Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-01-31
ENGLAND,s LIBERALS
ohm Bright ana Joseph Chamberlain
Address Large Meeting.

John Bright ana Joseph Chamberlain
Address Large Meeting.
LONDON, Jan. 3O.-Right Hon. John
Bright addressed a large meeting at the
Forward Liberal Club in Birmingham
last night. He said that after the fran
chise measure the most pressing question
before Parliament would be the reform of
the land laws. He utterly condemned
Henry Georges land propositions, saying
they We're the most extraordinary and
impracticable and the widest ever import-
ed by an American inventor. Mr.. Georges
scheme began with the hitherto unbeard-
of general scheme of cOnfiscation. which
MIR. Bright believed would end in immeas-
urable evil and confusion. 1t was impos-
slble, he declared, to imagine the corruD-
ton ensuing if letting of plots of land
everywhere was entrusted to the govern
ment deDartments.
Mr.. Bright said he had been charged
with being so entirely American that he
wanted to AmericaniZe English institu-
IlOhs. mat charge was an eXaggeration.
1t was noteworthy that Mr.. Georges
scheme. although American. had not been
tried in America. Laughter Although
there were so many millions of acres of
land in America belonging to the State. it
was surprising that no preliminary trial
Of the scheme had been made there in
stead of, here, where Mr.. George was a
stranger.
After an eloquent reference to the civil
war IN the United States, in which the
North squelched slavery, MIR. Bright de-
clared it would be as great cruelty, folly
ana injustice to cOntiscate the property of
landlords as to attempt to again make
freedmen in America slaves. Mr.. Georges
plan, he said, was simply an insult to the
common sense and honesty OF the English
people. Nevertheless the system Of land
tenure must be altered so as to
enable the land to come gradually
and naturally into the hands Of those most
requiring and desiring Utmost able to
pay for and best able to work it for the
public advantage. 1t would be easy to
abolish laws of primOgeniture and entail.
and to facilitate the transfer Of land, Eng
lishmen should try these reforms before
attempting wild and eXtraYagant schemes.
His remarks were greeted with cheers.
JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN,
President Of the Board of Trade, said that
he was certain that the coming measure
of reform would pass the House of Com
mons by large majority in spite of the
Conservative objection. If the House of
Lords rejected the bill the government
might, with clear conscience. appeal TO
the people against the peers. There was
no question upon which he would more
cheerfully appeal to his constituencies.
He advocated the inclusion Of Ireland in
the franchise bill. Mr.. Chamberlain also
said that England was not going to allow
war with Ell Mahdi to Interfere for a
single moment with the projected reforms
and improved institutions which England
is making every effort to develop in
Egypt, and by which it is hoped that
security may be given to Egyptian liber-
ties and the people be educated for indie
pendence and self-government.
THE MARQUIS OF SALISBURY
{ Conservative in a speech at Hertford
last night, said he would decide upon his
course during the coming session of Par
Lament when he had seen the measures
which the government proposed should
be dealt with. He thought the people
should be first consulted concerning so
large a measure as the franchise