The Northern Daily Times. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-12-03 00:00:00

NORTHERN TIMES.---LIVERPOOL, WEDNF SDAY --~® th in b e e g' Meer, hear.) B u t, gen tl emen , t he se thi ngs to surplus ayri ed out would req u ire m o ney, and unless the sbai of the c orporate estate would g i ve us t h e means , le ast not be a party to the imposition of a rate, at r est , until Mr. Gladstone's resolution has been o oti l_nded to, and until we, the members of the Town co esis ei lt are in possession of what the corporate estate ca n ee ls of, how it has been managed, and what it is told . " te o f being made. (Cheers ) Gentlemen, I have itle 3 t 'ou that I could occupy your attention for at least a tot ' er of an hour upon each of these topics, but I shall which to do so. There is a question, however, I th a s- kil conceive, takes a prior position to either of 0E questions—that is the presPrvation of the commerce foie Port, an d ,h e concent ration and good management I ir docks. (H ear, hear ) Thi s ques ti on , gentlemen, cornerstone, vi ew to b e as the foundation, the chief cornerstone, a in Part of the superstructure of this great com -nnit Pre Y , for unless the estuary of the Mersey be nier' e e e "ed what is to become of our corn is t what is to become of our property, what pry ° becom e of the various occupations in which we Pasaseree more or less engaged. Sir, in 1842, a bill was o , "tor what, sir ? Entrusting to the hands_ of the ? N e e r aiion the conservancy of the river Mersey . l , "ni; of the kind. Then what did it do, sir It e the First lof the Treasury, to the Commis toner. ear( N e i ° of Woods and Forests, and the Chancellor of the C I Y of Lncaster the powers of the conservancy of t t river Ma rsev. In 1843 they had a repo ,t from ter i ? e tain Fitzroy, , calling their attention to an exceedingly shi e - s us and east impediment to the progress of our probable dee i c e up the estuary, to the possible and pro a 1 fare r e V' e nt of the future prosperity and commerce of our the v l ° ". You would naturally, therefore, suppose that ce n t ral 1d take action upon this report. You mistake the i' ; a :isation of government if you think anything of th e r'nil. was centralisation—to take away from el s ° eality the responsibility and to•transfer it to parties e ,, v vhere, who knew nothing of us, and cared probably l ittle—and therefore we heard nothing about it until je ed the envy of some of our neighbours not very 1 1 *Z u ta s nt, and then, forsooth, by their grapings they i n to d • something which they thought might be converted an instrument whereby they .could, damage. not ay r us, at least do us serious th:. 4 hear, and cheers.) The consequence was, Y;` a commissioner was sent down here last (L e i r to investigate into the state of the river Mersey: wi th a l . ) hear) The period from 1843 to 1555 passed th,""' n ut their doing anything of the sort, and what was ai t e . ,°nsequence, gentlemen ? I find by the evidence b ee " was brought before the commission which sat k e , in Liverpool last year, and made its report in w a yiber— a comm i ss i ou ma d e by a c i v il engineer, 111r. re b e } n ktr er—that no less than 70,000 tons of clay soil b er g swept annually into the Mersey—not sand, mu-Tsa i,. to be c arr i e d o ff b y so l u ti on , b u t r egu lar soil, which, C c ne diately it fi n d s it s wa y into the bed of the river, l i r' r e it settles and there remains. (Hear, hear.) Now , 4 1 , e 1141 any man here tell me that if the responsibility ham e e Ping the estuary free and open were vested in the h efi ,,f parties here they would have remained tin bee - , - e u ) 1 Crow not, sir. (Hear, hear). I say this must (I °ll ee dealt with, or the consequences may be fatal th e si r, hear.) It might appear, at the first blush , that are Proprietors at the other side of the Mersey itsva"e parties who should guard against the washing t eo a 3 1,, ° f their ow n property, and that they should be .inoituhricu"os to the prevent the wasting of that property proving d the navigation of our noble river. But what 40 el is e Y s ay in reply ? They say—" The creation of the Suit; °° Your side has produced this result." Et may be th eir true that the landed proprietors should protect 'the 0 1. ,,"n property from being washed away, but, on b e `uer hand, the immense sum of money which would est•tenr,ed, compels us to say, we think it better to tha a "i our land and let any one do it who will, (R e ;or, us to be compelled to do it and hold the land " e" e ar.) They then say, " let the dock eenninit . tee th at - :utite a fair proportion of the cost." Now, I . think • v ery fair proposition. (Hear, hear.) I chink, on 'oj 'W er ation that if the docks on one side have proved 11 „le m io to property ' on the other, the dock estate here ee ° e - nu contribute fair and equal proportion by the struetion ocas a ea wall on the other side. But then It4 re also deeply interested in the question, whether ties, `, t view to preserving the estuary, or whether with a %sh e `o an outlet for the poorer classes of our population, th ee - h eross the river chiefly to inhale the fresh air and h e ; br eezes from the sea, we are deeply interested in this done and done speedily. (Hear, hear.) Therefore, 81 ) ,1 4 ., am prepared to suggest, that .it would be a wise le m u eoirable thing for the corpora'ion to purchase the reVn the other side at an equitable price, bearing in N s ' , what are the consequences at ending upon the .t o e sßion of that land, and call upon the dock committee on sn "nttibut e its quota. (Hear, hear.) Sir, if the .large were to take such a step, I can imagine .ter e .'' gentlemen here fancying it would absorb a very as ° m e Stun of money. Not so large, my friends, %traF el a Y appear to you upon the first blush. T . o all l , - ?.' l ls ien the line nom thward from Seacombe would, in ll 'o - r ° " ab ilitv, be the means of getting redeemed from emu iver what would enhance the value of your river or l atie al. Y. e • s 'lnething like, I believe, two hundred acr es of °l 'll e hen, where could you have a more desirab le "es• ' l r n (Hear, hear.) Where could you have a more Wie l e : 4 'e marin e promenade for the poor with their C e act and child ren, cross i ng f or a penn y ? (1-lear, hear.) Pas ed 'ss to such a promenade, and you would see a 41 .int e 141ii ell could not be equalled in this or any . other „ l ; ▪ (Hear, hear.) Sir, I only throw out these `"at 'e s - " 7 ? as a surestion for consideration, but I feel 3houipilething should' be done, and that something ceet e j i be done by ourselves, that we should not permit ' , t hat a w se d goverent to nterfere with us here, but ne ar 'e should do duty to our own, locality, (Hear, the i'e,ancl cheers.) our he erect of this Would not only be Pes,-,,P r ovetnent: to which I have referred, but it would „ ` c titir• ` l-1 "Y improve the entrance, and create an at I,lng benefit, and the whole could be done ,„R l atie . ,, cr Y much less cost than at the first he 4 " . „ Y° l l or I probably could anticipate. (Cheers.) coe e , s'lt question I come to is, the good management and $, ntration of those docks. Gentlemen, you have heard, ap ' e eobt, , you have read—some of you—a letter which 1/i'ltare" Tii the papers, written by Mr. John Laird, of Per eh rri b , d, in reference to the Birkenhead Decks. Since we het Ed those docks, Mr. John Laird has expressed a desire ll ielt "lila seY and Birkenhead should have seats at the .n)oeleeonnaittee Board. If Mr. Laird had reflected for a Pez-htittbe would have known that the Birkenhead Decks , they were purchased, were not purchased by the i etle e `inarnittee. They were purchased by yourselves. "' e ar-) They were purchased by the ratepayers of kilii r , ool through the Town Council, ani more than a 1 11 41 of Mone has been undertaken to be paid for thern befo re , 3 e,st they are completed, I have no doubt, they will Or tet,i,another million of money; and, I will take this O PP _ rei a , l of telling management that, I think they should ia l e l , 4 1s 0 se nted in theg of those docks ; and, I wi Oe t ell him two modes in which that representation may the c ora ' e , c ; ur e, d• If the commissioners of Birkenhead and of t e - L'oloners of Wallasey will contribute their proportion I h . " cost of those docks—(hear, hear, and