Page:History of the Anti corn law league - Volume 2.pdf/34

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THE FUND NOW £42,0000
  £ s. d.
Wilton 2 10 0
Watford, Herts 6 0 0
Workmen of T. Ashton 19 12 6
Wootton-under-Edge 50 0 0
Wrexham 11 5 0
Wolverhampton 150 0 0
Ware, Hertz 1 0 0
Warrington 460 0 0
Wigan 350 0 0
Whitehaven 50 0 0
Worcester 50 0 0
Warminster 3 10 0
Wellington 4 0 0
York 40 0 0

Those subscriptions, the chairman said, amounted to £10,460. Mr. Taylor, of London, said that there would be a liberal contribution there, if members of the League would direct the applications. The meeting was addressed by Mr. John Brooks, who said that there should be not only a fund of £50,000, but an annual fund to that amount until the victory was gained; Mr. John Bright, who spoke with great energy and spirit; Mr. R. R. Moore, the Rev. Mr. Parsons, of Ebley, the Rev. Mr. Massie, and Colonel Thompson, and before the close of the meeting it was announced that the sum subscribed was £42,000. The amount of money contributed, on a very few months' notice, was of itself a proof of extraordinary organization and extraordinary zeal—of zeal not to be tired out by years of never hopeless, but always discouraging struggle—of organization which promised final and not distant success. The Council of the League was laughed to scorn when it come boldly forward and called upon the public to aid its efforts by subscribing the sum of £50,000. The press, in the interest of the monopolists, raised a shout of derision, and characterised the claim as if it had proceeded either from madmen or from knaves, who knew that it would not be responded to, and who had made it only to give momentary alarm to their antagonists. But the result proved that the Council was right in its estimate of public opinion and feeling. A noble and generous response had been given to the call. Localities not then experiencing, in their full extent, the mischievous operation of the Corn Law, and