The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-10-25 00:00:00

Besides this, they had the highest of the English church, who
had never been wanting in eloquence or in learning. (The
audience here simultaneously rose and gave three cheers.) From
a body so constituted, how could they du otherwise than expect,
as they had received, the best and most splendid results? (Great
cheering.) ' Were the peers a narrow and an exclusive body of
men, shut up within their own castles, never mingling with their
fellow-citizens, consulting their feelings, and attending to their
wants? (No, nu.) lie turned to his right and saw the father
of his noble friend the member for the county, and he would ask

if he was such a character as he had described ? ( Loud cheers,
and, cries of " No, no.") Like that fatherly and patriotic peer,
he found the nobility of this county mingling in all the duties of
society—(grward in all their charities'—anxious in every way to
promote e good of all about them. (Enthusiastic cheers.)
Was this a bUdv that they would overthrow and degrade from.
those high honours which they had inherited for a thousand
years, for the sake of gratifying the temporary object of the de-
magogue of the day. (Thunders of applause.) They had besides
these attacks on the state to inset also attacks on their church.

Upon this subject be was almost afraid to touch in a promiscu-
ous fleeting like the present. It was calculated to excite in
their minds deeper and holier feelings, which he was almost
afraid of profaning by calling them up upon such an occasion.
(Hear.) He only appealed to their hearts—should they follow
the vain theories of the day, which would have every man pro-
vide for himself the means of religious inst ruction, in order to
relieve the rich from the burden of providing for the religious
instruction and consolation of the
.poor—to destroy all those
endowments which the piety of their ancestors had provided,
and to throw on the present generation the burden of supporting
their own religions. (Cheers, and cries of "No, no.") They
knew too well that they were not labriuring under any excess of
the means of religious instruction and consolation just now ; on
the contrary, it was all they could do, with the means at theirdisposal, to keep pace with the constantly increasing wants of
a growing population. (Hear.) How was it that men snaking
a profession of religion evinced a disposition to sweep away the
endowments which had been set apart for this important purpose,
when all the efforts they could make were barely sufficient to
meet the wants constantly thrown upon their hands. (Hear,
and cheers.)!' He did not wish to enter more largely into this
question. It touched, as he had before remarked, upon higher '
and holier feelings than were congenial to the atmosphere, pure
and temperate as it was, which they were breathing. (Applause.)
He was sure he ueednot say with what pleasure and gratification
lie met such an assembly as that—(cheers)—which showed the
deep feeling running through every grade of society, and with
what safety they could admit men of every class to meet together
in great numbers and under circumstances of great excitement.
In this country an assemblage of that kind could be allowed
with perfect confidence that the individuals composing it would
conduct themselves with honour and with decorum, and in a
manner calculatedito reflect honour on the cause. (Loud cheers.)
He knew when they called upon conservatives to meet together,
of whatever rank, they ran no risk that they would disgrace
themselves in the manner that had been witnessed on some oc-
casions. (Laughter and cheers.) They ran no risk with the
honest conservatives of Li ierpool, of whatever class, that before
the guests arrived half the dinner would be eaten. ( Hear and
laughter.) Nor yet, af: on another occasion, was there any dan-
ger that when the principal guests had tiepin ted the lights should
be put out, and the remainder of the company be engaged, in-
stead of the festivities of the evening, in the less inviting, though
perhaps, to them, more pleasing occupation of a general battle
royal. They could meet. in great numbers, under strong
excitement, as friends and brothers, and depart wilh the order
and decency belonging to their own natianal character, and the
sentiments they professed. (Loud cheers.) He would not in-
trude further on their time. Ile had to thank them for the cor-
dial manner in which they had always received him. Though
connected with Liverpool only five or six years, yet such-had
been the frequency of the contests in which he had been en-
gaged—the opportunities he had of meeting every class of its
inhabitants—he felt as if his whole life almost had been passed

