graced, if they can be disgraced by the conduct of others, as we do, at the men who, in their name, feloniously broke in upon this room, which we had paid for, and violently took possession of property which we were pledged to preserve or to pay for; and then, having driven out those who had paid for the use of the room, took upon themselves to
conduct the riotous proceedings you have heard of. ('Shame.') Working of Manchester, look to yourselves, you, who look to your benefit and sick-clubs, and your trade societies,—look to those men who would take forcible possession of this room, which was occupied by the Anti-Corn-Law Association,—who had upset meetings called to form Parthenons, and other literary associations,—who would make violent inroad upon anti-slavery meetings—these men will take possession of your meetings unless you check them in the bud. (Cheers.) Nay, more: I have no hesitation in saying that even your quiet, happy,and well-regulated firesides will not be safe, unless the strong arm of the law is brought to interfere between you and the wishes of those lawless men, who have no other restraint but the fear of the law and its consequences. (Loud cheers.)"Mr. Cobden went on to show that the question was emphatically the poor man's question, for it was not wine or luxuries that we wished to have in exchange for our manufactures, but food—the food of the working classes. He asked if ever these classes were prosperous when food was not cheap, and concluded a speech, which produced a great effect upon the working men present, by saying,"We take our stand upon a fixed principle ; we say we will have no duty; we will have a total, immediate, and unconditional repeal.; We shall go forward in our cause, not turning out of our way to molest others, whatever their object may be, but claiming the right to ourselves, as free citizens, to meet and discuss these questions at all times. And we call for the co-operation of all the honest, hard-working men of this town, to go with us to fight this great battle manfully, and to the end; and whenever they see on our banners one word about compromise or accepting a fixed duty, then we tell the people, who always stuck to, principle, to abandon us from that moment." Mr. Absalom Watkins, Mr. John Brooks, some working men and
