The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-04-04 00:00:00

FLTNTSHIRE ELECTION.

ADDRESS OF THE
lIT. HON. W. E. GLADSTONE.

A meeting of the electors of Flintsbire, resident in
Liverpool, was held yesterday in the Clarendon Rooms,
South John street, for the purpose of promoting the
return of Sir Stephen Glynne, Bart., as the representative
in parliament for that county. The meeting was con-
vened by the following circular:

" Mold, 31st March, 1857.
" Sir,—l beg, respectfully to inform you, on the part of
the committee for'promoting tl e election of Sir Stephen
Glynne, that the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone intends
to be at the Clarendon Rooms, Synth John street, on
Friday next, at two p.m., where he proposes, on the part
of Sir Stephen Glynne, to address the Flintshire electors
resident in and about Liverpool, ou the subject of the
election. lam th request the favour of your attendance
if coavenient.—l am, sir, your obedient servant,
" CAIN PARRY."
Long before the hour fixed for the meeting, the room
in which it was first proposed to be held, and the pas-
sages leading to it, were crowded to excess. A large
number, however, of those present, among whom we
noticed Mr. Charles Turner, Mr. Thomas Bold, Mr. Ald.
S. Holme Mr. Alderman Tonlmin, &c., were not
electors of? Flintshire, and were merely attracted to the
meeting from the very natural desire to hear the very
distinguished statesman, in whose, great abilities as a
fellow townsman, all in Liverpool take a just pride, who,
it was announced, would be one of the speakers. In
consequence of this too great crowd, as compared with the
accommodation of the roam, it was thought prudent to
hold the meeting in another part of the building, and
into this second room, few of the hundreds of people
present, except those invited to take part in the pro-
ceedings, and the reporters were allowed to enter. Even
with this restriction, the meeting was very numerous, so
much.so, that Mr. Alderman S. Holme .had to caution
them against indulging in No enthusiastic applause, as
the-flooring of the room was scarcely sufficiently strong
to bear the ' large crowd then gathered within it. The
chair was occupied by Mr. Walker.
Mr. Gladstone then rose and said : Gentlemen, I shall
pay attention to what has been stated by the chairman.
to the effect that time is valuable in Liverpool, I shall
begin • what I have to say by thanking you for your
crowded attendance upon this occasion. The attendance
of-those who are not elebtors of Flintshire, but who,
notwithstanding, take an interest in .he question, I can
only lake as an act of kindness on their part. I feel
greatly' indebted, particularly to those who are Flintshire
electors, but i feel indebted to all who are here present,
and 1 am quite sure that they. will give me a patient
hearing while I endeavour to lay before them the grounds
upon !which I hope that they may be disposed to act in
the case of the Fintshire election. Gentlemen, I appear
before you in a threefold capacity. In the first place
I am, like those who were invited to come here, an elector
of Flintshire by virtue of holding property, and residing
very much in that county. In the second place, I am
immediately' connected with one of the candidates who is
now before the Flintshire electors; and, in the third
place, I hope you will allow me to remind you that
lam a Liverpool man. (Hear, hear, and loud cheers )
In two out of three of those capacities I feel that I have a
point of contact with you, and that I can address yon as one
who will at least receive from you, I am sure, all that he is
entitled to, namely, a kind and patient hearing. Gentlemen
—confining myself to those matters which are absolutely
necessary, I shall not attempt on an occasion when I am afraid
all of you must suffer more or lees inconvenience from heat and
crowding, to enter upon what may be termed general politics,
In this great and free country, the subjects of public interest
are so numerous, the work of legislation is so vast, that if I
wore to attempt to discuss such measures at large, most of you
will agree with me that the day would not be long enough for
our business. I shall indeed, therefore, avoid such questions ;
but there are some subjects, in reference to which it appears to
me that the name of Sir Stephen Glynno has suffered disad-
vantage from misapprehension There is no question in parti-
cular upon which the feeling of all men are naturally and laud-
ably alive, namely, the question of religion.' In regard to his
attachment of the reformed religion of himself and
of his forefathers, I am bound to say it is within my own
lanowledge that misapprehensions have existed. Most
happy shall I be to render to any of yen any explanations
syhich you may desire upon that subject. In the mean-
time, 1 shall not enter upon the discussion of it ; but,
gentlemen, this I will presume to tell you, that misap-
prehension, and that misrepresentation, are confined to
places at a distance from that where Sir Stephen Glynne
lives, and where Sir Stephen Glynne is known. In his own
neighbourhood, where he has been known from boyhood
upwards, where the inhabitants are conversant with his daily
life and practices, where, I may be permitted to say, that
they see his good works, I do not believe there is a single
elector who,is Linder the influence of such misapprehension. '
But, undoubtedly, at a time when there are causes for
jealousy, I freely grant, upon the subject of religion, when
religious controversy is rife, and when your apprehensions
are jui!ifiably alive, I am not surprised that the opponents
of Sir Stephen Glynne should find it convenient, or, at least,
a certain portion of them, to lend a ready ear to miscon-
struction of his conduct upon that subject. I beseech
you for the present only to ,consult his neighbours and
thou, who know him long; and I think gentlemen, I may
be permitted perhaps to say, that if Sir Stephen Wynne
were justifiably open to any charges upon that ground
it is not likely that Mr. Raike, the son of the late Chan-
cellor Raikes of Chester, would be as he is, the Chairman
of his election committee—(Cheers)—and it is not likely
that Mr. Tollemache, the member this day elected for
Cheshire, would have promised, as he has promised, to go
to Overton to record his vote in Sir Stephen Glynne 's
favour. (Hear) Gentlemen, I shall avoid these topics,
and I shall avoid, for the reasons I have mentioned, all
topics of general politics. I shall confine myself to the
the issue now before you, in reference to the Flintshire
el:_ction. You have got before you two gentlemen, both
representatives of ancient families in the county, with
respect to whom' no doubt, many distinctions and
:differences may be drawn. I frankly own, that so far as my
.own opinion goes, there appears tome many reasons why the
representation of Flintshire should be alteral, and
those conyereant with the coma's, and its concerns
are, I think, very generally of that opinion. But I shall
here' discuss nothing which is local—nothing which is
private. I shall confine myself strictly to those points
which are immediately connected with the recent dissolu.
tion of Parliament, and to those matters of great public
interest which are now pending for discussion and decision.
Viewing, therefore, the eighms of the two candidates, with
reference strictly to these objects and purposes,, I note
this one fundamental difference. It is no secret that Mr.
Mostyn is a decided—nay, something more than a decided
—he is what is called a thorough going a iherent and
partisan of the existing Government. •
A Voice : 64 No, no ; he le net." (Cries of " Order,
order.") lam a Flintshire, elector, and I have a right
to speak." (Hear, hear, and " order.")
Mr. Gladstone : I will proceed to discuss that point. '
An Elector : Did not Mr. Mostyn-- ? (" Order,
order," and confusion.)
Mr. Gladstone : I will give the gentleman perfect satis.
fe.otioe. I have to repeat that Mr. Mostyn is, in my
opinion, a thick and thin-,-a decided partisan of the existing
Government. Sir Stephen Glynneesolicits the votes of the
electors of Flintshire upon independent principles.
The Elector : He is not independent ; he is a party man, sir.
(Cries of " No, no," and " Order, order.")
The Chairman : I hope you will have the goodness not to
interrupt.

