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240 and concluded with an earnest appeal to the religious sympathies of his audience, and said there wanted but the mighty impulse this conference could give, the greatest impulse that could affect the human mind in any country, and infinitely the greatest that can move a religious country such as this; there wanted but that this conference, at the conclusion of its meeting, would declare that this bread tax, which was systematically contrived, and cunningly framed, to put the whole country in want of the first necessaries of life; to declare that the law was opposed to the law of God, was anti-scriptural and anti-christian, and the Corn Laws would be from that moment virtually abolished."

A resolution was then passed, that the remainder of the evening should be devoted to the detail by members of the conference, as to the condition of the working classes in their respective localities. The Revds. T. Spencer, of Bath, Timothy East, of Birmingham, J. Sibree, of Coventry, J. Colston, of Styall, A. Bird, of Paisley, Mr. Davies, of Lewes, Mr. Bailey, of Sheffield, D. Hearne, of Manchester, Mr. Strachan, of Forfar, Mr. Winterbottom, of Howarth, near Bradford, Mr. Price, of Wales, Mr. Berry, of Leicestershire, Mr. Hunter, of Nottingham, Mr. Jenkins, of Wales, and Mr. Stirling, of Kirriemuir, successively addressed the meeting in speeches teeming with facts regarding the condition of the poor, of the most painful and thrilling interest. At about half-past nine in the evening it was discovered that Earl Ducie was present, and at the request of the chairman an invitation was conveyed to him to address the conference. His lordship complied with the request, and in the course of a speech of some length he said: "I have for many years been of opinion that the Corn Laws, as they exist, are extremely oppressive to the labouring population, and injurious to every branch of society. Had I been a monopolist,—had I been one of those who had voted for charging an additional price on the food of the poor man—I am quite sure that the testimony laid before you to-day by the reverend gentlemen who have spoken would have been enough to persuade me that I had been in the wrong. It would have