PRESENTATION TO MR BRIGHT.

Evening Star, Issue 4084, 29 March 1876, Page 4

PRESENTATION TO MR BRIGHT.

Some twenty-five gentlemen attended at the Athenaeum last night to witness the presentation to Mr Charles Bright of a purse of seventy-five sovereigns, which was accompanied by .the following letter ;

Dear .Sir,—ln presenting you with this purse of , ‘ soyereigns. we desire to express pur admiratiou and ■ approval of your action in so fear essly advocating ' the right : of individual intellect to canvass every . adestion relative to man’s welfare. However much m onr present state- of society and civilisation, - . ibe . .right to. think may be conceded, and ' boweVjer fully the right to fpeak of the n; salts of thought may be exercised privately, there arc hot a few who, will persecute with, every ! available weapon anyone daring to exercise a -. -similar : right publicly. - Not .to many has nature - -given the -endowments needed to exercise with • effect the right of public speech; while to you she - has not been niggardly, and we are glad that you 1 -moke use of the talent with which you are endowed. We know that the large and influential body now powerless , to stay the Stream of thought and free Speech « private will direct alEtheir shafts against : the necessarily small body of men capable of speak- ' Ing in public; but we trust that you may be able to ■ overcome all such opposition. We tender you tlie accompanying testimonial, and beg your acceptance of itas a mark of our appreciation of your efforts in • phe abovenamed direction, and remain, dear Sir, Sincerely yours (on behalf of the Committee), John. P, Armstrong, Chairman of Committee. The, presentation was made by Mr Stout, ■ and in acknowledging it Mr Bright urged the formation here of an Eclectic Associa- . tion 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 have . been pained to some extent by the expres- . sious of those who misunderstood what he had* been doing, and who believed that he had only been actuated by sordid motives. • He thanked the Committee for the way in which they had worked, and he could assure them that they had his heartfelt thanks, and that the object which they had at heart had been helped forward by his and their efforts, •