The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-03-14 00:00:00

earnest in their opieions, and perfectly liberal in givin;
perfect freedom of opinion to others ; and feeling thin an'
knowing that the town was represented on the one hand
a Conservative who had the confidence ot his party,. an(
on the other hand by a Liberal who had the confidenc,
of his party, it was considered by, I believe, nine-tenth
of the Liberal party at any rate, that it would not
be advisable td subject the town to-the hurry, and bustle,
and expense of a contested election. That feeling was al.
bat universal within the walls of the' Reform Association.
and I believe all but universal with the Liberal party on'
of it (hear, hear) ; but, gentlemen, the Tories got to their
old tricks of monopoly again. (flair, bear.) They were
not content with oce half of the representation, they would
'have the whole of the representation ; and accord-
ingly we find that Mr. Charles Turner has been brought
out in connection—and you will mark this—with Mr.
Horsfall, to attempt to monopolise the whole of the repre-
sentation of this large town. Now, the Liberal party met
again, and again we discussed the matter, whether there
should be one liberal candidate or two. It is no secret, I
believe, in the towo, and I do not wish it to be any secret,
hat we differed in opinion, bat in the decision to which
we came, I believe that in two meetings we determined
by a mejority of two to one, to bring forward only one
Liberal. (dear, hear.) I, gentlemen, had the misfortune,
as I have the misfortune on many occasions, of being in a
minori'y on that question, but I did say that after it had
been so decided in two meetings that we should have only
one member, I would submit to that decision, and would
not oppoke the question again. (Cheers.) But, gentlemen,
I put it to you whether *the decision to which
we came, in any way releases the Liberal party
as to the duty which they ought to perform in this
election ? Look, what is our position. lam told that on
the last registry that we voted upon, we had about' 14,000
persons, and that on the present registry we have about
16,000, an increase of 2,000, all in householders, and I

believe I can say with wnfidence that there never has been
an occasiou in this town where the majority of the house-
holders did not vote for the Liberal cause. (Cheere.) We
have diminished the number of freemen about 300, there
being now only 1,600 on the books, but the Liberals hays
been in the habit of making a present of all the freemen to
the other side. (Laughter.)
A Voice : They are all slaves, (geer, heir.)

