On this page

• Text (2)

  Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

  • Untitled
  • 

    A dinner was afterwards given to Mr. Cob...

• Transcript

  • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

    Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.

    The Ge Jsteit A L Election England And W...

    power that he and those who act with him were sincere and honest in their past professions—believing that they intended to reverse the principles of Free-trade , which I had hoped were for ever , permanently and for ever , established knowing the handle that would have been made of my resignation of the West Riding—knowing right well what use would have been made of it in Devonshire and Dorsetshire , where the farmers , who have been abundantly deluded already , would have been again practised upon by the cry that ' Bichard Cobden has run away from the West Hiding , and Protection shall be restored again ' —knowing all these things , I came down here to Leeds

    without stipulating for any support , without asking any one to pay a single shilling towards the contest . I came down here the moment Lord Derby was installed in power , and threw down the gauntlet on Free-trade principles , and challenged all comers to meet me here on the widest and noblest arena that the political divisions of this country presents ( cheers ); and I have reason to know that the course which I took on that occasion had a very great tendency indeed , and went very far with the present administration , and all parties who were wavering on the subject , to decide that Free-trade was irrevocably established . ( Loud cheers . )"

    And he stated as the reason which had determined him to relinquish the West Hiding , that Free-trade being , as he thought , settled , and the occasion when his name , as the watchword of Free-trade , having passed away , the constituency had a rig ht to elect a Yorkshireman , and he had no doubt whatever that on all questions , and for many elections to come , Yorkshiremen would seek Yorkshiremen to represent their interests in Parliament . ( ' Hear , hear , ' and cheers from Mr . Denison's side of the hustings . ) Mr . Cobden then proceeded : — " Gentlemen , we are met here to-day to pronounce again upon that one great question—Free-trade or protection ( cheers , and cries of ' No , no , ' followed by loud cries of ' Yes , yes . ' ) I thought I heard the gentlemen in the other

    booth both avow that an understanding existed between both sides that the blue and the orange were , on this occasion , not to come into collision with each other . __ ( Cheers . ) I understood you had agreed for once , and I believe it is a unique instance in your political history , to twine the blue and the orange into one wreath ( loud cheers ) in support of the principles -of Free-trade . ( Continued cheering . ) We read in history of two armies which stood motionless and quiescent under the influence—the awful and startling influence—of a great convulsion of nature ; and here we see two political parties that never made peace before , and

    never even enjoyed a truce ( cheers and laughter ) , we find them now suspending their hostilities in the presence of a great and beneficent principle , from the carrying out of which , I trust , all parties will derive equal advantages ( Loud cheers ) . Having met under tliose circumstances , I will not be the individual to trespass upon any forbidden or unnecessary topic . I should not be here were it not for the purpose of again giving my decisive and emphatic protest against protection . ( Cheers . ) Gentlemen , I meet you all heTe as Free-traders . Is there any dissentient ? ( Loud and repeated cheers , and cries of ' No , no , no . ' ) Then we are all Free-traders . "

    But were they sure they knew what Free-trade meant ? It ought to be known that the West Biding of Yorkshire not only agreed to oppose protection , as such , but protection under all sinister guises ; for whether Mr . Disraeli wished to take their money out , of their bread-baskets or their pockets , made no difference to them . Therefore , let it be understood that there should be no shifting of taxation by which those who have got property in land should put their burdens on the shoulders of those who have got no property but their labour . ( Cheers . ) It was difficult to know where they had their dexterous Chancellor of the Exchequer .

    " I always thought , from the year 1810 down to last year , and even up lo the beginning of this year , that the leader of the Protectionist parly in the House of Commons was a Protectionist . ( Loud cries of 'Hear , hear . ' ) I thought he meant by ' protection , ' not merely a fax upon corn for the protection of ( he agriculturist , ; 1 I bought he meant protection to nil inf crests in fhecounfry- protection to shipping , protection to manufactures , " protection to sugar , protection to the colonics . ( Hear , hear . ) That was what 1 understood by fhe principle of protection . 1 thought , as a Free-trader I hail been opposing a party who had a principle , and that that principle wu » opposed to Free-trade . ( Hear , hear . ) But , I see ( he tone altogether changed now ( hear , hear ) , and changed in a way to c \ -

