They dread the light because their actions are not pure.

Frédéric Bastiat
Complete Works, Volume 3, pages 343 to 351 (in French)
Covent Garden, June 5th 1844

Frédéric Bastiat translates some extracts of the speech by Milner Gibson pronounced at this meeting on June 5th, 1844. It pertains to the inconsistencies of the protectionists defending indefensible positions. I note an interesting point touching the principle of peace by the liberals. The visit in London of the emperor of Russia is an opportunity to remind us that peace between people is stronger when the incentive is trade over diplomacy. He exposes the latter sarcastically by saying: “We are assured that the reciprocal visits of these august personalities tend to strengthen peace in the world”. If we consider that wars are systematically set off by these august psychopaths, one can only lend a round of applause!

Today’s quote is from Frédéric Bastiat who does not translate the preceding speech by Edward Pleydell-Bouverie but gives us a short analysis of it. The essence of the speech pertained to an analysis made by the honourable member of parliament about the difference there could be between the announced objectives of the corn laws and their consequences. We can find here the scientific approach of good economists who assess a political decision by looking at the result against the objective rather than against their own opinion. Considering the corn laws, which are totally indefensible, he indeed finds out that they do not reach the objective of helping farmers and peasants because their real aim is to enrich the landlords. The latter are not interested in the light that such an analysis may bring to.