Page:History of the Anti corn law league.pdf/420

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TOWNS CONTRIBUTING.
world, but are resolved to unite themselves with their fellow men, here and throughout the country, in declaring that this law shall no longer exist. (Loud applause.) During the four weeks which have passed whilst you have been so busy here, some of us have been not less actively engaged elsewhere.( Applause.)It may be interesting to the meeting, perhaps, to hear a list of a few of the places at which a deputation from the Anti-Corn-Law League has attended public meetings. Amongst them there are Huddersfield, Accrington, Woodside (over the Mersey from Liverpool), Kendal, Carlisle, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Sunderland, South Shields, Darlington, Rochdale, Holmfirth, Preston, Bacup, Derby, Nottingham, Hanley, Bilston, Dudley, Stourbridge, Wolverhampton, Ironbridge, Chorley, Bradford, and Burnley. (Applause.) It seems further that great things have been done at Huddersfield; you have heard that they have made a very large subscription to the fund. At Accrington, some hundreds of pounds are collected, or are in certain course of collection. At every one of these places committees are formed; and subscriptions of a greater or smaller amount will be sent to the fund. (Hear, hear.) In my own town, as you are all well aware—(cheers)—and I will take the opportunity of correcting a serious mistake which I have seen in one paper of large circulation,—that what Rochdale has done was in some considerable degree to be attributed to my exertions. (Applause.) Now, I tell you it is no such thing—that there is no man in Rochdale whom Rochdale could not easily spare; and that there are many men there who have zeal enough, and who have ability enough, and who are willing enough to take upon them to rouse—if it were necessary to rouse—the people of that town with respect to this question. (Applause, and "They won't spare you.") At Holmfirth, a handsome subscription has been contributed. At Bacup, only a large village, a very small town, something like £500 has been subscribed. At Nottingham, the subscription was from £1,300 to £1,400, and it was now much increased. At Hanley, in the Potteries, there was a meeting of nearly 2,000 persons, a large proportion of whom were of the working classes; and a more enthusiastic and unanimou smeeting I never beheld. At Bilston, and Stourbridge, and Dudley,—at Dudley especially,—there were also very large meetings,—at Dudley of 1,000 persons at least; and at many of these meetings repeated rounds of applause were given to show the approbation with which they regarded the labours of the Anti-Corn-Law League. At Coalbrookdale, preparations were made for bringing in the deputation in a coach and four, with a band of music and flags; and the whole population of the district turned out to welcome those whom they believed to be instrumental in saving their country. (Applause.) At Burnley, last night, (Burnley is a town with eight or ten thousand inhabitants), there was a meeting