'The Anti-Corn-law League opened their "winter campaign of agita- lion
in Manchester," by a very crowded meeting at the Free-trade Hall, on Thursday ; Mr. George Wilson presiding. He gave an account of the League's proceedings in the last ten weeks,—proving, he observed, that the League is not dead ; and he read some elaborate statistical tables of the Parliamentary registration in Lancashire and its boroughs. The League instituted a searching investigation into the registrations of one hundred and forty boroughs ; but his report chiefly related to the county named. These are the most striking results. In Liverpool, the League have gained 452 votes, and such another advance would change the representation of the borough. In South Lancashire, they have secured a working majority of 1,153 votes ; in North Lancashire, they have gained 533 on the register, but not a majority. The county and its boroughs at present return 14 " Monopolists " and 12 Free-traders: at the next election, the League expect that there will be returned 21 Free- traders and 5 Monopolists. He had reports from seventy out of the hundred and forty boroughs ; and in sixty-eight the League had a clear gain upon the registrations. Such is the statement of the League. Mr. Cobden made a telling speech ; with some palpable hits at agricultural meetings, at Lord Stanley's boast of the number of tiles that he and his father have laid down—John Bright might as well boast of the millions of bricks he has just laid in building a factory—and at the premiums given to la- bourers. But his principal point was the suggestion, that the forty- shilling freehold franchise should be converted to a rod in pickle against the landlords who retained it— In counties where there was a large town population, such as Lancashire, the West Riding of Yorkshire, North and South Staffordshire, Kent, and Middlesex, the county electors might be almost indefinitely increased if they would follow the example of the Lancashire people. It would cost but little to do so. There were many thousands of artisans and others who had money in the savings-banks; and although he would not say one word tending to depre - Mate the value of such an investment as a savings-bank, still he would say that there was no investment equal to a freehold of the earth. A. man might pur- chase a freehold for 601., or 401., or in some counties even 301., and he would be a freeman.
The only other speaker was Mr. John Bright ; who assailed the Aristocracy, Monopoly, and the Game-laws.
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