Amidst fears that the Corn Laws may be reintroduced by the newly formed Conservative administration lead by Lord Derby, a meeting is held in Manchester to revive the Anti-Corn Law League. The meeting is addressed by Cobden, Bright and Milner-Gibson and £27,700 is raised within half-an-hour. In the House of Commons Bright repeatedly challenged Disraeli, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to state the government’s policy on protectionism but the Chancellor, fearful of the fragility of the government’s position, refused to oblige.