The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-10-29 00:00:00

MEETING IN ABERCROMBY WARD.

LAST evening a meeting of the burgesses of Abercromby
Ward favourable to the return of Mr. J. H. Brancker as a
member of the Town Council was held in the house of Mr.
Craig, Mulberry-street,
Mr. ROBERTS9N GLADSTONE occupied the chair.
The CHAIRMAN, in opening the business of the meeting,
said—Gentlemen, I need scarcely remind you of the impor-
tance of the duty we are met this evening to perform ; it is
that of selecting a proper person to represent your interests
in the Town Council. If we were to judge of the impor-
tance of this duty by the supposed fact, that expansion or
contraction was governed by the necessity of the case, I
think I am perfectly authorised in saying there never was an
occasion upon which you were more imperatively called upon
to exert yourselves. (Hear, hear.) The infusion of new
blood into the council in substitution for what is there at
rpresent
and
s iatabsolutelywithdeymouanded
to determine
ere
rln defence
m. of your
ewhether
or
own i
not nytoeu-
will allow those who are at present the representatives
of the people to govern matters as they have done
of late, or whether you will substitute others, who,
being of a very different calibre, will undertake those impor-
pant and responsible duties which are necessarily attached
to your interests. (Hear, hear.) It is now nearly ten years
since I left the Town Council, and the first thing I found on
my return to it, was that old prejudices existed there just as
I left them at the period I have named. (Hear, hear.) It is
an extraordinary circumstance that there you find a body of
men composed of those who attend to the duties of their oc-
cupations in various ways. (Hear, hear.) I have the
pleasure of being associated with many members who dis-
charge their duty in an admirable manner. (Hear.) There
are others who attend when an increase of salary or some
such matter is to be discussed. (Hear, hear.) Those mem-
bers we, perhaps, see once or twice a year. (Cries of shame.)
There are others who attend when particular matters are to
be discussed and settled, which directly interest themselves.
(Hear, hear.) Now I say this is not the position of a Town
Councillor. He undertakes to perform the whole duties of
his office in which there is one common interest pervading,
and the man who attends in the manner I have described is
not a fair and proper representative of the people. (Cheers.)
Now I think yon will agree with me, unless those who enter
into the Council can make up their minds to devote their
attention to the business of the Town Council, can look, to
the interests which they are bound to protect as their own,
and deal with them accordingly, they have no business in
the Council. (Hear, hear.) There are a great variety of
matters at this moment which ought to occupy the serious
attention of members of the Town Council. There are the
sanitary improvements of the town, and there is a much
more important subject which is now occupying the
attention of the town, namely, the direction to be
given to new streets : new streets to be formed
which are absolutely required, and although many of us
may differ as to the best course to be pursued under those
circumstances, yet I believe, Town Councillors generally are
impressed with the opinion that it is utterly impossible the
town can go on with it as it is at present. (Hear, hear). There
must be some new streets made some fresh approaches to
the centre of business, or we shall all be in confusion. I
have been told you have been fortunate enough to meet
with a candidate who is admirably fitted to represent
all those various important interests in the Town Council.
(Applause.) I believe you are already informed we shall
have introduced to us this evening a gentleman who pos-
sesses the necessary qualification to act in every way, and is
admirably fitted to do justice to the interests of the ward,
and indeed of every ward in the town. (Hear, hear).
Therefore it is unnecssary to occupy your time any longer ;
buf I may just venture to remark one or two points which
it is essential you should be informed upon. I have already
presumed to mention, on entering the council, I found many
of those whom I had left there ten years previously, and
who were then the obstructions of progress. (Hear, hear).
Now in the selection of fresh candidates, isit unreasonable
to require that you should demand on the part of yourselves,
that your representatives should possess the necessary qua-
lifications of an ordinary pupil in the corporation schools,
reading, writing, and arithmetic ? (Hear, hear, and laugh-
ter). Surely, these should not be deemed very extraordinary
on the part of yourselves in the representation of your own
interests, and with regard to those of your representative.
But such is the case, and it rests with you. In the Town
Council I contend we all meet, from whatever 'class we arc
chosen,—for classes are distinguished first of all, unfortu-
nately as it happens, by wealth; but I say classes are mainly
distinguished for their virtues. Now I contend we all meet
their on one common ground, and no man has a right to
preference or precedence but by virtue of his own merits.
(Hear, hear). Now that being the case, it rests with you to
decide whether you will be represented by liberal, enlightened
minds, or whether you will go on with those who are trying
to retrograde on the little progress that has already been
made. (Hear, hear.) I believe you will find in the person
of Mr. Brancker, a gentleman who will act on progressive
principles ; that he is above everything that is dishonour-
able or dishonest ; that he will protect your interests ; and,
furthermore, he will move with those who desire to advance,
and whose great object is to improve, and not to stand still.
(Hear, hear.) I sincerely hope the endeavour we are about
to make to place a fitting person in the position of repre-
sentative for your ward in the Town Council will be suc-
cessful. (Hear, hear.) It rests entirely with yourself. If
you think that to go back, 13 butter than to go ft....id, by
all means take the candidate who is most wedded to that