Mr. Alderman Samuel Holm° : I trust that gentlemen will
not interrupt the proceedings. We will give him a fair hear-
ing after Mr Gladstone has done.. (Hear, hear.)
Mr Gladstone: No doubt that is the most couvenient
course—

. The Elector: It will be all forgotten then. (I aughter.)
We must go on by turns. (" Oh, oh," " No, no," and
laughter)

Mr Gladstone: As my assertion has been contested, I muit
for two minutes, and not more than two minutes, give you the
grounds of the assertion I have made. My reason for having
made the assertion is this—that upon every question where
there has been any important division in parliament in which the
existing administration had, as an administration, an interest,
Mr Mostyn voted in conformity with the wishes of that admi •
nistration. (Hear.) There has not, I believe, been a single
exception. I speak more particularly of questions arising in the
present year. During the present year we have had, as far
as I remember, no important question connected with the
government, except the questions of finance, and the
Inestion of the Chinese war. There is no doubt et all that
Mr. Mostyn formed one of the majority of 80 who passed
find ratified the budget of the government on the 23rd of
February last. The number was 286 of the majority, 206
of the minority. Mr. Mostyn was among the 286. (Ilear,
hear). Mr. Mostyn has made a speech, within the last
two or three days, in which he denies that he is a thick
and thin adherent of the government; but Mr. Mostyn
does not give a single instance of any government question
upon which he voted against them. (Hear, hear.) I
believe in some former session he gave a vote upon the
sulject of Maynootb. He voted against Lord Palmerston
noon the subject of Maynootb. But the subject of May-
nooth was brAg,ht forward during the present ses'iun, and
he gave no v, to at all upon the question ; besides, the
question of Maynootb, we know perfectly well, is not,
at this moment, a party question, or a • government
ques'ion, because there is a large ass of Englishmen,
iadepecdent entirely of all political 'party, who are