The Express.
London, England, 1856-03-08 00:00:00

- AtellOl I.abed, into light, sod esergetle, of active labile
sad Amens of purpose, he spa eddy t • prominent pcs.-
Sem amongst the pubic men of Birmingham of that day.
stn early age, when b. had 'cattily attained his eniority,
end when there seemed soma peohability of a French is-
uwien, he joined the Volunteers, and held a commies'( n
captain of grenadiers in the Thin Birmingt am Battalion,
until the deafer seemed so longer imminent, when he
withdrew. While yet a Jung men. stele'', 28 you* of
age, he •al called upon to 80 the highest civil office in the
community. tat of high bailiff, to which was elected is
°either. 1811. Prom that period he threw himself into
labile life.
It was at this time that Mr. Attwo •d thought It right
to oppou the roamer:lel monopoly of ne East India Com-
pany, which he prosecuted with aaremittang ardour uatll
he saw Ib termier.tior. Abut the same time he dints-
rebated elmeolf by hie eat rtiou to obtain as abeadesmien
of the celebrated "orders is consul;" and is 1813 be
headed a deputation of his fellow-townsmen to Landoll,
where he In/ examined at cusiderable length before • com-
mitts* of the Moen of Costume, toughing their eters
spoil theeammercial Minute of tlti country, when he so
fent* oisted out the disastrous eoneequenims resultieg
free Mom alto be mainly instrumental is musing them to
be revoked ; bat sot, bowie'', until it was toe late to pre-
vent the eglitiOS with Antonia which stfortenstely ensiled,'
the &claret os of war sad the repeal messing each other'
upon the Atlantic.
La 1816 and 1816 Mr. Atwood ecumenced writing at
the currency, being one of the first, if not the very drat,
who pointed out the impolley and irjastice of returning to
the satiate standard of vale*, thereby compelliag a rioters
to the cid rural level of prices, without any conessonding
/*ductile in the pabik and praste burdens of the Country.
Be found, however, that with the parliamentary repines- •
tstion eh eh then 'Rued, there was httle probability of
any permarent improvement is the condition of the
country. With a view to antis that object, he pleased
and pr. jetted the Politics Colo, in 1829, which was r-
atted nib Cauity sod adopted by Binningham on the
26th Jeneary, 1830 Prior to that period there had bars
literally no actual or general dimmed for reform in the re-
prealotrion of the p °plc The roves' of the movastems
was beyond paral:el is history. It g lett @ileums—
ibis first great developmest of public opinion—full of vi-
gorous We, at a time when events were favourable to sedum
and unisous of sumer. We have vi re remedy itarratet
the lotion ce of the Uaioe, with Mr. Attwood es its presi-
dent, in reeipitatiog the Reform Bill; and how os the
pawing of that measure this formidable body of men" sank
to rest '—an he had ones pledged himself that it should—
"s gently astt• infant on its 'mother's Wien."
The nes tropolitan vesuiee' and ward., borough., and
cities, ehurered upp,a him their thanks. Oa Weduslay,
the 21it f May, 1832, the Lord Mayor called a special wet
lag of is eirporatine, at which it was resolved: "That
the freedom of the City be pretested to Thomas Attwood,
Esq., in testimony of the high estimation in which the
um of Luidos told hie distiorilehed minims is the saw
of pashas. vary reform, and ebo the &hilly displayed by
him is using the intelligent and industrious artisans, aid
the inhabitant, neurally o' the midland dirriate. h the
firm but peaceable penult of that great national tbj•et."
No Former was Birmingham iceested by the Ileum Bill
with tit...twin franchise than Mr. Atiwood wee airfield
out as their fret repreuntst•ve in the reformei Hoe.* of
Commons. La parliament his arm was nuked by an es-
fliaching adbe:esee to reform prinsiples,whkA, however, by
&remain, bed become less ',velar ham they bad bees yen r.
Were.

Mtn, re ',meat's', Birmingham for seven year., his la-
bium whist% bad bee. whey sad Gamow, effected ha
health ; Lie experim of pabl amen within hat little hi p.
that the fell baatlit of the misters sf ref. ran which had
been of Weed wi,old be extended to the sone try ; the stows
of time were faillng lapin his head, aad he was eatable *gal
to Mad a ioatest for wittier Meter,. Mr. A. tweed took
Law of pt.bla life, carrying wi h him Into his :slimmest
the resent, mintmetion, sad good wishes of 011 pia as and
Masses in the cermasaiiy. Mr. Aitwood took up his ',e-
dam at Baritone, when he wee esteemed as a benefactor
to the while roasiennity, tad satergbestly re oiret d to
Allseley, Seat Coventry, sad the. to Malvern, when to
spent Ms deellniag years.
Ia tte private retailers of life no mu was of mere genial
&amities, liberal, sad ease Imashmst le his charities, a
steady friend, to admirable compealee. lfe wait always •
Mad. &fedi taste, and leds,geet penal. P. raga theorist
prominent fetters In his chemist*, was a Woes and deep
arenerh• for human Buffering and distress.
Be lived sa 1 se died Thomas Atwood, a man *simians
Is he char e'er all the but attributes which combias to
ism that model man, an English gentleman.