVolved in certain and inevitabloruin.
" 844. That viewing with feelings of deep regret and anxiety
the defalcation that hat taken place in the public revenue during the
put year, this meeting is also of opinion, that it is only by the Le.
gislature of the country placing a strict and vigilant guard on the
public expenditure, by stiongfy urging his Majesty's Goverontent
to make every possible retrenchment, in management and appro-
priation thereiaf, by the abolition of all useless places and pensions,
many of which are bestowed on persons who have never ren-
dered any adequate service fee the same, that the country can be
*retrieved from its present calantitout andition, its trade and
commerce restored to its former prosperity, or good faith maintained
With the public creditor."
Mr. ELtas was as much opposed to wasteful ex-
penditure of the public money as any man, but he
doubted whether the Meeting was competent to come
to a right decision on the Corn question, when no per-
son then present could say whether the importing price
was eighty shillings or seventy shillings. Mast not all
feel that they would be justly exposed to derision from
the agricultural interest, were they found advising Par-
liament an a subject of which they themselves betrayed
a most profound ignorance ?—(Hear, and lauhrlder).—'
He was willing to allow the respectable Gentleman,
who brought for ward the Resolutions, all the credit
that was due to him for the manner in which he had
'ushered them in. He bad spoken as a manufacturer,
aed must be supposed to speak the sentiments of that
body, bin With the latter part of the Resolution Mr.
Ellis could not agree. He could not sanction the opinion
that the situation of our manufacturers Was produced
by the restrictions on the importation of foreign corn.
Every man who dispassionately considered the question,
must feel that the introduction of machinery, and the
dispensing with manual labour, had, by throwing arti-
sans out of employment, caused much, if not all, the
distress. By supporting the agricultutists, the manu-
facturers were supported, and the present, as a Meeting
of shopkeepers, must know, merely by referring to
their booki and shops, that their trade was never so
flourishing as when the agriculturist flourished. He
considered it the height of impolicy, looking to our
national debt, and the severe economy obliged to be
adopted by our Legislature, to take a step which would
ultimately ruin the agriCulturists.
Mr. !Waimea spoke in explanations.
Mr. Ewe begged to add a few words. Where there
was a meeting of- manufacturers, it all went one way ;
and when the agricultural interest met, it all went one
way. He had no doubt, but that when the Corn Laws
came to be discussed in St. Stephen's Chapel, both the
agricultural and the manufacturing interests would
L,lye their advocates, and both armies would meet fairly.
Mr. AIII.LS denied that there were two armies; we
were embai ked on beard the good ship England, and
"wit be anon one side. He said there were other things
uhich the poor man wanted besides the revision of the
Coin LAWS ; they wanted employment, and wages for
their employment. We used to talk of the French
swearing wooden shoes ; now our pour were going with-
out any shoes to their feet.
Mr. Gaud' contended, that the only thing that
Could relieve the &ties' of the country would be the
abolition of all sinecures and pensions. As to the Corn
Laos, he did w t care anything about them. if the
tiovernment issued a metallic currency, the Corn Laws
()old abolish themselves.

Ir, &I ion would ask, what wu it that made the

British landholder of more consequence than the foreign
landholder ? It was becatbe he lived ins country of
manufacturers. ' The landholder should have justice
done to him, but not to the ruin rf all other classes.
The erst Resolution was then carried with only one dissent-
ing •rice.
The HIGH Bawer then put the second Resolution to the Meeting,
which was carried unanimously.
A third Resolution was then proposed, and seconded,
that a Petition, grounded on the foregoing Resolutions,
be presented to h th Houses of Parliament ; that to the
House of Lords to be entrusted to Lord Grosvenor ; and
the other, to the House of Commons, to be committed
to their Representatives, Charles Calvert, Esq. and Sir
Robert Wilson, with instructions to support its prayer.
The draft of the Petition was then read, and agreed to; after
which,
Mr. CA LvERT said the best land in tillage was rented
at 50s. per acre; on an average the coo: grown on an
acre of land produced three sacks of flour, that would
make about 240 quartern loaves ; if the landholder re-
duced the rents one-third it would only produce a re-
duction of one halfpenny per loaf, as the average rent
of land was 30s. per -acre, and the taking off one-third,
10s. would only be id. per loaf. All the commodities
of the labourer were taxed. He could not lay down in
a bed that was not taxed. He could not put on a coat
that was not taxed, the very air he breathed was taxed ;
and in fact, the only thing he could do without being
taxed, was that of speaking ; it was his opinion, that
the ports ought to be opened, subject to a duty for the
protection of trade. The agriculturalists were undivided
in their opinion, the first vote he gave in the House of
Commons was against those obnoxious laws ; he wa.
one of a minority of seven against upwards of thre,
hundred. He would recommend the agriculturalists to
follow the plan adopted by medical Gentlemen when
they were ill ; they generally consulted some one else on
their complaint: he would advise them also to do so.
Sir ROBERT WILSON said, no person who had no
been in the country could not, however, believe the dis-
tress there existing—little else but starvation and fever
was extended throughout. Sir Robert then read a
petition from Glasgow, signed by IMO families, and
consisted of about 1200 persons. The Petitioners sug
gated their removal to some ether country, and pour-
cularly mentioned Upper Canada. It was no injustice
to seek for the abolition of that abo ninable law which
prevented the manufacturer, with all his capital, with
British industry, from sending an art•cle abroad, that
would secure a preference in the foreign market. There
had been a monopoly of the Corn Laws for the last
eight or ten years, and the peasantry of the country
were never before in so wretched a state as at the pre-
sent time. It had been said that the Government would
shrink from the question: he did not believe it.
It was moved and carried that the Petition do lay for signatures
at the Town Hall and the Vestry Room.
Mr. Mombasa moved the thanks of the Meeting to the two
Representatives for the town and borough of Southwark, for their
kind attendance this day, and for their general conduct in Parliament.
Mr. CALVZIIT and Sir R. Wo.son shortly returned thanks.
Thanks were then moved to the High Bailiff, who having re-
turned thanks, the Meeting broke up.