The Sun.
London, England, 1863-01-22 00:00:00

MR MILNER GIBSON AT ASHTON,

Last evening the Right Hon. T. M. Gibson ad-
dressed his constituents in the Town-hall, Ashton.

The large room was crowded to excess. Mr. Alfred

Rayner, in the absence of the Mayor, presided.

The night lion. T. M. GIBSON, on rising, was
received with great applause. He said—A remark
was made to me when on my journey by a friend

that he wondered what I should find to say to my
constituents at the present time. My hon. friend
the chairman has excited expectations in yeti r minds
that lam going to say something worth Paring,
and I fear if those hopes aro entertained it you
will be disappointed ; but this Ido know, hether
there will be much to say, or whether there ill not,
that it is becoming in me, as the representative of
this important constituency, to present myself be-
fore the electors and non .electors to give those ex-

planations that they are entitled to demand of me
as to the course I may have taken in Parliament,
and as to the way in which I have fulfilled the im-
portant trust that they have been pleased to devolve
upon me. Therefore, had I nothing to utter, I
should feel it a duty and pleasure to appear before
this great assembly of electors and non electors of
Ashton. The times are undoubtedly not very fa-
__ _

vourable to the discussion of what may be called
domestic politics. The minds of men have been oc-
cupied first with Vie painful contemplation of the
great distress which has fallen upon the cotton in-
dustry of this country. They have also been na-
turally watching with interest the progress of the
great civil war that is raging on the other side of

the Atlantic. These great and painful events must
have deeply occupied the thoughts of the intelli-
gent portion of this great country. What has more
contributed to the prosperity and to the greatness

of England than this cotton industry which is now
prostrated ? It is impossible not to anticipate evil
for all if this great branch of our manufacture does
not revive. The world has also watched with ad-

miration the forbearance with which the suffering
has been borne by the industrious classes in the

-- -
cotton districts. They have acted throughout
like men knowing that the cause of suffering was

beyond the control of their own country, their own
Legislature, and their own Government, and that
these distresses had arisen from circumstances for
which no one here could be blamed. They have
acted as men
possessing information, the power of
elfs-eco of tr
such
an
intelligent appreciation of the
u
hevd an intelligent
as I am narrating; and, there-
fore,csanso I think that, should the question of reform
come under the consideration of the Legislature,
the conduct of the operative classes upon this try-
ing occasion cannot be forgotten. (App ause.) The
Government did not receive, I am here to assert
most conscientiously, much encouragement from

the country when they offered a measure of Parlia-
mentary reform; but I am quite convinced that
many a hesitating man will have his fear of extend-
ing popular rights removed when he reflects upon
the calm, dignified bearing of the working classes
of Lancashire during this time of suffering and dis-

tress. (Hear.) Sir, Ido not think it is necessary,
after my acquaintance with Ashton some few years,
and my having repeatedly explained the general
principles which I hold to go through a category of
political questions and to state what my political
faith upon each particular matter may be. This I
will say, generally, that upon no question upon
which I have been formerly heard in Ashton have
my opinions undergone any change. There was
one question during the last session of Parliament
which excited rather extraordinary interest. It
was the question of abolition of church rates.
(Hear.). Now, I wish merely to mention that,
although the church-rate abolition party have car-
ried for a period of years in the House of Commons
the abolition of that impost, yet they appear ta have
gone back and failed last session, for they were de-
feated by a majority of one. Perhaps many per-
sons present are not aware that this going back
is not altogether correct, because, although the
anti-church-rate party got into a minority of
one, yet they had a greater number of sup-
porters than they had on any former occasion ;
if we look we shall find that the number had grown
from 217 in 1856 to 288 votes in 1862, the largest
number, I believe, that ever voted for the repeal of
church-rates. It can hardly be called a going back
when, in point of fact, there has been a gradual
increase in the numbers of eupporters of abolition
of church rates. I mention this because I have seen
it stated that the church-rate abolition party have
had a serious defeat, and that the question has gone
back in public estimation. Now, although we see
in this great district such a suspension of employ-
ment and. such a withdrawal of wages, and the em-
ployment of capital in connexion with labour, still
it is remarkable that the general condition of the
country is far more satisfactory than could have
been anticipated. We find, notwithstanding the
gloomy predictions that were uttered in Parliament,
that the Government were reckless in finances, and
were throwing away the public income,—we find
that we have an ample revenue, that the estimates
of coming revenue are likely to be more than ful-
filled, and that those Customs duties whi , it was
said were being sacrificed in order to pa: chase at
a dear rate the French Treaty are going to be as
great, or very nearly as great, as they were before.
A large reduction of taxation took place for the
purpose of giving effect to the French Treaty, and
also for the purpose of clearing from the Customs a
number of unproductive and vexatious additions to
the revenue. We were told, with regard to the re-
peal of the piper duty, that it was a reckless sacri-
fice of revenue with a view of pleasing somebody
who had a crotchet. Well, now, lam prepared to
contend that—although I never expected, nor any
reasonable man expected, that the whole amount of
paper duty would immediately find its way into
other branches of the revenue, and not be missed—l
have always contended that the repeal of that duty,as
a matter of public policy, was calculated to confer
more benefit on the community than any advantage
which the tax has yielded to the State. (Cheers.)
And what was the benefit that I expected from it ?
The supplying of a cheap newspaper press for the
purpose of circulating throughout the length and
breadth of the land information on the facts of the
day, which should enable intelligent men to form a
true opinion, and render them less likely to be mis-
led by those who might have an interest in mis-
leading them. (Applause.) I attribute much of
the calm, intelligent forbearance that has taken
place during the recent distress to the information
which has been circulated throughout the country
through the influence of a cheap and vastly-extended
press, and I know of no support to liberty, and
order, and law, and morals so valuable as a cheap
newspaper press, independent, and spreading
through the country facts on which men :say have
their opinions. (Cheers.) After refuting rhe state-
ment that the repeal of the Paper duty would injure
the paper-makers, and showing it had resulted in
a large increase in the manufacture of paper in the
country, the hon. gentleman proceeded to say—l
may perhaps be permitted to say a word or two on
the general trail:3 of the country, because it is well
upon this occasion to take the opportunity of stating
publicly what many persons no doubt are aware of,
but perhaps may not be Bo generally known as is
desirable. Now it is remarkable that during the
last year (1862) we imported no less than 11,632,000
quarters of foreign wheat and wheat flour, which
was consumed in England, against 8,748,000 in
1861. That importation was unprecedented,
but that of 1862 has exceeded it by 33 per
cent. The quantity received from the United
States in 1862 was exceedingly large, and
was probably about one-third of the total
imports. The imports in 1862 of provision,
butter, bacon, ham, and eggs, the duties on which
were repealed by the present Chancellor of the
Exchequer in 1860, were largely in excess of
the corresponding importations in 1861 and
1860.
Now, thee() large importations of foreign wheat and