The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-01-05 00:00:00

STOCKPORT
C ONSERVATIVE DINNER,

GIVEN TO
MAJOR MARSLAND, M.P. FOR THE BOROUGH

(From our Second Edition of Tuesday last.)
On TueSdav evening one of the largest dinners which
has been held in Stockport for some time, was givenby the
Operative Conservative Association,at the National School
Room, Stockport, in honour of the Conservative member
for the borough, Major Marsland. The announcement
that Sir Francis Burdett and Sir George Sinclair would
wiend the dinner, gave it additional interest and im-
portance. The room appropriated for the dinner is ones
admirably adapted for the
.purpose, being large and
lofty, and having also a very spacious gallery. The
ticlets were ss. cacti, and it may give some idea of the
interest which the dinner excited, that not a ticket was
to be. obtained at any price some hours before the dinner
hour, and upwards of 900 tickets were sold. The room,
which is rather a long. and narrow one, was set out
with the President's table at the. centre of one side;
-from the President's table there were placed three cross
tables, and each half of the room was laid out with six
long tables..: Opposite to the President's table was the
gallery, in which were stationed about 300 ladies. Thos.
Walmslev, Esq., of Braham Lodge;' occupied the chair;
he was chairman of Major Marsland's..election commit-
tee. To.t he right of the Chairman sat Major irsland,
M.P., Tatton Egertoa,, Esq., M.P for North Che-
shire, 'and James HealiT, Esq. TO the left of the chair-
man sat Sir Francis Burdett, M.P., Charles Wilkins,
Esq., and Captain Hollingworth, of Hollingworth-hall.
Amongst the gentlemen present we observed William
Hindley, Esq., G. T. Knowles,. Esq., Joshua Marsland,
Esq., of Manchester; Win. Marsland, Esq. of Manches-
ter, - Rigby, Esq. of Manchester, - Hope, Esq.
of Manchester, Wm. Dean, Esq. of Manchester, Thos.
Dean, Esq.,•of Manchester, Mr. Leach, Mr. Hey word,
John Turner, Esq,, Mr. Follows, Richard Simpson, Esq.,
R. R. Winterbottiam, Esq., - Hamilton, Esq., John
Fall, Esq., Captain Jackson, - Moore, Esq., of the
97th, A. Lingard, Esq., W. C. Cruttenden, Esq., Thos.
Badeley, Esq., Daniel Kinnersley; Esq., Thomas Cart-
wright, Esq., Win. Lane, Esq., R. Oxford, Dr.,
Turner, Jesse Howard, Esq., Joel Cohen, Esq., Joseph
Gleave,-Esq.;- and Benjamin Oldfield, Esq., each of Man-
chester.

Over the head of the Chairman was placed a small
painting of the Queen's Arms.. Opposite to the Chair-
man, and over the Vice-president, was a small temple
surmounted by an elegant crown, very handsomely or-
namented. On each side of this in raised brass letters,
were the inscriptions, " The .Three Estates," and
" Church and Queen." At each end of the room was a
large blue cloth, bearing the inscription, in gilt letters,
" The Stockport Operative Conservative Association,"
and surmounted with the inscription " 393 plumpers,"
being the number given at the election for Major Mars-
land, The room was tastefully hung with eyergreens,
and with blue and white silk, and was also ornamented
with two pictures of the Duke of Wellington and George
the Third, belonging to the celebrated Wellington Club
of Stockport.

