[Lawson, p.148]

"Lord Lyttelton’s letter almost but not quite closed the public discussion on the Morphy-Staunton match, the match for which England, Europe, and America had been waiting for Staunton to set the date.  It would appear that Lord Lyttelton had expressed the general sentiment in the country, as did the following resolution of the Manchester Chess Club:"

November 17, 1858; Resolved;  That this meeting while recognizing Mr. Staunton’s right to decline any chess challenge which he might find inconvenient and incompatible with his other engagements, deems it proper (inasmuch as Lord Lyttelton has only felt himself at liberty to answer, in his private capacity, Mr. Morphy’s appeal to him as President of the British Chess Association) to declare its full concurrence in the opinion expressed by Lord Lyttelton in his letter to Mr. Morphy, of the 3d inst., that in all fairness and considerateness Mr. Staunton should have told Mr. Morphy long before he did, that he declined the proposed match.
     That copies of this resolution be sent to Mr. Morphy, Mr. Staunton, and the editor of the Illustrated London News.

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