amongst them. (Lend applause.) He thanked them for their
magnificent assemblage, and he could not conclude without
thanking those whose bright eyes and fair faces had added such
a lustre to their meeting. (Much cheering.) He should he
doing violence to his own feelings if he were to remain unmoved
in the midst of such an assemblage as the one by which he was
surrounded. Who so graciously smiled on them, who encouraged
them in all their enterprises, shared in all their feelings, and,
so far as his imperfect sight informed him, did not receive a
single sentiment without sympathising with the impression.
(Tumultuous applause, the company rising from their seats.)
lie begged to conclude with proposing "Prosperity to the
Liverpool Operative Conservative Association."
The toast was drunk with three times three, amiget vehement

applause and clapping of hands.
Mr. RICHARD HOLMES, one of the vice-presidents, returned
thanks. Ile had bead requested to respond to the toast which
had been proposed an eloquently and received so enthusiastically.
He felt his total inability to acknowledge it in the manner in
which it ought to be acknowledged: but they must receive it as
he could give it; what could they expect from the operatives?
(Cheers.) As one of the founders of the operative association
he had to offer an apology for its formation. They were told
by their opponents that it was dangerous to draw away the
workman from his own station of usefulness, to dabble in the
troubled waters of politics. If so, who were they to charge with
compelling them to do so; but their opponents? (Hear, and
cheers.) Did they not set them the example with their great
Birmingham political union of tinkers ? (Prolonged cheers and
laughter.) Did they suppose that they, the conservative op, ra-
tives, with the feelings of Englishmen,—venerating their church,
loving their king, and holding allegiance to their laws, would
see them trampled upon by the faction that, professing to exercise
authority under the king, wished, in fact, to wrest all authority
out of his hand? Had they not been deceived by their mis-
representative, who then occupied the place that ought to be
fitted by a better man ? (Hear, hear.) Did he not tell them
he would tread in the footsteps of that worthy gentleman's
father who then sat amongst them? Hod he for a moment
done so? (No, no.) They had yielded their confidence to him:
he had betrayed that confidence. (Loud cries of hear, hear.)
What ought they to do? Why, to unite, and try if they could
not send a better man in his place. (Hear, and cheers.) For
that purpose they had united ; for that purpose they would
unite ; and they would not restrain the impulse that first
brought them together until their purpose had been accom-
plished. (Applause.) They had united in defence of the reli-
gion of their forefathers. (Reiterated applause.) They had
united for the preservation of church and state, (loud cheers)
as reformers, if they would admit the word. (Hear, hear.) The
conservatives were the real reformers. They wished to reform
in order to improve; (cheers) their opponents in order to de-
stroy. Their opponents gave a wrong definition of the word :
the word, in their minds, though not in their mouths was destroy.
(Hear, hear.) They, on the contrary, wished to reform in or-
der to beautify. Therefore, they had united themselves in that
association; and he felt confident that, having such a cause at
heart, it could not but flourish. (Hear, and cheers.) Prospe-
rity must attend the Liverpool Conservative Association.
(Rapturous applause.) He would not trespass longer on their
time, knowing that there were many speakers behind who had
much information for them. He begged to thank them for the
patience with which they had listened to his brief address, and
for the flattering manner in which they had drank the toast.
(Cheers.) •
The CHAIRMAN said the next was a. toast which he was sure
every heart would respond to. It was associated with a name
familiar and endeared to the hearts of the people of Liverpool
—it was the name of one to whom they had often listened with
rapture, and who had been as greatly honoured as he was ar-
dently admired. (Hear.) He would give them, " Our future
hope, the Hon. Charles john Canning, the son of our never-
to-be-forgotten representative, the Right Hon. George Can-
ning. (Drunk amidst thunders of applause.)
Mr. CANNING then rose and said, the flattering expressions
which had just fallen from the chairman, and the manner in
which they bad received his name, were but of a piece with the
constant kindness which he had met with in every part of their
town. iCheers.) He was well aware that little or none of
that kindness was due to any intrinsic merit of his as a private
individual, but he was not, therefore, the less grateful for it. He
was the more so, perhaps, for he had the consolation of feeling
that there could be no spark of vanity on his part gratified by
the flattering reception which he had received. (Cheers.) He
accepted and thanked them for it, as a testimony to the me-
