Viz ro b in re4. .

At Leeds, on Tuesday, many thousand persons assembled to consider the question of Corn-law repeal. Mr. Feargus O'Connor had publicly anummeed that he should attend the meeting " to assert the rights of labour," and the Physical Force men attended in force. The Court- house seas the place fixed for the meeting ; but, in consequence of the large numbers desirous of being present at the discussion, it seas agreed to adjourn to the Cloth-hall. The Mayor took the chair. Mr. Alder- man Goodman moved the first resolution—

'flint in the opinion of this meeting, all men have an inalienable right to file free exchange of the produce of' their capital, skill, and labour, for the prAcetions of the people of their own or of foreign nations,. and that all re- strictions on the interchange of nations are unjust in principle, as they tend to direet the industry of each into its least profitable and beneficial channels of employment, and to foment national animosity, and are most impolitic and in- , Janina."

resulutitin having been seconded,. Mr. Feargus'Connor. ;os.a.

move an amendment. lie said— • . .

44 1 am now Ong to appealito your judgment,' and .to that solely s and the . amendment-Which I shall propose to this first resolution -is -in order :totost. your self-esteem and your self-respect, and to • show that .I am wishful for a. more extensive repeal V the Corn-laws than even that resolution would go to effiet—for I am in favour of a total repeal of the Corn-laws. (Cheers, an a cry of "Were you when Member for Cork ?") The question is, whether Or no the Corn-laws shall be repealed for you, [pointing -to the Merchants and others on the hustings] or for you, [pointing to the operatives.] Gentlemen, if the Corn-laws are repealed by a class, that repeal will he productive of advantage. to a party only ; wliereas, if the Corn-laws are repealed by all, they wtil he productive of advautage to all. * * * Although I have heard much, both at tide and previous nieetings, with reference to time object to be attained by a repeal of the Corn-laws, I have not forgot that, when proposing this question to Parliament lust year, Mr. Clay, an honest and upright witticism, a manV. pourer, let the emit fiiirly out of the bag, by telling the House, that with re-, gard to the repeal of the Corn-laws it was that we might have cheaner food, and that the manufacturers might get their work done for lower wages, n order- that they might be able to compete with the cheap bread foreigners abroad. In Birminglam they have tried this question, and in Glasgow and otherplaces they have tried it ; and in each and every one of those places they have favly.failed; (Lond cries of " No, no ! ") Gentlemen, we will try this meeting. The piciS poser of this resolution says, there should be a free mtemehange of produce be- tween all people of all nations. I agree with him, gentlemen ; but 1 de net hear a word in that resolution of the unjust taxation of the country, which makes it hupossible to compete with other countries. (" Question, question ! Who says question ? Why this is the whole question. The question, work- lug men, is whether or not you are to be intrusted. with the safe keeping-of that. which your masters tell you you ought to possess. I agree with theni you ought to have R repeal of the Corn-laws ; but you will agree with. me when I say, if you are entitled to a repeal of those laws, you are also mitified to ths distribution of the good arising from that measure. If the merchants and manufnet eters are sincerely in favour of a repeal of the Corn-hates, • don't see ally reason why they should Object to my proposition, which goea at mice to repeal—the total repeal of the Cotn-haws.'

Mr. O'Connor concluded his speech by Moving- " That we consider all restrictions upon the importation of foreign grain as unjust in principle and injurious in its effects_ nevertheless we are of 'opinion that no salutary alteration can be made in the -present system until those for Whose benefit the change is contemplated shall have a voice in the choice of those Representatives to whom shall be intrusted the power of preventing the recurrence of SO great an CYll Its time present Corn-law."

