The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-04-26 00:00:00

DINNER OF THE WARRINGTON OPERATIVE
CONSERVATIVE .ASSOCIATION. '

On Saturday last, upwards of 400 members and friends of the War-
rington Operative Conservative Association dined together at the Cloth
Hall, Warrington. Three hundred and eighty tickets were sold
amongstthe members of the Association, and between thirty andrforty
of the principal yentry of the neighbourhood attended, by invitation.
The large room in the Cloth-hill was laid out with four rows of tables
and one set at the upper end transversely, where sat the chairman and
the invited guests. Another room in another part of the building was
also set out, those who dined there assembling in:the large-room after
dinner. The rooms were ornamented with evergreens and flowers,
and decorated with a variety of flags bearing appropriate inscriptions
and mottos. Yung in front of the Cloth-hall was a very large flag,
bearing the inscription " Church and King," and surrounded by the
words Warrington Operative Association." • Long before the dinner
hour, five o'clock,..the little town presented a gay and bustlirg, ap-
pearance, various flags being hung out in different parts of the town,
At the dinner, we noticed T. E. Wilkington, Esq., of Culeheth-hall,
John Clare, Esq., the Bbroughreeve, Josiah Wagstaff, Esq., Thomas
Robinson, Esq., John Clare, jun., Esq., Joseph Lee, Esq.' John Fit-
chett, Esq., the Rev.• Thomas Lowe, -Rev. James 'Dodd, Rev. James
Wright, Rev, C. Bulch, and other gentlemen whose names we did not
learn: , The dinner, which was both substantial and good, was pro-
vided by Mr. Wm. Bather. Mr. Wilson, the originator of the asso-
ciation, occupied the chair, and Mr. John Wilson acted as vice-presi-
dent ; ,Messrs. Malley., Smith, and Lythgoe, sat at the bottoms of the
tither tableS. After the cloth had been withdrawn, the Rev. Mr. Lowe
returned thanks,:after which " Praise God" was sung by a company
of glee singers.
The CHAIRMAN then rose to propose the first toast. He said if there
were moments of his, life more distressing to him in one sense than
another; it was the present, from his conscious inability to fill the
chair; yet he should say wrong if he were not to say that lie was glad
to see such an honourable and such a constitutional association and
their guests as sat before him on that occasion. (Cheers.) •It must be
a happiness to every man who loved his country to see such an asso-
ciation as that,,knowing as he did that a warm heart glowed in every
bosom preSent. It was hardly six months since the society was first
formed. Wagit anticipated by any individual that they should have
so welrsuceeeded. For his own part he was certain from the first that
such a society could be established with credit to the town, and the
society_was a cred_ittpAhe.town,_ _He mould address himself to the
meenbers 'of Till own standing in life, he knew he need not recommend
to them temperance and Prudence. oh the present occasion, for he knew
they would act as became the society. He would more particularly
addkess him Self to the: younger members of the society, whe, 'pro-
bably, never before witnessed such a scene. He called on them to re-
frain from anythifig which might be injurious to them ; he would call
on them to be circumspect ; there was temptation On the boards, but
let it be understood, that they did not meet there as the Manchester
Times had said, " merely, for a feed," to eat and drink. No they had
to declare to their country that there was a band of loyal men in War-
rington who 'would rally round the standard of the altar and the
throne. They met to tell their opponents that all their tricks were in
vain, when they attempted to destroy the power which the conserva-
tive interest felt and possessed. Had they done anything but destroy
the foundation of the constitution ? Had they not done everything
that was violent and oppressive to the poor man. Let ahem remember
that they met there to preserve the conservative cause, and likewise
to secure to the country that constitution w,nicla was at one time the
pride and glory of Englishman, when England stood pre-'eminent in
the world. Under that constitution she was admired and feared, and
England was respected by all surrounding nations. But was it so now
Many present might more eluicdate this than he did ; as chairman he
merely alluded to it, He would give a toast which every one present
would reipOnd to. " His Majesty the Duke of Lancaster, and may he
never forget the principles which seated him on the throne." Given
with three times three. _ _

Mr. Nunnerly sung in fine style " Hark! the shout thro' England
sounding—God save the King."
The Chairman then gave Her Majesty the Queen, the ornament
of the throne, and the liberal supporter of the charitable institutions
of the country." ' Given with tree times three cheers.
' GLEE—" Adelaide our Queen."

