The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-02-15 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARY STAMP RETURNS FOR THE

YEAR 1854.
PRESTON GUARDIAN.. •• • •
Preston Chronicle.
Preston Pilot . 48,000
Lancaster Guardian . .... 48,000
Lancaster Gazette ...... 41,500
Ulverston Advertiser.
Blackburn Standard .. . .. 28,500

---- 320,500
It will be seen from the above that the number of stamps issued to
the Guardian exceeded by 49,500 the number issued to all the
other papers .n Nt,rtL Lancashire added together.
THE PREPAID CHARGES for Advertising
in the PRESTON GUARDIAN are--
4 Lines, or 30 Words, Is 6d, If prepaid.
8 Lines, or 60 Words, Is Od, if prepaid.
Advertisess will do well to remember that no Advertisements,
however short, are received on credit under 2s 6d each, it being
impossible to open accounts for such small sums and collect the
amounts without an extra charge. Parties residingout of Preston
may remit accounts of lOsand under in postagestamps; above that
amount by Post-office order, deducting cost of order. Agents out
of Preston must prepay all advertisements which they wish to be
inserted at the prepaid rates otherwise they will be charged credit
prices

GUARDIAN-OFFICE, 11, FISHERGATE, PRESTO*,

MIDLAND RAILWAY.

The directors recommend a dividend—less income
tax—payable on the Ist of March next, of £1 17s. 6d.
upon each One Hundred Pounds Consolidated Stock ;
£1 3s. 9d. upon Birmingham and Derby Stock ; £3
upon Consolidated Preferential Stock ; £3 upon Con-
solidated Erewash Valley Stock ; £2 ss. upon Consoli-
dated 49 per Cent. Preferential Stock ; 6s. 101 d. upon
£l6 13s. 4d. Shares, being interestiat the rate of 44- per
cent. per annum upon £ll 12s. 4d. for the half-year,
and upon £5 for 133 days ; £2 upon Consolidated
Leicester and Hitchin Preferential Stock ; £2 upon each
£lOO, paid on account of £5 Shares. After payment of
the above dividend there will remain a balance of
£33,802 to be carried to account. The working expenses
have been £4l ss. 2d. per cent., against £4l lls. 3d. per
cent. for the corresponding half-year of 1854.

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE

LIVERPOOL, FEBRUARY 15

WIND YESTERDAY—South-west.

HIGH WATER—Morn., 6 at —Eveg. 7 18—Height, 11 ft. 9 in

ARRIVED

Feb. 13.—Cardiff Lass, and Leopoldina, Santander. Feb. IC.—
Tar. 'scot, New Orleans—lntrinsic, and Huron, Charleston— Cambria
), H asre—Mtian Marseilles—Oaring, St. Michaels—Florist,
Alexandria—Emel a Julie, and Florence, Rio Grande—Florida, and
Lawrence Brown, Savanna—Flora M`Donald, Baltimore.

SAILED

Feb: 14.—Mary Hardy, Barbadoes—Scamander (s.s.), Alexandria—

Arcadia (s.s.), Smyrna,

FINANCIAL REFORM ASSOCIATION,

The annual meeting of the Liverpool Financial Reform
Association was held on Wednesday at the rooms of the
association in York-buildings, Dale-street. The chair was

occupied on the occasion by Mr. Thomas Brocklebank,
and the meeting was attended, amongst others, by the
following gentlemen :—Mr. Rathbone, Mr. Eyre Evans,
Mr. S. Thornely, Mr. T. S. Raffles, Mr. T. Corkhill, Mr.
H. W. Walker, Mr. Langton, Mr. E. Harvey, Mr. S. B.
Jackson, Mr. Henry Jones, Mr. W. Frazer, Mr. John
Finch, jun., Mr. W. Rathbone, jun., Mr. C. E. Rawlins,
&c.

The Chairman opened the proceedings by briefly
observing that the members of the association has been
called together for the purpose of receiving the annual
report of the council, which he would now call upon their
secretary to read.

The Secretary (Mr. Brumfitt) then read the report
which was in the following terms :

REPORT

By the alteration of the third rule at the annual meeting in July
last, it becomes the duty of your council to call together the morn-

bers of the Reform Association at an earl er Period.of the year than
usual, tilt ugh the short time vs hich has elapsed since then will render
it unnecessary to present any very lengthened repo. t.
The attention of your council has been directed to maintain the
machinery of the association in good working order, and ready for
any emergency which, under existing circumstances, may at any
moment arise. Keeping this object steadily in view, they have
sought by every legitimate and honourable means to purify the
regi,ter, and to increase the number of Liberal voters, both borough,
county, end municipal.

Your council have uniformly acted upon the principle of not
attempting to substantiate illegal votes, or to excite irritation by
frivolous objections; aod although the,Tories at the last borough revi-
sion (doubtless anxious to reverse their late defeat) ma e a much
larger number of objections than the Reformers, and double the Lum-
ber usually made by themselves, namely, 1,553, while those Maria by
us amounted only to 1,134, we have been able to maintain our ground,
whilst In the Liverpool polling district for the county the Reformers
have a nett gain of 183. in the limn' cipal revision of 365, and in the
-0 _

ict of Sou

Whilst gratefully acknowledging the very efficient assistance
rendered by some of the wards, it is to be lamented that others do
not seem to be sufficiently alive to what at first sight may appear
of trifling importance, but which is in reality of the greatest moment
to the end which we all have in view.

With the best intentions, and the most zealous wishes for the
general success, preliminaries are frequently neglected on which the
mo,.t important results may turn. The Ward Committees are
sources from which much valuable, personal, and local information
might be de, ived, and from the medium through which communica.
tion with the general body should be kt pt up.
If this information is not conveyed to heal-quarters, and if these
means of communication with the outposts he cut off, or are not
kept constantly or actively in play, the result must be injurious to
the cause at large.

