Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-01-10
Americanizing England-Mr. Brights Speech
on Reform.

on REFORM.
The great crv against the Parliamentary
Reform proposed hv Mr. Bright in England.
is that he wishes to Amcriranizc England.
At large meeting held i'll Manchester. De-
cembcr 18th. Mr. Bright replied to this
charge IL follows:
But still know exactly how we shall he
mct-'You are going 70 Am"rlcanizc us -
Laughter Nothing Is 80 dreadful to an
Enclishman. who is thinking Of cmIgratlnG
across the Atlantic. a. that We should b"
Amercanized in England. Laughter. =
That is Il phrase coined by some cunning
knavc-[ laughter intended Ia catch good
many very simple duPes. and n" d"unt IL
will catch some of them; but, should IKE
to ask these gentlemen, whether representa-
ton is not IN English custom and an Eng
lish principle. They were Englishmcn who
first took it to the United States. cheers
1t is said that wherever an EngIIShnah
goes. lust a. he takes with him his white
skin, he takes with him the foundation OF
representative institutions. He has taken
them already to the Cape; he Is aIrea-
DIV as busy as possible i'll building. uP
four or five monarchical republics III AUS
tralia he has carried the representative Sy--
TEN To Canada he carries 1t wherever Il"
goes Why, the bill of 49, was dcNpc-
rate measure in the direction Of Amcrlcanl-
zing us. 1t took some borough s, where
twelve members of a corporation returned the
members To Parliament, and it gave the sui
frages to some 5000 Of the people. Was
not that Amcricanizing such boroughs with
vengeance? Laughter. The more you
| he tIt
course, You become like that systematic ana
theoretically perfect representation when
exist, in the United States. Hear. hear
| am not inscn>ibic to some things that
appear to me to be errors in princlpIe-."mc
| that are errors III practicc-ln the r"nStltu-
| ton and the customs of the United States
, but protest against our being shut ny t"
take nothing from America but cotton. ana
rice. and tobacco, laughter and cheers,
and in fact We do take Il good many other
! things. am told that my friend, MI
| Platt. a member Of il very eminent trln III
| this ncighborhood. has wonderful machine
! from America with which to make bricks
! We know that the agriculture ot thus coun-
try has been greatly adyantagcd by the M
/ portation Of rcaping machines from America
/ We know that those persons vii" are gong
! about so apprchcnsiyc OF innovation. nave
! particular reason to be delighted with Amer
! lea because they received from that c"'n-
try the invention of The revolver. Laugh
ter.
! At this moment III the Government small
arms establishment at Enfield. they have pa
/ tent machinery from America for making
gun-stocks. They can turn out sun-stock,
! | am told, in TWENTY-FIVE minutes. ut Tor the
! barrel-what dreadful thing 10 think Of
! laughter and am sure that Mr. Miles, II
I his protcctionist principles have not long ago
/ deserted him, will he Mortified to hear that
they have actually brought Americans over
to show the English how to work them
I Continued laughter But there Is much
more behind The Times. the Morning Star.
the Daily Telegraph. and the leading news
papcr in this district. the Manchester Daily
Examiner. with, believe. twu or three Ut
the widely circulated London weekly papers,
are all printed on machines which were either
made in America. or being made III this
country, were made upon thc American pa
tent. Cheers.
Further than this, don't you remember
that the gcntry-the West Finders, including
even the adics-hayc been subscribing ten
cuneas apiece to invite clever farmer from
Ohio to show them hos To tame Il horse
loud laughter and cheers Anything but
politics. renewed laughter YOU may de-
light yourselves with their charming poets if
YOU likc-with Bryant. Whittier and Long
fellow; You may interest and instruct your
self by their great historians, Bancroft, Pres
colt and Motlcv-but if You ask how free
popular institutions are working among Your
own countrymcn on the American continent,
you are denounced a. fanatic, and at any
rate reasonable to the House of Lords
/ Cheers and laughtcr.) But am not with
, out great examples in this country