and tell your case, you can't make it worse. If the ploughboy had told his father of the carter, the carter would have been punished, and that was what he was afraid of. You are prevented coming forward by the arbitrary conduct of your opponents; but fear not their frowns, they are in the hands of the Lord, and can only go so far as He permits. Always remember, however, that, whatever law is issued by the legislature, we are bound to obey; 'whoever resists the powers that be resists the ordinance of God.' It is the arbitrary Corn Law that has done all the mischief, and we believe free trade will be beneficial to ourselves and families." Mr. Westell dwelt with great force on the injury inflicted on the farmers by affording an excuse for the exaction of oppressive rents, and thus forcing tenants to stint the wages of labour. Abundant proof was given of the utter inadequacy of the wages of the farm-labourers to procure sufficient sustenance, to say nothing of comforts. One man with five and another with eight children declared that their earnings were only seven shillings per week, The examples given of the short and simple annals of the poor" were equally graphic and affecting:— "The children," said Ozias Lealey, "would jump across the house if they saw a couple of potatoes, and quarrel which should have them. It was enough to drive a man mad. When he came home at night, and found them crying for food, and he had none to give them, it almost drove him mad; he could not stand it another winter. What would the gentlemen think of this, filled as they were with their roast beef and sherry wine; when the poor man was happy in heaven he knew not where the rich would be." Several people exclaimed that every one with a family was in the same state, and many others would have come forward to speak, but were kept back by fear. At the conclusion of the meeting three cheers were given for the League, and three for the repeal of the Corn Laws, Would the condition of the children described by Ozias
