The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-18 00:00:00

Mr. Stansfeld, M.P„ at Halifax.

HALIFAX, May 17.
This afternoon a very large meeting, at which about
8,000 or 10,000 people were present, was held in the Manu-
facturers' Piece Hall, Halifax, when a piece of plate, value
about 300 guineas, was given to Mr. Stansfeld by his con-
stituents, as a token of appreciation of his past services,
and as a mark of confidence reposed in him by his political
friends. The testimonial consists of a magnificent candela-
brum, holding 16 candles ; the pillar is beautifully deco-
rated with foliage. Around the base of the pillar are four
shields; ono bears the arms of the Halifax corporation,
another is intended for the arms of the Stansfeld family,
the third for a crest and motto, and the fourth bears the
following inscription :—" Presented at the Piece Hall,
Halifax, on Whit-Tuesday, 1861, to James Stansfeld, jun.,
Esq., M.P. for that borough, as an expression of the esteem
and confidence with which he is regarded by his consti-
tuents."

Mr. Stansfeld and his supporters met at the White Swan
Hotel at half-past two o'clock, and walked in procession to
the Piece Hall a little before three o'clock. There were
two bands of music in the procession. The town had a very
animated appearance, and many of the shops were closed.
Mr. John Crossley, the chairman of the Presentation Com-
mittee, presided.
Mr. ChOiSLEY having made the presentation in the name
of his townsmen,
Mr. STANSFELD stood forward and said it was barely a
year since he addressed them from that very spot. He
sought then to ask their approval of a step which he had
ventured to take, he having then just joined her Majesty's
present Administration. He now came before them again
.—he was going to say to ask their confirmation of another
step, but that vast assembly and that testimonial were in
themselves a complete justification of the course he had
latterly taken. (Cheers.) He did not come before them to
utter any unmanly complaint of usage to which he might
have been subjected, or to sacrifices which he had to make;;
but he freely confessed that he perceived the necessity and
felt the duty of relinquishing with both anxiety and regret
the post which he had held for so short a time. To that
post he had given himself with singleness of purpose, and
with no stint of time and labour. In the u..dst of the attack
of which he had been the object, he was able to show to the
House of Commons and the country that the accounts of
the numerous and vast ship-building and ship-repairing
establishments had been placed on a footing which would
bear comparison with any private firm. (Cheers.) He
said provision had been made for the introduction of certain
modifications in the organisation and supervision of labour
in her Majesty's dockyards calculated to enable them to
compete on fair terms with the private ship-building estab-
lishments of this country. All these arrangements required
not merely to be laid down on paper, but constant watching
and care, and a certain length of time for development, and
therefore they would understand him when he said that it
was with both regret and anxiety that he found his work
so suddenly brought to a close, Mr. Stansfeld then
expressed his pleasure that ho had been succeeded
in his office by Mr. Childers, in whom he had the greatest
confidence on the score of his experience and his sympathy
with Mr. Stansfeld's views on Admiralty matters. With
reference to the matter which had that day called them to-
gether,he would say that all who knew him (Mr. Stansfeld)
would be aware that for many long years he had shown a
deep interest in the cause of Italian unity and independence.
(Cheers) To-day all England held that faith, but he had
held it when it was not so common as now. He would tell
them what had been mainly the cause of the earlier faith.
It was due, above everything else, to the personal influence
of one man whom he happened years ago to know. Need he
name that man P He meant Joseph Mazzini. (Cheers.) But
that man had had an unexceptional nature. Others might
have done the work of statesman, others the work of war-
riors, but his had been the precursor's work ; he had instilled
into the minds of his countrymen the idea which was to be
the faith, and the faith which was to overcome all obstacles
in the way of the unity of a divided country, Mr. Stansfeld
then called attention to the eulogistic manner in which
General Garibaldi had recently spoken of M. Mazzini. They
all knew of what Mazzini had been accused. (He (Mr.
Stansfeld) knew M. Mazzini to be incapable of such a crime.
(Great cheering.) He asked them to put themselves in his
place—he asked them, if ho had been so base and cowardly
as to deny the friendship of long years, would they have
deserted him? (Cries of "No, no.") Neither would he—
(cheers)—and, therefore, he appeared before them that day.
Now, he wished to do justice to what he thought preju•
dice when it was honestly entertained. He knew that there
was an immense prejudice against Mazzini in this country,
but he would say to them hesitate in your judgment. As
to your great Italian patriot, attach some weight to his
testimony, for he had given some pledges of the sincerity
of the convictions which he entertained respecting him for
having defended Mazzini, He had become an object of
attack. He begged to refer to the debates in the House of
Commons on this question, on the first night on which he
did that which he felt to be his first and nearest duty. He
defended an absent and wrongly accused 'man. Some ques-
tions were put as to his implication in the supposed design,
but the House of Commons felt it was an unworthy pro-
ceeding to endeavour to extract evidence which might inju-
riously affect a man possibly to be tried for his life at a
foreign Court. (teheers.) The House of Commons told
him not to answer. He was not thinking of himself—he
was thinking of the man whom he was defending ; there-
fore he did not answer; but in a few days there came a
change over " the spirit of the dream." Some chance seemed
to open to political parties sitting on what is called the
"shady" side of the house, and the motion was brought
forward which was intended to condemn him, and force the
Ministers to throw him over, or suffer loss for refusing to de-
sert him, Then he did answer, and after he had spoken, the
Prime Minister, with the fi lelity to colleagues and subor-
dinates which had ever distinguished him, and with a gal-
lantry which was inbred in his very nature, came to his de-
fence, and said that his explanation was perfectly satisfac-
tory. (Cheers.) Then there was a friend of his who also
came to his rescue (Mr. Forster)—and besides him there
was a speech, the memory of which would never pass from
his mind, from Mr. J. Bright, which was simply and abso-
lutely perfect in its eloquence and in its truth. Well, that
evening came to a close, and indeed in a narrow majority
against the hostile resolution—but his friends on the shady
side, and one or two on the eunny side who seemed to pre-
fer the shade, had not yet done. On the night before the
Easter vacation Lord Elcho asked the Prime Minister if
ho had tendered his resignation. Tho Premier then came
forward and said the resignation had been tendered, but
that he did not think necessary to accept it—ho had refused
to accept it—and had asked him to reconsider hie decision.
(Three cheers were here given for Lord Palmerston.)
So this second act in the drama passed over, and many
friends told him that his troubles were now at
an end—(laughter)—but he did not think so ; he
knew too well the nature of some of his opponents; he
knew too well the state of parties, and the party object in
view. Now the Prime Minister having refused hie resig-
nation, the question remained entirely in his own hands.
He determined to deal with the question himself according
to his sense of what was necessary and right. He knew that
the object was to wound a Minister who had refused to de-
sert him. He knew something of the state of parties and
the chances of success. He asked no counsel, but as to facts
made up his mind. Before the Easter holidays had elapsed
he announced from his old seat below the gangway the facts
of his resignation. Then came a few teem words from the
Prime Minister—words so lull of generous appreciation, and
more than appreciation, of his services, that they could never
pass from his memory ; and then came " Why ?"—then
came a silence—(laughter)—and a pause and a wonder. He
had challenged inquiry and discussion : no one took up his
glove. He had now told them the tale—he left to others to
point the moral. (Cheers and laughter.) Mr. Stansfeld
then proceeded to advert briefly on the leading foreign and
home questions in politics, and finished by thanking his
fellow townsmen for the mark which they had that day
given him of their confidence and esteem.
Mr. Fonder, M.P., also addressed the meeting.