53 AGRICULTURE AND TARIFi'^ REFORM. 



our jjorts to unrcsfricied free trade, he ucould have done 

 a far better thing for the rurcd districts of the country 

 than he has done. At any rate, it seems an extra- 

 ordinary tiling that he should speak of the Allotments 

 system in the unsympathetic terms quoted. Ask the 

 200,000 to 300,000 men lehat they think of aJlotments; 

 and xcho hare got them since Cotden^s time. 



Speech, June IStii, 1845 (London). 



(41). " We liave all said sonietliing different 

 from what we have said now. Have we not all 

 grown wiser? " 



Note. — Let us hope so. 



i 



Speech, July 18th, 184G (Manchestee). 



[ (42). " I believe if you abolish, the Corn Law 

 honestly and adopt free trade in its simplicity, 

 there will not be a tariff in Europe that will not 

 be changed in less than five years to follow your 

 example." 



! Note. — This teas said in ISIfG. It is now nearly sixty 



\ years since then, and European countries have not even 



\ yet changed to folloxo our example. 



Speech, January Dth, 1853 (Aylesbury). 



(43). Mr. Cobden was talking of wages at 

 Aylesbury, in 1853, and he Avent on to say "that 

 men were earning more, and getting more of the 

 comforts and necessaries of life, and that at two- 

 thirds, and even less, of the prices of 1847." 



Note. — A voice, presumably that of a labourer, 

 answered that it u-as not so ivith the agricultural 

 labourers, thereupon Mr. Cobden, somewhat angrily, 

 answered that the labourers at Aylesbury were not the 



