Part 1

THE RT. HON. JOHN BRIGHT M.P.

Cartoons from the Collection of “MR. PUNCH.”

PUNCH OFFICE, 85, FLEET STREET, LONDON. 1878.

LONDON: BRADBURY, AGNEW, & CO., PRINTERS, WHITEFRIARS.

The Rt. Hon. John Bright, M.P.

Son of Jacob Bright, of Greenbank, Rochdale, Lancashire; born in 1811; one of the firm of John Bright and Brothers, cotton spinners and manufacturers, Rochdale; a member of the Society of Friends; joined the Anti-Corn-Law League soon after its formation in 1838, and, with Mr. Cobden, became one of its leading members, and the powerful champion of Free Trade; returned to Parliament for the city of Durham in 1843, and continued to sit as its representative till 1847, when he was elected for Manchester; opposed the war with Russia, 1854; rejected at Manchester at the General Election in 1857, consequent on the defeat of Lord Palmerston’s Government on the China question; returned for Birmingham the same year, and is still member for that constituency; the great advocate of Free Trade, Financial Reform, a wide extension of the Suffrage, a redistribution of Seats and the Ballot, of the cause of Ireland and India, of National Education, and of Peace; in the American Civil War took the Anti-Slavery side, and was the staunch supporter of the Northern States; visited Ireland in 1866; accepted a post in Mr. Gladstone’s Cabinet in 1868 as President of the Board of Trade--the state of his health prevented him from undertaking the duties of the India Office--when he was nominated a Privy Councillor; resigned office at the end of 1870; on his health becoming more satisfactory, he returned to the Gladstone Cabinet in 1873, as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, but retired with his colleagues at the beginning of the following year.

Mr. Bright is one of the most eloquent and effective orators of his time, and his speeches were collected and published in 1868; the policy which he has for so many years advocated has in most points been in the end accepted by the nation.

A LIST OF THE CARTOONS.

YEAR. NO.

_Acrobats at Westminster_ _Title_

1846. _The Seven-League Boots_ 1

1849. _A Bright Idea_ 2

1852. “_Not Quite such a Fine Child as the Last!_” 3

” _Eating the Leek_ 4

1854. _Pet of the Manchester School_ 5

1855. _The New Coalition_ 6

1857. _Recoil of the great Chinese Gun-Trick_ 7

1858. _Orestes pursued by the Furies_ 8

” “_It will soon Boil!_” 9

” _Mr. Bright offers to give Satisfaction to the Liberal Party_ 10

1859. _A Very Greasy Pole_ 11

” _The Quaker and the Bauble_ 12

” _Who will Rouse Him?_ 13

” _The Real Ugly Rush_ 14

1860. _The Reform Janus_ 15

” _Bright the Peace-Maker_ 16

” _Dissent in Earnest_ 17

1863. _Cobden’s Logic_ 18

1865. _Dr. Bright and his Patient_ 19

” _The Political “Wall-Flower”_ 20

1865. _John Slow and John Fast_ 21

” _Scene from St. Stephen’s Pantomime_ 22

1866. _The Officious Passenger_ 23

” _Going Down to the House_ 24

” _The Brummagem Frankenstein_ 25

” _The Popular Poll-Parrot_ 26

” _Dr. Dulcamara in Dublin_ 27

” _The Festive Season_ 28

1867. _Rival Sweepers_ 29

” _Gladiators Preparing for the Arena_ (_Frontispiece_) 30

1868. _Dr. Bull’s Waiting-Room_ 31

” _Athletics at Westminster_ 32

” _A Dress Rehearsal_ 33

” _A “Friend” at Court_ 34

1869. “_Rejected!_” 35

” _Forgetting his Place_ 36

1870. _John Bright’s New Reform Bill--“Reform Yourselves”_ 37

” _The Bill of Fare_ 38

1872. “_Off Greenwich_” 39

1873. _A Friend in Need_ 40

1875. _The New Shepherd_ 41

THE RT. HON. JOHN BRIGHT, M.P.

CARTOONS FROM “PUNCH.” 1846-1875.

The Leadership of the Liberal Party having escaped from the hands of the Whigs, made it more than probable that Mr. Bright would have a seat in their next Cabinet.--1868.

No. 33.]

Transcriber’s Notes:

Dialog in some cartoons is shown in {curly braces}; descriptions accompanying such dialog were added by Transcriber.

Cartoon 22: “Mr. Br-ght” was printed with the hyphen in place of “i”.