Page:History of the Anti corn law league.pdf/303

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MEETING AT DUNDEE.
287

information relative to the distressed state of trade, and the baneful effects of the Corn and Provision Laws on the condition of the people, and to memorialise her Majesty, and petition Parliament for the total repeal of these laws and other restrictions on commerce. Edward Baxter, Esq., president of the Dundee Anti-Corn-Law Association, took the chair, and Messrs. Low and Wighton were appointed joint clerks. The platform was crowded. Amongst others were noticed about fifty deputies from the towns and villages of Forfarshire, Fifeshire, and Perthshire; comprising a number of magistrates, merchants, manufacturers, and tradesmen, the greater part of whom were connected more or less with the linen trade in their respective districts. The speakers, during the day, were Sir John Ogilby D.Baxter, Esq.; T. Saunders, Esq.; Mr. Landale, of Kirkaldy ; Mr. Jas. Inglis of Durnfermline; Mr. Kinloch, of Kinloch; Mr. W. F. L. Carnegie, of Baysack; Mr. Canning, of Arbroath; Mr. G. Stuart; Mr. Angus, of Kirriemuir; Mr. Lamb, of Brechin; Mr. J. Baxter, of Blair–gowrie; Mr. W. Nairn, of Logiealmond; Mr. A. D. Young, Mr. Butchart, Mr. Low, and Mr. Paton, of Bankfoot. The statements presented by the various deputies exhibited a mournful picture of commercial embarrassment, of manufacturing distress, and social misery. Bad as was the foreign trade, it appeared from the report of this conference that the home trade, as in all the other branches of our manufactures, was in an equally depressed state; contradiction strong to the flimsy fallacy, that the bread tax was necessary for the preservation of the home market. On the subject of "protection," the meeting wisely passed the following resolutions: "That, while this meeting claims as a natural and inherent right, the privilege of exchanging the productions of their industry freely for the corn and provisions of other nations, they are willing that the so-called protection enjoyed by the linen trade of this country should be at the same time