particular principle. I think having seen so much as we
have done of those who formerly contended for the principle
of standing still, who are now called upon to cat their own
words—(hear, hear)—it is absolutely necessary that you
should not be mislead, but that you should take those who,
like ourselves, are interested in progress, and I believe,
strictly speaking, that Mr. Branckcr is one of those gentle-
men. (Cheers.)
Mr DALZIEL here rose and said he believed
it was impossible to return Mr. Brancker in con-
sequence of one half of the burgesses of the ward being
pledged to Mr. Gardiner, and he was about to propose a re-
solution to the effect that it was injudicious to contest the
ward at present, when,
The CHAIRMAN interfered, and said he would be at liberty
to propose the resolution, when the usual routine had been
gone through.
Mr. W. EARLE then came forward to propose the first
resolution. He was loudly cheered. He remarked that not-
withstanding what had been said, that at the last election

they had re-turned the worthy chairman by a triumphant
majority, and (continued Mr. Earle) I don't see why you
cannot do the same this year. (Hear, hear). I understand
there has has been some little feeding going forward in the
ward. (Cheers and laughter). If a man is to seek your
votes through your bellies, in the name of goodness go and
vote for him I say, and as many of you as are hogs, when he
has well fattened you, he will slaughter you. (Great cheer-
ing and laughter). There will be an end of you at last,
and, by heaven, you richly deserve it. (Great applause).
I think it is greatly to be regretted we have to meet in this
room to discuss, to argue and talk, about candidates. It rests
entirely with the electors. I have no objection to join my
head with all yours to know whom we shall have,
to name him and have done with the thing, and then
let us all come forward like honest men, and vote for
him without any bother of canvassing or talking about
the thing. Why you can all of you, manage your
own affairs uncommonly well. You are quick enough in
your own business to see who is good and who is bad, and
you never employ a bad man in your own particular affairs.
A fool may occasionally employ a fool; but it is not always
that even he does so. (Cheers and laughter.) Now on this
occasion I am for sending some person to represent me indi-
vidually in the Council that agrees with me, and I certainly
cannot agree with two of the gentlemen we have at present
in this ward—(hear, hear) ; and I earnestly hope they will
be sent to the right about, one by one. (Hear, hear.) You
have already got rid of one worthless person—worthless I
mean in point of talent—l do not mean in point of respecta-
bility ; and I hope you will cordially respond to the resolu-
tion I have to propose, that Mr. Brancker is a fit and proper
person to represent this ward in the Town Council. (Cheers.)
I am perfectly persuaded he is well qualified ; he is perfectly
well known and esteemed in the town, and therefore, with-
a eonzc wvaer d
great and
vooutteffuorrthheirnice:mTomalolhompeornyionug, waisll I shall
pleasure in doing. (Applause.) 1 beg to propose the reso-
lution.

Mr. LODGE had great pleasure in seconding the resolution.
He concurred in all that had fallen from the Chairman and
Mr. Earle. Mr. Brancker was well known, and there could
be little doubt of his return, if they worked as they did on
the Chairman's election. l'ie regretted kthat Mr. Dalziel
"11---1•1 have taken the course ho did, and hoped he would
assist them, hand.
Mr. DALZIEL then proposed tho LAtowino. amendment :
" The return of Mr. Gardiner being all but et-r=ain, it is un-
advisable and inexpedient to disturb the peace of the ward
by a contested election." This amendment was seconded by
a burgess of the ward, and atter some discussion, and an
appeal from the chairman, requesting the mover not to press
it, which was not acceded to,
The CHAIRMAN refused to put the amendment, and re-
commended, as this was a meeting of Mr. Braneker's friends,
the mover and seconder of the amendment should retire.
Both gentlemen then retired, and the original motion was
unanimously agreed to.
Mr. C. WILLMER moved a resolution, pledging the meet-
ing to use all constitutional means to secure the return of
Mr. Brancker, and appointing a committee to conduct the
election.

Mr. BAGE seconded the resolution, which was unanimously
agreed to.
Mr. BRANCHER was then introduced to the meeting, and
was warmly greeted. He stated that he was a friend to
progressive reform, although he deprecated the introduction
of politics into the Council. He was an advocate for the
education of the people, and would use his best efforts to
extend to all classes the educational means at present at the
command of the Council. (Hear, hear,) He would also
endeavour, if elected, to carry out those improvements which
would benefit the town rather than private individuals.
The CHAIRMAN intimated, with regard to the Corporation
Schools, that although the Bible was the professed basis of
all education there, still the children of Roman Catholics
were educated there without the Bible, and he desired that
Ithe public should be no longer humbugged on this point.
Mr. EARI..z, in moving a vote of thanks to the Chairman,
sail he was glad to find far more attention was paid to bim
in tic Council than to some of the nincompoops by whom
he wa., surrounded. (Laughter.)