The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-08-09 00:00:00

SIR R. PEEL'S VISIT TO MORRIS CASTLE,

(FROM A CORRESPONDENT OF THE STANDARD.)
Enclosed is an address to Sir H. Peel, winch was signed by
nearly 400 (375) persons in a few days, and would (had tone
and opportunity allowed, or had it been cleynied important to
make extraordinary exertions) have been signed by double the
number.

A deputation to present it assembled at Osborne, the seat of
Fitzroy Blackford, Esq., at half-past twelve o'clock, and thence
repaired to Norris Castle at half-past one, the hour appointed
by Sir Robert for receiving the address. The deputation was
headed by John Fleming, Esq., M.P. for South Hants, who
read the address :
" Sir Robert Peel—l have great pleasure in complying with
the wishes of my friends and neighbours in this island, by
placing in your hands an address expressing the warm feelings
with which they welcome your arrival, and the high sense they
entertain of your public services as a member of the legislature,
and as a minister of the crown. Having, sir, for so many years
in my place in the House of Commons Supported, with few ex-
ceptions, the various public measures which from time to time
you brought under the consideration of parliament, and duriug
that period also participated in the cheers and admiration which•
your commanding eloquence and unrivalled talents so con-
stantly elicited from all sides of the house, I need .not say how
fully I concur in the sentiments of this address, and how fer-
vently I join iu the prayer that the counsels of our country
may long be aided by your wisdom, experience, and
I dare not, sir, iti thus personally addressing you, or even
in your presence, trust myself to review the important services
you have rendered to your country, or in tracing the brilliant
career which since your first entrance into public life has dis-
tinguished you as one of the brightest ornaments of the British
senate, and ranked you amongst the wisest and ablest of Bri-
tish statesmen. I cannot, however, pass over the brief period
in the year that is passed during which you presided over the
counsels of the crown, and revived the drooping hopes and con-
fidence of our distracted and misgoverned country by the wis-
dom of the measures-which you introduced, and by your earn-
est endeavours to effect every possible reform in the civil and
ecclesiastical establishments of the country, and let me add,
sir, the moderation, disinterestedness, temper, and forbearance,
which have marked your conduct since the period of your re-
tirement from office, are no less honourable to vou than con-
demnatory of your opponents, as contrasted with the factious
and vexatious clamour with which they assailed the efforts of
your government, and defeated the very measures which they
have since had the meanness to adopt as their own, and submit
for the sanction of the two houses of parliament. But let us
hope that the reign of misrule is drawing to a close. Be as,
sured, sir, that the eyes and understanding of the people of this
country are at length awakened to their real interest, and that
the hopes and wishes of all who are estimable for character and
intelligence are fixed upon you, and the glorious and illustrious
partner of your patriotic labours; and as his victorious sword
has already saved our country from foreign toes, so, sir, it will
be your bright destiny, in conjunction with him, to defeat the
machinations of no less dangerous doestic enemies, as well as
to maintain the rights and constitution of Englishmen, and re-
store the peace, happiness, and prosperity of the empire.
" I will now, Sir, with your permission, read the address
which I hold in my hand, which although most numerously
signed, being subscribed by nearly 400 persons, has not one-
half of the sieuatures which would have been obtained had more
ample time been allowed; but I can vouch for the high respect-
ability of the signatures, and that there is scarcely a name who
is not a voter of the Isle of Wight."
I regret that f have no notes of Sir Robert's reply to Mr.
Fleming's speech; but he replied with great force and feeling
to Mr. Fleming's allusion to his friendship with the Duke of
Wellington, and the unanimity which subsisted, and had never
been interrupted, between himself and that illustrious noble-
man.
Sir Robert Peel looked extremely well. He was evidently
moved while Mr. Fleming was speaking and reading the address.
His oe n reply was delivered with great firmness. The gentle-
men o;' the deputation had the honour of being severally intro-
duced to Sir Rebell Peel.
TO THE RIGHT HON. SiR ROBERT PEEL, BART. M.P.
"Sia,—We, the undersigned inhabitants of the Isle of Wight,
feel it difficult to give adequate expression to those emotions of
pride and pleasure with which we greet your arrival on our
shores.. On any occasion, and at any period, since you, Sir,
first took a lead in the government of our beloved country, your
cumin!". among us would have been regarded as a subject of con-
gratulation. But with the sense we entertain of the imminence
of the present crisis to all our great public interests and institu-
tions; and of the wisdom, dignity, firmness, moderation, and
patriotism by which your public conduct has been regulated,
now is it possible for us not to gather around you with the at-
tachment with which it becomes the children of the common-
wealth to rally around him who has earned to himself the proud
distinction of being hailed as " The Father of his Country."
" We are sensible bow inadequately our congratulations
express the feeling and reverence with which a grateful country
regards you. We cannot, however, forbear to consider it as
an event seldom recorded even in the page of history, that an
individual should have thus concentrated upon himself the hopes
and wishes of a nation, without any of the adventitious aids
deriVed from the possession and influence of office, but by the
mere force and weight of character alone. No one has ever
arisen among us with judgment and temper so well fitted to
conduct us safely through the present crisis, in which we are as
much in danger from rashness on the one hand, as from timidity
on the other. We can only aid our prayers that your career
may continue and terminate as it has begun; 'equally distin-
guished for honour, sagacity, disinterestedness, and above all,
for wisdom. . .

" That your sojourn among us may tend to recruit those
energies which have been so severely tried in the public service,
and that health and felicity to you and yours may crown your
visit to our island, is our most earnest and united prayer,"

SIR ROBERT PEEL'S REPLY.

"Gentlemen—lt is truly gratifying to me, on my arrival on
the shores of this beautiful island, to receive from you, and from
those you represent, such cordial assurances of your kind and
friendly feeling towards me, and of your approbation of my
conduct in public life.
" Whatever influence I possess, is mainly derived from having
gained the esteem and confidence of men like yourselves, who
desire the redress of every real grievance and the correction of
every actual abuse, but who believe such redress and correction
to be perfectly compatible with caution and circumspection in
the application of remedies, and, above all, with the brm main-
tenance of those great institutions in church and state, which
constitute, as a whole, the form of government under which we
live, and which, under the blessing of God, we will transmit to
those who are to follow us.
" Allots' me to say, gentlemen, that I look forward, with great
confidence to the result of any trials to which those institutions
may be exposed.
"I never can believe that the people of this country, this in-
telligent and enlightened community, comparing the blessings
they enjoy with those of any other nation that now exists, or of
which history has left a record, remembering their ancient glory,
success, and security in war, reviewing their extended empire
in every quarter of the globe, their perfect guarantees for civil
and religious liberty, the wonderful expansion of their commerce,
and developement of their skill and industry—l never can
believe that a people sensible and worthy of such blessings, will
consent to put them to hazard by constant changes in the lead-
ing institutions of government, or interference with their re-
spective privileges and independent authority.
" I thank you most sincerely for your good wishes for my
health and happiness, and cheered by your approbation, and
relying upon your support, I shall return with increased anima-
tion to the active duties of public life."