The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-01-05 00:00:00

JANUARY 5, 18;i6.

LIME. STREET WARD MEETING.

A most edifying and instructive scene was exhibited on Thurs.:
day evening last, at the " Great Room, Clayton-square," and if
the proceedings of that meeting have not the effect of opening
the eyes of the respectable Whigs of this community, they are
lost beyond redemption. We regret that the waut of space

prevents us from furnishing a longer and more accurate report
than the Journal has supplied, and which the Albion has sup-

pressed, on the principle "Save me from my friends !" The
placard calling the meeting was signed by "TtiomAs HAIGH,
CHAIRMAN," who is, we believe, a joiner or builder, somewhere
about London-road. But, from some cause or other, he was
deposed, and that industrious actor of all work, Mr. Jamey
Brancker, took his place. After stating to the meeting the in-:
ability of Mr. Langton to fill two situations, he congratulated
the radicals present on the exceltcnt selection of aldermen,

which they (the reformers) had -- (Fie! Fie! ➢lr. Braucker.)
The "happy and jocose manner" in which the chairman coin-

mented upon each alderman, we pass over for decency's sake ;
but his regret that Mt. Godfrey Barnsley was not amongst them,
was really too bail. Mr. Barnsley, of India-buildings and
Brougham-terrace, possessess, after all, too much honesty and

openness for his party, and the cries of "Elect him for this
ward," seemed to pose the chairman considerably. He dis-
played, however, considerable dexterity in strangling poor Mr.

_ .
Barnsley. "No! no! gentlemen," said Mr. Btaneker, "Mr.
Barnsley is a better judge than to step in between Mr. More-

croft and this ward;" and so Mr. Barnsley, whose services to
the parish, seriously speaking, have been worth more than
those of the whole batch of aldermen together, was burked by

is own particular and dear friends; and, to the disgrace of

is party, shelved for a year at least.

Then followed such an uproar upon the facetious chairman
announcing that the refimued council had attempted to thrust
in tory aldermen, that it seemed as if Pandemonium itself had

broken loose.

"There's Mr. Charles Lawrence," said the

chairman, his face expanding like a sugar pan boiling over,
" who commenced as a reformer, has since turned tory, and no
one knows what he is now, or may be next." And then a

hundred yells followed of "Shame! shame!" when such names
as Adam Hodgson, Ambrose Lace, Hardman Earle, and David
Hodgson were announced from the chair. Had any of those
gentlemen been present, it would have shown them what men
are to expect froM popularity, if they should dare to think for

. .
themselves. It seemed to be the unanimous opinion of the
meeting that no man had been sent to the council to think at.

di—councillors are to be mere automatons, and the wires are
o be pulled by such deliberative wisdom as that congregated

in "the great room."
After the chairman had ended his speech, a very elegantly-
dressed young gentleman, (the ex-chairman, Mr. Haigh,) with

well-starched c;llar and coat of newest cut, stepped forth, the

very pink of fashion and pomatuin. With one hand he. drew
forth a clean piece of paper, and r ith the other a handkerchief

so redolent of eau de cologne, that he threw a most agreeable'
fragrance over the whole proceedings. After one or two natu-
ral hems and smirks, pardonable in a young orator, and looking
all the while very like an ear-wig in convulsions, he ventured to
propose a resolution to the effect, ' that the meeting heard with
regret of Mr. Langtou's resignation, and under the circum-

stances must accept it." It was very happy for the meeting
that Mr. Haigh's speech was short. He may depend upon it
that his friends have placed him in what military men term a
false position. The SIMPSON of Vauxhall Gardens being lately
defunct, we earnestly recommend Mr. Haigh to apply immedi-
ately for the situation, as he is admirably adapted for it; and.
we claim his and his friends' particular thanks for our sugges;

