Page:History of the Anti corn law league.pdf/66

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50
SYMPTOMS OF DISTRESS

Goorge Charlwood,
John Anderson,
J.W. Anderson,
W. H.Ashurst,
Samuel Bailey, Sheffield,
Augustus Beaumont,
William Bitton, Portsmouth,
Dr. J. R. Black,
Laman Blanchard,
J. E. Body,
John Bridgeford, Sheffield,
George Brown,
Richard Burnett,
W. Byers, Devonport,
Thomas Campbell, L.L.D.,
H. S. Chapman,
Thomas Prout,
Samuel Revans,
W. D. Saull,
Samuel Simes, Brighton,
Colonel Leicester Stanhope,
Major H. C. Smith,
J. L. Stevens,
William Tait, Edinburgh,
Dr. John Taylor, Glasgow,
John Travers,
H. Waymouth,
William Weir, Glasgow,
R. G. Welford,
John Wilson,
Charles Wood,
John Ashton Yates.

There were on this committee several gentlemen, who, with Colonel Thompson, in the after and more efficient movement, did good service to the cause of free trade; but the body was not representative; it had not the support of a numerous constituency; and there was no arrangement for united action. Little else, therefore, came of it than to keep notice directed to the subject of the Corn Law, which, in two years more, with the sterner teacher in its train, was to force itself upon the attention of the sufferers; and to bring new men, with better organization, into the field of contest. That year, 1836, was not to expire, however, without indication of approaching adversity. Real prosperity led to the hope of continued prosperity, and that to undue speculation. In my newspaper, on the last day in the year, but not for the first time during the year, I gave the following warning to my readers:—

" Let us consider how joint-stock banks arise. We shall suppose that in some great commercial town the private bankers have derived princely incomes from their business. A number of wealthy capitalists begin to think that they might as well have a share in the profits of their own money changes. They form a company, prosper, pay handsome dividends, and their shares advance to a premium. Another