mory of one whom their united efforts and voices had so often
placed in old times in the honourable position of their repre-
sentative. (Hear, hear, and loud cheers.) His noble friend
on the right, who now filled that place so gloriously to himself
—so advantageously and so honourably to their community
(loud applause) had addressed them that evening in a spirit
worthy of himself—worthy of the station he held amongst
them, and worthy of that much abused name, an English noble-
man. (Much applause.) He was sure his noble friend would
forgive him for saying, that the connexion in which he stood
with them reflected fully as much credit on him as any titles or
coronets that could have graced their feast. (Cheers.) There
were men, who, if they had had the privilege they had accorded
to them that night, would have used it for the purpose of flatter-
ing and cajoling them on the extent of their power, and their
overwhelming, importance in the scale of society. There were
travelling demagogues who would have made use of this oppor-
tunity to dilate on the power of the people; they would tell
them that every thing they asked they should have, and the
louder they asked the sooner they ought to have; that nothing
should be withheld from them, and that every thing ought to
bow to them. This they bad not asked, and he, for one, would
not insult them by doing so. (Applause.) They knew, and
every honest Englishman knew what was the force of the ope-
rative classes in every large town. It was great—very great;
and like every other power, it might be wielded for good or for
ill. ( Hear.) But those who were accustomed to dilate to them
on their power, forgot to tell them that to he wielded with effect
it must be wielded with unity, and in a good cause. (Much ap-
plause.) He said, to. be wielded with /fret it must be wielded
with unity and in a good cause; and if they doubted what he
said, he would refer them to their own bantlings, which first saw
the light two or three years ago—those political unions to which
a gentleman who last had spoken, had so referred. What
hail become of them? (Hear, hoar.) And what had they
dune? (Hear, hear.) They had vanished ; they had done some
harm—perhaps not so much as they.intened ? (Cheers and a
laugh.) What was the reason of this ? Simply that their ob-
ject:was an undefined one; they knew not what they wanted.
Like spoiled children, their political nurses told them to
clamour for what was held out to them, while they either refused
; to grant it. or could not ; and, like spoiled children again
tired of their efforts, they had fallen asleep. (Here the com-
pany rose, and gave several rounds of deafening cheers, amidst
roars of laughter, some one crying out, at the same time,
He's a chip of the old block i") To them he could forsee a
very different fate. Their cause was a noble one, and they
. would achieve it. (Loud cheers.) He would not detain them
longer than to express his very cordial thanks—to congratulate
, them on their meeting—to wish them many animating and
auspicious returns of it—and, if it were not too much, to wish
that he might be present at the next. (Loud and continued
cheering.)
Band—" Auld Lang Syne," the company clapping their
hands in chorus.
The CHAIRMAN then proposed thenext toast, "The Members
for the County." which was drunk with loud cheers.
• The Hon. Boozraz WILBRAHAM, after thanking the meeting
for the cordial reception which they had given the toast, said,
that since he had the honour of being one of their representa-
tives of the county, be had always found that toast had been
well received. Though, in the course of the week, he had had
the honour of attending at two other conservative meetings, he
begged to state that at none had he felt a more delightful re-
flection than he had done at that. It was an immense assem-
blage, which he did not understand he should have met. It
was not for him to enter upon what were the principles of con-
' servatism, because he was well aware that the meeting were as
well acquainted with them as himself. It was sufficient to say
that they were simple, straightforward, and honest, and might
he summed up in three words, church, king, and constitution.
(Cheers.) That was the first time he had had the opportunity
of meeting the Operative Conservative Association, and ft
really gave him sincere pleasure to do so, becuse he was con-
vinced that the operatives were the main strength of the conser-
vative associations, and because he knew that the lower classes
had been urged on by the malevolence of radicals, aided by
those who wanted to upset the conservative government—that
they were for a time led astray, but it only required that the
operative classes should be left to the exercise of their plain
honest sense, and then they would soon know how to choose
for themselves which was the best description of government to
live under. (Hear and cheers.) He should not detain them
• further. They would allow him to propose a toast which he
1 was sale they would receive must cordially. The toastlie was