The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-08-26 00:00:00

THE A,NTI.CORN-LAW LEAGUE RIOTS.

We are happy to say, that a very small space of the
STANDARD will be occupied with a report of what has taken
place since our last, with reference to the disturbed condition
of the manufacturing and mining districts.

MANCHESTER.
On Tuesday several of the mills resumed work, but the
return of the hands to their occupation was not so general
as had been expected. Au attempt was made in the morn-
ing by a party of men and boys, said to be the hands from
Mr. Kelly's mill, to induce the hands at Mr. Kennedy's mill
to turn out. In this attempt, however, they were only
partially successful, some portion of the hands going out;
but the mill continued to work duriria the day. Several
placards appeared in the course of the day upon the walls,
some being from the masters, showing that the discontent
was fast subsiding, and others from the men, expressingtheir
determination to remain out until a certain increased rate of
wages were agreed to. Several meetings were held, at which
resolutions to a similar purport were passed.
On Wednesday the aspect of affairs had not materially
changed. The mills were very generally in operation with
such hands as came forward, but the bulk of the people still
held out. The town, however, remained quiet, and there ap-
peared a gradually increasing disposition to return to duty
upon the slightest inducement. Meanwhile it was not con-
sidered desirable to reduce the force of the special consta-
bles, and all the arrangements which had been made for the
preservation of order were still strictly maintained.
While the evil has been gradually dying away in the dis-
tricts which were first disturbed, it has been extending in a
circle around them, but not in such a manner as to create any
very serious apprehensions. At Ashton, there was some dis-
turbance on Monday, in consequence of a body of turn-outs
having assembled for the purpose of stopping the silk mill
of Mr. Wanklyn. The mob were with some difficulty dis-
persed by the military. Three prisoners who had been ap-
prehended, were examined before the magistrates, and or-
dered to find sureties for their appearance to take their trial
at the next assizes. At Bolton, Bury, Rochdale, Middleton,
Leigh, Wigan, and Preston, after some few demonstrations
of disorder, tranquillity has been restored, and the mills have
generally resumed work. At Oldham, the operatives have
held several meetings, and listened to the exciting language
of the Chartists, but the various trades were, according to the
latest accounts, gradually resuming labour.
It is said, that a special commission will be, in a short
time, issued for the trial of the numerous prisoners captured
in the course of the riots. The trials will probably take
place very shortly in this as well as the adjacent counties.
At Manchester, during the whole of Wednesday, entire
' tranquility prevailed. The committee of mill-owners and
others, employing work-people in the town and vicinity,
caused the following report to be posted at the Exchange :
; " Chamber of Commerce, 12 o'clock, a.m.,
Tuesday, 23rd August, 1812.
"The committee have to report that, in addition to the
mills and other works which started at the end of last week,
all the remaining fine mills, and several course mills, went
in yesterday, and continue to-day steadily at work.
" That the hands in many other branches of trade resumed
labour yesterday, and also continue steadily at work.
" That the committee have reason to believe, that the dis-
position to return to work among those who are still out, is
gradually increasing.
"That wherever this disposition has manifested itself, and
an opportunity has been afforded to the hands to go to work,
labour has been resumed.
" That previous to starting, parties are recommended to
give notice to the authorities, at the Town Hall, stating the
locality of the works, and the time fixed for starting."

THE RECENT RIOTS.
ADDRESS OF THE LEAGUE.

