ssrs. Cobden,
Bright, G. Thompson, Scholefield, Bass, and Sir Joshua Walmsley. This
conference, of course, attracted the notice of the press. The coldly,
critical _Spectator_ termed it a "middle-class movement." _Tait_ so far
forgot himself as to characterise it as "political swindling." The
_Times_ said the working-classes were being deluded by it. For once the
_Standard_ agreed with the _Times_ and said ditto. However the
conference did its work, and started the _Freeholder_, which appeared on
the 1st of January, 1850. A second conference was held at Birmingham in
November, 1850. The report, as usual, was encouraging. Eighty
societies, many of them with branches, were reported as existing. The
number of members was thirty thousand subscribing for forty thousand
shares. The amount of paid-up contributions was 170,000 pounds. A third
conference was held in London in November, 1851. The report then stated
there were one hundred societies with forty-five thousand members
subscribing for sixty-five thousand shares. One hundred and fifty
estates had been purchased, twelve thousand allotments made, 400,000
pounds had actually been received, and two millions of pounds sterling
was actually being subscribed for. At the fourth conference, held in
1852, it appeared still greater progress had been made. One hundred and
thirty societies, with eighty-five thousand members subscribing for a
hundred and twenty thousand shares, were in existence, three hundred and
ten estates had been purchased, nineteen thousand five hundred allotments
had been made, and 790,000 pounds had been received. Estimating the
shares at the average of 30 pounds per share, the total amount subscribed
for was three millions six hundred thousand pounds. Such, then, is the
movement at the present time. It has been obscured by no cloud. Its
progress has been unchecked. No disappointment has retarded its onward
way. Forward to victory has been its march. All classes and sects have
railed round it. For churchmen there exists a Church of England Society.
The Conservatives have formed a large and flourishing society for the
manufacture of Conservative votes. The movement sneered at, derided,
misrepresented, declared unconstitutional, a swindle like a celebrated
land scheme popular with the Chartists, has now come to be admitted by
all as the greatest fact of the age: to aid it, grave and reverend
churchmen, statesmen of all shades of political