Page:History of the Anti corn law league.pdf/412

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been validated.
396
A LANDOWNER'S SUBSCRIPTION.

M.P., Mr. James Acland, Mr. A. W. Paulton, Mr. Brooks, and Mr. R. R. Moore.

Meeting of the League, October 27th, very numerously attended, and very enthusiastic. Mr. B. Walker, M.P., after describing the state of the country, asked what must result from that state of things? "What we have seen will occur again—the disruption of social order, the magistrates of the district expecting momentary outbreaks, the peace only preserved by the presence of the military, our jails crowded with rioters, special commissioners in every manufacturing county, ships freighted with transports to the antipodes, and pauperism, instead of being the exception, will, if not intercepted, become the rule." Dr. Bowring followed in a speech of wide range, great eloquence, and most hopeful tone. After him came Mr. George Thompson, who spoke with powerful effect; and then Mr. Cobden and Mr. Mark Philips briefly addressed the meeting.

Meeting of the League, 3rd November. The chairman and Mr. Cobden gave favourable accounts of the progress of the subscriptions towards the £50,000 fund. The latter said:." An elderly person called on me on Tuesday, having the appearance of a country gentleman, and he put this paper in my hand, accompanied by a bank note: 'A landowner, possessed of several farms, subscribes £100 to the League fund. It is a money question, and the money speaks for itself. he subscription will be repeated, if requisite.' I never saw the gentleman before, and probably will never see him again. He did not wait for conversation, and I could get nothing more from him than:"It is a money question; it is a money question; and the money speaks for itself.'" The meeting was then addressed at great length, and with much effect, by the Rev. W. H. Bonner, of Bilston, who taught, from holy writ, that it was advantageous to nations freely to exchange their various productions, and that, doing so, they subserved the