The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-03-23 00:00:00

THE ELECTION.

WEST DERBY WARD.

On Saturday evening the electors of this ward held a
public meeting at Marshall's Coffee House, Edge hill,
for the purpose of supporting Mr. T. B. Horsfall, and
Mr. Charles Turner, and hearing those gentlemen expound
. their political sentiments. The large room of the above
hotel was densely crowded, and amongst the company
present we observed Messrs. Clint, Shand, T. D. Anderson,
T. Bold,- J. G Livingston, J. Gaskell, John Geskell, R.
'Sanders,'3. Bailey, W. Whattham J. Beebill, H. Brem-
ner G. Jackson; John Jones, W. Jones, J. Smith, J.
Rigby, J. Lawson, J. B. Morgan, W. Priest, &c. ,At.
the unanimous request of the meeting, Mr. William
Potter took the chair.
In taking the chair, which he did amidst great applause,
-he said he had for some time given up addressing
political -meetings in this borough, but having again
been requested to appear before them on this imaortant
occasion, he could not hesitate in taking a part.
(Cheers.) They were well aware for what object
they had assembled together. It was to' se-
lect fit and proper persons to represent that borough in
parliament. With regard to their late member, Mr.
Horsfall—(cheers)--he had been acquainted with him all
. his life ; and his fatter before him was one of his (the
chairman's) most intimate friends. He then proeeeddd
to pass a very high enlogium on Mrellorsfell, observing
that he had, since; tie had been the representative of the-
borough• bee". a most industrious and attentive Member,
"t 1 had W. dangly devoted his time and attention to the
inter".hs of the borough, and was one of the best. members
*wt.,' had ever represented it in parliament. (Cheers.)—
And he did hope that the electors would show their grati-
tude by again returning him by a very large majority.
(A voice, "So we wil," followed by loud applause.)
With regard to Mr. Turner—(cheers)—although be (the
chairman) could not claim to be on the same intimate
terms of friendship that he was with Mr. Horsfall, that
gentleman was well known in the town—(cheers)--from
the important position he- filled in the Dock Committee,
a position which well qualified him to be the representative
of the town. (Cheers.) They must not forget that when
he was returned on a former occasion it was by a
• triumphant majority, and he did hope the electors would
do the same on the present occasion, and if they did not
place bins at the head of the poll—for he wished to see
his frietil, Mr. IF rsfall, occupy that position—that they
Would return him by a large rehajority over his Opponent.
(Cheers.) He would not trouble them with any further
remarks, btit at once introduce' Mr. J. B. Horsfall.
(Great oteering.)
411". Horsfall arose amid loud and general applause.
He said : Qentlemen,perinithne, in the first instance, to
thank roll for this very flattering rec ption, a reception
whieh I feel I owe more to the partial terms in which
your Chairman has been pleased to speak of me than to
any merits of my own. (No, no.) You have honoured
me, gentlemen, with your confidence now for a period
of four years, and I come before you this evening to
ask yoc, if you approve of my past conduct, to give me a
nearewal of your confidence. - (Haar, hear, and cheers.)
ton the other hand, you do not approve of myapast
'conduct, or if you do not approve of my principles,
which are the same as when you did me the honour first
• •to elect me—(cheers)—if, gentlemen, you disapprove of
those principles, then do not renew your confidence in
.me. • Gentlemen, you all know what led to the dissolu-
tion of Parliament which has taken place to day. You
know that it was the vote upon the resolution proposed
by Mr. Cobden—(hisses)—with reference to the state of
affairs in China, I doubt not but that you have all made
yourselves masters of the subject before this, and I shall
therefore not presume to occupy your time and attendon
by going through the details of the question, or the
grounds upon which it was argued pro and con. But,
gentlemen, I need not tell you that upon that
question, I felt it my duty on every ground of humanity,
on every ground of justice, on every ground of protecting
the interests of this town, and of our merchants in every
part of the world, to give my vote against the motion of
Mr. Cobden (:dear, hear, and cheers)—and, by conse-
quence. in support other Maj sty's Government, because,
gentlemen, as your chairman has well said, I went to the
House of Commons as your representative, not pledged
to support this Minister or that, but the Minister only
• who looked to the interests of our common country.
(Cheers.) It was upon that ground I felt it my duty,
in that instance especially, to give my support to the
Government. I did not, upon that occasion, feel called
.ter,.,u./111AUCI. of oir
JOhn Bowring. I did not choose to condemn an absent
nian; (Hear, and cheers.) Bat, at the same time, lam
not prepared to say that he might not have adopted a
Wiser course. (Cries of " Hear, hear.") And perhaps you
will be surprised when I tell you that, to some extent, I
stand here as the apologist of Mr. Cobden. (Laughter.)
He told us in the House of Commons that he had been.
