dered wanting in courtesy to us as gentlemen, being strangers in Walsall, in declining to enter upon the subject of the Corn Law. We knew what that meant as much as if he had entered upon the subject. Mr. Lyttelton said "I will vote for the total repeal of the Corn Laws when I have ascertained that the interests of the country require it, and therefore shall not object to vote for an immediate inquiry into the effects of these laws." We told the electors around us that they had better try to find some one who had already ascertained that the interests of the country required repeal, and it seemed that a number of them had spoken to him in the same strain, for, just before the time when Mr. Acland had to address the meeting that had been advertised, the deputation were requested to meet Mr. Lyttelton's committee, which met in the same inn, and they were informed that he would not stand against the feelings in favour of the total and immediate repeal of the Corn Laws, and that, being unwilling to divide the reformers in the borough, he would at once retire. The announcement was made by Mr. Acland to the next meeting of the electors, amidst great cheering, and great satisfaction was expressed that the field was now open to a thorough repealer. Mr. Rawson addressed the meeting very effectively, and I explained to it that the operations at Walsall were in perfect accordance with the plan of the League, which would everywhere strive to give electors an opportunity of recording their votes in favour of a repealer, and I earnestly recommended them to select a townsman, or near neighbour, whose interests were identified with their own. Before the meeting was over there was originated a requisition to Mr. Charles Forster, a townsman, and signed by most of the electors present, including some of those who had been the most active and influential of Mr. Lyttelton's supporters.
On Wednesday morning the requisition was presented
