Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-04-14 00:00:00

MR. BRIGHT AT ROOHDALE.

Last night, Mr. Bright addressed a large audience in the
Public Hall, Rochdale, on behalf of Mr. R. Cobden, who is
a candidate for the representation of that borough in
parliament. A resolution having been moved, seconded,
and carried with acclamation, that Mr. Cobden was a fit
and proper person to represent Rochdale in parliament,
Mr. Bright, who was loudly cheered, after a few intro-
ductory observations, proceeded to give a brief sketch of
Mr. Cobden's career. He said he (Mr. Cobden) was one
of themselves, and that it was quite likely that his ancestors
were seated in one of our English counties at the time of
the Norman conquest, but he never boasted that those
ancestors came over here with the Conqueror. (Laughter.)
He was born on a small farm in the county of Sussex,
and found himself, at a very early age, sent to
London to a warehouse there. He was gradually
advancing stage by stage, until at length he became a tra-
veller for the house in which he was employed. This
brought him into the north of England, and his practised
'business-eye showed him that the county of Lancashire was
one in which a man might make way. Shortly, with one
or two others of his fellow-workmen, he commenced busi-
ness in the neighbourhood of Clithero, as a calico printer.
From thence he came to Manchester, where he made way
in his business, and fought successfully against the so-called
rights of the lord of the manor there, and for the Municipal
Corporation Act. He then began to advocate the cause of
Education in connection with the British School Scheme.
It was then that Mr. Bright first became acquainted with
him. After then, he (Mr. Cobden) began to agitate the
Anti-Corn Law question, and they knew what had been the
result. When Mr. Cobden was first sent to Parliament,
there was necessarily, owing to his fame as an agitator,
some anxiety in the house to hear what he had got to say.
1 On the occasion upon which he made his first speech, he
(Mr. Bright) was in the gallery of the house, not then
being a member of Parliament, and chanced to sit by the
side of a gentleman, Mr. Horace Twiss, who then wrote the
summaries of the debate for the Times newspaper. The
subject .of Mr. Cobden's speech was the Corn Laws, and
after he had done he remembered that Mr. Horace Twiss
said, " There is nothing in him ; be is only
a ' barker,' and has no harm in him." This
"barker "' became a great power in the house, so great
that in 1846 Lord John Russell, who was about to form an
administration, wrote to him and offered him a seat in his
Cabinet. Mr. Cobden, however, did not accept the offer,
and went abroad. He was never, ambitious for place. He
did not believe it was at that time possible for a man like
him to hold office in a Cabinet, and keep his conscience
void of offence. 'When abroad, he discovered what was
rotten in all the Governments in Europe, and which
caused them to go to perdition, by their most costly
and most menacing armaments. This, he says, ren-
dered peace in Europe impossible, and when he came back to
England, be told this to the people. England was then, as
now, and, like other nations, running on in the same career,
and pursued the course other nations were pursuing. They
would remember how much of what he said was ridiculed
by those knowing scribes who knew the past, but were not
able to judge of what is to come. (Laughter and cheers.)
Since the time when the agitation of the corn laws —since
1835—our military and naval expenditure had doubled,
although we had not one acre of land more. It might be
said that we had done only what the French and other
nations had, done ; but what Cobden wanted was
that the people of this country should take one
thousandth part as much pains to make governments as
they took to increase their armaments. The people of this
country never made any such attempt, and the fact, there-
fore, was that we haVe all along been playing at the game
of "beggar my neighbour." (Cheers.) Well, what was
the result now ? Why, we saw between three and four
millions in Europe drawn from their occupations and
private life and armed with costly weapons to make war
upon each other. At this moment the state of things upon
the continent were such that we feared every flash of
the electric wire would bring down intelligence that
the storm was burst, and that the fine plains and valleys
of Italy were deluged with blood. Since 1847, there had
been many changes, which had had the advo&scy of Mr. C.,
among which were the sugar duties, the navigation laws, &e.
He had also aided in the repeal of the newspaper stamp
and by that had given a great boon to society. He (Mr.
B.) doubted that there were any teacher more worthy of
the name than the Press of this country, unless it was the
Sunday School teacher. With regard to the question of
Parliamentary Reform, they knew well how far Mr. C.
went, and that his programme was the same as his (Mr.
B's.) (Cheers.) There was a speech made 'by Lord J.
Russell in the House of Commons last night on the ques-
tion of the ballot, which showed that he had a glimmering
of truth, and in his mind such a chink as had been found
in the mind of Sir J. Graham on the same question.
Statesmen, however, required often a large space to turn
round in, yet they did turn round, or the progress
of public opinion brushed them out of its path.
(Cheers.) With regard to Lord John Russell, he
brought the question of Reform before the house year
after year, when none but himself scarcely advocated it.
He Lord John had then as now a real sympathy for Reform,
although he was not born down here, but in a ducal palace,
they must therefore make an allowance for his short comings,
as he did not march at the speed they could wish. The
hon. gentleman then spoke of Mr. Cobden's visit to the
United States, which he said was mainly on his own private
business, and he concluded by saying, that although he
should give Lord John Russell's bill a favourable considera-
tion, he (Mr. Bright) had not given up the thoughts of
bringing in at some future day his own, if he were again
returned to parliament.
(From the Cork Examiner.)
DUNGARVEN.-Mr. J. F. Macguire has again addressed
the electors.

KINSALE.—Major Boothby, brother-in-law of Lord Fer-
moy, Captain Brine, and Mr. George Wildridge (of London)
have addressed the electors. The Liberal electors have re-
quested Mr. John Arnott, Mayor of Cork, to stand for
the borough. Mr. Arnott has not yet signified his intention.

. _
(From the Dublin Daily Express.)
DUBLIN.—We can state on good authority that it is not,
the intention of Sir John Young. to offer himself 5t presr.;nt
as a candidate for the Q9unty of Cavallt