applause) of 4 1 ," no doubt w h a tev e r that if they make that a condition tho,: ar ing seats at the board of management of the docks, hoe w ill have seats at it. (Hear, hear.) Gentlemen , i t ay „ k oi so t be known to you that we, the burgesses of Liver atif,' Who purchased those docks, are placedin a very le e ;•“al ous position in reference to them. We have Rol ßn t them, we have given bonds to pay for them, we are fe te gg to improve t em, and them the dock committee b t ° s oth has the management of . (Elver, hear . ) If h e ylieir bad management they are made to be the sinking fal l of all their losses, on whose shoulders will those losses th,` On the shoulders of the ratepayers of Liverpool—on k at s houlders of my constituents, and of those who have tli - t s Tii the council chamber, (Hear, hear.) Gentlemen, s ot c annot continue very long. (Hear, hear.) We are tli, tk e nabled to compel the dock committee to take those d en s at what they cost us, but if the dock committee A 11,,1d them at our cost price, we are com then to hand them over to that body. the eL oo wever, they say, and as I understand it, frlairtnan of the dock committee has more than once said douialthough for the truth of this statement I ti e hold myself responsible) ; but it they say t hey`,e will not give you the price y ou p aid fo r tt s ,Y° ll must take off £lOO,OOO, and then we may e s whe. l o 4 sed to take them from you," see the position in be placed. Remember that the dock coal- ehairm an was sent to t h e d oc k co mmittee by the I ek yo' and he i s one o f t h e re p re sentatives of the people. I . t he ' l to watch his p r oceedings at that committee. (Hear , ‘ae ,Let me not be misunderstood. Ido not ask from men ,c,;ll.trrnan of the dock committee, or any of the gentle- , s `hat have been sent from the council to occupy seats at reie board the slightest rivileze. 1 ask not the slightest 17,! r P r l e a rlee, but I g do demand from them equity, justice, and 'Whi, (Cheers.) Gentlemen, I have told you one mode sata t ,, e ". h. Laird ma obtain representation at the dock key' . I will tell you pother mode which probably e t /etiti o Z more desirablea than the one I . have_ . and it is this—that the municipality t i rli L ee iv h e e r ,P e nol should be extended so as to embrace an ta slu, and part of Wallasey, and part of ohe , ere • I '• •that both sides of the Mersey j„, b , formaintain e treated precisely as one. (Hear, hear.) It ( h. c harl ti‘et that t4e interests of the burgesses of Liverpool b it n o ,.L s "oll be done. We have gone flitting off to ear) shore —di % ''hi -- where sh ore—directly into a foreign land—( ear, th eh s ee we have not one square yard of lan , d . in la ,direct interest In Liverpool, taking Prth ()11 which the old borough gaol stood on the arliament street on the south, and the old par ukstre uoundary and the estates which we have I bi - tT, 4 We N THE purchased, and to which we have referred, that circuit embraces all the land that the corporation of Liverpool possesses in Liverpool, and that estate produces—what ? over £30.000 a year; it produces £30,000 a year within that ring fence. Is it not our duty, consequently, having at the same time regard to the accommodation to be afforded to commerce, that we should keep a sharp eye on that property, and increase its value, rather than that we should go to the north shore or south shore, and increase the value of property belonging to other parties. (Hear, hear.) I submit, and I think you will agree with me, that that is the wiser policy. (Hear, hear.) If I take you across the water to Birkenhead, I have no doubt that I shall astonish some of you with the statement of the fact, that we there possess 1,700,000 square yards of land in fee, and we shall do well if, while we improve that estate and also the estate on this side of the water, we concentrate the management and increase the facilities for commerce. (Hear, hear.) Every captain who comes here says, " if your docks were not scattered—if they were not so wide asunder, I should be able to get through my business in less than one half the time it now takes me." Our Mersey is bridged by a class of steamers affording accommodation second only to that secured by a fixed bridge across the river. We have, as I told you, in addition to our property on this side of the river, 1,700,000 square yards of land in ad dition to the docks in Birkenhead, and I have no doubt that in course of time, by proper and judicious management, that property may be doubled, trebled, aye quadrupled in value. (Hear, hear ) Gentlemen, is that nothing td direct our attention to ? I submit that it is of the first importance to see what may increase the value of that property, that it should form the principal subject of our attention in the council chamber, and that we should especially seek the good management and concentration of our docks, because they are the elements of our prosperity. Who has the greatest interest in their good management, or rather who is more likely to take a greater interest in it than we ourselves ? Is it likely that either the government, with its seat in the great metropolis, or the manufacturers residing in the surrounding districts—is it likely that they would know what is going on here ? Is it likely that if they were interested in the management of our docks, they would be better managed than when in the hands of those who have an interest in their good man agement and the property surrounding them, and whose welfare is either augmented or diminished according to the management exercised in the conduct of those docks ? Those who live by the prosperity of Liverpool, and suffer with her adversity, are the parties who should have the management—(hear, hear)—for interference will prove an injurious meddling, and centralising government control a blighting curse. (Cheers.) I say, again, to you, watch your representa tives; see that they do that which they were sent to perform. If they do not fulfil that duty, call them at once to account; and if they will not, or cannot, render an account to you but that which is unsatisfactory, give them notice to quit when their period arrives. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) When their period arrives select better men to put in their places, and if you pursue such a course as that, prosperity is before you, though the world may view you with envy. (Mr. Jeffery resumed his seat amid enthusiastic applause.) The Chairman : Appropriate to the excelljut remarks which have been made on the speech of our worthy representative, we have a toast to be drunk, " The commercial prosperity of Liverpool." (Hear, hear.) I think that it cannot be in better place than to follow the speech of our worthy representative, Mr. Jeffery, with that toast. (Hear, hear.) I will, therefore, now propose for your reception " The commercial prosperity of Liverpool," and call upon our worthy and excellent friend and honourable merchant of Liverpool, George Maxwell, Essq., to respond to it. (Cheers). The toast was drunk with three times three. Song : " May G Al defend the right." Mr. George Maxwell, in rising to respond, was loudly cheered. He said : Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, for the very cordial manner in which you have received my name in connection with the toast which has just been given from the chair, permit me to return you my most sincere thanks. To be associated, at any time, with the commerce of this great town, is an honour that any one may well be proud of. (Hear, hear.) Gentlemen, having spent my whole life in commercial pursuits, be assured that every thing relating to that commerce is interesting to me. To have watched the progress, the almost fabulous progress of the commerce of Liverpool, is indeed a history in itself. (Hear, hear.) Gentlemen, distinctly I have marked that progress for thirty years, and its position n iw is more than six or seven fold what it was then. (Hear, hear.) You have ably had stated to you by the honourable gentleman who has been chosen by this great company as a member of the Town Council—(cheers) -what are the duties commerce requires of that body ; but yet I would more than reiterate, if I could in stronger language than he has used, the necessity of the authorities to keep pace with the wants and the calls of that com merce. (Cheers ) Gentlemen, the circumstances under which we are met augur well, t think, for bitter govern. ment in this town. Let the other wards of L'verpool take example by what has been done here. (Cheers ) Let them select men, practical men, for their represen tatives in the Town Council, and let them instil into the minds of those representatives the necessity of sending practical men into the dock committee. ( Rear, hear.) Gentlemen, much remains to be done. I think we have gone on rapidly for the last thirty years, but we have yet much to do for ourselves. All the great mea sures that have extended the trade of this town have originated in the indomitable energy of the merchants themselves. