Life of Edward Miall v1_The Life of Edward Miall 26 February 2012 16:15 Page 1 THE LIFE OF EDWARD MIALL by his son ARTHUR MIALL, ESQ., Quinta Press Life of Edward Miall v1_The Life of Edward Miall 26 February 2012 16:15 Page 2 Quinta Press, Meadow View, Weston Rhyn, Oswestry, Shropshire, England, SY!" #RN The format of this volume is copyright © $"!$ Quinta Press www.quintapress.com For proof-reading purposes the line breaks are in the same place as the original, hence the stretched text Life of Edward Miall v1_The Life of Edward Miall 26 February 2012 16:15 Page 3 %&''(-&)*+,-. +&*(/ 0 LIFE OF EDWARD MIALL LIFE OF EDWARD MIALL FORMERLY MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR ROCHDALE AND BRADFORD BY HIS SON ARTHUR MIALL WITH A PORTRAIT London MACMILLAN AND CO. !112 The Right of Translation and Reproduction is Reserved Dedication. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE JOHN BRIGHT, M.P., THIS VOLUME, CONTAINING SOME MEMORIALS OF THE LIFE Life of Edward Miall v1_The Life of Edward Miall 26 February 2012 16:15 Page 4 2 /3) 4,() '( )+5*&+ 6,*44—*&/37& 6,*44 OF ONE WHO LOVED AND HONOURED HIM FOR FORTY YEARS, Is Inscribed, WITH THE WARMEST SENTIMENTS OF ESTEEM AND ADMIRATION, BY THE AUTHOR. PREFACE. A FEW months after my father’s death, which took place in April, !11!, an intimation was given to the public through the press that Mr. Henry Richard, M.P., was about to undertake the task of writing a record of his life. This purpose was formed in compliance with a very earnest request addressed to Mr. Richard, by my father’s family, and by some of his more intimate friends and political associates. Eventually the proposed ar- rangement fell through, and the duty of compiling the memoir devolved upon myself. By the kindness of my friend Mr. Richard, I am able to give the reasons which led to this alteration of plan in his own words:— “I had cherished the hope,” writes Mr. Richard, “that to my lot would fall the honour of erecting some biographical monument to the memory of my friend Mr. Edward Miall. It would have been a work very congenial to my feelings, for I honoured and loved the man above most of those whom I have encountered in life. And I had in the first instance so far yielded to the temptation, as to have accepted the trust which his family and friends had deposited in my hands, and had done something by way of collecting and arranging the materials and preparing an outline plan for giving effect to Life of Edward Miall v1_The Life of Edward Miall 26 February 2012 16:15 Page 5 %&''(-&)*+,-. +&*(/ 8 the purpose. But I soon found that what with ‘the busy idleness’ of Parliamentary life, which exhausts a great deal of time and energy, however trivial may be the results, and the pressure of other work to which I was previously committed, and which I could not evade, together, alas! with the con- sciousness of some diminished capacity for labour, which is one of the saddest penalties of advancing age, I had no prospect of completing the work within reasonable time. I was obliged, therefore, very reluctantly to surrender the task into other hands, and can only rejoice that among the members of his own family has been found one competent to undertake it.” The late Mr. Maurice, his biographer tells us, held that a period of twenty years at least should elapse between a man’s death and any public record of his life. Whatever reasons Mr. Maurice may have had for entertaining this view, I am not alone in the conviction that the career of such a man as Edward Miall, if worthy of narration at all, should be written not alone for coming generations, but also for his contemporaries. Every month sadly diminishes the number of those who took a part in the earlier struggles on behalf of the principle of religious equality, and who would receive this memoir with especial warmth and friendliness. One to whom I have been in- debted for a considerable portion of my material relating to the college days of my father, the Rev. David Lloyd, of Clifton, has passed away since the greater part of the following pages were written. It has been to me a very inspiriting thought that here and there would be found readers of this narrative who, like the late Mr. Lloyd, would colour it with their own warmth of feeling and vivid recollections. Life of Edward Miall v1_The Life of Edward Miall 26 February 2012 16:15 Page 6 9 /3) 4,() '( )+5*&+ 6,*44—*&/37& 6,*44 But it has been my aim to write faithfully and impartially for any and all whom this volume may reach. The plan which at first commended itself to me was that of giving extracts from public addresses and articles of my father’s author- ship, with the barest connecting comment. This, however, I found to be a most unpromising method, and it appeared essential that I should weave them into the narrative form. With all its imperfections I now offer this volume to the public, trusting that whatever may be its defects it will not fail to illustrate the courage, consistency, and Christian devotedness of its subject. I have to add that the portrait is a reproduction of a photograph taken by H. J. Whitlock, of Birmingham, some ten or twelve years ago. A. M. $0, St. Swithin’s Lane, London, E.C., $0rd October, !112. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. EARLY DAYS. !1":–!102. Erroneous Impressions Dispelled.—!1":–!1$#: Birth and Boyhood— Early Efforts at Literary Composition—Employment as School Assistant—Religious Impressions—Vow of Consecration—Auto- biographical Fragment—Life at Wymondley College—Mr. Lloyd’s Reminiscences.—!10!: Invitation to Pastorate at Ware—Corre- spondence—Miss Holmes—Ordination—Marriage—Resignation of Ware Pastorate………………Pages !–!# Life of Edward Miall v1_The Life of Edward Miall 26 February 2012 16:15 Page 7 %&''(-&)*+,-. +&*(/ # CHAPTER II. LEICESTER. !102–!10:. Settlement at Leicester—Reforming Zeal—“Religious Liberty” Meetings —Extract from Sermon—Quotation from Biographic Sketch in the Monthly Christian Spectator of !18$—Sermon, “The Two Portraits” —Church Rates—Imprisonment of John Thorogood and William Baines—Anti-Church-Rate Meeting at Leicester—Aggressive Action against the Establishment contemplated, !10:—Resignation of Leicester Pastorate, !12"—Removal to London—Letter to Mrs: Miall…………………Pages !1–09 CHAPTER III. FOUNDING OF THE “NONCONFORMIST” NEWSPAPER. !10:–!12!. Review of circumstances leading to Mr. Miall’s Journalistic Labours— Mr. Lloyd’s Reminiscences continued, !10:–!12!—The Noncon- formist Newspaper Scheme—Editorship—Canvassing Tour—Letters to Mrs. Miall—To Mr. and Mrs. Baines……Pages 0#–2: CHAPTER IV. THE “NONCONFORMIST” NEWSPAPER (continued). !12!–!12$. First Number issued April !2th, !12!—Introductory Address— Characteristics of Leading Articles.—!12$: Progress Reviewed— Life at Home—Stoke Newington—Another Autobiographical Frag- ment—Extracts from Early Articles……..Pages 8"–#$ Life of Edward Miall v1_The Life of Edward Miall 26 February 2012 16:15 Page 8 1 /3) 4,() '( )+5*&+ 6,*44—*&/37& 6,*44 CHAPTER V. THE COUPLETS SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT. !12!–!12$ (continued). The Chartist Agitation—Physical Force v. Moral Force Chartists— Attempt to combine the latter with Middle-Class Reformers— “Reconciliation of the Middle and Lower Classes,” a Series of Articles by Mr. Miall, reprinted by the Complete Suffrage Union —Abridgment of the Argument—Conference at Birmingham— Mr. Miall successfully counsels Moderation—Convincing Character of the reprint illustrated—The Nonconformist adopted as the organ of the Complete Suffrage Union……….Pages #0–1# CHAPTER VI. FOUNDING OF THE LIBERATION SOCIETY. !120–!128. Increase and growing Influence of Political Nonconformists—Secession of Five Hundred Ministers from the Established Church of Scotland —Sir James Graham’s Factory Education Bill—Educational Clauses Abandoned—General Convention on State Church Question Pro- posed—Preparations in London and the Country—Conference at the Crown and Anchor—Formation of the British Anti-State-Church Association—Proceedings—Constitution of the Association—Early Difficulties and Hostile Feeling encountered.—!128: Opposition to the Maynooth Grant—Mr. Miall’s Visit to Ireland—O’Connell in Prison—Letter to Mrs. Miall………..Pages 11–!"2 CHAPTER VII. COMMENCEMENT OF THE REIGN OF OPINION. !129. A Tear of Crisis—The “Reign of Opinion” commenced—Free Trade Triumphs—The Anti-State Church Association and Parliamentary Life of Edward Miall v1_The Life of Edward Miall 26 February 2012 16:15 Page 9 %&''(-&)*+,-. +&*(/ : Representation—Southwark Election—E. Miall opposed to Sir W. Molesworth—Incidents of the Contest—Defeat—Altered Tone of Nonconformist Articles—Action for Libel, Gathercole v. Miall— Baron Parke’s Ruling—Opinions of the Press—Testimonial to Mr. Miall—Speech of the latter on Judge-made Law—Apprehension of Encroachment on Religious Liberty by the Russell Administration— Tour in Scotland for the Anti-State Church Association—Visit to Manchester and Liverpool—Public Discussion with Rev. Joseph Baylee—Letters to Wife and Daughter……Pages !"8–!$2 CHAPTER VIII. JOURNEYS UNDERTAKEN IN AID OF RELIGIOUS EQUALITY AND PEACE PRINCIPLES. !12#–!121. The British Anti-State Church Association and the General Election- Mr. Miall a Candidate for Halifax—Defeated by a Split in the Party —The Whig Policy of Levelling-up—Increased Activity of the Anti-State Church Association—Tours through Lancashire and Yorkshire, Durham and Northumberland and South Wales—Letters to Mrs. Miall from the latter District—Letter to his Eldest Daughter —The French Revolution—Resistance to War Spirit of the Govern- ment—Visit to Lamartine in Paris—Mr. Miall’s Views on the Events of !121 on the Continent and in Ireland—“Coercion and Con- cession”……………….Pages !$8–!2$ CHAPTER IX. HERE, THERE, AND EVERYWHERE.