The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-04-06 00:00:00

MR. DISRAELI AT MANCHESTER.

At Manchester, on Tuesday, Mr. Disraeli received a most
enthusiastic reception from the representatives of the various
Conservative and Constitutional Societies -.: :erect through-
out Lancashire. 'rite 4ernonstratio• s. a., Mid in the ..ist
dancing minim if the Pomona U,, noise, situate in the 0,51-
skilL3 Manchester. It Inid at first been proposed to hold
the gathering in the open air, and a temporary platform had
been erreted with this view within the gardens ; but the very
unpropitious state of the weather made L necessary to aban-
don the original intention, and the proceedings were con- I
ducted under the roof of the hall, which is said to be capable
of accommodating from 30,000 to 40,000 persons. Utnortu-
nately it rained heavily throughout the whole day, except
when it snowed, which it did for a short thee th the forenoon;
but the unkindly skies, though they marred the effect of the
outdoor displar, failed to damirthe zeal or abate the enthtia-
hum of the multitude. •
, The deputatioe, said to represent sonic 300 different local
Conservative bodies, Constitutional Assue•ations, and °niece
: Lodges, each accompanied by its band and banners, began to
arrive by railway anti other conveyances towards noon from
all parts of the country, and proceeded to a coinnion ren-
dezvous in Albert iv ittare. Large crowds of the townspeople
followed them thither, regardless of the weather, to are the
procession from the point of convergence, which, though
spacious, would not admit of the entire array deploying
there simultaneously, and, therefore, as soon as one sec-
tion with its flags and banners was duly marshalled it Moved
oft to the sound of music and made room for its suc-
cessor mail the whole procession could be got In motion.
- • ••

The route to Pomona Gardens lay along seine two unles of
muddy road, and at length, when the shelter of the great
hall was reached by the procession, the body of the building
V 4,149 rapidly fluid by the rank and file of the various Con-
servative Societies, the Chairmen and Whew bearers having
addresses to present being accommodated on the platform.
The banners were arranged round the skies of the hall, and
contributed much to heighten the area of the imposing
spectacle. One splendidailk banner in particular, that of the
Bacup Conservative arid Constitutional Association, dis-
played on one side a large-sized portrait of the Queen, with
the Crown resting on the Bible, and on the other a por-
trait of Mr. Disraeli, and on which was inscribed the words,
" The man whonr we delight to honour." The hall was
densely packed long hetet,: five o'clock, the hour appointed
for commencing the procee lingo, and during a short interval
the band plated the National Anthem, "Rule Britannia,"
and other patriotic airs. Whim the Viscountess Beaconsfield
arrived on the platform the most deafening and enthusiastic
cheers broke forth from all parts of the vast building. lier
lad) ship bowed her acknowledgments for this cordial wel-
come. A moment later Mr. Disraeli stem,l forward, walk-
ing arnr in-arm with Mr. W. R. Callender, jun., his appear-
ance being the signal for a renewed hurricane of enthusiastic
shouts mid waving of halo and handkerchiefs.
These demonstrations were continued with frantic velic-
room° for ninny minutes, the bands and myriads of human
voices again striking up "Nile Britannia" and "(Sod save
the Queen."
Mr. Callender eccupied the chair, and was supported by
Mr. H. Miley, M.P., Mr, Charley, M' .P. Mr. Tipping,
M.P., Mr. A. Egerton, M.P., and Colonel Gray, M.P. (all
Lancashire members). The members of hmal deputa-
tions, each wearing their distinctive sashes and rosettes,
in which orange end purple clears predominated, were
arranged in the rear of the platform awaiting their turn to
take the more prominent part in the poaicedings assigned
thou by the programme. The associations presenting
atb tresses were arranged in fourteen groups. The first group
represented seven associations of the Northern Division
of Lancashire, including the Conservative Registration
Aegean:4km, the Preston Conservative Club, arid the
Northern Star Loyal Orange Lodge. The North-Eastern
Division of the county was represented by about .24 Con-
servative and Orange bodies, in two groups ; one group was
formed of eight distinct Conservative clubs existing in
Blackburn, and the other group was formed of associations
in Burnley, Clitheroe, Accrington, lineup, Colne, Beaten.
stall, and other districts in the same constituency. For
the south-western division of Lancashire there were four
groups. The first of these was formed of the Conserva-
tive Registration Association alone ; the second, of six
Liverpool Associations ; the third, it two Associations in
Wigau ; and the fourth of Associations in Warrington,
Southport, Ac. St. Reimer' contributed ten distinct Con-
servative bodies in this group. The seven remaining groups
belonged to South-East Lancashire the Conservative Re-
gistration Associations formed one group Manchester and
salient, with the envirms, furnished two groups composed
of about au Associations; Ashton and Staleybridge contri-
buted four Associations ; Bolton, Ii; the Bury district, ;
Rochdale, 10; Oldham, 17. Several other Associations,
belonging to Stockport, Hyde, rte., were included. Each
Association was represented by a deputation of at least the
leading members. comprising many magistrates, clergymen,
and persons of influence in their several localities.