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) Great ex . ensions of commmerce have never come, forward fram the House of Commons or from the legislatureof this country. (Rear, hear.) The monopoly —the trading monopoly—of the East India Company was wrenched from them by deputation after deputation of the Liverpool merchants. (Hear, hear.) Gentlemen, it is not so many years ago that, with our own eyes, we saw American ships loading in England English commerce on American account, when the monopoly of the East India Company would not allow a British merchant to go there. That scandal was noto rious to all of us, and has long become matter of history; but it is to be regretted that the valuable lives of so many or us should have been spent in clamouring for what we should have long before obtained. (Hear, hear.) But, apart from that, we have had other things more recently to take into our consideration—the great reduc tion in our fiscal arrangements. (Hear, hear.) We all know what great alterations have taken place in this our great commercial port within the last few years. I will only mention to you the alterations, and the saving of expense and time that have taken place in our Custom_ house. (Cheers.) When I first came into this town quite a youth, I would almost have seen the old one him,elf— (immense laughter and cheers)—as have gone to our Custom house in those days to have passed a bill of entry, (Cheers.) Gentlemen, we have received that improve ment. But who got it? Why, it was obtained through the indomitable energy and indefatigable exertions of them selves: (Cheers.) It was the merchants themselves who pressed it upon the Government, that an alteration was necessary in the customs regulations of the port. (Cheers.) A great change has taken place, and we are rejoiced to find that it is so. But, now, gentlemen, we will come a little more to our own time. Some short time since we were impelled, for the purpose of obtaining a repeal of the:Corn Law, we were compelled to form the Anti-Corn Law League—(hear, hear, and cheers)—and, gentlemen, you may rely on it, that free trade would never have come to us if it had not been for that league—(cheers)—but that league had the support of nearly all the wealth, the intel ligence, and the commerce of this great mercantile com munity. (Cheers) Gentlemen, the great Sir It. Peel, of whom all ought to speak with the greatest respect, availed himself of the potatoe rot—(laughter)—to carry that great measure. Gentlemen, during that great agitation, we, the free traders, were called revolutionists ; but what did we do when we obtained our object ? Why. we disbanded. (Cheers) Gentlemen, that great measure, as indeed all other great measures, was carried by the energies of the community at large. Indeed, the great railway system was brought about by the energy of the community at large. It was only through the energy and intelligence of eight or ten persons, that brought about our railway system. (Applause.) It was Mr. Sandon who first pro pounded the Liverpool and Manchester railway, which was the great pioneer of all the other railways, which in the present day were spreading civilisation and intelli gence throughout the length and breadth of the world. (Applause.) But, gentlemen, if Liverpool was not the first to originate, it had never been slow to follow and carry out any of the great improvements of the present age. In what were they engaged in at the present time? Why, as soon as the great scheme for laying telegraph wires down for uniting the old world with the new, why the people of Liverpool immediately came forward and put their shoulders to the wheel, avid gave it their sup. port; and I have no doubt but, that ere long, we shall see the result of the aid we have given to the measure. (Applause.) But, gentlemen, I feel that I have already said enough—(cries of " no, no," and " go on,")—but, gentlemen, before I resume my seat, I will say that I have, for thirty years, watched the improvements which i h av e taken place n Liverpool. I have watched the details of those improvements, and I do hope th a t one will be found in the establishment of that ship i n t h e river, which deserves the support of all the philanthropic, as, through that, it was hoped that the streets would be cleared of our juvenile criminal population, which was looked upon with so much regret by the magistracy of the town. I believe that I have nothing further to add, except that I do think that you have achieved a great victory in the Li me - s t ree t Ward, and, as 1 said before, I hope your exa mp l e w i ll b e f o ll owe d by other wards , wh i c h I have no doubt will be achieved, part i cu l a rly with a free press, which will w or k wonders. ' (Applause.) Gentle. men, I beg, in conclusion, to thank you for the honour you have done me, !n proposi ng my h ea lth, a nd I beg to say , in conclusion, that I wish you all the greatest happiness and prosperity, and beg to thank you all. [The gentle man resumed his seat amidst great applause.] After an appropriate air by the glee singers, The Chairman intimated that the next toast would be proposed by Mr. George Melly. (Applause.) Mr. George Melly then came forward, and was received with demonstrations of applause. He said the chairman had made a great omission when he called upon him to propose the next toast—because he did not say that he, being a Liberal, or Radical, or whatever they might call him—when he did not tell them that he had a political toast to propose. (Hear. hear.) With all due deference to the chairman, be should call that a political meeting, and when he (the chairman) called upon him, he should have told them that it was a political meeting, and that they would hear a political speech. (Laughter.) However, they all knew that he was not a go-between, and as that was a political meeting, he should make a strong—a very strong political speech. The toast that he was called upon to propose was—" The Liberal and Independent Members of the Town Council and Administrative Reform." (Cheers.) First, then, as an elector of another ward, and not of Lime-street ward, they must permit him to express his gratification at the victory the electors had achieved; indeed it was a glorious victory, for they had by their exertions succeeded in placing the right man in the right place. (Cheers.) They had put an end to the compromises that used to take place. (Cheers.) After that victory they would hear no more of compro mises, avid they had done themselves an honour by having elected a man not because he had askel for their support, but because they had seen that he had managed his own business well, and would therefore manage their public business for them; and because, therefore they could trust him. (Applause.) He (Mr. Melly) did earnestly hope that the late election would put a stop to any compromises in future- It was the compromises, he said, that had placed the Liberal party in the position they had already been placed, and the doing away with it had placed their guest in the position he then stood. (Cheers.) He would say that there must be no more compromises, because it was impossible that anything but enmity could exist between two parties, the one of whom was for liberality and freedom, and who were anxious to do good to the poorer and assist their weaker brethren, and the other was opposed to freedom and liberality of every description— in action and thought—and who had opposed every single measure for the good of the poor and for the good of the public, for the last 500 years. (Cheers and laughter.) That was not the bombast of a young man (laughter), it was a solemn truth. He would tell them