Page:History of the Anti corn law league.pdf/381

Rh opinion." Alas millions had no enjoyment in the opinion that they must continue to starve while food enough was to be had for the product of their labours, and they were forbidden to make the exchange. From the ungracious colonial office the deputation proceeded to Lord Wharncliffe, at the Privy Council office, where, after hearing their case, his lordship said that the distress was acknowledged, but there was a difference of opinion as to the remedy. Mr. Brooks, of Manchester, said he would soon find a remedy, but his lordship begged to be excused, and politely bowed the deputation out of the room.

On the following day, the deputation, with some accession to their number, waited upon Sir James Graham, the Home Secretary. The interview did not tend to impress them with a belief in his honesty of purpose. Mr. Homer, in a report on the number of cotton mills in the district of which Manchester was the chief town, at the close of 1841, had stated that a number of new mills had been erected. This fact, without reference to another fact that new mills were necessary to the use of improved machinery, had been, over and over again, reverted to by the supporters of the corn monopoly, in reply to the complaints of depressed trade but the other part of Mr. Horner's report had been carefully suppressed, namely, that, of 1,164 mills, 139 were working short time, and 138 were not working at all. Nor had there been on the part of those who said that the erection of mills was a proof of prosperity any allusion to a part of Mr. Horner's report, where he said: "If the state of the market were such as to yield a remunerating profit on the produce of those mills they would be in full operation, and would, in that case, give employment to about 25,000 persons more than were then employed." If from a statement, made at the close of 1841, the supporters of monopoly dared to quote only a part, it might well be supposed that they would be shy, in July, 1842, in making allusion to new mills, when so many were standing still,