XIy,
] COBDEN’'S IMPORTANT SPEECH. 317

"ad labourers, legislative protection was nob saving, and 1865.
ould nop save, the farmers. The contention, again, that Ar. 4L
the landlords were subjected to special burdens, and were
therefore entitled to special exemptions, had completely
broken down. The whole process went on under the
tosely  pttentive eyes of the Prime Minister. The year
before, said Cobden, he had not penetrated the quality
of hig protectionist friends. This year they set up for them-Selves;
 they found out their weakness, and, what is more,
they Jet Sir Robert find it out also.®
_ Cobden himself helped to the result by one of the most
Mportant speeches that he ever made. “ We are cer-‘ainly,”
 ho wrote to his wife, © taking more prominent
Sfound this session than ever, and the tone of the farmers’
friends is very subdued indeed. They never open their
Routhy jf they can help it, and then they speak in
"Very humble strain. I am quite in a fidget about my
®Peech on Thursday. You will think it very strange in an
old hack demagogue like me, if I confess that I am as
OrVous ag a maid the day before her wedding. The reason
81 Suppose that I know a good deal is expected from me,
"0d I gm afraid I shall disappoint others as well as myself.
Thaye sent for Mr. Lattimore, who came up and spent an
*Vening with me, on purpose to give me a lesson about the
frmers’ view of the question.” ®
“Twas terribly out of sorts with the task,” he said, after
% wag al) over, © and when I got up to speak, I was all in a
Maze” Tp fact, an intimate friend who had stood on many
8 platform with him, found him in the lobby, pele, nervons,
Md confident that he should break down in the middle of
bi Speech. “No, you will not,” said his friend; “your
Rervousness convinces me that you will make a better speech

¥ Spoeches, i. £90.
To Mrs. Cobden. March 11, 1845.