The Sun.
London, England, 1861-03-28 00:00:00

REPRESENTATION OF SOUTH LANCASHIRE.

A numerous and influential meeting of the Liberal
electors of South Lancashire was held yesterday
afternoon at Newton•in-the-Willows to promote the
nomination of the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone.
Mr. 0. Heywood, of Manchester, was called upon
to preside.
The CHAIRMAN said he should have the utmost
pleasure in voting for Mr. Gladstone, although there
might be many points of difference of opinion be-
tween the right hon. gentleman and himself. Mr.
Gladstone was a man who would not hesitate to
vote in the House of Commons in accordance with
his convictions ; and he (Mr. Heywood) felt when
such a man's views were mainly those which he
himself entertained, he could heartily support him
without seeking to tie him down to specific pledges
on this or that subject. (Applause.)
Mr. W. EARLE (of Liverpool) moved the follow-
ing resolution :

" That the position occupied by Mr. W. E.
Gladstone as onelof the first statesmen and orators
in Europe, the extensive knowledge he possesses of
the commercial wants of the country, the impor-
tant part he has taken in its fiscal legislation, and
the popular opinions he has expressed on foreign
policy, recommend him as a fit and proper repre-
sentative of the views and interests of South Lan-
cashire in the House of Commons."

Mr. J. CHEETHAM, who was loudly cheered, said
it was with the greatest pleasure that he heard the
name of the gentleman who was proposed as a can-
didate after he (Mr. Cheetham) had himself declined
to contest the seat. Perhaps he had, more than
many gentlemen present, had an opportunity of
knowing something of Mr. Gladstone's qualifica-
tions. Having watched that gentleman's career for
some years past, he would say that Mr. Gladstone
had made upon him the strongest impression of any
of the rising statesmen of the day. He was pro-
posed on the present occasion, however, more on
account of his knowledge of the commercial wants
of the country than because he was the first orator
in Europe. Mr. Gladstone had invariably, since he
accepted the office in 1852, shown the greatest sym-
pathy with the commercial and manufacturing inte-
rests of the country, and had shown himself at all
times ready to listen to the advice of men repre-
senting this great county. He had displayed the
deepest interest in the progress of that great portion of
her Majesty's subjects concerning whose industry,
talent, enterprise, and capital it was not too much
to say that upon them depended, in a great degree,
the solidity and welfare of the empire at large.
There were doubtless some things in which Mr.
Gladstone did not go to the full extent that was
desirable, but from year to year he had been slowly
and steadily advancing in the path which his best
friends approved, and in process of time had taken
more and more of a liberal tone in thought and
feeling. He (Mr. Cheetham) believed the very best
thing that could be done for Mr. Gladstone would
be to sever his connection with Oxford—(laughter)
—and the next best thing would be to unite him to
a constituency eo closely identified with commerce,
liberal opinions, and progress as South Lancashire.
(Cheers.) He had great pleasure in seconding the
resolution.

Mr. J. PLATT (Oldham) said they had in Mr.
Gladstone not only a Lancashire man, but one whose
feelings and interests were identified with the pros-
perity of that county. In speaking of that county
they spoke of the life-blood almost of England;
because, however they might be accused of self-
flattery, whatever was noble, generous, and far-
sighted in the interests of this country generally
emanated from South Lancashire. (Laughter and
cheers.) The last session of Parliament was of itself
sufficient to establish Mr. Gladstone's claims. There
might be difference of opinion as to the motives of
France in the negotiation of the commercial treaty,
but there could be none as to the motives of Mr.
Gladstone and those with whom he was associated
in the undertaking. Although at the present time
no great results had flown from that treaty, the day
could not be far distant when most important con-
sequences would issue from it. It was no matter in
whatever light Mr. Gladstone's character might be
viewed—they all saw now that he was for the on-
ward course, and there was nothing that would
more assist to push him on than making him a
representative of South Lancashire. (Cheers.)
Mr. H. MASON said the polling district of
Ashton• under-Lyme would rally round Mr. Glad-
stone as heartily and successfully as it had
supported the Liberal candidates on former
occasions. As a man entirely bound up with com-
merce, he (Mr. Mason) was glad to see a gentle-
man brought forward having the high commercial
qualifications of Mr. Gladstone, but he did not see
why there should be anything like a divorce be-
tween the gentlemen of the land and the gentlemen
of cotton factories, seeing that the interests of both
classes were thoroughly identified. He believed it
was only because there was not a proper diffusion
of information among either class that the landed
and the commercial interests were to some extent
disunited in the South Lancashire election battles,
and he thought they should expect in the approach-
ing contest a more cordial co-operation between
the two. (Applause.)
Mr. G. WILSON, who was greeted with loud
cheers, said he might take the opportunity—as
having been the chairman of the committee of the
Liberal candidates for South Lancashire at every
election since the first (in 1832), and as it had been
his privilege to support men whose opinions differed
very much from Mr. Gladstone's on many points—
of showing why he thought he was not inconsis-
tent in supporting the right hon. gentleman on this
occasion. From the first moment of hearing his
name mentioned as a candidate he (Mr. Wilson)
never asked a question as to how far Mr. Glad-
stone's views might correspond with his own. He
knew that on many questions they did not. It was
no disparagement to Mr. Gladstone to say that
although, if he were himself in the House of Com-
mons, he (Mr. Wilson) might very frequently go
into the opposite lobby from the right hon. gentle-
man, yet he believed Mr. Gladstone would be one
of the most suitable representatives of South Lan-
cashire. It could not be ignored that from the first
mention of his name as a candidate an electric
shock of approval had passed through the minds of
Liberals of all classes in that constituency. They
took the man, not perhaps as they could like him to
be on all questions, but they took him as he was—
not perhaps merely as the greatest member of the
present Government, whose genius far eclipsed
all the rest of his colleagues, but because they
believed there was a great future in Mr. Glad-
stone, which the act of the Liberal party in
this constituency to-day might promote the realisa-
tion of. He agreed with Mr. Cheetham that Ox-
ford was not the proper place for Mr. Gladstone to
represent. The connection between Mr. Gladstone
and that University had been most honourable, and
if he (Mr. Wilson) were a scholar the representa-
tion of Oxford would be the object of his highest
preference; but he must concur in the opinion
that Oxford University, at this time, was not the
constituency from which we should take our rising
statesmen in a nation which existed entirely in the
prosperity of its trade, manufactures, and agricul-
ture. (Cheers.)
Mr. M'CORQUODALE said he would be very happy
to support Mr. Gladstone, though he could not con-
scientiously have voted for the Liberal candidates
proposed at the last election. . _

A letter was read from Mr. J. P. Hey Wood, one
of the unsuccessful Liberal candidates at the last
election, expressing a hope that the Liberals would
be united in the contest.

The resolution was unanimously adopted.
Mr. BAZLEY, M.P., gave some explanations as to
the result of the deputation of Liverpool gentlemen
to ascertain the disposition of Mr. Gladstone. He
said those gentlemen went to London on a voyage
of discovery, having in their eye the promontory
" Gladstone," How to approach that promontory