CHAPTER XVII.

COREESPONDENCE WITH SIR EOBERT PHEL.——CESSATION OF THE
"WORK OF THE LEAGUR.

1%: nem days before the vote which broke up the Administt®
At 42. tion, Cobden had taken a rather siugular step. As he after”
wards told a friend, it was the only thing that he ever did
as a member of the League without the knowledge of Mr.
Bright. He wrote a long and very earnest letter to the
Prime Minister, urging him, in the tolerably certain even?
of defeat on the Coercion Bill, to dissolve Parlisment.

“76, Upper Berkeley Street, Portman Squares
“28 June, 1846.
“81z,—T have tried to think of a plan by which I could
have half an hour's conversation with you upon public
matters, but I do not think it would be possible for us
have an interview with the guarantees of privacy, I there”
fore take a course which will be startling to you, by co”
mitting the thoughts which are passing in my mind freely
to paper. Let me premise that no human being has or ever
will have the slightest knowledge or suspicion that I 8™
writing this letter. I keep no copy, and ask for no reply”
I only stipulate that you will put it in the fire when YOU
have perused it, without in any way alluding to ite content
or permitting it to xaeet the eye of any other person what