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Rh ingeniously urged, than a thesis drawn up by some tyro in political economy at a university. "Why," he asked in allusion to the discontent of the dense working population which had begun alarmingly to manifest itself, "why were incendiaries enabled to get up their torch-light meetings? People did not quit comfortable homes, containing good beds, and furniture, and tables with something to spread upon them, to attend out-of-door night meetings. No, there were causes for those evils, and it behoved them to represent strongly what those causes were, and to warn the legislature of the dangers that were hanging over them. Surely it behoved them to read the signs of the times. If their trade should be ruined, this neighbourhood must become the theatre where a fearful tragedy would be enacted,—which it became their duty and their interest to avert, by a timely effort to repeal the Corn Law." In accordance with these views, he had prepared a petition, which he would read, and leave it in the hands of the meeting:—

"To the Honourable the Commons of Great Britain and Ireland, in Parliament assembled:—

"The Petition of the President, Vice-President, Directors, and Members of the Chamber of Commerce and Manufactures of Manchester, agreed to in a Special General Meeting, held on the 20th day of December, 1838,

"Humbly showeth,

"That your petitioners deem it their imperative duty to call the immediate attention of your honourable house to the consideration of the existing laws affecting the free importation of food.

"That your petitioners would premise that you are already acquainted with the nature and extent of the cotton trade; combining, as it does, a larger amount of capital, with greater enterprise and skill, and giving more extensive and better regulated employment than any other branch of manufacturing industry. This source of increasing population and wealth, which is now become essential to our well-being as a nation, owes no sort of allegiance to the soil of England; and if it has grown up with a rapidity unparalleled in the annals of trade, history affords us many examples to show how speedily it may, by misgovernrnent, be banished to other shores.