Mr. Smiles, editor of the Leeds Timers, Mr. Joshua Bower, and other gentlemen, objected to mix up the extension of the franchise with the distinct question of abolishing the Corn-laws. Mr. Flint read, from the .:1/irror if Parliament, a speech delivered by Mr. O'Connor when Member for Cork, in opposition to the repeal of the Corn-laws; and strongly objecting to connecting with it any question of general poli- tics. Mr. O'Connor frequently interrupted .Mr. Phut ; but that gentle- man persevered, and completely demonstrated the inconsistency of Mr. O'Connor's present proceedings as a professed enemy of the Corn-laws, with his support of the landlords' monopoly when he represented Cork County. Mr. O'Connor replied to Mr. Plint ; but was assailed by hisses; and cries of " Turncoat ! Blunderbuss ! Turanian!" He said that though the people could not obtain a repeal of the Corn-laws, " by the bless- ing of God, if he lived," they would get Universal Suffrage. The question was put, and Mr. Feargus O'Connor's amendment was rejected by a majority of three to one. O'Connor and his party then left the meeting; and the other resolutions were carried unanimously.

The Liverpool Sessions-house was crowded on Wednesday, by an assembly of the leading merchants of Liverpool, to petition the Legis- lature to abolish the Corn-laws. The meeting was summoned by the Mayor, in compliance with a requisition numerously signed by men of all political parties. It appeared, however, that at a preliminary meet- ing of Tories, some differences occurred, the consequence of which was the absence of those who were favourable to abolition, whilst the up- holders of the present system went to oiler opposition to the petition.

Mr. Thoruely, M.P. for Wolverhampton, proposed the first resolu-

tion— • " That in a country of limited territory in proportion to its population, the resources of numulitetures and foreign commerce are absolutely necessary to the support of internal prosperity, and to the maintemmce of a position of power and influence in reference to foreign states."

He hoped that many gentlemen present had attended the late meating in Manchester— The people there, from their peculiar position at the head of the cotton- trade of the world, exporters of maunfactures to every part of the globe, -quo better inflamed than others as to the grievous interfereuce with the trails of their distriri, owing to the establishment of manuthetures in every foreign country. The &citifies for the establishment of manufacturers in foreign coun- tries were very great. Every machine made in England was capable of being exported ; or at least there was no difficulty whatever in the man who con- structed it transporting himself, and establishing manufactures in rivalry of our own. 'We bad great difficulties to contend with. We haul an enormous na- tional debt, and we were bound to pay the interest of that debt. But the pressure of that debt was an additional reason why every restriction ought, as far as possible, to be removed, so as to give free scope to the industry of the people. Ile had alluded to the cotton-trade; but there was scarcely a trade in the country that was not, to a certain extent, similarly circumstanced. A friend of his, then in court, had declared that the manufacturers on the borders of the Rhine, he believed, could undersell him He had been asked if it was a fact, as stated in the petition to be submitted to the meetnig, that the people of the Continent could successfully compete with us in hard-ware and cutlery? He could prove most unanswerably that such was the case. The manufac- turers of Sheffield had represented to Government, that not only were they successfully competed with in hard-ware and cutlery, but that manufactures were brought into the bonded warehouses of London chiefly, with the forged marks of the English manufacturer, and sold here, for exportation to the Colo- nies and elsewhere, at a cheaper rate than they could be furnished at by the manutheturers whose names were forged upon them. • * * * lie had, a day or two ago, received a letter from one of his constituents at Wolver- hatnpton, in which he said, that thy were there with the- icon and coal under their feet, and yet, front the rate of subsistence, the • price of food, they were unsold by the hard-ware manufacturers of the Coutirant of Europe.

Mr. Christopher Bawdon iu seconding the resolution, said that he had suffered considerably from the competition of foreign inautltetur- ers— Ile had been driven froth One Market after another; and twoyears ago-he had been informed that the French could undersell "thein. lit had beenmformed: by is correspondent in Columbia that goods could be obtained cheaper from Aix-la-Chapelle than they could be supplied from this country. He had con- sequently been obliged to abandon the whole trade, and could no longer furnish the same employment tothe British labourer.

. . .

The reSO ntion was Carried, with few dimentients.

Mr. Henry Booth moved, that "the tendency of the present code of Corn-laws was to cripple commerce and manufactures, and destroy the main sources of national prosperity "—seconded by Mr. James Mulli- newt.

