Mr. Holt, the Member for North-East Lancashire, spoke at a
great Conservative demonstration at Newchurch-in-Rossendale on Wednesday, when he carefully coquetted with the Protectionist movement, declining to say that the Lancashire distress was due to free trade, and declining to say it was not, but declaring there was a great case for a "just and thoroughly searching investi- gation into the subject." In other words, Parliament is to be asked to declare that free trade is on its trial, and that, at least, a possible remedy for distress in Lancashire is to decline to take what France can produce at greater advantage than Lancashire, until France consents to take what Lancashire can produce at greater advantage than France. Had not Mr. Holt better ask for a thorough Parliamentary investigation into the question whether it may not be desirable, as a general policy for human beings, to refuse help from others, unless those others will first consent to take help from us ?
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