Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-11-01 00:00:00

gentlemen present were—Messrs. R. A. Hutchison, town coun-
cillor; T. Crosthwaite, town councillor; Edward Whitley, T.
.Brakell, IL T. Wilson, T. H. Hednness, W. L. Brown, w. p.
Hornby, Jackson, &c., &c.
The CHAIRMAN said they were going to contest the ward on
public grounds alone. Everton and Kirkdale was one which
ever had been the stronghold of Conservatism in the town, and
it would never allow, by a false moderation, the Radicals
to use it to further their designs upon other wards in the town.
(Cheers;) The Conservative party, which had happily been
the dominant party in the Town-hall for some time, held the
confidence bf the majority of the electors of the town;
and the way, in which the business of the town had been
conducted had won for the Town Council the respect of all
parties ; and he believed it was one reason why the Council
held so high a position in the esteem of all parties, that it had
conducted its business with true moderation, and with true
liberalism. (Loud cheers.) The Chairman then alluded to
the question of education :n the Corporation schools, and de-
precated the efforts of Mr. Gladsbne, Mr. Stitt, and Mr.
Jeffery, to banish the Bible from those schools.

Mr. CARNF, on rising, was greeted with loud cheers. He de-
clared himself a sincere churchman, always wiling to support
that church in which he had been brought up, feeling that the
tenets of the Anglican Church, taken all in all, were the most
liberal that existed in the world. (Cheers.) He would main-
tain the Corporation schota in theirpresent state of efficiency,
and contended that, it would be of considerable injury to the
labouring classes if they were debarred from having a sound
secular and religious education imparted to their children.
(Cheers.) •
Mr. R. G. JACKSON moved a resolution pledging the meeting
to support Mr. Carne. He designated the charge of "stopping
the clocks" as clap-trap ; and explained that unless the church-
wardens were provided with the means, they could neither
have the church bells rung nor the clocks wound up-- (hear,
hear)---and the parish of Liverpool having refused a church-
rate, the sequence was " the stoppage of the clocks." (Cheers,
and roars of laughter.) But, had the ratepayers honestly and
straightforwardly put their hands into their pockets and paid the
church-rates the reverse would ha-ve been the case. (Cheers.) He
then went on to condemn Mr. Stitt for desiring to exclude the
Bible from the Corporation schools, and loudly complained of
that gentleman's desire to abolish the- schools altogether. He
then strongly opposed Mr. Stitt in reference to his conduct on
the fever hospital question, and expressed a deliberate opinion
that either that gentleman had manifested a want of appre-
ciation to the requirements and interests of the ward, or he
grossly neglected them. (Hear, hear.) He was sorry that
this had been made a political question, but he was well
informed that the abject of the Radical party was to make Mr.
Stitt an alderman. He would ask the electors, whether, when
a man had not faithfully fulfilled the trust reposed in him, they
would again send him into the Council, where he was to be
perfectly irresponsible to the electors. (Hear, hear, and cries
of " we won't.")
Mr. W. L. BROWN seconded the resolution, which was carried
amidst loud cheering.
After Mr. Hutchison and Mr. Crosthwaite had addressed the
meeting, the resolution was passed.
A cordial vote of thanks to the chairman concluded the
proceedings.

VAUXHALL WARD.
A meeting of. the friends and Supporters of Mr. John
Shimmin, was held last night at Wynne's Railway Hotel,
Great Howard-street. The attendance of gentlemen was both
numerous and respectable, including Messrs. Lafone (in the
chair), Mahony, H. Moore, J. J. Occleston, Cole, Haman, Hill,
Hales, Mills, Hall, Entwistle, Porter, Singleton, Troughton,