Mr. Duncan Gibb moved an amendment— "That this meeting is satisfied that, after the experience of eleven years, the existing laws for the protection of the British agriculturist have proved them- selves to be just, politic, and salutary,—just, because the landed interest is en- titled to the same protection and encoura,gethent which are freely yielded to the manufacturing and mercantile interests of the country ; politic, because a loge 'and stated supply of foreign grain, while it would in the .first place essen- tially injure the British grower, and limit the extent of home cultivation, Would. eventually render us dependent, more or less, upon foreign nations for a vital article of food—a condition which, in the event of war, might prove most inconvenient, if not most disastrous; and salutary, because, in ordinary years, the fair fields and golden harvests of England have been found fully adequate to the wants of her people, and the labourer, who has tilled those fields and reaped them down, has been protected so as to enjoy his rightful share of the common prosperity; while in years of scarcity, like the present, through the ingenious and admirable working of the laws in question, the ports of the kingdom Open at the moment when foreign corn is needed, and supplies of flour are poured in upon us till they are needed no more. That on these grounds, this meeting is of opinion, that it would be highly inexpedient to propose to Parliament to make any alteration in the existing Corn-laws."

Mr. Dunlevie seconded the amendment ; and descanted upon the superior importance and value of the agricultural over the commercial and manuflicturing interests. He stood forward as the friend of the poor ; for the immediate effect of abolishing the Corn-laws would be a reduction of wages. Mr. George Holt, Mr. Ottiwell Wood, Mr. John Smith, Mr. Law- rence Heyworth, Mr. Benjamin Smith, and Mr. Owen, supported the resolution. Mr. Hardy wished the opponents of the Corn-laws to be consistent, and advocate the removal of protecting-duties upon tea, coffee, sugar, and every other article. Mr. Lloyd maintained, that to abolish the Corn-laws would be to sacrifice the interests of the many to the benefit of the few.

When the question was put, about fifty hands were held up for the amendment; and the original resolution was carried.

Mr. Joshua Walmesley moved— That merchants and manufacturers, whose trade and calling are with other nations, have as undoubted and undeniable a right to dispose of their commodities or manufactures to distant countries, and to receive in return the rodue4 of those countries, as the landowner has to reap the produce of his fields, and to dispose of that produce as may best conduce to his own advan- tage."

He said the real question was— Whether the great body of the people of this country, the producers of our national wealth, Shall continue to labour twelve or fourteen hours per day, ill-

clothed, and little better than half-fed, not only without the slightest prospect of ever bettering their condition, but with the moral certainty, if the present Corn-laws be continued, of its yearly becoming worse—whether the resources of this country, the skill and industry of her inhabitants, her manufacturing

superiority shall he sacrificed en masse to satisfy the cupidity of a monopoliz- ing lauded aristocracy ? What, Inc asked, could the landewner offer to com-

pensate for the virtual exclusion of our manual productions from the various markets of the world ? HOW could they indemnify us tbr the formidable rivalry which their monopoly is yearly raising up against our manufacturing skill in every quarter of the globe? Is it by yearly squandering large sums, and working the bone and muscle of the people in cultivating barren soils, merely to add to the value of their previous acres To tell us that the home market is better than the foreign, Ashen at home our goods will only exchange for one-half the quantity of food they would command elsewhere, is little less absurd than the fallacious doctrine so wickedly but so industriously propa- gated, that the price of labour is dependent on the price of food.

Mr. Rathbone said, he could state a fact mentioned to him by Mr. Smith, who spoke at the Manchester meeting, and which might be re- lied upon— A gentleman in Calcutta sent an order for cutlery anti hanlware to this country, which was to be of certain patterns ; and the price of which was to

be within certain limits. Shortly afterwards, the gentleman himself came

from Calcutta, and found that the order could not be executed at less than an advance of twenty-five per cent, on the limits prescribed by him. He went to the Continent, where he had the order executed at a reduction of ten per cent. on the price mentioned by him ; that is, thirty-five per cent, below what it could be furnished for in Sheffield. A gentleman who had travelled through the manufacturing districts of England went afterwards through the manufac- turing districts of the Continent ; and he had said that the statements made by Mr. Smith at the Manchester meeting were not exaggerated. To this gen- tleman, an individual who had gone on the Continent and established there a manufactory said, "I wish to throw a Manchester man out of the Continental markets." "How can you accomplish that? " was demanded. "I will under- sell him." "Then you must lose." " No s if I sell twelve per cent. below. him, I am only foregoing my profits ; and, thetefore, I have only to forego may profits for a short time, and I shall entail a loss of ten per cent. upon LIM, and must ultimately ruin him."

