The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-03-16 00:00:00

THE GIAOUR CHIEF;

OR THE WILD HORSE HORDE.
In the course of the Spectacle, a variety of magnificent Scenes
and Incidents will he exhibited.
Also will be produced for the first time, a new and splendid
Equestrian Eutre, never before acted. invented and produced
by Mr. Buckley. entitled the
GREEK WARRIOR'S RETURN ;

OR THE CAPTIVE BRIDE.
The whole to conclude with the laughable Extravaganza called
JEREMIAH THE FORLORN;
OR THE MAN wor HAS SEEN BETTER DAYS.
Tickets to be had of Mr. RYAN, 13, Williamson-square; at
the Box office and usual places.
Boxes, 35.; Pit, 25.; Lower Gallery, Is.; Upper Gallery, 6d.
Second Price at Half-past Eight; Boxes, Is. 6d.; Pit, Is ;
Lower Gallery, 6d. Children Half-price from the commence-
ment to the Boxes and Pit only.
Proprietor, Mr. BATES,
Stage Manager, Mr. NEV ILLE.

ANOTHER WEEK.
IHE PANORAMA of JERUSALEM land . CAPTAIN
ROSS'S V OYAGES, &c., in the Larg ROOID,QUEEN'S
ARMS HOTEL, entrance by Cook-street.
In consequence of the increasing number of Visitors and the
great anxiety expressed by those who view the Panorama to
have an opportunity for their Friends to visit, Mr. LAIDLAW
will continue his stay another week. Day exhibition punctu-
ally at One. Evening at Seven, and again at Half-past Eight
o'clock. Boxes, 2s; Pit, Is; Children Half-price.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

We must make a few inquiries before ae can insert the letter of

" Scrutator."

We have been obliged to defer until Tuesday our report of Mr.
Collier's very interesting lecture on the instruction of the
Deaf and Dunib.

Eiberpool ee.tanbarb.

FRIDAY MORNING, MARCH 16, 1838.

C. The Publication of the STANDARD commenced this morn-

ing at 5 o'clock.

THE BALLOT%--The reformers of Rodney-street ward
assembled, on Friday 'evening last, in the rooms of the
Tradesmen's Reform Association, for the purpose of con-
demning the introduction of secret voting into the Town
Council. From the tone of some of the speeches deli-
vered on this important occasion one might almost doubt
whether it was-not an anti-ballot meeting—so strongly
was the system of secret voting animadverted upon.
The first speaker, who rose to edify his brother refor-
mars, was a Mr. Daniel Mather, who stated that he "to-
tally disapproved of secret voting by a delegated body."
Unless this gentleman is an advocate for universal suf-
frage—unless lie maintains that every man, woman, and
child, whether rich or poor, independent or a pauper,
sane or insane—should possess the right of voting for
every description of " delegated bodies,"—unless, we
say, Mr. Daniel Mather entertains these liberal notions
respecting the extension of the franchise, he must be an
enemy to vote by ballot in every shape whatever. We
are prepared to maintain that the electors, as well as the
elected, are " delegated bodies"—each exercising re-
presentative functions; and that any argument which is
valid against the practice of secret voting in one case,
must be equally so in the other. The electors hold the
franchise as a trust for the non-electors—for their wives
and children, and for all who are not eligible to vote
themselves. We do not suppose that any radical in the
kingdom will deny that the elector is morally hound to
consult the interest of the large class w ho are necessarily
excluded from the list of voters. Admitting this, as a
truth against which he cannot offer a shadow of argu-
ment, we ask, where. is the consistency of the liberal
who would confer the vote by ballot upon the constitu-
encies, and refuse the same privilege to the " delegated
bodies" ?

