FINNIGAN AND SLEIGH.
219
Anti-Bread-Tax Circular gives the following account of the combat:—
"Two thousand five hundred tickets were issued; 1,250 for each side. Mr. Finnigan opened the proceedings, and throughout his address was enthusiastically cheered. Dr. Sleigh followed, and for some time was attentively heard by the vast assemblage. When he came to the main question, however, his fallacies were so glaring that he was frequently interrupted by loud bursts of laughter, groans, and hisses. At the end of every sentence he appealed to his audience as to the incontrovertible truth of his remarks, and was invariably met by deafening shouts of 'no, no.' One point was that the end justified the means. For instance the "Word of God said, 'Thou shall do no murder;' that is, said he, 'thou shalt not take away life; but there are circumstances in which the taking away of human life is justifiable.' This was too much for the audience, and the groans with which it was received were awful, and it was some minutes before silence could be restored. Meantime the Doctor waxed warm, and used some irritating and insulting language to his hearers, which increased the uproar. Another of his points was that the repeal of the Corn Law would reduce wages. ' This,' said he, 'was admitted by all, even the most talented repealers in the kingdom.' (Shouts of no, no,' and great uproar.) 'This, I say, is admitted by all the repealers in the kingdom. Now, they tell you that corn will be 10s. a quarter cheaper. Well, ten shillings a quarter is a farthing a pound. The average consumption is a pound a day; therefore you would save in the price of your bread seven farthings a week. (Loud laughter.) But I will prove to you that while you would gain this in the price of your bread, you woulf lose, in the reduction of wages, as much as would take from you 225 nine pound loaves in the year. (Immense laughter, and great uproar.) You dare not hear me; you allow your masters to cram this down your throats, as they have done the New Poor Law.'(Renewed uproar.) At this moment a friend of the Doctor's came on the platform, and said you had better come away.' 'Yes,' replied the Doctor; 'there certainly will be a disturbance;' and, turning to the audience, he said, I shall call upon Sir Charles Shaw (superintendent of police) to dissolve the meeting.' (Renewed uproar.) 'Well, seeing that you are wilfully blinded; seeing that you wilfully allow your masters to throw dust in your eyes, I abandon this discussion.' Frightful yells and groans, in which many of the Doctor's friends joined, followed this announcement. Mr. Finnigan then mounted the table, and was received with deafening shouts of applause. He ably exposed the nonsense of Dr. Sleigh, and was followed by Mr. Greig, of Leeds, after which it was resolved, without a single dissentient 'That
