The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-03-26 00:00:00

PITT STREET WARD.

A meeting of the Liberal elect )rs of P.tt street ward was
held last night in Mr. Cleary's, Hanover street, near
the Sailors' Home. Although the notice calling the
meeting was not issued until an advanced hour of the day,
and notwithstanding the extreme inclemency of the weather,
there was a very numerous attendance. Shortly after eight
o'clock the chair was taken, amid loud applause, by Mr.
William M'Millan.

The Chairman, in a few introductory words, opened the
business of the night, expressing a hope that if any Tories
or turncoats happened to be present they would quietly
listen, and not disturb the meeting. He passed a high
eulogium upon the services in parliament of Mr. Ewart, who
had served the people on all questions, from the " two
shilling" piece question, in which by his influence he nro-
cured that coin to he declared a legal tender, up to the late
motion by which he compelled the government to ackn
tw-
ledge the services of Sir John M`Neill and Col. Tnlloch.
He condemned the canvassing system adopted by Mr.
Turner, and asked why, if that gentleman was so valuable
as a dock chairman, he should bo removed fr,-n that
important post, (Hear, hear.) He remarked that
Mr. Horsfall was gradually leaving his party, and soon
would leave them altogether. Having briefly comp,)red
the services and merits of the candidates, the chairman
concluded by urging the meeting to support Mr. Ewart.
Mr. Steele moved the first resolution, which was, that
the thanks of the meeting be given to Mr. Ewart for his
valuable services as a member of parliament. Mr
Steele reminded the meeting of the many measures for
the benefit of the people fur which they were indebted to
the Libe►al party ; and vigorously contrasted the
obstructive position which Tories had always taken up
against the progress of all measures of advancement and
reform.

While Mr. Steele was speaking, Mr. Ewart entered the
room, accompanied by Mr. Enoch Harvey, Mr. Philip
Rathbone, Mr. George Melly, and other gentlemen, and
was received with loud and enthusiastic applause.

Mr. William O'Conner seconded the motion. In a
highly humourous speech, which sometimes convulsed
the audience with laughter, the speaker described the
characters, externals, and capacities of some of the
principal canvassers for Mr. Turner in that ward, and
concluded by reading to the audience a number of
verses, " thrown off" by him a few hours before, prophetic
of the success of the Liberal party and the discomfitur e
of their opponents.
Mr. George Melly supported the resolution.

The resolution was put and carried by acclamation.
Mr. Ewart then rose, and was received with loud and
prolonged applause. He said : Gentlemen and fellow
townsmen, I have so often had occasion to address
numerous meetings of my fellow townsmen lately that I
fear I cannot carry out some sort of pledge which my
friend, Mr. Melly, gave that I should be able this evening
to introduce anything new. Gentlemen, I think I ought
to be known in the town of Liverpool. (Hear, bear.)
Here I was horn, here I have always lived, and I am
sure that during the whole course of my life every exer-
tion on my part has been invariably used for the good, the
happiness, and the prosperity of Liverpool. (Cheers.)
Gentlemen, although I cannot but admire the able and
very vivid eloquence of my young friend, Mr. Melly, there
was one part of his speech which I very frankly and
sincerely assure you I deeply regret. Ile alluded to
something which I gave towards the support of the
Church of Englond. Now, gentlemen, these are not
things which I am at all anxious to bring before my
fellow townsmen here. (Hear, hear.) I do not think
gifts of charity are exactly the sort of thing which any man
who make them should feel any anxiety to bring before
his fellow townsmen. When these gifts are made, they
are not made by me at all events for the public
gaze. (Hear, hear, and loud cheers.) They are made
by me as one sincerely attached to the Church of England
(hoer, hear, and cheers.) —and I frankly appeal to the
whole town of Liverpool whether, when the circumstance
has ever arisen, when charitable bequests had a fair claim
upon those who have the means of assisting them—l appeal
to the town of Liverpool if I have ever been found deeply
wanting ? (Loud cheers.) Gentlemen, I think that I
ought to know something of the wants of Liverpool. (Hear.
hear) Everytl.ing which I hold almost, is centred in
Liverpool ; and I think I ought to know something of the
wants and wishes of the town in which I was barn. (Hear,
hear, and cheers.) I have done my best during the shot
time I have been in parliament t) promote every measure
which I thought could conduce to the happiness of Liver-
pool, and to the happiness of the country. (Cheers.)
Gentlemen, my friend Mr. Melly, and the sneaker who
preceded him, have alluded to the question of Free Trade,
Now, I would appeal to every person in the room—l would
appeal to every artizen in the town, whether they are not
infinitely bettor off now during the time since Free Trade
has been the law of the land, than they were during the
t.me of monopoly. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) I have always
been a most sincere Free Trader. (Hear, hear.) I
was always an :advocate for the repeal of the Corn
Laws. I have indeed always been an advocate
for the repeal of every duty which I thought pressed
heavily upon the poorer classes of the people of this country
(Cheers.) Gentlemen, you are not aware that among other
taxes to which I have alluded in some of my speeches,
there is the income tax, I certainly, and many of my
wealthier friends around me, feel that the taking off of the
income tax was a very great benefit to us. I hove been a
Commissioner of Income Tax in Liverpool ; and I know the
very inquisitorial and abominable system of the Income
Tax. I have always therefore, been anxious when the time
arrived, the income tax should be reduced, if not altogether
taken off. I was very anxious that that tax should be
repealed ; but I may repeat in this room what I have very
frequent y said before, that such was my anxiety to keep
down the duties upon all great articles of public consump-
tion among the working classes of the people, that I would
submit to some sort of income or property tax, rather
than raise the price of the loaf of bread, the ounce of tea, or
the pound of sugar. (Cheers.) Mr. Ewart here detailed
the part he had takon in referen ;e to the tea duty, and his
final determination, seeing that he could not obtain the
reduction, he sought, not to vote at all on the
question ; he then proceeded : A new parlia-
ment is about to assemble, and I hope that Parlia-
ment will take into its consideration a great many
of the social and domestic wants of the people
(Hear, hear). Among other things there is the question
of reform in Parliament, which will, no doubt, be intro-
duced. Now, I beg it to be distinct'y understood that,
aaxions as I am for reform in Parliament, I am not one of
those rash innovators—l am not one of those persons who
are advocate; for universal suffrage or annual Parliaments.
(Cheers). What I am an advocate for is a reform in Parlia-
ment which will go on advancing with the civilisatio❑ of
the times, which will give to the people such measures of
reform as the intelligence of the people, and the real rights
of the people, according f o their education, will imperatively
demand. (Hear, hear.) These are the reforms of which
I have always been an advocate, and which I shall ever be
most happy to assist any government in carrying out.
(Hear, hear, and cheers.) Now, gentlemen, I am 'not
aware that there any other questions of very great im-
portance upon which I should address you this evening.
I have attended a great many,ward meetings ; I have been
at, I may say, every night during the last week, two ward
meetings ; and you will easily suppose that I begin
to feel somewhat exhausted. (Hear, hear, and loud
cheers.) The time, indeed, has now come not for
speaking, but for acting. (Cheers.) I therefore appeal
to you, my fellow townsmen of Liverpool, and if you
wish to go on, as I am anxious to go on, steadily--not
rashly—but steadily in the progress of Reform, I call
upon you to aid me, to carry me into Parliament, and
not to carry into Parliament my opponent. Mr. Turner,
who, according to all the addresses he has made during
his canvass, wishes to send you back to the somewhat
obsolete times of 1852. (Cheers.) Gentlemen, you are
aware that the nomination takes place on Friday, and the
election on Saturday. I therefore do entreat you, if
you agree with me in the general opinions which I have
expressed, I do entreat you to rush early to the p'oll on
Saturday morning, and by returning me as one of your
members in Parliament, I hope I may not be held guilty
of egotism, in saying that I think you will return one
who will do his utmost to advance the interests, the
prosperity, and the welfare of every person in the town
of Liverpool. (Load cheers )
Three cheers for Mr. Ewart were called for and heartily
given.
Mr. Venn, of Mill street, briefly referred to the meet
ing of Licensed Victuellers on Tuesday, which he declared
had been called together in a covert way, to try to make
converts of liberal licensed victuallers, but which he said
had aa holly failed in effecting its purpose. (Hear,
hear.)
Mr, bl'flonnell, licensed victualler, explained that the

