The Express.
London, England, 1865-04-08 00:00:00

MR. COBDEN'S FUNERAL.

There is possibly not in Ragland a lovelier
country than that part of Sussex in which the
now historic village of Midhuret is situated.
Hills covered with foliage, valleys bright with
verdure or teeming with fertility, alternate with
dark, sombre-looking heaths, sandy patches, and
trim, silent, old-fashioned villages, and isolated
farmhouses, built in the days of the Tudors.
The "Manchester man" had fixed for his retreat
• spot from which a factory chimney could not be
seen even with a telescope, where hedges of laurel,
and flowers, and fruit attested the mildness of the
climate, sod where the hum of the bees would replace
the busy hum of industry in the regions in which
kie youth and manhood had been passed. Midhnrst
itself is the homeliest, stillest, most old-fashioned of
ITA glob villages. Once a week • oorn market im-
rts some life and bustle into its clean, quaint,
eigzsg streets, but atother times one might pus
from one end of it to the other at high
soon without meeting half-a-dozen people. Plea-
omit green country lanes, however, lead out
of it in every direction, and perhaps the prettiest
and most rural of them all winds up to West
. Lavington church, in • vault of which was to be
gt.' the mortal part of the great Free Trader. Mr.
~ haw, " Dunsiord„" is situated in a
boating parish, Heythrop, but his only and
we -beloved son lies buried in lovington, and
thither, and for that reason, his own mortal remains
were carried. Like Burke, he bad formed the proudest
hopes of the future of his son ; and, like Burke,
his hopes were blighted in their spring time. It is
I generally understood that the premature death of
1 young Cobden at a German school almost
broke the heart of his fathert and know-
-1 ing as we do that fact, how. much more
I highly must we appreciate the sense of public
dut7 that kept him in harness to the last
that indeed actually caused his death—for
it was to coming up to London during the north-
I easterly wind which swept over the metropolis, that
the medical advisers of Mr. Cobden attribute his
untimely death. Lavington is • new church
built after an old model, and is so placed
on the top of a hill as to command on all sides
fine views of the surrounding country. About
half • mile distant from it is Dnnsford-house, and
1 about midway, Cocking-cross, the place at which
the funeral was met and joined by the visitors
from town. The whole population of Midhuret had
Phut up their shops and houses, and were
ranged here, headed by their bailiff, to fall
in with the procession. The country people crowded
the road in groups, or peered through the hedges,
and it was a remarkable fact that even the humblest
of them wore some simple badge of mourning.
There was none of that levity which too often
shocks at funerals ; on the contrary, gravity often
deepening into sorrow, was the pervading expres-
sion in thefaces of these simple people, and wherever
we caught a word of their conversation as we passed
along, It was sure to be one in praise of the friend
and neighbour they had just lost.
In the funeral itself there was not a thought
of parade or pomp. A plain hearse, followed
by four plain mourning coaches, constituted the
whole cortege that left Dunsford-house, the
remaining carriages being those which bad
brought the London visitors over from the station,
or those of the friends and neighbours who bad come
without card or solicitation. And yet there was a
solemnity in that thin block line as it moved
silently up the billy road, and a sanctity in the
stillness of the country air, which could scarcely
have been produced by the most gorgeously ar-
ranged public funeral. At the entrance to the
churchyard the coffin was taken from the hearse,
the pall was thrown over it, and the mourners
ranged themselves at each aide. At the head, on