The ceremony of handing in the numerous addresses then
commenced, their respective bearers defilingin rotation past
the front of the platform for this purpose. The litany cheers
which now and again greeted many of these gentlemen
showed that they were popular favourites to their own dis-
tricts. Mr. Disraeli cordially emote hands with each ,d
them, making On occasional remark, or conversing with
those who appeared to be old acquaintances. Many of the
addresses were engrossed on vellum and beautifully illumi-
nated, while others were inscribed in handsomely bound and
gilt volumes, the *hole collection forming a goodly pile.
Before its delivery was finished a few of the more important
of these documents were read, and the following address
may be selected as a specimen:—

" To THE RIGHT lloN. DENJA3HN DISRAELI, 31.1 i., etc.
"We, the members of the Manchester Conservative Work-
ing Men's Association, ball with pleasure the opportunity
which, in response to Our earnest invitation, you have
afforded us of expressing our devotion to the Crown and
Cmistitutien, and our confidence in you as the great
representative of that Tory party which has ever been
true to those principles which we believe to be the mainstay
of England's greetnees. To you, Sir, as an honest worker
In the interests of those who by their labour have
contribute el so much to Britain's prosperity, we must
express our gratitude for your unceasing shorts in the
amelioration of our social poaition. We would net only
allude to the religious disabilities for the removal of which
yon have always been an earnest advocate, but more espe-
cially to the efforts you have made in support of the reduc-
tion of the hours of labour, and your consistent support as a
statesman of the principles inculcated in your literary works,
by which the rich and the poor,' no longer 'ignorant of
each other'. habits, thoughts, and feelings; no longer divided
into 'two nations,' may form a united, happy, and pros-
perous people. Your latest effort as a Minister in earl.) ins
: out a great reform in the repreeentation of the people was
Stories appreciated in this county, and has to such ui extent
been at length realized by the whole country that we can
not do better than quote the words of one of your greatest
political opponent., firmly believing, as we do, that either
with or without the Ballot 'England will soy to-morrow
what Lancashire says to-day.' Lancashire opinion to-day
is more hearty than ever In support of Conservative prin-
ciples, and we trust the time is not far distant when a
general election will enable the working men of England to
gspress their opinions with no uncertain sound_ The Reform
Act has 'set men wthinking, it has enlarged the horizon of
political experience, insensibly it has created and prepared
a popular intelligence to which one can appeal, no longer
hopelessly,' to create an honest political positioe, and to
remedy those great social evils which at the present time dis-
turb most thinking minds. Your noble defence of the in-
terests of religion, and of that Church to which most of us
belong, has added most strongly to those tics which
bind us to you; and we pray that God in Ills mercy
may enable you to continue those efforts, more than ever
now required to maintain a proper recognition of that source,
from which all goodness emanates. We trust noon, Sir, to
see yen again taking a leading part lit Her Majesty's Govern-
ment, and thus preventing the selfish strife of Radical
factious by which two great existences, 'the monarch and
the multitude; threaten to become 'blotted out of the
history of England, tilt at length the sceptre would be-
come a pageant, and the subject degenerate again into a
serf.' Heartily do we welcome you, Sir, to Lancashire,
where the name of 'Disraeli ' is revered as one of the
greatest and most consistent champions of constitutional
principles. Still a commoner, although your Sovereign
woukl have conferred dietinctions upon you, you own a
name which

