41 8 History of the English Landed Interest. 



the Corn Laws." ^ Had he never swerved from such a precept, 

 how much better would it have been for the entire community. 

 But the very same year he was hkening the Anti-Corn-Law 

 League to that Hanseatic association which had pulled down 

 the strongholds of feudal oppressors on the Rhine, Danube, 

 and Elbe, and terming the Pi'otectionists " feudal Corn Law 

 plunderers." ^ 



The effects of the agitation continued to exert a growing 

 influence on the strength of political parties. That second 

 administration of Melbourne's was tottering to its fall, and 

 in 1841 found itself obliged to adopt the resolution so often 

 proposed by Villiers. E-ussell, as Home Secretary, moved that 

 the whole House resolve itself into a Committee to consider 

 the Acts of Parliament relating to the trade in corn ; and, on 

 receiving its consent, he proposed a fixed duty of 85. per 

 quarter on imported grain. The Tories, thoroughly alarmed, 

 were only partly quieted by a reassuring but equivocating 

 statement of Melbourne's, and the uncertainty thus engendered 

 in the minds of all brought about the defeat of the Ministry. 

 Dissolution followed, and in the Greneral Election which en- 

 sued, the Government superiority of voting strength was 

 swept away, and Peel came into power. But though the 

 electors had returned a fair working majority in favour of 

 Protection, the Statesmen now in office recognised that a 

 reduction in the protective duties of grain had become a 

 necessity. Want and misery had increased to an alarming 

 degree in the manufacturing districts. The rank and file of 

 the Free Trade army were getting more and more out of hand, 

 and as starvation increased amidst the thickly inhabited 

 centres of trade. Chartist riots became of frequent occurrence. 

 Peel's first object now, therefore, was to reduce to a minimum 

 the concessions which would satisfy the country. Conse- 

 quently in 1842 he proposed to lower the maximum duty in 

 the old sliding scale by a few shillings, and thus lessen the 

 entire tariff of cereal taxation. Cobdon declared this proposal 

 an insult to a suffering people, and Russell, sj^eaking for the 



* Vide liis speech at Manchester on March 4, 1839. 

 "^ The Thirty Years' Peace. Miss Martineau. 



