Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-02-23 00:00:00

THE NORTHERN TIME& WEDNESDAY, FEBRUA.itf 23i 1859

THE LIVE,RPOOL GUARDIAN SOCIETY.

The anniversary dinner of Ale Liverpool Guardian
Society took place in fhe Angel Hotel, Dale-street, last
night. A numerous con:oany sat to table. The chair
was taken by the President of the Society, Mr. Lillyman,
and the vice-chair by the vice-president, Mr. Baty.
Among the guests present weye--Mr. Alderman S.
Holme, Deputy Mayor ; Mr. Alderman Gardner, Mr.
Councillor C. T. Bowring, Mr. James Reay, Secretary of
the Society; Mr. Nicholl, Mr. J. Lewis, _Mr. 11: Roberts,
Mr. George Jones, Mr. James Thomson, Mr. Evans,
solicitor ; Mr. Bradford, Mr. Steak, Mr. MO 6s, Mr. R.
Crossley, Mr. F. Clarke, Mr. John Smith, IVI:*. Henry
Waiter, Mr. Gray, solicitor; Mr. S. WilloughtYY,
John Wrenn, Mr. D. Baugh, Mr. Rishton, Mr. Da.lztel,

with more than the lightning's speed, and anticipate
time from country to country—the steamboat, and the
various other great inventions and improvements of the
day, which have all sprung from the mind of this free
country, where men possess the blessings of education,
where our schools are full and our gaols comparatively
empty - comparatively,. at least, with other countries. It
is in great measure in consequence of the municipal
institutions which have grown with the growth, and
strengthened with the strength of England, that we have
the liberty which we now enjoy, and which has been the
means of producing such great national blessings. Gen=
tlemen, the world has never witnessed such foundations
or such a superstructure. (Hear, hear, and cheers). In
some States, municipalities, instead of meeting together,
walking quietly up to the polling booths, and
selecting the men whom they think fit to be
their representatives —men who, when they assemble,
will be independent in their deliberations, and with whom
oS whose election the Government dare not interfere—
in ciome states a list is sent down to the various munici-
palities, as in France, and the people are directed to
return the men named there as members. In other
countrie3 there is no municipal conneil at all, but a
military eficer is sent down to do the will of the despot.
who sends him, and the people are just permitted to exist
for the purpose of raising taxes for the support of those
who oppress them. (deers.) Now, gentlemen, am I
at all trenching upon' fair argument, or upon the mode of
speech permitted in =Assembly like this ? (No, no, and
cheers.) ' I hope that what I hare said may freely be
said without offending,- any. man's religious or political
opinions. It is not my desire' to offend either ; but let
me as an Englishman—let me as one proud of this
country and of this town, in which I was. born (cheers)--
touch a chord in your hearts as men who have the same
feelings with myself,, by contrasting what we enjoy in
this country with what unfortunately people• are not al-
lowed to enjoy in others (hear, hear, and cheers). Hese
we tax ourselves for our local Government. The Legis-
lature, it is true, gives us an Act of Parliament to enable
us to do so legitimately; but we tax ourselves to. such an

Mr. Hartman, Mr. J. B. rteay, Mr. Ashe, Mr. GibboOs,
Mr. M. Johnson, &c.,
The- dinner was of excellent quality, and well served.
The first toast was that of "The Queen," given by
the Chairman, with the wish that her Majesty's reign
might be long, happy, and prosperous, and that her life
might be long spared to be a bright example to all of
a wife, a mother, and a Queen.
The toast was drunk with all the honours, some of the
members present singing in chorus, •" God save the
Queen."

The Chairman then gave, " The Prince Consort, the
Prince of Wales, and the rest of the Royal Family:"
The toast was drunk with all the honours.
Mr. Dalziel sang " The: Land of my Birth" in an
energetic style, which called forth loud applause.
The Vice-Chairman gave, " The Army and Navy."
The chorus sang, "Peace to the Souls of our Heroes:'

