A great meeting of the Anti-Corn-law League, about 2,000 in
num- ber, was held in Newell's Buildings, Manchester, on Thursday even- ing, to receive the proposals of the Council as to the raising of a fund to carry on the agitation next session ; which seem to have been approved of by the meeting. Mr. George Wilson, the Chairman, further explained the project- " We propose to call on the country to spend a certain sum of money, say 50,0001., to be paid into the Treasurer's hands by January 1843, to be a fund for augmenting our resources, and enabling us the more extensively to diffuse information on this question through every part of the country. We shall be enabled by this means to send out our missionary agents to every elector in the country, with not merely a pamphlet or tract, but a little library of informa- tion on this question, which shall show him the proper bearings of it in every respect, and which shall teach him how to act on every occasion so as best to promote this great cause. Our agents will be supplied with maps of their dis- tricts; and we hope that no town, no village, or hamlet—we hope that no dwelling in the kingdom shall be found so remote or obscure that our agents shall not visit it and leave a copy of our tracts behind them. In addition to this, we propose to hold conferences and meetings, and to send deputations to the different towns in the kingdom. We propose further to have a conference, to meet in London the day before the assembling of Parliament.; to be there during the entire of the session, if necessary; and never again to separate, if i possible, till the measure is finally settled by the total and immediate repeal of the Com-laws." (Great cheering.) He called attention, O'Connell-fashion, to the smallness of the con- tribution— " It is but 1,000,000 shillings—it is but 400,000 half-crowns—it is but 200,000 crowns—it is less than a halfpenny per head from the whole population. The two millions that petitioned Parliament for the repeal can easily raise this sum ; and since they last signed a petition, hundreds of thousands have become Repealers. The 50,0004 then, will be obtained : but it is desirable that all parts of the kingdom should contribute."
Mr. Charles Hindley, M.P., delivered a long speech, exhorting the League not to agitate as if they would set class against class, but to pur- sue their object as for the good of all. Mr. Acland gave an account of his mission to the neighbourhood of Baby Castle, and stated that his correspondence with the Duke of Cleaveland had formed an excellent introduction to his Grace's tenantry, " who at crowded meetings, repeatedly held, were unanimous in condemnation of the corn-law."
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