The Express. — 1867-07-19 (London, England)

BRIGHT AT BIRMINGHAM.  BIRMINGHAM, TUVRADAT Nlcirr. A meeting, called by the friends of Mr. Dixon, the candidate in the liberal interest, was held in the Town-ball here to-night, the purpose being to hear an address from Mr. Bright. There was a very large attendance, and not an available space was left. Mr. Bright entered at a few minutes after 7 o'clock. He vss se. companied by Mr. Alderman WIGGIM (who took the chair), and most of the leaders of the liberal party in the borough.  Mr. BRIGHT, who wan received with many rounds of applause, commenced his speech by paying a graceful tribute to the character of Mr. Scholefield, and to the loss which he, as well as the town, had sustained by hie death. He expressed a hope that in relation to the coming contest no elector would shrink from showing his adherence to those principles of which Mr. Scholefield was so distinguished a representative. He reminded his auditory that they were the eons of the men who bad carried the bill of 1832, and urged the present constituency not to forsake the cause which had made the town famous. He diacesaed the circumstances connected with the various Reform Bills which had been introduced to parliament—that of Lord Russell's government, introduced by Mr. Gladstone, had been met by every form of personal animosity. Lord Derby came into power to stem the tide of democracy, and the result had been conversion from the tremendous fruits of a 71. franchise to household suffrage. There was nothing to equal that since the beasts were said to have committed suicide to save themselves from daughter. He described the tory party as wrong, per. verse, and intractable. Every good measure was opposed by them. so long as it Wee safe to oppose it ; and when that position became no longer tenable, all opposition rod. denly collapsed, which had been the case in respect to the Roman Catholic Emancipation of 1829, and of the Repeal of the Corn-laws. They saw starvation staring • portion of the population in the face, and a famine in Ireland ; but it was only after immense agitation that they discovered 'the corn-laws were bad. The same tory party had now passed • reform bill, admitting working men to the I suffrage in greater numbers than bad ever been cue templated in any bill ever introduced to parliament by any party. Hereafter the tories would show the same persistent and unchangeable resistance to every improve. ment. When the Speaker the other night put the final question, that the bill be read a third time, not even the very faintest cheer issued from the lips of one of those who sat on the tory side. The bill was, in fact, the child, the offspring of the ambition of one !Mu He had never heard from that party one word of kindly sympathy for those to whom the bill proposed to give the franchise ; but from what was rumoured in reference to the course about to be taken by the other branch of the legislature the bill was likely to become the law of the land. The whole question as to the amount of good it might bring ►bout to the country depended on the future, and on whether constituencies like this exercised their powers with wisdom and fidelity. The votermust have the shelter of the ballot, and be mean. mended reform leagues to continue their organisation until that was obtained. The hon. gentleman discussed at length the Irish question and the Irish church, and west on to remark that hitherto everything of a liberal ten. dency that had been carried out had been done by the towns ; they had bad little help from the counties. That must be remedied by future legislation. Passing to the contest going on, he said Birmingham occupied • proud position in 1832, Manchester in 1846, and Birmingham spin in 1867. That town had again to speak, and must answer before many days were over. Let them now return the right man to parliament, showing that the coned. tuency was faithful to the principles it had ever professed. In allusion to the objections which had been raised to kis taking • part in the contest, he said that his own interest in the result was direct and overwhelming. No man's interest was so great in the return of the liberal candidate. They owed to him (he said) allegiance to their own principles, and for the manner in which be had endeavoured to enforce them. Was be to be only nominally their representative! Was his authority to be struck down by joining him to a colleague whom vote would destroy the force of his? Better far that be should cease to be their representative, or retire from parliament, than that he should be content to sit and speak aed vote with a divided and enfeebled authority. He gathered from their cheers what the verdict of Birming. ham would be in this contest, but he should indeed despair of his country if this town which bad so long held  • foremost place amongst liberal constituencies should fall away from the principles it had so long professed. (Great cheering.) He implored them to give him • colleague with whom he could act in harmony as he did with Mr. Scholefield, for the welfare of that great community and the country, in the defence and maintenance of those principles which he believed to be inseparable from the happiness and grandeur of the country. The bon. gentleman, who spoke for an hour, oat down amidst many rounds of applause. A vote in favour of Hr. Dixon was passed. The contest is becoming extremely hot, and the town is in an excitable state.