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LIFE OF COBDEN. [oms®

18L of the United States. The petitioner argued that if the
#7 87. English landowners would only be satisfied with a moderst?
duty in lien of the existing sliding scale, there would the”
be a constant market for wheat in England, and the whole
of the return would be required in British manufactured
goods ; the consequence of which would be that every
spindle, wheel, and hammer in the manufacturing district io
this country would be set free.
“ Suppose now,” Cobden went on, * that it were but th
Thames instead of the Atlantic which separated the t¥
countries—suppose that the people on one side Wwe
mechanics and artisans, capable by their industry of pr’
ducing a vast supply of manufactures; and that the peop!
on the other side were agriculturists, producing infinitely
more than they could themselves consume of corn, pork, and
beef—fancy these two separate peoples anxious and willing W
exchange with each other the produce of their common in
dustries, and fancy a demon rising from the middle of th
river—for I cannot imagine anything human in such
position and performing such an office—fancy a dem?
rising from the river, and holding in his hand an Act d
Parliament, and saying, ¢ You shall not supply each other
wants; and then in addition to that, let it be supposed
that this demon said to his victim with an affected smil®
¢ This is for your benefit; I do it entirely for your" prote?
tion!’ Where was the difference between the Thames #87
the Atlantic?”
It was after a vigorous and persistent description of the
privations of the people in the North, that he turned sharp!
round upon the men whom he denounced for drawing the
attention of Parliament away from the real issues to vag
questions of philanthropy. “When I go down to the man¥
facturing districts,” he said, “I know that I shall be ™
borning to a gloomy scene, I know that starvation ¥