Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-05-03 00:00:00

)r to express his
fearlessly, and

and register his vote ? (Cries of yes, arid no, no.)
said that there was no intimidation in Lancashire.
at a public meeting here in this county, that it
"that an officer, in soliciting votes in one
of the district, said that numbers of the elector.
7 're willing to vote for the Liberal candidates,
if certain gentlemen possessing influence and wealth, tarpestates, were not in the field. It_ was a fact that, they
were told it. That their landlord had said, " I should 1:1:1Ce
to see any of my tenants voting against Me," 13'. another
part of the cli4iict it was stated that " Ilrio our hearts,

It-as
I saw,

Ibut our hands are fettered. We dare not vote Ut:fil we see
the steward. If he votes for you we• will willingiF do so
too. If he votes against you, alas, we must follmw."
There is a subject at the present moment of the greatest
importance to this country. I allude to a war between
France and Austria, and, without great care on the part of
the government of this country, it may extend to a European
conflict, and involve us in all its disastrous results. I point
with astonisment to the last speech of my Lord Derby, who
seemed to have, in the first place, no other object than to
stimulate Austria in its course of procedure. Immediately
after that speech, Austria sent au ultimatum to Sardinia,
declaring that she would enter the territories of. Sardinia
•within three days if she did not disarm. Then my Lord
Derby turned round and blamed Austria, and the result may
be that the soil of Sardinia will be covered with the blood
of her soldiers and their enemies. In this conflict, my.sym-
pathies are for neutrality. Italy, that country which is
one of the most productive soils in Europe, a country whose
early history, by its noble republic, set us an example not
only of liberty, but also of commercial greatness that
country has bren trodden down limier the iron heel of!
Austria. I have no sYriiPathy with Austria. But, gentlemen,.
I must say, we ought to stretch out the hand of liberty to
Italy. When he has trodden under foot the liberties of his
own people, we must, in this conflict, remain perfectly
neutral. What says my Lord Derby ? It must be a per-
fect neutrality. I say we have nothing whatever to do
between France and Austria, and our duty is to be prepared
with a naval armament, so as to protect your own shore,
and when the conificing parties have expended blood and
men, we may be in a position to arbitrate for the recovery
of Italian liberty. Mr. Cheetham went on to make some
comments on some observations that had fallen from Mr.
Egerton, that had appeared in a Wigan newspaper. He
di'd not see any qualification in the aristocracy which would
lead him to .think that he was their inferior, and if Mr.
Egerton wished to put his personal character in comparison
with his (Mr. Cheetham's), he was perfectly willing to do
so. He would allow Mr. Heywood to speak for himself,
He had said that he was a nominee of a political club at
Manchester, and that had been a great hobgoblin" with
them, and this political club has had the power of returning

uuopponu, auu i nave to ten toe gentiema._
other side, a political club has been established in Newton-
in-the-Willows, and was so strong, that it was able to erect
a building ; lint, unfortunately, that club had gone down,
bat has, since that time, again revived. They thought to
frighten me with the British Lion. I hope when you are
going back to the station, you will guard me lest I am eaten
up by that animal. I may say, that has been
no. political party that has put me in nomi-
nation. I have been before this constituency
for seven years, and I-have aided in carrying out that great
measure which some gentlemen pretended to think would
be destructive to the landed interest—l mean the abolition
of the corn laws. If you think that my past services have
been to your interest —if you think I have not broken faith
with the political principles which I advocated—that in
some degree I have been able to watch your interest---I
say, with the same constancy and the same devotion, I will
do so again, if returned to represent you in parliament.
(Cheers.)

Mr. Heywood then came forward, and said: I will not
detain you long on the subject of Reform, because my
opponents have made such progress during their canvass,
with regard to the question of the franchise, that there seems
to be no difference between us. Gentlemen, I have always
considered that a re-arrangement of the seats was of much
more consequence than the franchise, and as my opponents
has made such progress, I hope, when the time comes for a
Reform Bill, we will get a right distribution of seats. It
is nionitrons that towns of less than 5,000 inhabitants
should have members, when places like St. Helens and
Burnley has no members at all. I have said enough on
that subject. Amongst the subjects of reform I should like
to see carcied out, is the ballot.
A Voice : Three cheers for the ballot.

isva, J. Wlll Lett you canataty, tnat 1 having
mixed in politics, though I was always for the ballot, for
protection from inimidatioi, I was not aware that in this
county. there was such. a deep feeling for the ballot. It
ute clear that It was tnaki ncr crraat nrna•rnaa T bravo

no aouot tnat this disioltition will sent another hundred
votes in favour of the ballot. Gentlemen, lam for a per-
fect abolition of church rates. .(Cheers and hisses.) ido