REVIVAL OF THE ANTI-CORN-LAW LEAGUE. (From the "Watchman," March 3.)

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 650, 7 July 1852, Page 3

REVIVAL OF THE ANTI-CORN-LAW LEAGUE. (From the " Watchman," Ma rch 3.)

The recent accession of the Eail of Derby to office, I which is presumed ia the Noith to be the signal for ' on attempt to le^tore the Coin-laws, has aroused the council and members of the Anti-Corn-l.uv League in Manchester to renewed activity. A public pie litmnary meeting of the membeis of the council of the League, nnd of others disposed to join them, took place yesterday, in Newall's-buildings, Manchester The meeting was fixed for three o'clock, and about that hour from 400 lo 500 gentlemen were present. Mr. George Wilson, (the Conner chairman of the League,) presided on the occasion. Letters (rom gentlemen in various parts of the countiy woe circulated in tha me< ting, as specimens of the feeling existing in the different manufacturing districts. The Chairman said they had taken the liberty of convening the council of the Anti Cora-law League, and the friends of free-trade generally, to confer on the present important aspect of the question. Nothing bin the giavp&t crisis could justify them in once more summoning the council of that consiituiional hotly, which some time ago olosed its labours under the impression that they would never more be called into existence. (Hear, hear.) But they had now to deal, not with a Convervative Government — for the League repudiated all reference to party politics— but thpy had to deal with Lord Stanley, surrounded by colleagues every one whom was pledged to the restoration of piotection. (Hear, hear.) They had tdk'ii counsel [ rovious jo uil-

