DEATH OF MR. COBDEN, M.P.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1430, 13 July 1865, Page 3

DEATH OF MR. COBDEN, M.P.

{From the Argus Correspondent.) The telegraph will already have informed you of the sadden and unexpected decease of the great Free-trade leader. The shock which nearly a month since fell upon Europe has sent its fainter vibrations to the antipodes. Since the fall of the Good Prince, no death has produced so profound a regret, so sincere a sorrow, not only among grateful Englishmen. but even among some of the more appreciative nations of the Continent. Peacefully and calmly the spirit of Richard Cobden passed away from this arena of conflict just as the church bells were calling worshippers to the house of prayer on the morning of Sunday the 2nd inst. No one seems to have anticipated an event so sad. When the terrible stroke had fallen, everybody remembered the ominous paragraphs which had appeared in the newspapers from time to time, announcing Mr. Cobden's indispositions, and his inability to discharge his Parliamentary duties in consequence of a severe attack of bronchial asthma. On the occasion of his visit to his constituents last November, his speech extended to fln unusual length; it occupied nearly seven newspaper columns, and more than two hours in delivery. Tho.ugh at the time in an apparently improved state of health, the exeftion made on the occasion, coupled with the heated state of the room, brought on the aggravated attack which terminated so fatally. He was confined to his bedroom several weeki, and to his house during the whole of the past dreary winter. As spring approached, ever, his health began to improve. Aboult le 10th March, according to the Star, Mr. Bright visited his friend and colleague, at Midhurs ,

t to converse about matters of public interes r and especially as to the coursa they shoul e adopt in regard to the Canadian fortiflcatio 8 scheme. The visit was paid because Mi r Cobden did not deem it advisable to procee V to London owing to the continued inclemcnc a of the season. " In the course of converst !i tion with Mr. Bright, ho recalled the fac r that his only son was buried in Lavingto i Churchyard, and that there, too, he wished t i be buried. For, like Burke, he had in th r later years lived • in an inverted order.' The, 3 who ought to have succeeded him had gon 3 before him, and those who should have bee: i to him as posterity were in the place of au - cestors," f HIS LABT runLIC APPEARANCE. > As the period fixed for the Canada debat I drew nigh, Mr. Cobden was seized with ai i uncontrollable desire to unfold his views upoi i the whole question in Parliament. On th > 2lst ult. he accordingly came to London, th ; day being one of icy bitterness, and perilou , to men even of robust constitutions. Tha : Parthian stroke of a cruel winter proved tin denth-blow to Richard Cobden. Immediate!; on arriving at his residence in Suffolk'stree lie was seized with an attack of asthma which, however, was so far relieved that oi Wednesday, the 29th ult., he was able to se some of his friends. For some days it wa believed that the sufferer would recover fron the attack. On Friday, the 31st, the symp toms were not favourable ; but on the follow ing morning hope prevailed. Throughou Saturday the disease progressed, having de veloped into that form of the distempei known as congestive asthma, followed by i violent attack of bronchitis. On that day h< made his will. He rallied about midnight and conversed a little with his friends, bu all illusion as to the result was soon dissi pated; he grew gradually worse, and at i quarter past eleven on the Sunday morning tranquilly, and without any great suffering the great Free-trader passed from this fielc of labour and of struggle, followed by the benedictions of millions. For ages he wil be known as the man who gave the peopli bread. HI9 MEMORY. An almost universal desire has been dis' played to revere his memory and to d< homage to his noble work. Over his biei faction has been struck dumb, and many wh( were among the most strenuous opponents oJ some of his views while living, have beer foremost and ungrudging in their eulogies upon his beautiful character and his disinterested public labours. His perfect probity, his unimpeachable integrity, his utter unselfishness, are qualities frankly recognised by all. Even his failings, his weaknesses, all leant to virtue's side. As was fitting, there was lamentation, sincere and loud, in the House of Commons on the Monday evening after the great loss of the nation was made known. The two leaders in Parliament vied with each other in doing eloquent justice to the excellencies and eminent services of the deceased, amidst a hushed and awed solemnity. The Premier, in a graceful, though perhaps