The Chairman then gave " The Princess' Victoria, and the rest of
the. Royal Family."
cu E—" Hail Star of Brunswick."
_

. —.—..—.
The Chairman would propose a toast which he was sure would be
enthusiastically drunk. The toast in the first instance was the consti-
tution Of our country—a protecting poiver that is a blessing to the pea-
sant as well as to the peer of the realm. The next was the church,
that church that never erred to direct every individual the right way to
blessings hereafter. He proposed "Our glorious. Constitution in
Church and. State." Given with three times three hearty cheers. • •
GLEE—" A jolly full bottle,"
' The Chairman then gave " The House of Peers as an independent
branch of the legislature, and may they ever prove themselves the
friends of the people, by maintaining that constitution which alone is
the support of •the peoples' liberties." • •
Mr. LYTHOOS rose to respond to the toast. He said, after a few pre-
liminary remarks, he should as briefly as possible state his views of
the necessity that existed for a maintenance of the House of Peers as
an independent branch of the legislature.—(Hear.) It was absolutely
necessary' to 'preserve the liberties of the people and the prerogatives
•of the chureh.—(Cheers,y! And at these times when inoinentous
changes in the government were going on; and the nation•was Con-
trolled and governed b3r, a priest-paid demagogue,—(tremendou•s
cheering) ; it was most alisolutely necessary to.maintain those liber-
ties, and to uphold that church, for which our fathers bled, and.for
which they died.—(Hear.) . He. hesitated not to say if
,the House of
Peers were destroyed the liberties of. the people would soon be ex-
; tirwaished.—(Cheers.) In proof of this, let them consult the history
of their own and other countries, let them look into therriiiror of past
times' and there they saw the dreadful consequences of shackling the
•upper house of, parliament. If. the Peers were destroyed the 'same
results would take place from the House of Commons, as in France,"
terror would he the reigning feeling, despotism the nation's govern-
ment, and atheism the national religion.—(Three distinct rounds of
'applause.) The consequences would be the same as occurred in Eng-
land durity, what had been mistermed the commonwealth, rather
ought' it to' have been termed the common-woe. Yes, that was' the'
epithet applied to it by every good man. The House of Commons
voted the House of Peers a nuisance, and in the absence. of all control
over their actions they proceeded in the work of refoymation by mur-
dering their king, by the destruction of trade, by the confiscation of
property, by adding sevenfold to the public burdens, by plun,ging the
nation into a long and civil war, by destroying every vestige of liberty
and converting tree and happy.Englandinto a nation of slaves. (Great
cheering.) -But what had the Peers done that they ought to be' de-
itroyed ? What had caused this cry for their abolition ? Why, it was
this, they had proved themselves the friends of the country and the
supporters,of Protestantism, by maintaining Protestantism in Ireland,'
and preserving Protestantism from destruction.—(Loud cheers.) They
Were determined to maintain the , constitution, the • best safeguard
against the tyrannical usurpations of popery.—(Oheers.) They were
determined, whatever might be the consequences, to preserve our re-
ligion pure and undefiled—that religion which was able "to make
men •wise unto salvation."--L(Cheers.) They were determined to live
or die by the constitution.—(Continued cheering.) These were their
crimes, and they were crimes which he hesitated not to say every in-
dividual in that urge assembly were equally guilty of.—(Loud cheer-
- ing.) They were determined to live or die by their constitution.—
(Cheers) They were determined to support their religion. 'They
were determined that inquisitions and Smithfield illuminations no
more should disgrace their land, and that that religion given them by
Christ and his Apostles should be the established religion of their
