1842,
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Ah

LIFE OF COBDEN. Moma?

the new plan was most directly under discussion. The debst?
ended in a majority for the Minister of one hundred and
twenty-three. Mr. Villiers, however, with the judicio®®
neglect of tact that is always so provoking to neutrals, and
without which no unpopular cause ever prospers, Imm
diately after the House had decided that corn should b®
subject to a variable and not a fixed duty, proceeded to
invite the same House to decide that it should be subject to
no duty at all (Feb. 18). The first debate had lasted fof
four nights, and the second upon the same topics now Jasted
for five more. On the last of them (Feb. 24) Cobden made
his speech.’ He dealt with the main propositions which P el
had laid down as the defence of the new Bill. The Ministé”
had confessed, and he now repeated it in reply to a direo?
challenge, that it; was impossible to fix the price of food PY
legislative enactment. Then for what were they legislating’
At least to keep up the price of food. Why not try in the
same way to keep up the price of cottons, woollens, and
silks? The fact that they did not try this, was the simple and
open avowal that they were met there to legislate for a clas®
against the people. The price of cotton had fallen thirty
per cent. in ten years, and the price of ironmongery had
fallen as much. Yet the ironmonger was forced to exchang®
his goods with the agriculturist for the produce of the land;
ab the present high price of corn. Was this fair and reas?”
able? Could it be called legislation at all? Agsuredly
was not honest legislation. Why should there not be #
sliding scale for wages? If they admitted that wages could
not be artificially sustained at a certain price, why should #
law be passed to keep up the price of wheat? But th®
land, they said, was subject to heavy burdens. For every 02°
special burden, he could show ten special exemptions, Eve?

% Oobden’s Speeches, Mr. Bogerg’s edition. Vol. {. 15—34. [Edition do
1670, -