The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-01-05
A Ringing Speech by John Bright.

THE UNENFRANCHISBD GLASSES Of IhE bNdblSh
PEOPLE.
In the course of speech recently delivered at
Birmingham, England, John Bright drew this
picture of the English poor who are denied the
right of suffrage. His illusions to the treatment
he has received from the Tory press of England
are amusing:-
s'Iiet us now for n moment (said Mr.. Bright)
cast our eve over this country, after the many
great and useful changes that have been made
during the last thirty years. There remain, as
said, five millions of families who are entirely
unTepTesented. Contine your attention TO those
families There are amongst them one million
considerably more than million, believe,
in The United Kingdom--Ot those who are
ciassed in the unfortunate list of paupers. There
are at least million who are lust above the
paupers-always in peril lest they themselves
should become paupers. Their condition and
their prospects are no more favorable than that.
Then, look at the ignorance of the lower strata
Of this portion of the nation; look at their
poverty, their sutferings, their utter hopeless
ness of good. Why in the American Southern
States, during the reign of slavery, every negro
had an idea that there was day of jubilee for
him. Verify, they used to say, the Lord will
come and deliver u.s. But in this class, this
lowest strata of the population of your country,
/ venture to say there is neither belief IN any
thing better for them nor scarcely is there any
aspiration after it.
"Have you read the paragraphs recently in
the papers about John Crosse, the DoTsetshire
laborer? John Crosse was respectable laborer.
He worked six davs week. He had an excel
lent character from his employer, under whom
he had worked for twenty.four years, at the rate
of SIS. a week. (ADplause and cries of "Shame.n)
Now, this is a curious arrangement, for there is
an Old saying that where mouths come, meat
comes But John Crosse has a family OF seven
children, / think, and one of them has arrived
very recently. To provide fire in his hovel-the
Englishmans -laughter)- for his feeble
wife and infant child, he took-iegally, Ibeleve,
I, olo hurdla of tho vo1ua nf
and for that he was tried before the magistrates
and sentenced to twenty'one days or a fort
nights imprisonment. am not defending steal
ing hurdles; no doubt certain newspapers will
say that / am. (Laughter.) / am not even
finding fault with the magistrates who commit
ted the man; won't spead evil of dignitaries.
Uauehter.)
'But venture to tell you that John Crosse,
the Dorsetshire laborer, may be found in thou
sands in various parts of the country, and espe-
cially in your southern counties, and that if you
will raise the wages trom Ss. to los you will find
scores of thousands, with that difference, in the
position of John Crosse; you Will lind hundreds
of thousands whose condition is suchthat hitherto
the most anxious investigation has been unable
to solve the mystery as TO how they keep body
and soul together. (Oheers.) Cast your eye,
say, over this city and see these five millions of
families, and the desperate condition OF the
lowest strata of them. Is 1t not true that this
unenfranchised nation may be said to toll, and
toll and almost know no rest? Compare 1t with
the ruung Glass; Out IL 40 i Sndl D6 CudTg6u
with communism. Naughter) 1t will be said
that want to divide the property of the rich,
and squander it amongst the poor. They said,
you know, that wanted to take the lands of the
rich and divide them amongst the poor. But
compare that class, that great nation, the toiing
and unenfranchised nation, with the section
which may be said to be the governing class in
this country.
'Look at this wealth, this ostentaton this
luxury-behold this weariness-for there is even
WEAKNESS amongst them, but it is the WEAKNESS
of satiety-and see how they push from place to
place, as 1t were, TO discover some new pleasure.
But that great nation OF whom | have spoken
that great nation which has built up the power
of this country-this unentranchised people,
without whom England could be but a aprovince,
which single division of a continental army
might subdue and anneX-that great nation of
five millions of families is utterly excluded from
any share in political power In this country, and
that small secticn of whom have spoken, con-
tanning vast proportion OF excellent persons, is
potentially the governing power in this realm
| (Loud cheers).
'1et me now put to you, before sit down, a
single proposition, and through these gentlemen
| who sit below me, to whom freedom in this
country is so greatly and SO constantly indebted
-(applause) )-let me put 1t to the people OF this
| kingdom, ii of the five millions who are now
| shut out one million were admitted-and you
| Will mark The extreme, some will cay blamable,
moderation of that suggestion-f only one
| million we're admitted, would not the cry of the
| toil-laden and the suffering, which even now
ascends to Heaven, would it not, think YOU,
reach further, be heard even on the floor of Par
| lament For do not forget that the ear of the
Supreme is nearer even to the lowliest of us than
| is that of our earthly rulers. (Cheers.) But II
| that voice was heard in Parliament would it not
| perchance, do something to still the roar oi
| faction, and to bend the powers Of statesman
ship to the high and holy purposes of humanity
| and of justice?
~ speak not 5he language of party. / feel
myself above the level of party. (Great and
| continued cheerne.) l speak as | have ever
| endeayored to speak on behalf Of the unen
| franchised, the almost voceless, millions of my
countrymen. The claim is Just, and it is con
! stitutional. II will be heard it cannot be re
| iected. (CheeIs.) To the outward eye monarch:
| and parliaments seem to rule with an absolute
and unquestioned sway but, and quote the
words which one n our old Puritan poets ha:
| left for us:-
There is on earth vet auguster thing,
| Yelled though II be, than Parliament or King.
''That auguster thing is the tribunal which Coo
has set up in the consciences of men. IL is be
fore that tribunal that ] am now permitted
humblv to plead and there is something in my
| heart-a small but an eXultant voice-whicl
tells me shall not plead in vain."