furtherance of this movement a numerous meeting was held on the 2nd of January, in the New Temperance Hall, Bolton, and more than eight hundred of the persons attending, including many ladies, had taken tea together. Mr. James Arrowsmith, the mayor, presided, and amongst the guests at the principal table were Mr. P. Ainsworth, one of the members for the borough (the other was a protectionist), Mr. John Brooks, Mr. J. C. Dyer and his son and Mr. Kawson, jun., of Manchester, Mr. Lawrence Heyworth, of Liverpool, and Mr. and Mrs. E. Ashworth, Mr. H. Ashworth, Mr. Robert Heywood, Mr. Jos. Ainsworth, Mr. C. J. Darbishire, Mr. Thomas Thomasson, the Rev. Mr. Fraser, and the Rev. Mr. Jones, of Bolton. Mr. John Brooks, the first speaker, made effective use of the Prayer Book:—"Being a member of the church he read his prayers as well as the bishops who voted for dear bread, and in his prayer book he found amongst others a prayer which every clergyman must repeat with his lips, if it did not come from his heart, this prayer: 'Oh God, whose gift it is that the rain doth fall, heavenly Father, and the earth is fruitful, behold, we beseech thee, the afflictions of thy people, and grant that the scarcity and dearth which we now justly suffer for our iniquity, may through thy goodness be more mercifully turned into cheapness and plenty.' Here were the bishops and clergy praying for cheapness and plenty, and then, out of the church, turning their prayers into mockery, by upholding the men who were the cause of scarcity and dearth."
Mr. Ainsworth said the country could have no better security for the preservation of peace than by adopting free trade. Mr. Edmund Ashworth gave a deplorable account of the state of Bolton. A number of gentlemen who had visited the working classes there had found 300 families, consisting of 1,400 individuals, whose whole income did not amount to more than £130 per week, or, deducting rents £105 11s., which was only equal to 15¼d. per head.