The Vice-presidents were Jas. Bradshaw, John Scott,
and Henry Kirk, Esgrs. Immediately before the dinner
was uncovered, the entrances of Sir Francis Burdett and
Major Marsland, M.P., and afterwards of C. Wilkins,
Esq., were greeted with the greatest enthusiasm. Sir
George Sinclair, who was expected to attend, did not.ar-
rive. The Rev. Mr. Nolan then said grace, and the
busy clatter of knives and forks commenced. After the
cloth was removed, "Non nobis Domine" was sung by
an excellent company of -glee singers. The entrance of
Mrs. Marsland was here twiny cheered.
_•
The usual preliminaries being gone through,
The CHAIRMAN rose to propose the first toast amid loud
cheering. He said,. he believed that no other chairman was
ever so honoured at a public meeting by the presence of so
many ladies as be saw around him on that occasion —(Hear,
hear, and loud cheers.) It was an assurance that their
cause was good which received such support. It was gratifying
when mothers and sisters came forward in defence of their
holy religion which had proved so great a blessing, and yet had
been so much vilified. In every respect they had a right to
come fOrward. Ile was no advocate for ladies becoming poli-
ticians, but it was the-duty of every christian to do the utmost
in his power to stem the torrent du. that infidel power which
had been' gaining ground amm', them, and which was calculat-
ed to blast the best principles of mankind.—( Hear.) He be-
lieved that they were now about to experience the dawn of
brighter days, and that the precepts of our holy.religion would
be handed down from the parents of the present age to their
children and children's children in future generations. After
a few excellent observations, the chairman gave the first toast,
" Our most gracious Majesty the Queen, and may she long
reign over a happy people, and may her advisers be those who
have the good of their country and the well-being of society at
heart."—( Loud cheers.
The national anthem was sung, in the chorus of which the
joined.
Her 11.-ujesty the Queen Dowager was the next toast, which
was received with similar honours to the last toast.
- The CHAIRMAN then said, that if there was any toast Which
they held more dear than another, it must be the one. he was
ahont to.osive. Lt was..." Our glorious Constitution in Church
and St,te."—(Loud cheering.)
'('he next toast ws., “The Ls-isnot) Etna cseagy or atoosse..'
which the CHAIRMAN prefaced by a high compliment to the
bishop and the rector of Stockport. (The toast was loudly
cheered:)The Rev:Mr:Not-AN rose to respond to the toast, he said
that the numerous and influential meeting by which he was
then surrounded, would understand the diffidence he must
necessarily feel when called upon for the task of returning
thanks fdr the toast they had honoured by their notice. Had
their respected rector been present he would adequately have
' responded to the sentiments expressed by the meeting; but
however unequal he (Mr. Nolan) might feel himself to echo
the rector's sentiments, he was sincerely grateful to them. As
he had
.alluded to the rector's absence, he might say with
truth that the meeting • generally sympathised in the cause of
that absence, it being a domestic bereavement. The rector's
'.siialted•character and consistent courseof life were well known.
—The attention which he paid to the duties of that holy pro-
fession to which he had the honour to be a servant, he was
sure was duly appreciated; but still he was not free from the
breath of calumny. Inasmuch, however, that the sweetest fruits
the birds pecked at, it was unnecessary for him. to enter into a
vindication of his character, as he was sure there was 00 res-
ponsive feeling to the aspersions cast upon him. (Cheers.)
Being himself (Mr. Nolan) not immediately in connection
with the worthy rector, he could, without the suspicion of in-
fluenced feelings, pay a just tribute to his merits. With re-
gard to the bishop, he was equally appreciated. He (Mr. Nolan)
was proud when he heard the sentiments expressed by the
chairman towards that christian church to which they were all
so devotedly attached; and his heart leaped for joy,to find a
kindred response in the hearts of those present, from the appro-
bation those sentiments had elicited. (Dear.) The church of
England was the great breakwater against which the floods of
infidelity and radicalism were continually beating. He was
one of those humble servants of the gospel, who, although rid-
' faring in many respects from other sects of christ tans, would raut
discard front the bosom of the church those who might so dif-
fer. The pure spirit of the Catholic Chutch of England was
that of toleration. Let, however. there be, as there was, such
defenders of the.church, equally determined to support its doc-
trines as the worthy chairman and those around him; popery
