Richard Cobden (1804-1865) was a British member of Parliament who championed free commerce, the repeal of the Corn Legal guidelines, and a laissez-faire financial system.
[A speech delivered in Manchester, England, January 15, 1846]
I shall start the few remarks which I’ve to supply to this assembly by proposing, opposite to my traditional customized, a decision; and it’s, “That the retailers, producers, and different members of the Nationwide Anti-Corn-Legislation League declare no safety no matter for the manufactured merchandise of this nation, and need to see obliterated eternally the few nominally protecting duties in opposition to overseas producers, which nonetheless stay upon our statute books.”
Gents, if any of you may have taken the pains to wade via the reviews of the Protectionist conferences, as they’re referred to as, which have been held recently, you’ll see that our opponents, on the finish of seven years of our agitation, have discovered their mistake, and are abandoning the Corn Legal guidelines; and now, like unskilful blunderers, as they’re, they wish to take up a brand new place, simply as we had been going to realize the victory. Then they’ve been telling one thing very like fibs, after they claimed the Corn Legal guidelines as compensation for peculiar burdens. They are saying now that they need merely safety in frequent with all different pursuits, they usually now name themselves the advocates of safety to native trade in all its branches; and, by the use of making the enchantment to the less-informed portion of the neighborhood, they are saying that the Anti-Corn-Legislation League are merely the advocates of Free Commerce in Corn, however that we wish to protect a monopoly in manufactures.
Now, the decision which I’ve to undergo you, and which we are going to put to this assembly to-night – the biggest by far that Iever noticed on this room, and comprising males of each class and of each calling on this district – let that decision determine, as soon as and eternally, whether or not our opponents can with fact lay that to our cost henceforth. There may be nothing new on this proposition, for on the very starting of this agitation – on the assembly of the Chamber of Commerce – when that faint voice was raised in that small room in King Avenue in December 1838, for the whole and instant repeal of the Corn Legal guidelines – when that ball was set in movement which has been accumulating in power and velocity ever since, why, the petition acknowledged pretty that this neighborhood needed no safety for its personal trade. I’ll learn the conclusion of that admirable petition. It’s as follows:
“Holding one of many rules of everlasting justice to be inalienable proper of each man freely to alternate the results of his labour for the productions of different folks, and sustaining the apply of defending one a part of the neighborhood on the expense of all different courses to be unsound and unjustifiable, your petitioners earnestly implore your honourable Home to repeal all legal guidelines regarding the importation of overseas corn and different overseas articles of subsistence, and to hold out to the fullest extent, each as impacts agriculture and manufactures, the true and peaceable rules of Free Commerce, by eradicating all present obstacles to the unrestricted employment of trade and capital.“
Now we have handed related resolutions in any respect our nice combination conferences of delegates in London ever since that was issued.
I don’t put this decision as an argument or as an enchantment to fulfill the appeals made within the safety societies’ conferences. I imagine that the boys who now, on this seventh yr of our dialogue, can come forth earlier than their nation, and discuss as these males have accomplished – I imagine that you just would possibly as effectively preach to the deaf adder. You can not persuade them. I doubt whether or not they haven’t been residing of their shells, like oysters; I doubt whether or not they know such a factor is in existence as a railroad, or as penny postage. They’re in profound ignorance of the whole lot, and incapable of being taught. We don’t enchantment to them, however to a really giant portion of this neighborhood, who don’t take a really distinguished half on this dialogue – who could also be thought of as necessary lookers-on. Many have been misled by the reiterated assertions of our opponents; and it’s at this eleventh hour to persuade these males, and to offer them a possibility of becoming a member of our ranks, as they’ll do, that I provide this proof of disinterestedness and the equity of our proposals. I don’t intend to enter an argument to persuade any man right here that safety to all have to be safety to none. It takes from one man’s pocket, and permits him to compensate himself by taking an equal from one other man’s pocket, and if that goes on in a circle via the entire neighborhood, it’s only a slipshod strategy of robbing all to counterpoint none, and easily has this impact, that it ties up the fingers of trade in all instructions. I needn’t provide one phrase to persuade you of that. The one motive that I’ve for saying a phrase is, that what I say right here could persuade others elsewhere – the boys who meet in safety societies. However the arguments I ought to adduce to an clever viewers like this, can be spoken in useless to the Members of Parliament who are actually the advocates of safety. I shall meet them in lower than every week in London, and there I’ll train the A B C of this safety. It’s of no use attempting to show youngsters phrases of 5 syllables, after they haven’t bought out of the alphabet.
