Page:History of the Anti corn law league.pdf/202

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186
STATE OF BOLTON.

per week. Out of 3,200 houses in the parish they found 409 empty; that of the houses occupied 1,000 were found tenanted by families who had only 18d. per week to live upon, 1,200 whose income was under 2s., and nearly 1,300 whose income was under 2s. 6d. per head per week. Of these poor people 1,601 had only 500 beds among them, 582 of them sleeping three in a bed, 185 five in a bed, 78 six in a bed, 42 seven in a bed. In one place eight had only one between them, and 23 were wholly without a bed to rest upon! Mr. Dyer commented with deep indignation on the indifference of the law-makers to such distress, and Mr. H. Ashworth, Mr. C. J. Darbishire, Mr. L. Heyworth, and Mr. Thomasson proved by their speeches that they were fully competent to take a part in the great work of educating the people which had been recently originated.

On the 18th of February a meeting was held of the Manchester Anti-Corn-Law Association, which continued to keep up its separate organization, in the large room, Newall's Buildings. The chairman, Mr. J. B. Smith, after speaking of the necessity of taking urgent means to obtain their object, called upon Mr. George Wilson to read the annual report. That gentleman had not much appeared before the public during the agitation, but as a member of the executive council, and very frequently its chairman, had already rendered most effective service by his excellent administrative faculties, his capacity for arrangement and organization, his ready tact in moments of difficulty, his conciliatory manners, and the cheerful devotion of his time to the business of that committee. Having stated the proceedings of the preceding year, and that £40 remained of the £4,000 which had been subscribed, he congratulated the meeting on the prospect of a considerable number of ministers of religion joining the movement. Mr. Thomas Bazley, who had recently been boroughreeve of Salford, spoke hopefully of the effect to be produced