320

(cma?
LIFE OF OOBDEN.

1845. answer is plain, There is no security of tenure such #
air. 41. will warrant men of capital in investing their money i 9
soil. But what is the connexion between this insecurity ©
tenure and agricultural protection? The reply is that we
protectionist landowners are in a vicious circle. They think
the Corn Laws are a great mine of wealth; they wal!
voters to retain them, and therefore they will have de
pendent tenants on whom they may count at the election
If they insist on having dependent tenants they will ne!
get men of spirit and of capital. The policy reacts up?”
them. If they have not men of skill and capital they
cannot have full provision and employment for the labour®”
And then comes round the vicious close of the circle, pa%
perism, poor-rates, county-rates, and all the other “ speci?
burdens >’ of the landed interest—special burdens of the”
own express creation.’ Their fundamental error ley ”
thinking that rents could only be kept up by Protecti®
Even if this had been true, Protection had become 1m
possible, from the pressure of population. But it was pol
trae.
To the farmers Cobden had never given a probab?
reduction of rents as one of the reasons for repealing a
Corn Law. He told them something still more jmportat®
“ Though I have not promised reduction of rent,” he said
“I have, however, always maintained that with Free Trad?
in corn, and with moderate prices, if the present rents are
to be maintained, it must be by means of a different gyste”
of managing property from that which you now pur”
You rust have men of capital on your land ; you mus? i
your land on mercantile principles ; you must not be 8ff®
of an independent and energetic man who will vote 2° be
pleases; yon must give up inordinate game-preserving.”

 Speaches, i. 264-5.
Spesches, i. 402-3. March 8, 1849.