Nicely, what exhibitions these protectionists have been making of themselves! Judging from the size of their speeches, as you’ll be able to see them reported, you would possibly fancy the entire neighborhood was in movement. Sadly for us, and for the repute of our countrymen, the boys who can utter the drivelling nonsense which we’ve had flaunted to the world recently, and the boys who can hearken to it, are only a few in quantity. I doubt exceedingly whether or not all the boys who’ve attended all of the safety conferences, over the last month, won’t very comfortably be put into this corridor. However these safety societies haven’t solely modified their rules, however it appears they’ve resolved to alter their techniques. They’ve now, on the eleventh hour, once more resolved that they’ll make their physique political, and take care of the registration. What simpletons they will need to have been to have thought that they may have accomplished any good with out that! In order that they have resolved that their societies shall spend their cash in exactly the identical approach that the League have been expending theirs. They’ve hitherto been telling us, in all their conferences and in all their newspapers, that the League is an unconstitutional physique; that it’s an infernal membership which goals at corrupting, at vitiating, and at swamping the registrations; and now, forsooth, when no good can probably come of it – after they most definitely ought to have properly abstained from imitating it, since they can’t do any good, and have saved up the pressure they previously had of calling the League an unconstitutional physique, they resolve to rescind their decision, and to observe his Grace, the Duke of Richmond’s recommendation, and battle us with our personal weapons. Now I presume, we’re a constitutional physique. It’s a lucky factor that we’ve not bought nice dukes to steer us. However, now, of what pressure is that this decision? Like the whole lot they do, it’s farcical – it’s unreal. The safety societies, from the start, have been nothing however phantoms. They aren’t realities. And what’s their decision – what does it quantity to? They resolve that they’ll take care of the registration. Everyone knows that they’ve accomplished their worst in that approach already. Everyone knows that these landlords could actually make their acres a sort of electioneering property. We all know proper effectively that their land-agents are their electioneering brokers. We all know that their rent-rolls have been made their muster-rolls for combating the battle of safety. These poor drivelling folks say that we purchase {qualifications}, and current them to our mates; that we bind them right down to vote as we please. Now we have by no means purchased a vote, and we by no means intend to purchase a vote or to offer one. Ought to we not be blockheads to purchase votes and provides them, when we’ve ten thousand individuals prepared to purchase them at our request?
However I believe that our protectionist mates have a notion that there’s some plan – some secret, sinister plan – by which they will put fictitious votes on the register. Now I urge to inform them that the League shouldn’t be extra highly effective to create votes than it’s to detect the issues within the dangerous votes of our opponents; they usually could depend upon it, in the event that they try and put fictitious voters on the register, that we’ve our ferrets in each county, and that they’ll discover out the issues; and when the registration time comes, we’ll have an objection registered in opposition to each considered one of their fictitious {qualifications}, and make them produce their title-deeds, and present that they haven’t paid for them. Nicely, we’ve our protectionist opponents; however how we could congratulate ourselves on the place which they’ve given to this query by the dialogue that has been raised in all places throughout the previous few months! We can not enter a steamboat or a railroad carriage – nay, we can not even go into an omnibus, however the very first thing that any man does, nearly earlier than he has deposited his umbrella, is to ask, “Nicely, what’s the final information concerning the Corn Legal guidelines?” Now, we, who bear in mind how tough it was, at the start of our agitation, to deliver males’s minds to the dialogue of this query, after we suppose that each newspaper is now filled with it – the identical broad sheet containing, maybe, a report of this assembly, and of the depressing drivelling of some hole-and-corner agricultural gathering – and after we suppose that the entire neighborhood is engaged in studying the dialogue and pondering on the a number of arguments, we will need no extra. The League would possibly shut its doorways to-morrow, and its work is perhaps thought of as accomplished the second it compels or induces folks to debate the query.