Mr. John Smith proposed " The health of the members
for the county and borough." He said they' were so
happily placed in respect to their members that his toast
commended itself, not only to his own feelings, but, 'he
was sure, to the attention of the meeting, without any
-circumlocution whatever. (Hear, hear.). They were
honest men, who were serving their country as honest
men ought to do. He was, and had been for the last
50 years, somewhat of a politician, but he could safely
and freely declare that with the county and borough
members he had no fault to find, but had every com-
mendation to make of them, each of them pursuing the
right line of duty, trenching neither to the right nor to
the left, but keeping forward exactly to the point to
which they ought to tend and along the path of their
duty. (Cheers). He should not descant upon their
private worth, because it was so well known and es-
tablished that it would be a mere waste of words to do
so. But he could not help one expression with regard to
one of their members, who, he regretted to say, was not a
junior, but' a senior, and who was doing so Much of
permanent good for the community in the neighbourhood
of Shaw's-brow. (Lend cheers). A monument was
being there .erected which would carry down his name to
a late posterity indeed, and wherein there would, be
thousands of minds enlightened, which, but for his
patriotism and liberality, would have remained in com-
parative darkness. (Cheers).
The toast was drunk amid enthusiastic cheering
The Chairman proposed " the Mayor and'Members of
the Town Council." He explained that the Mayor, would
have been present' upon that occasion, but that he' was
compelled to attend her Majesty's levee, for the purpose
of presenting her with the Town Council's address of
congratulation upon the occasion of the birth of a grand,
child. (Applause.) He called upon the Deputy-Mayor,
Mr. Alderman Holme, whine long, useful, and honoura-
ble career he *armly eulogised, to respond to the toast.
Mr. Alderman Holinc rose, and was received with
enthusiastic cheering. He said : Mr. Chairman dud gen-
tlemen, I appear before you to-night, clothed with dele-
, gated authority, for the purpose of thanking you in
the name of the important body of which I have so
long had• the honour to be a member, for the compliment
you have been pleased to bestow upon them in so enthu-
siastically drinking the last toast. It would indeed have
been ranch more satisfactory to me individually, and I
am sure to you collectively, if our excellent chief
magistrate had been present in person, but
I am sure you will make allowance, and will
excuse his inevitable absence, when I tell you
that public duty alone would have kept him frerm your
festive table to-night. One of the last things he said to
me, when he asked me if I would undertake the duty of
Deputy-Mayor, was to request that I would come here
to-night, as he intended to have done. I told him I was
not like Sir Boyle Roche's bird, and could not be in two
places at once---that I found myself placarded upon the
walls, to take the chair in Hope Hall this evening. But
he said tojne, that they must find another chairman, and
that I must be here to represent him, as he could not
come himself. Knowing, sir, that a man is not fit to
command who has not learned how to obey, I obeyed the
orders of my superior officer—(laughter)—and here I am
instead of him, to acknoWledge, on behalf of the council,
of which some of my fellow members are here present, the
compliment which you have been so kind as to pay us.
You have drunk the health of the 'Mayor and Town Coun-
cil. Of the May-or himself, I can only say that he is fulfilling
the duties which have been imposed upon him, with
credit to himself and satisfaction to all. (Hear, hear, and
cheers.) His hospitality is unlimited; his liberality is
unbounded ; and blessed as he, is with a great measure of
earthly wealth, he is ever found ready, when charity calls,
to dispense of his wealth for the benefit of his fellow-
creatures.' (Hear, hear.) I am happy to say, sir, that
since he has been in office, the Mayor has brought the
dignity and the influence of his office to bear upon every
subject which came within the extended circle of his
benevolence.. (Cheers.) With reference to the Council,
you yourselves can judge of what we are, for the proceed-
ings are very faithfully and very ably reported whenever
we meet together. We are a body of your own creation,
and either are or ought to be a reflex of your own
opinions. 'We do occasionally wax warm in debate, and
for the sake of variety, we sometimes do get up what the
gentlemen of the fourth estate characterise as being " a
scene." (Laughter.) Sometimes too, let me say, we are
a semi-scientific body, and are even occasionally reverse
to the laws of nature. In the natural world water is
always said to extinguish fire, but in the Town Council
we observe quite a contrary effect, for it invariably
increases the. blaze. (Loud laughter and cheers.) A
great deal of talk has been made in that assembly and
others about dock rating, but, gentlemen, we in the
Council very soundly and very justly rate each other.
(Cheers and laughter.) The Finance. Committee, of
which I am—•l was almost going to say unfortunately a
member, is riddled absolutely with shot, and that from
guns of very large calibre. (Cheers and laughter.) I
am afraid we occasionally get uproarious, and give an
enormous amount of trouble to our chief magistrate. We
profess indeed to obey him, but we sometimes neglect to
do so, and we manifest continual impatience at the very
long speeches which are inflicted upon us ; but I am
desirous of saying as little as possible upon that point,
because I am afraid my friends on my left hand may
say that I am myself one of the greatest sinners in that
respect. (Laughter.) And yet, gentlemen, with all the
faults of the Town Council, and I presume that, like all
other bodies, they must have some faults—l say with all
their faults, as an administrative body exercising the high
and important functions of your representatives, I stand
up here to declare on behalf of my order, that you cannot
excel them in any of the municipal corporations of the
empire. (Cries of hear, hear, and lout'. cheers.) There
are in our body men of sterling talent, of great local and
commercial knowledge ; men who are perfectly competent
to debate any subject which may come before them.
From somewhat of an intimate knowledge of the. House
of Commons, so far as it can ,be obtained by sitting in
the gallery and listening to the debates, I am happy to
be able to say, on behalf of the body of which I have
the honour to be a member, that I have heard on many
occasions gentlemen in the Council-chamber, put forth
talents, and I have heard subjects debated there with an
ability which would do no discredit to the House of
Commons itself. (Cheers and applause). Permit me to
say that personally I have found many friendships
there—friendships which I shall value to the last moment
of my existence ; and that I have there learned a lesson
which it required some years, perhaps, of a public man's
life, to learn, but which is a salutary lesson for any-
public man to receive, and that is, that the members of a
deliberative assembly may differ in opinion without
anger, without jealousy, without bitterness, and without
intrenching upon those sacred endearments of friendship,
which form one of the great charms of life. (Loud ap-
plause). Well then, gentlemen, the double duty which
the Mayor and you have imposed upon me of acknow-
ledging the honour you have done the Town Council,
that duty, by a species of social alchymy, is converted
into a pleasure. Gentlemen, upon an occasion like the
present, it is usual not to enter upon subjects of a con-
troversial nature, and I trust your society will never
permit such subjects to be entered upon here,. but, at the
same time, there are general heads upon which we may
be permitted to dilate, and I think you will allow me to
make one or two remarks, which will not be out of
character with those which the Mayor himself might
have made, if he had been present. England's freedom
arose with her municipal institutions, and it is the
characteristic of a free state to have such institutions.
It is only in free countries that the system of local
government is successful, for when monarchs are despotic
nations cannot be free. So England is virtually a
federal republic of free states, forming a magnificent
foundation for the magnificent superstructure of limited
monarchy. (Cheers.) Under a limited monarchy we
have seen our country progressing from age to age. We
have seen her mistress of the seas. We have seen her
great moving soienoe emanate from her free-
thinking minds. We have seen the rail-
road with its wonders spreading over the earth—the
electric telegraph, by which
,0913 send sporonumicAtion