    pose , I think , the selfishness , the undisguised selfishness , of the party who are now advocating it change of taxation for the benefit of particular interests . ( Hear , bear . ) For what do J find ' i No scheme for protecting manufacturers , no plan for protecting the shipowners , no plan for protecting the colonies ; but 1 find there is a scheme for transferring the taxes which press npon land to the shoulders of somebody else . 1 do not , see bow that is to benefit the ( shipowner—I do not see how that is to benefit , the manufacturers - 1 do not see how that , is to benefit the colonies —the mere transferring of the luxation now paid by ( he land to Ihe shoulders of those who have no land _»( , all . ( Hear , hear . ) It seems lo me ( hat when you conic to bring ' protection , ' us it is culled , into this new form , if is 10 , 000

    times less tenable ( ban in its former aspect . ( Hear , hear . ) I could rasped my opponents when 1 though ! , they held a principle—the principle of proleclion . ( Hear , hear . ) I thought them wrong , I endeavoured lo prove I hem wrong ( hear , hear ) ; bnt when a parly or itn individual endeavours to shift from the principle of proleclion the ground ol" general protection—and Intake up the interests of the landowners , and say , ' We must , transfer the luxes which they pay to the shoulders of those who have no html , and we must do tbat as a substitute for protection , and a compensation for Free-trade , ' ( hen , 1 ask that party what becomes of all their former pretensions of being anxious lo benefit the whole community , seeking to p rotect labour , wishing to include thy _uiunufuclurora ? ( Hear ,

    The Ge Jsteit A L Election England And W...

    ' hear . ) Why , I say , the thing is not tenable for a moment . ( Cheers . )" Then he pointed out how , if the manufacturers had freetrade in corn , the agriculturists had free-trade in cotton and woollen , and printed and stuff goods ; and how Sir Eobert Peel withdrew protection from the latter before he withdrew it from the former . Before Mr . Disraeli could shift taxation from the landlord to the labourer , he would have to show that the land paid more than its share of the general taxation . " But there is another question which must be met upon this topic . The landowners will have to show how the ftirmprs arn interested in this transference of the burdens

    from land . ( Hear , hear . ) "Wh y , this is the coolest thing I ever met with in my life ; the people who own the land of this country tell the tenant farmers who own the floating capital employed upon it , ' We will go into partnership to get a remission of taxation ; and while we leave you , the farmers , to pay your probate and legacy duty upon all the property you inherit in the shape of movable capital invested upon the surface of the land , we will pay no probate or legacy duty upon the land itself . ' ( Hear , hear . ) That is the beginning of them compact ; but what do they say next ? ' We propose to take off the heavy burdens that fail upon the soil , and to transfer them to the consolidated fund . ' ( ' Hear , hear , ' and laughter . ) Now , the consolidated fund means the income derived from tea and sugar and coffee , and the rest of our indirect taxation ; and the proposal is coolly this—that the landlords will take off the taxation which they pay themselves , and put it upon that

    which you and the farmers pay . ( H « ar , hear . ) That is rather cool , I think . ( Cheers . ) Is it not very odd that there should be any tenant-farmer , any real tenant-farmer , found to join in such a partnership as that ? ( Hear , hear . ) I can only account for it in this way : —I think I see a farmer there before me , and I will watch whether , my interpretation touches him or not . ( A laugh . ) I sometimes account for it in this way : —farmers think , no doubt , that it is a very proud distinction that they should be united with the great aristocratic party as one interest ( laughter ); that , when the Duke of Richmond goes into Chichester , he should go in with a party of farmers to maintain one great and common cause—protection to native industry . ( Laughter and cheers . ) I have no doubt whatever , that the farmers of this country have been considerably blinded to their own interests by this appeal to their vanity . ( Hear , hear . ) My friend the farmer , there , is rubbing his face as if he felt it . ( Laughter . " )

