Page:History of the Anti corn law league.pdf/407

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BETTER FARMING RECOMMENDED.
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ledged the improved feeling spoken of by Mr. Rawson; but said that doubts as to the justice of the monopoly would not soon overcome the selfishness of those who thought they profited by it. Amongst those were the clergy, who prayed for plenty and cheapness, but had a pecuniary benefit in scarcity and dearness. Thus, a clergyman, who, under the Tithe Commutation Act, had 200 quarters of wheat allotted to him, would have £600 a-year when the price was 60s., but would have only £500 when the price was 50s. The other speakers were the Rev. W. Shuttleworth and Mr. John Brooks.

Meeting of the League, in a large hall added to their premises in Newall's Buildings, 29th of September, Mr. Wilson in the chair. The principal speaker was Mr. M. Philips, one of the members for the borough. In the course of an able speech, he expressed his conviction that agriculture was yet in its infancy. The owners of the land, unprotected by import duties, must make up their minds to the same competition which the manufacturers encountered, and his experience as a farmer inclined him to think that the competition would induce them to bestir themselves, and that, by better cultivation and more economical application of labour, they would find agriculture better remunerative than they imagined. Mr. George Hadfield followed, and congratulated the meeting that Sir Robert Peel had so far travelled on the road towards free trade as to adopt a greatly improved tariff. The League had but to persevere, and they would compel him to include corn and provisions. A short speech from Mr. Brotherton closed the proceedings.

Meeting of the League, October 6th. The chairman, Mr. George Wilson, reported that England would be divided into twelve districts, and that a lecturer would be appointed to each. Mr. Cobden said there had been a great deal of misrepresentation as to the fall in price of some kinds of agricultural produce, and with regard to the