then assume a regular form, and proceed with all the energy of union." Mr. William Weir, the editor of the Glasgow Argus, was advising a similar course.
He was reprinting in his paper an excellent pamphlet, by Mr. Thomas Crewdson, of Manchester; and at the conclusion of a commentary upon the facts therein stated, he said:— "We this day commence a system of agitation against the iniquitous Corn Laws, which we solemnly pledge ourselves shall terminate only with their abolition." He faithfully redeemed his pledge and I may be permitted to say, that I faithfully redeemed a similar pledge, made in 1828; but five years more were still to elapse before any half-dozen of persons set the agitation effectively at work. There was a good harvest in 1834, and a better in 1835, and there was the resulting prosperity of 1836 to make the people patient under the infliction; and there was, during all those years, a pretty general belief that ministers, "at the right time," would be faithful to their free-trade professions. Journalists, under these circumstances, could do little to excite activity—all that they could hope for was, that the seed which they had been sowing would appear after a time.
Manchester did a little, listlessly. On January 29th, 1834, a meeting of merchants and manufacturers, called by circular, was held in the Exchange Committee Room, to consider how the cause of Corn-Law repeal was to be forwarded; and good speeches were made by Mr. R. H. Greg (afterwards member for the borough), Mr. R. Potter, M.P., Mr. Mark Philips, M.P., Mr. John Shuttleworth, Mr. J. B. Smith (afterwards M.P.), Mr. J. Brotherton, M.P., and Mr. J. C. Dyer, chairman of Mr. Thomson's committee, but nothing came of it. The intention of forming any association was carefully disclaimed. A committee was appointed, from which the editors of newspapers were excluded, in order to avoid the appearance of a political agitation, and the committee did nothing, per-