that from the time of Charles 11. up to the present time, there had not been a single measure proposed 'or the good of the poor, for the good of the rate payers, or for the good of the community, which had not been opposed by the Tory party (applause); and therefore it was that he could not compromise with them. (Applause.) But that was not the subject he had to speak to them upon. The question on which he was called upon to address them was " the liberal and independent members of the Town Council." Who were they ? How many of them were there? Were they all the liberal and independent men they were sup posed to be ? And are they really men fit to take their places by the side of such a man as their old and tried friend Mr. Earle, or with Mr. Robertson Gladstone —(cheers)—or with their friend Mr. J. R. Jeffery. (Applause.) Were the liberal electors in the Town Council such men as would back the men he had named. He (Mr. Melly) said, " I trow not." It had been said that there was no political parties in the Town Council, and that there should not be any, but that all political feelings should be merged for the public good. But he would prove that it was false—that there was political parties in the council. How was it, he would ask, if there was no politics in the Town Council, that they had elected 15 tory mayors ? If there was na politics, how very strange that was 1 (Cheers.) How very odd. (Laughter.) How was it, that if there was no politics, that they should have elected 15 tory mayors, and some of them very young men too ; and allowed a man like Mr. George Holt to have retired without being hon. oured by filling the office ? (Cheers.) Why, the reason was, that Mr. Holt was a dissenter, and not one of the tory party, but one who always went in the right way. How very remarkable, indeed, that there were no politics in the Town Council—he "be blo wed " if he believed that. (Loud cheers, and laughter.) They all were aware that there were politics in the Town Council. They all knew that when any purpose was to be served, the Tory members of the council always voted against the Liberal party. All the officers of the corporation, either at municipal or parliamentary elections—the officers of the dock, as well as the other officers of the corporation—all came up and voted to a man for the man or the party who would trample them to death if they could—(hear, hear, and cheers)—and, therefore, he would say, oh, there were no politics whatever in the Town Council. (Hear, hear.) He thought it right, therefore, to say that there were politics everywhere, and the question was, did they wish to be governed by one side or the other. No, there should be no shuffling—they should bring the men face to face, and let, the electors chose between the men—the Tory or the Liberal. (Hear, hear.) The people who possessed the franchise, either parliamentary or municipal, should hold it from one election to another in their pockets. It should not be shut up in the pocket, from the time of Ewart's election, until the next time it was wanted. It should be kept alive. The speech they had heard that night from their represen.ative, was one full of meaning and significance, that he would ask them if he could be a Tory after it ? (Cheers.) Or, if he spoke as he did, if he were a Tory did they think his speech would have gone down with them ? (No, and cheers.) He had takes note of the observations of Mr. Jeffery, in reference to p irks, to public libraries, and though last, not least of his observations—his very proper observa tions in regard to the signing of checks—(hear, hear,)_ ant this was a point of very great importance, not only to the corporation, but to the public generally. He was right, and for the benefit of the ratepayers who pay their money, that they should have the choice of seeing that it was properly dealt with in a proper mariner. (Hear, hear.) He had watched municipal elections for three ye trs—(a laugh)—gentlemen might laugh, but he had watched the elections for three years, and he could, with confidence, say that municipal elections were the stepping stones to parliamentary representation, for the more liberals sent into the council in the one way, the more they added to the strength of the others in parliament—the more liberals in the Town Council, the s in e n o t r e a i t o h n e o t e h l e d y hadstrengthen all t e t h T e o w parliamentary r f r e e s p s n e liberal opinions, would they not have Liberals to represent them in the House of Commons ? He would caution the Liberals to enter into no further compacts— to pledge themselves to none but Liberal candidates, and to abide stronglt by the pledges they made (Hear.) He would now come to the subject of the toast, which was one of great importance —Admistcative Reform. What was Administrative Reform ? Why, it simply consis'ed of the we'l known passage of placing the right man in the right place. (Hear, bear) It was to send the right man to parliament to represent them there, and if this was done, they would not want reform, because they would have it by the act of returning all true Reformers, and so then administrative reform would, in fact, be at an end—it would not then be necessary. (Hear, hear.) First, then who were they to send to parliament ? The responsibility of this question rested solely on themselves—if they sent men to parliament who represented them truly, why their great object was gained—(hear, hear) —but so long as so many persons in Liverpool, who had votes, and did not vote at all, for he understood that there were at least 8,000 persons, who possessed the franchise in Liverpool, who did not vote at all, but who had their own way, so long would they want administrative reform. (Hear, hear.) He then referred to the last parliamentary election for the borough, and then to the recent election of Lime street ward, on which he observed, in regard to the appointment of Mr. Jeffery, that the honest electors had at last taken him into their account, and pronounced him to be the proper man in the proper place. (Loud cheers.) He then called on the electors in future to come to the hustings, and denounce by their conduct all who told them that they did not want reformers. He sat down amid loud cheers. The Chairman : The toast, gentlemen, which has been so ably proposed by our friend ?Ir. Melly, will now be responded to by our friend and town councillor, Mr. A. C. Stewart. (Cheers.) Mr. A. C. Stewart, on rising, was received with loud cheers. Be said : Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, when I was asked to respond to the toast placed in the pro gramme, I threw together a few hasty notes from which to speak. But when the hononary secretary asked me to respond to the toast, he did not tell me that my friend Mr. Melly was to propose it. Neither did he suppose, any more than I did, that the speech which I was preparing would be delivered without any trouble on my part, and that I should be, in sporting phrase, nowhere. (Laughter.) I have the whole list of notes here, and, on looking over them, I find that Mr. Melly has spoken to every one of them. (Rear, hear, and laughter.) I am therefore not only in the position of a man without a speech, but I am also in the position of a preacher with out a text. (Laughter.) He has taken both from me. (Laughter.) cannot, sir, however, say a word on this sudject which has been given to me without, although for the fourth or fifth time this evening, congratulating all present upon this banquet. It is decidedly the celebration of a triumph of principle. (Hear, hear.) It has decidedly sounded the death-knell of compromise. Compromise is dishonest—compromise always has been di , lionest. It is the very nature of compromise to be dishonest, and whenever any honest men lend them selves to a compromise, they are the only parties who suffer by it. (Hear, hear.) Th i s m a y , perhaps, appear paradoxical, but a few words will explain it. The Liberal party---much to their shame—in Liverpool have been, on several occasions, parties to compromise. As honourable men, taking a dishonourable step, they stuck to the compromise. But I ask you, gentlemen, if you, or any one else can , e i t h er i n Liverpool or out of it, point out to me one si ng l e i nstance in which opponents have stuck to a comp rom i se . ( H ear , b e ar, and cheers.) When have they lost