The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-10-27 00:00:00

cial interests—in short, I know not where or to whom they
could apply for confidence. (Hear, hear, and great cheers.)
What are they ? When we express confidence we must know
in whom we confide. Is it, then, their principles of this year
or of last, or of one night or of another, that we are to place
confidence in ? Do we know in the approaching session of
parliament what shall be the course pursued by her majesty'S
government on the great questions which agitate the nation ?
If any one believes that he understands that course, why is
the question so often asked by their own supporters? You
do not ask us what we think of the ballot, or universal suf-
frage ; but it is asked in every radical journal at the commence-
ment of every session, " Do you think they will give way on
such and such questions, or will they barter a little more of
the ancient principles of the constitution to keep themselves
in place ?" or in that miserable position which they call
power? (Hear, hear, and laughter.) Gentlemen, they have
no principles at all. (Great cheers.) The only reason why
they are supported is, because they have no principle. (Re-
newed cheers.) Why, their own supporters tell them that
they give them their support because they think they are
composed of " squeezable materials," and because they think
they can make them act at any time on their own principles.
How can we have confidence in men so circumstanced ? and
I boldly appeal to you for the reply—what confidence ? (Ve-
hement cries of "None, none," and cheers.) Gentlemen, it
is impossible that men of this quality can command the esteem
or the confidence of this great empire. (Tremendous cheers.)
They may for a little longer carry on their trimming line of
policy, doing as little mischief as they can ; for I will do them
the justice to say, that I believe they do not wish mischief
for its own sake, and I farther believe, that in their hearts
they are just as good conservatives as ourselves, because they
think that the only means of safety is attachment to the mo-
narchy and attachment to the established church ; but then
the misfortune is that they won't act on these views, whereas
, the true conservative is he who acts firmly on his opinions
whenever called on. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) How can
we have confidence in men who pervert the magistracy of this
country to political purposes of the worst kind, and who dally
with him who would dismember the empire ? Why, it is
only two years ago since they offered to that man the highest
seat on the judicial bench, whose whole life was passed in
showing his wretched countrymen how they could break the
laws. (Hear, hear.) I have gone more generally on this
occasion into the feelings which naturally arise at meetings of
this kind than 1 had intended ; but it is impossible to meet a
body collected from every part of this county, so full of
wealth, commerce, and manufactures,, not governed and
swayed by corruption as tories are said to be—(a laugh)—but
honest men—men able to act in the spirit of their own opi-
nions, representing the rising prosperity and expanded intel-
ligence of England, and those who may appeal from Caesar to
the multitude, and from the immediate councillors of the
crown to the well-ordered judgment of the people. (Cheers.)
Gentlemen, I thank you most kindly for placing me in the
chair, and for the kind manner in which you have drunk MY
health. The noble lord here resumed his seat amidst the most
enthusiastic cheering from all sides, which was followed by the
Glee—" Life's a bumper."
Colonel TEMPEST proposed the next toast, which was
"the
health of Sir Robert Peel and the Conservative Members of
the House of Commons." (Drank with three times three,
and one cheer more.)
Catch—" Mr. Speaker, though 'tis late."—(Applause.)
Sir J. YARDE BULLER responded to the toast.
The CHAIRMAN said—lt is not agreeable to speak of gen-
tlemen in their presence, more especially when those gentle-
men are connected with oneself, one by very close relation-
ship, and the other by friendship. But I cannot neglect my
duty so far as not to give, amongst a body of conservatives,
" The Members for the Southern Division of Lancashire.
Enthusiastic cheering.)
Lord FItANCIS EGERTON rose to acknowledge the toot,
and was greeted with an enthusiastic burst of cheering. He
said—My Lord Sandon gentlemen, I know not, gentlemen,
how my hon. colleague may construe the language of that
cheer which still rings in my ears : he may perhaps assume,
and justly too, that it savours of something of gratitude.and,
respect, justly and hardly earned by assiduous, recent, and
faithful services. For myself, I will say no more on that
topic immediately concerning myself, than this, that it tells
me even of something more, of kindness, excuse, indulgence,
and consideration for absence arising from circumstances
over which I believe you all know I have no control. (Hear'
and cheers.) Gentlemen, that topic I will pursue no further.
