Page:Eminent English liberals in and out of Parliament.djvu/228

 immovable as a pillar, and the tempest gradually died away.

But the Broadhead incident was by no means Professor's Beesly's first offence against society. On the twenty-eighth day of September, 1864, he had actually presided at the first meeting of "the International," in a room of St. Martin's Hall, Long Acre. There Tolain submitted his memorable project, and Marx, Eccarius, Odger, Lucraft, Llama, and Wolff were named as a provisional committee. Here at least was one highly educated English gentleman with the courage of his opinions, whom no political Mrs. Grundy could intimidate. In 1875 occurred the iniquitous conviction of the five cabinet-makers—Read, Weiler, Ham, Hibbert, and Matthews—for the offence of picketing. Again Mr. Beesly came boldly to the front. During the term of their imprisonment he lectured at the Eleusis Club on their behalf. When they were released, he was among the first to welcome them at the prison-door; and he presided at the complimentary dinner at which they were subsequently entertained, supported b}^ the Hon. L. Stanley, Mr. John Morley, Dr. Congreve, Mr. Ashton Dilke, Professor Hunter, and others.

In March, 1877, died George Odger, the Epaminondas of English politicians. He was interred in the Brompton Cemetery; and, from a broken column near his grave, Professor Beesly pronounced a befitting eulogium on his career in presence rather than in the hearing of a countless multitude. "George Odger," he said, "was not only a good, but a great citizen,—one who put his public in the first rank of duties, and was prepared to sacrifice all private interests to that consideration,"—a meed of praise not less deserved by the