somewhat laboured, speech, bore testimony to the heavy loss the House and the nation had sustained. He alluded appreciatively to the services of Mr. Cobden in the cause of free trade, to his Demosthenic eloquence, to his singular disinterestedness, mentioning that he had refused a seat in the Cabinet, and a baronetcy, and declaring that in him the House had lost one of its proudest ornaments. Mr. Disraeli followed, with a tribute unusually warm and spontaneous for his cold nature, and which abounded with some felicitous epigrammatic touches. He believed Mr. Cobden to have been a logician with few equals —a man in whose gentle character there was, despite his popular opinions, "a vein of reverence for tradition," —" the greatest political character the pure middle class of this country has yet produced " —one of those men who, after death, are still members of the House, " independent of dissolutions, of the caprice of constituencies, even of the course of time." This is honourable testimony from a political adversary, and redounds much to Mr. Disraeli's credit. Mr. Bright next rose, but the attempt was too much for the burly orator, who never yet feared to face the House in its angriest moods. After uttering a few broken sentences, expressing " how little he knew how much he loved his friend till he had lost him," he fairly broke down, choked with tears and irrepressible emotion. He hoped to have some other opportunity of pointing out to some portion of his countrymen the lesson which was to be gathered from the life of him who had passed away. HOW THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED IN FRANCE. A profound sorrow spread throughout the land as seon as the intelligence of Mr. Cobden's death was diffused. It was difficult to realise a fact so totally unlooked-for, the deceased politician being regarded as still a comparatively youn? man. Signs of mourning were everywhere visible in our cities and large towns. Shutters were put up ; flags were hoisted half-mast high; newspapers were in mourning borders; black cloth was hung from windows ; chambers of commerce, corporations, and other public bodies, with French and American consulates, have given expression to the general grief and respect. This profound interest, moreover, has extended to the other side of the Channel. All the Paris papers have spoken of the death of the Treaty-maker as a calamity to France as well as to England, and contain remarkable tributes to the memory of the departed statesman, whom, says the Moniteur, France " will never forget." Some of the Paris papers went into mourning. In the Corps LeyislatiJ, panegyrics quite as hearty and appreciative as those in our own House of Commons were delivered by several of its leading orators, and were earnestly endorsed by the Chamber. The Emperor, too, has directed that the bust of Mr. Cobden shall be placed in the galleries of Versailles, which are set apart to doing honour to the "glories of France." Even Prince Michael of Servia, in recognition of the services of Richard Cobden to the cause of humanity and Servia, has ordered funeral services to his memory in the Cathedral and the Protestant Church at Belgrade. The funeral took place on Friday, the sth inst., which, though free from all ceremonial pomp, was attended by a long cortege of friends, among whom were numerous M.P.'s and several Cabinet Ministers. The remains of the deceased were interred, in accordance with his wish, in the churchyard of Lavington, about sixty miles from London, in the heart of the lovely county of Sussex, in which he was born, and to which he was always so attached. HIS FAMILY AND EARLY LIFE. Mr. Cobden leaves a wife and five daughters. His only son died several years ago in Germany—a sorrow which came upon him with stunning effect, and which, perhaps, contributed in some measure to shorten his days. The following particulars respecting the enrly days of the deceased statesman are taken from the Manchester Courier" Mr. Cobden began life as a lad in a London warehouse. Growing into a young man, he was j sent on matters of business to many of the houses with which his firm was connected. Among those he so visited was Mr. John Lewis of 101 Oxford-street. Mr. Lewis conceived a liking for the young man, on account of the smart and business-like manner in which he used to come to his house and transact whatever he had to do, and often pave him a few kind words. One day young Cobden came to him, and with some hesitation told him that he and two of his comrades, young men like himself, had heard of a business near Manchester, which a gentleman wus retiring from, and the plant of which was to be had for £1,500 ; this sum the three had agreed to raise among them, but Cobden had no friends to help him with his quota, and