The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-07-05 00:00:00

SIR ERSKINE PERRY ON 'CHANGE,

Sir Erskine Perry arrived in Liverpool on Saturday
morning, and proceeded to the Adelphi Hotel, whence he
lost no time in issuing an address to the burgesses and
freemen of the borough, which was published in the
evening editions of the local newspapers, and liberally
distributed over the town in the shape of posters. Yes-
terday Sir Erskine Perry addressed his committee at half-
past two o'clock, in the Royal Hotel ; but, as it was
represented to our reporters by parties connected with the
committee that it was strictly private, we are unable to
state what then transpired. At three o'clock the new
candidate made his appearance on 'Change, whither he
was accompanied by Mr. Robertson Gladstone, the chair-
man of Sir Erskine's committee, and Mr. George Max-
well, Mr. Thorneley, Mr. Thomas Bolton, Mr. George
Holt, &c. The ex-judge from Bombay was re-
ceived with some cheering—exceedingly faint, how-
ever, when compared with the welcome accorded
the Honourable H. T. Liddell last Monday. He
was also honoured with a few hisses, but, beyond this
and an occasional groan, he was treated with the utmost
respect during the whole of the proceedings. Instead of
entering the Exchange-room, he proceeded across the square
to the office of Messrs. Isaac Cooke and Ca., where a party
of his friendsawaited his arrival. When the candidate male
his appearance in the square, it was raining heavily, as had
been the case for upwards of an hour ; but, happily, the
crowd was not exposed much to the hydropathic treat-
ment, as in a few minutes the weather cleared up, and
during the delivery of Sir Erskine's speech it was quite fair.
Upon presenting himself at the window of Mr. Cook's
office, Mr. Robertson Gladstone was received with some
laughter and cheers by the crowd assembled below, which
was very numerous. Mr. GLADSTONE said he had very
great satisfaction in informing the merchants and electors
of Liverpool, that he had been deputed, on the present
occasion, to introduce to their notice, as a fit and proper
representative of their interests in parliament—and who
is to be the candidate on the Liberal interest at the pre-
sent election—Sir Henry Erskine—(derisive laughter and
cries of " Oh'. oh !")—he meant Sir Erskine Perry.
(Continued laughter.) He was a gentleman who, from
his long residence in India, possessed a proper and com-
plete knowledge of that important trade with India by
which the town of Liverpool was so much benefited.
(Cheers.) Sir Erskine Perry came before them as a
true Liberal—as a friend of free trade—(hear, hear;)—
and he had this advantage over one, at least, of his oppo-
nents, that he did not regard free-trade and its principles
as an accomplished fact. (Cheers and groans.) His
intention was, should he be placed in the proud position
of representative of the town of Liverpool in parliament,
not to make a stop-gap—(hear, hear)—for free-trade, but
by every means in his power to develope those principles,
in order that the people of this country might have the
benefit of that system which God, in his goodness, made
free, but which man had placed in a state of bondage.
(Cheers.) He (Mr. Gladstone) had no claim to intrude
upon their notice ; nor was it his intention to occupy the
time of the meeting, especially from the inauspicious
state of the weather. (Hear.) It only remained for
him to introduce Sir Erskine Perry, with the sincere
desire that he would be favoured with their support, and
that they would find, if he were elected, that he was what
he (Mr. Gladstone) believed him to be, an able and
honest politician, in every way worthy of their confidence,
and who was well qualified to do justice to the represen-
tation of this great town. (Cheers and hisses.)
Sir ERSKINE PERRY then presented himself at the
window, and, while his partisans received him with signal
marks of their favor, he was at the same time somewhat
heartil), hissed—a considerable portion of the crowd im-
mediately moving from the square into the Exchange
reading-room, a Movement which seemed to take the
learned candidate considerably by surprise, which he only
recovered upon his friends behind him suggesting that he
was to "Goon !" He said that, after the kind and flat-
tering introduction by his friend Mr. Gladstone, be con-
fessed that he felt a great awe in addressing the mer-
chants of Liverpool on their own Exchange. He had taken
the liberty of saying in his address, which he had posted
on their walls, that Liverpool was the first commercial city
on the face of the earth, and, as he was not one who used
words lightly, without chapter and verse to support him in
whatever he said—he might well feel inspired with awe
when he met the merchants of that capital—possessing,
as he did, such limited qualifications to recommend him
to their support at the approaching election ; for he was
well aware that many of the merchants of this town did
not coincide with him in the political opinions which he
professed. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) He knew them
