THE ANTI-CORN-LAW LEAGUE.
On the 30th of last May, the Spectator addressed the gentlemen of the Anti-Corn-law League in these words: " So long as there is no Member in the House who says ' I owe my seat to the Anti- Corn-law League '—so long as there is no would-bc Member out of the House who says I have been excluded by the hostility of the Anti-Corn-law League '—so long will the House of Commons regard your question as a nice metaphysical discussion, which agi- tates the schools but does not bear upon the real business of life. You shall be listened to in another guess fashion if you can only contrive to send some half-a-dozen Members to the house of Commons who can and v. ill get up in their places and say,
are sent hem to vote for time repeal of the Corn-laws : those who sent us here made only that stipulation with us.'"
We are glad to see that the Anti-Corn-law League is at last acting in the spirit of our suggestion. On the evening of Thurs- day the 5th instant, a deputation from the Anti-Corn-law League met the electors of the borough of Bolton in their Town-hall. The deputation consisted of Messrs. SMITH, COBDEN, Ilitooss, and HALL, of Manchester. The meeting which received them was called by circulars, addressed to every one of the 1,800 electors in the borough ; and is said to have been one of the most numerous and influential ever held in Bolton. After Messrs. SMITH, COSPENt and Potooks, had in succcsion addressed the assembled electors, Mr. Tin iM.1S.-;ON 1ROVed, That this meeting pledges itself to bring forward and support at the next general election, two candidates pledged to the total and immediate abolition of the Corn-laws:: and the resolution was carried with only one hand held up against it. The League has got on the right road now, and will, we trust, persevere in it. The appearance of Mr. Amswoteru, the present equivocal Representative or Bolton, at the meeting, the League, if it entertained any doubt, of the utility of the htic must cotivo.ice of policy it has now adopted. Ile shuffled and floundered, and tried to slip out, of the fingers of' Ms constituents ; but was linFr- cilessly pinned down to the question, and forced to show himself in his true colours. He furnished the good people of' Bolton with an admirable substitute for a Guy Fawkes, and was, to say the least, delicately roasted.
Previous page
