MR. ALDERMAN CUBITTsaid, that as he had just been precluded, by the forms of the House, from saying a few words in vindication of the Mansion House Committee, he trusted the House would now indulge him for a few moments. On the 14th April he received a letter from a gentleman enclosing a cheque for twenty guineas. The writer expressed a belief that the distress then exhibiting itself in the cotton districts would grow to a great magnitude, and that something ought to be done in the way of relief. He put the cheque by for two or three days, and then sent for the gentleman and had some talk with him on the subject. The result was that in a few days a deputation of thirteen or four- 28 teen gentlemen waited on him at the Mansion House, and urged the establishment of some kind of organization by which relief could be collected. In consequence of that, he spoke from the judicial bench at the Mansion House, in the presence of the public press, stating what had taken place and expressing his willingness to be the recipient of the public bounty with a view of transmitting it to the distressed districts. But he accompanied that with this condition. He said he could not undertake himself to distribute it, but that he would receive it and transmit it to some central organization, which, from what he had heard, was much needed and he had no doubt would soon be formed. The public responded to what he said at the Mansion House by sending large sums of money, and he soon had a large amount at the bankers and little use made of it. Referring then to the deputation that had waited on him, he requested them all to assist him as a committee of advice. Eight of them accepted the invitation; and from that day to this he had been assisted by them, they giving up to the matter a large portion of their time, although largely engaged in mercantile transactions. Finding that there was no central organization established, that the distress was growing, and that the fund was augmenting, the Committee determined at once to remit a portion of the funds for its alleviation. Accordingly on the 8th of May they sent £500 to Manchester, £500 to Preston, £250 to Wigan, and £250 to Stockport. From time to time various applications were made from other places, but they always made it a rule that there should be a proper local committee, and he never sent a shilling without having a list of such committee and being satisfied that they were responsible persons. They proceeded till August supplying all that was supplied for the purpose of relief, except what was raised by local subscriptions. In August the great general organization of the Manchester Central Committee came into being; and on the 11th of August that Committee made its first payments, sending them to precisely the same places and local committees as the Mansion House Committee had done. Now, to be told that this great Manchester Committee had been interfered with by the Mansion House Committee was hardly fair. It would seem from this, that the Manchester Committee were the original organiza- 29 tion, and were being interfered with by new people, whereas the reverse was the case. The Mansion House Committee Would have been glad to have ceased their labours and abdicated their functions; but the money was coming in in large amounts, and they hesitated to do so till they ascertained how far the public would be satisfied with what was going on in Manchester. It was not till some time afterwards that he felt satisfied that the public might be content to let the whole mutter be left to the Manchester Committee He accordingly suggested this course; but what was the response? All their meetings had been held in open day, and they had never been without the presence of representatives of the public press. On one occasion they discussed the propriety and expediency of handing over all their money to the Manchester Committee, They did not come to a decision on that occasion; and before they met again they received nnmerous letters imploring them to go on as they had hitherto done; and they were encouraged in acceding to those requests by continually increasing subscriptions being sent to them. The total amount received by the Mansion House Committee up to the present time exceeded £470,000. The Mansion House Committee looked on this as a great manifestation of the public opinion; and although they might be stigmatized as going out of their way and interfering improperly, on the whole he thought they must feel assured that up to the present time the public had been satisfied with them. He was very sorry to occupy the time of the House, but he would say for himself that the work had for the last twelve months been to him one of great anxiety; and if he could satisfactorily divest himself of all responsibility, he would be very glad to do so.
§ COLONEL WILSON PATTENsaid, he did not know what the object of his hon. Friend was in making these observations; but he trusted that it was not on account of anything which had fallen from him. If he had said anything to detract from the merits of his hon. Friend, he deeply regretted it; he certainly did not intend to do so. He hoped he had never said anything that did not render ample justice to the kindly manner in which his hon. Friend first opened the subscription, and to the liberal and patriotic spirit with which he had carried it out. He gave his hon. Friend the highest possible credit for 30 his conduct; and, whatever difference of opinion there might be as to the later management of the Committee over which he presided, there was not a single person in the county of Lancaster who did not entertain the same feelings of gratitude. towards the hon. Gentleman which he (Colonel Wilson Patten) had now expressed. Whatever other differences there might be, there was no difference in that respect. He hoped that he had said nothing to wound the feelings of his hon. Friend. If he had done so, he had misrepresented the feelings of the whole of his constituents.