The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-12-21 00:00:00

The usual preliminaries having been gone through,
- - - -

The HIGH SHERIFF rose, and said he certainty little
thought that, in his short year of office, he should have
had to preside at another election for the county. They
were aware that a few months ago they elected two mem-
bers to represent that division of the county in parliament.
One of these having been elected for another place. had
chosen Wolverhampton instead of the Southern Division,
consequently the power was again placed in their hands,
and he (the High Sheriff) trusted they would be more
fortunate on the present occasion, by the election of a
man who would not only be willing to represent their in-
terests, but would also take his seat when elected. He
claimed for them all perfect liberty of speech, and for
each candidate a fair and impartial hearing.
Mr. CoBDEN, M.P.,then came forward, and was greeted
with loud cheers. hen it had subsided, he said they
had met that day for the purpose of returning to Parlia-
ment a reuresPnto.tivo of the South“-r, Di.i,ion of Lan-
caster, in place of the Hon. Charles Pelham Villiers, who
had been well described in her Majesty's w-it just read as
" our well-beloved and faithful subject," who had not
been able, for reasons which had bren explained to them,
to take his seat. Deeply as he (Mr. Cobden) regretted
the position in which his hon. friend, Mr. Villiers, was
placed, upon public grounds, he for one did not regret
that the Southern Division of Lancashire did itself the
honour and him (Mr. Villiers) the justice to return the
hon. gentleman, because it had enabled them to perform
their duty in the face of the country and the world, and
to manifest their sense of gratitude towards a faithful
servant in a good cause. (Cheers.) They were that day
met to find a proper substitute for their friend Mr. Villiers,
and he frankly confessed that it was not an easy task. He,
however, begged leave to introduce to them the name
of a gentleman well known in Manchester, and he (Mr.
Cobden) believed also in Liverpool, as one of the most
extensive merchants in Manchester, who had contributed

more than any other to forward the great principles they

his utmost to give em

;loymedt

io those engaged in the staple trade of that neighbour-
hood, and who had used his great wealth for the advantage
of those by whom he was surrounded. (Hear, hear, and
loud cheers.) He was a gentleman amiable in all the re-
lations of life, but that, he (Mr. Cobden) should not con-
sider sufficient if he did not possess other qualifications

(Hear, hear.) The gentleman was well known to all.
Who had taken a more prominent part than he had, but
who still had felt the strongest sympathy for the political,
social, and moral progress of his fellow-countrymen. He
had always been ready to give the most substantial proofs of
his zeal in the onward movement, and if he had not come
forward more publicly he (Mr. Cobden) looked upon it as
the greatest proof of his sincerity, for he left to others the
eclat of all the public proceedings. (Hear, hear, and
cheers.) He begged leave to propose Mr. Alexander
Henry as a fit and proper person to represent the Southern
Division of Lancashire in the Commons House of Parlia-
ment. (Three times three.) It would be in the recol-
lection of many present that on a former occasion there
was a meeting held in Manchester—not so numerous,
however, as that he was then addressing—at which the
name of Mr. Henry was proposed and adopted as a candi-
date for that division of the county. That committee
comprised the names of all those who were members of
Mr. Villiers's former committee. Circulars were sent to
each of them to enable them to assist in the choice of a
candidate, and he mentioned that in order that it might
not be supposed that Manchester arrogated to itself the
right of selecting a candidate. They, however, did
think that committee was the very body to nominate a
candidate in the place of Mr. Villiers, and he thought it
not an invidious selection in any way, for as a colleague to
Mr. Brown, who comprised not only the highest qualities
with amiability in private life, and the largest experience
in mercantile affairs, who so fit as a gentleman equally
qualified in all those particulars? He, (Mr. Cobden)
therefore, did sav that there was nothing invidous in
Manchester and Liverpool sending their two first mer-
chants to represent South Lancashire. (Loud cheers.)
But since he (Mr. Cobden) had the honour of proposing
Mr. Henry at the meeting to which he alluded, that
gentleman had paid some visits throughout the dis-
trict. He had seen the friends of free trade and
liberal opinions, and they had been afforded the
opportunity of making themselves acouainted with
his principles. (Hear, hear.) But what were the
principles he maint ined ? He was the friend of civil
and religious liberty, and favourable to vote by ballot.

