§iB BORERT PEEL'S CONVERSION, 349
"Peal; acd Poel could neither see any advantage in indecision 1948.
°F irstional delay, nor could he admit the incompetency of Ar. 41.
tho Present Parliament to deal with that, as with every other
Object of public concern:
n “I haye reason to believe,” eaid Cobden afterwards,
that gome discussions which I raised in the House with
} View go proving that the sgricnlturists themselves were,
® a Whole, injured by Protection, gave him some confidence
0 the Practicability of a change of policy.” This may well
fave been go, The speech in which Peel announced and
"dicated the new policy, is little more then an echo of
Cobden’ Parliamentary speeches of 1844 and 1845, and this
*county for the extraordinary prominence which he after-Tard
gave in go remarkable a manner to Cobden’s share in
That Was done. Peel has explained the course along which
tig Mind wag travelling, His confidence in the necessity of
Erotetion was lessened by the experiment of 1842. He
fl from the first the increasing difficulty of applying to
icles of food the principles which had been applied to so
UA0y other articles. Later experiments pointed in the same
"ay, Certain important articles of agricultural produce
Vere How ad mitted at low rates. Among these were oxen,
“hoop, Cows, salted and fresh meat. A chorns of sinister
Prophecy rose from the injured interests. There was even
+ Pan, Forced sales of stock took place. It would be
"Possible to compete with the foreign prazier. Meat
rel Always said that be felt that he was not the person who ought to
5 *epesl ; snd he repudiated as a foul calumny the fgsertion thet he
Buy *d t6 interfere in the settlement of the question by Lord John Essel.
wy Wked Me, Disraeli, what wos it but your wish to interfere in this
Po °F Which broke up your Cabinet at the beginning of December? As
bo *Xpressly said that it was only the refusal of his colleagues to assent
of ol Which prevented him from remaining in office on the Platform
tity 2burgh Letter, Mr. Disraeli’s charge, so far a8 it goes, caunot
bp wor, Lester, 1847. For other reasons nee Poel’s Insbor bs Cobden,
+ D Anw