ion, for they may rest assured that, if ever he speaks in public
again, he " will be the death of us."
A Mr. Harrison seconded Mr. Haigh's motion, and the regret
of the meeting was shown through the fingers, but not upon the
countenances; and we were marvellously puzzled to see such
honour and indifference connected together. To be sure we
knew that Mr. Langton, who had unwittingly caused the regret,'
was brother-in-law to Mr. Earle who had been so abused, and
that Mr. Langton was of the two the more conservative. But,
then, the radicals know how to keep all snug, only they bottle
up their soda so tight that a little carbon oozes through now
and then. We pass by the fulsome rant of Mr. Wylie and Dr.
Jeffreys, (not of Bold-street,) and even that of Mr. Thomas
Morecroft, the candidate himself, who is, if the meeting believed
half of what he said, the most honestest, consistentist, and zealous-
est reformer in Liverpool. One thing, however, he did say, in
which we cordially concur, that " they might have got a more
able and respectable man."
No sooner had Mr. Morecroft concluded his six-and-eight-
penny oration than up bounced the chairman, and with lungs
sufficient to have stunned a coppersmith, roared out "1 see se-
veral of the council here ! Let them give an account of their
proceedings to-day!" Out crept Mr. Councillor Blackburn
at the mandate of the furioso, and in the most obedient and sub-
servient manner possible " gave an account" of his proceedings.
This man is a tremendous talker, but he ought to limit himself,
because he proceeds at the rate of a thousand-horse power en-
gine. The poor directors of the Liverpool Bank got a sad
mauling from him. He use& tie dissecting knife most unmer-
cifully, and then applied A citidatiti of eantharides to the raw
which he had established. PhYSic ! faugh !
"I see other councillors," said the chairman, "whom we
must call upon and question. When I see any trimming / shall
instantly call a meeting of the electors. (Here the worthy
electors kicked the floor most tremendously.) I have some
right to have your confidence, having spent my lime and my ma.
ney in time cause." Poor James Brancker ! hest thou no kind
friend left on earth to teach thee a little wisdom?
Money—kind readers—money, although tit comes last, is as-
suredly uppermost in this matter. The chairman of the Lime-
street meeting is a busy, meddling, little great man—the atlas
of the reform association, and their candle would soon go out,
were it not for himself and another goose or two, who supply
oil to keep it burning. His time is of little consequence to
himself, for he is generally in mischief, but the continual drains
upon the purse must have an end; and Mr. Brancker, who in
money matters, at least, is tolerably shrewd, likes to have his
medley's worth. Dr. Carson, whose philosopher's stone is that
of " giving the people exercise under the open sky," being pre-
sent, and having the tear of his radical friends before his eyes,
got up, and in a shuffling and degraded tone acknowledged his
error in voting for Mr. H. Earle, at the solicitation of the said
Mr. Earle's own brother, (family relationships again,) and ex-
pressed his deep regret that he had so voted ! And this in one
short week! 0 ! ye unfortunate whigs, when will you learn
common sense? The loquacious chairman then "denounced,"
positively DENOUNCED, according to the most approved mode of
Mr. Daniel O'Connell, Mr. Hardman Earle; and after a few
more insults to Mr. W. W. Currie, Mr. Wm. Earle, and Mr.
Thos. Foster, the meeting separated.
We declare unfeignedly to the moderate men of all parties,
that the above-mentioned proceedings were the most disgusting
and disgraceful of any we have ever witnessed in Liverpool.
Who is this Mr. Brancker, who dares, at the head of a faction,
to denounce respectable and intelligent men, who, however we
may differ with them politically, we will not see abused by a
person like hint ? Is he prepared to bring the " death's head
and cross bones" to put over the door of the Town-hall, that
the free opinions of his fellow townsmen may be stifled, and
that Englishmen may be mere machines sent into a council to
echo the opinions of a noisy rabblement such as that over which,
he presided? Already we perceive the knout applied to the
back of every unfortunate right who places his shoulders against
"the pressure from without." The days of neutrality ate past.
The whigs will, as a party, be speedily trampled underfoot by
their allies if they dare to think, or dare to stop the movement.
The proceedings at the Lime-street ward meeting remind us
of the famous municipal sections in the French revolution,
where deliberation was overawed by factious and drunken mad-
men, and where the cry of " a la lanterne" awaited any man
possessing respectability.
But go on, gentlemen of the council; you are now installed,
and we shall .see---vrttat de. You have long, enough
roared out about tory misrule: but what have you done in "one
short" week?—dismissed the most talented and meritorious cor-
porate officer, at a cost of some £90,000 or £lOOO,OOO, for
which he is, no doubt, exceedingly! obliged ',to you, thus act_
ing like the Irishman who, to ruin a bank, gave gold for their
notes and then burnt them ! You have elected men for alder-
men—some of little standing, some not even known by name to
one-tenth of the electors, and you have brought down upon
your heads the execrations of your own radical friends • and'
last, though not least to men who exist upon the fleeting breath
of popular applause, you have incurred the virtuous indignation,
oft he electors of Lime-street ward.
We think von deserve pity; and, as objects of pity have ever
had our especial protection, we shall be obliged occasionally to
save you from the talons of the radical vulture, whose digestive
organs are stronger than you seem to be aware of.
e

AIRS. STIRLING.—This lady, who has by her talents won
many admirers and much applause by her acting in Liverpool,
bas lately made a very successful debut at the Adelphi, London.
fhe London papers speak of her in the highest terms. The
Observer says, " tier appearance is lady-like and prepossessing,
and we have have no doubt but that she will prove a must va-
luable acquisiticn to this theatre. Her acting was throughout
excellent, and elicited frequent and hearty appiause.
TAE EUPHRATES EXPEDITION.—WC have accounts fr.al "
The levy,
Euphrates expedition to the 6th of October, at which clod C•
Chesney was just recovering from a severe fever. 11,
steamer was afloat, and it was expected would ba.
,cia her
towards Bussorah in a few more days. She was :4nm:bed t
the 26th of September, broadside on, from a he.l4
at an angle of 27 degrees, along three slips, !Ind went off
ht ot 23 fee
good style, with the Turkish, Arab, and English flags. fiYlni
amidst the firing of guns and rockets, and co the astonishmec
of the natives to see iron float. Colonel Chesney had kg
'
met with unexpected difficulties
but, according to every expectation, h.e hoped to get both
on the part of the authoriiie,
steamers ready It was his determination to proceed,.however
with one only, as soon as it should be completed. Lieuteua,
Lynch was just returned from a mission to the Arabs. He Iv,
sent expressly to counteract the intrigues set on foot to erubai.
rass the expedition, and according to all appearance had been
very successful. We are most happy in being able to announce
the convalescence of Colonel Chesney, at the same time that we
hear of
go his indisposition, for the loss.of
its so enterprising an officer
would far to damp the hopes of• the expedition, not
perhaps the indefatigable exertions of ether members,....mat.
ta Gazette of the 9th ult. though