xt7qjq0stw34_5534 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7qjq0stw34/data/mets.xml https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7qjq0stw34/data/1997ms474.dao.xml unknown archival material 1997ms474 English University of Kentucky The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.  Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. W. Hugh Peal manuscript collection John Bright clipped signature and clipping text 43.94 Cubic Feet 86 boxes, 4 oversize boxes, 22 items Poor-Good Peal accession no. 11453. John Bright clipped signature and clipping 2017 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7qjq0stw34/data/1997ms474/Box_64/Folder_32/Multipage29039.pdf undated section false xt7qjq0stw34_5534 xt7qjq0stw34  

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LII/422 /)’§:/¢Z/

 Bright, John (/1. 1811, (7. 1889), orator and
statesman. He was born near Rochdale of
a Quaker family, his father being engaged
in the cotton-spinning: trade. \Vheu sixteen
years old John Brig-ht entered his father’s
business, and began to take an interest in
public affairs. He first met and became
associated with Cobden in connection with
the national cducn tion question, after return-
ing from a, visit to Eastern Europe; and in
1830 his name was prominent among the
committee of the National Anti-Corn Law
League, which sprang up at that time, and
his devotion t the cause was intensified by
the grief on ':iI\l by the death of his

Wife in 1811, after a married life of only two
years. In 1813 he was returned by Durham
to Parliament, and was indefatigable in his
efforts for the repeal of the corn laws.
The movement set on foot by Lord Shaftcs-
bury for the limitation of factory labour to
ten hours a day was strongly opposed by
Bright, who thereby incurred much un-
popularity. His eloquence was next turned
to Irish and Indian questions; and in regard
to Ireland he advocated reform of the land
laws and disestablishment of the Irish
Church. In 1810 he married a second time.
The parliamentary session of 185-5 was
rendered memorable as the occasion of some
of Bright’s finest orations, delivered in
denunciation of the Crimean war. Illness
compelled him to go abroad in 1857, when
Palmerston was defeated on the Chinese
question. In the general election which
followed Bright was defeated at Manchester,
for which constituency he had sat since
1847. In 1857110 was elected for Birming-
ham, and remained that borough’s member
till his death. After helping to defeat Lord
Palmerston in 1858, he supported strongly
Lord Derby’s measure for the abolition of
the East India Company; and on the out-
break of the American Civil war he again
excited great unpopularity by his uncom-
promising advocacy of the cause of the
7orth. After Mr. Gladstone’s defeat in
1865 on the Reform Bfll, Bright conducted
a campaign in favour of reform, and ob-
tained from Mr. Disraeli’s government a
measure embodying many of his principles.
Again he turned to the questions of Irish
disestablishment and land reform, and was
president of the Board of Trade in Mr.
Gladstone’s government which passed the
1870 Land Act and the Irish Church Dis-
establishment Act. For two years he retired
from public life, but joined Mr. Gladstone’s
Ministry in 1873, and from then until his
return to oflice with the Liberals in 1880
took a prominent part in the agitation for
the disestablishment 0f the English Church.
In 1886 he opposed Mr. Gladstone’s Home
Rule policy, and became the great strength
of the Unionist party, his influence going a
very long way towards winning the general
election of 1886.