The Sun.
London, England, 1858-12-11 00:00:00

MESSRS. GIBSON AND BRIGHT AT

111.,INCHE,STER.

MANCHESTER, FRIDAY NIGHT.

This eveninr, a soiree has been given to the
Right Hon. T. M. Gibson, M.P. for Ashton-under-
Lyne, and Mr. John Bright, M.P. for Birmingham,
for the purpose," in the terms of the announce-
ment issued by the committee who have conducted
the arrangements, "of congratulating the hon.
Member for Birmingham on his restoration to
health ; to celebrate the return of himself and his
late colleague (the Right Hon. T. M. Gibson) to
Parliament for the boroughs of Birmingham and
Ashton ; and to thank them for their patriotic
conduct during the last session of Parliament, as
Weil as for their long and faithfulservices as repre-
L'entatives for this city." The soiree was appro-
Priately held in the magnificent Free Trade hall,
erected to commemorate the triumphs of the Anti-
Corn Law League, to which both the hon. gentle-
tam so materially contributed. The soiree derived
its chief interest from the fact that it was the first
Occasion on which the two ex-members for Man-
chester have appeared here in public since their
rejection by this constituency. The doors were
Opened at 5 o'clock, and the ladies and gentlemen
who had obtained tickets, after partaking of tea,
coffee, and other refreshments which had been
Provided in the ante-rooms, proceeded to take their
seats in the great hall, which soon filled rapidly
with an eager and excited concourse of both sexes.
Shouts of applause greeted the arrival of the prin-
cipal persons, who successively took up their posi-
tion on the platform. When the two ex-represen-
tatives of Manchester were expected to make their
aPPearance, the grand organ gave out a sonorous
welcome in the familiar notes of " Auld Lang
~Yrie." By a spontaneous, and as it were electric
impulse, the huge gathering caught up the touch-
3-,'g strain, and, thrilling with enthusiasm, as
Messrs. Gibson and Bright entered the arena of
their former triumphs, stood up simultaneously
and accorded them a vehement, prolonged,
and deafening reception. The heroes of this
ovation, though evidently struggling to re-
press their emotion, were visibly affected by
the demonstration of feeling of which they were
the objects. Mr. G. Wilson, the well-known Pre-
sident of the League of former days, presided on
this occasion, and on his right sat Mr. Bright, and
Alr. Gibson on his left.
The following letts-rs, from Lord J. Russell,M.P.,
Mr. Cobden, Mr. C. P. Villiers, M.P., and Mr. L.
m.p, apologizing for their inability to
attend the meeting, were then read :

" Pembroke-lodge, Richmond, Nov. 27, 1858.
, l-eg you will express to the committee whohave
~..,00en appointed to mak israngements for the soiree to Mr.
N. Gibson and Mr. Brt my regret that it will not be in
4,111 Y Power to attend as a guest on that occasion.—l have
the honour to be, your faithful servant,.
" J. RUSSELL."

" Midhurst, Dec.
_4.

"My dear Wilson,—Your letters ought to 'have been
answered long ago, but it is a task which I should still like
to put off, for it does seem unnatural to send any but the
old familiar answer. 'But, with a word or two of explana-
ucol, I must throw myself on the kind forbearance of my
frien-ds• After the last election, as you know, I came to
Ike resolution of withdrawing, for a time, from public life.
did so in no spirit of resentment, and from no sense of
no at not having been returned to Parliament. I had
'0 such feelings. But finding myself, for the first time for
bearly 20 years, free to choose,,other responsibilities pressed
upon me ; I felt that a life of incessant political action had
involved no little neglect of duty (some of it, I fear, irre-
Parable), towards those to whom nature had given the first
claims on my time and attention. I therefore stated pub-
licly my intention to claim, for a season, the privileges and
2rolinities of private life. The announcement, however,
the
to have been viewed as very much on a par with
.'"e coy utterance of nob episcopari; for I have continued
"0 receive the usual invitations to public meetings, and
?scarcely a vacancy has since occurred for any boroughs
for Which I havq not been solicited by parties, with
more or less authority (often with very little, I dare say),
to become a candidate. And this brings me to the point I
wish you to be-good enough to consider. If I were to -at-
tOd the banquet to be given to our friends, Bright and
Gibson, in Manchester (and who can doubt that I should
141, have been glad to 'do ?) without being prepared to resume
duties of public life (which at present I am not), I fear
Should not only falsify my past pleas and 'excuses, but be
Unable with consistency, to decline other invitations,
%veral of which haVe been forwarded 'to me in anticipation
°' Illy visit to Manchester. Let me then entreat you, and
113 r kind friends of the committee, not to put painful terap-
tions in my way. I shall be with you in spirit at your
great gathering. The object you have in view, that of ex-
!eruLling the sphere of liberty, will always have my hearty
sympathy. It would be strange, indeed, if you and I had
Ilot faith in freedom, after een, in one path of
freedom,
progress, that freedom, wand literally nothing but
4reedona, has yielded a greater amount of prosperity and
contentment than could have been conferred on this coun-
try by a whole volume of acts of Parliament. I have faith
121 freedom, not only in its application to trade, but to all
the pursuits and interests •of humanity. Let us cherish
',lke liberty to speak, to write, to worship, and last, though
Xot least,, liberty to vote. Wishing you, what I know awaits
You, a great and happy meeting, believe me, yours truly,
" George Wilson, Esq. " RICHARD COBDEN."

