It is a great fact that the misery of the working masses has not diminished
from 1848 to 1864, and yet this period is unrivaled for the development
of its industry and the growth of its commerce. In 1850 a moderate organ
of the British middle class, of more than average information, predicted
that if the exports and imports of England were to rise 50 per cent, English
pauperism would sink to zero. Alas! On April 7, 1864, the Chancellor of
the Exchequer delighted his parliamentary audience
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