In rising to address you on this occasion, I cannot but cow'
pare it with the former opportunities that I have had of ad'
dressing you in this room, and on similar occasion, and,
gentlemen, I must own, that before I came here I'• was
disposed to expect, to some extent at least, that that con'
parison might be an unwelcome one for me to state, or for
you to listen to. For it was natural to suppose that, having met
here on former occasions during great excitement, we might
meet, if not with diminished spirit, at least with eonsiderald/
diminished numbers. lam happy to find, from what I hear
and see from authority, that that circumstance is not the
case. If it had so turned out, I confess I should have seen
no reason for despondency, or scarcely for disappointment:
We have not now immediately before us one of those great
battles which, as electors of this county, we have called upon
to fight. We have not now before us the prospect inure'
diately of any particular question of peculiarly exciting We'
rest, respecting which we have to expect an early and imme-
diate contest; and on these grounds I own I should neither
have felt surprise nor disappointment, if some of those, Os'
sibly whom I have seen and gladly seen here before, had bee
e`
absent on this occasion. 3ut if had felt any despondency'
that description, I think a remedy of easy application might
have revived my spirits. It was said of a learned and eminent
member of the House of Commons, who had devoted the
greatest portion of his life to the study of its rules and pule'
tices and of its journals, when that individual had the mis-
fortune to faint in the lobby of the house, that he wof
revived by the application of a volume of the journals of
the house to the pit of his stomach. (Great laughter.)
Now, if on the occasion of this meeting I had been likely t°
have felt extremely unwell, I should have called on you to
let me smell at a copy of the registration list of South Len:
cashire. (Cheers.) lam convinced if that remedy bad n?:
revived me, the prescription might have been improved ow
the addition of many similar ingredients from neighbouring
counties, from our own boroughs, and from, I may seY'
nearly all parts of the kingdom. (Cheers.) It might he a*
petted from me on this occasion that I should do as is some:
times done, that I should endeavour to present to you son;
prospect of the difficulties which we might have to conteila_
with, and with some account of the nature of the difficulties
to go through in the session of parliament not now very
remote. I confess I should feel extremely diffident on uir
dertaking any task of that description; for, as the noble
lord has stated from the chair, it is absolutely impossible for
me dr any man to predict the precise course we are to foliose
when we have to meet a ministry composed like the present.
I am as ignorant as the noble lord himself of their princi.
ples ; I am as ignorant as man can be of their intentiousti
and I defy any man to predict, on almost any questic4
vital interest to the country, what their course will be.
they have pursued a practice, when opposed by the conseei,ll,
-tive power, that power which has been truly described;
having rallied in this county—they have a practice of recl°l,,e
ing their exhausted strength by having recourse to t",
resource of open questions, which positively disables 4°„',
man. But there is another thing of more serious importane:f
and that is, that even the most important considerations t
our national and domestic policy are now almost lost sigh,
of and swallowed up in the more difficult and less easily T:h
derstood question, that of our foreign policy. Now i'ff„-
regard to the questions involved under that denominats/
they are usually treated as forbidden matter in the House.
Commons ; and I must admit that it is not a subject w",
safety or discretion to be discussed in that assembly or eofl
other. But I have met amongst the other accusations wil.,
which the conservative party are accused—l have been su,e
prised and astonished to meet an accusation in one of t'n
daily papers, which is, that the conservative party have
anxious desire for one of the worst of human calamities ,
an extensive foreign war. It is not for me to state the prli
pects of such a calamity. We are now in eircumstances,,
which those prospects are affected by every letter and every weic
plomatic correspondence that comes two or three times a we
from Paris to London. We know not, day by day, whether ee
are advancing or retreating from the prospect that is bePte
us ; and, under these circumstances, it is not for me to stlf,
any opinion as to the possibility of that dreadful calarel 0
Gentlemen, I have said I really cannot form an opinion 8t
our future prospects; it is impossible. I don't know wh
at
the government may please to keep open, and sn
they may please to keep shut. I don't know whether On
may make the repeal of the union a measure for the no
session of parliament. It is perfectly true that a man wp ,
I believe to be of honour and integrity—Lord Ebringto%,
has declared his strong objection to that measure ; and DO
stated that he will take the patronage of the crown froole
who support it. As far as he is concerned, no doubt belllit
act fairly and honestly, and perform what he has stated; veil
if he had just added that he would not invite Mr. O'Conaci
to dinner, it would have been to Mr. O'Connell and rooster,
his bearers nearly as formidable a threat as the otboe
(Laughter.) But what is advanced in this does not ena,e
us to form any calculation of what will be done with "4
government in the House of Commons. I have never bell
better speeches than I have heard from Lord John linstbe
in defence of the interests of the church, or in defence of the
' bishops and I have seldom heard better reasoning against til
ballot ; but yet that is a small satisfaction to me when Ifiro,
John Russell, and perhaps another member of the g9ll 011,
ment, votes in favour of the bishop and against the DPI ip
and several of the other ministers vote against the one an;,..)