Marsh, Blundel, &c., &c.
The CHAIRMAN, in opening the proceedings, said that, on the
following day they would be called upon to elect a repre-
sentative in the Town Council, and they would require to
buckle on their armour and vote early. He wished to know
where they could find as good a man as Mr. Shimmin? They
had tried him for eighteen months, and he was not found

wanting. Mr. Shimmin had refused to pledge himself to any
particular tenets, but they all had confidence in Mr. Shimmin,
and they would entrust their interests to his keeping, knowing
that he would deal with them efficiently, honestly, and

uprightly. Their opponents at first refused to make the
contest a party one, and their case was a weak one. If the

gentlemen present and their friends did not return Mr.
Shimmin, it would bo a stigma on the ward and a discredit to
the electors. It would show want of gratitude if they should not
re-elect him. They knew nothing of Mr. Cearns. It is true he
had lately been canvassing the ward energetically, and he, the
chairman would undertake to say that he had not previously
known one-tenth part of the vicinity which he was now can-
vassing. They wanted in Vauxhall Ward, a man, who was
well up on financial matters. Now Mr. Shimmin had been
brought up, he might almost say, had been suckled in finance.
It was he who had procured such a reform in the Markets'
Committee. For 'years that committee had been in the hands
of the extreme Radical members of the Council, and what was
the resultl—mismanagement, loss of revenue, and being plun-
dered by their servants. These Radical members had resigned
their seat in the committee, and the result was now, that the
revenue was at the rate of £12,000 a year 'more than it was
last year. The Chairman proceeded to 'deny that the oppo-
sition to Mr, Shimmin was on political principle. That cry
was only a clap-trap to entice voters for Mr. Ceams. There
were few extreme men in Vauxh;tll Ward, and he was sure
Mr. Shimmin was not one of them. The conduct of Mr.
Corbally, one of the representatives for Vauxhall Ward, was
severely censured by Mr. Lafone, especially that in connection
with Mr. George Wilson, whom he wanted to do work at 35
per cent. below the regular prices allowed by the Corporation.
Those were the principles of Mr. Cearns. Their principles
(those of the meeting he meant) were "live and let live."
There was one point which he was glad he had an opportunity
of explaining to the electors. On Saturday, a placard--some
would call it a squib---was posted on the wall, con-
cerning Mr. Cearns. This placard was of the most
scurrilous character. Now, in previous contests he had
made it a rule never to bring a man's private character before
the public, and he was very much hurt at thinking that his
party could issue such a placard. He wrote to Mr. Shimmin,
calling his attention to the affair. Mr. Shimmin at once saw
him (the chairman) and denied all knowledge of the placard.
He, however, at once had them all coveted, and the committee
issued a notice denying all knowledge of the assertions lithe
placard. This was the best test as to the generosity and
the honesty of Mr. Shimmin. There was another thing he
should allude to before concluding. A letter had appeared in
the papers signed J. S. Jackson, respecting Mr. Shimmin's ap-
pointment as tax collector, but he would leave Mr. Shimmin
to explain the matter. In conclusion, he called upon the gen-
tlemen present to be early at the poll and to triumphantly
return Mr. Shimmin, and show that they were not open to
bribery and corruption, and show that they were not that de-
bauched ward which some gentlemen supposed. After some
remarks the chairman sat down, and was succeeded by
Mr. Comes, who expressed a hope that they would do all in
their power to return Mr. Shimmin. • That gentleman had
been their representative for eighteen months, and he had
given the utmost satisfaction to the 166 electors who had signed
the requisition, and they had severely criticised every act and
vote of Mr. Shimmin during his career in the Council. There
was not a better or more fit man for their representive% and he
had great pleasure in moving a resolution to the effect that
that meeting pledged itself to use its best endeavours to re-
elect Mr. Shisnmin as one of their representatives in the local
parliament.
Mr. HUNAN seconded the resolution, which was unanimously
agreed to.
