[During the parliamentary session of 1846 when the bill for the
repeal of the Corn Law was passing through its parliamentary
stages, Mr. Cobden's letters from London to personal friends and
to his wife afford frequent glimpses of his interest, his
suspense, and his final exultation.]
"London, February 19th. To T. H. Ashworth: Your letter has
followed me here. Peel's declaration in the House that he will
adopt immediate repeal if it is voted by the Commons, seems to me
to remove all difficulty from Villiers's path; he can now propose
his old motion without the risk of doing any harm even if he
should not succeed. As respects the future course of the league,
the less that is said now about it publicly the better. If Peel's
measure should become law, then the Council will be compelled to
face the question, 'What shall the League do during the three
years?' It has struck me that under such circumstances we might
absolve the large subscribers from all further calls, put the
staff of the League on a peace footing, and merely keep alive a
nominal organization to prevent any attempt to undo the good work
we have effected. Not that I fear any reaction. On the contrary,
I believe the popularity of free-trade principles is only in its
infancy, and that it will every year take firmer hold of the head
and heart of the community. But there is perhaps something due to
our repeated pledges that we will not dissolve until the Corn
Laws are entirely abolished. In any case the work will be
effectually finished during this year, provided the League
preserve its firm and united position; and it is to prevent the
slightest appearance of disunion that I would avoid now talking
in public about the future course of the League. It is the
League, and it only, that frightens the peers. It is the League
alone which enables Peel to repeal the law. But for the League
the aristocracy would have hunted Peel to a premature grave, or
consigned him like Lord Melbourne to a private station at the
bare mention of total repeal. We must hold the same rod over the
Lords until the measure is safe; after that I agree with you in
thinking that it matters little whether the League dies with
honors, or lingers out a few years of inglorious existence."
"May 16th. To F. W. Cobden: I last night had the glorious
privilege of giving a vote in the majority for the third reading
of the bill for the total repeal of the Corn Law. The bill is now
out of the House, and will go up to the Lords on Monday. I trust
we shall never hear the name of 'Corn' again in the Commons.
There was a good deal of cheering and waving of hats when the
Speaker had put the question, that this bill do now pass.' Lord
Morpeth, Macaulay, and others came and shook hands with me, and
congratulated me on the triumph of our cause. I did not speak,
simply for the reason that I was afraid that I should give more
life to the debate, and afford an excuse for another adjournment;
otherwise I could have made a telling and conciliatory appeal.
Villiers tried to speak at three o'clock this morning, but I did
not think he took the right tone. He was fierce against the
protectionists, and only irritated them, and they wouldn't hear
him. The reports about the doings in the Lords are still not
satisfactory or conclusive. Many people fear still that they will
alter the measure with a view to a compromise. But I hope we
shall escape any further trouble upon the question.....I feel
little doubt that I shall be able to pay a visit to your father
at midsummer. At least nothing but the Lords throwing back the
bill upon the country could prevent my going into Wales at the
time, for I shall confidently expect them to decide one way or
another by the 15th of June. I shall certainly vote and speak
against the Factory Bill next Friday."
"May 18th. To Mrs. Cobden: We are so beset by contradictory
rumors, that I know not what to say about our prospects in the
Lords. Our good, conceited friend told me on Wednesday that he
knew the peers would not pass the measure, and on Saturday he
assured me that they would. And this is a fair specimen of the
way in which rumors vary from day to day. This morning Lord
Monteagle called on me, and was strongly of the opinion that they
would 'move on, and not stand in people's way.' A few weeks will
now decide the matter one way or another. I think I told you that
I dined at Moffat's last Wednesday. As usual he gave us a first-
rate dinner. After leaving Moffat's at eleven o'clock, I went to
a squeeze at Mrs. --. It was as usual hardly possible to get
inside the drawing-room doors. I only remained a quarter of an
hour, and then went home. On Saturday I dined at Lord and Lady
John's, and met a select party, whose names I see in to-day's
papers.....I am afraid if I associate much with the aristocracy,
they will spoil me. I am already half-seduced by the fascinating
ease of their parties."
"May 19th. To F. W. Cobden: I received your letters with the
enclosures. We are still on the tenter-hooks respecting the
conduct of the Lords. There is, however, one cheering point: the
majority on the second reading is improving in the stock-books of
the whippers-in. It is now expected that there will be forty to
fifty majority at the second reading. This will of course give us
a better margin for the committee. The government and Lord John
(who is very anxious to get the measure through) are doing all
they can to insure success. The ministers from Lisbon, Florence,
and other continental cities (where they are peers) are coming
home to vote in committee. Last night was a propitious beginning
in the Lords. The Duke of Richmond was in a passion, and his tone
and manner did not look like a winner."
"June 10th. To F. W. Cobden: There is another fit of apprehension
about the Corn Bill, owing to the uncertainty of Peel's position.
I can't understand his motive for constantly poking his coercive
bill in our faces at these critical moments. The Lords will take
courage at anything that seems to weaken the government morally.
They are like a fellow going to be hanged who looks out for a
reprieve, and is always hoping for a lucky escape until the drop
falls."
"June 18th. To Mrs. Cobden: The Lords will not read the Corn Bill
the third time before Tuesday next, and I shall be detained in
town to vote on the Coercion Bill on Thursday, after which I
shall leave for Manchester. I send you a 'Spectator' paper, by
which you will see that I am a 'likeable' person, I hope you will
appreciate this."
"June 23d. To Mrs. Cobden: I have been plagued for several days
with sitting to Herbert for the picture of the Council of the
League, and it completely upsets my afternoons. Besides my mind
has been more than ever upon the worry about that affair which is
to come off after the Corn Bill is settled, and about which I
hear all sorts of reports. You must therefore excuse me if I
could not sit down to write a letter of news.....I thought the
Corn Bill would certainly be read the third time on Tuesday (to-
morrow), but I now begin to think it will be put off till
Thursday. There is literally no end to this suspense. But there
are reports of Peel being out of office on Friday next, and the
peers may yet ride restive."
"June 26th. To Mrs. Cobden: My Dearest Kate-Hurrah! Hurrah! the
Corn Bill is law, and now my work is done. I shall come down to-
morrow morning by the six o'clock train in order to be present at
a Council meeting at three, and shall hope to be home in time for
a late tea."