to be the most intelligent merchants in the world ' • yet,
as he said before, the opinions of many of them did not
agree ordinarily with his own. Therefore, although he
did not anticipate that in an assembly of such intelligence
that they would all agree with those principles which he
professed, and with which he sympathised, still he meant
to address himself to their intelligence ; and he would
venture to detail to them some plain principles which he
thought ought to procure for him their support. (Hear.)
Were they as well informed on the subject of politics as in
their own business, they would not, he thought, fail to re-
turn unanimously the only candidate who came before
them possessing those principles from the results of which
they were now prospering. (Cheers.) He had been too
short a time in Liverpool to he able to make himself master
of the statistics attending the prosperity of this port ; but
his attention had been drawn to these matters for many
years past. (Hear, hear.) His connexion with Liver-
' pool was not of to-day, In that hall on his right hand
(the Town-hall,) he had several times partaken of
the munificent and princely hospitality of the Mayor
of Liverpool ; for it was as a member of the Li-
verpool bar that lie had commenced his professional
life ; and never since
tr
efora
ttol
would,
h,t
moment
Lmmi ehevl
had
drt hadptoohoelcease
r(
ocalri
henaetreekprriaseni.si
perhaps, allow him to
Welltitahoe the,
hhp, aer
isortugocrwphe
prosperity,
osbs allowedepaietn and t
ytphr
eot
epi anye
call to their mind a few facts which, during the last eight-
and-forty hours, he had picked up. He observed, in
well-authenticated publications, that the trade of this
town, in one of the most important elements of her great-
ness, had increased in the last 20 years about 400 per
cent. In the year 1831 the cotton wool imported into
Liverpool amounted to 280,674,859 lbs. ; while, in 1854,
the import had increased to 761,000,000 lbs. (Hear,
hear.) They had traded for a hundred years past with
the African coast, and they would allow him to call
attention to one of the articles imported from that
country during the same period. In the year 1931 the
amount of palm oil imported was 7,050 tons : in 1851,
243,000 tons were imported, showing an increase in the
previous amount of 300 and. upwards per cent. In the
year 1816 the total number of ships, inwards and outwards,
numbered 2,946, with a tonnage of 642,063 •, in 1850
there were 9,338 ships, with a tonnage of 3,262,253.
This showed an increase of more than 300 per cent. He
would mention only one more return—a return which
spoke volumes to those who understood it. It regarded
the amount of animal food consumed in this town and its
vicinity. From April, 1842, to March, '43, the cattle
introduced into this town numbered 59,455 ; the sheep
275,275. In the years 1852-3, during the same period,
the numbers of cattle introduced was 115,979, and of
sheep 347,480, showing an increase of 5,054 cattle, and
72,156 sheep. Now, having given these details, he sup-
posed many amongst his audience were saying to them-
selves Why allude to these facts. We, men of
business, know them all as well as you can, and a great
deal better than yourself." And that was quite true.
But he did not allude to those as facts ; he alluded to
them for the purpose of asking them whence it was that
they were visited with that immense prosperity. (Cheers.)
The period he had mentioned—the twenty years referred
to—had been twenty years during which the popular
principles had come to the helm. (Cheers.) They were
the twenty years which had witnessed the triumph of
the Reform Bill—that had witnessed the downfall of
close corporations—(cheers)—that had witnessed the ex-
tension of civil and religious liberty ; but, above all,
that had witnessed the establishment of free trade.
(Great cheering.) They had been twenty years which
had witnessed the rule of the principles of that popular
party to which he felt proud to belong. (Cheers.) He
accused the merchants of Liverpool—those who threw
out Mr. Cardwell at the last election, and preferred to
that gentleman men who were opposed to free trade, and
in favour of protection and every retrograde movement—
he accused them to their face, because they were intelli-
gent men, of not understanding politics as well as they
did their own commercial business. (Hear, hear.) These
gentlemen knew how to comprehend and conduct their
own business—they were practical men, who looked to the
facts of a case, and dealt with it accordingly. If they saw an
opening in China, they would look to the attendant cir- ,
cumstances to see whether they should make a venture, '
and that was all that was needful. But the politician has
to go farther than that ; and has to ask what are the
causes ? (Applause.) He would ask his audience one
p a b lquestion.— a q
aTe
ahtei
ar ea
affectingwas
the prosperity of
this town, and not only that but the interest of a hundred i
and fifty millions of the people of this empire. He asked
great measure
most
deepl now before the
a