amount as. we think is fitting and absolutely requisite for
the comfort, of the town at large, no- man interfering
with. us. We do more, we appoint all our own officers.
We do not permit the Government to send down and ap-
point ourpolice, our officers, of markets : the officers of
our municipal institutions. We elect our parochial ves-
tries, we elect Our municipal councils. If' any gentleman
goes into the council with sentiments adverse to those of .
the majority of the people, if he prove to be •a man who
does not fulfil faithfully the trust reposed in him, we ex-
ercise our constitutional right, we say to him : Have
your opinions—enjoy them yourself, we do not agree with •
you"—we request him to retire and we elect another in
his stead. If an officer of the municipal body does•not
fulfil hissluty faithfully then you address- yourselves to
your rei)resentatives, and call upon them to discharge-
him. Such, is the liberty which we enjoy. Its pulsation
is not given; to the country' from -the government. (Hear,.
hear.) London is not England. _St. Petersburgh may
be Russia, Madrid may ,be Spain, and Paris may be
Franco, but. thank God London is not,' and I trust never
will be England. (Loud cheers.) The municipalities in
this country form a counteippise to the government._
They are not chosen 'by the government—they help to-
control the government. They form to a great extent
the- legislative, because' they help to chotise the legislature.
Therefore I say as a counterpoise to the government they
are necessary for the support of true freedom. Let
us preserve the blessings which we enjoy. The whole
municipality of the town which I have the honour of
representing is like yourselves, a guardian society. They
are guardians of your local rights, of your local privileges,.
and they -are the administrators of the funds which -you.
place at their disposal for your benefit and the benefit of
the community.. It -is for you to select fit and proper
members to represent you in the body for which I have-
the honour to respond here to-night. If you choose men
of ability, and men of independence —if you do not
reject an able and excellent man, because lie pleases you.
in ninety-nine points and offends you in one —but if you
steadfastly elect and keep to men of integrity, men of
high character, and men of intelligence, you will per-
petuate one of the most valued institutions with which
this or any other country can be blessed. (Loud cheers.).
Mr. Alderman Holme again thanked the assembly. and
resumed his seat amid loud and prolonged applause.
Mr. Alderman Gardner was also called upon, and in a.
very few words acknowledged the toast.