Mr. Murray, an artisan, spoke against the Corn-laws, with force and ability, and received frequent applause. The resolution was agreed to ; the dissentients having dwindled down to about a dozen.

The next resolution, moved by Mr. James Aikin, and seconded by Mr. George Holt, was to the effect that agricultural labourers were in- jured by the Corn-laws. Alderman Evans moved, that a petition, embodying the substance of the resolutions, be adopted by the meeting. Mr. Thomas Bolton said, that the meeting had shown an equitable regard for existing interests, by not asking for an immediate abolition of the Corn-laws ; and he hoped that this moderation would secure an equitable consideration of their claims. The 'Town-Clerk read the petition. It expressed a hope that "this act ofjustice to the people might be accomplished as speedily as might be consistent with a due regard to the equitable claims of the parties

!concerned ;". and,eoneluded-with a prayer that the petitioners, by them- 'selves and counsel; might be heard at the bar of the House of Commons in support of the allegation contained in the petition. flirlderman'Sheil.moved an amendment,- "Your 'petitioners therefore humbly pray, that your .Honourable House, .taking the premises into consideration, will be pleased to adopt immediate and effixtmal means for the immediate and entire repeal of all the laws restricting

the importation of food. And. in support of the allegations of this their peti- tion, your petitioners pray to be heard by themselves, their counsel, and agents, at the bar of your Honourable House."

He thought that the boast of exhibiting consideration for the interests of the landlords, who having a preponderance in the Legislature were well able to take care of themselves, was perfectly uncalled for. Mr. T. Harvey seconded the amendment. A long discussion ensued ; but when the amendment was put to the vote, only twenty hands were held up against it. It was decided that the petition to the Commons should be trans- mitted for presentation to the Members for Liverpool, and that to the Lords to Earls Fitzwilliam and Sefton; and that a subscription should be immediately entered into for the purpose of defraying the expenses of supporting the petition.

At a meeting of the Birmingham Town-Council, on Tuesday, it was resolved that the Mayor be requested to call a public meeting to petition Parliament for "a total repeal of the Corn and Provision Law. The Anti-Corn-law Association had previously requested the Mayor to call a meeting for that purpose.

The inhabitants of Kendal were to meet on some day dining the pre- sent week to petition Parliament for a repeal of the Corn-laws. Let them instruct their Representative, Mr. George William Wood, to in- sist upon Ministerial opposition to the Corn-laws as the condition of his support. But what would Lord Thanet say to that?

The North Lincolnshire " landed interest," with their dependents, had a dinner, with speeches, on Monday, at Barton. Lord Yarborough's health was proposed ; and Lord -Worsley, in reply said—

Lord Yarborough was at present in the Isle of Wight, but though so far distant, he could not fail to take a deep interest in the object for which they were assembled. Be had made him acquainted with the intention of bolding

the meeting ; and in a letter in answer, he skid he never knew a time when there appeared so much excitement respecting the Corn-laws ; he had known corn much higher than at present, and he could, not imagine why so much nwre ado should now be made than had been the case when corn was higher. He could assure them that his father was alive to the question, and took as deep an interest in their proceedings as if be were amongst therm The health of the Members for North Lincolnshire having been pro- posed, Lord Worsley again spoke—

He never gave a vote in the House of Commons with:nit due consideration to all persons concerned ; and, after considering the subject, lw came to the conclusion that the Corn-laws were quite as just and quite as neees:alry for the

manufitcturer as the agriculturist. He never, at any time, on being re- turned to Parliament, whatever might be the majyrity of any particular

class, considered himself the representative of any class, but the repro- seutative of all classes. He considered this opposition was not got up by those who wished to benefit the working classes, but by popularity-

hunters, and those who wished to make large fortunes by the ruin of

of other people : and he bad no doubt what the eflect would be if they carried their object—wages would. be reduced to the price of bread, and the manufac- turing population would be no better off than they are now. Returns made to Parliament showed, that to every country from which corn had been nn ported iuto this country front 1829 to 1836—all daring the operation of the