blecucliarit
measure for the good of that vast number of their fell:pc:,
creatures ? And yet was not Liverpool closely I. lam
.tthheeymheardchatanhtesoofanLyivinetreproooslt,
to
on
p'rColmaontgeeanasysepmarti
with British India and the East, and ought it net
respond with one voice to the call for reform which came
from these distant parts of the empire ? (Cheers.) ~1,1a,c,
would refer to one or two facts which must be fa
tehf ,
to them all, but with which, nevertheless, he would
fresh their memories. (Hear, hear.) The total exPerei
to India from the British Isles, in the year 1850, amm°llnooo,
to upwards of £8,000,000, to China they were t to
and to other portions of the East they did not amoura,4,
less than £12,000,000. (Hear, hear.) the year la. 41);
the number of ships connected with this country beionr_,
to the India and China trade were 66, with 57,591 of
nage. In the year 1850 the tonnage from Liverpool alone
these these countries was 135,597, being an increase Of 51
toe!'
cent.; and from the entire kingdom it was 539,93- of
At the same time the value of the exports to Calcutta To
£7,274,683, and the value of the exports £4,123,213. the
Bombay the exports amounted to £8,442,212. and
.01
imports amounted to £8,742,000. The trade of the fed,
was one with which Liverpool was intimately acqualTdet
Now let him remind them that in the year 1812, h„,,,i0
the East India Company—one of those close corporalh44
which were now fast breaking up under those 1,°`0,0
opinions which now prevailed—the import of sag „dos,
76,889 cwts. In 1851 the imports into Liverpool, -1-/smstoo
and Hull, amounted to 120,000 tons, against 5,L7,0 is
that were imported under the old Tory corporel'esst
London. (Hear, hear.) There was an island In the i 0
in which he (Sir Erskine Perry) had travelled ulhic,,bio,sl
every direction—he referred tothe island of Ceylon.
i 1 tl
the coffee produced there was 1,407,227 lbs. Ti' 171;tal
amounted to 35,000 lbs. He could go on quoting i'Lsti
at much greater length, but he was afraid he might "to
them. He thought, however, that he had said en00g..50
point out to them, as merchants of Liverpool, the ca„,4
of this great increase. Up to the year 1815, the old rico"
principles reigned dominant in this country. (A /r°l9.
" And will yet.") Every place of honour, and of 00.
tinguished character, belonged, as it were, to the og,
tocracy, backed up by the old and close corpora tb'
and other sinister influences at work all over utb
empire. But at this period the light of tr
apt
began to penetrate. In the year 1814, an ainor
vvas made to break up one of those great nloatt.o
that were pressing upon the energies and vast inT4toe
and
be
teerhrciaysonterohetpuahnobterti
ratti
eh,taai
the best
inhabitants
shs
on oimt
interests
ersen
rocdecheosas
tuwsosintht
osyt
what
tyoftor.f
rawdEtaehlsntei begangntlehaoxneuidsrt
cedwoneeancprt
seeeetnhgtodhusfilege et
°ate
ooinf
Why all the interest of the Tory party was brougto
bear on the statements which were boldly made that °ot
opinions and prognostications of the merchants of Ea by
were fallacious. If any of them would take the trod)
to to read the blue books of the time which he (Sir E. r, tie
(3
had done, they would ascertain that all the leaders
:' od
Tory party of the time predicted that it would be rtus;ol
to the interests of our Indian empire if the merchee,."ro
England were allowed to carry a bale of goods to .Eotb;
Well, they, as merchants of Liverpool, knew well whe the
the predictions of the Tory party had been realised Igo
placef a c fact.
with
( h eers
regard.)
tTo The greather
interests i cre a s increase
connectedwhieh hadwi
with
country, could be traced to the same causes he had sine
named. They all well knew the period when the ;51
with China was not so much open to the merchae ,
er
this country as it had been in later years. 'When sh 0i
tension of this trade was talked of to the merchss,Aal
this country, the Tory party came forward with the