favour of the substitution of the other. (Hear, keTbe
Therefore on this subject—on the future measures 01_,,e,
government, I must really crave your indulgence and eXCIf
I change the subject, and conclude what I have to saY',,d
proposing a toast for your acceptance. I have sometimes ;05
the support and assistance and co-operation of a large c'.‘,l
in this county. It has been my lot to go successfully thro7,/,
two very arduous contests in this county. It has been ,r,
duty to endeavour to secure the support of all classes of Fla
sons, of all religious persuasions, of the inhabitants of ti'd
county. I must say, that generally speaking, with Ire I
exceptions, for which on public and private grounds wh al
am very grateful, that I and my principles have found '0.1);
little support from protestant dissenters. I have no clouio
that this opposition was consistent, and far be it from tne, to
shackle the exercise of the franchise ; but I may be alloweriee
express on behalf of those who differ from me on this subco
matter more than gratitude when I have desired support I ;be
them. And this I must say, that from no quarter of 0a
county, have I received a more prompt and gratifyiPg 110,
honourable support, I will not say to myself, but to they lvis
ciples of that good government which I think I maintain, t at
I have found from some of the gentry of the Roman Cati't:as
persuasion. (Great cheering.) I trust, gentlemen, it ‘.4
honourably asked. lam sure it was honourably and fr3lol;s
given ; and I have no hesitation in proposing to Yntlijag4
toast, which I am sure you will drink with the same fee.v4o
which actuate me in naming it—viz., the healths of Sir J`„ry
Gerard, Mr. Trafford, Mr. Scarisbrick, and the catholic
servatives of the county. (Immense cheering.) Of
The Hon. R. B. 'WILBRAHAM, who was labouring 101
severe indisposition, experienced, as usual, a most 00.,t1i
reception. He said—My lords and gentlemen, indulge" 10
I have always found you. when I have had the happinesoe
meet you in public assembly, I must beg to claim your,lit i$
cial consideration this day. I have merely to say, ttl, Irs
what fell from my eloquent and noble colleague, Ache', tout
toast he was at a loss to account for the cheers with whie'd
toast had been received, I could not concur. I assure 15,5 l
that I felt not a little vain in thinking that any part 0f t"
~., thi
applause was designed for me ; but I am fully alive 'ol'
advantage of having my noble and right hon. friend for AO'
league, and that the chief share of right belongs to soi
Every day, gentlemen, that passes over my head, I see gre
a, 09
reasons to rejoice in the principles which I adopted fr° s. bij
childhood, and which induced your hard exertions in 913c1i.:
half, and enabled me to speak from the position in W i!p
now stand. I do congratulate you that this assoeietid es,i
daily and hourly increasing in numbers, importance, a°,,io,
cending its influence, and it still preserves its orieinals 0
and activity. I trust that it has now arrived at that 131` for,
strength that we may fairly dare our opponents to cooloss;
ward, and test their power with our own in this Pr°t , 03
county. lam deeply sensible, gentlemen, that durinalit;
last session of parliament I was unable to attend to ceY relit'
lic duties so closely as I could have desired ; but "l:all'i
state that this arose from domestic affliction and perso°'„, 'ij
ness, I am sure I need offer to you no further apel°4i: 41
could add nothing of interest to what has been so aucf e,,
eloquently expressed to you already this evening, 0,1401'
therefore conclude by simply returning you my best '''' ,
for your kindness and attention. (Great applause.) „,0510;
The CHAlRMAN.—Gentlemen, 1 am sure that in Pr%o ~
to you the next toast, I need only mention then" of''
Lord Stanley and Mr. Wilson Patten for the purpose
curing to it a cordial reception. (Cheers.) 0c
Mr. WILSON PATTEN responded to the toast. a
The CHAIRMAN then proposed " Lord Lyndhurst
Conservative Members 'of the Bar.'.' re'
a pas br 1
CItESSWELL CRESSWELL, Esq., M.P.: rose, an- 05,
calved with cheers which threatened to be intern); tov3
He said—Gentlemen, these are the reasons for which s 1
.1.