At a special general meeting of the National Anti-Corn-law
League, held at their rooms in Manchester, this 20th day of
August, 1842, Robert Hyde Greg, Esq., in the chair.
Moved by J. Bright, Esq., of Rochdale ; seconded by H.
Ashworth, Esq., of Turton ; and resolved unanimously, that
the following address be published to the people of the United
Kingdom :
" In the present deplorable state of the country we, the
members of the National Anti-Corn-law League, in special
meeting assembled, whilst wholly disregarding the wicked
and calumnious attacks made upon us by the abettors of
monopoly, feel it to be our duty to recal to the calm consi-
derafton of all classes the long-prevailing, evils against which
we have unceasingly contended—evils which we solemnly
believe to have led to the existing commotions, and which,
unless removed, will inevitably involve the nation in still
greater calamities.
" It will be remembered that, in the autumn of 1838, im-
pelled by the accumulating privations and alarming prospeCts
of the people, a united effort to procure the abolition of the
corn-law was commenced by the establishment of associa-
tions in various parts of the country ; and in the spring of
1839 an appeal was made to the House of Commons by a
numerous body of delegates assembled in London, to be
heard at their -bar. This application the legislature refused.
In 1840 another delegation assembled in London, to press
upon parliament and upon the ministry the necessity of re-
pealing the corn-law. This second appeal was likewise re-
jected. In 1841 another very numerous body of deputies
assembled in the metropolis, and reiterated their arguments,
and produced a mass of facts bearing upon the question of
the corn-law ; but again the legislature refused the act of
justice demanded of them. During the recess between the
sessions of 1841 and 1842, meetings were held in almost
every part of the country (amongst which must be particu-
larised one comprising 650 ministers of religion in Man-
chester, and another of 800 ministers and office-bearers
of Scotch congregations at Edinburgh), proclaiming the
ncoral and physical deterioration of the working classes,
and the ruinous effects of the corn-law upon every de-
partment of industry. With the opening of the session of
1842, seven hundred delegates commenced their sittings in
the metropolis. They sought an interview N6th the prime
minister, who declined to receive them. They published an
apoaling statement of facts, proving the dreadful sufferings
of the great mass of the population, and the intimate con-
nection between those sufferings and the working of the corn
law. The ministry proposed, and the legislature sanctioned
a partial change in the law, worthless as a remedial measure,
and tantamount to an utter denial of the just claims of the
people. Subsequently, the distress of the labouring class
being intense, and whole districts being prostrated, another
delegation assembled in Landon, and had interviews with
the Prime Minister and his colleagues in the government.
They laid before them the state of the country, the impend-
ing destruction of some, and the depression of all trades ;
the intense and wide-spread sufferings of the people ; the
exasperation of feeling and the hopelessness of redress which
prevailed amongst them ; and the danger that some great
social convulsions would result from the infatuated resolu-
tion of the majority of the legislature, despite the prayers of
millions of petitioners to maintain, at all hazards, their
destructive monopoly.
" Having thus pointed out the cause, suggested the re-
medy, and foretold the consequences of delay, our duty was
performed, and we threw the responsibility, as we now do,
upon the government and the legislature.
" It is thus obvious that we had long foreseen, and often
foretold, those disastrous effects of the corn-law which have
been gradually developed, and have continued to increase in
severity, until all the manufacturing districts have been
thrown into a state of convulsion.
" Whilst we most strongly and unequivocally condemn
every breach of the public peace, we desire to express our
sympathy with the unmerited and long-continued sufferings
of the working classes, and our belief that the industrious
population of this country, if justly governed, would inva-
riably be disposed to conduct themselves as peaceable and
honest men and good citizens.
" Finally we consider it our duty to step forward on the
present painful crisis, to declare once more our solid and un-
shaken conviction, that the unjust and inhuman corn-law is
the main cause of the evils which afflict the industrial com-
munity, destroying the profits of the manufacturers, reducing
the wages of the working men, and bringing beggary and
ruin upon a large portion of our countrymen ; and we desire
to record it as our deliberate opinion, that the dense and in-
creasing population of this country cannot be in a prosper-
ous, comfortable, or even contented condition, so long as
they arc subjected to the pressure of the corn-law ; and that
there can be no guarantee for the peace of society or for the
security of life and property, whilst large masses of the peo-
ple are sinking into a state of abject destitution.
We therefore earnestly implore our countrymen of every
class to unite with us in urging upon the government the
necessity of immediately re-assembling the legislature, with
a view to the total abolition of the destructive monopoly in
the food of the people.
**ROBERT HYDE GREG, Chairman."