Page:History of the Anti corn law league - Volume 2.pdf/175

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MR. BRIGHT AND MR. G. WILSON.
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societies. Having next referred to his recent successful tour in Scotland, the honourable member said:—

"I have listened to the speech delivered by your late representative with feelings of mingled pain and pleasure: with feelings of pleasure at many beautiful sentiments, which were expressed and clothed in a beautiful language; but with pain, that hitherto he has not seen it right to take up to the full extent the principle which we ourselves are now Advocating; but I cannot conceal from myself, that from his speech there is in his mind so small a remnant of love of what is old in this matter, that it seems most extraordinary if it should remain there long at all. (Hear, hear.) I listened to his description of some portion of his journey on the American continent; to the glowing language in which he spoke of those vast prairies, which seemed as if some countless ages since the vast ocean had flowed over them, and that by some omnipotent fiat it had been at once suspended and changed into the solid earth; and I heard his description of those large rivers which rise no one knows how, or knows really where they are in future centuries to lead as highways from the ocean to the people who inhabit their banks. I was pleased to hear all this, and when he spoke of the surplus produce of those vast countries, and of the want there is in this country, I confess that I did feel disappointed (loud cheers) that any bar should be proposed or permitted to be pat, which should in any degree Datow the market and the circle out of which we might obtain a supply for the hungry people of this country. A small fixed duty might not be insurmonntable by the com growers of the nearest country; but to America, distant only three thousand miles, and to those vast prairies distant five thousand miles, & fixed duty of very small amount would operate generally as an insurmountable barrier to a constant trade in corn between this country and that. I will not enter more into this part of the question. The League has put its hand to the plough, and it will not turn back. (Loud cheers.) The honourable gentleman concluded by proposing The total and immediate abolition of the sugar and all other monopolies.'"


Mr. Rand, of Bradford, proposed " The health of Geo. Wilson, Esq., the chairman of the Anti-Corn-Law League," and said:—

"As a Conservative, it was a source of satisfaction to his mind, that, at a period when strong political feelings were dividing the country into contending parties, some common ground could be discovered on which they could lay aside their party politics, and unite in the prosecution of one great question—a question so great, indeed, that it might well