a si ng l e c h ance of givtng a party vote when the chance pres en t e d it se lf to them. You see, therefore, when honourable men come to a dishon ourable compromise, the honourable men suffer by it. The dishonourable men do not mind it, but carry out their party motives as if no compromise had been come to. /dr. Melly has shown you the several instances in which the mayoralty of Liverpool has been handed over to a Tory by the votes of our Tory friends in the council, and he has also told you that the Tories never, upon any occasion whatever, abstain from hoisting their party colours when called on to do so for the support of their party. (Hear, hear.) On behalf of the Liberal and independent members of the Town Council I return There is h , w i l n d d h ee y d p , r a i o s c m i p a l l e l band and —in fact, I am sure o f it ; b allow me to tell you oeby continue n u t w ' ntpimenr my sincere e i le s e n i i toi n : t l e h h eh e e eo r yo c e l odohltuyohbnl.aydcnii thanks. principle o lcoi r i pp e r,el, gentlemen, that they may principle, e that it is a very disheartening thing to be always in a minority. (Hear, hear.) It is very depressing to the spirits, and especially depressing to the spirits when we know that Liverpool is a liberal town—that Liverpool has a liberal, an influential, and an independent press— that th Town Council of Liverpool ought to be and that we are in a minority in the council room because the Lib- rat electors of Liverpool do not do their dtry, (Cheers.) If we were aristocratically kept down, if we were church-ridden, if there were any power underneath with which we were struggling for our very intheir existence, power and to f send L the electors iherol of Liverpool meninto h the ed council every o thing t were unable, then we would manfully fight as a minority. (Hear, hear, and cheers) Then we should know the work we had to do. (Hear, hear.) But when we know we are perfectly aware, as the present ex ample shows, that if the Liberal electors but choose and determine they can make the council Liberal, why should we be suffered to be always in the minority in that room (Hear, hear.) It is you who are to do the work, and to strengthen our hands. If you will do so, and put us in a position to carry out measures for the good of the town. then it will be on us the blame must rest if we do not attend to our duty. (Hear, hear ) Until then, however, we are determined to wait. We are determiued to exercise patience. We are determined to fight under proper standards. We are determined to fight upon principle, and to hope that seeing your power you will now exercise it universally, and that the time of probation and waiting will not be much extended beyond the present period. (Hear, hear.) Administra tive Reform—what is it ? The illustrious buffoon of the House of Commons said lie did not understand the phrase—l mean Mr. Henry Drummond. (Laughter.) I think if he had been here this evening he would have been the only man who did not understand it. (Cheers.) Administrative Reform implies several things. First, that there is an administration—then, that that adminis tration is very badly conducted, and requires to be changed. Administrative Reform means, as Mr. Melly has told you, " the right man in the right place." (Cheers.) That phrase has now become a household word. It is very easy to say, and a great many persons think it is very easy to do. But it is a very difficult thing to do—and why ? Because the whole governmental system is rotten from the core. (Hear and cheers.) The great drawback to Administrative Reform is govern ment patronage. (Hear and cheers.) Government patronage has filled all the offices of the government, government patronage will continue to Ell all the of f ices of the government so long as you allow it to do so, and until you are able to say that no office shall be fi led except by competent men, and that merit shall he the only ground of promotion—until then you will never have Administrative Reform. (Hear, hear, and cheers,) Then the question occurs —How is this to be accom plished ? Gentlemen, the whole governmental pyramid rests upon the foundation of the voters. The voters have the matter entirely in their own hands, and you will never have purity in office until you have purity in voting. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) You will never have principle in office until you have principle in vo ing. Is it likely, let me ask you, if, whenever an election happens, only about one-half, or one third of the electors vote, and these only vote—or at least a great portion of them, because they have been repeatedly called upon, repeatedly canvassed, because men have ran after them day and night for weeks before—only because cars are brought to their doors, and they are driven up to the poll—on'y that they are bribed with beer and other means—because corruption and coercion are exercised upon them—is it likely, I say, that when gentlemen for I will call them gentlemen—as that is the par liamentary phrase—that when gentlemen get their elections by such means, do you think it is likely when you have sold the votes to these men they will not think they have a right to make a profit out of them. (Hear, hear, and cheers ) Do you think that any man, however high his standing may be, would come before a ward as a candidate, spend perhaps several thousands upon an election, would go cap in hand, and on beaded knees, to the lowest and m eanes t e l ec t or i n the community for his vote, and perhaps pay him for it, would go through all the turmoil, labour, and expense of a contested election—do you think, when he has got in, and after he has gone through all that slough, all that degradation, after coaxing, entreating, and bribing you to to give your vote, that that man will feel bound to act an independent and a manly part when he has gained his object ? We say lie should do so if he were a man of principle ; but if you expect your representa tives to be men of principle, should not you who sent them there be men of principle also ? (Hear, hear, and cheers.) Do you suppose that election committees are to be formed, that money is to be found by somebody, to earry on all the paraphernalia of election work, and labour to induce you to do what men want for they own interests, without, after having su ccee d e d in getting you to work for dieir interests, these men, making use of the power they have acquired for their our aggrandizement? Certainly not. (Hear, hear.) Gentlemen, there is a good deal of false doctrine afloat, There is a good deal of ignorance afloat about the elective franchise. The elective franchise is both a privilege and a duty. (Cheers ) It is a privilege to have it—it is a duty you are bound to exercise on principle on each and every occasion that yon have an opportunity, as a duty held in trust for your fellow-men. (Hear, and cheers.) It is not a thing you can possess, like goods and chattels of your own, to do as you like with. (H e a r .) It is a trust imposed upon you—given to you, as trustees, to exercise for the public good ; and, until the electors stand by principle, and scout any man who comes to canvass them for a vote, they cannot expect their representatives to do their duty when sent either into the Council Chamber or the H )use of Com mons. