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£1000 A WEEK REQUIRED.
393
to carry on the campaign with great additional vigour. It was spending 100 a-week in its work of instructing the country—be thought there was a necessity of spending ten times as much, at least, during the winter months, and of continuing it while the Corn Law remained unrepealed. "What," he asked, "is the conduct of our countrymen in reference to the more inglorious struggles by sea or land?"
"We do not read of our naval heroes lying by and allowing one ship or one regiment to have all the honour of the victory; they lay themselves up alongside the enemy, and are anxious, as far as they can, to be in the van of the battle. And so I say in reference to Leeds, Glasgow, Birmingham, and the rest; let us offer them that honourable position alongside us in the strife. Manchester has no desire to arrogate to itself all the honour in this matter; and I believe there is, at this moment, a great desire on the part of these places to co-operate with us cordially, as far as we may invite them to do so. Gentlemen, the first consideration is the sinews of war; money is wanted to carry on this conflict, as it should be carried on, for the next six months. I know that our friend in the chair has got a project (you will be startled when I tell you of it) by which he intends to subsidize the country to the extent of £50,000. (Hear, hear.) Well, that is just a million shillings; we had two millions of petitioners for the repeal of the Corn Laws; where is the difficulty of getting a million shillings? Fifty thousand pounds may be raised by the League, if they'll only tell the country that the money is wanted, and that it is wanted to accomplish our object by the beginning of the session of Parliament. I am sure that the money is wanted, and I tell you of it now, least you should be taken by surprise, and should produce any ill consequences. (Laughter.) I tell you now that the chairman and council of the League are determined to raise £50,000 in the country. They'll lay an assessment upon the country; and they'll get the money, I am convinced, if you will only cooperate, as I know you will co-operate, with them. (Applause.) Why, ladies and gentlemen, all you want is, to have the opportunity of disseminating those stores of information which are now lying bound up in Parliamentary returns, or the productions of writers on this question; all you want is, that this information be disseminated, in order to insure the success of the question at the next meeting of Parliament.(Applause.) We want no force, no violence; we don't want a single physical-force demonstration. (Applause.) All that we want is, that those more destructive weapons of the mind should be brought into operation,
