The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-05-31 00:00:00

TUESDAY MORNING, MAl' 31, 1853.

THE LIVERPOOL ELECTION PETITION.
THE Select Committee of the House of Commons
upon the petition against the return of Messrs.
CHARLES TURNER and W. FORBES MACKENZIE,
as representatives for Liverpool, have commenced
their investigation, and the Radicals have already
jumped at the conclusion that the decision will be
adverse, and that Liverpool will have to prepare for
a fresh election. Whatever may be the nature of
the evidence, however weak the case or strong the
defence, the result is believed, and perhaps with
truth, to depend upon the political bias of the mem-
bers of the Committee. It was from this convic-
tion that the names of the Committee were so
eagerly looked for, and Radicalism assumed so
confident a tone, when out of the five members who
had to try the case three were pronounced to have
the same party taint as the petitioners. 'What
mattered it, then, how treacherous witnesses bore
false testimony, or honest trifles were tortured by
the ingenuity of hired advocates into grievous
offences—party zeal would make up for all deficien-
cies, and a fore-resolved verdict would be the well
understood consequence. Indeed so much was
presumed to depend upon the party constitution of
the Committee, that the continuance of the proceed-
ings is owing chiefly, if not solely, to its apparent
'favourable appearance; as, had the majority been
Conservative, there is much reason to believe that
the petition would have been abandonded. Nor
have we much reason to feel surprised at
this view of the case, when we look at some of
the decisions of previous -Committees. In the case
of Bridgenorth, Sir ROBERT PIGOT, a Conserva-
tive, was unseated, although it was proved that the
election was freer from corruption and treachery
than any ever remembered by the oldest elector:;
and in the case of Cork, Messrs. FAGAN and
MURPHY, both Radicals, were declared duly
elected, although the Committee in their report
declare "that riotous and tumultuous proceedings
took place, and that serious outrages and assaults
were committed on the persons and property of
electors:; that intimidation was exercised upon, and
threats used towards several voters for the purpose
of influencing their votes; that in consequence of
a riotous disturbance at one of the polling booths,
the poll was adjourned until the next day ; and
that meat, drink, and entertainment were provided
tosome extent for the refreshment of voters." if,
with such admissions, proving incontestably that
the members owe their return to violence, intimida-
'then, and treating, they are declared to be duly
elected, and in other cases with the absence of all
guilty knowledge members are unseated, who shall
-say that the decisions of a Committee are ,not
owing to the bias of the members instead of the
'merits of the case.; and our opponents may, there-
-fore, be pardoned for counting upon a victory in a
contest where defeat will be no shame. It matters
little how clear our representatives -stand, nor with
-what purity of purpose the thousands of electors
recorded their votes in favour of the good old cause
of the Constitution in Church and State, an adverse
Committee will over-ride the freedom of Election,
and Liverpool may have to fight the battle over
again. It is not quite clear, however, but that
Radical calculations may be at fault even in their
estimation of the political character of the Corn-
-mittee. It is true there are two of 'the members
after their own heart.; but there are also two Con-
-servatives, one of whom is a safe and experienced
lawyer, who will hardly allow fustian to pass current;
and the Chairman, upon whose vote the majority
will depend, has not sank so deep in the mire of
Liberalism as to render the cause of truth and
justice hopeless in -hie hands. He presents a
creditable contrast to the members for Carlow and
Lambeth, with whom he is presumed to side, and
it may be that Radical confidence in his party zeal
may be proved to have been misplaced.
In reliance upon a decision in their favour, our
Radical contemporaries have begun to speculate
freely upon the candidates who are to supply the
desired vacancy in the representation, and names
have been freely canvassed, as though the Con-
servatives had lost their vantage ground, and were
about to surrender their large majority to their
political opponents. We may also speculate upon
an adverse decision, knowing the causes which may
operate to produce it, but with full reliance that the
electors of Liverpool will not stultify themselves,
and descend from the proud position which was so
nobly achieved at the last election. It has been
said, and, perhaps truly, that Liverpool possessed such
a splendid array of merchant princes, that she was
puzzled which to choose; and, averse from exciting
local jealousies, looked to a distance for her repre-
sentatives, preferring a distinguished stranger to
one of her own sons. This was almost invariably
the practice, but the rule was broken in upon at the
last election, and Mr. CHARLES TURNER, whose
position at the head of the poll showed the estima-
tion in which he was held by his fellow-townsmen,
has, during his subsequent career in Parliament
more than justified the high opinion which was
entertained of him. He has been active and ener-
getic in the performance of his legislative duties,
studiously attentive to the interests of the port, and
all questions affecting its welfare, and ever acces-
sible to all his constituents, without reference to
party ; nor has any act of his tended to keep alive
that hostility of party feeling, which, after the ex-
citement of a contested election, should be allowed
to subside. Both seats are, however, placed at the
mercy of a Parliamentary Committee ; and it may
be that the electors of Liverpool will have again to
choose their representatives. With such an instance
before them, of having successfully taken a member
from among themselves, they may, with the more
confidence follow so judicious a precedent; and
though the Radicals may be at a loss for an eligible
local candidate, the Conservatives have no such
difficulty, if the necessity should arise. 'We might
hesitate even to suggest a selection thus apparently
premature, but it is prudent to be prepared for the
worst; and when names are freely canvassed, there
are two which cannot fail to strike every elector
who has the interests of Liverpool at heart as
being in every respect the most fitting choice that
could be made. We allude to Mr. HORSFALL,
upon whose high and honourable character the
Committee on the Derby Election pronounced so
well-deserved a eulogium, and Mr. BRAMLEY-
MOORE, whose fitness for the honourable office no
one will be inclined to question. Both gentlemen
stand deservedly high in the estimation of their