Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-04-19 00:00:00

TO THE ELECTORS OF LIVERPOOL.

GENTLEMEN,
THE House of Commons having declared, by a majority
of thirty-nine, that the Reform 811 introduced by her
Majesty's Ministers " would not satisfy th tt House or the Country,"
Lord Derby has thought proper to advise the Queen to appeal to
the country for its dicision.

Though strongly attached to the Liberal party, my anxious
desire has been more for measures than for men, and so long as
the present Government acted, as I thought, for the gencraL good
of the nation, they received from me every fair support.
But the Bill which they introduced for Amending the Represen-
tation of the People was so wrong in principal, and so unjust to the
industrious classes, in denying to them that share in the suffrage
to which their increasing intelligence and good conduot entitled
them, that I could not hesitate for a moment as to the vote, which
I felt it my duty to give.
A Bill, thorough'y wrong in principle, can never be satisfacto-
r7ly amended in Committee. The differences on every clause would
have been so interminable, that nothing but an ultimate with-
drawal of it could have solved the difficulties by which it was
surrounded. It would have been far better, therefore, to have
met these difficult es on the threshold, by substituting another
more in harmony with the acknowledged requirements of the
people.

To such an amended Bill, introduced by any party, my best
consideration would have been given. '

But her Majesty's Miaisters declined to adopt this course, and,
notwithstanding the universal condemnation of the measure, they
venture to throw the country into all the excitement and confusion
of a General Election.

In doing so, they refuse to pledge themselves to bring forward
any Reform Bill in the New Parliament, and this vexed question
is thus left as far from a peaceful and satisfactory settlement as
ever. I am convinced that such a settlement might now have
been made, if they had yielded to the reasonable and strongly-
expressed wishes of the people.
To these wishes they have refused to listen, and the issue must,
therefore, be decided by the country.
To you, Fellow-Townsmen, I now appeal for your decision.

In the consideration of this important measure / have been
chiefly influenced by an anxious desire to secure for the industrious
classes of the community that justice to which I believe them to be
entitled; and it is for you to say whether my Tote has been in
accordance with your wishea.
On this, and all other questions, my sole desire has been to pro-
mote your local interests, and the general good of the country ; and
I hope I may look with confidence for a renewal of that trust
which it has always been my highestambition to merit.

Believe me to be, Gentlemen,
Your faithful servant,
London, Gth April, 1859. J. C. EWART.

TO THE ELECTORS OF THE NORTHERN
DIVISION

OF THE COUNTY PALATINE OF LANCASTER.
GENTLEMEN,—In consequence .of a vote of the
House of Commons, which interfered in an unusual manner
with the regular stages of the Bill for Amending the Representa-
tion of the People, the Government has recommended to her
Majesty a dissolution of the present Parliament.
I take an earlyopportunity of again tendering to you my services
as one of your Representatives,
After a rather long tenure of my present post, my opinions on
most public questions must be too well known to you to need
reiteration, but you will naturally require that I should state my
views on that measure which at the present moment ie so pro.
minently before the country.
Had the Reform Bill been allowed to proceed in the usual manner,
it was my intention to vote for its second reading. In Cominittee I
should have supported an enlargement of the present right of voting
for Members of Parliament, by extending the County and Borough
Franchise; I should have voted for the transference of seats to
more populous Constituences, and I have already taken measures,
in conjunction with Lord.Hartingtou, to promote the claims of two
large bodies of my Constituents to Seats rendered vacant by the
disfmnehliement of Sudbury and Et. Albans, but I should have
been unable to give my assent to the principle of uniformity of
Franchise contained in the Bill, Cr to the provision which affected
the_Fortyeshilling Freeholds in Boiouglis,
I wilt only; add that, ne regards your general interests, I continue
to believe that 1 am best conducing to your welfare by promoting
every measeire which tends to the extension of commerce and the
Consequent greater employment of labour, and that these objects
are best attained by the Government of this country pursuing a firm
but oenciliatory and peaceful line of policy throughout the world.
I remain, gentlemen, your obedient servant,
J. WILSON PATT&S•
London, April Bth, 1859.