PRESENTATION TO MR C. BRIGHT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 4402, 29 March 1876, Page 2

PRESENTATION TO MR C. BRIGHT.

A meeting of gentlemen took place in the Athenaeum last evening, for the purpose of presenting a testimonial to Mr Charles Bright, the Spiritualist and Free Thought Lecturer. About 25 were present.

Mr 14. Stout (who occupier! the chair) said he had been deputed by the Committee that attended to the getting up of Mr Brightfs lectures to hand him a letter on his departurefrom Dunedin, and also a puree containing 75 sovereigns. The letter was as follows:— Dunedin, 28th March, 18T6L Charles Bright, Esq. Dear Sir—ln presenting you with this purae of sovereigns, we desire to express our admiration and approval of your a-lion in so fearlessly advocating the right of iudividual intellect to canvass every question relative to man's welfare. However much in our present state of society and civilisation, the right to think may be concede i, and however fully the right to speak of the results of thought may be exercised, privately, there are not a few who will persecute with every available weapon anyone .daring to exc/oiss «t similar right publicly. Not to many has nature .riven the endowments needed to exercise with cllect the right of public speech, while to you she has not been niggardly, and we are glad that you make use of' the talent with which you are endowed. We know that the large and influential body now powerless to stay ihe stream of thought and free speech in private will direct all their shafts against thrs necessarily srcnll body of men capable of speaking in public ; but we trust that you may be abie to overcome all such, opposition. We tender you the accompanying testimonial, and beg your acceptance of it as a mark of cuf appreciation of your efforts in thii above-named direction, and remain, dear Sir, sincerely yours (on behal£ of the Committee),

Jons P. Armstooxo^ Chairman of Committees. He (Mr Stout) could hardly add any words to what had been expressed in this letter further than to say this—that they in Dunedin who thought that subjects of such importance as Mr Bright had dealt with ought to be fully convinced, that it was not for the benefit of society that people should believe anything that was untrue, and that if their opinions were true they would not be affected by anything that might be said by a lecturer, while if they wera false the sooner they were got rid of the betters In Duaedin, they had not such a thing as as.organisation amongst them. They had nochurch such as the Unitarian Church, but there was a large number of men in Dunedin, who thought of those subjects, and who coulcL not accept the current creeds of the day. In. parting with Mr Bright, they felt that theywere parting with one whose feelings accordecL with their own. If they were a Scotch settlement, they had less bigotry than, many of the: inhabitants hailing from England. It might h&. that he was naturally biassed. Look at that educational institutions of Scotland ; they were not so biassed as were those of England. Itt the Scotch Universities they did nut care whafr religion a man had so long as he was a good. teacher. They had been looked upon here- io. Duaedin as of narrow bigotry, but the thou> sands that had attended Mr Bright's lectures showed that many thought religion wanted another foundation than what it had in the past. They had not only been gratified byMir Bright's appearance in public, but also in prij vate connection with him. They did not giva him this small amount as a payment. They wished him every prosperity in his tour through New Zealand, and that he might be spared to return to Dunedin again.—(Applause.) Mr Bright supposed that he should be fullybelieved when be said that he wonld rather address a crowd of 3000 than this small number to-night, especially after the way bis efforts had been spoken of by the Chairman. He (Mr Bright) assured them that he should never forget their kindness. In regard to his career, which was only now commencing, he hoped that wherever he might go, and wife, whatever class of people he might find himself, he might be able to give expression to those sentiments which lay nearest tj his heart. If he was able to travel over tli6 world and giva force to those views he had given in Dunedin, he would be glad to give up the " Yankee Humour" lectures. Where subjects of such grava importance were concerned, he should be glad to have a Committee in each city, so that steps might be taken to invite the public en r.-tcsse, and they need not pay Her Majesty's coin to enter. Of course, sneers had been made o£ cheap entertainments at the Circus by village journals. He had caused many to hear sentiments which they had entertained in their hear& of hearts, and which they would have liked to give expression to. He advocated the formation of an Eclectic Association similar to that in Melbourne, where orthodox sentiment might meet free thought sentiment and heterodox sentiment. All that was asked of the members was that they should give expression to their- ! sentiments in a courteous and affable manner. Of course anyone in his position must hava been pained to some extent by the expressions of those who misunderstood what ho had beer* doing, and who believed that he had only been actuated by sordid motives. He thanked tha Committee for the way in which they had worked, and he could assure them that they had hi.s heartfelt thanks, and that the object which they had at heart had been helped forward by his and their efforts.—(Applause.) Mr Stout thought an Eclectic Associaiioa might be very well taken up here during- tne winter months. They could get the rates of the Melbourne Society. Mr Bright, in proposing a hearty v~t? of thanks to Mr Stout for having presided- at the recent lectures, said that Mr Stout might just as well have occupied the premier position aud delivered the lectures himself. Hoivever, hehad chosen to devote himself to fehc inferiorfield of politics.—(Laughter.) He eoaUl stronsrlvurge his views upon thfiofcgieul at well as political matters. He (Mr Blight) owed 31r Stout a debt of gratitude. Mr Stout said it was unnecessary w I"™ 3 any vote to him. The usual compliment to lie Chairman was. passed by acclamation.