The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-11-09
ENGLAND.

tVh intervening OF the 10Th uN. Mr.. John Bright
addressed crowded meeting Of the electors Of
birmingham. The chairman OF the Liberal Associa-
non OF that city presided at the gathering. Mr..
Bright spoke as folows:- sl Nt
AT this moment think 1t win be felt by every one
who conversant with politics that there is special
duty laid on the constituencies of the kingdom and
the first time entrusted with the electoral right.
Now what Is the position that you are inf And
snouid IKE 20 address myself to the workingmen
power to vote Confusion in the body OF the halD;
and need not tell you that have interest in any
question which Is not yours. If there be man in
England who has right to ask the workingman
elector who has been newly enfranchised TO listen to
me, perhaps am that man. Al tais moment there
ment and or administration which are appealing to
you for your suffrages. One which in our younger
days always called Itself the tory party-hisses and
groans) but latterly, with Ingenuity that almost
0anied detective, has taken upon itself several
other names. Sometimes II calls itself conservative,
and am told In Birmingham even this is refined
down to liberal conservative and in some
ylaces-and perhaps here, too-on some oc-
great constitutional measure which has Just
been passed was measure or our recon-
measure not only not carried, but not even origi-
Hated, but always opposed, by those who now,
s nnaTT The o,Ser nay 81 me
self liberal, and with many shortcomings and with
many errors in its history, tt has been and ~ now
truly to be called the liberal party. Now in ancient
aimes when any great public emergency arose it
common for the people 10 consult the oracles and
me Oracles generally gave AN answer that
was more or less uncertain and was almost always
perpbexing and difficult to comprehend. Now, we
have oracles Of that kind IN these days. and there
Gore viii not attempt W consult anything Of the
sort; hut should Like you to consult the past and
recent history OF the country III order TO discover
che true character OF the two parties who are now
appealing TO you. II il common enough in very in
1eri0r matters 10 ask for certificate OF character
Suppose &c TINS moment ON the other SIDE Of the
Atlantic we were engaged IN an election like that
which is now occurring In the United states,
DO you not think that we should eudeavor TO
ascertain what had been the opinions, what had
been the acts and the conduct OF the candidates
before us II we found . man who had never
uttered word, nor written line, nor made single
never stepped forward to uphold the hand OF Pres
dent Lncoln, but vet came forward and asked to be
admitted to your councils, to become one OF your
chief advisers. to maze laws for you ana TO direct
the future course OF legislation, say that you would
mas been an xious during those four wonderful years
OF trial to abolish slavery 10 now restore the Union
and 70 make perpetual the grant of freedom 10 the
Well, then, If that would he reasonable for the
electors in America what Is reasonable ior 10 do
IN Englands Bear in mind that you are now going
maie I'm the manufactures IN Birmingham. You
are going 70 make Parliament that shall iegsiae
directly Tor the United Kingdom, and Indirectly fur
poo 600 900 men. Parliament that Will levy taxes
m the United Kingdom and IN india to the amount
Of clio 000, 900, and Parliament that when IL once
takes it, seat in Westminster all important for all
these things; and every member you send ~ part
Of that grand machlne and every slector through.
cut the United Kingdom who shall vote at the
coming contest rs in part OF the manu-
factory OF that stupendous machine whose power
no man can measure. Wen, let US consider the
mast and will'not 20 TO the remote past: VIII 90
no further than can remember with roerable acci
Sscy. win go back TO a modern period. From he
year 1900 TO the time OF the accession OF George Ill,
Ontil ls2s consider 10 have been period OF total
political darkness In this country. In 1875 no Dis
eenter In Engand--how many are there on this pat
form and In TINS roQmy one-nall, ny i.as, OF tiic
people VINO go TO place OF worship on SUNDAYS are
bsscnters. NIcheeril Forty years ago not one Of
IN the State. lie could not be Mayor OF Birming-
ham, or an alderman. or member OF the Town
did hold such offices; but that contrary TO law,
Aud every year bt OF indemnity was passed 10 ex-
cuse them for having broken the law. (Cheers.)
There were six millions OF Roman Catholics In the
United kingdom not one OF them was permitted to
sit In the House OF Commons, although elected by
shc largest constituency m The Kingdom. Cries Of
1Shame.'') Not only were the members OF the Ro-
man Catholic Church thus treated, but your great
sS~ se ans ana ans e o Sws gr q apa al
portions OF the metropolis, except the chy
y London. the boyQugh Of southwark AMI
she city Of Wcstnlnster, were totally with
but Parliamentary power. Where do you
think all the members OF Parliament came from IN
those daysS win tell You. have been within the
Cornwall-a very charming country. with beautiful
eoast scenery, with an Industrious frugal and intel.
Were Were called the Roitea BoroughS, aud not by the
population. That was the state OF things which
tlent there was scarcely anything in England:
many boroughs had o form OF municipal govern.
ment, but scarcely ANY the substance. The
question Of public education had never been
taken up by the government or by Parliament
end nothing was done by the Legislature TO redeem
khe great OF the population from an ignorance
which was degrading TO US, and which kept US
almost below many Of the civilized nations OF
Europe. At that tune in our colonies there were
soo,oOo negroes In state, apparently, OF hopeless
bondage. AZ the same time we had monopolies that
reduced the working classes themselves to'a condi.
zion OF bondage. We had monopolIes IN corn and
sugar, and many other things, which ! need not
particularize.
The other dag q man wrote TO me from borough
in MY neghborhood, stating that he had been can
kaasing o working man, who asked him what good
khe repeal corn laws had been to the working
man. He asked me 70 give hiiB in "A
Few words as I could an answer TO his feow-work
men. Ny answer was this, that since the repeal o.
tae corn laws, about twenty years ago, there had
come into this country more than $500 900 900 worth
OF common articles Of food, which the corn laws
were Intended 70 keep out-cheersl-that all the
yIch people and the weldon people IN the country
had enough 70 eat before the repeal OF the corn laws
and have eaten no more since. except asptheir mum
bers have increased. Bu6 million OF well-or people
- 1895 % mot CO. BIT more Of these shings thar