The discussion, which WU continued on Thursday, was made
• interesting by a speech against the Bill from Mr. Wedgwood, conceived on old-fashioned Radical and Free-trade lines. The Bill, he declared, ran counter to the principles which the Government were returned to Parliament to maintain,—the principles of Free-trade. They were going to foster one industry at the expense of all the taxpayers and ratepayers, and were thus squandering public money to alter the natural economic development of trade. Though on the whole we consider that the experiment of promoting small holdings by Government action ought to be tried, we are glad that Mr. Wedgwood should have made his protest, for Radicals are far too apt to forget just now that Free-trade is a principle which applies to all social relations, and is not confined to the exchange of material commodities.
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