COBDEN, Richard (1804-1865). Statesman and reformer, founder of the Anti-Corn Law league.
Two good Autograph Letters Signed to John Crawford, 7 pages 8vo, tipped to an album leaf, Paris 21 and 25 October 1859.
Making enquiries on behalf of a friend who is writing a paper on Free Trade and wants to quote the successful example of England and needs some statistics showing the results of Sir Robert Peel's measures of 1846 on the trade and revenue of England; Cobden asks for a copy of such a paper prepared at the Board of Trade two or three years ago and any other similar documents, he assures Crawford that they are wanted 'for a public object'; in the second letter he thanks Crawford for sending information, claims that he is not fanatical about the gold question, explains the personal reasons why he translated [Michel] Chevalier's book, specifies the only point on which he has misgivings on the gold question ('...as to whether the new metallic money has to affect the value of the whole of the substitutes for specie, such as checks, bills, bankers balances...or whether the gold, in which these are ultimately payable, is alone to be operated on in order to affect prices...The difference is enormous...'), argues that undoubtedly the trade in gold has added to exports and emphasises that he has never claimed all increase in trade is due to Free Trade, though he likes to think that the repeal of the Corn Laws vastly stimulated British agiculture, and compares the French unfavourably with the English ('...The people are vain, &, if possible, more ignorant than even our own masses are of the rest of the world; - & they think we come to them for help in Crimean & Chinese wars, because we have no soldiers of our own...').
[No: 23858]