Anti-Corn Law League

The Anti-Corn Law League is a league against the Corn Laws (laws on the grains) founded in 1839 by economists, industrialists, tradesmen and bankers of Manchester.

History

Anti-Corn Law League is actually the resumption of the Anti-Corn Law Association , created with London in 1836, but which did not obtain success. They are only three years later, with Manchester, the British manufacturing big city, that association takes again life. Richard Cobden and John Bright is the two principal figures of the movement, and Georges Wilson, the president of the League, is charged to manage the administrative tasks. It is however Richard Cobden which is remained the representative emblematic of the movement thereafter.

Objectives

The main objective of the league was the abolition of the customs tariffs on the grains and cereals. These tariffs set up at the 17th century had been modified in 1815. They prohibited inter alia importing with less than 80 shillings the Quarter , increasing by there the price of cereals. They were modified in 1828. The abolition of the tariffs will be obtained in 1846 grace also to reasons of the economic situation (bad weather conditions of summer 1845 which made necessary the cereal importation). The famine which resulted from it in Ireland gave to the League the support Irish nationalists taken along by Daniel O' Connell.

The League continued to tackle thereafter the protectionist practices which prevail then in Great Britain. The ambition of the leaders of the League is to establish an economy fully free-trader in order to make decrease the price of the basic food products (bread, agricultural produce), to support the increase in richness and employment by improving the productivity and the performances of agriculture and industry, and thus to weave stronger commercial links - supposed being guarantors of peace - with the other nations.

Nevertheless, some consider that in practice, England will remain a protectionist State until 1860 and the signature of the Franco-English treaty of trade, under the impulse of Michel Chevalier. The English customs duties will remain until this date higher in England than in France according to work of Patrick O' Brien and John V.C Nye

Actions

Among the actions undertaken, the countryside for The big loaf consisted of the distribution of thousands of leaflets at the exit of bakeries presenting the difference in size between protectionist bread and it bread free-trader .

References

See too

Internal bonds

External bond

the anti-corn law leagues on Spartacus schoolnet

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