The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-02-18 00:00:00

ANNUAL MEETr.cG OF THE CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE.

Mr, M Eiening.
The annual meeting of theanches
Cham te
ber ofond
Comay merce took
place this day, and was rather numerously attended. J. B.
Smith, Esq., the president of the chamber, filled the chair.
A very lengthy report was presented from the board of
directors, of which the most important portions are sub-
joined. It entered into a detailed statement of the steps
taken by the directors in reference to the following subjects :. • —Equalization of the duties on sugar and coffee; the.duty on
raw cotton ; the Manchester an Birmingham extension
railway ; timber duties ; the penny postage ; steam commu-
nication with India via the Red Sea ; 'cultivation of cotton in
India; Mexico; the Prussian Longue; and the interruption
of the trade with China. It then proceeded— •
" The board have just glanced at the principal subjects
which have occupied their attention during the peat year,e—
a year that will long be remembered for the extreme difficul-
ties and losses sustained by the capitalists of this iiistrict, as
well as for the privations and sufferings endured. by great
numbers of the industrious classes. The combined evils re-
sulting from a fluctuating scale of duties upon foreign core,.
in first enhancing the price of food in the home market, and
then causing a contraction of the currency in the sudden pay-
ment for a supply of grain from abroad,. have, during the
past year, inflicted upon the entire trading and industrious
communities, a vast amount of embarrassment, loss, and
misery. In the midst of the distress brought upon us by
the operation of an unwise and unjust law, it affords some
consolation to observe the great progress which sound com-
mercial views have made in the public mind. When, a
little above twelve months ago, a majority of this clian-lbere
publicly declared its hostility to the principle of imposing_
a tax upon the necessary food of the people, many persons .
were found who were opposed to any change whatever in the ,
present law ; but, although differences may exist as to the7exs . .
tent of alteration necessary, the experience of the past year
has forced, upon every enlightened and reflecting mind,
the conviction that the present Corn-law must be repealed. •
The great and rapid change of opinion which has taken place
upon this subject may, doubtless, in a great measure, be at-.
tributed to the persevering efforts that 'have beerf,made to.:-
rouse and enlighten the public mind upon thia-mornentouS-.
• question ; and the board have seen with s..atisfaction .that the
public spirit and intelligence of its ieliabite-UU have raised. Manchester to the foremost rank among the hundreds of. • towns which have united to effect the abolition of one of the • most unjust and destructivelaws.;evey passed by theolegislas. .•
ture of any country.
" The hoard have purposely delayed the calling of a gene,:
ral meeting of the 'members of the chamber, to take into
consideration the propriety of petitioning parliament for
the repeal of the corn-laws, thinking it eipedient to wait till after .
the late all-engrossing public demonstrations in Manchester.
in favour of the same object, lied taken place. They feel it,.
however, to be a paramount duty to give to the members an
opportunity, at least once in each session of parliament, to petition for a repeal of this law, and they recommend their •
successors to take the earliest opportunity of calling a special
general meeting of the chamber for this object.
" The present juncture calls for increased exertion on the
part of this chamber to emancipate our council -from the
fetters with which its energies are bound. The tariff of the
German league will shortly undergo a revision ; and upon the • ..
policy pursued by our government previously to 1842, with
reference to the import duties upon the productions of Ger-
many, will depond whether we shall regain the rich and
extensive markets of central Europe for our manufactures, ••
or whether they shall be for ever closed against us. elt is • .
expected that the tariff of the United States will come under - •
discussion in that country in the course of next year. - A •
.... vast population has grown up in the interior states of the union, whose surplus production consists of corn and othee
articles of food, their voice will go flur to determine thechae:
racter of the future commercial intercourse between America..
and this country. If wisdom oirect our proceedings, we
shall adopt such a policy in regard to import duties upon the -
natural productions of the United States, as will secure to
us increasing commerce with the people of- that important
country. The Brazilian treaty expires in about two }ears, • -
and the government of Brazil has already given notice that
• it will not consent to. its renewal, and unless our discrimi- •
nating duties, which operate as a prohibition against the im-
portation of the coffee and sugar of that country he relaxed,
we shall probably be excluded from that important market.
Remembering that our exports of cotton goods to the Brazils
I exceed in amount those sent to any other country, it will be
seen that this is a subject of vast importance to
interests of this district.
" Whilst still suffering a continuance of the long-pro-
tracted prostration of our manufacturing industry, it• becomes
a matter of the deepest importance to inquire hoes, we are tb
create such a demand for our productions abroad as shall
give the means of subsistence to this industriouS community,
and supply a profitable field of employment for our capital.
" It ought not to be concealed, that most of the prosperity
which we enjoyed in 1836, and the few previous years, was
caused by an increase of credits, the offspring of an unnatu-
ral extension of banking and currency operations. here and
in America. Our manufactures were, in consequence, sent
to the United States in far greater quantities than its people, -
under the existing law, which restricts the interchanges be-
tween the two countries, either required or could pay for
and when an end was put to the system of credit, out of•
which this excessive importation into America arose, it. was
found that a very large aincunt of British goods was held
there in stock, whilst, at the same time, a great increase of
the manufactures of this country had, from the same causes,
been going on. Our merchants had also glutted almost eve-
ry distant market with their shipments. The excessive bank-
ing operations, in which this over-trading originated, are
obviously not likely to be soon repeated, nor is it desirable
that thew should. The inquiry is therefore forced upon us,
where shall we find other and more legitimate channels for
an outlet for our manufactures?
"The board have given the most anxious consideration to
this question, and they have arrived at the unanimous con-
viction, that, nothing hut the removal of those legislative re-
strictions by which our commerce is impeded—nothing, in
short, but the carrying out in practice that principle of free
trade which has, for nearly twenty years, been theoretically
only the rule of our commercial policy., can impart to this
district a solid and durable prosperity."
After some further proceedings, thanks were then voted to
the Directors for their services of the past year, and tei the
Chairman, and. the meeting hroke_iip. • •

