The Express.
London, England, 1857-01-30 00:00:00

THE JUNCHSSTER PARTY.

MANCHESTER, Ter WA,. Y NIGHT.
The annual meeting at Freetradero and friends
of political prcirrese was bad at the Free-trade 11.11 to-
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night. It waaa nunterana, but not trowded, gathering.

Mr, °sows Wailes presided; and there worn presetit
Mews, Gibson, Heywood, Cheethsin, and Hadfield, mom-

berg Melte legialathre.
The CHAIRMAN, in opening the pmecedings, passed a
high milt:glum era Mr. Bright, and adverted to his long
parliameseery !services.
The following letter of Mr. Bright was read to the
meeting
" Rochdale, Nov. 5, 1856.
"My dear Wilson,-1 mentioned to you a few days age
that I was about to have England for a considerable tints,
probably fur severed maths. My heath, ea you knew, is
greatly improved during the paw tag treenthe—en much so as
to afford strung reason for the belief that • further mud of
relaxation, and change of objects and interests, will m. far
restore me as to enable me again to attend M public busier..
I have consulted physicians of exteettam practice, and,
eminent in the profession, and their opines's, all concur in
this—that a complete rest from public labour, for a longer
period, is neemary ; and that this. it may be hoped and be-
lieved, will give B/0 renewed health and strewth. getting
upon this advice, which my owe judgment entirety approves,
I am about to leave home fur some months, and I shall,
therefore, in all probability, not be able to attend the Mouse
of Commons during the next teration of parliament.
" I think it my daly, under these entunottaneeis, to write
to vou in your capacity of chairman of the committee whieh
unantook the smnaggewl of my election in 1852. lem
very amide el We Waimea shown to me by my con-
stituents, dwelt es name they freely contested to my
absence from pidiemeig &rim the past 1.18i012. In ab-
senting wag for smasher earn, however, I feel that I am
bound to odic OM a men probe and definite explanation
with the.
hsmpbLt as I am el primer, of performing any of the
duties Mthelr tagreeenteden, it would seem to be my duty
to resign my sni is parlimmat, and to give them the oppor-
tunity of Meeting my sumeemer. I feel, however, that the
wishes and cosandence of the cometituency ought to be con-
sulted before I decide. Uwe were at the beginning, instead
of being, as we me, very near the end of a parliament, the
Womb d sID carensed would probably be hut
by ininsible resignation ; but as a general election my is
Me 4 to take during the year 1867, it may not be
to have two elections for Manchester dur-
thi:c :me shpoint a
er jitieh l
ore lamdoensious to
skid steroid make an immediate election unavoidebrerking
" Yea will greatlye oblige me, therefore, if you will take
each seeps as appear to you best, to ascertain the wishes of
my atiMinie as to the course I should take. I shell be
guided by their dram, either to vacate my seat in parlia-
ment on the opining of the coming session, or to retain it till
the dissolution of the parliament, which may come in the
wing, and is almost certain to come in the autumn of
1857.
" I hope I sun not too sanguine in believing that a few
months more eirest—rest of the faculties which have bad
earner ore vat draw the past 15 years—will restore to tee
the powwow IMI have the will, to labour in that field in
whir es mach et agile has been went. 11l am permitted
to resawramakrialt strength before the occurrence of a
generel leh di then hope for a continuance of the
maillffewe the eletnees of Manchester have so long
pieced lams ; Viewer health be not granted to me, I shall
thin withdraw hem public life, remembering, as long as I
lin, bow mark I owe to the kindness and forkeranoe of
those in whose ono, and on whose behalf, I have acted for
alas years past la Ow House of Commons.
" Believe me, very sincerely yews,
" on x BRICIZT."
The following resolution was next moved by the CRAM.
MAN
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...- •
Resolved,—" That this meeting, in expressing its profound
regret at the elreumstanoss which unhappily neoreallate the
steence of its esteemed representative, John Bright, Esq,
M.P., desires to record its unabated conviction of the signal
ability and high morel courage, universally acknowledged,
with which he has hitherto represented this great olio
of industry in parliement ; that it hereby bigs respectfully to
Its admiration of the undeviating consistency, mid
Iheseent, with which ho he. adhered to those
peat on which be was elected, seven se its warm-
est hr the eminent services which he has rendered
to milks ; that, while deeply sympathising with him
ender the soder indimesition which has compelled him to
mike, he a moos, bow gab& duties, it derives the sin-
cerest whelbatlea &en the preepect that he will be able, ere
Imag, be MIMI" Hen ; and thatoehile cheerfully eon-
W lits thslOwnl of repose which may be necessary
for ha mpish esdatedon of hls health, It requests him to
allow thee condmante of his parliansentmy connexlen with
this city, fa the seed hope that the muse of popular rights,
of social ppvsppeeerer,, sad of International concord, may.soon re-
gala the at lb diehttarestod and distinguished ad-
vocacy in the Hawn at Commons."
Mr. BASIST wended the resohdien, and it was carried
unaninsomly.
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The Right lion. Taos. MILNER Gissox, M.P., then =-
droned the ranting. Adverting to the late war, be said that
(TWO= differed me to whether the results of that wee were
glorious or disgraceful to this country; but we knew with
certinety that ma increased espeudieure end increased taxation
were among in consequent= He trusted that we should
sow return toe peace expenditure. He objected, en principle,
to a largo standing army. As there could be no great reduction
in the civil expenditure we mattock mainly to economy in the
army, navy, and ordnance departments to lea=n the burthens
of the coyntry. lie observed, it had been mid that we must
not be =prepared fee war as we were unprepared before;
but he denied that the disesteem in the Crimea had resulted
from a want of the remarry moans. Those disasters took
place becanae, although the people of this country could sup-
ply immense sums of money, they could not supply those who
had the management of it with brains. (Cheers.)
Ile did not join in the cry now raised against
the income tax. The indirect taxes were nearly forty-two
coition sterling, levied upon the great mass of conaumere, or
nine-tenths of the people ; and ea thew taxes were paid be-
fore the articles reached the consumers, ten millions more
might be added as the coat of collection, and as deducted from
the profit and interest upon capital employed in trsde. He
did not deny that there was en injustice in the mode of levy-
ing the income tax ; but it was the only means of fairly
reaching the fundholder and the landowner, and it ought
not to be wholly abandoned. Ile moved—" That in the
opinion of this meeting the re-establishment of peace renders
it the Imperative duty of the government to diminish at once
the existing load of taxation, which, by injuriously effecting
the industrial intent= of the country, is eeriously detrimental
to the material well-being end social happiness of all classes
of the community; and that while pledging heel( to relax
none of its exertions to produce a wise, efficient, end econo-
mical expenditure of the national resource*, it looks to a
just and comprehensive measure of parliamentary reform, as
the only adequate meow by which the sets of the legislature
may be brought into permanent harmony with the convictions
and interests of the people."
Mr. CUEETILIN, M.P., seconded the motion, which was
carried.
Mr. HADFIELD, M.P., seed several other gentlemen, also
addressed the meeting.