The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-05-08 00:00:00

MAX 8. 18'0-

Lions of the tyrant majority for adopting a principle'
which the Chronicle itself has' stienuotisly advocated ?
Have our liberat Town Councillors not given an athni-
rable- example of that " irresponSibility gently veiled
behind the cant of independence". which the radicals
claim on behalf of the electors at large ?
But we have not yet done with the gentle editors of
the Chronic/e. They say, in reference to the majority
'of Wednesday, that "" they must move the previous
question as the most insulting form in which they .could
couch theirirefusal to listen to- the just wishes of the
electors." Is it the first time that they have insulted the
electors and refused to accede to" their just wishes?
Look at the choice of the rejected candidates as alder-
men. 'Was net that an insulting disregard of the just
wishes of the Cogistituency, and a display of " utter con-
tempt for public opinion and public feeling Here,
again, the Chronicle is inconsistent, because it' lavished
its praises on that grand infraction of the wholesome rule
of paying deference to the " just wishes of the electors."
Why was not a Whisper heard against the proceedings to
which we allude ? Simply because the sixteen aldermen,
many of whom were rejected by " the people," were all
thick and thin. radiCals. Wily do we now hear such
grumbling from the reckless faction ? Because the ma-
jority in. ,tfie Town Council, in a fit of extraordinary
liberality, explicable only on the ground that they must
lave had-some sinister object in vieW, chose to nominate
one or two gentlemen of conservative principles for the
list of magistrates. It is a crime of unpardonable.enor-
mitv to show any favour to gentlemen of loyal opinions:
it is an act deserving of the highest raise to elevate
into offices idirust and responsibility the most ignorant
and contemptible of the faction. Such is radical con-
sisteney.

it seems, however, that the tpat majority are not to
escape unpunished fOr.presuniing-to cote in oppuition
to their radical
.masters out of duurs: Already has the
Chronicle proclaimed war to tile knife against the dis-
obedient and—refractOry crew, who have made such
" shipwreck of their principles." Listen, reformers- of
LiverpOOl, to the follOwlng.magnilequent appeal
- . _

" The previous question be it then! We also move the pre-
vious question in the name of the Reformers of Liverpool, and
our previous question is, measures not men, principles not persons.
We have not all this time been struggling simply fur a change
of masters in the Council, for a subverting of forty-one irres-
ponsibles to; place, sixty:four in the same position to ride rough•
shod .over its. Our warcry has been " THE PEOPLE"-our
efforts have been for thew, and for their privileges, and for
their right. lobe fairly. represented in our local government by
men who were in all their proceedings to be responsible to
them. The electors are not a mere ladder by which others are
to climb up to power, and then to kick down the steps by which
they ascended—on the contrary, they are the maiu point, the
Alpha and,Oinega, the all in all, according to our estimate of
the relative position of the represented and the representatives."

" Measures, not men—principles, not persons," is the
verYmotto which was adopted by the Times when Sir
Robert Peel assumed office, prepared to carry into effect
measures of real reform, and to act upon principles of
real liberality. But what said the •Liverpool radical
journals at the time? Did they not vehetnently protest
against such a rule ? Did they not pfoclaim the Times
an apoState for its adherence to principle and its oppo-
sition to faction, ?
It is-really amusiug to hear the radicals now crying
out that they had placed sixty. four. irresponsibles in the
Town Council to ride rough-shod over them. It is gra-
tifying to perceive that the poor creatures have at length
found out that a radical town-councillor must necessarily
be an es.sentiaily tyrannical personage. We sincerely
hope that they will profit by, their eXperience and take
care next time to send sixteen. food and'linnest conser-
vatives to represent their interests. Let us hope for
such ",a happy termination of thiS'Untoward affair."

