Vraniurial.
The Lancashire Reformers' Union held a meeting at Manchester, on Tuesday, Mr. George Wilson in the chair. Other lights of the Party were present, including Mr. George Thompson, who thus reappears upon the scene. An address to the constituencies of the country urging them to send up supporters of Mr. Bright's bill, was adopted unanimously, and then Mr. Bright made a speech. His doctrine was that the House of Commons is not careful of the people's money ; that it does not represent the country ; that while opinion grows and advances outside, it does not grow and advance in the House ; that while the Liberals have an im- mense majority over the Tories in the country, they have only a small majority in the House. Parties are so nearly balanced-that "any little accident" throws a majority from one side to the other. Give your populations, your wealth, your intelligence, in all the great seats of in- dustry the power that really belongs to them, and "I will engage that you will have a government that can keep its place and do some good things for the country." Do not look for concession to Lord Palmerston. In him Mr. Bright never had any faith. As to Lord John Russell, he has made an " offer " much in advance of any. previously made.by any statesman ; an offer with which Mr. Bright indicated a willingness to close, especially as he thinks Lord John would stand out of the way, and be no obstacle to the adoption of the ballot. It was upon Lord Derby that Mr. Bright fell upon this occasion. After noticing that Lord Derby had declared in 1864 that his mission was to stem the tide of democracy, Mr. Bright said— "This Lord Derby who, by virtue-not of parliamentary majorities-but of parliamentary accidents, is for the time Prime Minister of England, stands up in the House of Lords and makes a speech some columns in length, in which he treats this question as he treats the people, ithabsolute contempt —and every man who stands forward, either to instruct the people or to re- present them on this great question he treats as if he were an enemy to the throne, and to the constitution, and to the people. We know perfectly well that there is no monopoly of loyalty in-Lord Derby's order. We knew per- fectly well that the time may come when his order and ours may come in closer conflict. If his slime were left in these islands,. where would-be the British nation ? (Prolonged cheering.) Our order might be left here and left here alone—(" Hear, hear !" and ekeers)—and.the.British nation would be as great and as free as it has ever been in the past ages of our history (Renewed cheering.) I do not want to promote discussions of questions like these and if Lord Derby chooses, from that eminence which. he occupies, and film the floor of the House of Lords, to cast his taunts upon us—upon our order—upon the people in the United Kingdom—let Inc tell him from this floor that there is a power greater than his power." (Immense cheer- nag.) The next-night Mr. Bright spoke at Rochdale in support of the claims of Mr. Cobden, who is put forward a oandidete. He gave a sketch of his-career- " On the occasion upon which he made his first speech, Mr. Bright was in the gallery of the House, not then being a Member of Parliament, and chanced to sit by the side of a gentleman, Mr. Horace Twiss, who then wrote a summary of the-debate for the Times newspaper. The subject of Mr. Cobden'espeech eras the-Corn-laws, and after he had clone, he remembered that Mr. Horace Twiss said "there is nothing in him, he is only a barker, and has no harm in him." (Laughter.) This barker became a great person in the House, so great that in18114 Lord John Rusell, who was then about-to form an administration' wrote to him and offered him-a seat in his cabinet. Mr. Cobden, however, did not accept the offer, and went abroad. With re- gard to the question of reform, they knew well how far Mr. Cobden went, and-that his programme was the same as Mr. Bright's. With regard to Lord John Russell, he brought the question of reform before the House year after year, when none but himself sincerely advocated it. Lord John Russell has shown a real sympathy for reform, although he was not born down here, but in the ducal palace. They must, therefore, make an allowance for his shortcomings, if he did not march at the speed they could wish. Mr. Bright afterwards qualified this by saying it must not be supposed that he thought favourably of Lord John Russell's proposals, or that he was going to pledge himself to vote for his bill. He hailnot yet seen the bill of Lord John. Certainly he should not consider the bill of the noble lord in any unfavourable spirit, hut should be rather actuated with a friendly feel- ing towards t. It must not, however, be understood that Mr. Bright has abandoned his measure, and had taken up that of Lord John or anybody else. If he again goes to Parliament, he will support the most thorough measure of reform he can get. Lord John Russell will bring forward a better mea- sure than that he at present contemplates, if the constituencies only do their duty at the coming election.
The Reverend Leerson Randolph, vicar of East Garden, has lately refused to bury a child of Mr. Elijah Bew in the grave where lie the ancestors of the Bew family, because the child "has not been baptised according to the due and proscribed order of the Church." - Mr. Bew showed him that the child had been "legally baptised," and therefore was entitled on that ground to burial. Obtaining no answer he appealed to the Bishop of Oxford, who replied that as Mr. Bew was net a parish- ioner of East Gersten, it was at the discretion of Mr. Randolph to bury the child or, not, as he pleased. Mr. Bew falls between the High Chusch and the legal stools. The fact remains that burial was refused not be- eause Mr. Bew was a non-parishioner, but because his child had not been baptised in a particular way.. It may be remedied that Dr. Wilberfonie treats Mr. flew with more politeness and courtesy than the charitable vicar of East Gersten or the chaplain of the Bishop himself. The vicar and chaplain talk of "Elijah Bev'," the Bishop more respectfully speaks f" Mr." Elijah Bew.
Two lads have been convicted at Liverpool of the gross offence of poison- ing holy water at a Roman Catholic Chapel by throwing into it chromate of potash. Several persons were injured in the face. The Magistrate ordered the youths to find bail in two sureties of 10t. each, or go to prison for six months.
The body of a man, supposed to be a German, was found on the beach near Ramsgate. It was quite naked, one hand had been lopped off; and a bole was visible in the chest. The clothes of the man were found not far from the body, and a hatchet, parts of a hand, a pair of boots, an umbrella, and part of a shirt were found among the rocks. The body was identified by several persons as that of a foreigner who had been staying in the town, and who had on Sunday gone into very bad company. He had much money in his possession, rings on his fingers, and a watch. He was last seen alive about seven on Sunday evening.
Previous page
