EARL FITZWILLIAM.
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them more directly to the cases of the farmers and farm labourers—who were listened to with an attention only interrupted by repeated cheering, a resolution was moved by Mr. W. B. Wrightson, M.P., in a speech of remarkable clearness and ability. Earl Fitzwilliam then addressed the meeting with great ability and vigour. In proving how deeply agriculture was affected by trade, he said:—
"I think it very probable many of the farmers present will be surprised when I tell them that there pass up the Don from Doncaster every year no less than 100,000 quarters of wheat. These 100,000 quarters pass through Doncaster, and are the produce of the fertile soil on the borders of Yorkshire and Lancashire. Why are these 100,000 quarters wanted? Why is it that what is represented on the old maps as Hatfield chase and Thorne waste, has been cultivated and why does that corn traverse the Don? Is it not for the support of the 120,000 people who throng the streets of Sheffield? Now, gentlemen, what do you think is the state of Sheffield now? Do you think it as good & market as when it had a prosperous trade? Do you know how many houses there are in Sheffield? I will tell you. There are 20,000 houses in Sheffield; and how many of these are unoccupied? Two thousand of them. That is, one-tenth of the houses in Sheffield were unoccupied the last time I inquired. There were 2,000 houses unoccupied, and I am informed the number is pow 2,800; and do you think that the state of things in Sheffield can cause as active a demand for food in the Doncaster market as when there is an active trade; do you believe that? (No, no.) Do you think that when the men who lived in the front houses have been driven into smaller, and the men who lived in smaller into cottages, and those who lived in cottages into lodgings—do you think that, under these circumstances, there can be the same demand for agricultural produce as when the trade is prosperous? Now, gentlemen, I will go a step further, and endeavour to lead you to A consideration of the reasons why the town of Sheffield is not prosperous. Somewhere about the year 1820, a little before or a little after, I forget which, the United States were framing a new tariff. You know what tariff means? (Laughter.) That tariff was hostile to English manufactures. Now, why was it hostile? I suppose you will believe our ambassador, and these are the words on that subject of Mr. Addington, our minister at Washington, while that tariff was under consideration. Writing to the ministry in England, he said: 'The hostile character of the tariff now being enacted arises entirely from your Corn Laws.' Why then, I say, what has the hostile tariff of America