therefore he had ventured to ask Mr. Lewis if he would do so. Mr. Lewis, from his par- j tiality to him, at once assented ; and Cobden i lefthim inhigh spirits. But soon after he called | again, with a long face, to say his colleagues had j not been able to raise their £500 each. After awhile however, he came again to state that I the owner of the business in question, having ! heard favourably of the trio, agreed to let < them have it for Cobden's £500. Would Mr. Lewis still let them have the money ? Mr. Lewis very kindly complied, and the three shortly after began the world together. The £500 was speedily repaid ; and, after a very few years, one and then another of the | partners drew out of the business with a very handsome fortune, and Richard Cobden

came to be what he was. The foregoing particulars were related to the writer by Mr. Lewis, who retired from business about twenty-five years ago, and subsequently died in Madeira." The following fact in his career will be new to most readers:—ln January last Mr. Gladstone wrote to Mr. Cobden, wishing him to accept the Chairmanship of the Board of Audit, with a salary of £12000 per annum. The answer of the true economist was, thnt he must decline, and, in declining, express the feeling that if he had been induced to accept, he would have had, in the performance of his duties a constant sense of disgust at the scandalous and unnecessary expenditure of the Government. It will be remembered that the late Mr. Cobden, about three years ago, refused the offer of a subscription which it was proposed to make, in acknowledgment of his public services. It has long been known that those services have been rendered to his country at the cost of great personal and family sacrifices. His private interests have for many years been surrendered for the public good. Hence, his life latterly had been a contiuual struggle. Under these circumstances, it has been suggested that no fitter means could be adopted of showing regard for the memory of Cobden than by presenting his family with a national gift of £100,000. Mr, Hadfield, of Manchester, has headed the list with £500. I think Australia, four months hence, will insert a P.S. for £1000 in this practical epistle of condolence and gratitude. A statue is to be erected at Manchester, and a score other places will follow suit. THE ROCHDALE ELECTORS. For a short time, some unuttered fears prevailed that the Tories would carry Rochdale by a coup de main. It would have been a grand stroke of electoral generalship, and would have given a new voice to the stale old cry of " Conservative reaction." Such a disgrace, however, was not to be self-inflicted by the Rochdale people ; such an insult was not to be offered to the memory of their late representative. Mr. Potter, an advanced radical, was returned, in opposition to Mr. Brett, a Derbyite disciple. MR. COBDEN'S LAST WORDS. The K last words" of great and good men always inspire a mournful interest. Two letters have been published during the month, both written by Mr. Cobden only a few days before he was taken from us. One related to the American war, in which he censured the Federal Government for the recklessness of their financial policy, and predicted an inevitable collapse at no distant period. The other, and last letter he ever wrote, was addressed to Mr. Potter, and contains a com-mon-sense protest against the schemes for "representing minorities" which are now being pressed upon public attention by John Stuart Mill and Mr. Thomas Hare. Mr. Mill, who goes for an "adult" franchise, male and female, says that if 50,000 electors have to choose five members, it is not fair that 30,000 should elect all five, leaving the other 20,000 unrepresented; and he wants a scheme by which the 30,000 should elect only three, and the 20,000 two. Very well, says Mr. Cobden ; but do not do this by some complicated scheme for neutralising majorities, but split your constituencies of 50,000 up into five, and let each one return a member, instead of lumping them all together ; if you distribute these constituencies in different districts, occupied by different classes, every class will get its representatives. It is so already. All parties and all sorts of opinions are represented in the House of Commons, and do what you will there will always be a minority unable to have its own way. "If the minority," said Mr. Cobden, "have a faith that their opinions and not those of themajority are the true ones, let them agitate and discuss until their principles are in the ascendant." Mr. Cobden had a robust political education ; he had known what it was to be in a minority, and to win a triumph for opinions against odds that seemed overwhelming. He found it healthy exercise, and knew it to be healthy for the nation at large.