(Hear, hear, and ILIA cheers.) He (Mr. Cobden) was
glad to hear that cheer in favour of the ballot. (Loud
cheers.) He never heard any rational objection to the
ballot. (Continued cheers.) To be sure, he had heard
some people say it was un-English ; but those who called
it un-English, were generally such as came down to the
house from the Carlton or Conservative clubs, from the
East India House or the Bank of England, where they
invariably elected their members by ballot. (Loud
cheers.) But he believed there were those who said the
ballot was a very revolutionary measure. Well, then,
the Carlton and Conservative clubs must be very revolu-
cionary, for they always elected their members by ballot.
(Cheers.)
A VOICE.—How do you like that Mr. Brown ? (Cheers
and laug ) _ _ _

Mr. COBDEN.—Why, it was not only in America that
they voted by ballot, but almost all over the continent,
as he (Mr. Cobden) had seen durinc, his recent tour.
(Cheers.) When he was travelling in Spain, he saw the
elections going on, and the mode of voting was by ballot.
When in Russia, he found in every parish there were
municipal bodies elected, and the system there was house-
hold suffrage and vote by ballot throughout the whole
empire of Russia. (Loud and continued cheers.)
Something had been said by an honourable elector about
Mr. Brown's opinion on the ballot. Now, if he under-
stood the sentiments of his hon. friend aright, they were
these. It was not that he cared how people voted, they
might vote as they liked so far as he was concerned, be-
cause he was the free choice of the whole body of electors,
but he had his doubts as to the consequences of the bal-
lot. Mr. Brown had his doubts whether it would be pro-
ductive of all the advantages its advocates anticipated.
He, (Mr. Cobden) however, said the ballot would remove
a great deal of pain and suffering from a large body of
electors who at present were subject to improper influ-
ence. (Applause.) It would enable them to vote as they
pleased. It would probably enable a great number to
support liberal opinions who at present were compelled
All he (Mr. Cobden) contended for was
impro-
per exercise their franchise contrary to
tthlinetirpeinncpliinna,thinonid,
vote as they wished without being subject to any
andry was also
State he (Mr.
Church influence.
and (Loud
Reformer,c l cheers.) Butnd
cheers)lr .
Cobden) believed the best way to support the Church, or
any other establishment, was by reforming its abuses, and
it was those Mr. Henry would reform. (Applause.) He
believed too that was what the friends of the Church
themselves would do, as a great many members of it were
now doing in Manchester, who had evinced their anxiety
to reform the pecuniary affairs of the church in that
town. (Cheers.) Well, but Mr. Henry, had also de-
clared that he was a warm advocate for free trade, and
he would be able lo deal with the subject in all its vari-
ous ramifications because he had that experience
not only with this community, but with the world at
large, which would enable him to carry out its principles
to the fullest extent.. (Cheers.) He was also a friend to
the abolition of the navigation laws. That was a subject
upon which Mr. Henry, as well as Mr. Brown, were
quite as competent to judge as any who could be found.
During the present session, too, they would have the
sugar question under their consideration, and, notwith-
standing the outcry of the colonists for protection, it was
a subject which must undergo revision. The cry of the
colonists was for protection to get them out of the diffi-
culties by which they were surrounded ; but he (Mr.
Cobden) asked what it was which had brought the colo-
nies into those difficulties ? Was it not protection ?
They had been the children of protection for the last
thirty or forty years, and what was the result ? Look to
the condition of their large houses—look at the condition
of the planters ; and they would find the utter worthless-
ness of that rotten prop, protection. (Loud cheers.) But
there was another view of the system of protection which
he (Mr. Cobden) was anxious to press upon their consi-
deration. He wanted free trade not merely in corn, and
sugar, and shipping, but what he wanted was to see the
spirit of free trade enter into the hearts of the people of
this country, and what it necessarily implied when pro-
perly understood. (Hear, hear, hear.) What was free
trade ? They proposed the abolition, or at any rate a
great modification of the navigation laws—to admit the
ships of all the countries of the world to enter our ports—
they proposed not merely to admit corn, cotton, and
sugar, but to throw open our ports to all the commodi-
ties produced on the face of the earth, without regard to
any differential duties or protection to native industry—
(applause) what did that imply but a growing sympathy
between the people of this country and the people of all
other countries in the world. Would not that conduct
spread abroad the spirit of amity and peace throughout
the world. (Loud cheers.) If that be the mere tendency
of their principles, and he (Mr. Cobden) should never
have given even a year's exertion in their behalf if it were
not so,—what was the use of increasing. the army and
strengthening the defences on our coasts. (Hear, hear.)
He found on this subject what he bad stated the other
day at Stockport had been misunderstood. He ven-
tured to state something with reference to the increase
of the army and the increase of our fortifications, and he
found it had been thought that he proposed to same no
less than £17,000,000 a-year by the reduction of our
army and navy. He (Mr. Cobden) had not proposed
anything so good for the country ; 'what he really did say
was this, if they were right in their free trade principles