The Express.
London, England, 1850-01-19 00:00:00

• _ _
loan of time and a half millions in thia country. (Some

fusion here arose, consequent upon the attempt of a large
body of persons outside the room to obtain admission, and
the almost insupportable preemie of theme who Wf re inside.
After the lime of some few moments, quiet beaux patently
restored, Mr. Cobden proceeded.) Imy that that document
which has been signed by the Emperor of Russia contains
an untruth. (Cheer) I know it to be untrue. (More
cheering.) And it is known to everybody in St. stetereeerg
to be untrue. (Cheers.) But I accept the untruth as the
highest tribute that could posaibiy be paid to the moral
power of the peace party in this country. (Loud cheerieg,
and Meth. r interruption, in coneegnence of the want of
capacity in the huge hall to afford standing room to the
hundreds who were in vain endeavouring to force an en-
trance.) During the confwinn some person observed that as
the room was much too smoli for the meeting, it had better
be adjourved to some other place. This brought up
The CHAIRMAN, who said it was impossible to adjourn
to a larger room, as no larger room could be got. As the
disturbance appeared to be confined to the neighbourhood of
the doors, it would probably be better to close them, for
there was no means of accommodating those who were out-
side. (A voice, " Three groans for Baring, Brothers,"
which was given by • number of persons at the lower end of
the room.) Order being again obtained,
Mr. COBDEN resumed—Gentlemen I was saying that
the pretence put forth by the Emperor Of Russia that he s-
quires this money
.to complete tke railroad from Moscow to
St. Petersturgh is unfounded in truth. (Hear, hear )
I was at St. Petersburg ,bout two years ago, and
at that time the rolling stock of that railway was
furnished. They had then one hundred locom elves, and
I travelled en • portion of the line by means of one of them—
(hear, hear)—they had 1,000 waggons and menace and I
was told all the iron was upon the ground and turd for, but
that some part of the embankments remain, d wifinished ; and,
looking at th martial tendencies of the Emperor of Russia,
I do not thiuk it likely that those embankments will be coot-
pitted for ten year. to come at least—(cheers and • laugh);
for, judging from his conduct hitherto, we must expect that
he will continue to spend his money as fast as he mutt, Irks
a great overgrown colossal baby— (a laugh)—on his soldiers
rather then on those substantial improve m which alone
C 36 add to the civilisation, the power, awl tae happiness of
his country. (ID ar, hear.) But why do 1 argue trim print?
Nobody believes that the money is weaved by Russia ter rte
railroads. I take it that everyliody assumes to tee cost/try.
(H. ar, hear.) But I will convict the Russian government
of fialseh_oe in this respect from their own ukase. They say
they want the money within six months. Whoever heard of
5l milli ins being re !Mired for making a railroad in six
months. (LAM cheers.) Some of you here, unhappily, no
doubt, have hod some experience in railway cere—(i- f r,
hear," and a laugh)—but did you ever know them
came fr m any one board cf direwors so thek
and fast as they are to come fr in the Emptier
of Russia 261. two days after ellotentnt, 101, on the 15th of
February, lel. on the 15th of March, 101. on the 15th of
April, 101.. on the 15th of May, and 101. on the 15:11 of June,
and the remainder on the 15th of Jaly next. Why here
are railway cal's from one rail .ay alone it the rate of neatly
one million a month, and that in a country where up to the
month of Much no work can he done in the way ot :ermine
embankments—(cheers)—and consequently this money is
wanted tor the put pate of being expo aided in exceed* sod
embanking it the months of April, May, June, and July.
(" Hear," end a leuthe I redly pity the meneicant Czar
who is obliged to come to us with such ase ry. (Cheers )
I. it not humiliating ? (Cheers and much laughter )
And then after putting forward this pretence that the money
is wanted for • railroad, after beginning he imperial
ukase by saying what was root the truth—l must in courtesy
preiume that he did not know that it was not tt e truth—
(cheers and laughter)—he winds up at lest (a• though
doubting whether or not he we uld be bel eyed) in the Milt
paragtaph by promising that the account of the sans de-
rived from this loan shall be kept as the former loans rai-ed
for this same railroad were kept—di-tinet irom all other
items of the state revenue and expenditure (Hear.) He
wants here to open the door le possible e ven fur the most
scrupulous Quaker to subscribe to his lose. (Cheers and
a laugh.) He tells you not only that the mosey to not
wanted for war or for paying soldiers, but enemy
for the construction of the railroad, and as a
proof that it is se, he says he will give sett:-
rate account, of tire manner in which P. is cxpenued. If be
does so, all I can say is, that that is what he never did
before. (Renewed laughter ) II an been subjected to the
reiterated charge that I am not consistent with my own
principles, the principles of tree trade, ween I corns hire to
denounce this loan, and people have asked—" Why won't
you let us lend our money in the dearest nverket, and bor-
row it in the cheapest? Why rot have free trade in money
as well as in everything else ?" I have no objectioli to
people investing their money, if they like to do so, but I
claim the right, as • free trader in • free country, to meet
my fellow-citizens in public assembly like the present, to
try and warn the unwary against being deceived by those
agents and monemmengers in the City of L %don who we.l
endeavour to p'lm off their bad securities on us if they can.
