Page:History of the Anti corn law league - Volume 2.pdf/134

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FIRST COVENT GARDEN MEETING.

that there was scarcely a town which had not urged its claim to be visited by a deputation from the Council of the League.

The heads of expenditure were stated as follow:— Printing 9,026,000 tracts, and stamped publications, and distributing the same.—Lecturers' salaries, and expenses of hiring rooms, printing, &c., for 650 lectures.—Expenses of deputations to 156 meetings in counties and boroughs. -Expenses of agricultural meetings, including printing, placarding, and distributing reports, &c.—Expenses of deputations to boroughs on parliamentary registration.— Expenses of weekly meetings of the League, and Metropolitan meetings.—Rent, taxes, gas, and office expenses, in London and Manchester.—Advertising, including 426,000 tracts in magazines.—Wages, stamps, postages, and incidental expenses. Local expenses in collecting the League Fund.—Total expenditure, £47,814 3$. 9d.–Balance of cash in hand, September 9th, 1843, £2,476 10s. 3d.

A stronger proof could not have been given of the confidence of the Council that they would receive public support than that, with so small a sum "in hand," they should have commenced preparations involving so great an expenditure. The following description of the Covent Garden meeting is from the Morning Advertiser:—

"The recommencement of the Anti-Corn-Law agitation in the metropolis, was made last night, September 28th, Covent Garden Theatre. And nothing could exceed the enthusiasm with which that recommencement was hailed by the largest and most brilliant metropolitan meeting which has yet taken place on the subject, Mr. Wilson, the chairman, briefly opened the proceedings of the evening-glancing at the past operations of the League, and referring to their future prospects. He hurled defiance at the opposition of the oligarchy, and proclaimed amidst deafening plaudits, that the doom of the bread monopoly might now be fairly considered to be sealed, and that a very short period would suffice to see the Corn Laws erased from the statute-book of England. Mr. Paulton, the secretary, read the report. It details the past proceedings of the League, and adverts to the plan of their future operations. No one can attentively read this document without being struck with the