and 'infidelity could make no progress. After a few further
remarks, the rev. gentleman concluded by thanking them fur
the honor conferred upon the bishop and clergy of the dio-
cese, and for the enthusiastic manner in which it had been
received.
Mr,- WILLIAM FARRINGTON, Chairman of the Operative.
Conservative Associatioo rose to propose the next toast. It
was the health of Major iSlarsland, their excellent representa-
tive.. He said, that new year's day had been selected to do
honour to that gentleman, as, being a holiday, more of his
constituents could conveniently attend. They all knew that the
Major had an opponent at the last election, who, if he did not
resort to illegal measures, to gain his point, did most decidedly
to unseemly ones. • (Cheers.) His party collected together the
operatives of all sorts of the lowest grades, and then took a show
of hands as to who was the most tit person to represent the bo-
rough in parliament. Eoys, women, and girls were all electors
on this -occasion. 'When, however, it came to the poll, they
found. their mistake nut. The same system pursued before-the
election made Mr. Cobden sure of his return, by a majority
of MO. (Laughter.) The conservatives made no boast, but
they 'worked, whicli was much better, and the result had been
the return of their -honourable guest. It was Major Martha('
Who had stood up as the defender of the operatives' rights, and
so secure was he of his seat in parliament, that all the Cohdens
in the world could not remove him during his lifetime. The
speaker theravent.on to allude to the system of exclusive.deal.
ing and intimidation which had been so extensively resorted to
at the election by the whirs against all those who• voted fur
Major Maryland. '('his was a specimen of the liberality of the
liberals, which consisted in knocking out a man's brains or
burning' his house down. It had been said by this party that
all who voted for the Major were either boils or knaves, and it
they split their votes between the two they were downright vil-
lains. (Cheers.) It appeared that there were a good many of
this class of persons, seeing that 393 plumpers voted for hon.
Ile concluded by giving "the health of their distinguished
guest and staunch conservative member, Major Marsland, with
thanks to him for his past services and his late noble struggle
for the independence of the borough." (Loud cheers.) •
Major MARSLANO then rose, and was received with tumult-
uous applause. He said he was almost over-powered by the
reception he haul that day met with at that magnificent display
of conservatism in his native town. (Applause.) And it was
more gratitying to him, because it prevailed from a class of
men—because it was the independent and honest effusion rut a
class of persons the least prepared to make such a sacrifice.
(Hear.) He was quite glad that his honourable friend the
noble baronet (applause) was there, to have an opportunity to
witness sod bear testimony that there was in that great manu-
facturing town, a body of men amongst the labouring, commu-
nity, not only ready but determined to maintain the monarchy,
the constitution, arid the religion of this land. (Great cheer-
ing.) He. then begged to thank them for the honour they had
done hint by that iuvitatiou. and also for the manner in which
they had received the last toast ; he was sure that the president
of that association had proposed it in terms far beyond his
merits. He had always said, stud he said then, that hie endea-
vours were inadequate to the situation in which the conserva-
tive constituency of that borough had thought proper to place him
but at the time of the passing of the reform bill, when the con-
stituency of that borough had the privilege given to them
to send members to parliament, he found that he had a
duty to perform—it was a duty which must fall upon some man
of conservative principles. and at that time he saw no man pre-
pared to eome forward and though he was not a vain man, at
least not Vain. enough to think that he was a proper man, yet be
hoped that so far as he had ability lk had been found an un-
flinching, an uncompromising, supporter of the great conserva-
tive cause. (Great applause ) Whether he could satisfy him-
self that lie.was a proper person was not for him to say, but
when he looked. upon the manifestation of feeling that day in
his favour, as an approval of his conduct, he could assure them
there was no danger of any diminut ion of his zeal. (Applause.)
him to say:, that, if has. couduct hail been satisfactory to
them and they thought him a proper representative, he wiuuld
ever be opposed to the socinian; papist, and other enemies of
their church and of their unrivalled constitution. (Applause.)
He had intended to speak on some of the great political ques-
tions of the day, but as they doubtless were anxious to hear his
worthy friend, the honourable baronet, he would not Waste tlisir