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) Does anybody ever go to canvass Mr. Rathbone for a vote ? (Cheers ) Does anybody go to canvass Mr. Gladstone for a vote ? (Hear, hear, and cheers). Does anybody ever go to Mr. Jeffery, or to myself ? No ; never. And why ? Because they know how we will act. They know that we will not vote against our consciences, or what we believe to be right. (Rear, hear, and cheers.) Now, gentle men, why should not every elector of Liverpool be on the same footing with us Why should not every man who calls himself a freeman, and would feel degraded if you said he was a slave, not stand upon his own dignity and independence, and say—" I conceive so and so is the man who will d) the best for the country, and, therefore, I will vote for him, and the man who comes to induce me to do otherwise, I consider the worst enemy of my native land." (Cheers.) Now this is the duty of the electors, and it has not been per formed. What is the consequence ? Fully one third of the House of Commons is composed of mem bers who are the sons or nephews, or other relations of peers, a great many more who are placewen, and a great many more who are officers in the army and navy. So, taking all the parties from the total number, the people have a uiserable minority in their own house; and, gentlemen, I say that we will never have admintea- Live reform until we have a House of Commons which is really a Commons House of Parliament— and that can only be done by the electors standing upon their privi leges, and voting in a free and independent manner. (Hear, hear, and cheers) But now we come to consider the cure for those evils. There are two cures for th e m— One is the p rogress o f e d ucat i on . I w ill not pause to say anything on that q ues tion. Education must b e ex t en d e d, (Cheers.) Party quarrels, sectarian differences, and all the hindrances to a sound and liberal education must be thrown on one side, and that system which is the best must be inaugurated. (Hear, hear,) The people must know how to vote; they must be taught their duties, and after being taught their duties, we have reason to expect that they will exercise their privileges. If we cannot have a House of Commons by this means we must extend the franchise. (Hear, hear. ) Bribery is an evil against which cart loads of acts of parliament have been passed, and yet it still exists. The only cure, then, is to make the constituencies so large, and also so equal, not having very small boroughs to swamp the large ones, but having all as nearly equal as possible that it would be impossible to bribe them ' • and, if after all that, we cannot get a corn • mons House of Commons, we must have the ballot. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) By the ballot, I mean some means to protect the voter in the free and independent exercise of his franchise. (Hear, hear.) A great deal has been said against the aristocracy. It has been said that half a dozen leading families in this country have the government of the country all in their own hands. I am not standing here as the advocate of the aristocracy—far from it—but ham afraid that too much attention has been paid to this subject. It is a very fine thing for any demagogue to make rounded periods, or to call the working men slaves and oppressed, and to say that the aristocracy have everything in their hands, and that they will hold it. So would democracy, as well as the aristocracy, hold it if v th il e e yeould get hold of power. (Hear, hear.) Tho ari stocracy hold the reins of government because you allow them t o h o ld them; but if you e xerc i se y our p r i ges , and make the House of Commons a commons House of Parliament. you will upset the family compact-- you will widen the entrances to official situations, and, by so doing, you will, in a great measure, accomplish the end which you so much desire—administrative reform. (Cheers.) But, if such be the case in the House of Com mons, it is quite as much the case in the Town Council of Liverpool. (Hear, bear.) If the veil of futurity could be lifted; if we could look forward twenty years, and see what Liverpool would become in that time, that its pro gress would be such that its present size to its then dimensions would be as the centre to the circumference, how would we now act ? We have no idea of the strides of commerce in this neighbourhood, and, if as this exten sion proceeds, we shall see for miles round the present centre, a teeming population, and hives of industry on both sides of the river, how necessary is it that we, who have the guardianship of those interests, should be up and do our duty, in order thatjthe right men may be put in the right place, and in order that the Cor poration and the Dock Committee may do their duty. (Hear, hear.) However bad the aristocracy may be, and they are bad enough every body knows—however bad they may be, do not be led away with that part of the argument ; but get your minds firmly fixed on the other side, that is your duty. If you but exercise your privi leges manfully and independently, rest assuredEthat the lower and middle classes of this country will attain to that station which i; their right—they will have that t t this Ti c country t t r h y e w righteh i s place— you r ( p i u o e w — e e i in theshallmanagement have sh dl have promotion by merit instead of patronage or exercised in a more liberal, and, at the same time, in a theri o gh f purchase, and you shall have the affairs of this country more e , -onomieal way. (Loud cheers, amid which Mr. Stewart sat down.) The Chairman : We have heard of Parliamentary reform—l have now to propose to you " Parochial Reform," and couple with the toast our friend Mr. John Woodruff, churchwarden and town councillor. Drunk with all the honours. Song—" The Widow Malone." Mr. Woodruff, on rising, was londly cheered. lie said : Mr. Chairman, Vice-chairman, and Gentlemen, at this late hour of the evening I should best consult your feelings by making a very few and brief remarks indeed ; but I cannot permit the opportunity to pass by without express ing. in common with the friends who have preceded me, how pleased I am at the success of our friend Mr. Jeffery. (Cheers) Sir, my name has been coupled with parochial reform. It is quite true that with your permission I have now held the office of churchwarden for nearly two years, and I hope that during that time some new and better arrangement has been endeavoured to be carried out. (Hear, hear.) The principle which my colleague and myself have attempted to enforce is, insisting, as far as possible, on the church doing its own duty and paying for its own work (cheers), and permitting those who keep without the church to do their own work while they are content to pay for it. (Hear, hear.) I say it is a disgrace to the church, either locally or nationally, with the large funds at its disposal and the supposed position that it holds, to ask or demand from any other source but from its own members who acccept its devotions, suppOrt for its practices and teaching. (Hear, bear.) I have no hesitation as a member of the Church of England, in saying that the church should first put its own house in order by the clergymen doing their work as they ought to do, promulgating with diligence, industry, and attention to the proper principles of the established religion of this country and if that will not secure attention and support from the pe )ple that accept their ministrations, nothing else will do it. (Hear, hear.) Ido hope above all things that church men will have such respect for the principles they hold themselves, that whilst maintaining their own institutions, they will do so without injustice to others. (Cheers ) We have attempted a pnlicy in this town for the last two years, different to any, I believe, that was tried before, and I trust that we will maintain the efficiency of our establish ment without doing injustice to the mass of people who dissent from, and will not accept of, the Church of England's teachings. (Hear, hear) We have attempted to carry out the new arrangement so far as our control would admit, and, while we admit the right of all to follow their own inclinations in matters of religion —while we see that the great body of people outside the Church of England contribute largely to the support of their own churches and schools, and to every institution that can be benefici , ll to their fellow man—seeing that, we cannot in justice ask them to contribute towards the support of our church. (Loud cheering.) I hope, however, that we will act harmoniously together, even though we should differ on many paints, and that the political and religious discussions which have for so many years agitated the town, will be now buried in oblivion. (Applause ) The Chairman then proposed " The 431 * electors who voted for Mr. Jeftm.v"—(cheers) —and couple] with the name of Mr. S. B. J . ickson. Mr. J. R. Jeffery : I am perfectly in order to propose three times three for the Liberal electors of Lime street Ward. The proposition was immediately answered by enthusi astic cheers. Mr. S. 13 Jackson said—Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, in obedience to your call I rise to respond to the toast which has been proposed and so warmly received ; but I must say, before I go any further, that according to my notions of order, and with all due defe rence, we