The Express.
London, England, 1867-07-19 00:00:00

MR. BRIGHT AT BIRMINGHAM.

BIRMINGHAM, TUVRADAT Nlcirr.
A meeting, called by the friends of Mr. Dixon,
the candidate in the liberal interest, was held in the
Town-ball here to-night, the purpose being to hear an
address from Mr. Bright. There was a very large at-
tendance, and not an available space was left. Mr. Bright
entered at a few minutes after 7 o'clock. He vss se.
companied by Mr. Alderman WIGGIM (who took the
chair), and most of the leaders of the liberal party in the
borough.

Mr. BRIGHT, who wan received with many rounds of
applause, commenced his speech by paying a graceful
tribute to the character of Mr. Scholefield, and to the loss
which he, as well as the town, had sustained by hie
death. He expressed a hope that in relation to the coming
contest no elector would shrink from showing his adherence
to those principles of which Mr. Scholefield was so dis-
tinguished a representative. He reminded his auditory that
they were the eons of the men who bad carried the bill of
1832, and urged the present constituency not to forsake
the cause which had made the town famous. He diacesaed
the circumstances connected with the various Reform Bills
which had been introduced to parliament—that of Lord
Russell's government, introduced by Mr. Gladstone, had
been met by every form of personal animosity. Lord
Derby came into power to stem the tide of democracy,
and the result had been conversion from the
tremendous fruits of a 71. franchise to household suffrage.
There was nothing to equal that since the beasts were said
to have committed suicide to save themselves from
daughter. He described the tory party as wrong, per.
verse, and intractable. Every good measure was opposed
by them. so long as it Wee safe to oppose it ; and when
that position became no longer tenable, all opposition rod.
denly collapsed, which had been the case in respect to the
Roman Catholic Emancipation of 1829, and of the Repeal
of the Corn-laws. They saw starvation staring • portion
of the population in the face, and a famine in Ireland ; but
it was only after immense agitation that they discovered
'the corn-laws were bad. The same tory party had now
passed • reform bill, admitting working men to the
I suffrage in greater numbers than bad ever been cue
templated in any bill ever introduced to parliament
by any party. Hereafter the tories would show the same
persistent and unchangeable resistance to every improve.
ment. When the Speaker the other night put the final
question, that the bill be read a third time, not even the
very faintest cheer issued from the lips of one of those
who sat on the tory side. The bill was, in fact, the
child, the offspring of the ambition of one !Mu
He had never heard from that party one
word of kindly sympathy for those to whom
the bill proposed to give the franchise ; but from what
was rumoured in reference to the course about to be taken
by the other branch of the legislature the bill was likely
to become the law of the land. The whole question as to
the amount of good it might bring ►bout to the country
depended on the future, and on whether constituencies
like this exercised their powers with wisdom and fidelity.
The votermust have the shelter of the ballot, and be mean.
mended reform leagues to continue their organisation until
that was obtained. The hon. gentleman discussed at
length the Irish question and the Irish church, and west
on to remark that hitherto everything of a liberal ten.
dency that had been carried out had been done by the
towns ; they had bad little help from the counties. That
must be remedied by future legislation. Passing to the
contest going on, he said Birmingham occupied • proud
position in 1832, Manchester in 1846, and Birmingham spin
in 1867. That town had again to speak, and must
answer before many days were over. Let them now return
the right man to parliament, showing that the coned.
tuency was faithful to the principles it had ever professed.
In allusion to the objections which had been raised to kis
taking • part in the contest, he said that his own interest
in the result was direct and overwhelming. No man's
interest was so great in the return of the liberal candidate.
They owed to him (he said) allegiance to their
own principles, and for the manner in which be
had endeavoured to enforce them. Was be to be only
nominally their representative! Was his authority to be
struck down by joining him to a colleague whom vote
would destroy the force of his? Better far that be should
cease to be their representative, or retire from parliament,
than that he should be content to sit and speak aed
vote with a divided and enfeebled authority. He
gathered from their cheers what the verdict of Birming.
ham would be in this contest, but he should indeed
despair of his country if this town which bad so long held

• foremost place amongst liberal constituencies should fall
away from the principles it had so long professed. (Great
cheering.) He implored them to give him • colleague
with whom he could act in harmony as he did with Mr.
Scholefield, for the welfare of that great community and
the country, in the defence and maintenance of those
principles which he believed to be inseparable from the
happiness and grandeur of the country.
The bon. gentleman, who spoke for an hour, oat down
amidst many rounds of applause.
A vote in favour of Hr. Dixon was passed. The contest
is becoming extremely hot, and the town is in an excitable
state.