ling this meeting, with all those friends who had supported them during seven yeai6, and their advice was unanimous to take into considoiation at once the propiiety ol reconstituting the League. (Cheers,) Mr. Cobden, in the com so of a long addiess, said— I have no object in appearing lieie to serve any purpose of paity polit cs. 1 will take no steps to displace any body of men as mere politicians, and to replace them in their situation hymen oi another complexion of party politics. 1 appear here to advocate a cause which experience has shown to be worthy of a single effort ; and if you decide upon renewing those efforts, it must be with the same rules and regulations which led us to victory oa the List occasion. We shall strictly confine ourt-elves to the object for which we have met together. In the most exaggerated flights of my fancy 1 never expected such resul's from the labours of the League as have bepn realised within the last four years. Take one fact which comprises our whole case. Since the day we laid down our arms, the importation into this country of grain and flour of all kinds for human subsistence has been equivalent to fifty millions of quarters of grain — (loud cheers) — a larger quantity than was imported during the thirty-one years preceding 1846— that is fiom the peace of 1815 to the time we brought our labour to a close. (Hear, hear.) You have, at the lowest computation, five millions of ouf countrymen subsisted from the corn brought from foreign countries. (Cheers.) What does that one fact say of the amount of comfort which you have brought to the homes of so many families? (Cheers.) What does it say for the peace, and prosperity, and security of the domestic life of those five millions, who, without your exertions, would have been left to penury, or to subsist on potatoes? (Cheers.) You may lead your history in a nation's ejes. You may tiace it in the improved clothing and improved habits of the people — in the diminished pauperism and ciimeof all classes. You may see it in every way by which you may choose to test the condition of the people at large. (Cheers.) Now if wp have done so much, what have we not nverted ! (Hear, hear.) How much suffering lies behind these piivations ! What a mass of suffering would there have been but for our triumph ! How much of vice and crime, and of consequent misery, would have pervaded the people, but for the importation of that amount of human subsistence! (Cheers.) These are our reasons, which sufficiently justify us in renewing our efforts for maintaining the ground which we have achieved. Now, witli regard to the course recommended by the resolution which the Chairman has lead, it is proposed that you should re-oiganize the League ; that you shonkl send out circulars to all your old friends and colleagues tin oughout the country, to rouse them to a course of action in order to prevent the return of men who are not pledged to free trade in corn ; and, further, it is proposed that you should memorialize the Queen, and call upon your friends and colleagues in other parts of the country also to memorialize the Queen, in order to dissolve the Pailiamenf, and to give the country an opportunity of pronouncing a final judgment on this question. (Cheers.) I want to bring this question to a definite i«.sue, without being mixed up with other questions. We have not only our friends who would wish to blend other questions with ours, which would materially. damage our cause, but our enemies are playing the same game. (Cheeis.) I except that all sorts of charges will be brought against you by men whose object will be to change the issue of this question from corn to something else. I should not wonder if they were to attempt to raise the question of monarchy itself. (" Hear," and laughter.) Now, 1 sa X' S lve tj3e enerajr xio time. (Loud clieers.} Let this question of the Coin-laws occupy the front rank, and let it be the only question for those who think that this is a question that can be settled by one effort more lin the course of the next three months. (Cheers.) Lef this question take precedence and you will bring it to a successful issue. (Cheers.) But I am told that j we must allow the Protectionists to remain in office for twelve months, because it will give them an opportunity of abandou'ng all their principles, and cheating their friends. (Cheers and laughter.) Now I don't believe that the Earl of Derby and his colleagues are half so base as these advocates take them to be. (Hear, hear, hear.) What! the men who hunted that illustrious statesmen almost to the grave for having abolished the Corn-laws— whose sole political capital from that time to this has been the sarcasm and obloquy with which they have corered his name and fatno, and the abuse and denunciations which they have levelled at the gentlemen of the Manchester school— that these very men are going to do, not what Sir R. Peel did, but ten times wors.r, is almost iacredible. Sir R. Peel, when he found it necessary and believed it advi-able that the Corn-laws should be abolished, resigned. He remained out cf office nineteen days. lie said the Coin-laws must Tib abolished, but I am not the man to do it ; and he allowed the Whigs the opportunity of coming in to accomplish that object. It was only when tLey j declared themselves incapable that he came in with his colleagues, and did that which he was declared the last man to do. He did not carry all his colleagues with, him, but left one behind. That one was the Earl of Derby. (Hear, hear.) And are we to believe that the Enrl of Derby and his colleagues are coming into office, simply and solely because they would get rid of principles which he has denounced his former colleagues for holding? (Hear, hear.) I don't believe it. To believe it, would assume we bad fallen to a lower state in political morality than they have fallen even in France. I believe they came into office with a view of carrying \ out those professions. (Hear, hear.) We must raise the question, and keep it raised until it is finally disposed of. (Cheers.) You know that Mr. Villiera, your tried and best friend in the bouse, has given, notice of a motion to biing the house to a test on thia question. (Cheers.) As it has been said that Mr. Villiers is the brother of the Earl of Clarendon, and mny have a Whig object in. bringing forward that motion, I may state once for all that it was done at our instance. (Cheers.) He said to me, "You might bring forward the motion, probably, with more propriety yourself." But I said it was due to him, who had so nobly maintained the principle in the House of Commons, that nobody should intervene on this question while he remained there. (Cheers.) The teims of the motion were given to him in writing, that there should be a declaration that the house could have no confidence in any Government that did not retain inviolate the principle of Free-trade in corn. (Cheers.) Mr. Villiers proposed to leave out all reference to the administration, because he did not wish to show the semblance of any party attack. The indirect threat held nut by the Earl of Derby, that if we do not behave ourselves in the House of Commons, he will dissolve Parliament, and make an appeal to the country, is likely to be influential with a large body of the Houße of Commons, unless you bring public opinion to bear upon them. (Hear, hear.) If you are vigilant with, your lepresentatives, a majority of the Houso of Commons will screw up their courage and face a dissolulu n rather than incur the liability of your displeasure m another way. (Cheers.) But weave told that besides the inconvenience of a dissolution, great danger might aiise fiom taking such a step. Be prepared for that. Our merchants, our manufacturers, our shipowners, our colonists, wish to know how this matter is to be settled — they wish to enter into matters extending over two or three years, whilst, above all, the question of wages and profits is most intimately bound up in this question. (Cheers.) Talk to mo of intrigues between the diplomatists of Vienna and Paris — talk to me of some chicanery or trickery of the President of the Fiench Republic—talk to me of these evils, as compared with the disturbance of the whole tiade of the country, and I say theie can be no evil so great as having this question unsettled. (Cheers.) But they say you cannot form another udministiation except this — that you cannot cany on the business of Pailiament unless you have either the Protectionists or the Whigs in office. But they forget that when this question is settled the Protectionist party will disappear. (Cheers.) I say, have a dissolution — put the question of Protection out' of the way, as you will by a dissolution, and you will never have a paity in Pailiament founded on it. (Hear, hear.") Let us put the Government on one of three comses — either they must fully recant their principles of Protection, or they must ies,ign their seats in the Government, or they must dissolve the Pailiament — (cheer*)— one of these three couises we will compel them to adopt — (loud cheers) —and when you have effected either of these objects, you will have accomplished all you have in view. The hon. member concluded, amidst loud cheers, by moving the first resolution — "That an administration having been foimed, committed by every pledge lii.it cm bind the honour of public men to attempt to leimpose a duty on corn, it is resolved that the Anti-Coin Law League be te-consti-tutwl under the rules and i emulations by which that body was fonaeily oiganised." Mr. Robert Ashton, of Hyde, seconded the resolu. tion. The Piotcctinnists had been going under a name which did not belong to them. It was past benrin j that men should come forward and call themselves tho saviouis of their countiy, and have nothing to' propose but a method of picking their nuighbouid' pockets by act of Paiii.imont. (Cheers, and laugh. lei.)

