The Sun.
London, England, 1850-11-28 00:00:00

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LONDON, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1850,

The Freehold Land Society is now " a great
fact," "an established fact." It has survived the
dangers that beset the infancy of every institution.
It has overcome the difficulties that impede and
obstruct every new undertaking, however prudently
and sagaciously planned. Like the Anti-Corn -law
League, it sprung from a minute source. Seven
men meeting in a small room in Manchester
originated the association, which speedily took
root in the affections of the people, and within
a few short years had spread throughout the
length and breadth of the land, defying the power
of the monopolists to arrest its irresistible progress
until it finally triumphed, assuring to the people the
great desideratum—an unlimited supply of cheap
and untaxed food. And yet these seven persons
were not men of exalted rank or unbounded
influence ; they were of the middle class,
whose experience had convinced them of
the enormous magnitude, the grievous injustice of the
evil for which they were about to seek a remedy ;
and the only influence they possessed was that
which must necessarily belong to every: clear-
headed and intelligent man, with an unblemished
character for honour and integrity in all his dealings.
Their most powerful weapon was the justice of their
cause ; they knew that truth and reason were on
their side, and with such efficient allies they feared
no opponent. Their great object was to promote dis-
cussion, to attract the public attention to the subject.
When once it was taken into consideration in a calm
and unprejudiced spirit the victory was achieved.
When the ridicule with which every new project is
invariably attacked had subsided, when the pom-
pous platitudes and specious claptraps, of which
we sometimes hear the faint echoes from
Protectionist gatherings, had ceased to control the
minds of a people, who had begun to listen to the
arguments, and could not understand that because
" Britannia ruled the waves" her trade and com-
merce should be fettered and trammelled by a thou-
sand vexatious restrictions, or because "Britons never
would be slaves" that they should voluntarily pay an
enormous tax, an unrighteous tribute, to or for the
benefit of a favoured class, the matter was brought
to a conclusion. Victory after victory was gained;
the Crystal Palace, St. Paul's Cathedral, nay, the
largest building which it ever entered into the human
mind to conceive, or which human power was en-
abled to carry into execution, could not contain the
one-hundredth part of the numbers belonging to the
association, all the members of which had a few short
years before assembled in a small back room in a
provincial town.
But if the commencement of the Anti-Corn-law
League was small, still more minute was the origin
of the Freehold Land Society. Two persons only
met together. Mr. J. TAYLOR—the name is worthy
of being commemorated and treasured in the recol-
lections of the people—and a friend passed various
resolutions, and the result has been the formation of
the society, which has already eighty flourishing
branches—thirty thousand members—all good men
and true—and 170,000/. sterling paid-up capital on
shares, which will eventually bring in about
1,000,000/. sterling. This extraordinary progress,
we believe to be fully equal to any that has ever yet
been accomplished, not exceeded even by the
brilliant success of " the League" within a
similar period. Its future strides will be
even more wonderful, realising the nursery fable of
the " Seven League Boots," or the arithmetical prob-
lem of the sum constantly doubling on each succes-
sive nail of the horse-shoes. Last year there were
but 33 societies, now there are 80, and if the improve-
ment follow a similar ratio, we ought to have between
180 and 190 societies in November, 1851, and be-
tween 400 and 500 in November, 1852. And so
there will be if further efforts be not rendered un.
necessary by a large and comprehensive measure o

Parliamentary reform, placing the suffrage on so
satisfactory a basis that the want of the elective fran-
chise will be a mark of disgrace and ignominy, the
fault of the " political cypher" himself, and not of
the laws of the land in which he lives. But this
salutary law will, if not altogether the off-
spring of the society, at least be essentially
promoted by its progress. Let every man, therefore
who values the inestimable privilege himself, and
who has a sufficient sense of justice to extend it to
others, although they may not deserve it as well as
himself, hasten to join the ranks of the society. Let
him consider with himself, whether he cannot allocate
a few shillings, even ls. 6d. per week out of his earn-
ings, to so noble a purpose. Is there no unnecessary
expenditure he can curtail—no usents luxury he can
cut off? Every shilling contributed to the funds may
be looked upon as a portion of the price of his freedom

—what sacrifice or privation should not be willingly
encountered in such a cause ? All who are worthy of

obtaining the inestimable privilege will respond in
the manner required ; acta non verba will be the
test of their sincerity. If they would have their
professions credited, let them join the society
and pay up their subscriptions. Its portals are open
to all, there is no exclusion. The honest and con-

scientious Conservative will be received as readily and
receive his freehold as speedily, as the Liberal. There
will be no control attempted over the opinions of the
members. Each may follow his own political predi-
lections without let or hinderance, The principle of
the society is that it is unjust to deprive British
citizens of the franchise, to keep them unrepresented
and without a voice iii, ,the national councils while
they are coutributin,C; to the national- expenditure.
It offers a remedy for that grieianee. It provides
Every man may, with ordinary
industry
frugality, achieve the fran-
chisefe isi facilities
s andby and whichi
t ordinary
does not seek to depreciate the
value of the boon by clogging it with restric-