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

LIVERPOOL ELECTION MOVEMENTS,

The past week has been a busy one on the part of the
Conservative portion of the constituency ; and the result
has proved most entangling, and threatens to produce a
total disruption of that hitherto strong body, unless its
various sections, since they cannot, unfortunately, agree
in the choice of candidates to represent them, agree to
conduct the trial of strength, which seems approaching,
with good temper and calmness. The readers of our last
publication were made aware of the fact that Sir Digby
Mackworth having been chosen by the Protestant Con-
servatives of Liverpool as their candidate, Sir Howard
Douglas had been relied upon to come forward, at the ear-
nest solicitation of his friends, to stand as his colleague ;
and at a meeting of the Conservative Association it was
determined that every effort should be made by that body
to ensure their joint return. As we were going to press,
however, it was announced to us that Sir Howard posi-
tively declined; and that Mr. Edward Cardwell, M.P.,
whose address appeared in our columns of the' same date,
would at once present himself to the electors, backed by
au influential party in the borough. On Tuesday after-
noon, accorningly, he presented himself to the merchants
on 'Changer and his speech, which we gave in a second
edition, appears in our columns this day. It was a clever,
business-like speech, well delivered, and shewed, bye the
able manner in which the honourable gentleman treated
of some of the leading topics of the day, that he was fami-
liar with those subjects which most interest a commercial•
constituency. AfthoUgh upon some points, regarded as
essential by a large body of the Liverpool public, his de2--
clarations of opinion were not regarded as sufficiently ex-
plicit, the feeling created by his first appearance was highly
satisfactory.

On Wednesday a meeting of the Conservative Associa-
tion, called by circular, fn 'receive the reply of Sir How-
ard Douglas to the requisition forwarded to him, was held
at the office, in Harrington-street. As we had prepared
our readers to expect, the gallant and honourable bart.
repeated his determination not again to seek the suffrages
of the constituency—an announcement which was received
with regret by the major part of the gentlemen present.
The discussion which followed, as to the course to be
pursued under this new aspect of affairs we do not feel at
liberty to detail. The result however was that Lord John
Manners and Mr. Cardwell were- proposed and seconded
by their respective friends as the colleague of Sir Digby
Mackworth ; and, on a show of hands, the choice fell
upon Lord John, and himself and Sir Digby being thus
adopted as the candidates of the Association, the forma-
tion of a joint committee was decided upon, and a' meet-
ing of the Conservative Electors called for Tuesday,
(this day) at the Amphitheatre, at which both Candidates
were to be requested to attend. Placards, calling such•
meeting, were forthwith issued.

On liriday morning,ilre&ndidate thus adopted, Lord
John Manners, was introduced to the merchants, on the.
Exchange flags, by the Chairman of the Association,
companied by a number of his immediate supporters, and:
addressed them from the window of Messrs. T. and Hi
Littledale's office. His speech will be found elsewhere.
He was very favourably received and listened to ; and,
upon those topics, into which he entered without reserve,
his opinions and his mode of placing them before his
audience won him many friends and admirers.

In consequence, however, of a communication received
by the chairman from. Sir Digby Mackworth, another
meeting was summoned for Saturday last, which was very
numerously attended, and was obliged to be held in the
Clarendon-rooms, At this meeting, the letter 'in ques-
tion was read, its purport being that Sir Digby should
consider himself 'to some extent committed by a joint-
canvass being made in-behalf of himself and a nobleman,
between whom and himself such important differences
existed upon what he considered to be the main points on
account of which he had been solicited to come forward
as a candidate, namely, his views with respect to the
policy to be pursued to ensure the Protestant institutions of
the country from the aggressions of Popery. He expressed
himself quite willing 'to =attend the meeting, it being
understood that each member, if his pretensions should
be approved of, should have a separate committee. After
considerable discussion, it was at length agreed that each
member should attend themeeting,. accompanied by their
immediate friends ; that the chairman should introduce
them separately to the meeting, and afterwards be re-
quested to express their political sentiments, and to take
the sense of the electors in theusual manner. Virtually,
therefore, the resolution of the previous meeting, at which
the two were alopted jointly;is'annelled, and Lord John
Manners alone is now the candidate of the Association,
the other candidates standing singly upon their own me-
rits and the interest of their friends. That the issue of an
election so conducted must weaken the Conservative party,
whose strength will be divided into, three sections, is as
certain as that the proceedings will throughout be of a
most anomalous, and, so far as Liverpool is concerned,
an unprecedented character.

Of ihis the Whig Radical partyseem assured ;. and have
been quietly keeping back their candidate until yesterday,
when he was at length introduced to the merchants on
'Change, and addressed them, as is usual at elections in
our borough. A report of his r3reition, and speech will
be found in our columns. Whether another Whig-Radi-
cal candidate will be found, or the Whig party will split
with Mr. Edward Cardwell, as most approaching upon
commercial matters their own views upon free-trade po-
licy, we-shall not venture to predict. In the meantime
an active canvas is being carried on by the friends of all
the candidates.

CORRESPONDENCE

CARDWELL ON THE ENDOWMENT OF
THE. ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.

TO THE,BDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

Sin,—l wish to call your attention to the reasons given by
Mr. Cardwell for not supporting the endowment of the Roman
Catholic Church- in Ireland, in the event of such endowment
being proposed. He says, in his speech on 'Change,—
"I am not the advocate or supporter-of that measure ; and
if you askme why, I tell you because I believe (amongst other
vital and-important reasons) that to bring it forward, instead
of doing anything to promote practical good and religious
peace, would be doing a great deal to =promote practical evil
and religious discord."
It is, then, the DISCORD that woutd,ensue upon the propo-
sing of this measure, that prevents Mr.Cardwell's entertaining
the question. Alas ! sir, it is because those vital questions are
treated as expediency questions, that the defence of them so
utterly fails in the House of Commons.

The reason, and the only reason, why the proposition should
be opposed, is because to set up or support an idolatrous
church i3.offensive to the Almighty, who has taught us in the
history of the Jews, as recorded in his -Word, that whenever
that people set up idolatrous worship, they offended him, and
called down upon their nation his chastisement. The God of
Israel rules-over the destinies of England ; he is unchangeable
in character ; And he will punish Englishmen, as he did Jewish-
men, if they persevere in like disobedience to his command-
ments.

If Mr.Cardwell and others would may oppose these ques-
tions in parliament on the right grounds, then their task
would be comparatively easy, and in the end undoubtedly
successful. Yours, obediently,
Liverpool,loth July. AN ELECTOR.