the right, was Mr. Bright, on the left Mr. Gladstone;
next followed Mr. Milner Gibson and Mr. Villiers ;
and lastly, Mr. George Wilson and, we believe,
the brother of the deceased. Closely following
were Lords Alfred and Clarence Paget, Sir Went-
worth Dilke, Lord Kinnaird, and the following
Members of Parliament :—Mr. Gilpin, Mr. W.
Ewart, Mr. Stansfeld, Sir J. Shelley, Mr.
W. E. Forster, Sir F. Crossley, Bart., Sir
Colman O'Loghlen, Mr. E. Baines, Sir S. M.
Peto, Bart., Mr. Mitford, Sir Patrick O'Brien,
Bart, Mr. Moffatt, Mr.J. B. Smith, Sir Robert
Clifton, Bart. Mr. Baxley, Mr. Cheetham, Mr.
ro Bwn-Westh4:ad, Mr. Potter, Mr. Berne. Mr. S.
Gurney, Mr. Polkiugton, Mr. Lawson, Mr. Shaw
Lefevre, and Mr. P.A. Taylor.
Besides these parliamentary friends of Mr. Cob-
den, we also observed among the crowd the Rev.
Newman Hall, Professor Fawoett, Mr. James Beal,
Mr. Poulton, Mr. Charles Western, Mr. Moriand,
Mr. Hambleton, and Mr. Samuel Morley. Follow-
ing these were deputations
FROM MAIICHRSTIIL—Mr. George Wilson, formerly
chairman of the Auti•Oorn.law League, Mr. S. B. Robin.
son, Mr. J. B. Hickey, Sir Elkanals Armytags, Mr. Abel
Heywood, Mr. Henry Ashworth, Mr. Malawi Roes, Mr.
Hugh Fleming, Mr. Mark Phillips, Mr. R. N. Phillips, and
Mr. Sensual Pope, barrister.
PROM ROCEIDALL—The cerporstion was represented by
the Mayor (Mr. J. Tatham), Mr. S. Soak Mr. Z. Stadler,
Mr. G. L. Ashworth, Mr. Healey, Mr. Edmund Ashworth,
Mr. John Pagan, sod Mr. Thomas Hoyle. The Rochdale
Reform Association was represented by Messrs. Alderman
Heaps, Moore, James Hoyle, Robinson, Booth, Mansell,
Kershaw, William Fenton, J.P., Richard Hurst, J.P.,
Thomas Bright, Thomas B. Williams, John Ashworth,
Robert Mills, Charles' Whitaker, William Pate% and Robert
Ashworth.
FROM BLACICHUIIf.—Mr. W. Poulding and Mr. Richard
Shacklstoc.
Leon EDINBURGEI.—Mr. Duncan ld'Clure.
FROM Bourns.—Mr. Thomas Thomason and Mr. Thorns-
.olll Pin-
FROM OLDHAM.—Mr. Joseph Ratcliffe, jam.
FROX STOCKPORT.—Mr. Ellallye (mayor), and Mr. Alder-
men Wesley.
Files Livzspoot.—Mr. T. G. elleAstone.
Faros SALFORD.—Mr. Wright Turner (mayor), Mr. Alder,
man J. W. Weston.
Laos ASETONAINDIR•LTIOL—Mr. John oisratoiek.
In addition to these there were present Dr. Hook,
Dean of Chichester ; Mr. Brigdeo, Mayor of
Brighton • Mr. Alonzo G. Grant, from Ohio ; Mr.
Phillips, from Wisconsin ; Mr. Adams, the Ameri-
can Minister ; and Mr. Richardson, of the London
Common Council.
With such numbers there was, of course, great
pressing towards the entrance of the little church,
but the local police, under Superintendents Parnell
and Kemmish, kept excellent order, and they were
assisted in recognizing members of parliament (*lto
were admitted first) by an active constable of the
A (London) division. When the coffin was laid on
the ground in front of the communion table the
pall was removed, and on • plain brass plate might
be read the following inscription :
RICHARD COBDEN, FAQ,
M.P.,
MILD %re Arm, 1865,
AORD 60 Yrass.

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Mr. Bright, who- appeared deeply moved, stood
at the head of the coffin, and Mr. Gladstone and
the other mourners took their places in the front
seats of the church. The usual service fur Site
dead was read by the Rev. Mr. Collins, Rector
of Heythorp, assisted by his curate. This
portion of the service took up but a very few
minutes, and the procession being re-formed the
coffin was carried to the grave. The vault, which
is a very small one, is situated at the corner of the
church nearest the road ; there is a hedge of laurel
running close to it, and future pilgrims when they
stand upon the spot can look out on one of the
most beautiful landscapes in Ragland. The Rev.
Mr. Currie read the concluding portion of the ser-
vice with an emotion which was evidently felt by the
whole of the mourners and distinguished circle that
stood around. Mr. Bright wept almost aloud. Mr.