`Needs no hes aid's skill to trace
Its blazoned lineage, for its lofty fame
Lives in the mouths of man, and distant'elimes
Ito-echo its wide glory, where the brave
Are honoured, where 'tis noble deemed to save
A prostrate nation, and for future times
Work on with high devotion.'
As a man of letters, an orator, and a statesman, but still
more as a friend of the working clasaes, we bid you wel-
come, and we fervently pray that for many years to come it
may be your privilege to guide the policy of the Conservative
party, and thus influence the destinies of the nation."
The presentation of addresses and the interesting re-
marks to which they gave rise, but which were, of course,
inaudible to the great mass of the assemblage, occupied
the best part of an hour. At its conclusion Mr. Disraeli
stepped forward to address the entire concourse and elicited
another outburst of cheering. Silence having been partially
restored,
--•- • •

Mr. Disraeli said,--Glentlemen,—l did not come hero
today with any intention of making a speech, and whatever
had been soy intention I think it would have been Minos,
Bible for me to have conveyed soy meaning in a hall so vast
as this one. But lam loath to leave you without expressing
lay sense of the distinguished honour which you have con-
ferred on me, and of having witnessed to-day one of the
most remarkable incidents, or perhaps I may say an
unparalleled incident, in the political life of any public
man. (Cheers.) When you first did me the honour, now
some time back, of expressing your wish that I should
pay a visit to the county of Lancashire, 1 felt great hesita-
tion, as you well know, in accepting an invitation by which I
was undoubtedly honoured and flattered. But that hesitation
arose from no want of confidence in your kind feeling ; it
was because I have never, in the course of say life, obtruded
my presence upon any meeting of my fehow-comitrsmen
unless I was locally connected with them and there were
peculiar eircumstmees which might vindicate me from
the imputation of thrusting myself unnecessarily on their
attention. but the invitation I received from tile county
of Lancaster, signed nail was by all the Conservative re.
presentatives returned by that great district, by the Mayors
of municipalities, by the leading men in all statims of
life, and especially Ify those who represented the working
classes of the country wee of such a character both as to
the consideration and numbers and the union of all classic
and employment of people, that I think I was justified in
the opinion that in coming to pay you this visit after your
warm invitation I should not be liable to a charge of pre-
sumption. (Cheers) Gentlemen, at the last general elec-
tion the county of Lancaster distinguished itself by a
demonstration in favour of Conservacive principles which
sustained me and ray colleagues under a considerable de-
feat. in the first place, we felt it was a great thing to
have gained the confidence of such nien ; and. secondly,
we believe that success in Lancashire in politica as it
has been in other things, would be the precursor of
a triumphant future. (Renewed cheers.) lam sure that on
this occasion you will excuse me if I confine my observe-
Cms to the expression of my gratitude for the generous
and the cordial manner in whtch you have assembled from
all parts of the county bf greet me to-day. Though
the heavens seeined to lower, they did not damp your
zeal and enthusiasm. (hear, hear) I waa glad and
proud to meet lay friends from each of the divisions
of this great county : from the cities and boroughs that
have distinguished themselves on so many occasions by
the exhibition of that public spirit which is the pride of
Englishmen. Allow me to thank you for the manner in
which you have greeted me to-day, fend believe me that I
shall treasure among the archives of my home, and among
the most precious, those memorials which I have received
expressing the opinion of all claws of the city and of the
town, of land proprietors and of working men in every de-
gree. It In an exhibition of sympathy which should sustain
any man in public life, and is the best reward for any efforts
that I can make for your honour and for your welfare.
(Great cheering.)
The business of the day having been then Mought to a
close, the vast meeting began to disperse. Repeated bursts
of enthusiasm attended Mr. Disraeli 's departure, and special
acclamations were accorded to Lady Beaconsfield.
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