Hear a straightforward manufacturer—­Mr Muntz, M.P.—­in the debate on the 17th May last:—­

“If the Corn-laws were repealed, the benefit which the manufacturer expected was, that he could produce at a lower price; and this he could do only by reducing wages to the continental level!!”

If the above fail to open the eyes of the duped workmen of this country, what will succeed in doing so?  Let us conclude this portion of our subject—­disgusting enough, but necessary to expose imposture—­with the following tabular view, &c., of the gross contradiction of the men, whom we wish to hold up to universal and deserved contempt, on even the most vital points of the controversy in which they are engaged; and then let our readers say whether any thing proceeding from such a quarter is worthy of notice:—­

* * * * *

The League Oracle says—­

1.  “If we have free trade, the landlords’ rents will fall 100 per cent.”—­(League Circular, No. 15. p. 3.)

2.  “Provisions will fall one-third.”—­(Ib.  No. 34, p. 4.)

“The Corn-laws makes the labourer pay double the price for his food.”—­(Ib.  No. 15.)

3.  “The Corn-law compels us to pay three times the value for a loaf of bread.”—­(Ib.  No. 13.)

“If the Corn-laws were abolished, the working man WOULD SAVE 31/2d.  UPON EVERY LOAF OF BREAD.”—­(Ib.  No. 75.)

“As a consequence of the repeal of the Corn-laws, we promise cheaper food, and our hand-loom weavers would get double the rate of wages!”—­(Ib.  No. 7.)

“We shall have cheap bread, and its price will be reduced 33 per cent.”—­(Ib.  No. 34.)

4.  Messrs Villiers, Muntz, Hume, Roche, Thornton, Rawson, Sandars, (all Leaguers,) say, and the oracle of the League itself has said, that “We want free trade, to enable us to reduce wages, that we may compete with foreigners.”—­(Post, pp. 13-16.)

5.  The League Oracle admits that “a repeal would injure the farmer, but not so much as he fears.”—­(League Circular, No. 58.)

Mr Cobden says—­

1.  “If we have free trade, the landlords will have as good rents as now.”—­(Speech in the House of Commons, 15th May last.)

2.  “Provisions will be no cheaper.”—­(Speech at Bedford, Hertford Reformer, 10th June last.)

3.  “THE ARGUMENT FOR CHEAP BREAD WAS NEVER MINE.”—­(Morning Chronicle, 30th June 1843, Speech on Penenden Heath.)

“THE IDEA OF LOW-PRICED FOREIGN CORN IS ALL A DELUSION.”—­SPEECH AT Winchester, Salisbury Herald, July 29, 1843, p. 3.

4.  Messrs Cobden, Bright, and Moore, now affirm—­“It is a base falsehood to say we want free trade, to enable us to reduce the rate of wages.”—­(Mr Cobden on Penenden Heath.  Messrs Bright and Moore at Huntingdon.)

5.  Cobden, Moore, and Bright, say, that it is to the interest of the farmer to have a total and immediate repeal.—­(Uxbridge, Bedford, Huntingdon.[34])