ABSTRACT
Parliament was prorogued in August. The country showed little disposition to urge ministers forwards. The " not-the-time " plea was admitted; when the right time for movement should come, ministers would, no doubt, avail themselves of it. Believing that the right time would come sooner if the people should exhibit some impatience, I counselled the formation of associations :—" If any one who had access to such of his Majesty's ministers as are supposed to be favourable to the abolition of the bread-tax-to Mr. Poulett Thomson for instance-were to ask him, 4 Why don't you repeal the Corn Laws, which you acknowledge to be bad in principle and oppressive in operation, the answer would probably be : 4 What can we do ? We have the landed interest, bound together as one man, to oppose the opening of the trade in corn, while the manufacturing communities utter not one word of complaint against the monopoly. It is impossible to contend with the one interest without the aid of the other. Now, if the individual who hears this, or can suppose that such might be said, does not clo all in his power to procure that expression of public opinion which is necessary to effect that change, he, at least, has no reason to complain that he is obliged to sell his calicos cheap and his bread dear. * * * * There ought to be a systematic opposition to the continuance of the bread tax. Let half-adozen persons in each of the surrounding towns meet together, and resolve to agitate the question in public meetings. The matter needs only a beginning. When once such little committees are formed, communication may be opened with other towns, and the opposition will
then assume a regular form, and proceed with all the energy of union." Mr. William Weir, the editor of the Glasgow Argus, was advising a similar course. He was reprinting in his paper an excellent pamphlet, by Mr. Thomas Crewdson, of Manchester and at the conclusion of a commentary upon the facts therein stated, he said :— 4 6 We this day commence a system of agitation against the iniquitous Corn Laws, which we solemnly pledge ourselves shall terminate only with their abolition." He faithfully redeemed his pledge; and I may be permitted to say, that I faithfully redeemed a similar pledge, made in 1828 ; but five years more were still to elapse before any half-dozen of persons set the agitation effectively at work. There was a good harvest in 1834, and a better in 1835, and there was the resulting prosperity of 1836 to make the people patient under the infliction ; and there was, during all those years, a pretty general belief that ministers, " at the right time," would be faithful to their free-trade professions. Journalists, under these circumstances, could do little to excite activity-all that they could hope for was, that the seed which they had been sowing would appear after a time.