Now I take my stand on one of the strongest
grounds in stating that Adam Smith and other great author
rules on political economy are opposed to the very principle
of such loans. (Cheers.) What is this money wanted tor?
is to be wasted. It is to go to defray the expense of
mlintaining mending armies, or to pay the expenses et the
atrocious war in Hungary. (Loud cbeers.) Then what
does it amount to? It is so much eapiial abstracted from
England and banded over to another country to be winced,
thereby abstracting from the labenring population of this
country the means by which it is employed, and by which i:
is to live. (Rear, hear.) I say that every loan advanced
to a foreign power to be expended in armaments
or for carrying on war with other countries,
is as much money wasted and destroyed for all the purposes
of reproduction as if it were carried out into the middle or
the Atlantic and there sunk in the sea. (Loud cheers.)
But I stand here also to denounce this loan as a politician, as
a member of society, end es a tax pay er. (Hear, hi are For
what is the object of this loan? It is to enable the Emperor
of Russia to maintain an enormous standing army ; and what
is the consequence ? Why, that every other country in
Europe is obliged to keep up an enormous armament also.
(Hear, hear.) What say the statesmen of France ? They
say, " We are obliged to keep 500,000 armed men because
Russia keeps 800,000;" and we are here in England accus-
tomed to cite the hostile position of Russia as a reason why
we keep our enormous fleet. I should not be surprised
in the very next session, when I brmg forward • motion
asking to re duce our armament, you ti .d, what 1 have
before found, this very example of the Russian d et
cited why we cannot reduce our navy. (Cheer. 1
What has been very recently the attitude and position of
Russia as regards this country ? Have we not had our ern
—a fleet maintained in the Mediterranean at an enarmous
expense, by you the taxpayers of this country—have we not
had it sailing to the Dardanelles ; and have we no: had con-
stant talk of a collision betwese Russia and this couutty on
the subject of Turkey? (Hear, hear.) Wily, it is the
acknowledged and traditional policy of this country—l do
not say a word as to the wisdom of that policy—that we are
to defend Turkey against all corners, and to maintain at all
hum& the integrity of that empire against the seer, mien'
of foreign powers. When we speak of foreign power.. an
mean only Russia; and it is the common tale with every
one who knows anything of continental affairs, that in tea
, spring Russia means to attack Turkey in her Danub:an pro
winces, in which case the taxpayers of this cowry may le
tallied upon to equip fleets, which Russia will combat •66h
the means borrowed from yourselves. (Loud cheers.) S%
read in the history of Holland that on one occasion when
Dutch town was besieged its merchants add sulpbur
to the enemy with which to make gunpowder to
tire on themselves. Now, what is this money wanted
for Simply and solely to make up the arrears caused hr
the exhaustion of the Hungarian war. (Hear, hear.) 1
am not in the habit of boasting at public meetings of whs.
I may have done on former occasions, but if I were a hooter
I should exalt that the assertions I made on this spot in Jure
last, and which have been subjected to so much someone ire .
foes and friends—l should, I sty, feel some exultation that
this poverty stricken Cate has been obliged to come fern tit
ant verify every word I then said. (Loud cheers t What
has become of the two millions we were told the Emperre
had subscribed to the Austrian loan ? (Hear, hes r
What has become of the 600,0001. he was going to minute
to the Pops, or the half million he was going to Wee
in his generosity on the Grand Duke of Tuscany ? (Cheer
and laughter.) Oh, he ought to pay bia scribes wee
rat
Western Europe who have told so many lies fee bete
(Cheers, groans, great excitement, and cries or e fee
fumes.") He ought to pay them well, seeing that they haw
been subjected to this full refutation of all they het
his behalf at the hands of the Czar himself. (Cheers mil
laughter.) If I had been employed to write up the weete
power, and riches of a man who six months alter wssoblone
to come before the citizens of London and sign his name
such • humiliating document as this imputel ukase, I atieu,
expect to be exceedingly well peld for the loss of t
chateee
had sustained. (A laugh.) Well, I stand here to chat'
the very words I uttered twice on this platform at times mil*
I few would believe me. I say that the Memo .1:
torment in matters of finance has bern for
--eseceasfully, until now the bubble has burst
mess gigantic impostor in Europe. (Tremendous the
I YIP the WOllll., asdo every word 1 tae at • Publi ,
issfe advised) ie I have used them before, and, eta du,: el
wastlfation, come here to repeat them. (Hear,
say that this money is wanted for the peeves of sust. 0
the ambition, the sanguinary brutality of a despot. vlb
of
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