Biography of Mr Bright.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 230, 4 December 1888, Page 3

Biography of Mr Bright.

[Continued.] The Palmerston Administration fell through its unpopular attempt to show by legislation in the British Parliament a sympathy with the B‘nister designs of the third Napoleon against the liberties of the French people, and L 'rd D-iby succeeded to office. The occurrence of the great Indian Mu iny and the lamentab'e condition of India, which was then disclosed, made the best mode of governing our vast Eastern dependency, the leading question in Parliament, Mr Bright threw the weight of his great energy and ma'chless eloquence into the scale with those whn advocated a complete reconstruction of the tottering edifice of Indian Government, by placing it under the direct control of the Home Government, with a responsible Minister for India in the Cabinet. Here he had to wage deadly war with jobbery and vested interests, but time has proved that this course was the right one as well as the best for the prosperity of India

The year 1858 was one in which the pressing question of Reform stirred English society to its depths, and for the next eight years till the passing of the Reform Bill of 1866 Mr Bright was invariably found fighting in the front rank. The cause of the common people always roused him to his most brilliant eff »rt«. Many of his sayings have become historical, as when speaking-d the opposition of the Peers to Reform he described a bishop as 'that creature of -what shall I say? —monstrous, nay, even of adulterous birth — the Spiritual Peer;’ or when he declared the “ balance of p >wer ” to be ‘ neither more nor less than a gigantic system of out-door relief for the aristocracy.’ The Reform Bill of the Derby-Disraeli Government, which gave that Ministry the coup de grace, owed its defeat very much to Mr Bright. Space forbids our following his course through all the leading questions, which presented themselves for settlement for this time, till he reached what

may be regarded as the zenith of his great career whan the Reform Bill of 1866 became law. We can but mention the part he took against the war with China, his advocacy in favour of the Repeal of the Paper Duties, and of the Abolition of Church Rates, his noble defence of the Northern States in their struggle against slavery and the disruption of the Union, and many lesser subjects on which his voice was al ways raised on tha side of humanity and justice. When the Reform Question had for a time been settled, Mr Bright was found by Mr Gladstone’s side, as the warm advocate of Disestablishment of the

Irish Church, and it need hardly ba added, that all through his public life, he has shewn himself to be in sympathy with the best interests of the Irish people. In 1868. he accepted office as President of the Board of Trade, in Mr Gladstone’s first Administration. He was then 57 years of age. No politician of this century of equal eminence had eve remained to so late a period of life outside the Cabinet, and he only entered it now from the conviction that the position would help him to lend m re powerful and effec’ive aid to the cause of the oomnnn people. Serious illness again struck Mr Bright down in 1870, and after great reluctance and delay on the part of Mr Gladstone, who much needed the he’p rf his distinguished colleague with the new Irish Land Bill, his resignation was accepted. It may be safely assert d that the retirement of no English Minister was ever received

wi’h such general and unanimous expressions of regret in the country, or by the P ess On the re-co-’struction of Mr Gladstone’s Cabinet, Mr Bright was induced by his chief to accept an office, which while it secured the help of his voice in council, yet relieved him f cm the more onerous duties of a Cabinet M nister. He became Chancellor of the Duehv of Lancaster and was again returned for Birmingham, after his acceptance of office. Eut the d iy.< of the Liberal Ministry were Mi* Gladstone when he went to the countrv in the winter of 1874, was met • y the “ flowing tide.” on the of which hi* great rival Mr Dis-aeli rode triu nphant Mr Bright was now with his chief in opposition. It i* hardly necessary to say that he was unsparing in his condemnation * f Lord Beaconsfield’s Imperial Policy. Speaking at Birmingham he said ; “ This policy mav lend a seeming glory to the Crown, and mav give scope for patronage and promotion, and pay and pensions to a limited and favoured cla«s, but to you the people, it brings expenditure of blood and .trea=urp, incr°ased debt and taxes, and added ri«ks of war, in every quarter of the globe.” In 1879 Mr Bright received a very cordial invitation from President Hayes to visit the United States as his guest at Washington, hut. while regretting that such a visit had not been paid in the earlier years of his life. Mr Bright felt compelled to excuse himcp’f on the ground of his advanced rears, and the recent heavy bereavement which he had in the lo«s of his second wife. In 1880. a strong revulsion set in, in favor of the Liberal party, and Mr Gladstone was returned to power with a large tn jority. Mr Bright was again elected for Birmingham, and resumed his former office in the Gladstone Cabinet, The state of Ireland soon engaged his attention. He was of opinion that the abolition nf land entail, the compulsory registration of land, combined with a present system nf considerate kindness, would go far to make Ireland prosperous and loyal. He expressed hi* strong aversion to heroic remedies, and when Mr Gladstone recently proposed one which he considered as such, Mr Bright resigned his seat in the Liberal Cabinet. Nothing in his whole political career has been more manlv, more consistent with former professions, and more honourable than the course he then took. That the decided stand made hv Mr Bright against Mr Gladstone’s Home Pu’e measures, has done very much to turn the tide against the Liberal Government, no one at all familiar with Mr Bright’s great career, can for a moment doubt. High as is Mr Bright’s place in lhe respect and affection of the people of his country, it must be left for other generations to make an

impartial estimate of the place which the great tribune of the people will hold in histnrv. He has shown one of the greatest qualities of a statesman—political foresight almost akin to instinct. He has often been in advance of the age. But on all the great questions for the last forty years, as we have seen, the side he has advocated has eventually been admitted to be the side of right and of justice. Posterity has yet to deliver its verdict, but we of his own generation may fitly apply to him the words of Anthony on the great Cassar: — “ The elements So mixed in him, that Nature might stand up, And say to all tha world, “ This was a man 1”