But there is no end to the inconsistencies of these ra-
dical orators. They maintain that. the vote by ballotwill
enable the electors to act independently, and to follow the
dictates of their. consciences, uninfluenced by any feel-
ings of partialit3, ; and, at the same time, they assert
that, when introduced into the council-room, the practice
of secret voting takes away the independence of the
councillors. This is arguing pro and con with a ven-

gea tice
After Mr. Daniel Mather, Mr. Alderman Evans got
up to vindicate the Town Council from the charges
which had been brought against its members. At the
commencement of his speech we find the following ex-
quisite bit of philosophy :

" Before he passed on to the consideration of the question
before them, he would deprecate the employment of such un-
justifiable languag, as that of Mr. Mather. That gentleman
had jpmped to the conclusion. that, because of the manner iu
which the magisterial appointments had been made, the coun-
cillors were either conservatives or traitors. (Hear.) He was
clear that rash assertion was one great evidence of the truth of
the statement made by Mr. M.—namely, that he was unaccus-
tomed to public speaking, and showed that he laboured under the
confusion of o novice in addressing an assembly. The chairman
had designated. the nomination of magistrates a "measure."
Now, the word " measure," in his acceptation of it, meant some-
thing of a legislatorial character—something, in fact, connected
with law making, or having reference to a general principle.
Vor that reason, it could by no means be applied to the acts of
a body like the town council. If gentlemen would only reflect
—if they would do justice to, and attend to the distinction
which he would endeavour to draw between the act of making
appointments and that of making laws, they would, he felt as-
sured, view the conduct of the council in a different light to
what they then did. In most legislative assemblies of a higher
character than that of a municipal body, there was nothing of
an executive character blended with them ; there was a distinct
executive power, like the king in England and the president in
America., on whom devolved the appointment of all officers.
But the case was different with the borough councils; they
united within themselves a little of the executive with a legisla-
tive capacity; and he maintained that the two duties were es-
sentially different, and required for their proper performance
different modes of proceeding. On the introduction of any
proposition of a legislative kind, the councillors could command
a full and open discussion of its merits; but when they come to
a miniblerial or executive duty, that power vanished away. He
entreated them to think upon this great distinction which he had
pointed out."

•
If, after this lecture from Alderman Evans, either the
e mirtnan of this
the courage meeting or Mr. Daniel Mather have
ti
tkl;get on their legs again for the purpose of
speaking, 11ieY4te-possessed of greater courage than we
give themeredit for. HOw'must these ".novices" have
been overwhelmed by the force of demonstration with
volikit their foily was exhibited! How mustOthey have
been astonished at the extent of their previous igno-
rance ! Hollr',ninch must they have been delighted and
edified by the'clear and logical views—the philosophical
.distinctions—the accurate language—and the self-re-
xiouncing modesty of the worthy Alderman !
We haVe been.highly amused with the following sly
bit of the Alderman's at Joshua Walmsley, or some one
else :--

"A gentleman in the council might get up and propose
<though in the last nomination nothing of the kind had oc-
curred ; he was merely putting a hypothetical case)—a man
for some situation exceedingly unfit and improper in all re-
spects, and was another gentleman to rise and say, " I objet
to that nomination—l move an amendment ; and why ? decause
he is not to be trusted, he is not a man of honour, he is nut a
,man of character; I know of instances where he has shown
thimself to be utterly destitute of principle."

In such a case as the one put hypothetically by Alder-
man Evans we should certainly justify the use of such
language as the above, if it proved to be in strict accord-
ance with the truth. We think " society at large"
Would prefer such straightforward, honest, plain-dealing
conduct to a silent condemnation under cover of the •
ballot-box, for which the Alderman is an advocate. The
latter is a sneaking alternative, worthy of being resorted
to only by cowards and hypocrites.
Alderman 'Evans dwelt with much pathos and feeling
upon the .imperfections of his brethren in the Town
Council. He observed—

"The meeting shituld remember, however, that the council
comprised 8-1 members; and if every one was to be the perfect
being that some people asserted he ought to be, they would find
it a difficult Matter to send up•four representatives. Coun-
cillors were but men, and being men, were subject to the in-
firmities of tnan "
So, after all the extravagant eulogies bestowed upon
our liberal Town-councillors, tt appears that they are
brit fallible; sinful mortals; liable to be swayed by their