The Express.
London, England, 1859-08-18 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY RVENENG, AUGUST 18. 1859.

JUL COBDEN AND HIS CONSTITUBII7B.

A grand wira Wes given to Mr. Cobden, DLP., at I
Beehdale last eight, is boson of Wm election as number for
that borough. The NSW* was hdd ht • spacial orrques
lowed in the Cullum. add, nal& we testdolly &co-
veted with dip of all sacs..., Won% tad dotal dirket.
About 2,500 parson, twining • comakiscsbls :portion ri
ladies, TM preset. The doors onn pavOion wire opened
at 6 o'clock, sod lite Brat two hens being occupied by a light
rapes, at • game to 7 Vide* Mr. Cohan •ppmsed os the
pl•tions, sod ne rested with toed chews. The elm& was
takes by Mr. A. &rowan, W Mayer of Rodokle ; and
wring the 'wisdod gird wens—Kr. J. Bright, M.P., Mr.
• A. Leath•m, M.P., Mr. P. Creaky, 3LP., Mr. Titus
Salt, M.P.. Mr. Thomas Bask 7, Mr. Owego B•dddd,
M.P., Mr. Munson Crawford, M►. Oterge Vibes, &c.
The MAYOR hariag !only inindend the heehaw,

Mr. G. ASH WORTII mold the big ViZ.

„That thin meeting most radially welcomes. Richard
Cobden, Esq., as the representative of this borough in par-
Haman', sad espresso its high gratification that the electors
of Rochdale have, by returning him unopposed, gisen him
the highest proof of their esteem, and placed him in a posi-
tion apia to advoests and enlace in the Howe of Coro-
lira them peat principles of commercial freedom end
political reform which have distingrahed his war.”
(Chase.)

The nsolutia• hiring boa simosclod by Me. J. Prraii,
and carded by solisakados,

Mr. R. CONDOI, M.P., on tieing to speak, was received
with vehement Awing. He said he had coveted the honour
of representing the borough of Rochdale beyond all other
coostatusnaise in the empire, end he thanked them sincerely
and heartily for electing him me their member, at • time when
he was nearly 4,000 lathe sway from England. It was,
moreover, a rEI greater honour when he ecasidersd
the compile' that existed at the last eleotkn. He
would speak nen this 'abject for a moment, whilst
the water was still fresh in the memory of the
country. Although the number of election petitions had
been very great, he believed that it by no meths represented
the umber of corrupt oonatituencies. He ventured to mart
that the Hones I/Commons was not very dermas of putting
down these oil practices. The expenses of an election peti-
tion wen se ensemone that it was often impossible to obtain
• redress of the grimace. If the Hone of Commons wanted
to put down these proceedings they could menage it. They
meet enable en inquiry to be made at a much less 0384 and
they must pee • law which will nuke the sot of bribery or
corruption a criminal proceeding, so that the Attorney-
Oenerel enkl IMMO an anion against any person guilty
of end Me. The House of Commons was not only
Minns in its preeeneo to put down corruption, but
it lad anther Wilk and expenain prunes, which
ought to be put down. He alluded to the system
of issuing ceamisokina of inquiry. He had lately voted
against the cammalesion to Inquire into the practices at
Gloucester, and he did this not because he wished to shield
the guilty prom concerned in those practices, but because
he believed that meth Inquiries were utterly futile, were very
expeneive, sad never obtained any good result. The adop-
tion of as ballot would have • most important intones
In repressing these electoral excesses, as wee proved by the
evidence effirded by the example of the United litres
when It had long been in active operation. Mr. Rada,
en Amnon statesmen of reputation, had soured him that
is the roans of fifty years he had never known • vote in
Philadelphia bought or sold. The ballot maenad buying
and selling. Nobody would buy • vote when he could
none learn whether he had obtained money's
worth for the sum expended. Mr. Cobden then
turned to the subject of the late war in Italy,
He eangratulated there on the neutrality which
Eaglend hod been able to maintain. Bhe wee as touch to be
fared on the continent of Europe es before the war. A.
regaded the congress that was to be held by the great eon-
tieental powers he bawd that the only °audition which
wall justify Engird in entering that cesium would to
that Italy should be Aiwa to settle her own fors of (occa-
sion without& the hillessatien by force of arms from Austria,
Itesna, Franta, se any ether power whatever. (Great
sheering.) Having leasellei In Italy be could state from his
mu pentad knowledge that the Toscana and the people of
the Bolognese Legation, had recently elected the moot
eminent men in thews countries as their representatives.
They had oat to their new assemblies men who ranked in
Central Hely es high en Lord Derby or Lord Lowdown In
Holland. Austria could not do wiser then to make an ar-
rangement with Venice and those prober that an railed
Vasa* he the abandonment of her aversive, altogether
foe • easuldentioa, such as the eastuoption by those pro-
vinces of a cessider•ble amount of the national debt. We
W • nor Interso in foreign adaire. The annual budget
was peeped rather with rdreenos to or foreign then to our
dometie whey. The chief fear which was contianally re-
nnin in England was that we were liable to an invasion
from France, and the expenditure arising troin this unna-
tural fear was enormous. Now be ventured to my that the
increased armaments, naval and military, of From during
the lest tea pen were quite as much provoked by the addi-
tions node to the English armaments as the contrary. The
English dread of &French tension was • laughing-etock of
the Montana. They called it the "English am," and it
was impounds to describe the pity and aeon with which the
subject was always referred to by the people of the
United Stales. When I came home," continued
the hon. mother, "and looked into the blue books
that bad been presented to parliament, I found what
I in sow going to minion, and I don't believe any-
body der ever looked at it or reed it, because it did not
newer the cry of the mennest. It was not pabulum for
these newspapers that went to write just in the Interests of
the 1110103U1,1; It wee just the opponte ; bat there wee a piper
ported to prilannent whin wee drawn up by the late
government, giving us em account of the French and Englieb
Navies. It has never been contradicted or denied; end
recollect that it had reference to the state of our navy and that
of France in 1848, before oar present increase. 1 het paper
showed that for every vessel Fraue has added to her navy is
the lot seven years we have added ten. (Hear, beer.) You
will observe that while our writers end those public speakers
who seem to pander to this peak about the navy gave you
the mere statistics of line-of-battle ships end frigate' built
or is preparation, they kept out of yew all the rest
of our } reparations, end which I venture to say are
and which the scientific naval con of the day hove declral
to be, the most perfect preparations which you could make
against the ngreamon of • foreign foe. (Hsu.) You have
160 odd steam gunboats lying in your creeks end harbour*,
and they have liven proaounced to be, by the highest scien-
tific nautical men in Europe and America, in the coo of
any future war, the most desirable mesas of defence for the
country you could poems. In the present sou of the im-
provement of our cannon and the deadly nature of the mis-
siles which now can be projected from them, from the enor-
mous distance at which you cos strike en object both with
solid shot end hollow shell, the scientific men say that to put
a thousand men—l use the very words I need in the House
of Commons, and they had the acquiescence of the met
Intelligent men there—into • liee-d bottle ship, with thirty
or forty tons of gunpowder below them, when • Mete
• shot from en Armetrong gun, tired at a distance
of 9,000 or 4,000 yards, striking the meal would
blow her ell to pieces, is a pace of Mode that
has given to the vowels in the most scientific minds of
Amain the sobrnuet of 'slaughter•hourie: (Hear, hear.)
At the end of when thls panic began against the
French for overwhelming as with their naval preparations,
we had 200 more vessels moved by steam of all sires
thee the French hail, while the number of vessels, soil-
. ing and Maims, by which we had increased our navy wee
tedold the French increase from 1962 to this time, sad what
has been the remelt of this pear outcry P You have silted
4,000,0001. m 6,000,0001. more to your taxation and apse-
. dime. (Hass, hear.) I have no hesitation whatever in
' saying, bearing in mind the rule I have laid down be-
. km, that all this has been • pertect waste—that you
, were es eats from any egression upon your shine
as you now are after ell that dancer expenditure—(her,
he .r) —sad what would that money have dons—(her, bear)
—if it bad been left in the hands of • Chancellor of the En-
t damper? (Hear, bear.) Give me five millbas of revenue
I to deal with, instead cif voting that money by acclamation, en
we do, for this miler and enseleas expenditure—gin me
that man to deal with In the modification of taus, the
reduction of customs duties, the relief of trade ham existiog
encumbrances end interims/me—give it to ma, sad see whet
can be dose with it—me bow I ooald remove encumbrances

ecd Obitrectioss to year commerce , me bow I could red ace
those 401•1 ,Nei deck_ our intercourse pith Fromm—

n Loth;tosoW the
duties ma nom& assmoditisk end you will do Ear
were to osartt Os toads of pee& between this
biomass and thiao—(kend come)—fsr more than will
ewer be dons by war permilkli lot war—(chew.)—for
hews is a eaaway Ibet pw alma& terrify by your ropers-
dam (am, hew:) Yes may provoke bar by aatagoalstio
&why; yon wamsemasse her tnto poses by say attempt at
imoss_soporierity, sod Ise me sealiod you that while we &&
ha& fans lihmssw-1 Mode pretend to he with whet
wath--tbea Ow bon beta proposala for • redacts& of the
melon& lossmy Mob= hose Nil US diet we mist not diora-
ma& Mrs ninnsme ow repentant.. I erfil tell yoa what,
In el ailmaystyliseleigNace will la, II you showy our-

selves with your ten or twelve line-of-bettle ships mailing
ap and dews the Mediterranean, whir at lead belongs to
Fires sr mar Ea it belongs to as I say that no French
goverment wOl dare to dims or greedy sedum their navy
wbfle yea liar snob a dlepley of force on French coasts.
Bud rye • linph of cart esiond My to yout own,
and the have she • cramiroe that le second only to your
own. They are • proud arks likzecreelvei, end they won't
bier see a ratty armies forts at the entrance of
their pain It is all very far twin Ni cosiPlimentf
to say, ' Femme has no meson to fear Emptied; England is
sot likely mho
go and attack France: By your kayo, gntle-
was, Wenner them hale been Meths or Meador between
Baglandimill Friar for the last 700 leers, they beret's's
been the linsekes of Femme by England, sad sot of England
bForm (Bear, bear, and langitter.) And when you
ier in mind that the Fire h read in their echool-books of
or &meta upon their coasts, of our carrying arms to ex-
cite tebellion, sad of onr going about sad attacking their
gentth—when they ma of this they have • very M-
OM' of us to what we have of ourselves, and they
don't r to be • nation of Quern, whatever some of
Is nosy he. (Chem and laughter.) Now, pother', Ima
not sore that the experience of the last I. months may sot
have holl e Inadenoy to Incline the front perm of the Can-
tina", to possodil creed ; if this country should do Hs beet
to moots thee. Atm. 1 think the evidence of the
last sir months met bays shown the two great mili-
tary rum el the Ordnent that war Is too serious
• peonnes, r one days, to be reamed to lightly or
at vsay awl intarval• It is • very serious tbiog, with Ni
MAIM lesesention, and with oar tremendous preparations
of the misses al dwirestise. It is a very serious thing to
bring 600,000 or 600,000 toes tato
world
spinet each Mier ;
for a few days will sow do what it would have takes months
to do ad the beg lag of lON ertury, and you bring
them Mighty hoer inte lament eellYsaa with mans of
destruction such es the of our forefathers could
never have conceived. W that his been found out—that
public opinion in Europe is sot ht favor of there wise.
I have saver presumed Moe I have spoken in public on
questions relating to the ruler of France—l have never pre-
sumed to titter one word I. rename or in praise of that in-
dividual, and for this meson, the Emperor of the French Is
elected by the whole people of Fiume, and I believe freely
elected, Isamu& as lie received more then two-thirds of the
whole votes of the country for the position a/presider when
the ballot bores were in the heads of his rival Cm-signet,. I
take that as a proof that the feeling. of the people were in
favour of Louis Napoleon ; I take it for granted that they
voted for him as emperor as freely ss they voted for him as
preeldent. Such being the case, what may hen been the
motives of sir millions of people in the election of their
chile( it is not my business, and I have no right to inquire;
I bow to their decision, supposing that they have soled
from oesvictions and impuleei which may be right in
than, and would not have bean very probably right In
r ; but I have always had this leper= for the last
won or *lit years, that the ruler of Fame had a pomp-
tits of the sluiced tree in which we live, end that hi. career

wee not to be the mew of ea' wit, bore Ida name
befogs; sad this I will say, that If he or any other
ruler of the Continent should so he mistake the spirit
sad requirements of the the se to drew of repeating the
career of war, of anaerstion, end of segues winch Napo-
lion I. achieved, he will fled that public opinion, which was
Impotent sixty yeses ago, will be sufficiently powerful now
to swinge Inuit spinet the man, whoever he may be, who
may attempt to trouble the industry, ocauseer, and eget-
cultare of the present world, and deprive the population of
Swope of their just expectations of reaping the benefit of
those improvement• and of those inventions which cheroot
tithe the age. If such a man should attempt to convert the
steamboat, the telegraph, and the retired merely to purposes
of warlike ambition, he would have the prayers and aspire-
does of 19-20 the of all the honest and industrious men In
Europe in favour of his dethronement and downfall—(cheers)
—and where such a majority as 19.20ths proclaims its
views, it seam or later—end not vary late—ran make
its ppoower felt ,• and such en individual, in mistaking
the eiretlst of the age in which he lives, will realise very
pros to his own person the truth of that Divine precept,
They that Skil& sword shall perish by the sword.' (Cheers.)
Gentlemen, se I am to have the pleasure of saying a few
words to you lessorrow I will not traipse further on you
on that point. I dad, however, that I ace expected here to
offer an explenetion on an Incident which occurred some
time ago. (Herr, Derr.) If it should be thought that It is,
even at this dither of tins, beomniog in me to say a few
words to you ea that selies—and I should certainly
have deemed it to have said snythiag
upon it to say eon her, keel—bat if It is your
sa I undentlead it la, from your chiefs upon the
platform, of ems I meet obey. I need not tit you, then,
that on my egerval is Beglehl, whim I found myself your
representative, I received a oecatanalcatke from Lord Pal-
merston, and also another from Lord John Russell. In his
letter Lard Pidmerston was good enough to urge many
renews, kindly and frankly expressed, why I should
accept a seat in kis cabinet as President of the Board of
Trade. Gentlemen, I will not affect any modesty in the
matter, bet say that I think if I was fit for any post In
the cabinet I should has been it for the one thus
offered to me. If other circurnitanose had not inter-

