will be proportionate."

Such were the great measures of free-trade brought forward by
the government. By the people they were not met with any national
demonstration, or by any well-pronounced declaration. The signs of
the prevalent opinion, however, were well seen in various quarters,
particular as well as general, official as well as popular. Meetings
were held in various parts of the country, but success was very partial;
and if there was no enthusiastic and unqualified manifestation of the
abolition of the corn-laws on the part of "the country," the opposition
to it proved, to be disjointed and petty in the extreme. In parliament
the Conservatives put forth all their remaining strength to check the
onward progress of free-trade. On the 10th of February, the day fixed
for the resumption of the discussion, a "monster debate" commenced,
which, as will be seen, continued for some weeks. It was brought on by
Mr. P. Miles, who, on the motion that the house resolve itself into
a committee, moved that it should do so on that day six months. The
measure was further opposed by Lord Norrys, Sirs W. Heathcote and J.
Walsh, and Mr. W. S. Lascelles: Lord Sandon and Mr. Cochrane, both of
whom were Conservatives, supported it. Lord John Russell proceeded to
discuss the mode in which Sir Robert Peel had treated the question.
With the principles of the measure he agreed; but he advocated immediate
abolition of the corn-laws, and hoped that Sir Robert Peel would
reconsider that part of his plan. His lordship concluded by drawing
a contrast between the disinterested support which the Whigs were now
giving to the free-trade measures of a Tory government, and the factious
opposition which the Tories gave to the same measure when proposed by a
Whig government. He thought that if the free-trade measures of the Whig
government had been allowed to pass when originally proposed, much of
the sufferings of 1842 would have been avoided; and that if Sir Robert
Peel had then been true to himself, he would have escaped, much of the
invective now heaped upon him. After a few words from Sir Robert Inglis
and Captain Fitzmaurice in support of the amendment, and from Mr. S.
Herbert in favour of the measure, he having "changed his opinion on the
subject," on the motion of Mr. S. O'Brien, the debate was adjourned. The
debate continued by adjournment up to February 28th, before any division
or amendment took place: the opposition wishing to stop it on th