Lord George Hamilton was the principal speaker at a great
Free-trade meeting at Blackburn yesterday week, and delivered the best of the many admirable speeches he has made since ho resigned office. Dealing with the cotton industry, Lord George observed that, under the guidance of Lancashire, Great Britain had built up the most gigantic fabric of industry that this world had ever seen. The two pillars that supported it were cheap food and cheap money, but the Tariff Reformer, in his parochial infatuation, would strike a blow at both and bring the whole structure to the ground. Lord George Hamilton met the argument that Free-trade was discredited because it was an antiquated doctrine by retorting that the Union between England and Ireland was double the age of Free-trade. Was he on that account to become a Home-ruler P No country ever had a better, a more capable, or a more adaptable servant than Free-trade. Why were they to dismiss her at a moment's notice and take in her place Protection, with its shockingly bad antecedents and character? In evidence of the non-party character of the meeting, we may add that the principal resolution was seconded by Mr. Joseph Cross, a Labour leader.
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