The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-07-27 00:00:00

the electors of

bility which in the council

to their representative,

It'to anything-.

except th

ptanse.) He believed—and he honestly said he believed
—that language and doctrine of this kind was the way
fora man to recommend himself to' this intelligent con-
stitutncy. (Hear, hear.) But still he did not hesitate
to saythat while he was seeking the dfstinction to which his

knew better how to appreciate the honour of becoming
their representative, yet there was one thing which he felt
to be of still higher value, and that was‘the conviction of
an honest conscience, and the belief that he had done
nothing to• compromise his honesty or his consistency ;
but that he had discharged his duties to his countryfairly,
faithfully, aml, to the best of his abilities,- well. (Voci-
ferous appimse.) He would then say, that he would

until he was satisfied that that change would be conducive
to the general: good ; but being so satisfied'; he would say
further, that no power on earth would induce him to
oppose such a change. (Loud cheers.) An absurd pre-
judice had been attempted to be created' against him
on this subject ;- but that prejudice was without founda-
tion, for nothing that he had ever said or' done would
justify any charge of that kind. (Hear, hear.) He had
said that as the representative of Liverpool it 'would be his
duty to represent' the ship-owners of Liverpool, and if he
should be placed—as he believed he would be placed—(loud
cheers)—in the high position of being their representa-
tive, no personsvould more command his most anxious
thought—his most assiduous attention,—and he was
greatly mistaken if he did not satisfy them. (Applause.)
That he had been in reality a far better friend to, their
interests—and he-was sure that he would be a much let-
ter advocate for their interests—than if he had taken the
opposite course tO the policy which he had heretofore
pursued,—and thereby deprived himself of that power
which so humble an individual possessed. (Cheers.)
He would now revert to the document to which he allu-
ded—the address of Lord George Bentinck, and he was
willing to attach some importance to that address, inas-
much as he regarded it as an exposition of the course of
policy which they-might expect from him and his friends
when they got eseonsed in the official situationsuf Down-
ing-street. He- did not know whether all present, like
himself, had read 'the morning's papers, but he would just
ask them what they, thought the first three columns of
this address was occupied with ! Why, with an elaborate
attempt to disprove that there was any potatoe rot in Ire-
land—(shonts oflaughter)—during the winter• of-'45 and
the summer of '46i (Renewed laughter.)
to do so reminded 'him (Mr. C.) of an at

The 'attempt

part of the country-in which he was acqua-inteff'there used
to be an institution :called the stocks,—(laughter,)—and
sometimes men were put into them for punishment,•which,
while it amused the
.public, was also intended to pro-
mote their reformation in manners and morals. It
so occurred that a men was one day put into- the stocks,
and while he was there &lawyer came past, and lie begun to
question the man as to what he was placed in such punish-
meat for. The man -having told him, in reply.,the offence
for which he had been pat in ; " Then," said the lawyer,
" if your offence was not greater than that, they -.cannot
put you in the stoe'ss for that." " Oh, than be all
very well, Mr. Lawyer," said the fellow, " brit I am in
the stocks already.'-'-' (Laughter.) So they might have
as long arguments as. Lord George pleased- to give them,
in order to prove that there was not a potato rot; -he was
just in the position of the man in the stocks—the rot was
there at all events, (Mar, hear.) He might • say as
much as he liked on the subject, but his (Mr, Cardwell's)
answer was plain—there was a potato rot, and• the fact
no person ever before-attempted to deny. (Loud cheers.)
The hon. gentleman then proceeded to discuss the new
plan of commercial policy developed by Lord George Ben-
tinck, which he condemned as being inoperative,- imprac-
ticable, and if attempted to be carried out would destroy
the commercial prosperity of this kingdom. He continued
to observe that they-were there, in a time which was not a
time of excitement, marring a solemn appeal to-the calmer

advance; they had'set an example with regard to com-
mercial freedom, and'they were asking foreign countries
to do the same'. They were asking them, to follow the
example of England;• because she had taken this course
thinking and believing that it was for her own interest to
do so, and they asked the foreigner to do so thinking
and believing that, his interest would be advanced by
it, and that by the reciprocity of commercial interests
thus created the improvement and the civilization of the

alone, but in Europe ; and not only
throughout the whole of the world, the ettect

lEurope: but
A that

Might depend npan it that through the Zolverein, and
through that still greater Zolverein, the United States of
America—from Ittimburgh to Bordeaux—from the Pacific

on that question would be looked on ;vitir anxiety and re-
garded with respect. He came there an humble indivi-
dual in himself; to ask them for the calm expression
of their verdict.- He hoped they would-give expression
to it, and if they found that their exports and imports
inoren cpd nor oPnt_ stria their 1-ntinnoc. rip-e non*

and if they had seen millions of taxation reduced, and the
exchequer net, impoverished—that where there was a de-
ficiency befope, they had now an increase; if they had
seen the comforts of the industrious classes promoted—