176 BECORDS AND REMINISCENCES OF GOODWOOD 



British industry, he felt he might be considered luke- 

 warm in the cause if he did not occupy the situation 

 which he then had the honour to fill. It was well 

 known to most of those present that he had ever 

 advocated protection, not to the agriculturists only, 

 but to the manufacturing classes as well, and had 

 sought it no less for the silk-weaver than for the 

 corn-grower. He felt that this country could not 

 long continue in the course she had been pursuing of 

 securing the prosperity of the foreigner at the expense 

 of the Englishman, and therefore he thought it would 

 be desirable to see whether they could not associate 

 the great interests of the country — the agricultural, 

 commercial, ay, and the manufacturing interests 

 too — because he held that, with the exception of a 

 small knot of Stockport and Manchester manufacturers, 

 those interests must go hand in hand together. . . . 



" Great distress now existed among the agricultural 

 interest. He could only wish it existed with them 

 only. What had the shopkeepers gained by Free 

 Trade ? Their answer would be a sufficient reply to 

 the strongest advocate of it." 



His Grace then directed their attention to the 

 subject of the navigation laws. " Did they suppose 

 they could repeal the navigation laws without 

 crippling the defence of this country ? If such a 

 repeal were passed, we should be no longer enabled 

 to pride ourselves that foreign foes had never yet 



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