Mr, C. E. Rawlins : We have, then, Agate some 8,000 new
men on the registry—au :tried men—men who have never
given their decision in any way. That is a matter of tome
uncertainty, but seeing they are householders we are
justified in supposing that the majority will vote on the
Liberal side. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) What is the duty
of electors at this coming election ? I say our decision does
etee release us in any respect from our duty ; and what is
that duty ? We have to declare for our principles.
(Cheers) I dare say I may be differing with some in this
room with regard to the subject of splits, but, I think, an
immense majority will agree with me, and at any rate I will
trust to the Liberal p irty, and believe that they will accord
to us the free and fair exercise of our opinion in this matter.
(Hear, hear.) But what is the duty of . the Liberals ?
In the first place, I ask you what is there in the creed
of a Conservative which can possibly recommend him
to a Liberal elector ? What is his creed? Can anybody
in this room tell me what a Conservative really advocates
Why, the very name implies the sum total of what it is.
It is'' to conserve"—to keep things as they are. No matter
what abuse there may be, they defend it; that is theore-
tically, for practically they never take any steps by which
to remedy it. (Hear, hear.) Mr. E tee has told you
that the House of Commons is a dishonourable house,
but whatever that house is, it is what the people make
it. (Hear, bean) We have now the opportunity of
improving that house, at any rate by one member, and
shall any Liberal be found in their ranks to neutralise
that little improvement by declaring at the polling booth
that he is also for a member on the other side ? (Hear,
Kean) I will suppose the Liberal party honest in their
opinions. I ask every Liberal in this room, is he in
favour of an extension of the suffrage ? (Loud cries of
" Yes, yes.") Will you, then, go to the polling booth to
vote for Horsfall and Turner, who declare against the
extension of the suffrage? (Cries of "No, no.") Are
you in favour -Of -vote by ballot ? (" Yes, yes.r) Then,
I suppose, that every gentleman will support vote by
ballot, (Hear, hear.) At the last election Mr. Horsfall
declared that he was opposed to that. Are
you in favour of shortenieg the duration of Parliament ?
(Hear, hear.) Do you suppose that our opp meats will
vote for that ? Ecclesiastical reform—are you in favour
of that ? (Rear, hear.) In fact, I might go through the
whole range of questions which have been proposed for the
progressive political improvement of the people of late
years, and not one of these questions would you find that
either Mr. Horsfall or Mr. Turner was an advocate. (Hear.)
Then, I ask, what can possibly induce any one of the
Liberal party to go up to the polling-booth and vote for
either of these men ? (Cheers.) Mr. Horsfall, in his
address, has told us that he is of the same opinions that he
wes at the last election. Well, we know what these were.
We know that he was opposed to all organic reform, and
he says himself he is tot altered now. Some people are
drawing contrasts between Mr. Turner and Mr. Horsfall.
Regarding them politically, I cannot see .much difference
tetween them. (Hear, hear.) - When he, Mr. Horsfall,
returned from surveying the mountain scenery of the Tyrol,
and came as a candidate for Liverpool, in the first words
he uttered he deeply regretted the turning out of so honest
end so able a representative as Mr. Charles Turner from
the House of Commons, and deprecated the proceedings by
which he had been turned out. (Hear, hear.) From that
I infer that he, himself, considered Mr. Turner, in political
morality, as at any rate equal to him; and if there be 'any
truth in what we are 'aught at school, "things that aro
equal to the same are 'oral to one another. (Laughter.)
Look, also, to what Mr. Horsfall did at Derby. A good and
honest Liberal was found for Derby—Mr. Hepworth. Mr.
Horsfall opposed him, and Mr. Bey worth agrees with you,
gentlemen. (Hear, hear.) He holds the same principles
that you do, and yet Mr. Horsfall thought it advisable to
go and oppose Mr. Heyworth, the advocate of our
principles at Derby. These things show what Mr.
Horsfail's opinions are, and distinctly point out that the
duty of the Liberal electors in this town is at the ensuing
election not to vote for either of these parties, but
to vote for Mr. Ewart, and declare for him alone. (Cheers.)
I have urged this question upon the ground of principle so
far, and that is the high and proper ground to take. Bat I
would appeal to you upon the simple ground of expediency.
Is it expedient that you should not discharge this duty ?
Once submit to a laxity.of principle on the part of the
Liberal electors, evithgegard to Mr. Horsfall, and what an
example you set to the poor electors who cannot be
expected to form their opinions on the great ground you
do in regard to Mr. Turner. How then will it be ? Suppose
there be six thousand good Liberals 'who will give their
vete for Ewart. Four thousand of these will plump
honestly for their principles, and two thousand will remain.
having double votes. They will be poor men, and they
will have the screw turned on them—the " Turner screw,"
--(laughter)— which is so desperately hard—(hear, hear)—
to lefluence their second vote. It will be said to them "Go
and vote for your party with one • vote, and give us the
other." The screw will be turned on them for
that vote, and it i= quite possible, I only fear it
is not probable, that the two Conservatives may
be at the head of the poll, not only by the aid of their own
party, but by the votes of the Liberal party. tElear, hear).
I have argued this question, both upon the ground of
principle end exp dieucy ; and I now put it to you whether
I have not proved distinctly the advisableness of plumping
for Ewart.. (Hear, hear, an& cheers.) If the House of
Commons be a dishonourable house—l am not inclined
to go to the length of Mr. Earle as to that—but it it is, it
is what the elec ors have made if, and. it is, after all, the
offspring of public opinion. There is not an abuse in this
country that public opinion will not destroy. (Hear) There
is much vitality indeed in popular fallacy, but there is no
fallacy that will not be struck dead by the influence of
public opinion. As the lightning flash shivers into ruin the
building which seems to have been erected in emulation of
time itself, so will-any abuse -against which public opinion
is directed be shivered into ruin; but in order to experience
the effect you must have public opinion pure and unadul-
terated. (Hear, hear.) Let me ask yOu what would be
the influence of that man on the question of reform if it
could be said of him that he gave cue vote for Ewart and
another for Horsfall ; How could he influence progressive
refoim on any, qiestion interesting to ,reformers? If that
be so with one, it is the same with twenty or two, hundred
thousand people. Do you suppose, in, such a case, that if
the question of reform was mooted in parliament, that
Liverpool could be pointed to as having pronounced
in its favour? Cevainly not. Put the other case. Sup-
pose the case that you lose Mr. Ewart, and that
the two Conservative candidates are returned, and that we
find that all the Liberal electors have polled for Ewart—
suppose that to be the case, will it not be a very strong
argument that 7,000 men, being the great minority of the
electors of Liverpool, had voted for the Liberal candidate—
the man who represented reform principles—that they
would not truckle to expediency, would not forswear their
principles, but went honestly and cheerfully to the poll,
regardless of every consideration, voted for their principles,
and plumped for Ewart. As, after the estimate I have
given of parties in this town, it will be necessary to
ascertain now who are our friends, and who our enemies,
so I trust there is not a man here of whom it will not
be remarked hereafter, that he is a true-hearted Liberal,
and why Because he plumped for Ewart. (Applause.)
Mr. J. Be Jeffery, who was loudly cheered, seconded
the resolution. He said—Mr. Chairman and geutlemen,
you have passed a resolution of confidence in Mr. Joseph
Christopher Ewart, as your representative in Parliament.
Four years age, when Mr. Ewart presented himself for
your suffrages, what was the character you received of
him? That he was a highminded, honourable, upright,
truthfulemerchant of Lverpool; a gentleman whose word