Mr. Bright, in commenting, to a Preston gentleman, on Mr.
Hermon's strange idea that a return to Protection for native in- olustry would be advisable, in the shape, first, of a moderate ,•luty on foreign manufactures, and next of a bounty on home- grown corn, remarks that in the year after the bad harvest of 1879, three loaves out of every four consumed in this country were made out of foreign grain, and that, in spite of that bad harvest, " in no other year in his life-time or in mine have the !people been fed so cheaply on bread of such excellent quality." iof course, the result of putting on the moderate protective ..tidies and moderate bounty advocated by Mr. Hermon would sat, first, to fine our people in general for the benefit of our manufacturers and our landlords (for the bounty would not go to the farmer, but to the landlord, in the shape of rent), and next to render our manufacturers less active and vigilant, and our landlords less willing to promote the emancipation of agricul- ture. A happier combination of mischievous results cannot
e ;silly be conceived.
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