    He illustrated their case by two humorous fables ; one about a dwarf , who fought for a giant , and suffered very much personally , receiving in return great praise as a "jolly little fellow to go at them ; " and only found out , when nearly cut to pieces , that he had been humbugged ; and another about the chickens who would dance with a donkey . They were kicked and wounded , and found they were paying dear for the indulgence of their vanity . ( Some exclamations of " Question , " answered by cheers , and cries of "Go on , " "It touches them . ") I will confine myself strictly to the question , but if there is any gentleman here , after all , who is a Protectionist ( "Yes ! " ) , have your eye upon him . ( " There is . " ) "Well , he has no business to be here at all , for we are all Free-traders . ( Laughter and cheers . )

    They had to deal with a Government which had shifted its ground , and , having led the farmer a precious dance after the phantom of Protection , was now going to lead them in quest of that still more unattainable phantomre-distribution of taxation . " Now , I think we have to deal with the Government in the first , place as a Protectionist Government ; and I hope not forty-eight hours will elapse after the meeting of Parliament before the present Government , and the party that belongs to the present Government , are brought fairly to issue upon the question of Free-trade or Protection . ( Loud cries of ' Hear , hear . ' ) Let , us have it , —ay or no—¦ are they Free-traders or are they Protectionists ? ( Cheers . ) If they are Free-traders—if they really and honestly recant the opinions they have been expressing in opposition ( hear , bear)—well , then , I don't know that , it would be my

    business as a _hree-lrader ( o molest them , even if they occupied tiie side to the . right of fhe Speaker ' s chair in Parliament . ( A laugh . ) But if I were a Protectionist— if 1 were one of the farming class that believed in Protection , and if 1 found my party , who had gone to that , land of promise , the Treasury benches , by meant , of professing Protectionist principles ( bear , beav ) , recanting their opinions the moment they got into power ( bear , hear , ) I should lie disposed ( o say ( o ( hern , ' Gentlemen , if you have to recant anil repent , you lmist do it in sackcloth and ashes , not on the Treasury bench . ' ( Laughter and cheers . ) Therefore I am afraid the present Government , if their friends in the country do them jus ! ice , must not expect to remain long in office . ( ' Hear , bear , ' and cheers . ) But that will be no matter of regret to anybody here , because we are all Free-traders here . ( Laughter and cheers . )"

    He wound up by expressing- his high sense of fhe honour conferred on him , _pledged and determined to defend and extend Free-trade , and to prevent anybody , no matter how dexterous lie may he , by any juggling device , from taking away the Benefits which the legislation of Sir Hubert Peel hud secured for them . Mr . Cobden was " Cross-examined" by Mr . Fioldon and Mr . Jackson . In reply to the former , Mr . Cobden said that the county members were to blame if the taxation was higher ( ban before the Keforin Act ; that he was opposed to fhe malt tax and hop duty ; that he was in lilvour of direct property tax ; nnd that he would not , pledge himself to take oil" the half hour which had been added to the Ten Hours Bill of 1847 . Mr . Jackson was n miller , and an old Leaguer , who complained of fhe admission of Hour duty free ! The speech of Mr . Denison was it remarkable tribute to the _righUhlncHH of Free-trade . He defended his

    The Ge Jsteit A L Election England And W...

    conversion , and vindicated his " inconsistency" in i ing Free-trade . He had lost many friends , hut _^ Protection , he said , is dead and gone at last he \ _T _*" to appeal to his agricultural friends . This appeal d sisted in showing that they were as much interested _^ anybody in the reduction of taxes upon the necessari _** of life . And he adopted a form of argument wh v ! went home , by asking whether their wives told th sugar was too cheap , and tea at too low a price ? « j ?* you think , " lie exclaimed , "that Her Majesty " ° anxious that her sugar should cost her 10 d . per pound when she may get it for 5 d . ? " And upon this question of the eduction of dutieshe

    r , went so far as to s seeing the elasticity of the revenue , that if the duty on tea were reduced one-half in three or four years a large a revenue would be returned ; and if he had ' an opportunity , he would vote for that reduction . ( Cheers from Mr . Cobden _' s friend _^ . ) " I cannot hel p observing that these remarks excite more approbation on my left than on my right , but I do not believe there is a gentleman on my right who does not agree with them . " As to the reduction of taxation , he was for the reduction of taxation—who was not ? " The real truth igyou may depend on this—that the corn laws being abolished , it will be a race between parties as to who

    shall go furthest , in reduction of taxation . And whether my right honourable friend ( Sir Charles Wood ) , or anybody else , be the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the day , he will have a very miserable and hard time of it ! ( Laughter . ) He would not join in any attempt to shift the burden of taxation from one class to another . He begged and prayed of the agriculturists not to look back , but forward . He was in favour of national education , on strictly religious principles . He had voted against the Maynooth grant , but he would not pledge himself to vote for its withdrawal , until he had heard both sides .

