THE RIGHT HON, JOHN BRIGHT

Thames Advertiser, Volume XXI, Issue 6365, 29 March 1889, Page 2

THE RIGHT HON, JOHN BRIGHT

The death of the Right Honourable John Bright is announced in another column. We give the following account of his career from " Men of the Times":-

Bright, the Right Hon John, M.P., is the son of Jacob Bright, of Greeubank, near Rochdale, where he was born Nov. 16,1811, Having received the rudiments of a substantial English education, he entered his father's business, and became a member of the firm of John Bright and Brothers, colton-spiners and manufacturers, of Rochdale. At a comparatively onrly age ho began to address local audiences on social and politico-economical topics, and he delivered, at a literary institution in his. native town, a series of lectures embodym% his reminiscences of a tour to the Holy Luud in 1835. Though he had taken part in _ the Reform agitation of 18312, Mr Bright first distinguished himself in political life by becoming in 1839 ono of the Anti-Corn-Law League, which grew out of an association formed in 1838 to obtained the repeal of the Corn Laws.' In April, 1843, at a bye-election, he stood, as :.: a candidate for the representation of'the city of Durham, bat was defeated 'by .Lord . Dungaonon, a Conservative and .Protectionist. His Lordship was, however,.'unseated on petition, and at the election which thereupon ensued in July of the same year, Mr Bright was returned by a majority of -.-' 78. Ho continued to sit for Durham till: 1847, when he was returned for- Manchester. He made his maiden speech in : Parliament on Mr -Ewart's motion for -ex- • tending the principles of free trade,' Aug. 7,1843. During the interval - between.-'his election for Manchester and the accession of the first Derby ministry to power;'Mr ' Rright'a activity in Parliament arid onjthe ; j plittform was" varied and continuous,.;,;.'in '■■ I the House of Commons he proposed,',to apply the remedy of free trade ia,,land^tbtho state of things which, produced'the Irish famine, He appealed, unsuccesßfully for tho despatch of a royal commissiotinto. " ivesligato the condition .of India ; and in 1849 ho was appointed one of the ; i members of the celebrated sslect committee' of the House of Commons on official salaries ' lu the legislature and in the provinces, es- ■'. pecially at Manchester, he co-operated wiih Mr Cobden in the movement -wliichthe.latler sought to create infavorbf-flnancial reform, mainly with a view to.the redaction of our naval and military establishmenlp. In 1851 he voled with those who attempted to censure Lord Palmerstonin tho Ricifico affair; and in 1852 prominent part in the ' welcome; given to Kossuth by .the advanced Liberals;:'of Lancashire. On the formation of the. first ■ Dei by ministry, Mr Bright aided in v tfia't temporary' re-orgeoisation of the' -Anti.; Corn-Law League, which the acceptancß'of \ free trade by the new government'afterwards rendered unnecessary. He ; was reelected for Manchester, after a contest? at the general election of 1852, With, the accession of Lord Aberdeen's ministry to power began the discussion of the Eastern question, his share in which alienated from Mr Bright many of his former supporters. Mr Bright denounced the policy of .the Russiau war with energy,; but his protests against it were stopped by an attack of sovore illness, and just as the war had been, brought to a close, Mr Bright was compelled to forego all public action. The news of the defeat of Lord Palmerston on the Canton question-reached him while in Itlay, in March, 1857, Although he had necessarily'taken no pergonal part itf the -.'.' debate or'division which Palmerston's appeal to tho he expressed his entire approval of the vote :. of ceusure which had been proposed by . Mr Cobden and seconded by Mr Milner Gibson. At the general election that' ensued, Manchester rejected both Mr Bright and Mr Milner Gibson by large majorities. A few month's afterwards, the death of Mr Jluutz caused a vacancy in the represen • , tation of Birmingham ; the copstitueiicy: invited Mr Bright to become a candidate, I ';,' he was elected in August.lßs7, and'has 1 continued lo represent that borough down to the present time.. After 1857,hi5,v name was mainly indenlifiid wiili.afciiemov "■- for the, reform of the electoral "":-■ tion, by a wide extension of the : suffrage'! and a more equal distribution of the seats'-' with reference to population and alterations in the law of entail, He was an uncomtpromieing advocate of the North during- ; the civil war in America, and after Jho % close of the struggle he renewed the" agitation for reform. He visited Ireland; and he was entertained at a banquet in Dublin, Oct. 30,1866 ; but his reception in > the sister island was not so enthusiastic as; its promoters anticipated On Nov. ; 3,; ■1868, he was presented with the freedom ' of tha ciiy of Ediuburgh andiu the following month lie accepted office under Mr Gladstone, as President of the Board of , Trade. After being absent from tho.\ ( House of Commons for some time in con--' sequence of severe illceFS ho was com- , polled lo retire from office in IV, 1870. " His health haying been partially restored, he.was, in August 1873, appointed to the' Chancellorship of the Duchy of Lancaster iu succession to Mr Childeis, and-- he held that post until the. Liberals went out of office in Feb. 1874. A collection of bis ■'Speeches, on Questions of Public Policy," «as published in 2 vols., 1868,