The following " elegant extract" cannot fail to excite
a laugh
" Who do our readers think rose to beard the electors 'by
moving the previous question, to mark his contempt for them?
Who, but, Mr. William Wallace Currie, seconded by Mr. T. B.
Barclay. Yes! Electors of Liverpool! Mr. William Wallace
Currie was the great arch-traitor and Judas of the day. With
honey and sugar, and butter and treacle, and flummery, and
every kind of smooth thing and every kind of sweet thing upon his
'dips, he proceeded for some half hour or *so to exhaust his round
:ofdrawing-room phrases and courtly nothings to blind your
:eyes and understandiegs—and then—prat puclor ! MOVED THE
PREVIOUS.QUESTION, seconded, as `we said before, by Mr. T. B.
Barclayand—,alas—that we shohld have to say it—two and
!twenty oi.hermemlatrs of the Town council moved as satellites
round these rtnn ptansts.of ap(istarly. in their eccentric course.
it now remains for the electors of Liverpool to show of what
metal they are Made. They have their fate in their own hands
—if they succumb, political slavery is too good for them."
..Really. this is very amusing. "it is a very pretty
quarrel as it is.;" and we shall certainly not spoil it by
'attempting to act the part of mediators.:,.We,leave the
" great arch-traitor, and Judas.of the day," and "the two
and twenty other members of the Town Council" who
" moved as satellites round these twin planets of apos-
tacy" to their fate. The Chronicle has pronounced their
(loom,. and against the oracular decision of this avowed
organ of the, radicals we have only oneobjeetion to make.
The Chronicle includes in its anathema (to use a pet
phrase of the testy. Alderman for Rodney Ward) three•
conservatives. As to their fate we have no fears what-
ever, if they take care in future to avoid 10,001 y of
voting• with the radicals on any question inning a
political principle....
W cannot, however, quit the subject without noticing
the extraordinary declaration of Mr. Coglan, who said
" perhaps he should give a snore honest vote. if left to his
own unfettered opinions," that is, if allowed to avail,
Jlirnself of vote,by ballot, " because he could vote without
offending individuals." There is an independent repre-
'sentative for you! Electors of St. Ann's Ward, see 'what,
-sort of stuff the man of' your choice is made!, Will you
trust him for the future ? What confidence can you le-
'Pose in his political; honesty.? .
In conclusion, we may remark that the cause of all
-this disturbance need not have existed at all. Why are
'the members of the Town Council obliged to. undertake
'the invidious task of recommending individuals for the
magistracy ? Why is not the duty of selection dev,olved
lipon the Lord Lieutenant? We consider it to be our
duty to do all we can to set aside this whig-radical inno-
vation,

POSTOFFICE REvort.m.—We are happy to inform our
readers that a petition is now lying for signature at the
several public places in town for a thorough reform of
114 e Postoflice regulations. We are sure that a petition
tvvhicli so ,universally concerns the public will be nu-
Alerously .signed. We do not know that.we can better
,Pxpress our opinions on the subject than by quoting the
Allowing petition from the Post Circular
:
:To the Itinthirable the Conynonr of Great Britain and Ireland;

in Parliament assembled,

:rho bumble Petition of the Rev. William Carus Wilson; of

Casterton Hall, in the count}, of Westtnorland,

Sheweth—That Our petitioner is duly sensible of the ad-
vantages enjoyed. by the nation from the Post-office system as
at present existing; as well as of the promptitude and courtesy
With which .the the officers of that department attended at all
tones to any application for redress or improvement.
. .

But that your petitioner. is of opinion that material altera-
tions might be made (and that without endangering the revenue)
WhiCh, to say nothing or the great advantages, would have an
important morn/ influence on the country.
I. That the taxing ofrietters, not bs weight, but by the num-
ber of enclosures, and the consequent necessity for minutely
exatni4ing.thesoutents, presents a temptation to fraud which •
it would be highly expedient to prevent.
2. That it' is equally expedient to prevent the strong induce-
tnent which frequently presents itself, to violate the existing
laws of the country by the illegal transfer of letters. --
3. That your petitioner is strongly impressed with a sense of
the expediency of granting to the poorer classes of the commu-
P-lt.* every facility of •correspondence, not only as a great pri-
vilege which would be highly valued and is easily granted, but
which, in a moral point of view, would- have the happiest ten-
ileney on the charities of social life, and be the means of keeP-
in.': alive the interests of family connexions, -

It is impossible to contemplete a mote gratifying reflection
than that the poorest families in the realm have ceased to suffer
one serious aggravation of ►heir lot, as consisting in a long and
hopeless severance from those most dear to them, and are now,
.41 common with all ranks of the community, blest with every
facility of intercourse. •
4. That, with reference to the moral view of the question,
your petitioner suggests that a powerful and legitimate stimulus
vfonbi hereby be given to education.
That for the accomplishment of these important objects, your
Pelitioper strongly recommends the principle, at least, of Mr.