At the present period especially, when a general election is, to say
the least, very probable, and may be close at hand, the well•dir, cted
and systematic exertions of the Ward Committees are peculiarly
requisite, not only In the actual struggle, but on many less stormy
occasions, all tending to ensure a final victory.
It is to be hoped, therefore, that every true reformer will attack
himself to that ward committee in which he thinks his exertions
will prove the most efficient, and from this time to the 25th August
strain every nerve to serve that party of which he is himself an
individual, and in no case unimportant, member. These means
would procure a very advantageous result on the different regis-
trations, and on them, it is almost needless to observe, success at
the elections mainly depends. Ward books are now In course of
Preparation for the different committees, so arranged and prepared
as to require as little labour
-as possible.

Before quitting this part of the report, your council deem it their
duty to call the attention of the ward committees to the unex-
pected defeat of the reform candidate in Castle-street Ward at the
last municipal election. This is to be attributed mainly to i false
feeling of security on the part of the committee of the ward, lead-
ing them to neglect the most ordinary stens to ensure success, and
to the very unusual means used by a party who knew full well that
they could not triumph in a fair and honouraMe fight.
A wide difference exists between Castle-street and the adjoining
ward, Exchange; for, although no contest has taken place in the
latter ward for many years, about 200 objections are annually made
against the most respectable inhabitants of the town by the oppo-
site party. Secretaries, clerks, and messengers are emoloyed, and
the old Tory tactics of eating and drinking prevail just as though a
fierce contest was pending. It is to be hoped, however, that from
this occupation of Castle-street Ward by a Tory, (which will be but
of short duration), much :good may be extracted, and that it may
serve as a warning to other committees not to be caught napping.
Your council have again to complain of the great apathy shown
by many persons, from whom a more conscientious regard to th-ir
duties as citizens might have been looked for, in not attending to
substantiate their claims in the Revision Court; and they regret to
say that a large number of such claims, in consequence of the
absence of the claimants, fell to the ground.
At the last revision, out 'of 236 claims made, although each of
these persons must have been summoned at least three times, only
forty-two could be placed on the register, owing to the non-attend-
ance of the rest.

The making of such claims, when not followed up, is a great
waste of time and money to the association,as well as a great loss
to the cause in general.

The number of names on the borough list this year is 17,847,
which is not so large a 4 it would have been, in consequence of the
revising barrister having determined to strike off all names that
were known to be plural. Of these, 1,634 are freemen, having no
other qualification, and 2,364 are entirely new names, whose politics
are unknown.

At Sir Erskine Perry's contest, in 1853, there were 17.315 names
oa the list, 1,770 being freemen only. At Mr. Ewart's contest,
last year, there were 18,726 names, 1,708 being freemen. It is
satisfactory to note from these statistics that the proportion is
increasing in favour of the class of voters most favourable to
Liberal politics. _

The number of new names added to the register form a very
important item for consideration. It would appear that at the
last election there were 3,887 such names upon the list, of whom
1,123 voted for Ewan, 756 for Benham, and 2,003 did not vote
at all. Your council, therefore, think that they may reckon on
a majority of such new voters as an increasing source of strength.
There is still another very important class of persons, about whom
it wcu'd be well to say a few words. At the election in 1852 there
ere 4320 persons who did not vote at all; in 1833, 4679; and in
1855, 5391. Some allowance must be made, of course, for dead or
absent, still there is a very large number of persons who do not vote
at all, and the great majority of these turn out to be the same per.ons
year by year.

There is good reason to believe Oat the majority of those will
abstain from voting are persons professing liberal opinions, and,
therefore, this class of persons afford to the ward committee an
important field for exertion.

Your council cannot conclude their report without bringing
prominently brfore the members of tho association the admirable
conduct, as a member of Parliament. of our esteemed representative
Mr. J. C. Ewart. His courtesy to all who seek his assistance, his
unwearied industry and attention to Parliamentary duties, and the
deep anxiety he feels in all matters affecting the inter,sts of the
people of Liverpool have won for him golden opinions from all
clnsses of our townsmen; and it is admitted, both by political
opponents and friends, who have required his assistance in obtaining
interviews with ministers or in transacting business with Parliamen-
tary committees, that he is the most indefatigable and useful mem-
ber Liverpool ever had ; and your council feel great conscience
that, at the next election, he will be again returned by a large
majority.

Mr. W. Rathbone, jun, in moving the first resolution,
that the report be approved and adopted, remarked that
it had been drawn up with great ability by their secre-
tary, with whom they had every reason to feel satisfied in
every respect, and who perfectly understood the business
he had undertaken. (Applause.)

The motion having been seconded by Mr. T. B. Hornby,
was carried unanimously.

Mr. H. W. Walker moved the next resolution, which was
—That the following gentlemen be appointed president,
vice-president, executive committee, and officers for the
ensuing year,—
PRESIDENT—Thomas Brocklebank.

VICE-PRE STD ENTS,

James Aikln.
Thomas Bolton.
William Earle
Eyre Evans.
Rots--

James Mellor.
William Rathbone
C. Rawdon.
C. Robertson

..obertson Gladstone. R. W. Ronald.
James Ryley.
R. E. Harvey.
James George Holt, Stitt.
Samuel Thornely.
Thomas A. Hope.
Hugh Horoby. Thomas Thoroely, M.P.
F, S. Hurl Thomas Urquhart.
TB. Heywood Jones. T. Robinson, jun.
Thomas Lloyd. A. C. Stewart.
George Maxwell. J. H. Macrae.
Richard Shell.
Walter F. Macgregor.