xn) REVIVAL OF THE LEAGUE.

577

When the great struggle was at its height, Cobden moved
the first resolution in a terse and pithy speech, Mr. Bright
and Mr, Gibson followed, and before the meeting was over,
the en in the room thoroughly understood one another
4 what, was to be done; a large sum of money had been
“bscribed ; and the plan of the electoral campaign had
been determined upon and prepared.’
® Manchester, Morch 8. (To Mrs. Oobden.)—The meeting
"a8 all T could wish in point of influence, numbers, and
*rlestnoss, But it struck me that people with difficulty
Tealisy in their minds the necessity of another effort to
Secure Free Trade, However the blow will 1 expect tell
decisively,»
“March 5. ( ,, )—The feeling in the West-Riding
of Yorkshire is most intense amongst the working class.
They will never allow the Corn Law to be reimposed.”
“London, March 11. (To Mr. Sturge.)—1 am not sure
that I correctly interpret your letter to mean that you prefer
bo let Lord Derby remain in office for fear of seeing back the
Whigs. My object is to settle the Free Trade question for
over, and to clear the ground for other questions. If in

1859.

Ar. 48.

! Cobden naually tried to get one salient fact into a spoech. On this
Ycagion he mentioned a fact that he described as comprising almost their
ain 880 1 ince the day when we laid down our arms there has been
"Ported into this country in grain and flour of all kinde an amount of
bag subsistence equal to upwards of 50,000,000 of quarters of grain—
® larger quantity than had been imported from foreign countries during the
thirty one years preceding 1846—that is, from the peace of 1815 down to
iy time at which we brought our labours to a close. Now, gentlemen, in
that 016 fact is comprised our case. You have had, ab the lowest computabion,
 5,000,000 of your countrymen, or countrywomen, or children, subsist
i on the corn that has been brought from foreign countries. And what
id that say P What does it say of the comfort you have bronght to the
tome of those families? What does it say of the peace and prosperity and
Security of domestic life in those homes, where 50,000,000 of quarters of
Brain extra have been introduced, and where, but for your exertions, the
Satay might hove been left either in hopeless penury or subsisting ou
Dotatoes gos