The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-17 00:00:00

The Members for Brighton.

Mr. White, M.P., and Professor Fawcett, M.P.,
met their constituents at Brighton on Monday
evening, and delivered long addresses on public
topics.
The senior member, Mr. WHITE, said—Of the
present peculiar position of political parties in the
House of Commons, may we not truly say that it
is extremely puzzling and perplexing ? for—
Now Whigs and Tories nearly are allied,
And thin partitions do the bounds divide.
Reformers are often most unjustly reproached with
trying to set class against class ; but has anything
been done, of late years, I ask, so justly liable to
that grave charge, as the unholy alliance of the
Adullamites and Tories last session ? Speaking of
Reform, he said—l confess that I can see nothing
so intrinsically dreadful in the popular demand for
manhood suffrage. The people want no exemption
from just taxation, but they do protest against
their exemption from citizenship. Agreeably with
the temper and genius of the British people—so
strongly adverse, as we know, to sudden change or
precipitate action—with my friend Mr. Bright, and
with the late Attorney-General, Sir Roundell
Palmer, I hold that our next step onwards should
be the early enactment of a household suffrage, but
supplemented with a generous and large provision
for the enfranchisement of lodgers and equitable re-
distribution of seats.
Professor FAwcErr, alluding to his blindness,
which might probably have been a bar to his use-
fulness as their member, said fortunately it had not
been so ; " for men who were entire strangers to
me, political opponents, were ever ready to lend me
a friendly arm ; and when I know that I have re-
ceived, from the Speaker down to the humblest
official, an almost unvarying kindness, I feel I
should be mean and ungenerous if I came forward
and did not, in the first instance, tell you candidly
that it is not by my own unaided efforts I have been
enabled to serve you." After reviewing the events
of the past session, and pointing out many reforms
which are needed, the hon. gentleman went on to
say :—" I already observe signs, and hear sinister
rumours, which tell me that there is going to be a
great effort made—and you will hear of it before
long—to prevent Mr. Gladstone being made Prime
Minister of England. But if I know my country-
men, they will show gratitude to whom gratitude is
due ; and if I interpret your wishes it will be when
I say that you, who are a fair example of the people
of England, are determined that he who has been
the champion of Reform, that he who first gave life
to the question, that he who has been so cruelly
maligned because he uttered noble truths about
those who live by daily toil, that he who gave us a
cheap Press, and who bound together in friendship
two countries, ancient enemies, by commercial in-
tercourse, that be, sooner or later, shall be the great
Prime Minister of England."
After hearing the address of the two members, a
vote of thanks and of confidence in them was una-
nimously passed.
In returning thanks Mr. WHITE said they would
probably have to appear at Brighton for re-election
in the course of the spring, because he held it to be
utterly impossible that a Reform Bill which would
,atisfy the country could be obtained without an
appeal to the country.