The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-07-20 00:00:00

electors who had assembled on the fh,
After a few introductory observatit
EARLE.

Sir THOMAS B

.ly
id that if he had been conscious of deser-
se compliments which had been so .lavishly heaped
Arn by his friend Mr. Earle—if he was entitled to be
poken of in the terms in which he had been introduced to
their notice, he should come before them with a very dif-
ferent feeling from what he then felt. .He should then

have a

degree of

confidence

ch then he did no.

He should

not then have felt so sensible that it was due to them
—and in some measure also just to himself—to offer a few
words in explanation of the reasons why Ite offered himself
as a candidate for their suffrages. (Hear, hear.) When
the proposition, was first made to him of becoming a can-
didate for this borough, he was desirous to decline the invi-
tation, however flattering to his feelings it might be to have
accepted it. He did so in the hone and PM' nartf.+:,,... al

fiat
a candidate mould be presented to them better en-
titled to that distinction ; and whose career in public
life would have been a better guarantee than he could offer
for the protection and promotion of the interests of so
great, so opulent, and so important a community as that
of Liverpool. But when the proposal was repeated, and
when it was found that if he did not accept the invitation
it was likely that no other candidate would be brought
forward, on the liberal interest, he could no longer resist
the solicitations-of .his friends, but at once accepted their
kind invitation. (Hear, hear.) And although he might
be accused,—and perhaps would be accused,—of presump-
tion for having -done so, still he could not avoid it; he
felt it to be his duty, and that was his excuse, if any were
needed. There could be no higher aspiration in the mind
of man, he conceived—man could not aim at a higher
position in society than to represent such a constituency
of intelligence, sobriety, industry, and commercial en-
terprise as that of Liverpool. But connected as he was
with them by the ties of birth, residence, and a desire
to promote their local interests,—and he could add all the
sympathy which he felt—yes, the hereditary sympathy
which he felt (enthusiastic applause) for tho

their town, rend

of
..tered him a little more amongst them
than a mere stranger. (Hear, hear.) It had been.renre-
sented to them that he was unknown in public life. That
was true enough, if the representation related to offices of
great trust and great emolument; but, as Mr. Earle .had
informed them, he did at one time hold the office .of se-
cretary to the present Lord Melbourne. when in Ireland,
a situation which, he would venture to say, required both
attention, zeal, business habits, and some degree of ability
to attend to properly ; and he trusted that they would not
think the apprenticeship which he then served. an insuffi-
cient qualification in their representative. (Cheers.) It
would now be ineum} +nn 1
f 1. _ _ _ •

Him Lo exp lain senti
•ments on all those public questions which engrossed th
,public attention; and upon which. questions they naturall'
enough required to know the sentiments and opinions o
Abe man who aspired to be their representative. It per
halls not

ue necessary or desirable to go back
to questions which had passed the Legislature, and upon
which no agitation would be likely to arise. However,
there was one question on which he must congratulate
them—that was the great measure of Free Trade—(cheers)
—.by which their commerce had been extended, and a
new ,fiehl for their labour created; .and which had worked
so well in arresting the fearful calamity with which the
people of this nation had been visited. He did not con-
gratulate them on that measure as a mere political and
commercial scheme—no matter how great regarded in
that point it might be—so much as in the moral effect
which The measure had produced. (Hear, hear, and
cheers.) And when they reflected on the small beginning
from which that grea4 good and important

measure

put their shoulders to the stone, set it a-going—aye, and
rolled it up the hill too—(cheers)—they must be all
struck with the power and efficiency of public opinion
when properly.tlirected to accomplish anything. (Cheers.)
There was also another ground for congratulation with
reference to that measure. There was no other nation in
the world where the same battle could have been fought—
where the same victory could have been won—where

uutou nave been achieved wii
the deplorable accompaniment of a fierce and bloody
revolution. (Hear, hear,andcheers.) Yes, he would repeat
it—there was no kingdom in the world where such a change
could have been made without shaking society to its very
Let them reflect on the kind of struggle that was.
hear,) It was a struggle between the grower and
the consumer of the food of life—a struggle between those
who lived by their toil and those who speculated and be-
came rich on their poverty; in short, it was a struggle in
which every member of society was concerned, and yet
thanks to their moderation—thanks to their respect for
the laws and institutions of the ,kingdom that great agita-
tion-had passed away--had been successful—mid had now
been almost forgotten ;—yes, it had gone, and left' not a
trace of ininry hphi nd 1i- trAh \

_ .vas another topic
the- .education of the people.
,nd cheers.) It was quite as important, in
I.^^- \ A "le did not

on which he felt stror
(He
his

here

an individual on those flags before
lesire, wth him, that education should be
far' as it was possible to extend it. (Hear.)
man who enjoyed the blessings of educa-
ho did not desire to have that blessing—
e blessing—carried to his neighbour;—
id if he addressed any man—as he believed
) klt the privation
_of wanting education.

man, lie was c

in,.would be anxious that in t

icor, hear, and