However the feeling I’ve alluded to is spreading past our personal nation. I’m glad to listen to that in Eire the query is attracting consideration. You have got in all probability heard that my pal Mr. Shiny and I’ve obtained a requisition signed by retailers and producers of each grade and occasion in Belfast, soliciting us to go there and deal with them; and I deeply remorse that we can not put our ft on Irish floor to advocate this query. To-day I’ve obtained a replica of a requisition to the mayor of Drogheda, calling a gathering for subsequent Monday, to petition for the whole and instant repeal of the Corn Legal guidelines, and I’m glad to note on the head of that requisition the title of the Catholic Primate, Physician Croly, a person eminent for studying, piety, and moderation; and that it is usually headed by the remainder of the Catholic clergy of that borough. I hope that these examples won’t be with out their due impact, in one other quarter. Now we have, I imagine, nearly all of each spiritual denomination with us – I imply the dissenting denominations; we’ve them nearly en masse, each ministers and laymen; and I imagine the one physique, the one spiritual physique, which we could not say we’ve with us as a physique, are the members of the Church of England. On this level I’ll simply provide this comment: The clergy of the Church of England have been positioned in a most invidious, and, I believe, an unlucky place, by the mode by which their tithe commutation cost was mounted some years in the past. My pal Colonel Thompson will recall it, for he was in Parliament on the time, and protested in opposition to the way in which by which the tithe commutation rent-charge was mounted. He stated, with the good foresight he has at all times proven within the wrestle for the repeal of the Corn Legal guidelines, that it will make the clergy of the Church of England events to the current Corn Legislation by fixing their tithe at a hard and fast amount of corn, fluctuating based on the worth of the final seven years. Let it’s borne in thoughts, that each different class of the neighborhood could also be straight compensated for the repeal of the Corn Legal guidelines – I imply each class related with agriculture – besides the clergy. The landlords could also be compensated, if costs fall, by an elevated amount of produce; so additionally could the farmer and the labourer; however the clergy of the Church of England obtain a given variety of quarts of wheat for his or her tithe, regardless of the value could also be. I believe, nonetheless, we could draw a beneficial conclusion, underneath all of the circumstances, from the truth that I imagine there has not been one clergyman of the Church off England in any respect eminent for rank, piety, or studying, who has come out, however the robust temptation of private curiosity, to advocate the present Corn Legislation. I believe, that we could take this as a proof of the very robust enchantment to justice which this query makes, and maybe auger additionally that there’s a robust feeling among the many nice physique of the members of the Church of England in favour of Free Commerce in corn.
Nicely, there may be one different quarter by which we’ve seen the progress of sound rules – I allude to America. Now we have obtained the American President’s message; we’ve had additionally the report of the Secretary of the Treasury, and each President Polk and Mr. Secretary Walker have been taking my pal Colonel Thompson’s job out of his fingers, and lecturing the folks of America with regards to Free Commerce. I’ve by no means learn a greater digest of the arguments in favour of Free Commerce than that put forth by Mr. Secretary Walker, and addressed to the Congress of that nation. I auger from all these items that our query is making speedy progress throughput the world, and that we’re coming to the consummation of our labours. We’re verging now in the direction of the session of Parliament, and I predict that the query will both obtain its quietus, or that it’s going to result in the dissolution of this Parliament; after which the following will definitely relieve us of our burden.
Now, many individuals are discovered to invest on what Sir Robert Peel could do within the approaching session of Parliament. It’s a very hazardous factor, contemplating that in a single week solely you may be as sensible as I shall, to enterprise to make a prediction on this topic. You might be very anxious, little question. Nicely, allow us to see if we will speculate slightly on futurity, and relieve our anxiousness. There are three programs open to Sir Robert Peel. He could maintain the legislation as it’s; he could completely repeal it; or he could do one thing between the 2 by tinkering his scale once more, or giving us a hard and fast obligation. Now, I predict that Sir Robert Peel will both maintain the legislation as it’s, or he’ll suggest completely to abolish it. And I floor my prediction on this, as a result of these are the one two issues that anyone within the nation needs him to do. There are some that wish to maintain safety as it’s; others wish to do away with it; however no one needs something between the 2. He has his option to make, and I’ve this opinion of his sagacity, that, if he change in any respect, he’ll change for complete repeal. However the query is, “Will he suggest complete and instant repeal?” Now, there, when you please, I’ll forbear to supply a prediction. However I’ll enterprise to offer you a cause or two why I believe he must take complete and instant repeal. I don’t suppose that any class is a lot all for having the Corn Legislation completely and instantly repealed because the farming class. I imagine that it’s off extra significance to the farmers to have the repeal instantaneous, as