The Sun.
London, England, 1850-01-25 00:00:00

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LONDON, FRIDAY, JANUARY '25 IESO.

Mr. COBDEN is once more at home. He has returned
in safety from the plains of Buckinghamshire to 6e
heart of his own West Riding ; he is no longer sur-
rounded by sturdy yeomen and anxious farmers, but
by keen and sharp-witted manufacturers. He can
now exult openly in the increased size of the penny
!oaf, and the diminished prices of agricultural pro-
duce, well assured that he carries with him the- sym-
pathies and feelings of his auditory. He is surrounded
by men of congenial minds and dispositions, who re-
joice when he rejoices, and mourn when he mourns
In whatever parts of the kingdom the defeated mono.
polists may attempt to rally their scattered forces,
there is but little danger of their intruding them-
selves upon the inhabitants of Sheffield, or of the
other great seats of manufacturing industry in bonnie
Yorkshire. There, at least, no Protectionist heresies
can gain a footing; there is no drawback to the
general satisfaction ; the cup of happiness is not only
filled to the brim, but it is pure and unadulterated,
and may be drained to the very dregs without a single
drop of bitter being discernible. The com-
parison between the loaves of 1801 and 1850
could only produce a feeling of unalloyed delight and
gratification. The hard-working operative would
think how much more cf the necessaries and comforts
of life were now placed within his reach, and how
much further his wages would go in procuring the
humble enjoyments to which alone be aspires. The
masters, perhaps, might consider how far it would be

practicable to reduce those very wages, and to dim
nish the cost of production, so as to secure
for their own commodities the full control and
po'ssession of the markets of the world.
The Hon. Gentleman, whose constituents were thus
agreeably situated, would have but little difficulty in
addressing a contented audience, who were enjoying
the advvntagea of his former exertions, and ready and
willing to place implicit confidence in his skill and
judgment, and to enrol themselves under any banner
which he might be pleased to unfurl.
Under such circumstances, it would have been
by no means surprising if Mr. COBDEN had
given full scope to his fancy at Sheffield as
at Leeds, and have again indulged himself
in a similar spirit of exultation and defiance.
The salutary effects of his visit to the agricultural
districts were easily perceptible. There was a de-
cided improvement in his tone and manner ; he
was no longer threatenening his opponents, and en-,
deavouring to suppress with the strong hand any
manifestation of opinions different from those which
he himself entertained. The disgraceful riot at
Stafford had probably convinced him of the danger
of giving such "broad hints" to an excitable
population, and of the advantages of his
former weapon!, of reason and argument,
free discussion and universal toleration, over
those which he had more recently assumed.
He no longer warned his antagonists that the future
contest
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retraced his footsteps in this respect, and invited his
audience, if " forced again into the field upon the
question of Protection, to preserve the same equani-
mity which they had formerly exhibited." This is
as it should be, and we are delighted to find Mr.
Connfor so ready to abjure the serious error into
which he had fallen.
Although the Hon. Gentleman opened his speech
by claiming the indulgence of the meeting,
and declaring that he had only a " desul-
tory conversational speech" to deliver, he has
seldom appeared to greater advantage since the set-
tlement of the great question on which he founded
his reputation. He paid a graceful tribute of respect
to two persons who had perhaps stronger claims upon
the gratitude of the Free-traders than any others
within the kingdom, but who, unfortunately, re-
ceived no substantial marks of that gratitude—who,
prominent among the national benefactors, afforded
additional illustrations of popular neglect and indif-
ference to faithful and efficient services. He
justly hailed the selection of the honourable
CHARLES PELHAM VILLIERS by the Whig Cabinet,
as mover of the Address in answer to the Speech from
the Throne on the opening of the session, as a deter-
mination on their part to put an end to any Protec-
tionist delusion, and to show that no change of po-
licy is contemplated in reference to the corn-law—
as an indication, in fact, that Free-traders' colours
have been nailed to the mast of the vessel of the State.
lle also breathed a sigh to the memory of Eri3 ENE ZER
ELLIOTT—the gifted and faithful EBENEZER ELLIOTT
—who has so recently passed from amongst us, leav-
ing no opportunity to his countrymen of re-
trieving the grievous injustice of which they had
been guilty towards that extraordinary man. Alas,
that the only reparation now possible should be a
tear of regret over his lowly bier ! When speaking
of the claims of Sheffield to the earliest development
of his views and intentions, the Honourable Gentle-
man said,—" It was in your town that the voice of
the Muses was first invoked in our time on behalf of
the principle of commercial freedom, by one whose
spirit is now departed, and in the name of humanity
and civilization I say, Peace to his departed spirit.' "
It is unnecessary to go through the various topics
put forward by Mr. COBDEN in his three speeches
to the inhabitants of Sheffield. He touched upon the
great question of cheap and untaxed food, acknow-•
ledged that the topic must come under the notice of
Parliament, and expressed his readiness to enter
upon a full and fair discussion, which will have the
effect of setting the public mind at once and
for ever at rest upon the subject. He alluded to the
financial reforms and Parliamentary reforms which
are so urgently required by the country, and the ne-
cessity of a great change in the relations between the
mother country and her colonies. Although
we do not agree with the Honourable Gentleman
in supposing it either practicable or desirable to re-
duce, our armaments to the degree which he advo-
cates, or to dissolve the connexion with our nume-
rous settlements, 3et much may be effected to_ cut
down the expenditure without impairing the efficiency