of ruin. All the old servants connected with Indiaandl":o4
who had the facts of the case at their fingers' ends, to
broughtto prove that, if the China trade was thrown oPe'ol4
the merchants of London and Liverpool, the countrYlet
be involved in ruin. Well, look at the results. L'°°tbe
the enormous increase which had taken place is
trade between this country and China during the 100
twenty years, and what was brought to our shores
China by the enterprise of the merchants of Beeer
He would ask them, had this not been caused by
ertions and efforts of the popular party ? By addrunie
them as he had done, as merchants of Liverpoakorbit
believed he had paid the greatest homage which any
could do to their intelligence as merchants, becauswoie
did not come before them to pay compliments , • bu. 0
did not despair, before he had been in Liverpool maid
longer, of making his sentiments more widely knooll ;bet
appreciated by the more temperate amongst those able
might now be opposed to him, and he hoped to be ir
to convince them that he was a fit person to rePlie
sent their town in parliament. (Hear, hear.) jot
fihoeiewncaisestoion
tshenissribeslepeaot.mHane
mnoigthtot
skanyow !I''.„bea
did not come forward in any boastful spirit, for 13,e:1/200
that tog
gshareeyactathldlaeetd to mind the great men who had stood
position—when he looked back to a Carmine, a "a„;0lorl,
son, and a Brougham, who had all in
done as he was now doing, courted the suce.--_oo
support of the merchants of Liverpool, he must sir
that he shrunk with a consciousness of his owoljoel;
nificance. But, on the other hand, when he looke,".„tioll
to the men whom they returned at the last e,"tbst
for Liverpool, and when he found they rejected,.4,
man whom he was proud to call his friend—Mr• net
well. (Hisses, and cheers,) Moreover, when he 10 be
to the gentlemen who were asking their suffrages,seif
must say that he was well content to measure hit,.
before the constituency of Liverpool with such TO
(Hear, and cheers.) He would tell them what he thhtbey
they ought to do in Liverpool. In the first place, the
ought to get a man as distinguished as possible
tor
next place, they ought to obtain a man who was a tea
porter of popular opinions, and who would maintain t
tbe
through life. But in the next place, and it was
last, let them secure the services of a man "of
was accustomed to the hard-working business
life. This last character he did not shrink froP
Our countrymen had been called a nation of Ole
keepers ; it would be a more correct term to call then, life
hard-working people of England. His position ill, to
answered to that description. He had been coropelle"te
earn his bread by hard work, and having now made a of
tune, he was at liberty and quite ready to labour 0100,
public good, and if successful on the present occagLitlr
there was no community that he should labour for
greater pride than the constituency of such a place sisAree
verpool. He should have another meeting to sal'icba
in the evening, and he invited both those
were his supporters and those who ad, bf,
be opposed to him, to come forward, ea,,vero
examining him on any point, ascertain what his g` ser,
favour Pod
opinions were. Should they elect him as their rerecouls
tative, he must say that a nobler field for exertion, loork
not be presented to any man alive. The hon. gehtletbef
concluded by thanking his hearers for the attrntiou
had paid to his remarks.
Mr. G MA IC "

:1 cstlzd

_EO. -tfAxwEm. then came forward, coP:,
upon the merchants to give the hon, candidate tile,"i
port. He concluded by calling for three cheers Rile
Erskine Perry, which was responded to, mingled
hisses.
},e
The hon. gentleman then proceeded across to t-Glov,
change News-room, in company with Mr. Robertsor' beer'
stone and Mr. Maxwell. Lie was received with e
as he passed through the room.

ssembled• it

iparticulat
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isely linksa
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