Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1859-02-09
N(istGllan&OQs.
AmeriCanizing England.
MR., DRIGuT'R SPEECH On REFoRM.


The great cry against the Parliamentary
reform proposed 10y Mr.. Bright. in Eng
land, is that he wishes to Amelicanise
England. At large meeting held at
Manchester, December 18TH Mr.. Bright
replied to this charge as follows:
But still know exactly how we shall
be met You are going to Americanse
us (Laughter) Nothing is SO dreadful
TO an Englishman who is thinking of eml-
grating across the Atlantic as that we
should be Americanzed in England
(Laughter.) That is a phrase coined by
some cunning knave, daughter intended
20 catch good many simple dupes, and
no doubt it will catch some OF them; but
l should like to ask these gentlemen
whether representation is not an English
custom and an English principle. They
were Englishmen ~ho first took it to the
United States. (Cheers.)
1t is said that wherever an Englishman
goes, just as 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 already
as busy as possible in building up four or
five monarchical republics in Australia he
has carried the representative system to
! Canada; he carries it wherever be goes
Why, the bill Of 1889 was a desperate
measure in the direction Of Americanlzing
! US. 1t took some OOroughs, where twelve
members Of a corporation returned the
members to Parliament and II gave the
suffrages to some 5000 of the people
Was not that Amercanizing such boroughs
with vengeance. (Laughter.) The more
you extend your representation, the more,
Of course, you become like that systematic
and theoretically perfect representation
which exists in the United States. Hear,
hear
am not insensible to some things that
appear to me to be errors in principle
some that are errors in practice-in the
Constitution and customs of the United
States, but ! protest against our being
shut up to take nothing from America but
cotton, and rice, and tobacco, daughter
and cheers, and, in fact, we do take a
good many other things. | am told that
my friend, Mr.. Platt, a member OF very
eminent firm in this ncighborhood, has a
wonderful machine from America with
which TO make bricks. We know that the
agriculture of this country has been great
ly advantaged by the importation OF reapr
ing machines from America. We know
that those persons who are going about so
apprehensiye OF innovation, have particu-
lar reason to be delighted with America,
because they have received from that
country the invention Of the revolver
(LaughtCr,)
At This moment, in the government small
arms establishment at Enfield, they have
patent machinery from America for max
ing gun stocks They can turn out gun
stock, | am told, in twenty-five minutes,
fit for the barrel. What dreadful thing
TO think of, (Laughter) And | am sure
that Mr.. Miles, if bis protectionist princi-
pies have not long ago deserted him, will
be horrifed to hear that they have actu-
ally brought Americans over to show the
English how to work them: continued
applause y but there is much more behind.
The Times, the Morning Star, the Daily
TttcgraDh, and the leading newspaper in
this disuict-the Manchester Daily Er-
qDt1er--with, believe, two or three Of the
widely circulated London weekly papers,
are al printed on machines which were
either made in America, or being made in
this country, were made upon the Ameri-
can patent (Cheers)
Further thdh this, don't you remember
that the gentry-the West -Enders, includ-
ing even the lades-have been subscrib-
ing ten guineas apiece to invite a clever
farmer from Ohio TO show them how to
tame a horse loud laughter and cheers.
Anything but politics (Renewed laugh
teri You may delight yourselves with
their charming poets, if you like-with
Bryant. Whittier and ongfellow-you
may interest and instruct yourself by their
great historians, Bancroft Pfescott, and
Motlev. but If YOU ask how free popular