Boultbee, of Birmingham, argued that money saved by the reduction of the price of bread would be spent in the purchase of other agricultural produce. Colonel Thompson promised the aid of the London Association. Mr. A. Prentice said that a petition, signed by 22,000 persons, had been sent from Manchester on the previous year, and yet their right honourable representative was complaining that his constituents were not urgent in the matter. The Hon. J. Erskine Murray said that although no association had been formed at Edinburgh, there had been a meeting there attended by 2,000 persons, all for total repeal. Mr. Wahnesley, of Liverpool, said that at the meeting there, resolutions in favour of total repeal had been carried by fifty to one. The Mayor of Leeds stated that the petition agreed upon at a public meeting, praying for total repeal, had received 15,000 signatures, Mr. Thomas Bolton, of Liverpool, promised that the members for that borough should be urged to vote for repeal. Mr. Walker, of Wolverhampton, the Mayor of Lancaster, Mr. Flint, of Leeds, Mr. B. Pearson, Mr. W. Rawson, Dr. Bowring, the Mayor of Bolton, myself, and others, all spoke in favour of immediate repeal, some of them urging as a reason against a gradual reduction, that it would be most ruinous to the farmers. The resolutions were agreed to unanimously.
In the evening of the same day an adjourned meeting, or "dessert" as it was called, was held in the Corn Exchange. The first toast given was "The eloquent and indefatigable advocate of the repeal of the Corn Laws, Mr. Paulton, of Bolton." Mr. Paulton stated that he had lectured in seven counties, and addressed upwards of 80,000 persons, and he conceived, from what he had experienced of the popular feelings, that the alleged unwillingness of the working classes to join in the movement, was not borne out by facts. The meeting was subsequently addressed by Mr. Ewart, M.P., Mr. George Wynn, Mr. Alderman Brooks, Mr. Erskine Murray, Mr. William