Mr. Bowing was loudly called for, and, in obedience
to the demand of the meeting, rose, and said—he was
sure it would be impertinence f a young member of the
Town Council, such as he was, to detain them by any
remarks, after the very elaborate speech they had heard
from Mr.f Alderman Holme. He could only say that he
was much obliged to them for the compliment they had
paid him as a member of the Town Council. The Town
Council-would always respect their good wishes. The
best reward they could have, or which any individual
member of the council could have, would be the good
opinion of his fellow-townsmen—that was the only re-
ward any honest man would, ever accept. (Applause.)
Mr. Alderman Holme proposed " The President, Oth—
cers, and Secretary of the Liverpool Guardian Society." -
The Chairman returned thanks.
Mr. Reay, secretary, proposed !‘ The officers of similar
societies with which we are in communication." Mr.
Reay glanced at some of the results which the combined:
efforts of the societies had produced, such as the introd action-
of the County Courts' Bill, the extension of the County
Courts' Jurisdiction to £5O, for both of which effects he-
declared that the public were mainly indebted to those
societies ; and the part which they were taking in
bringing about amendments in the laNis relating to
bankruptcy.
'
Mr. Johnson,. of Leeds responded ; and in the course
of his remarks, mentioned instances in which attempts at
the fraudulent obtaining of goods3on credit had been
discovered and stopped in Leeds, through the means
of a telegraphic communication with the Liverpool
society.

Mr: Crossley proposed " The Town and Trade of
Liverpool."
Mr. Alderman Gardner, who was loudly applauded,
replied.
Mr. Reay proposed "The Solicitors," with w high
eulo.iumapon the services and character of Mr. Evan:
Mr. Evans'replied, and was received with warm accla-
mations. He referred, in the course of his remarks, to the
laws relating to bankruptcy, in which he pointed out several
emendations which he desired to see carried into effect.
He did not approve of such terms as bankrupt andinsol-
vent being applied to men who had been debtors.by no
fault of their own, and he would not have theme &sig-
nated by such names, until a court had decided that they
had been guilty of some fraud, dishonesty, or reckless
trading. He desired to see greater expedition• is the
courts of bankruptcy. He should wish to see these tribu-
nals more commercial, and less formal ; he was not con-
tent with seeing them presided over by a gentleman with
a wig, who wished to keep to the strictest andlthe slowest
formalities. That very morning he had occasion, to apply
to the Bankrupt Court for the appointment of an
assignee, and the commissioner objected to receive the
proof of debt, because it had been done in his (Mr.
Evan's) office, and the parties were not in, court. He
(Mr. Evans) asked were the parties to leave their busi-
ness upon corn-market day, in order to come into that
court for no earthly purpose whatever. If they were in
court, what had they to say to them ? (Laughter.) The
commissioner persevered, and he (Mr. Evans) was near
havinr, his application rejected, but he asked, speaking
of course in the most respectful manner- whether his
Honour would dare to refuse 'it, intimating that, in
such an event, he should take steps to appeal against
such a decision. His Honour did not press the refusal.
(Cheers.) Mr. Evans pointed out other amendments
which he desired to see effected. Such as cheaper
facilities for the transfer of property,, and then, having
thanked the company, resumed his seat, amid loud
applause.
After the toast of the " Lancashire Witches" had
been given and acknowledged; the proceedings of the
evening closed.

THE M/NISTRY

The Advertiser says hostile motions will soon be
brought forward in the Howe of Commons, and the
result, it is fully expected; will. bo to precipitate a
Cabinet crisis. _

The Post hints that, the. Ministry must, for the,
sake of peace, announce their policy, and secure.
the sanction of the• country to it, or give phtce.
to those who betters understand the crisis. It is vain.
to meet this demand with the retort that it is esti-
mated to form a war party—the assertion is untrite, The
only parties likely to. endanger peace are her Majesty's
ministers, who da nothing• for its preservation, The
actual war party is on the Treasury benches.

THE- GOVERNMRNT MEASURE ON CHURCH

RATES

The Times says that Mr. Walpole's bill would be a
dead letter from the day of its enactment, and a measure
so utterly impracticable hardly deserves. consideration.
The Daily News says the measure is complex, but in
its relations to the dissenters it is ol`a, simple character.
The Herald remarks that, all that Mr. Walpole could
hope to achieve was a reasonable. compromise, and the
general feeling of the house seemed to ho favourable to

his proposal.
The Star states the hill is conceived in the spirit of
conciliation, but it la equally inconsistent with t. 116 prin-
ciple of an esttk4tishrttclkt and. With the principles of
voluntarism,