The Sun.
London, England, 1867-11-21 00:00:00

REPRESENTATION OF MANCHES7ER.

On Tuesday afternoon Mr. Jacob Bright addressed
a crowded meeting of the electors iu the Town Hall.
Sir E. Armitage took the chair, and said he hoped
they would place Mr. Bright where he ought to be
—at the head of the poll, and with as many votes
as both the other candidates.
Mr. BRIGHT said they were in the midst of a tri-
angular duel. The Tory party had the courage
to try to do what they had always failed to do,
namely, to send a Tory member for Manchester
to. the House of Commons. Judging from what
they saw of public affairs, he thought it was a
most hopeless attempt. The Tory party did not
stand high in the opinions of the people. (Ques-
tion.) It had just perpetrated an act of great poli-
tical dishonesty. (No, no ; yes, yes ; and cheers.)
If that party had lost its moral sense, the people of
England did not share in that loss, and the defeat
of that party, whatever shape that defeat might
take, would be a decisive one. The Radicals claimed
to be a Conservative party, the difference being that
the Tories sought to conserve what was rotten in the
constitutional edifice—(No, no, and cheers) —while
the Radicals only wanted to conserve what was
sound. Whenever the new constituencies came
into play the question of the ballot would be
argued on every platform, and, therefore, he did
not pass it over at this election. He contended
that they were entitled to try such a law. Mr.
Mitchell Henry would oblige him by answering
the question, if he was not prepared to give
Irish voters the protection of the ballot, what re-
medy he would apply ? It was now unlawful for
any candidate to engage cabs to bring voters to the
poll. That law was passed by both sides of the
House of Commons, and it was in accordance with
the views of the Liberal party. They were inte-
rested in maintaining the integrity of that law, and
they ought to show that their voters could go to the
poll without being enticed by a ride in a cab.
(Three cheers were given for Mr. Bennett, amidst
some hooting and hissing.) his friends ought to
be extremely scrupulous on that subject. Jealous
eyes would watch their proceedings, and it was
most important that they should understand the
matter. Some misapprehension existed as to
what he had said with respect to trade unions.
All he asked was that nobody should be per-
mitted to embezzle their funds. He would conclude
by telling them what he thought about the present
complexion of the contest. He knew very well that
there were reporters present who might give what he
said to the public, but that did not much matter, be-
cause their opponents were no more ignorant than
they themselves as to the present condition of the
fight. Their opponents knew that, with. both in the,

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field, neither could witi ; and, therefore, it was more
or less bruited abroad that attempts were` being made •
to get one gentleman to withdraw, so that the others
might have a better prospect in the struggle.
One of their most celebrated public men had.
said that England disliked a coalition Government.
He (Mr. Bright) believed that Manchester bad come
to dislike a coalition candidate. (Hear, hear, and
applause.) They knew that it meant nothing more
nor less than the abandonment of representation
altogether. (Cheers.) After his defeat at the last
election, he told the winning candidate that, being
returned by two oppposite p tra s, he wool t be
most perplexed as to the votes he would have to
give. A coatilion candidate would be half on sme
Side and half on the other, and that, he inintained,
was a pmiiiion of degra 'ation--(hear, hear, and
cheers; c'gammon," and 1 ttighter) —fur any
borough—cure so with tha traditions and hi6tr.ry
that borough who,e suff..ages he was seeking.
(Cheers )
In reply to que-tions, Mr. Bright said he had not
pai.l much attention to the MAnchester Grammar
School, aid therefore was not sufil,:tittly inforr4ed
to be willing to offer an opinion upon it. ; but if ever
he was their representative, and had to consider
such a question, of course he should be very happy
to hear the views of all sides. Ile had received a.

letter from Miss Becker, the accomplished secret4ry
of the Manchester Society for the Enfranchise►nent
of Women—(laughter)—in reply to which he had
to say that he was in favour of votes being given
to women who were householders and ratepayers.
He should be willing to abolish the remaining duty
on imported corn.
Mr. W. STOKES wished to know whether Mr.
Bright, if he was returned to Parliament, would de-
mand a thorough investigation into the Abyssinian
war. His own opinion was (Laughter, " Oh,
oh," " No,-no," and interruption.)-Mr. Brum' T
said he wished to have a very rigid scrutiny into
the whole transaction.
An Elector, named Smith, wished to have Mr.
Bright's opinion on the subject of armed interven-
tion in Italy.—Mr. Bright replied that, so long as,
it conformed to the doctrine of non-intervention,
Parliament was not concerned in a question of that
nature.
Mr. Alderman MACKIE moved a resolution in
favour of Mr. Jacob Bright as a candidate.—The
resolution was seconded by Mr. Alderman Rumne,g
and carried, there being only a few ditsentierAtri.
The usual compliment to the Chairman termir,ated
the proceedings.

In the evening Mr. Jacob Bright addressed a
meeting in the Hulme Town Hall, Mr. C. Gallo-
way presiding. Mr. Bright spoke about the ballot
and the jugglery of the rating element of the Re-
form Bill. He said that if the ratepayers wanted a
Tory he was ready at their hands ; if they wanted
a man whose great aims appeared to be to put him-
self into the most neutral colours in which any twat
was ever attired they had that gentleman in the
person of Mr. Henry ; if they wanted an earnest
politician, and one who had never deserted his
party, whether in sunshine or in storm, he believed
he had a right to claim their votes. (Applause.)
In reply to questions, he said he objected to cumu-
lative voting and to three-cornered constituencies.

Ile considered that in Manchester a seat would be
handed, if not to the Tory party, to a party who
were very similar to it. (Laughter.) Ile should
consider the Prince of Wales extremely unwise to
make any application for an increase of his income.
A vote of confidence in Mr. Bright, and the usual
vote to the chairman, closed the proceedings.
Mr. Bright also attended a meeting at the
Mechanics' Institution ; Mr. Patteson presided. Mr.
Bright said that though he knew it was possible
two forces opposed to him would be combined, he
was exceedingly sanguine as to success. In reply
to a question, Mr. Bright said he would not pledge
himself with regard to an additional grant to
volunteers, because he was not sufficiently in-
formed on the subject. With regard to volun-
teers, though he was no enemy to them, he
should be disposed to have the defence of the
country based un volunteer principles. (Applause.)
As soon as • Parliament was likely seriously
to take into consideration the religious odinions of
parliamentary candidates he should be prepared to
answer any question as to his religious opinions.
(Laughter.) Though to ask a question upon that
matter had been marked by the feeling of the meet-
ing as an abeurdi y, he would give at least a gene-
ral answer. The electors had been told that they
had a high churchman and a low churchman in the
field ; he (Mr. Bright) was a broad churchman—
(laughter) for he had never-yet been in any temple
where sincere men met for a sacred purpose where
he did not find himself able to worship God.—The
usual vote of confidence in Mr. Bright, and of
thanks to the Chairman, closed the proceedings.
Mr. Bright likewise attended a meeting of Welsh-
men at the Chorlton Town Hall on Tuesday, and
had a short conversation with those present, mainly
on the anticipated effects of the ballot for Wales.—
The meeting was enthusiastic in favour of Mr.
Bright's candidature.

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