produce of his labour for the corn of other countries, enables our foreign rivals to purchase their food at one-half the price at which it is sold in this market; and your petitioners declare it to be their solemn conviction that this is the commencement only of a state of things, which, unless arrested by a timely repeal of all protective duties upon the importation of corn and all foreign articles of subsistence, must eventually transfer our manufacturing industry into other and rival countries.
"That, deeply impressed with such apprehensions, your petitioners cannot look with indifference upon, nor conceal from your honourable house, the perilous condition of those surrounding multitudes whose subsistence from day to day depends upon the prosperity of the cotton trade. Already the million have raised the cry for food. Reason, compassion, and sound policy demand that the excited passions be allayed, otherwise evil consequences may ensue. The continuance of the loyal attachment of the people to the established institutions of the country can never be permanently secured on any other grounds than those of commercial justice. Holding one of those eternal principles to be—the inalienable right of every man freely to exchange the results of his labour for the productions of other people; and maintaining the practice of protecting one part of the community at the expense of all other classes to be unsound and unjustifiable, your petitioners earnestly implore your honourable house to repeal all laws relating to the importation of foreign corn and other foreign articles of subsistence ; and to carry out to the fullest extent, both as affects agriculture and manufactures, the true and peaceful principles of free trade, by removing all existing obstacles to the unrestricted employment of industry and capital.—And your petitioners, &c.
In further enforcing the necessity of a clear expression of opinion by the chamber, Mr. Cobden said it was desirable that Mr. Poulett Thomson should be left in no doubt as to the wishes of his constituents, and confessed his belief that that gentleman, whilst representing the free traders of Manchester, had attempted less than Mr. Huskisson had done while representative of the monopoly interests of the old borough of Liverpool. Mr. R. H. Greg (afterwards one of the members for the borough) seconded the motion for the adoption of Mr. Cobden 's petition ; and when a man of his character and intelligence, and at the same time one of the most extensive spinners and manufacturers of the country, spoke of the possibility of being