a substitute of gradual, than to some other class of the neighborhood. The truth is, I observe, within the report of a current Oxfordshire safety assembly, given in to-day’s paper, that when Lord Norreys was alluding to the chance of Sir Robert Peel abolishing the Corn Legal guidelines regularly, a farmer by the title of Gillatt cried out, “We had higher be drowned outright than ducked to loss of life.” Gents, I used to make use of one other simile – a really humble one, I admit. I used to say that an previous farmer had advised me, that if he had been going to chop off his sheep-dog’s tail, it will be much more humane to chop it off abruptly than a bit each day within the week. However now I believe that the farmer’s simile in Oxford is the latest and the most effective that we will use. Nothing may very well be simpler than to display that it’s the true curiosity of farmers, if the Corn Legislation is to be abolished, to have it abolished immediately. If the Corn Legislation had been abolished to-morrow, my agency perception is, that as a substitute off wheat falling, it will generally tend to rise. That’s my agency perception, as a result of hypothesis has already anticipated Sir Robert Peel, and wheat has fallen in consequence of that apprehension. I imagine that, owing to the shortage in all places, – I imply in all components of Europe, – you possibly can not, when you prayed for it, when you had your individual wishing-cap on, and will make your individual time and circumstances – I imagine, I say, that you possibly can by no means discover such a possibility for abolishing the Corn Legal guidelines completely and instantly as if it had been accomplished subsequent week; for it so occurs that the very nations from which, in abnormal instances, we’ve been provided, have been bothered, like ourselves, with shortage – that the nations of Europe are competing with us for the very small surplus present in America. They’ve, the truth is, anticipated us in that market, they usually have left the world’s markets so naked of corn, that, no matter your requirements could also be, I defy you to have aside from excessive costs of corn in the course of the subsequent twelve months, although the Corn Legislation was abolished to-morrow.
European nations are struggling as we’re from the identical evil. They’re affected by shortage now, owing to the absurd laws respecting the article of corn. Europe altogether has been corrupted by the vicious instance of England in her business laws. There they’re, all through the continent of Europe, with a inhabitants growing on the fee of 4 or 5 thousands and thousands a yr; but they make it their enterprise, like ourselves, to place boundaries in the way in which of a sufficiency of meals to fulfill the demand of an growing inhabitants.
I imagine that when you abolish the Corn Legislation truthfully, and undertake Free Commerce in its simplicity, there won’t be a tariff in Europe that won’t be modified in lower than 5 years to observe your instance. Nicely, gents, suppose the Corn Legislation be not abolished instantly, however that Sir Robert Peel usher in a measure supplying you with an obligation of 5 shillings, six shillings, and even seven shillings, and happening one shilling a yr for 4 or 5 years, until the entire obligation is abolished, what can be the impact on overseas nations? They’ll then exaggerate the significance of this market when the obligation is wholly off. They’ll go on elevating provides, calculating that, when the obligation is wholly off, they’ll have a marketplace for their produce, and excessive costs to remunerate them; and if, as may be very probably and in line with our expertise, we should always have a return to plentiful seasons, these huge importations shall be poured upon our markets, in all probability simply on the time when our costs are low; and they’d come right here, as a result of they might don’t have any different market, to swamp our markets, and deprive the farmer of the sale of his produce at a remunerating value. However, quite the opposite, let the Corn Legislation be abolished immediately; let foreigners see what the English market is in its pure state, after which they’ll have the ability to choose from yr to yr and from season to season what would be the future demand from this nation for overseas corn. There shall be no extravagant estimate of what we would like – no contingency of dangerous harvests to invest upon. The availability shall be regulated by the demand, and can attain that state which would be the finest safety in opposition to each gluts and famine. Due to this fact, for the farmer’s sake, I plead for the instant abolition of this legislation. A farmer by no means can have a good and equitable understanding or adjustment together with his landlord, whether or not as respects hire, tenure, or sport, till this legislation is wholly eliminated out of his approach. Let the repeal be gradual, and the owner will say to the farmer, via the land-agent, “Oh, the obligation shall be seven shillings subsequent yr; you haven’t had greater than twelve months’ expertise of the workings of the system but”; and the farmer goes away with none settlement having been come to. One other yr passes over, and when the farmer presents himself, he’s advised, “Oh, the obligation shall be 5 shillings this yr; I can not but inform what the impact shall be; it’s essential to cease awhile.” The following yr the identical factor is repeated, and the tip is, that there isn’t a adjustment of any sort between the owner and tenant. However put it without delay on a pure footing, abolish all restrictions, and the owner and tenant shall be dropped at a immediate settlement; they are going to be positioned exactly on the identical footing as you’re in your manufactures.
