The Express.
London, England, 1850-01-18 00:00:00

THE RUSSIAN LOAN.

GREAT MEETING IN THE CITY THIS DAY.

A public meeting was held at the London Tavern
this day, to consider f he.p:oposal blued for negociatinge loan
for the Russian government in this country. The announce-
ment in the advertisements summoning the meeting, that
Mr. Cobden and other eminent members of the liberal
and peace movements would take part in the pro-
ceedings, together with the interest felt iu the
City on the subject of the loan drew to-
gether an ;unusually large number of Peillolll. The body
of the hall and the gallery were crowded long before the
hour mimed fee takiag the chair (one o'clozie.) On the plat-
form besides R. Cobden, Esq., we observed Dr. Bur-
nett, C. Gilpin, Esq., and many others of the chief advo
eats of the Peace Congress movement.
There were also a considerable number of gentlemen con-
nected with the Stock Exchange, and several foreigners, the
majority of them %mien subjects, present.
Mr. RICHARD reposed that C. Gilpin, Eeq., a
gentleman who had all Moog been an active member of the
Peace Congress Committee, should teke the chair.
The resolutien was seconded by Mr. SIORLAND, of Croy.
don, and earned unanimously.
Mr. GILPIN, having takes the "heir, explained
that the meeting bad bees convened to enable
the Eskimos of Leaden to express their *pinion
an the morale of a certain loan asked by the
Emperor of Ru-sia—(groins and hisses)—for five millions
and a half, end, he regretted to have to add, bad beer. at.
cepted by a house of high standing in that neighbourhood.
(Hisses, and a call for three groans for the Messrs. Bow-
leg.) Tee members of the Peace Congress Committee were
there to protest against this attempt to raise money I y false
pretences—open pretences which they held to be just as
reprehensible in an emperor as in a begging-letter
impostor. (Chu ts.) They were thereto put it to the hearts
and consciences of the monied men of Christian England,
and of the small capitalists, to whom those great monied
men look to enable them t-, carry out their contract by
teki-g the stock, whether they were willing to aid with their
pecuniary resources the evil designs of a despot, whose
songs hordes had but jest returned from the
massacres of Hungary (hear, heart—whose iron
heel had ground down unhappy Potosi to the• dust, and
who bed but just withdrawn his impious demand fsr tee
extradition of Kossuth and his compatriots from the land of
their refuge, and who was likely to renew that demand the
moment he got possession of those live undone end a half
of English money. (Cheers.) They were not quite of the
oi Lesion of the writers in the Times. (Hisses, groans, and
er:es of " Burn the Times," and a voice from the body of
the meeting which occasioned much laughter, " Bring
out Walter, and burs him.") Having a b ear
estimate than ) these writers had of the awake
classes of this country, he and his friends on the
plait rm were there to ask whether those sos rifled chests
would in very deed Mike themselves the auien end abettoreot
the Empire rof Russia in his tyranny and his crusade 'genet
freedom ? (lite.a.) They were also to consider the &ncial
condition of Russia—supposing they should he swinged with
the morals of the proceeding—t the security which
was ~F. red for the money. (Rear, hear.) Time would show
whither Baring, Brothers, and their predietior 1, or his hon.
friend Mr. Cobden and his predictions would be yer lied in
en ease of Rues's. From all he had heard and re set since
be was confirmed in the opinion expressed as t 3 the fin►ncial
amulition cf Russia at the meeting some months since on
the ruhiset of the Austrian loan, by the member tor the
West Riding. The Russian government might be sfrorg,
but it might eso be brittle—(hear)—and the day would come
sooner or later, when, should any of those siatio..s which
acknowledged the sway of the Czar, br.ak the bonds now
thrown around them, the Russian government would think
but lightly of this debt. (Hear, hear.)
The S.cretary here read a letter from Lord Dudley Stuart,
stating that severe illness confined him to his room, and, ex-
premium his entire concurrence la the objects of the meeting,
cad in energetic terms de flouncing the loan.
Pie. COBDEN, who was loudly cheered, then addressed
the mestiag, and proceeded to prove :hat the leen was not
nestled for the construction of the ro•lroai from M. stow to
St. Petnstmegh, which was made and complete in its rolling
stock, but to pay the expense of its armed interference in Hun-
gary. Mr. Cobden proceeded, amid the cheers of the meeting,
to show the great risk there Wee in lending money to an irre-
sponsible despot, and one too with whom we had so lately
bens in danger of coming into collision. lie waned them
also that it was generally expected that Russia intended
to attack the Turkish provinces on the Danube in the spring,
and the people of England znigtt be called on to raise
money to resist aggressions prepared with their own
money. He denounced the loan on grounds of
political economy, expediency, and nontlity, and
stated that he would not give 25 per cent. for any Au•
.n loan as a permanent investment. lie did not, he said,
come there to warn capitalists, but to endeavour to awaken
caution in the minds of the untortunate many who
wan likely to become their dupes. (The hon. gentleman
was frequently interrupted by the enthusisetic cheering of
his crowded audience, and was speaking when our reporter
left.)