Manchester Memoirs, Fi?/. /. (1905). j 



do-wells. He would give every man a medal with his 

 name on who was engaged in labour, and unless he could 

 produce it he would punish him ; but " liberty is in 

 such high esteem, fears are awakened, suspicions alarmed, 

 jealousies excited, lest any encroachment should be made 

 on the liberty of the subject, under the specious but 

 deceitful appearance of public good." Then he returns 

 to the corn bounties again, and insists that we ought to 

 have knowledge of our production, for "it is a question of 

 the greatest importance in this country, ignorance of 

 which has cost millions of pounds." He very wisely 

 continues, " No Government can be just whose support 

 and defence does not extend to the equal, and indis- 

 criminate benefit of the whole people," He denounces 

 the conflict between the landed interests and the com- 

 mercial classes, and tersely says, " There is a bias, for 

 where shall we find those who have no interests in the 

 laws they enact." He does not believe what is said in 

 Parliament, that a bounty on the exportation of corn has 

 benefited the landowner and the farmer, and added to the 

 riches of the nation. He points out that this export 

 bounty has been paid to the corn growers for 95 years, 

 and advocates that in times of great abundance the corn 

 surplus should be stored in public granaries, and in times 

 of scarcity it should be sold, and the extra price the growers 

 obtained in bad years would be better for the people and 

 the nation, than sending it out of the country and making 

 it so dear that people scarcely get any corn at all. It 

 appears that in 1795 the quartern loaf was one shilling, 

 and in 1800, one shilling and fivepence. In those days 

 working people never saw wheaten bread. This paper is 

 well worthy the study of those who are interested in 

 fiscal questions. 



Mr. Wimpey is a thorough protectionist in other 



