28o LAND REFORM 



policy which was to do them so much good. Men 

 in distress are apt to Hsten readily to promises of 

 relief, and the farmers who were suffering from exces- 

 sive rents, which in so many cases they were paying 

 out of capital, became converts to the doctrine of free 

 trade. 



The labourers had no political power, but their 

 depressed condition, due to other causes, as will be 

 shown later on, was held up as the effect of the 

 "iniquitous Corn Laws." Altogether the state of things 

 during the years 1843-6 was most favourable to the 

 spread of free-trade doctrines. Agriculture was de- 

 pressed, the great improvement in trade, which was to 

 become so remarkable, was only just beginning, and 

 the potato disease appeared in Ireland with its awful 

 consequences of famine and death. These and other 

 evils were shown up as the results of the Corn Laws, 

 and " repeal " was declared to be the remedy for all of 

 them. 



But vigorous as was the Anti-Corn Law agitation, 

 there was no evidence that it was near success until 

 the Prime Minister of the day, who had been treating 

 the question largely in the spirit of opportunism, 

 decided to adopt the policy of the League. 



Had Sir Robert Peel withheld his support for yet 

 another two or three years, when trade became good, 

 and employment abundant, the issue would probably 

 have been different. 



If the wise suggestion of Lord John Russell of a 

 fixed duty had been adopted, it would have put an end 

 largely to the fluctuations of the sliding scale which 

 invited continual gambling in wheat, and was, after 

 all, the cause of half the trouble. In that case it is 

 questionable if total repeal would have been carried. 



