The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-10-08 00:00:00

SOUTHWARK ANTI-CORN-LAW MEETING

Yesterday week an assemblage of the great unwashed and
unimproved of Southwark took place at the Town Hall, in
this borough, and, as may be supposed, " motley," agreeably
diversified by dirt, was the " only wear" of the majority.
Mr. Holmes, the low high bailiff, called himself to the
chair. The venerable official had himself officiously con-
vened the meeting, at least so we understood him, amidst
the whistling, whooping, coughing, and laughing, which suc-
ceeded his successful appeal, and which lasted till he pro-
ceeded to the following effect :-,-Gentlemen ! gentlemen !
(vehement cheering.) I have received a requisition, signed
by two washerwomen and a dog's meat man, a corn-law agi-
tator, and four of the swell mob • and as these respectable
individuals (great cheering) may iairly be said to represent
the influence and intelligence of the Whig-Radical party in
this ancient borough, I cheerfully obeyed the call. As I
enjoy a salary of £1,400 per annum, and have little or
nothing to do, and plenty of time to do it in, I conceive that
I cannot serve out my Queen and country better than by
doing my utmost to throw every impediment in the way of
the servants of her Majesty's choice. This is a land of liber-
ties; I, therefore, hope none will be taken at the present
meeting—particularly with other folk's property ; and I hope
every gentleman, as is a gentleman, will behave as sich—
that every speaker will speak to the point, if possible, and
will be heard with as much attention as convenient. Gen-
tlemen,—(cheers)--I have received some letters which I feel
it my duty to read to you. The first, which is from Mr.
Hawes, is addressed to me as your expected chairman, and
was delievered to me by my own expectorating chairwoman.
(Coughing and spitting) :
" Soap Vat, Princes-street, Lambeth.
" Mr. Holmes, Sir,—l cannot attend the proposed meet-
ing as my soap is a biling, and I fear my reception from the
licensed victuallers would not be cordial, nor would there be
much kindliness of spirit amongst the watermen.
" Yours truly,
"B. HAwas."
The next letter I shall read to you, gentlemen (cheering),
is from the Hon. Mr. Humphreys :
" My dear Holmes,—You had better send the people to
their dear homes, and talk no trash about virtue and honesty,
and such like gammon. If you shares in my feelings, will
you like to buy some railway shares,?
" Yours affectionately,
" B. HUMPHREYS."
The last letter, gentlemen (cheering), is from the agents of
Mr. B: Wood :

" Sir,—Mr. B. Wood has got a new silk hankerchief in
his pocket, and no new ideas in his head ; we, therefore,
cannot advise his forming a part of your announced miscel-
laneous collection.

" We are, Sir, yours, &c.,
" DODGSON and FOGG

" To Mr. Holmes, bailiff, &c."

And now, gentlemen (cheering), I shall leave you to com-
mence the businessof the day—giving you the necessary pre-
caution of taking care of your pockets.
Mr. J. Wilson, a retired tailor, arose to propose the first
resolution. Some weavers die at their looms, some at the
tread-mill, but I know an instance of one, who from natural
causes, died in his bed (cries of shame, shame). Conse-
quently, the House of Lords are always interfering with
elections. In consequence of the beer act and the prevalence
of swallows, the market for flies for fishing is very materially
damaged, arising soley from the corn laws. All interests are
sacrificed to Juggernaut, and must be so while we have these

odious laws. But the great Gog and Magog of the question
is, or perhaps I ought to say, are the rents and taxes, and,
therefore, as we are met to discuss an important question,
and as the people are, or perhaps I ought to say, is, the apple
of power, and the House of Commons and Lords, the Adam
and Eve that took the apple—for this reason and no other,
is it that a penny loaf is not sold for a farthing. I therefore
beg in general terms to move that " It's all my eye."
Mr. Beattie Martin, in seconding this resolution, said,

" Tnat the people were the body of England—commerce and
manufacture the two arms, and the police the fists; but those
but those who were at the bottom of all, deserved to be kicked,
if during the peace land was not twice as cheap as it had been
during the war.
Mr. Bedford declared he did not get in,for Reigate, all
owing to the corn laws, he therefore moved, "That the
Whigs be forced to pay him the sum they promised him, for
making a fool of himself."
Mr. Apsley Pellat seconded the motion, and said he lost
his time, his temper, and his two front teeth all owing to the
corn laws.

Mr. Roebuck, accompanied by a cabman, whom he had
not yet paid, and a waterman who was never in want of a fare,
now entered the hall, and having, with the agility of his
species, jumped on Dr. Bowring's back, said, 1 am of an
ancient family ; my original sire drove the pigs out of the ark,
and his grandson wrote Nathan's diary ; yet I am one of the
people ; as yet I have got nothing by it, nor have you. My
friends in the House of Commons are all clever men, par-
ticularly Mr. Ward, the editor and proprietor of the Weekly
Chronicle, whose articles, at least those of the greatest weight,
I write. Do not forget that if you have bread at nothing,
you will have your wages at less—that the whole scheme of
the repeal of the corn laws is a humbug, and that I am of an
ancient family. I move, "That John Arthur Roebuck is an
old English gentleman."
Dr. Bowring first let him down easy, and then seconded
the motion.

Mr. R. Russell moved, " That the fact of men been starved
to death, was mainly attributed to their having nothing to
eat ;" at least he knew this to be the case in one instance.

Mr. Armstrong Walton, in seconding him, decrared, " that
the present government would treat them as all future govern-
ments had done."
Mr. Wilson said, "if he had a small farm he could live
very comfortably."
A vote of thanks was passed in favour of the low High
Bailiff, who on being awaked out of a very refreshing sleep,
said, " What's the row."
On being told, Holmes returned humble thanks to the
people, and the thankful people returned themselves to their
humble homes.—Argus.