neral cause of finding employment and encouragement for our
suffering fellow-citizens. If the noble lord would reflect
upon the best mode of relieving the distresses of the people,
he would find his amendment not likely to have that tendency.
Let him reserve all discussion on the question it involved
until he could do it without interrupting the stream of
charity, and until he could enter upon it under fair and
proper circumstances. He (Mr. Wilberforce), in a proper place,
would not shrink from meeting the noble lord on that inquiry;
he was twice as old in public life as the noble lord could
pretend to be, and fully as independent; yet he would not have
easily supposed any man, however young in politics, could have
started such topics there. For his part, he should be sorry to
take advantage of any credit which might be
to supposed to belong to him upon such an occasion as this to
cast reproaches upon those who were concurring with him in a
benevolent design. The meeting must on the present occasion
feel how much indebted it stood to the royal personages for
their attendance. They had come to listen to a discussion
which had for its avowed and direct object the relief of the
people, and they were in the room suddenly called upon to lay
aside the practical part of their inquiry and to enter upon
a distinct pursuit. Was such a course fair towards those
illustrious individuals? Was it that which was likely
to induce them to listen to proposals for their personal
co-operation on occasions of benevolence, if they had no
security against the occupation of their time for discussions
of a different character? In conclusion, he entreated the
noble lord, of whose real disposition to relieve the people
of England he had no doubt, and whose motives he could justly
appreciate, to withdraw his amendment.

Lord Cochrane thanked the honourable gentleman for his
personal civilities towards him, and said that he would feel
no hesitation in withdrawing his amendment if the honourable
gentleman would state to the meeting, on his own personal
veracity and honour, that he believed that the original
resolution contained the true cause of the public distress,
and the amendment the false one. If the honourable gentleman
would say that--if any respectable man present would say
it--he would