The Express.
London, England, 1851-10-25 00:00:00

KOSSUTH.

RECEPTION IN WINCHESTER.

WINCHESTER, FRIDAY.
The ancient city of Winchester was this day the
scene of unusual excitement, in consequence of the
visit paid by the illustrious Kossuth to the country
house of the Mayor of Southampton, situated on an
eminence outside the town. Something very little
exceeding an ordinary friendly visit was eortem-
plated by the distinguished strangers; but the inhabi-
tants of Winchester, animated by love of the prin-
ciples for which Kossuth and his companions have
suffered so much, had determined upon making their
entry into their ancient city a triumph.
The party left the town house of the Mayor of
Southampton at 11 o'clock, in three carriages and
four. In the first sat M. Kossuth, the Mayor, Mr.
Croskey, the American consul, Mrs. Croskey, and
Madame Pulski ; in the second were M. Pulski and
Mr. T. Smith ; and the third contained the High Bailiff
of Southampton, Mr. G. N. Cooksey, Mr. J. N.
Hardy, and one or two other gentlemen. An im-
mense crowd cheered their departure flout Southamp-
ton, and at the several villages on the route the
inhabitants mustered in force to give them wel-
come. At Otterbourne quite a demonstration
took place, and at Compton they were met by a
cavalcade from Winchester. It appeared that in the
latter city the promised visit of Kossuth had created
quite a municipal war. The Mayor and the majority
of the corporation concurred to give the visitors a
triumphant reception. Among the more important
of the clerical functionaries a similar feeling was ex-
hibited ; but a section of the prebends had, it ap-
peared, taken fright, and succeeded in communicating
their fears to a portion of the town council.
The consequence was that no bells were rung, nor did
the municipality appear in form to welcome
the stranger. But whatever deficiency might have
been created by the bigotry of the prebends or tho
fears of a few of the council, was amply supplied by
the magnificent and spontaneous outburst of popular
welcome which met the visitors from the moment of
their entrance into the town. It was cheese fair
day in the ancient city, and therefore the streets
were more than ordinarily thronged, but far beyond
the ordinary concourse on such occasions the people
from the surrounding country poured in to pay
their honest, unbought homage to the champion of
constitutional liberty. The cortege entered at Kings-
gate-street, and passing the college and Wolsev's
Palace, proceeded through Cheesehilhstreet, into too
High-street, where the progress of the procession
wau much retarded by the dense accumulation of the
people. The scene at this moment was most strik-
ing, and the more so that nothing like such a de-
monstration had been expected by the visitors. Tho
whole of the long street front end to end was densely
filled with people, except the narrow space allotted
for the passage of the cortege. Every window,
every balcony, every house-top, in fact, was studded
with welcoming faces, and above the crowd the Hun-
garian tricolor might be seen waving in every direc-
tion. The universality of the demonstration took
every one by surprise, as the Mayor of Southampton
had not in tke first instance intended to pass through
the town. The popular voice was, however, too
strong, both for his resolution and for the scruples
of the cathedral authorities. The people rose
in their thousands, and the demonstration of their
feelings was as impressive as it was spontaneous.
In the High-street an interesting incident for a mc
meat stopped the slow progress of the cortege. A
working man stepped forth from the crowd, and
tendered to Kossuth a glass of ale, which the latter
gracefully accepted, and drank to the pros-
perity of the city of Winchester.
On arriving at the Mayor of Southampton's
country house. M. Kossuth immediately entered
the balcony, and addressed the thousands who
crowded the road nearly as follows:—" Tho
reception I have met with in this city has
taken me quite by surprise ; I was wholly unpre-
pared for it, but I heartily thank you. Words can
only represent ideas, and all ideas in my mind are
absorbed by the warm fet.ling of gratitude with which
your gracious reception has inspired mc. I feel that I
stand here on sacred constitutional ground. Ou this
spot your forefathers conquered liberty for you, and
you show yourselves worthy of the liberty so gained,
not only by maintaining it kir yourselves, but by
endeavouring to extend its blessings to all the world.
(Loud cheers.) I have deep respect for the inhabi-
tants of Winchester, the oldest corporation in Eng-
land, but with a proSe as young and fresh in the
sentiments of municipal liberty as when those senti-
ments were first recorded in institutions. Again I
heartily thank you." (Loud and continued cheering.)
The Mayor of Southampton next Caine Ibrward,
and expressed the satisfaction he felt in having
Louis Kossuth under his roof, a man who with the
mind of a giant had the heart of a lion, and who in
the early part of his career had at one blow emanci-
pated four millions of serfs, who never again could
be enslaved. (Cheers.) But with that he was not
satisfied, nor would he ever be, so long as a single
fetter remained on any member of the great
family of man. (Loud cheers.) Ile (the mayor)
wished that there were a few men *like
Kossuth in England. (Loud cheers.) Kossuth
was a man of the people, who had raised himself by
his talents, and had subsequently devoted those ta-
lents to the welfare of his country. Ile had received
threatening letters for his reception of Kossuth, but
lie disregarded them, and declared that so long as he
had a home Kossuth should have she:ter, as long as
he had a sixpence Kossuth should share it. (Loud
cheers.)
Three cheers were then given for Kossuth, three
for the Mayor, and three for the Doily News, after
which Kossuth and party retired into tbo house
fur refreshment.

The Mayor gives a public breakfast tomorrow to
the municipality, and on Sunday Kossuth will attend
service at the Cathedral.

Mr. Cobden arrived in Southampton rather late.
He regretted that he had nut witnessed the landing
of Kossuth, and immediately proceeded to Winchester,
where he arrived at nine o'clock this evening.
Every ticket that has been issued for the South-
ampton banquet to Kossuth has been sold. The
decoration of the banquetting-hall has been com-
menced. The corporation committee of the Kossuth
banquet met today to finally determine on the
programme.