ought to have had the Chairman's health drunk before our nwn. (Laughter) I will take it, how ever, that we are not toasting ourselves to-night—(hear, hear)—but I will assume that the gentlemen whom I see around us, and who are not connected with this ward. are doing us this honour—(hear, hear)—that they are here to night as - sympathising friends, and as such, in the name of the 431 electors. I return you our hesrty thanks. (Hear, hear.) B it with that we do not repay you the debt of gratitude we owe you. This is not the first mutual meeting we have had as friends and electors in Lime street Ward. No ; when the most powerful and personal influence of the Tory party was imported into this ward, in the recent contest, we were very much encouraged and stimulated when gentlemen like Mr. Robertson Gladstone —(cheers)—and other gentlemen with kindred hearts and spirits, such as we see before us to-night, came forwrd and rallied round the man of our choice, and they deepened and extended the conviction we had, that by sending Mr. Jeffery to the Town Council as the represents. tive for Lime street ward, we would be sending the right man to the right place. (Applause.) I thank you, gantlemen, for not only trusting us, and for this expression of your sympathy and approval, but I thank you also for the assistance you gave us in that arduous but successful struggle in which we were engaged. Gentlemen, we have not mtrely been contending for the best man, thongh that was a great matter, we were contending for a great principle. (Hear, hear.) As the illustrious Kassath has said, our mneicinal institutions are the greatest blessings we enj uy in this free country, and for them we were struggling. (Cheers.) I believe that all this had been attended with good, because we have gained some instructions, and let us not be afraid to carry it out. The reformers of Lime-street Ward were aware of the position in which they stood ; they had to fight a very severe contest, but it has been a successful one (Cheers.) How could it be otherwise with such a candidate (Great cheering,) I am no flatterer, I mean what I say. It was a great point to have a good candi date, and I fear that if the elections are carried on as the last one was, we shall have a great difficulty in getting good candidates at all, particularly when we most want them. For my part, when I fouud that we had such a candidate I was sure we should be successful ; but when I saw the meetings of the friends in the Freemasons hill, and when I saw the state of the canvass there, there could be no doubt as to the result. We had a majority of supporters, and we knew what sort of men we had to deal with. We knew that we could depend upon them, because we had before had some experience in the men—and we were not disappointed, for the 431 electors of Lime street stood to their words, and they fully deserved all confi dence. (Cheers.) I am sorry that the whole of the 431 electors of that ward are not present to night to enjoy this banquet—(cheers)-,-,because I think that much good might be derived from such social gatherings as these. (Hear, hear.) I think that if we were frequently to have such gatherings as these, that great advantages would result, and that the reformers would gain more unity and strength. I hope that we shall see the time when the reformers will all assemble together on certain days to discuss and interchange ideas. (A voice, " Very right.") Although our friend Mr. Speiser has given us a very grand entertainment to-night, I must confess that I do not think that it would be the means of getting 431 electors together, because there are so many who cannot afford it. I should like to see them assemble together in a social manner at stated times, in the same way as religious and other societies did. We could have our social meeting once a year the same as other societies had. (Cheers.) And why not have our tea parties— (hear, hear,)—at a shilling each, and then all the electors could come. (Hear, hear.) And then again, if we could not get on without the ladies, why not have them amongst us, particularly as it had been said by Mr. Lloyd, that they were such good electioneerers. (Laughter.) But I should strongly urge on the electors the necessity of having periodical social meetings, for useful and practical purposes. (Applause.) Mr. Jeffery then came forward, and was again most cordially greeted. He said—l have to ask you to fill bumpers, to drink the toast I am about to propose. The toast I have the pleasure to propose to you, is the health of our noble Chairman. (Applause.) The general who leads his army into battle—wins victory—withdraws them again, and only places 51 in the hospit a l —(cheers and laughter)—without losing in reality one of his soldier He is a general to be envi e d, an d I hope sincerely that v s. at a may live long for us to have hi m again anti e again. (Cheers.) During the late con fli ct he gave our oppon ents some very nasty nuts to crank—(la ug ht er day of election he gave th em such a pill )—and on th e t hope have operated so u p on their di o swallow, as I for the future, constit uents, and thus iseases, as to p ur if y , muni cipal institutions, whi c h heretofore nvigorate our Gentlemen, I wish we h a d such have been so polluted. in the town—so fine, so a general in every ward handsome (laughter) and noble a chairman, commanding such • could withstand him? must have an influential body- Whoto appear before hi m (Cheers .) Whoever dare been annihilated. (Cheers.) Then, gentlemen, did you see with what modesty he pro posed the toast. He should have proposed the 431 electors of the Lime street Ward, who voted for me. But did yo notice the way in which he did it. I dare say you di I flat, and so I will tell you. Why, he proposed the health of 430 electors, leaving out himself. (Applause.) Now I am sure you will do your duty in responding to the toast. Mr Jeffery concluded by proposing the toast. G'ec—By the singers. The Chairman, in returning thanks for the compliment, said, I thank you very sincerely for the kindness with which you have responded to the toast proposed, but I think I have some reason to complain of the conduct of our worthy representative. (Cheers.) He had a duty to perform, and that duty was on the record, and also how he was to do it; but he has s'sewn, even in this instance, that he is one who would not be a delegate, because he had departed from the record, and has done it in his own way. He was deputed to propose the health of the chairman, the vice-chairman, and the members of the committee, which was th 3 toast laid down according to the rules of the committee, but he had omitted the names of all but myself, whom he had singled out from the rest. It is unfair towards me that I should be thus singled out from all the other members of the committee, when it really was those who had done the work. I only sat at the committee room, night after night, while the others went out and canvassed from door to door. Ido think that the electors have done themselves a great honour by returning such a man as Mr. J. R. Jeff ry, and I hope before long to see many more such reformers in the Town Council. (Cheers.) I shall now call upon you to drink the health of the vice-chairman, and the members of the committee. (Cheers.) Mr. Jeffery : Permit me to propose that the toast should be drunk with three thee: s. Mr. Liversedge, Mr. Cope, Mr. Graham, Mr. Jackson, and the other members of the committee, I have much pleasure in drinking your very good healths; and I hope a future efforts may prove as successful as your last The toast was responded to with great enthusiasm. Mr. Liyersidge upon being called on, said he had but a few words to say, because he could say of the chairman, as the gentleman had said of Mr. Melly—that he had taken his speech from him—but he could also say that what the chairman had said—had been said—much better than he possibly ceuld have said it. But he was exceedingly glad to find that they had then got a reform committee, after it it had been in oblivion for six or seven years. After lying dormant for that period, it had come to life again with fresh vigour. By the great victory that they had so recently achieved, the reformers had fully compensated for that loss of time. They had done away with amalgamation, and had then got a most excellent chairman, and