Mr. Summits then rose. He said the meeting was called
chiefly in consequence of a disgraceful placard, issued on Satur-
day, against Mr. Cearns, and in consequence of a letter frona,
Mr. J. S. Jackson. Their chairman had given a plain and frank
denial to that placard, and in addition to this, a gentleman,
not an elector, or voter in the ward, had called upon him (Mr.
Shimmin) that afternoon, and avowed himself the author.
He had also seen Mr. Cearns, and that gentleman was
perfectly, satisfied that the disgraceful placard had not
emanated from him, from his committee, or from any of his
supporters. So far as Mr. Jackson's letter. went, he was sorry
that he had not made some inquiries before he indulged in
such accusations as were made againsthim (Mr. Shimmin). If
Gore's Directory called him a sweep, was he responsible for it,
or could he help it? He (Mr. Shimmin) had no superiors ex-
cept superiors in goodness, superiors in intellect, and superiors
in kindness. He was not an officer of the Crown, nor a paid
servant
appointed of
bt h G
ye t
heo vT err ne
ams
uernyt .
elbit
pool, and he considered such appointment as an honour. There
mwiasssiotnreures ahne
were many gentlemen of the highest standing hi Liverpool
who had held the same office, and it might be that the Chair-,
as
sasieds
shoer
of
ibveeern.
man, or any one in the room, would be called
upon by her Majesty's Government to fill a like office. In
conclusion, he ;stated that since his election to a seat in the
Council he had endeavoured to discharge the duties of the
office faithfully and honestly, not as a politician, but as a man
of business. It was of the greatest importance that a leading
street shouldbe made from the docks to Scotland-road ; in fast,
it must be done, and he would (if elected) take every means in
his power to induce the Council to set about the work. Mr.
Shimmin resumed his seat amid loud cheers.
Mr. Watarasst next addressed the meeting. He said they
would perhaps think it persamptuous on his part, he not being
an elector, to address them. He, however, had known Mr.
Shimmin for a number of years, and he had always acted in a
most business, gentlemanly, upright, and honest manner. They
wanted a man full of intelligence, integrity, some leisure, an I
readiness of debate, and Mr. Shimmin possessed
buat refo -e
qualifications. If Mr. Shimmin had. done nothing
the Markets' Committee, he was entitled to the confidence of
the electors of Vauxhall Ward. Mr. Whatham concluded by
advising them to be early at the poll and, if so, he would
safely predict victory to their cause.
Mr. SAVAGE said he had the pleasure of knowing
Mr. Shim-
min for a number of years, and had always found hint a good
man of business. He was eminently qualified for
the Town
Council--he was full of common sense, and had all the attri-
butes of a representative. He hoped that to-morrow (this
day), the great day of battle, they would put their shoulders
to the wheel and win. Mr. Shimmin had a priority of claim,
and he hoped they would put him at the head of the poll.
Mr. HEALING having offered some few remarks,
Mr. SHIMMIN again rose, and said that there would have been
no objection to him, nor would there have been any opposition.
if he had agreed to sign a stamped document that he would
vote for eight aldermen on the 9th of November, whom Mr.
Walter M'Gregor would name. This, of course, he refused.
If he was competent to do such a thing, he was not competent
to be a representative of Vauxhall Ward.
Mr. MAHONY was then called upon, and said that it would
be useless for him to go into details connected with the career
of Mr. Shimmin in the Council. About three years ago, Mr.
Shimmin was introduced to him. He was a candidate then,
but retired in favour of Mr. Haydock. On the late vacancy,
caused by the death of Mr. Nicholson, a requisition was pre-
sented to Mr. Shimmin, and they ail knew the result. Mr.
Shimmin was e'ected, and from that time up to the present he
had done his duty. It was put forward by his opponents that
Mr. Shimmin was a Conservative. Now he, the speaker,
eased
man of liberal and progressive principles. And be supported
Mr. Shimmin because he was the best man, and he hoped and
trusted that he would be elected by a largeremajoy.
Walker, &c., addressed the meeting, and after a vote of thanks
to the Chairman, the proceedings terminated.
Several other gentlemen, including .
P rter,
_Mr. R.