Page:Speech of the Rev. T. Spencer, of Bath, delivered at the meeting of the Anti-Corn-Law League.pdf/16

8 ft sort of little pocket national debt." You would say, "No; be more industrious in your business, so shall you be able to pay off your debt and the burdens which oppress you," So must it be in the wide field and market of the world. (Cheers.) If England have difficulties, other nations will not regard them; and if our goods meet with others of the same quality in the neutral market, the cheapest must and will be taken. As other nations will not, then, regard our difficulties, we must depend for prosperity upon our own wisdom and our endeavours to extend our trade (which will be the result of Free Trade), in order that we may ultimately rid ourselves of the national debt. (Cheers.) I have no doubt, if Free Trade were given, that the national debt would be felt as but a very light burden, and that ere long the people would be so wise as to pay it off, and to take care that the state should never incur another. (Cheers and laughter.) With respect to the farmer complaining of this debt, he seems to look at it in a one-sided manner, forgetting that the manufacturer and the shopkeeper are labouring under it also. (Cheers.) It is not the landowner and the farmer who have to pay this national debt, but each bears his portion. I say, then, that the argument of the national debt is in reality an argument in favour of Free Trade. (Cheers.)

I do hope that the longer the subject is discussed the more it will be believed to be a shameful thing of any man to stand up in Parliament to advocate local or selfish interests, instead of having regard to the advantage of the public at large. (Applause.) I hope they will know that they stand there to represent the public, and not the interests of their own pocket—that they stand there to consult the good of a nation, and not their own individual gain. (Cheers.) I hope the time is coming when no man will attempt to blind the eyes of his more ignorant neighbour, and endeavour to persuade him that it is well for him that food should be dear, and the necessaries of life scarce, when common sense tells him it is desirable that food should be low, plentiful, and cheap. (Cheers.) I hope the time is coming when men shall be ashamed thus to deceive each other; and yet, I am sorry to say, that in the neighbourhood in which t live these attempts are going on on a large scale—even in the villages—not, I need hardly say, by such gentlemen and agents as are employed by the League, but by quite other means. (Cheers.) A petition is brought into a small village by the butler or head servant of the great house, and is taken by him—as I know to be a fact—not only to those who are in favour of the Corn Laws, but to their opponents, calling upon them to sign it. Some of them do as they are directed, and they sign it, as they afterwards confess, to their shame and sorrow. Then with others there is, perhaps, a reasoning with them for a quarter of an hour, base appeals to self-interest are resorted to, and yet, as I know, in some cases unsuccessfully, though the consequence might have been the loss of bread. A worthy tradesman in the village, who was dependant for his business on a certain party, came to me and said, "Sir, I hope you do not think I signed that petition in favour of the Corn Laws." "Well," I said, "I am glad to hear that you did not; and, knowing all the circumstances, I was anxious to hear how you acquitted yourself. I rejoice that you were able to maintain your standing." The man behaved nobly; but it was a shameful thing on the part of wealth and power to lead the man into this temptation. (Loud cheers.) The only system which, I trust, we shall ever advocate will be, first of all to "consider our own ways"—to seek to find out the truth, and then to act our own part;—to endeavour to persuade others, to endeavour to enlighten others, but never to hurt them, never to displease them, never to intimidate them, never to bribe them, but to love and adhere to the truth in all things, in the confidence that we shall ultimately prevail; and knowing that, whether we gain our cause soon or late, we are, at all events, enlisted upon the right side, and that we have sought to conquer by the right means. (Great and general applause.)

THE END.

B. D. COUSINS, PRINTER, 18, DUKE STREET, LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS.