The Express.
London, England, 1859-12-02 00:00:00

RIMER SOIRBB AT LIVERPOOL.

LIVERPOOL, TEURSDAT EVININO.

A seine, under the auspices of the Financial
Refers Association, bee this evening been given to lltseas.
Cobden sad Bright sad Goma Perrcast Thompson, in the
line wean of the Philhenande Hall. Mr. C. Ronannost
(In the weldable Ilbilliel, through indisgeatica, of Mr.
Robertson 131eristeas, the presisliat sf the esiociatios) pre-
sided. Yr. Cobden wee not gressat, but the following letter
from bin was reed :

To Robertson Gladatotoe, Esq., Prinklett of the Liverpool
Fiseactal Reforms Arnie

Peri, Nov.
My dear Sir,—For the bet ten days I have been conBfined
to my bedroom by severe ladlapaitioa, originating M • oold
and cough, followed by fever, which has let me in • state of
mondani:is debility. My medloal attendant, who mores
me, with care end oan ra, a speed recovery, worm me that
to andruake a journey to Liverpool to address • large politic
mentors would, in the pressen stir of my leap, be almost
an act of suicide. I need sot mare you how deeply I regret
to be unable to fold my long-standing prong's to be with
you on the lat. Ido not, bowers:, ask you to niers an
bum my samurai, but only to tallow me to prime its
tallithim& to • hoar% mad, I hops, early opportualiy.
There rue re • moment when I felt rester interest
than at prevent in the realisation of your wry's programme
for aubstitatiag direct for indirect trotioa. If I require:lac
illustration of the Importance of iyour principle, which im-
plies the removal of custom-hors impedimenta between no-
time, I should And it in the pearl arras of Ireland and
Asses.

—Whet mune this periodical visitation, which, like the
cholera or some other iambus dimes, bee, every two or
three years also@ 1847. caused thr pule cry ria Preach inva-
des to overspread England, and which at the present mo-
mut Is heard again in tones as loud and ormarlag se ever f
Here am I, with all my children, in the very jaws of the
beiaary monster which has been conjured up to totally my
countrymen, and yet I feel no lea safe from attack or
try of say kind so long as I refrain from molesting or
wringing *tun, than if I were residing to London or Liver-
. pool. Whence springs the idea of danger which pervades the
public Wad st home P I attribute it mainly to the want of h-
i tercenuanniestion and the consequent ignorance and prejudice
which prevail respecting the character and dodges of our
rarest ematinental neighbour P
Hero ass two of the greatest nation., separated only by
the earrowest strip of ocean, with their distinct and proud
stasis, their rivet traditions, their difference, in race,
Magus" and religion, all tending to produce alienation ;
but nature, which always works by laws of compensation,
has endowed the two countries with a variety of productions,
end Imparted to the popelstions so instinctive desire to sup-
ply each other's wants end dellatinciee, which, had nature's
laws been allowed their tree action, would have brought the
two nations into such constant contact and roam
mad laid thus under inch mutual dependenco,7=
have subdued the merely latent canoes of antagonism,
and rendered impossible the present state of hostility
and alarm. But, down almost to the present day,
the guava:mate of the two oatmeal. have devoted
their seeress to the task of preventing, as far as possible,
say commercial Intercourse between them. The baneful con-
sequences are smuttily such uwe behold. Let us bops
that legislators will awaken to • sense of the responeiblity
which attache@ to those who thus array themselves against
the obvious laws of the Creator. _

Meanwhile, your society will, I hope, persevere in its use-
ful labours, and continue to draw around you the sympathy
and co-operation of good men. You are not a political
organisaum ; your functions are Ursa of an educator, and
your object in to prepare the public mind for the future action
of the statesman. The day for the fall realising= el your
views may still be remote, but, step by atop, we every year
approach nearer to the desired goal. You have only to per-
severe in the advocacy of your humans, just, and peaceful
principles, end God will assuredly, In His own good time,
crown your labours with success.—Believe me, yours very
truly, Rims.= CURDZN.

The Cuotance, in opening the businem of the meeting,
gave a general sketch of the object, of the Financial Reform
Ameektion, and announced that In addition to the regretted
Omen of Mr. Cobden, General Thompson had been com-
pelled to forego his Intention of being present, owing to an
Important engagement.

Mr. Jarinis read an address to Marr-Genrel T.
Peeress' Thompson, Richard Cobden, Esq., M.P., and John
Bright, Esq., M.P.
Mr. Barn; on presenting himself to the meeting, was
greeted with long-continued cheer., the whole nonparty
rising. Be said be was quite unable to make a fitting answer
to the address which had just been read, but he felt grateful
to the =mil, sad to all who had taken part in its prepara-
tion and premonition, for the sentiments 'speared towards
himself sad his friends, Messrs. Cobden and Thompson.
There were many in this country who were unable to com-
prehend and appreciate the noble mission which had
been undertaken by the association. They proposed, in the
diet place, to secure an economical expenditure of the na-
tional finances, and in the second to obtain a spasm of taxa-
non whereby all subject. of the state should be taxed as
cording to their means. He believed that this sad could only
be attained by a system of direct taxation. Many newspa-
pers would doubtless attack these views within the next few
days, and large numbers of people—particularly among
landed proprietors and the agricultural classes—would

. .
regard them as pernicious and perhaps revolutionary.
The landed gentrh were generally the last to
learn anything. They were the let to learn the
jambe and necessity of the repeal of the corn laws,
although no class had derived greeter benefit from that
measure than themselves. He anticipated results, 01e0.% as
greet and beneficial when the programme of the Financial
Association was carried into effect. He had lately been much
attacked by the press. He would detain the for • abort time
by reviewing a few of these newspeper articles, and he hoped
to show them what bad political economy these practised
leaders of public opinion sometimes indulged in, Mr. Bright
then read passages from the Teas, the Spectator, sad the
.Seomotniet, and proceeded to rent. the assertions made. He
mixt adverted to the consumption of the people in order to
show the relative proportions of taxation. The revenue from
theaters. was about 42,000,0001., and it had been thus divided
by a competed Wheal aaterity. The upper classes paid
7,350,0006. ; the middle cease 15,960,0001. ; and the lower
deem, 18,690,0001. Dares the last 20 yen the consump-
tion of sugar, tea, coffee, corn, cattle, and tobacco, had very
nearly doubled, and by whom, he would like to know, bad
this mat ;cones, of commodities been consumed? Ca-
qaeaionably by the middle sad lowa classes. At this hoar
24,000,000 of people in this country live in hone of lees ren-
tal than 101. per annum, and only 6,000,000 live in bones of
s,higher rental than ltd. The conclusion then to be drawn
from all these facts war that the revenue produced by taxation
upon the ordinary articles of consumption fells heaviest upon
the industrious classes. He (Mr. Bright) lived in the
midst of • manufacturing district, and he knew something of
the life of the labouring man. Although this was a time of
unusual prosperity, the life of • labouring man was one of
peculiar hardship and difficulty. Labouring men have to
maintain an incessant struggle to keep themselves from *hat
they dread to much—the workhouse. Their life is pre-
carious, any on the average not of long duration. He (Mr.
Bright) appealed to the middle classes of toe country to band
together to relieve the labouring classes front their heavy
Madam, and to abolish • system which weighs so heavily
upon the great mass of our fellow-countrymen. (Great
applause.) Well, then, how beat to meet the difficulty P lie
would propose • tax ul Ile. per 1001. upon the whole property
in the country belonging to persons having 1001. per annum or
more. This would productelet27,ooo,oool.perennum. Reis
tax were adopted, we could abolish the duties ua anger, tea,
coffee, insurance, carriages, and a great variety of articles.
Such • measure would Immediately increase tha trade
of the nation, end spread happiness and contentment
amongst the great industrious population, whilst at
the same time the tax would not weigh heavily
upon these classes who would have to pay it.
As regards the duties on Whew and spirits, they produce
about 18,000,0001. and he would not propose their abolition,
at least not for the present. The largest proportions of these,
which come from tobacco and spirits, are paid by the lower
&asses, and we may fairly leave the proportion of the national
revenue to be paid by thee whilst the upper and middle
°lessee ought willingly to burden themselves with the re-
ambling taxation required by the Chancellor of the Beth.
qua. Mr. Bright then referred at considerable length to
the legacy duty on personal property, the probate duty, and
the succession tax of 1866, which last he denounced as •
shame and a dbgr•or. The poor, he said, were taxed
emeavely to spare the rich, and all classes are taxed

exceadvely to spare the proprietor ef the soil. He
I would give his explenation of this state of *imp In a few
words. The parliament which hair the taxation is a par-
liament of the doh, sad the majority of the namben belong
es the landed proprietors. Whet is the remedy f We may either
have an agitation extending over Kme man, reaming the
ocientry to futtgnation, sad perhaps to the brink of hiIIIIM.
lion, or we may have • nemenre of perikunentery reform
which will change the eliersoter of the legislation. The
monopolists of power dread the extension of
the franchise. The existence of the lament
cabinet, however depends upon the courage and honesty
with which it deals with this important and unavoidable
question the very future of their party depends upon it.
" A word more," seid Mr. Bright, " =Maws done. lam
seabed with virulence, .vas charged with falsehood, by
than masked comp retars against the ecesinanwealth who
write in the leading columns of the Timis. Congenial
slanders are vomited forth every weak le the lines of the
peat 8 starday reviler, but the fact. which I have stated
to-night remain, and they remain, I hesitate not to sty,
to the dishonour of our country and the weakening
of our government. Aristocracy intrauched within the
citadel of power, and Kiting upon generations of tt.
ebellenpd role—monarchy itself, venerable with the
willing homage of • thousand years--authority
every kind must be shaken, and will pees away. unless it
be beset upon the true interests and commend Itself to the
emsolenes of the people. (Cheers.) I ask that parlis.
went should be made • real represented= of the pro.
party. the industry, and the Intelligence of the mike ; that
we may be delivered, if poseible, from ohm* Ispaletion„
from reckless expenditure, end from a taxation oppressive,
unequal, and unjost. (Cheers.) The monopolists of power
reject that demand with Korn. The day may come when it
will be made in • loader voice than miss, when this quKition
will be peeped in • ruder hand then mine, and, when it is
so made, es wee the came in UM, that will be narreeidere
with her and humiliation for which reason and justice now
plead la min." (Loud cheers.)

Lord Tit-smelt advocated a prompt diminution of el.
peaditani, sad said that may government anxious to retain
power suet great Mend mamma of reform to the people.

. -•
- Mr. J. C. Swam, M.P., sold that, though not egroeing
in Me with kr. Bright, he WM/ as reran for • system of
more direct taxation, and r • member of perliannut he
had often felt mach indebted to the publioatices of the
Financial Reform Arociation. Be then called attention
to the timber datlee and the tax on marine inaursnos,
which he denounced ea particularly unfair and opprenive,
When taxation cord a reduced, he hoped the poor would
be relieved from deny of W. harden. now proofing upon
them.

Mr. Pou.aatt-Uactuniar, M.P., se • landowner, meld
beer witness to the beinefita of free-Inds legialstka, ead
signed that es ready money wee one of the best preenodert
et morsoloy, he was, therefore, as advocate for direct cu.
Won ld its simplest seam. He considered that the sonnet
of Marrs. Cobden and Bright far surpassed these of Howard
and Wilberforce sad would be more uivessal in that
benefits to the nation at large. He would say to them, Go
as in the goad work you have began, and God give you
strength to carry out your designs."
Mr. lAIMINCII HITWORIN then proposed • voto of
thanks to the members of parliament present, which wm
seconded by Mr. F. MOULT.

The resolution was carried by acclamation, end replied
to by Mr. 15SANSTELD, M.P. for Halifax, who said that
he bad read the publications of the Financial Radom Asso-
ciation with intereet and advantage. Should Mt. Bright
undertake to bring before the Bowe of Commies the scheme
he had foreshadowed that night, they would assuredly find
that many members of the Lower bow would better meet
the thanks of the people of Liverpool, then they had done
that night.

Mr. Swan; in moving a vote of thank' to the Chair.
man, shaded to the volunteer movement sit a spasmodic ex-
citement which would soon anbaide, and of which many
people now connected with It would, in a few years, be
heartily ashamed. This, with three cheers for Mr. Cobden,
termina►ed the promedings.