Recollections of Richard Cobden, M. P., and the Anti - Corn Law
League. By Henry Ashworth. (Cassell and Co.)—During a recent illness, Mr. Ashworth, member of a well-known Lancashire family, engaged in manufactures, conceived, as he tells us, the idea of com- mitting to writing some account of the proceedings of the Anti-Corn- Law League, of which he was a prominent member. This narrative, originally compiled for his children's benefit, is now given to the world. It is written in an extremely homely and unpretentious fashion, with- out the egotism for which the author modestly apologises, and it must be added, without the humour and lightness of touch which are almost necessary for the tolling of a somewhat prosaic history. Undue space is al loted to the often lengthy orations and pamphlets of the leadingpoliticians. engaged in the struggle, and to the Parliamentary exidenoe and statis- tics relating to it. These remind us nowadays too much of the perform- ance known as "killing the slain;" we are all free-traders nowadays except Lord Bateman and the Coventry weavers, and these will hardly be persuaded by arguments and speeches thirty years old. Although we are not disposed to complain of the absence of literary skill, we think Mr. Ashworth might with advantage rearrange some parts of his narra- tive. At least one incident must be related twice over (pages 42 and 95). Many readers will be surprised to hear of the largo sums raised for Mr. Cobden'a benefit, by his enthusiastic, not too enthusiastic, ad- mirers. In 1845 he received a testimonial amounting to no less than £77,000, and in 1860 another sum of £40,000. We think that the his- torian of the future may implicitly rely on Mr. Ashworth's facts, and will find that here are rescued from oblivion many noteworthy incidents. We cannot be too thankful for personal narratives of this class.
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