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this meeting deeply regrets that Dr. Sleigh has availed himself of the expression of feeling caused by his imprudent and peradventure intentionally extravagant statements, to fly from a discussion, which so far as it has proceeded, has further convinced them of the injustice of the Corn Laws and which, had it been concluded, would have acted as a reincitement to agitate for their total, immediate, and unconditional repeal.'"

On Monday, June 21st, the farmers in Craven, who came to attend the fortnightly Skipton sheep and cattle market, found the walls placarded with a notice, that "A Farmer's Son" would address them on the manner in which their interests were affected by the Corn Laws. Great interest was excited to ascertain who the farmer's son was, and whether he was for or against the landowners' monopoly. After the Market Place was nearly cleared, Mr. William Metcalf (now of Manchester), Mr. J, Dewhurst, Mr. Heelis (steward to the Earl of Thanet), and other gentlemen of Skipton, appeared on a balcony, in front of the Town Hall, and Mr. Metcalf introduced to a meeting of 1,000 or 1,200 persons, his friend, Mr. Prentice, of Manchester, whose father and ancestors had been farmers on one estate for three hundred years, and requested for him an attentive hearing, on a subject which deeply affected the interests of all engaged in agriculture. Thus introduced, I was about to address the meeting, but had to pause while a drove of cattle passed to the south. I took advantage of this incident, by asking where all the cattle and sheep were going to; and a person in the crowd having called out that some were on their way to Manchester, and some to the manufacturing towns in the West Riding, I began by showing how closely the interests of producers and consumers were connected. I said that in coming from Manchester, a distance of forty- two miles, I had scarcely seen half a dozen of corn fields. There was scarcely, in all that distance, enough of corn to feed their poultry. Up to Colne, the whole of the land was required to supply the population with milk and butter; and round