The Chahman then put the resolution, which was carried unanimous'y. Mr. James llatvey, of Liverpool, then rose to con■demn the langungo of the last speaker, and propose an amendment ; hut was declared out of order, the motion having been disposed of, Mr. M. Gibson rose to move the second resolution. He had looted at the addresses issued by the members of the new Government to their constituents, and had obsei ved one remarkable omission in them, and that was the omission of the word " protection." (Laughter ) <But there was something which, if not called protection, looked very much like it. lie had read a passage in the address of th<? Right Hon. Mr. Christopher, who said, " I have accepted office under the administration of Lord Derby from the conviction of a sincere desire to rererse that financial and commercial policy that has proved so injurious to native industry and capital." (•' Oh !" and laughter.) It was said and believed, that at a private meeting of the supporters of the present Prime Minister a promise was made that his administration was to stand or fall by protection ; and on no other ground could it secure the support of that party. He considered that the constituencies ought to be awakened to the danger of their position, and that strong and immediate action should be taken in order to secure the verdict of the country on the important question of monopoly verms fiee-trade. (Cheers.) He moved the second resolution — " That tlie Council of the League be requested to put themselves into immediate communication with their friends in all pans of the kingdom, urging them to immediate aciion to prevent the return to Parliament of candidates iv favour of thp re-enactment, under whatever pretence or form, of any duty upon the importation of foreign coin." Mr. Hajwood, M.P., in seconding tbe resolution, considered this the most important crisis which had occurred in the affairs of this country since the repeal of the corn laws in 18J6, and he thought the meeting wouid hear with much pleasure that the personal friends and followeis of the late Sir R, Peel were standing steadily by tbe Free-tratle cause. (Cheers.) His belief was that the whole of the party commonly known ns Peelites were to be trusted in the piesent crisis. He had no doubt whatever that tlie lesult of an appeal to tbe country would be a decided majority on the side of Free-trade Cheers.) Mr. Harvey again rose in tbe body of the room, to address the meetin» ; but the confusion that prevailed, rendered him inaudible. He was understood to assert that tbe present cheapness of bread arose from the deficiency of money,— a statment that was received with roars of laughter, — and proposed an amendment, tvhich was ultimately withdiawn, and vbe motion was put, and carried unanimously. Mr. Bright, who was received with enthusiastic cheering, moved the third resolution :— " That, considering how essential it is to t'.e welfare of the agricultural, manufacturing, colonial, an.) shipping interests, as well as to the peace and prosperity d~ fi >° great body of the people, that the free-trade question should be permanently settled by an appeal to the country—resolved that a memorial to tbe Queen, praying for «q immediate dissolution of parliament, be signed by the Chairman, on behalf of this meeting, and transmitted for presentation to her Majesty." He thought that very good and sufficient grounds might be shown for the course they were taking, which he considered was calculated speedily to attain the object they had been endeavouring to accomplish v for some fifteen years — tbe complete, final, and irrevocable settlement of the question whether tbe people of this country should or sbould not have tbe liberty to purchase food as cheaply as it could be obtained in tbe maikets of tbe whole world. He considered that they ought to treat the present government as if its members intended to do that now they were in office which they had a thousand times said they would do when they were in opposition. (Hear, hear. ) So far as the present ministry were connected with those laws, he would assert that a party more hostile to the true inrerests of the country and more revolutionary in its character — (cheers) — never beld the reins of office. lie then directed their atteuticn to the personnel of the Administration, that it might be seen bow Air they reprpsented rJ .tbe people. With tbe exception of borough members, representing very small constituencies, the present was really a Government of tbe country representatives, with regard to which Lord Derby had himself said «' Give me the names of half-a-dozen of the principal landowners, and their politics, and I will tell you the politics of the country." Such a Goverment could have no sympathy with the wants and wishes of tbe industrial classes. Mr. Bright concluded by reading the resolution, and also a memorial to the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty, bes<*ecbmg her Majesty, in the just exercise of her Royal prerogative, to cause the great issue now pending between the respon- ] cible advisers of tbe Crown and the people at laige to be forthwith and finally determined by a speedy dissolution | of Parliament. Mr. Bazley said that he had a conversation with the late Sir R. Peel shortJy before his death. He told Sir K. Peel that the people of Lancashire and Yoikshire were better employed and in the enjoyment of more of the iubstantial comforts of life, and that he attributed tbe happiness and prosperity they enjoyed to the right hon. baronet's fiscal measures. Sir 11. Peel replied very emphatically, " I am exceedingly glad to hear what you tell me; take care to keep wlut you have got." The Chairman said he bad received information of a meeting held that morning at Sheffield, at which it was resolved to co-operate with the League if it should be reorganized, and that the council might reckon upon the enthusiastic support of the town of Sheffield. (Cheers.^ Mr. Abbworth, of Turton, moved the fourth resolution : — "That in order to carry out tbe above resolution, a subscription be forthwith commenced, and that a cal of 10 per cent, upon all subscriptions of £10 and up-1 wards be made ; snbgcriHtions under that amount to be paid in full." Mr. KcnsiiAW. M.P->bad made some investment of property in the late League, and thought he bad been most abundantly compensated, not only in his own business, but in the impioved condition of the great , mass of tbe rmmmmiiy. The resolution was unanimously carried. Papers were then handed round, and, after a short inteml, the Chairman announced, amid the cheers of the meeting, renewed at Ihe mention of each name, fifteen subscriptions of £I,COO each; fifteen subscriptions of £500 ; two of £300 ; six of £25 ; five of£200; one of £150; eighteen of £l0o: ten of .£"50 ; beside six small sums In about twenty-five minutes tbe Chairman announced that £27,500 bad been tubscribed, being at the rate of more than £1,000 per minute. (Cheers.) The meeting, before separating gave three hearty cheeri ior the reconsti uction of tbe League.