" 39, Sloane-street, London, Dec. 4.
"Mv dear Sir,—l beg to acknowledge the receipt of an
invitation which, on the part of the committee, you have
been goodenough to send me, to attend the soirecto Messrs.
Gibson and Bright, which will take place at the Free Trade
14, in Manchester, on the 10th inst., and I have to rev et
tl,at the present state of my health will prevent-my having
'4O pleasure of attending on the occasion. With every wish
that the meeting may be attended with advantage to the
cause of reform, I remain, mEndear sir, very-faithfully yours,
" George Wilson, Esq. "" "C. P. VILLIERS."

" Woburn-park. Chertsey, Nov. 25.
" Dear Sir,—l regret very much that it will not be in
111...,Y power to he present at the soirée to be given to Messrs.
Gibson and Bright. I am. indeed, glad to, see that. the
constituency of Manchester has come to its senses, and pro-
poses magnanimously to make the only finien,de in its
'Power by offering, in the handsomest manner, a public dis-
4vowal of its ungenerous conduct on a late occasion ,when,
vithout even an excuse, Manchester rejected the disinte-
rested services of her late members.—l have the honour to
be, your most obedient servant,
" P. J. LOCKE KING."
" George Wilson, Esq.

It was stated that letters had also been received
L'om the following gentlemen, regretting their
Inability to attend :—Mr. J. A. Roebuck, M.P. ;
kr. A. H. Layard ; Mr. W. J. Fox, M.P. ; Mr.
`Williams,
M.P. ; General Thompson, M.P. ;. Mr.
3.• • L. Ricardo, M.P, ; Mr. H. Pease, M.P..; Mr. W.
.11rart, M.P. ; Mr. W. S. Lindsay, M.P. ; Mr. C.
, M.l', ; Mr. C. Foster, M.P. • Mr. J. White,
; 'Mr.. E. Miall, Mr. R. Gladstone ; Sir J.
axton, M.P. ; Mr. J. Heywood, Mr. F. Crossley,
"I
-P._; Mr. J. Locke, M.P. •, Sir A. H. Elton, M.P.;Air. S. Beale, M.P. ; Mr. H. Woods, M P. ; Mr. J,
kleetham, M.P. ; and Mr. M. J. Bass, M.P.
The CHAIRMAN, in opening the proceedings,
l'eferred at some length to the circumstances under
\\'hieli, at the last general election, Mr. Gibson and
'▪ Ir. Bright were defeated by the union of Whigs •
and Conservatives, and the grief caused by the re-
!lilt to all true. Reformers. In the adjoining
°orough, a subordinate member of her Majesty's
Government---(groans)—announceal to the as-
sembled people that Lord Pdmerston at Broad-
lands would hear of the degradation of Manchester.
3lut, now, at the, end of 18 months, where were
they ? The member for Salford visited his con-
stituents, and no praise of his late master formed
the staple of his speech. (Hear, hear.) No vote of
thanks'rewardcd him for his past services, and no
telegraphic message was sent to Woodlands an-
nouncing the receipt of such a vote. (Hear, hear.)
4le proceeded to pass a high eulogium upon Mr.
Gibson 'and Mr. Bright for their services as
Freetraders and as Reformers, and the sentiments
expressed met with warm applause from the meeting.
The following resolutions were moved and
seconded, and carried by acclamation :
"That this meeting presents to John Bright, Esq., M.P.,
Its respectful and cordial congratulations on his restoration
to health, and expresses its devout gratitude that he is
thereby enabled once more to devote his great energy and
orainent abilities to the'service of the people."
"That this meeting records its high satisfaction at the
return to Parliament, by important constituencies, of the
Right Hon. Thos. M. Gibson, M.P., and John Bright, Esq.,
and hereby tenders its warmest thanks to the electors
of Birmingham and Ashton-under-Lyne, for the obligation
tiler have conferred upon the nation by reversing a shame-
-4,111 verdict, and restoring those gentlemen to the House' of
,-,onrrnons."
" That this meeting expresses its admiration of the
honest; consistent, disinterested, and patriotic conduct of
the right hon. member for Ashton-under-Lyne, and the
Tn. member for Birmingham, during the whole course
.of
their political connexion with this city, thanks themmost
,
,l'armly for their political services on behalf of political,
rtomercial, and religious freedom, and renews its earnest
'Lopes that they may be long spared to labour for the ad-
!aneement of the best interests of the British empire."
Mr. GIBSON was received with loud cheers. He
thanked the meeting for his reception, and said he
looked with no little pride upon having been a re-
presentative of Manchester for 17 years, and when
he placed in his house the document now presented
to him his children would look upon it with pride,
and feel that he had conferred upon them an ho-
nour by his long representiXon of so great and in:-
Portant a constituency. The principles which they
E.rthe meeting) professed now, and had always pro-
fessed, suffered no defeat at the general election of
,1857. There might be temporary clamour or momen-
.„Lary depression, but the principles themselves were
umnded on the rock of eternal truth. (Hear.) The
temporary passing defeat of the general election
ad but a tendency to give additional freshness and.
Nigour to the supporters of those principles. (Ap•
reause.) The chairman had spoken of him as having
been originally connected with the landed interest,
and he was still connected with it. He contended
that all interests were identical since the passing
o
the great measure of free trade, and the adoption
4:Luc the policy of commercial freedom ; and he believed
~Tat no man ever served the landed interest better
an he who promoted the prosperity of the manu-
facturing interests. He had been reading speeches
delivered in various parts of the kingdom, and he
one to-day delivered by a gentleman with
'4ol:a this constituency were once invited to form