Nicely, I’ve now spoken on what could also be accomplished. I’ve advised you, too, what I ought to advocate; however I need to say, that no matter is proposed by Sir Robert Peel, we, as free Merchants, have however one course to pursue. If he suggest a complete and instant and unconditional repeal, we will throw up our caps for Sir Robert Peel. If he suggest the rest, then Mr. Villiers shall be prepared, as he has been on former events, to maneuver his modification for a complete and instant repeal of the Corn Legal guidelines. We aren’t accountable for what ministers could do; we’re however accountable for the efficiency of our obligation. We don’t provide to do impossibilities; however we are going to do our utmost to hold out our rules. However, gents, I inform you truthfully, I believe much less of what this Parliament could do – I care much less for his or her opinions, much less for the intentions of the Prime Minister and the Cupboard, than what will be the opinion of a gathering like this and of the folks outside. This query won’t be carried by ministers or by the current Parliament; it will likely be carried, when it’s carried, by the need of the nation. We’ll do nothing that may take away us a hair’s breadth from the rock which we’ve stood upon with a lot security for the final seven years. All different events have been on a quicksand, and floated about by each wave, by each tide, and by each wind – some floating to us; others, like fragments scattered over the ocean, with out rudder or compass; while we’re upon stable floor, and no temptation, whether or not of events or of ministers, shall ever make us swerve a hair’s breadth. I’m anxious to listen to now, on the final assembly earlier than we go to Parliament – earlier than we enter that area to which all males’s minds shall be turned in the course of the subsequent week – I’m anxious, not merely that we should always all of us perceive one another on this query, however that we needs to be thought of as occupying as impartial and remoted a place as we did on the first second of the formation of this League. Now we have nothing to do with Whigs or Tories; we’re stronger than both of them; if we follow our rules, we will, if needed, beat each. And I hope we completely perceive now, that we’ve not, within the advocacy of this nice query, a single object in view however that which we’ve truthfully avowed from the start. Our opponents could cost us with designs to do different issues. No, gents, I’ve by no means inspired that. A few of my mates have stated, “When this work is completed you should have some affect within the nation; it’s essential to accomplish that and so.” I stated then, as I say now, “Each new political precept will need to have its particular advocates, simply as each new religion has its martyrs.” It’s a mistake to suppose that this organisation will be turned to different functions. It’s a mistake to suppose that males, distinguished within the advocacy of the rules of Free Commerce, can with the identical pressure and impact determine themselves with some other precept hereafter. It will likely be sufficient if the League accomplish the triumph of the precept we’ve earlier than us. I’ve by no means taken a restricted view of the article or scope of this nice precept. I’ve by no means advocated this query very a lot as a dealer.
However I’ve been accused of trying an excessive amount of to materials pursuits. Nonetheless, I can say that I’ve taken as giant and nice a view of the results of this mighty precept as ever did any man who dreamt over it in his personal examine. I imagine that the bodily acquire would be the smallest acquire to humanity from the success of this precept. I look farther; I see within the Free Commerce precept that which shall act on the ethical world because the precept of gravitation within the universe, – drawing males collectively, thrusting apart the antagonism of race and creed and language, and uniting us within the bonds of everlasting peace. I’ve seemed even farther. I’ve speculated, and doubtless dreamt, within the dim future – aye, a thousand years therefore – I’ve speculated on what the impact of the triumph of this precept could also be. I imagine that the impact shall be to alter the face of the world, in order to introduce a system of presidency fully distinct from that which now prevails. I imagine that the need and the motive for giant and mighty empires – for gigantic armies and nice navies – for these supplies that are used for the destruction of life and the desolation of the rewards of labour – will die away; I imagine that such issues will stop to be needed, or for use, when man turns into one household and freely exchanges the fruits of his labour together with his brother man. I imagine that, if we may very well be allowed to reappear on this sublunary scene, we should always see, at a far distant interval, the governing system of this world revert to one thing just like the municipal system; and I imagine that the speculative thinker of a thousand years therefore will date the best revolution that ever occurred on the planet’s historical past from the triumph of the precept which we’ve met right here to advocate. I imagine these items; however, no matter could have been my goals and speculations, I’ve by no means obtruded them upon others. I’ve by no means acted upon private or motives on this query; I search no alliance with events or favour from events, and I’ll take none – however, having the sensation I’ve of the sacredness of the precept, I say that I can by no means comply with tamper with it. I, not less than, won’t ever be suspected of doing in any other case than pursuing it disinterestedly, truthfully, and resolutely.
