The Sun.
London, England, 1869-05-21 00:00:00

MR. FORSTER AND HIS CONSTITUENTS.

On Thursday the Right Hon. W. E. Forster met his
constituents at Bradford.
After a resolution expressing a vote of confidence in Mr.
Forster, the right hon. gentleman rose, and addressed the
electors. He touched upon the cattle importation ques-
tion, said it was a most important one, and that a
great deal of attention would have to be devoted
to it, inasmuch as it was desirable to procure as
much food as possible for the people. On the education
question he referred his hearers to what he bad said in
Leeds on the preceding night. The Government this
year were engaged in considering the question of secondary
education, and next year, if nothing more important
interfered, they intended to devote themselves to a con-
sideration of the subject of elementary education. The
position of the Ministry at the present time was much
easier than it had been during the preceding Administra-
tion—a circumstance which he attributed to the fact that
the Reform Bill had been passed in the last Parliament.
He (Mr. Forster) did not see that the composition
but the
of the
House of Commons was materially diff
members had to act differently, owing to having enlarged
constituencies at, their back. The time had now come
when it was possible to make complete and searching
reforms. The Irish Church Bill was a measure of that
class, and he attributed its success to the fact that it
possessed that quality. It had been attempted by the
Conservatives to put the Government on a false
scent by saying that they ought to deal with
the land question ; but, in his opinion, one great measure
was enough for the time. If it were anything
in the shape of consolation or comfort for their opponents
as rha d
Amer
in the House, he might state that, next year, the Irish
land question would be tackled in a similar way by the
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in
The right
question, especially referring to Mr. Sumner's speech.
England had felt a warm interest in the cause of the
North of America—in the victory of freedom over
slavery. Sumner bad complained that England had
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the duty of a neutral Government to treat them as such.
Then, again, Mr. Sumner had remarked that, although
there was war by land then in America, there
was no war at sea ; but remember the procla-
mations the Northern States made, and let them
also consider that the North themselves, by the blockade
of ports in the South, recognised the existence of war
with the South. The Southern Confederacy ran their
vessels out of port, and time after time disturbed the
blockade the North had instituted. The blockade in
itself was an act of war. Sumner also appeared to con-
tend that that blockade was not a real blockade ;
but Mr. Forster argued that the American Govern-
ment were playing upon words, for sailing to
Southern ports was the act of a belligerent Power.
Although there were individuals who had committed
acts offensive to the North, they ought to look at what
the Government of the country had done. With
respect to the Alabama business, it ought to be remem-
bered that Earl Russell had strained the law, and kept
the armed rams from going to Liverpool. Sumner
had also said that when Americans came to England
they were sure to be annoyed by hearing observations
unfavourable to the North ; but it was absurd for
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