present Coin-law—on' exports had increased matenelly ; the aggregate-ex- ports to those countries being in 1829, 20,387,316 ; lu 1;.,36, 32,828,03S. The fact was, the manulheturers of .3Ianchester wished this country to heroine the lllanchester of the whole world; which WaS 1111r0SPI1e. Other nations as well

as this had been at peace some years, and had, like ourselves, been cultivating the arts, and turnhe• their capital to account, and would continue to do so. It

was idle to suppose 'they had not. They maimfactured better articles than we did, and that was the reason their goods found a market. We 3i11(1, f*w years ago, the earthenware trede to Egypt ; but the Prowl) in troluced a better article, at a somewhat higher price, which entirely drove us out of that market. The French manufactured better silks thou other penile, therefore people would buy them. If it was so in one article, be knew not why it should not be in another. It was not the price but the quality. There was no part of the world where wages vere higher than in Am,rica—we exported to America. There was no part of the world where wages NI*'-'11: 1:P.V as India—yet we Could mauufacture and carry out and sell goods in that coantr:,- cheaper turn Chic inhabitants could make themselves. Then, aoaimo, had the mann-Not urers no protectio, duties ? If they remove the Corn-laws, let them at the Same time remove flue import-duties on fiweign manufactured goods. He thought it could be thirly shown that free corn had caused the twice of corn to rise. From 1730 to 1735, the average price of corn was :39.s. 2d. ; from 1735 to 1765, just before the time of the Ibpening of the corn-trade, the average prico was 34s. 1014 • from 1766 to 1774, during the free trade, it was 50s. Itee—no less than 167s. ;hove the average of tlw precettag thirty years. 11.., mentioned thh.s. that in case there were ;Lily friClIdS from Hull present, they might see that if they got the old system it woulul be na tl..1'11!:h.e to them. He thoitght it was quite clear tint no person would be benefited. i'mf that hondreds of thousands would be ruined. Look at the burdens the ho.nolders had to hear (motored with those who lived in towns ? Was it fair. then, to deprive them of protec- tion ? The ltepealers represented that the operatives would get so much more bread for their labour if corn were lower; but would any of the manufacturers say that they would not louver the wages of the opera- tives in ease of corn coming down ? Whsre, :lieu, would be the beuetit to the operatives? Mr. Huskisson, who was a great admirer of free trade, and who was not very anxious to say much in &your of farmers, said that one hundred and seventy years' experience had proved the evil produced by dependence on foreigners lid supply, and that a study borne suupl,- was the only firm sapport for steady prices. But how would the free traders obtain a supply in tech a year as this, if the Governments of fore4n countries would not let the tel hie leave their countries, as had been the etts'e when corn was dear :old Ft-awe in England, ana the growers in -Russia were anxious to export, an order came out to prohibit exportation until the price in Eegland was sufficiently high to allow an expoq-duty to he laid on the article. He did tliek that those who were advocating a repeal of the Corn-laws were cutting their own throats ; and he believed that many sensible people, who thought that a fixed duty would be advantageous, would pause before they dschicd upon that. Ile thought it would be very easy, in Parliament, to defend the cause of the fanners, and that an overwhelming majority would be on their side. He did not snake many speeches in Parliament, but he would take care to vote the right way.

He recommended petitions from every part of the country in support

of the Corn-laws. Mr. Christopher *and other gentlemen. made speeches' of which we have seen no report. A petition in filvour of the existing Corn-laws was adopted, in conformity with Lord Worsley's advice.

A numerous and respectable meeting of agriculturists residing in the neighbourhood of Launceston was held on -Snturday last, in the large room of the Packhorse Tim, In that town, in pursuance of a public advertisement, for the purpose of considering the propriety of peti- tioning Parliament for the continuance and support of the present Corn-laws, and of affording to ail 1,110 thigh: al.tend an opportunity of expressing their aentiments for or veins: the measure. Amongst the persons present, we noticed Mr. .1. Hurdle, M.P. for Tavistock, and many other reepectable gentlemen and favmers. Several individuals having addressed the meeting, the petition was carried by a large ma- jority, not above six hands having been held up against it. —Abridged from the Cornwall Gazr