Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-07-31

| to some individuals who have been more success.
| ful than Others in the pursuits Of commerce and
manufactures has been accumulated In degree
! which is almost fabulous. Indeed, to one who
did not know it to be true that degree might sp-
pear TO be great eXaggeration Of the fact. We
/ are told of individual men who have amassed
| million, even million and halfway, more,
men hardly known to the bulk Of their country
men, except as honest industrious, paiustaking
men, have acquired an amount of wealth, in for
mer times, would not have been deemed possible.
Well the public wealth has increased with the
aggregation OF individual riches; and every man
who has made these large accumulati0ns of
has been benefactor TO his country, not only by
the employment which he has given to thousands
under his care, but also by tie contributions
which he makes to the revenue and consequent.
IN to the prosperity of the nation. In fact, the
wealth of the country has increased so rapidly
that nv right honorable friend the Chancellor OF
the EXchequer has been unable to stop that in
crease by great remission of taxation. lie has
done his best he has taken of tax after tax, in.
come tax, sugar duties, tea duties. fire insurance
duties-indeed he has gone through all the cata
logue of taxes, nibbling here and cutting down
there but in spite of all his eXertions, the cOun-
try has been determined TO produce large revenue
and by that large revenue, accompanied by
great alienation of burdens TO each individual
we have succeeded in making for the first time
noteworthy impression upon the public debt
mehts, arm, navy, militia and volunteers, in a
state Of perfect efficiency.
Adverting to the American war; he said
We are upon good terms with all the great
Powers of the world; and the way in which we
have observed neutrality in this aflicting war
which has desolated the provinces Of North
America ia spite of the strong expressions Of
passionate pariallty which broke forth from diff
fe ent classes of the cOuntry-sOme in favor OF
IL Il. . Il graNL
that The steadiast and persevaring manner In
which we refused every solicitation, and sOlicita
tons too, which came frem America as we'll as
from England, entities us, think, to the thanks,
as they contributed to the welfare of the country
While the South Imagined at the outset that by
slinting us of our supply of cotton We should be
compelled 10 take part with them, the North ina
gined that their determination to abolish slavery
in the South wOuld enlist in their favor the phi
lanthrOpic feelings of the British nation and that
on that account we should assist them. That
cotton famine was a great calamity to this cOun-
try. Ii lasted several years, and its pressure was
extreme. But noble, on the other hand, was the
conduct of that part of our manufacturing pOpu
latisn who were thrown out Of employment by
the cessation of tn cotton supply. They showed
that they had rightly understood the position Of
things. They knew full well that that pressure,
that diminution of supply, was the result OF
events over which the government OF their cOun
try could have no possible control. That was
one motive which induced them TO bear the pres
sure with patience. But ON the other hand, they
saw the readiness with which their feliow-cOun-
trymen stepped forward TO contribute to the relief
Of their necessities.
In spite of the cotton famine and in spite of
three bad years" in Ireland, he maintained that
the wealth and welfare Of the United Kingdom
had increased in a greater degree and with more
rapidity during the last six years than in any
equal period OF their history. He concluded by
an expression of opinion that the Government
which had thus labored to promote the Industry
and prosperity Of England deserved the conf.
dcnce and support of the country.
VIEWS OF Mr.. BRIGHT
Mr.. Bright, who was elected from Birmingham.
without opposition, devoted his speech, as usual.
mainly to reform" He led of with the follow
ing "glittering generality
The power OF the people was everywhere ad-
vanCing and cOntesting the ancient authority of
monaTchs and aristocracies. Education and in.
telligence were gradually permeating the mas ses
of the populations and new principles were con
tinually coming 10 the light, obtaining the sym-
pathy and the support of all sensible men, and
giving greater security to freedom.
He found fault with the speech of Lord Pal.
merston above noticed) because it made no al
lusion to reform" He undertook to show how
essential it was that the people should be repre-
sented in the House of Commons.
Quoting from the proportions which the elec
tOral classes bore to the population, he argued
that the representation was most imperfect. The
great body Of the people--5,O 900 600 men-were to-
tally and purposely excluded from any share in
the Government Besides this, the middle class,
which it was now attempted to erect into sort
of olgai chy had so little of fair representation
that its power in the House, compared with what
it ought to be, was more OF a sham than q real.
ity. Well what was the answer which was made
to this claim The Prime Minister has replied TO
il by a cOntemptuOus silence. But what said Lord
Derby speaking through the mouth of his prOph-
ct Disraeh Why, he said that lateral extern
sion OF the franchise is what he wanted. To
the 100000 w1lkngmen now excluded from the
suffrage Lord Derby said il was quite true they
Were shut out their complaint was real, and that
therefore they intended To admit somebody else.
Now, Mr. Disrae was a man who did what might
be called the Comjurng for his party He WIS
what would, among a tribe OF Red Indians, be
called the Mystery Of Man. He invented
phrases for his party and one Of the latest was
lateral extension of the franchise. Mr.. Dis
raeli was a man of brains, of genius, OF a great
capacity for action, of a wonderful tenacity of
purpose, and of a rare courage He would have
been a statesman if his powers had been directed
by any ennobling principle or idea but unhappy
he preferred temporary and worthless distinction
as the head Of decaying party lighting for i'm
possible ends, 10 the priceless memories OF services
rendered TO his country and to freedom, upon
which only, in our age, an enduring fame can be
built up Mr.. Bright then proceeded further TO
critiCise the expression lateral extension, point
ing out that il meant the exclusion of all house
holders below Gl0 renters. II was a miserable
pretenCe, a delusion, and an insult of the most
glarng kind to the great body of the unTepresent,
ed. He objected in the strongest terms 10 the eX-
preston degradation Of the suffrage" They
were told that the wOrkmgmen of England
those who had built all our towns and cities
who had filled our wareh )uses with the products
of every cline who had built our ships and steam
engines and machines, who had filled the land
with industry and wealth, and without whom
there could be no English nstiOn-men high in
rank among the Tory party, and their followers
throughout the county, told them that to extend
the franchise TO the working classes even so far
as from the GO renters to the iX-pOunders, would
be a degradation of the sullrge He hoped that
the working men and the middle class Of Eng
land would never forget the men and the party
who thus insulted the great mass OF their coun-
trymen, and contemporary denied them any
share of political power. He Iidicnled the fancy
franchises " and insisted that the rental was a
test OF the condition and qualities of the people
in fact there was no test equal to it. There
never would nor could be one devised which so
completely adapted itself TO every family, locality
and person, as the character of the houses in
which the people live. In conclusion. Mr. Bright
said he would urge the industrial classes not to
despair of their cause. Ii was not dead it was
not even sleeping and, for his part, he never at
anv Derio5 during the mast fifteen wears looked