The Express.
London, England, 1866-04-02 00:00:00

'Mit

[ORT AT ROCHDALE.

*••43n flitheSey afternoon Mr. Bright laid the
'
corner atone of a new town-ball at Rochdale. The borough
as incorporated about eleven years ago, and had hitherto
been Tithed any better accommodation for its municipal
departments than is afforded by some inconvenient offices
erected for the police commissioners who previously
governed the town. The new erection is to be one of con-
siderable architectural pretensions, and is estimated to
cost 110,0001., including the land, of which the area covered
la more than 16,000 square yards. The building will be
in the English style prevalent towards the end of the 14th
century, free use being made of the mullioned windows of
many light+, square headed, for such offices as may be
called domestic. At one of the angles a clock tower will
rise to the height of 150 feet. Besides a great hall for
public meetings or other assemblies, there will be asoom-
modation for a commercial exchange, for the magistrates.
court, the borough police, the town council, and the whole
executive of the borough corporation. The architect is
Mr. Crosland, of Leeds. The site faces the river Roach,
which intersects the town, and it has • background planted
with shrubs, and sloping upwards to the parish church and
vizarage.
As appeared from the remarks made by several of the
gentlemen who took part in the ceremonies of the day,
the °erasion had been seised by the local authorities and
inhabitants to offer to their distinguished townsman, Mr.
Bright, a public proof of their neighbourly regard and
esteem. The day was observed as a close holiday, and
notwithstanding the weather was wet in the forenoon,
an immense gathering of people accompanied Mr. Bright
from his residence in a long procession, comprising
the local magistrates, aldermen, councillors, officials,
deputations from cooperative societies, and friendly
societies, with their banners. Every spot near the
site which could possibly afford a view of the
congregation of persona assisting at the ceremonial was
oovered with spectators, and so urgent was the desire to
have the scene photographed with the mayor in a se&
ciently pictorial attitude as be opened the proceedings with
a speech, that he was made to pause in the midst of his
remarks when the artist had got his apparatus adjusted, in
order that the worshipful figure might be taken without
distortion. Mr. Bright was received with great cheering
on his arrival at the site.
After introductory speeches from the Mayor (Mr.
fitett), and the Town Clerk (Mr. Z. Mellor), Mr. Bright
went through the usual formalities with a silver trowel,
presented to him by Mr. Alderman G. L. Ashworth on
behalf of the corporation.
Mr. Barone then said a few words relative to the uses
to which the building would be applied, speaking of it ea
likely to be one of the finest of its kind erected in England
during our time. The occasion was not a political one,
but he could not help feeling that had it not been for the
approval of his career by his townsmen, he should not
have been there that day.
Mr. Parrs*, M.P. for the borough, afterwards addressed
the assemblage, and the proceedings at the stone termi-
nated with cheers for the mayor.
Afterwards there was • luncheon at the Public-hall
attended by about 250 gentlemen, the mayor "gala pre-
siding. A marble bust of the late Mr. Cobden, by Mr.
Barnard, sculptor, of London, which is an excellent like-
nein, bad been lent by Mr. Bright for the omission, and
was placed at the end of the room facing the platform,
where the principal guests were seated.
Mr. BRIGHT, in responding to the toast of his health,
referred to the great changes which had taken place during
the last twenty or thirty years in the local government of
the town, observing that in his opinion there was scarcely
anything more important in • country than an honest
municipal government. Their experience ought not to
make reasonable men afraid of a large number of votes.
He then proceeded to refer to members who had
sat for the borough since its enfranchisement,
Mr. Fenton, Mr. Sharman Crawford, Mr. Miall,
and Mr. Cobden. He drew an argument from the im-
provement of the municipal government of the town eines
it was based on an extended suffrage in favour of • similar
extension of the electoral vote, and concluded by alluding
to the great importance of public meetings in a free
country, and of the utility, therefore, of providing build-
ings in which such expressions of public opinion can
appropriately take place.
A number of other haste were given, and the pressed-
ings terminated about six o'clock.