such an experienced secretary, that none could " Cope" with him. (Laughter.) Besides these, they had an excellent treasurer, and a bunch of energetic men. He concluded by expressing a hope that some parties would undertake the duty of impressing upon the electors and the non electors their duties, as they had duties to perform as well as the representatives. Mr. Cope being loudly called on, rose and said he felt very much obliged to the chairman and the company for the honour they had conferred on him. He had no notion that he would be called on to say one word that evening, yet he would not detain them by any lengthened observa tions on the present occasion. At the last election for Lime.street Ward he had heard the sophistry of John Buck Lloyd, and therefore it would be impossible for him to express his feelings on the present occasion. (Loud laughter and cheers.) But he really was quite in earnest, for he could not tell them the feelings of his mind. How ever, as that was a repository, not for eloquence but for horses—(loud laughter)—he would not say much ; but he would picture to himself the figure of John Buck Lloyd riding on some devil of an Asinodeus, and gaging down into that room on them; and he (Mr. C.) was sure he would look with Brea" surprise on the room as it then stood—he meant that John B. Lloyd would, and not the devil. (Loud cheers and laughter.) With what regret he would look back on his past career, and on the oppor tunities he had lost, and curse the day he was not a reformer. (Cheers.) Reform was a simple maxim, and consisted in this—leaving the worid better than we find it. (Cheers.) That principle had been carried out in Lime-street Ward • and if all the wards followed the example, they would leave the world better than they found it. He sat drwn amid loud applause. The Chairman then rose and said, the n'xt toast which lie had the honour of proposing was an important one; it was—" The Press "—a mighty engine for good or evil. (Hear, hear.) There were two sides of the Press at work, in the late election, but it was gratifying for him to t. II them, that the side which represented the good prevailed. (Loud cheers.) He then gave "The Press," which was drunk with great enthusiasm. The chairman then called on Mr. Whitty, but that gentleman having left the room, there were loud calls for Mr. Charles Willmer. The chairman said, it was in the ordinary course that he called on the senior member of the Press, but as that gentleman hail gone away, he felt gre tt pleasure in calling on Mr. Charles Willtner, who, although a junior, was nevertheless equally respec . ed and admired by the public, as an let_ pendent and honest member of the Press. (C!2,-,ers.) Mr. Wilimier rose, and was received with loud applause. He said he felt it an honour to be connected with the Press, and he felt it a peculiar honour to be con nected with the free, honest, and independent Press. (Loud cheers.) He felt proud to belong to a press that advocated the great progress of the majority of the peopie instead of the narrow-mindedness of the few (Great applause.) He then stated that he would not detain them by saying on that occasion what he thought of the whole impor• ant proeeedinga, as he would have an oppor tunity of ding so in another place, and on an early occa sion. Having duly thanked the meeting, he sat down amid repeated applause. The Chairman then gave " the two sides of the water," coupling the name of Mr. John Finch. The toast was drunk with all the honours. Mr. Finch returned thanks. He said there was a great deal of interest taken at Birkenhead in reference to the recent elections in Liverpool. He repudiated the notion of a joint committee, and said the electors were cheated by such a course, as the committee met in some small room and selected whom they pleased to represent them, thereby cheating the electors, who ought to chose for themselves. —the burgesses should know which was which, and who was who, and s€lect their man themselves. He trusted that the result of the late election would have a beneficial effect on all Liverpool, and that in future the other wards would imitate Lime street. He returned thanks, and sat down amid considerable cheering. The company then began to separate, after spending a pleasant evening. (It would be almost an injustice not to state that the waiters who attended on the banquet performed their duties admirably, being attentive and efficient, and we were glad to find that they were furnished to, the caterer by the Waiters' Associationl FRIGHTFUL ACCIDENT TO THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE'S COACIIMAN.—On Friday last the Duke of Cambridge's coachman met with a serious accident. It appears that whilst he was exercising one of his Royal Highness's hones, the animal reared and fell backwards, so severely injuring the rider that be now lies in a dangerous state. THE INgurstrrox REVIVED. —The Inqaisitor General the Roman Catholic Church has i sued a document, dated from Ancona, for a revival of the inquisition. It begins —" Being desirous, as imp-sed by our holy office, that the Catholic faith (without which, as the Apostle Paul write to the Jews, it is impossible to please God) should be in, our jurisdiction maintained pure and immaculate from elk heretical contagion ; and exoerienee having proven unto ns, that many persons from malice, others from disot.clin tee , and, finally, others from ignoratce, do not fulfil tl:e strict obligation they are under of denouncing to the 'uoly office the misdeeds which come under its attribitlions, and that serious inconveniences and errors result t'aerefrom, not only , against good morals, but especially against the Catholic, faith; nevertheless, we who have especially at heart the glory of God, the full conservation and increase of the holy faith, and the salvation of souls, to obviate all disorder, with, the apostolic authority intrusted to our command, in virtue of holy obedience, and under pain of excommunioation, without prejudice to other penalties prescribed by the sacred canons, decrees, constitutiuns, and bulls of the Sovereign Pontiffs, by this present edict, all and every person, what ever his station, rank, or employment, whether lay or. clerical, and within the delay of one month, ten days o(. which are assigned for the first, ten for the second, and ten for the third peremptory tert T o h i e nf l or il m us a tr g a a t i e n d st N an e d w\.. o g t i. i v f e y s to us judicially, or to our vicars and resident curates, all, and each of such pers r o e n s s ide a n s ee m ay of pcorminecenin;sdre_edr.erhiicsk orvitihheaini. acquaintance," Tinhtsonii,fioeldlorwosvaal lobnrzideli,satnif offences ltiico ALLIANCE Frederick William to England to oa ar f sketch sepi ofa R autnhsdse reported. i hA future is The iourn o f Prince Celebrate eY th English anniversaries nertnnni Princess °veneer s w slir assa r atn i i en s ysoahffmi fro m eeroreibsnti and pleases theirall_ among uok rr s t p h o a n i' .. Y the maim s national taste, which is to observe s : cineneoi mostlittle interesting French her fete-day !lAA. ---- out mo y re sharply ri for the souvenirs than than does the German fraulein for her intended's congratu °la° th at d a y. Everything connected English alliance interests deeply, and is most portraits and busts are [`heir Royal Highnews' and English ladies become de in the shops, they can give any description of the messes ice,ss or answer the multiplicity of questions about her in, at all a satisfactory manner. To speak English is the fashion ; and the number of articles which are named as British in the shops is quite alarming, particularly as they are th• rubbish and things that have hung sale hitherto which are thus made to go o ff rapidly. The Kronprimn Resident —a pretty, quaint edifice, half cottage, half palace— is being enlarged and beautified for the future habitation of the young couple ; and by the size of the scaffolding and briskness of the workmen, it seems as if great things would be accomplished in a short time. It is situated in the best part of Berlin, just opposite the Armoury, and close to the classical acd statued bridge across the Spree ; while imme diately beyond rises the dome which crowns the magnificent residence of the Rings of Prussia," g r a t st tt IBdroriaenceyr - ha e s with tb popul ar aidn 1,.. positiv