meeting bad no connection with the Licensed Victuallers'
Association. He stated that many persons not licensed
victuallers had voted there, but declared that fifteen to
one of the real licensed victuallers would vote for Mr.
Ewart. (Cheers )
Mr. Ewart said : I hope that any answer I have ever
given to any question which has been put to me may be
taken fairly and properly. I have never disguised
my opinion upon aey ties! ion ; and I am
sure that when the licensed victuallers as a deputation
called upon me to ask my opinion upon anything. I ;aye
:fly opinion freely and frankly ; and I told them most 'dis-
tinctly, because I. have always been of the same opinion,
that I cordially agreed with their opinions upon that
question. (Hear, hear, and cheers) Some complaint has
been made that I declined to see a deputation of licensed
victuallers. Now, I most distinctly at the time denied
that I could ever have declined to see any such
deputation ; but I find that a note has been
published in the newspapers which I now perfectly
recollect having written. That note merely said that, being
of precisely the same opinion as the licensed victuallers, I
did not wish, as I lived at New Brighton, to put them to
the inconvenience and trouble of coming over to see me,
whorl, as I told them in the note, I cordially agreed in
their opinions upon the question. (Cheers.)
Mr. Bairstow, who was present, was called upon by
several persons to address the meeting, but he said that as
he was not an elector of that ward, and as the subject of
Tuesda's meeting had been quite exhausted, he would not
occupy the time of the meeting.
After a few words from Mr. Bell,
Au Elector asked Mr. Emart whether he was prepared to
ipport a dowry of £50,000 or £70,000 a year to the
P;ieeesi Royal, as suggested in some of the metropolitan
p.ipers ? (Cheers and laughter.)
Mr. Ewart : I have the misfortune, perhaps, to be a
I),chelor, and therefore have no daughters to dowry—
(laughter)—bat I may say that were I even as rich as the
Q,Cteeri of Eugland, or, perhaps I should more properly say,
tho nation of England, I should certainly never think of
giving the young princess anything like a dowry of £7O 000
a year. (Loud cheers )
Mr. Haylock proposed the second resolution, which
declared Mr. Ewart a fit and proper person, in the opinion
of the meeting, to represent Liverpool, and pledged chose
present to use every exertion for his return. Mr. H ay-
lock supported the motion in a brief but impressive and
vigorous speech.

Mr. MlClelland seconded the motion in a few
words

Mr. Philip Rathbone, in a highly energetic and
vehement address, also urged upon the meeting
the necessity of adopting the motion and supporting
Mr. Ewart.

The motion was carried by acclamation•
Mr. Ewart moved the thanks of the meeting to the
chairman, which, having been unanimously carried, the
proceedings terminated.