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340 to prove this. He knew a concern which had become insolvent; a question arose as to whether it should be worked or not; the mill and property were taken at a valuation of £18,000; it had cost between £50,000 and £60,000, and even at that decreased valuation of £18,000 it was now a doubtful point whether it would not be a bad speculation. Another important fact to which he would allude was the consumption of butchers' meat in Leeds in 1841, as compared with 1835 and 1836, had fallen one quarter in quantity, while in price it had increased 40 per cent. The diminution of the consumption of butchers' meat by the working classes could not be estimated by this fall. The middle and upper classes would continue to consume the same quantity of butchers' meat in 1841 that they did in 1835 and 1836, so that the average consumption of butchers' meat by the working classes could not be considered as less than one-half in 1841, as compared with 1835 and 1836 ; and the consumption was going on lessening weekly."

Three other delegates from Leeds corroborated Mr. Flint's statements, and, after addresses from Mr. Coates, of the Tower Hamlets, Mr. J. Scoble, and others, the meeting adjourned to next day.

Wednesday's meeting was held in the Crown and Anchor, the large room at Brown's Hotel being too small to accommodate the delegates. Letters were read from Lees, near Oldham, and Hinckley, describing the misery that prevailed. The Rev. Mr. Bailey, of Sheffield, said:—

"When he was requested to attend the conference he issued an address to the working classes, requesting such as were suffering from the want of employment to send in their names, ages, and number of their in 1838 and 1842, leaving a column for families, trade, and wages, whatever remarks they chose to add. In the course of four or five statements from working and unemployed men, days he received 2,156 who with 150 exceptions, were all heads of families. He would not trouble the meeting with this statement, as it would probably appear before the public through some other medium. The distress in Sheffield now extended to every branch of its trade. He held in his hand a list which showed the reduction in the wages received by various operatives then, as compared with the wages received in 1838. He had selected for the comparison the year 1838, because that was felt to be the period of distress, and wages were then supposed to have reached their minimum. But he found, in looking over the list before him, that many in operatives who, 1838, were earning 20s., 25s., 30s., or more, were now