The Anti-Corn-law meeting announced last week was held on Mon-
day, at the room of the League, No. 154, Strand. It was most respect- ably attended : among the :Meinhers of Parliament, were Messrs. Villiers,'l'hornely, Warburton, Phil Ups, Hume, Baines, Ewart, Swynfen Jervis, Vieors and among the speakers not Members, Messrs. Travers, Roebuck, Coates, Place, and Alderman Cobden and Mr. J. B. Smith of Manchester. It was agreed to establish a Metropolitan Anti-Corns Law Association ; and a Committee was appointed to raise subscrip- tions and to aid in carrying, out the common objects. A public meet- ing will be held soon.
A meeting was held on Monday evening, in the Vestry-hall, Church Street, Lambeth, to petition the house of Commons against the Corn- laws. The room became so inconveniently full before the proceedings were completed, that an adjournment took place to the school-room on Lambeth Green. A n enwedment was proposed, declaring that it was " useless to petition the Hoese of Commons, constituted as that House is." Mr. Hawes, M.P., rose to support the petition ; but met with much interruption, and cries of " Police Bill l ' which rendered him nearly inaudible. The amendment was negatived, and the petition adopted by a large majority. It was then proposed that the Members for Lambeth should present the petition, and that Mr. Villiers should be requested to support it. Mr. Villiers, who was present, explained that he had attended the meeting at Mr. Ilawes's request-
" He was always glad to meet the working-classes, because he was often met in the House by the state:nent that the wotking-classes were not with him on this measure. It had been said that the House had rejected the repeal of the Core-laws and would do so agein ; but he hoped they would petition once more, and if the proposition were again denied, it would make their claim stronger for an extension of the franeMse.
Mr. Hawes again came forward, but the renewed uproar prevented him from being heard.
The meeting broke np with three cheers for Mr. Villiers, and mingled cheers and hisses for Mr. Hawes.
Previous page