    At the end of the proceedings , swords were girded on Mr . Denison and Mr . Cobden , who had to stand a fire of jokes about " peace / ' Sir Charles Wood was called , and spoke , but like an old soldier , he stuck to the Free-trade question , and said nothing new .

    Ar00604

    A Dinner Was Afterwards Given To Mr. Cob...

    A dinner was afterwards given to Mr . Cobden , and Sir Charles Wood proposed his health . In reply , Mr . Cobden pointed out how , now that Free-trade was settled , something must be done to inspire fresh enthusiasm by and bye , in the country ( cheers ) , on behalf of the old Liberal party . ( Renewed cheers . ) Then he spoke * for some time on the question of bribery and intimidation . The franchise , at present , he showed , was rather a curse than a blessing to the Liberal electors . Then followed a tremendous attack on Mr . Disraeli .

    "He had no doubt that when Parliament met an attempt would be made by the party now in power to wriggle out of their professions , and occupy some new ground , and escape the responsibility of their past Protectionist proceedings . He was not bound to be their executioner . If they did recant , it would be for their own party to deal with them ( hear , hear ); if they did not —and some of them seemed to say they would not—then the very first business of the Free-trade party in the Houseof Commons would be to get rid of the present Government . ( Cheers . ) He did not think that the annals , the ' political annals , of this country , presented anything _moitf ba . se or contemptible than the conduct which ha < l beevi pursued b y this so-called Protectionist Government . ( Hear , hear . ) Wo used to hear something about ' aiu organized hypocrisy ; ' why , this was a re-orgimized hywhich

    pocrisy ( 'hear , hear , ' and laughter ) , and one wo * the less iustifiable when we considered the parties ty _^ ' _''/'' f ( his fresh performance of that hyjMfeMrfpr wao _attLmp" . , ( Hear , hear . ) Ho ( Mr . Cobden ) sometimes wondeitd at people '* _aesurance , that they could attempt to play _nuca parts ; ho could not think bow they could do it ond keep tbeir countenances ( hear , bear ) ; it was such a hold and impudent appeal to our credulity to hear these people gelup and say that they never were Protectionists , or that tbey never contemplated going back to protect ion . ( Hear _,, hear . ) We hoard something from ( heir leading men in tbe house sometimes , and not unfrcquently , about the-Manchester school of politicians ; and ( hey were called revolutionists , republicans , and all _sor ( n of _things _(^ laugh . ) Tho individual who was so fond of taunting t \ u * men of ' the Manchester . school' ( lie Free-traders—would do wisely not to throw stones ; he lived in a glass house - (' 'H ear , ' hear , ' and it laugh . ) If there was a man in 'him

    country-a politician who hud suddenly jumped io am elevation which he ( Mr . Cobden ) predicted he would not ' sustain ( hear , hoar )— --who mi ght be called ( us we understood Mr . Cobden ) a duiigoroiiH revolutionist , if he had the opportunity- surely it was ( hat individual who was s « fond of throwing these charges against tbe Free-trad " party . ( Hear , hear . ) Revolutionists ! The ¦ strung *** revolution he ( Mr . Cobden ) had seen was when he _loutwi the great territorial party doclarinir intellectual _baiil . rill , 'vv '

    and proclaiming polilicul _miicide , by naming Mr . Benjamin . Disraeli as their chief ( _eheora ); and if there was , , " steadying , ballasting power about the great body of tho people of this country , and whose feelings and wishes had been eminently represented and concentrated by those who had been called ' tho Manchester school' of late ( hear , hear ) - if it were not for that steady ing ballasting principle , and which would prevent jugglers , and mountebanks , an < unscrupulous inoondiury adventurers from pluying tricks j thi » country ( great cheering ) , thcro was no man who would

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), July 24, 1852, page 6, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_24071852/page/6/