The Express.
London, England, 1855-01-18 00:00:00

MR. COBDEN AT LEEDS.-THE WAR.

Yesterday (Wedoesday) afternoon, Mr. Cobden,'
111.., visited his constituents at Leeds. It had not been
disguised that the object of the hoe. member's visit was to
address the electors on the subject of the war. The peace
pasty, being favourable to leis views, took in hand the me-
/moment of the meeting, and by placards aid other means
for several days previously very copiously spread abroad

their sentiments- ; and, in short, left no means untried to

torn the popular testing into the peace current, with what
snows. our report shows.
The meeting was first dto be held In the Marie
Hall, but its incapacity to accommodate the large mama
who locked there, soon rendered necessary an adjournment

to the extensive area of the Coloured Cloth Hall-yard
The meeting was one of the largest political assemblies ever
congregated in the borough, and included many of the lead
. _ . .

Mg men of all parties. ieveral thousand persons remained
. . _

through a protracted meeting, in defiance of a coating of
snow and very intense cold.
Alderman CA/LBUTT, a leading West Riding Liberal, and
1 &airman of Mr. Cobden's committee at the last electi9o,

presider).
Mr. COBDEN an rising wu received with very slight sp.

.
gauss. lie asid—bir. Chairman and gentlemen, I have
not had the least idea whatever that you would fail to give,
me a fair and candid bearing. I knew when I came here
that I should be addressing a majority of those prepossrued

against my opinions, and that is the very reason why 1
canto. (Hear, hear.) If I had thought that the views I
take on the present state of public matters were univenally
shared by the constituency of the West Riding, where
would have been the necessity of my coming down to con-
fer with you? I have been here when there has been a
pest amount of unanimity amongst you—amongst a great
political party of the West Riding on the current political
waits of the day; and if I found it right and psis? to
New down under such circumstances, and hear from my
kinds and constituents words of congr►tulatien or sews-
essoment on my conduct and convictions, how mach more
is it my bounden duty, as a representative of the West
Riding, to come here and state honestly my conscientious
opinions, when I believe that my opinions may not be
shared in by all ? How much more, then, is it
my duty to come here to listen to you, or
any of your respected chiefs who stand beside
me, and are prepared to controvert my opinions
and state here the convictions which they may entertain ?
And, gentlemen, when my respected friend, the chairman,
forewarns you and me that we are to have a very discor-
dant meeting, and that there is a general predominance of
feeling against my views and opinion, I rather think that he
has a little anticipated the business of this meeting. If you
please, we will first of all ascertain exactly what my opi
nions ape on the question that yon take the most interest
in at the present time, and we will try next to elicit your
opinions from you. lam Lot come here simply to talk of
the history or origin of the war we are unhappily engaged
in. That is a question which cannot longer affect the
argument, for the war is in existence, and we have to deal
with it as we sow find it. By talking of the history of
Ramie or Turkey, and going into blue books which deal
with the origin—always obscure—of this war, encased es it
is in diplomatic correspondence, by doing this we shall not
prevent the war. It is in existence, and we must look at it
as being so; but I, as a member of parliament, have to vote
on every matter brought before me. I have, u a member
of the Hones of Commons, to provide for you the sinews of
war. I cannot avoid voting the mosey necessary to carry
on the war if it is to be carried on. The most important
question in the next session is—how and in what manner
are we to carry on the war ? And I agree that
if England is to have a war, you cannot have a little war ;
but you must carry it on with that vigour and energy which
becomes such •nation as this; but to do this will require
money, and not • farthing will come except by a vote of
the Route of Commeas. I base just said that I must say
Yes" or " No" to every proposition that comes before me

in parliament, and I now want a few wadi with you upon I
the question of those supplies with which we are to carry on
this war. I think your government, and even Mr. Glad- I
stone, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, much u I respect
his character, have rather lent themselves to the delusion
that they could indulge the people of this country in • I
cheap war. Mr. Gladstone told the House of Commons
that he wanted but 10 millions. We voted him 10 mil-
lions. You have had an opportunity of judging how that
money has been spent; and you can judge now, if we are to
carry on the war, what that money will do, and how long
that money will last. Why, gentlemen, it is gone al-
ready. What, then, are we to do for the future? We are
engaged la a war with Ruda, and we have deter.
mined to carry it on upon Russian territory. Let
me pat the question the ether way. Suppose, instead
of earryiag on the war on Raman territory, Russia bad
determined upon the Marion of this country with 100,000
men. Before yen had had a single man landed, you would
have had a levy as muse, and have voted fifty millions to
pay for the war. Bat let am tall you that to carry on a war
in Russia is far more costly than to carry on a war against
Russia in our own territory, and I went you to let me
know what are your wishes in reference to the way in
which money shall be mired. (Laughter. "Hear, bur," and
• voice, " Oh, we'll raise it somehow," and • cry, " Come
to the question.") I will come to the other question in
time enough—the question of the conduct of the war. But
I say there are two or three views en this subject of raising
money. Some my that we &scald have a lean; others my
we should have direst taxation; others, again, say we
should have indirect tuition. Now I have come to tell
you frankly my opition os this matter. I look with great
alarm upon the renewal of oar system of funded debt. I
look with great Appreheaskes to the recommenoment of
the system of leaning. 1 think the labour of the country
is sufficiently mortgaged already. The question is not
whether you shall harden yourselves and posterity for
this war, but whether yen Mudd hordes yourselves
and your children. Most of you present, I have no doubt,
have children, and it is money which you or year children
will have to pay. I regard-it u pretty nearly the some
thing to me *ether I pay the money myself et borrow it
to be repaid by my children. It is a dangerous thing to
give government too great fasilities for raising mosey, as
you are very likely to find that you Ile "snits, it mach
too test, bosuns you are seising it too easily. It is whole-
some to have • cheek ; whether during pump er war, it is
a good principle, and a wholesome check, that we should
not find money too easily. Bepocially good is this principle
whim the mosey is required to carry on a war. It is a pro-
video of Providence itself that there should be difilealty
muroiffidiag a war—that hardship, and dangers, and wart•
Ices are austerity to sad inseparable from war--so that
every country may feel it to be beneficial a avoid these
difficulties. Yuma', however, raise the money to carry