Country.—(Loud cheering.) Their constitution had stood many a
storm, and had withstood all the forces and all the powers of Napo-
leon, and should it now be destroyed—(cries of " never.")—by those
who, were enemies to England, by those who were sworn to root out
Protestantism' from their country. Should it be destroyed by Daniel
O'Connell and his tail ?—(Tremendous cheering, laughter, and cries
of " no, no.") He believed he stated the sentiments of .every indivi-
dual in that assembly when: he stated that. they never would " bow
down to the golden image" which Daniel O'Conne had set up.—(Loud
cheering.) And he believed he also stated their sentiments when he'
said they would live to preserve or die to maintain the constitution.—
(Mr. thgoe sat down amidst a round of applause, which continued
some tune.)
Mr. Hope sung in very good style " The voice of our country."
The Chairman next gave " The Bishop and Clergy of the diocese."
'—DrUnk amidst loud cheering.
The Rev.'Mr. LoivE rose to respond to the toast. He congratulated
them on the numerous and respectable asSemblage of that day, and he
congratulated himself in being so far honoured as to be permitted
some time back to become one of the members of the association :--
(cheers;)—might it long continue to prosper as it had done since its
commencement. After thanking them for the honour they had done
the bishop and the clergy of the diocese, he must he permitted to
make one request in his clerical capacity that they would not merely
be conspicuous for their loyalty to the King, but equally conspicuous
for their reverence to the " King of Kings."—(Hear.) So that even
their enemies, and those ,who reviled them, by the good example they
set, 'might hp forced to exclaim ." see how Christians live."—(Loud
cheering.)
Mr. Peter Eddleston sung in fine style " England, Europe's glory."
He was loudly applauded.• ' - ' •
The Chairman then gave" The Army and Navy."
Song, by Mr. John Wilson," Hail England, star of the ocean."
The Chairman. would next propose to them a true patriot and friend
of the people ; a mnn who would do everything in his power for his'
country's good, and who also had the ability to do so, " the most able
statesman of the time, Sir Robert Peel, the real reformer of the age."
The toast was enthusiastically received, the company bursting into sit
unanimous chorus— •
" For he is a hearty good
And popery he will defy."
Mr. MALLEY rose to acknowledge_ the toast. The individual whose
health they had just drunk was a man of whom any country might be
justly proud ; he was indeed a true reformer and no destructive. Had
he been allowed'to carry out those measures which he hadfiri progress
whilst in office, this country would not now have been sa distracted
as it was. One of the principal measures to be brought forward by the
present ministry was one based on a measure brought out by him, but
the ministry now in power'had not the honesty to avow it. There was
certainly one spot on the public' life of Sir Robert Peel which his
friends did not approve of, but who was without' his fault ? He hid
no doubt, but that he had seen his error, and would endeavour to atonefor it. He addressed that meeting with a very great degree plea-
sure, that pleaSurn being enhanced by the numerous and reapectable.
company. And when he theught upon the object which called them
together—to support the altar -nrid the throne, he would say that tlie
• man must` be a. base -man who could not l9ok on such a. scene with
pleasure. - (Cheers.) -It slidwedliin that the good bid English feeling
was not extinct—that their old town wonldstill retailn its character of
being ale of the most loyal towns in the kingdoni.' "(Cheers.) After-
alluding to the wretched state of Ireland, where he,,hadi lately been,
and where he had had the. pleasure of assisting to establish an Opera..
tice-Conservative Association, and' recommending to ,the meeting to
attend.to the tegistration
nlas battle vi •rt_ Commons, s not to bea fought by meet-
,..linog,Lanadm ridst oiun e
cheering.dd
but
• House
of .
. M."
11:1'5!-