amid, probably the placing of me In that particular office
would have been roally putting • equate peg In a square
hole—(laughter and cheere)—but I will give you my
ITABOLIN if you will have them, for declining to accept
the honour which was offered to me; an honour which I
beg to mum you le sot a matter of indifference to me,
and which would have been peculiarly inviting to me if
I had been a men of ambitious character, became, taking
it for all in all, the probability is it would have been
the first instance in which • man Llrally springing
immediately from wrong you, and a man of burliness,
bad been offered • east in the cthinet. Neither office,
then, nor any elite ceocomitente could have been indifferent
to me, but 1 felt that it woe • matter calling for my utmost
consideration, all the more in proportion to the induce-
ments which might have been hell out to me in taking a
particular tour's. 1 went to London, and Wore calling
upon or min anyone I thought it better to wait upon Lord
Palmerston end express to him exactly what were my views ott
the subject. I may tall you aa frankly as I spoke to hire what
paned between us. To Li.rd Palmerston I stated my me thus
—I have been for 10 or 16 years the systematic mailsist of
what I believe to be your loreign policy. I thought it warlike,
not cielcuhited to promote poem or harmony between this
and other states. I explained to him precisely what
been la those words. I sold, It is gotta pos-
=l kaminen mistaken in all this. When • man takes
ma Ides up somi mimes it for 10 or 12 pus, very likely hie
gent imprenim may have keen exaggerated.' Bet I put it to
Lad Palcomeas, and I pet it to you, whither, having re-
girded those opinions, it. ma fit and becoming to me to
taap from an American steamer Into his cabinet,
and there sad then for the first time, eftir having
received at hie Made • post of high honour ind gnat emo-
lument, to discover I had urmergorie a change is my
opinions, and whether I should not have been open to great
unsconstruchos by the public at Wet if I had edopied
such a proceeding. Gentlemen, I candidly ceases to
you that would have been a course imminent with
my own self- (Chasm). I don't Intend to dwell
on that ambient beeaar It would be egotistical on my
part. I don t mon to Mira to myself say more merit than
belongs to me, mid not wish my abnegation is any way
to reflect on times who took a dffarent line. I must frankly
toll you that the mane I followed had reference solely to
my own strong topremioas. As I told the gentlemen who met
me at Liverpool, it me • question which I alone could decide,
because I aloes was couversant with the intent of my own
eons-know with respect to Lord Palmeratost's policy. I was
bound to be Mang to these convictions, the sere spe-
cial go comiderbag the temptations which his very mag-
eae presented to me. While, therefore, my own
Wings Prevented me from taking the step which an many
of you hem wished me to take, and which so many
of my friends la Liverpool and Lancashire generally
Krups am I ma still very sled to find that my friend
.diibsca Mt himself able to accept office =An Lord
Palmerston. I wag also pleated to see that my friend Yr.
Gilpin had taken a subordinate office where he will have
plenty of work; for I tall you candidly I like to tad men
croppitg up, se it wen, from the lower strata, who
bare laboured se hard as any of you, and I am glad,
therefore, to me • man stepping into public office nem
the very ranks of the people, beams we want to ahow that
you need not be born in certain regions in order to serve
the Queen. (Cheers and laughter.) It is not mom
wry 1 hope for me to add that I had ao personal feel-
lag whatever in the course I took with tepid to Lori Pa-
nsies's offer. If I had cherithed any pareemel
towards that noble lord—which I have never dam, forkett•
of that happy nature that he cannot mato • personal
enemy—his kind and manly offer would at once have dis-
armed me. I think I am made of eery yielding metarials
when anything like conciliation presents Itself, but I really
bad no such haling, and I should be sorry if it were thought
I bad, and if in any of my attacks upon our foreign policy I
have said anything personally offensive to any public man I
very much regret it. (Cheers.) I have now only to add
that I trust toyour kind and indulgent interpretation of the
comae which I have felt it my duty to purses.' (land
cbeem amid which W hoe, psalms resumed his seat.)

Me.TRONAS Asawoara sad Mr. JACOB B/STOUT Se-
conded the seat resolution, moody than meeting
having bend from Mr. Cobden the regions which induced
him to decline the ogles which woo offered him In the present
cabinet, expresses its entire satisfaction with the course be
has mewed, and sees in it another proof of the clear judg-
ment and the perfect honour and disinterestedness by which
his pablio Ills au been distinguished," which was carried
uttaalmousty.
Mr. W. aIIARMAN CRAWFORD then moved:—" That in
the opinion of this weedeg the guestios of parliamentary
reform Pelee ilar Issms4WS settlement; that without re-
form elootiose will modem to be corrupt, and parliament
will be onfaitling flits trust; that so long as one-sixth only
of ""adult male pooeletioa of the kingdom is entrusted
with the franahhe t a small minority, probably not more
than one• sixth of ihe existing &tenors, return a majority of
1 the member, ef paillasses, ; that the warden of electors is
the rule fa Ceeleite, and the corruption of them through
mitigate sapinditure of the looney, ;ha moil. iD bwoMbay