the private and the politica/ friend of Sir Jahn Bowring
for twenty years. I confess that that reminded me then,
as it reminds me at this moment, of a circumstance
which took place in this town, wiih which
some of you here may be familiar. I allude
to the election which took place many years ago for the
office of vestry clerk of Liverpool. Upon that occasion
the candidates were Air. Matthew Dobson Lowndes, and
Mr. Peter Woods, a well-known Radical of that day.
• It so happened that a respectable member of (he Society
of Friends came up to record his vote —be was a cele-
brated Radical too, He was asked how he voted ? —he
said for Mr. klatthew Dobson Lowndes. 'Mr. Woods,
'who sat by him, addressed him and said—" James, I
theuelt we had been well acquainted—that thou veert a
• sriend of mine ?" The wary friend replied--" Peter, I
know thee too well—that is -the reason I voted against.
thee." (Cheers and laughter.) I believe that to be the
apology of Mr. Cobden—hi knew Sir John Bowring too
well—that was the reason "-be voted against him.
(Laughter.) Now, gentlemen, during the time I have had
the honour of being your representative, many very
_important questions with which your interests have been
involved, have been discussed in the. House of Commons.
Perhaps, so far as the town of Liverpool is concerned,
no au.:,stion was of greater importance than the question
the Town Dues. (Cheers.) I need not tell you that
. that question originated in a bill introduced by Mr.
Lowe, having for its object to take from the
town of Liverpool : above £lOO,OOO a year,
which was to be supplied by local taxation.
Now, gerelemei, this question I would ask you a ques-
tion which has, however, been already decided by the
Rouge of Commons. The House of Commons has
decided that thae•was not a just and equitable bill. .Was;
it or was it not a just and equitable bill ? (Cries of "No,
no.") That any man should introduce a bill into the
House of Commons—that any minister of the Crown,
especially, should introduce a motion which would take
from a town, such as Liverpool, property held by right
and by title amounting to above £lOO,OOO a year, without
any breach of trust upon our part, which would,entitle
the legislature so to deal with us, is a matter at which
we may be reasonably allowed to express astonishment.
(Hear hear, and cheers.) Now, gentlemen, look at the
position Lehonld have been placed in if I had entered
• the House of Commons pledged, as I have been asked to
do—pledged to support Lord Palmerston's government.-
(Hear, hear.) For, although the noble lord wisely with-
drew the bill, yet it was introduced by a member of his
government ; and you may rest assured of this, that
although I shall support her Majesty's goverment when!
I believe them to be right, as in the- case of China, I
shall offer them the most determined resistance upon any
question so fraught with injustice as the local dues bill
(Hear, and cheers.) But do not let us forget that that bill
is stll before the House of Commons in another form.
(Hear, hear) It was introduced into the house under the
plea of a Mersey Conservancy Bill, originating in Manchester.
The Vice President of the Board of Trade, not venturing a
second time to introduce his own bill, went down to
Manchester, consulted with our friends there, and then
gave the support of the
.government to the Meraw Con-
servancy Bill. (Hear, hear.). I endeavoured, in my position
in the House of Commons. to prevent that bill from going
to a second reading. That, -however, is not quite a usual
0-course, and there is always a feeling iu favour of sending ,
a bill to a committee, to save the house the trouble, as I
am sorry to say, is a reason very common in the House of
' Commons, and upon that I was not successful. That bill is
before a committee of the House of Commons, and
when the house meets again you must be prepared to give
support to those who have to defend you from these unjust
attacks. (Hear, hear.) Gentlemsn, if you will not sus-
pect me of a coalition with Mr. Cobden I shall just tell you
Mr. Cobden's opinion of Mr. Lowe. (Laughter and
cheers) His name, as you are aware, has been mentioned
with reference to Manchester, and. although Mr. Cobden is ,
a supporter of Mr. Lowe upon the Local Dues' Bill, yet be'
thus speaks of him : —" I now come to your new candidate ;
there is Mr. Lowe, gee him and hear him before you choose
him. You have bad one spscimen of ministerial oratory
upon the platform, and I want you to hear more of these
right honorable and honorable members of the aristocracy."
'Although I do not think Mr. Lowe does belong to the
aristocracy. (Cheers and laughter.) " Let them come and
talk to you, and you will then know better how to
= appreciate they men you hare got. Hear Mr: Ltitve; 1
have heard him. and l will, say this, and in saying it I
shall be borne el err men in • the House of
mirnsais, that s 'erhee ha had toms reputation
for ability-When he was at xford, and as a writerf,iti *be
Times, he has :been the most conspicuous failure in the
House of Commons." (Cheers.) Now that, Gentlemen,.
is the character which Mr. Cobden gives of Mr. Lowe.
(Cheers.) I wish Mr. Cobden might have gone a little
further, and not said that he was altogether merely a