.]
LIVERPOOL INSTITUTION FOR CURING
DISEASES OP THE EAR.
'NO. 5, MOUNT-PLEASANT, NEAR TriE ADELPIII HOTEL.
Established August, 1839.

Number of Patients who have been pirc:scribed for, and who
have obtained Surgical Assistance during the month of
.11inuary
Total Since the commencement . . . . _

Attendance on Tuesday and Saturday, at eleven o'clock
Mr. Neill, Operating Surgeou.

MONTHLY RIZ SLATER-STREET,
OPHTH I
ALMIC NFIRMARYR. SLATER-STREET,
ta
m A.D. 1820.
New Patients admitted in themonth of Jan
Patients prescribed for, and who have received Surgical t 7vEi
Assistance during the month of Jan. • )

Total since the cornmencerrient.... 29,327
Dr. Edwards and Mr. Neill, Surgeous.
Mr. W. P. Ilutchinson, Treasurer.

GRAND JUNCTION RAILICAI:.

. _ . The following are the 'Times of Departure from
~Lime-street,
Liverpool, and from Liverpool.road, Manchester
TIMES OF DEPRTE - FROM LIVERPOOL AND MANCHESTER TO BIRMINGHAM-
-3 30 a.m. First Class, joins Lomteu Train at 8 30 a.m.
6 a.m. Mixed
/9
8 15 a.m. First Class 12
~ •
10 30 a.m. First Class 1 15 p.m.
61,
12 15 p.m. First Class 4 p.m.
• 4 p.m. Mixed 6 p.m.
7 p.m. First Class , „ ~ 12
FROM BIRMINGHAM TO LIVERPOOL AND MANCHESTER
2 15 a.m. First Class—Meets N. Union Train to Preston
at Parkside.

a.m. Mixed Train do
1i 30 a.m. Fire Class
2 15 p.m. First Class
2 45 p.m. First Cla;•s—Meets N. Mann Train to Prezton
at Parkside.

3 30 p.m. Mixed
6 p.m. First Class
On Sunday the nextlizres will le
3 30 a.m. First Class, joins London Train at 8 30 a.ni.
8 15 n.m. Mixed
10 30 a.m.
13'0 p.m.
PP
7 p.m.
2 15 a.m. First Clai
7 30 a.m. Mixtu
11 30 a.m. „
245 p.m. „
The Trains on Sundays stop at First Class Stations only.

aqntft,