THE APOSTLE OF FREETRADE. CELEBRATION OF THE COBDEN CENTENARY.

Evening Post, Volume LXVII, Issue 133, 6 June 1904, Page 5

THE APOSTLE OF FREETRADE. CELEBRATION OF THE COBDEN CENTENARY.

SEVENTY DEMONSTRATIONS HELD U'KKSS ASSOCIAIIOX.I L9NDON, 4th June. In connection with tho Cobdon centenary a pilgrunago of freetraders wns made fioni i\lidhur«t to West Lavington, Cobdeu's birthpliico and burial place. Several wreaths weix; placed on the gr.ive. Lord Davey presided at a meeting held at Midhurat, which resolved in fuvour of fieoiradu. l'rof«»s»or Bryce made a speech 1 eulogising Cobd'.-n. At a banquet at Manchester, , Mr, Winston Churchill, the principal speaker, proposed "Cobden's Memory." Tho Cobdou ' Cub has leceived many felicitations in connection with the centenary. Seventy demonstrations have been held in celebration of thu occasion. Tho principal meeting was at Alexandra Palaco, whore 43 Commoneis and 81 Parliamentary candidates were amongst ten thousand present. It is alleged that eighty-live thousand free tickets were issued. Dr. Ciih'oid's choir sang Liberal songs. After a short speech by Sir H. OampbdlBiinnorman, Mr. Winston Chuichil! moved resolutions proclaiming enthuMuatiu adherence to Cobdenite prinriplos—frcetrade, peace, aud retrenchment Mr. Lloycl Geoige and Mr. Fenwick, M.P.s, and Dr. Clifford suppotled tho resolution. . Largo outdoor gatherings on the terraccx wolecomed Sir H. Campbell-Bannrr-nian, who pawned nlong a road lined by time hundred torch-beareiM. The. Cobden Club ha.s cabled to the American Freotra.de League bnnquiit at Boston, "Reactionaries mib«tantia!ly defeated, Centenary marks the revival cf peace, freedom, and reform." Richard Cohdfn was born in Havshott, in Sussex, on 3td Jiiup. 1804. Cnbdeit wns tho »on" of a thrift low yeoman, whoso children were educated by his* relativc/j. After upending gome ycavs in the calico buriiiivw iv London, Cobden went to Manchontcr in 1832, and fiib.sequonlly spont some years in travelling in America and on tho Continent. In 1838 ho carried a motion in the Manchester Chamber of Commerce to petition Parliament to repoal all the duties on corn. With six other merchants ho formed tho Anti-Corn Low League, of which he was tho most mergptic und prominent member. Ho lvctured all over the country, und in 1841 wtw» returned to Parliament. Tho Abolition of the Corn I*tws in 1846 wns due in a larce measure to his efforts. His effort* in tnW» direction had, however, rcsultrd in his noglwting his buhines« to inch an extent that he found himself a ruined man. A national sub scriptton oi £80,000 in lecognition of his ficrvice."! was shortly afterwards raised, and in 1847 he tvpurchii«>cd the farnihouee in which he wns born. He sat in the Houao of Common* tor the West Riding of Yorkshire for a numlwr of years, and uftorwavdtf for Rochdale. In later years the state of his health prevented him fiom tukiu^ d very active part in politics. In 1860 ho arranged and concluded a treaty of commerce with Franco. 110 died on 2nd April, 1865.