The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-10-23 00:00:00

the works of Sir 'Walter Scott alone, would, if collected I
together, form a society sufficient for a large town. There- ;
fore, if the works of a novelist, poet, and historian, like Sir
Walter Scott, have such an effect, let it not be said that the
unproductive and the working. classes are disassociated; r
they are connected together in inseparable union. The in-
terests of all classes, if properly understood, are the same.
But now, gentlemen, to apply my observations principally to I
that object which I perhaps ought to have in view in re-
sponding to this toast—" the Bishop and Clergy of the dio-
cese." I beseech you not to let your enemies, and our ens-
wits, persuade you that the clergy are not profitable labourers
in the social field. (Great cheering.) What is our office in
as utilitarian point of view ? It is to inculcate respect to the
laws of God and man.; it is to teach you and your children
to do justly, and to live morally, and to walk humbly with
your God. It is to teach you that there is a great God that
rules above, who sees the earth, who knows every thought
and bears every word, who must punish the evil and will
reward the good. And who can say that such a class of men
as this, whose office it is at least to do this, are not profitable
labourers? They are profitable labourers in every sense of
the word, and their influence is exercised -most beneficially : •
amongst the operative classes : for, gentlemen, let it never ,
be forgotten, that labour cannot receive its (Inc remuneration
except in a country where the laws of God are respected; •
and therefore, I say, instead of calumniating and persecuting
and robbing the clergy-, as is the-fashion in some quarters in
the present day. it is the duty of every good government, and
of every good Christian, to encourage them by every means in
their power; to encourage them, 1 say, if they do their duty
properly, and to consign them to I care not what depth of con-
tempt ifthey neglect to do their duty. (Cheers.) Gentlemen,
I have professed not to give you a lung sermon, and therefore
I had better, perhaps, bring my observations to a close. But
now, having endeavoured to show you how the productive
'and unproductive labourers are both profitab:e labourers in
the social field, I will conclude by very briefly sheaving how
we, oho are profitable labourers and Conservatives, may also
be Reformers at the same time. I. of course, do not mean
Reformers in the modern sense of the term. Ido not mean
Reformers in the sense of those conceited gentlemen, who
think that nothing can be well done unless they do it them- •
selves (cheers); who think no pie can be well made unless
they have a finger in it (laughter and cheers) ; and whose
notions of reform, so far as I can understand, principally con-,
sist in getting their opponents out of power, and themselves
in. (Great cheering.) Of course, I do not mean that we
should be Reformers ins that sense of the word; but that we
should be Retormers by reforming ourselves. If every man
will undertake to reform himself and his owns household, in-
stead -of attempting. to reform the constitution, I think the
world will go on much better, and the constitution not much
worse. (Cheers.) ,Go on, therefore, Inv friends, I care not
how fast, in the course of social improvement and moral re-
form. Secure your own independence by temperance and
sobriety, and diligence and hone Sty, and the acquisition oft
useful knowledge; meaning by 'useful knowledge a know-
ledge that will qualify you for the state of life into which it
has pleased God to call you, and make .you wise also unto•
salvation. Secure your independence by these honest means, •
and then I think you may command that remuneration for
labour, which in every well ordered community results from
. the security of property, and the indemnity to industry secured
in their just relations to each other by just and equal laws.
(The Rev. Rector sat down amidst very loud and continued
cheering.)
The COAIDNIAN next proposed " The worthy representa-
tives of our good old town, Lord Viscount Sandon and Cres-
well Creswell, Esq, ; may they long continue firm supporters•
of our glorious constitution." - (Vehement applause.)
Lord SAN DON terse amidst enthusiastic chem. Ile said,
Mr. Chairman, and gentlemen, the manner—the kind, and
coidial manner, in which you have received the toast which
your chairman has just been so kind es to propose to your
acceptance, gives me not only great reason for gratitude as a
-personal ohligatieu to myself, but gives me a still greater,
reason for congratulation to the country fur the sentiment
upon which, I am sure, this applause has beets founded. I
am glad to see in the applause with which you have received
the names of your conservative representatives, that you are
still the good conservatives which I left you last year
(cheers)—that you have not repented since I saw yen last
year of those evil doings—of those evil inclinations which led
you to prefer a conservative to the reform member;-(cheers)
—that you heave not been seduced by all the charms of
" the people's charter"—(loud laughter)—as displayed in the
Old Infirmary yard—(Great laughter, and cheering, and
hisses)—to forget your old friends, and your old principles.
Gentlemen, I am glad to see that you have not been seduced
by the tempting charms of " Annual Parliaments" " Uni•
versa! Suffrage," and " Vote by Ballot"; that you have not
been seduced by them, nor by the still more pleasing propo-
sition for the purpose of givingto each of your represenza-.
tives a handeomeliberalallowance, of £5OO a-year. (Cheers.)
Gentlemen, to those first abstract prupesitions, to which
have alluded, I have a most decided objection ; to the last;
if you are so inclined, I confess my objection is not so great;-
and if ever you do think fit, in your liberality to follow the-
unwoi thy example of your liberal opponents, I shall not be
inclined to consider that the worst proposition which we have
reason to borrow from their instructions. (Cheers.) But,
gentlemen, seriously speaking, if you were conservatives last
year, have 'you had reason to repebt it since ? (Lend cries
of " No.") Have the exhibitions which have taken place,
whether in parliament, or out of parliament, of whig con-
duct, or of reform conduct, been such as to make you in love
with that happy unioq commonly called " The Whig Radical
alliance?" . Whether you:look at the conduct of the whigs
in parliament, or at those-meetings which have been attempted
in most parts of the country, but which have in most parts
proved failures, and in this place a perfect disgrace to those
parties woo attempted to get it up such a meeting—whether
you look at the conduct of that patty in parliament or out
of parliament, I think you have no reason to repent of the
strong, and decided hold you have obtained in honest con-
servative opinions. (Loud cries of " Bravo.") Gentlemen,
you have seen the government its parliament, when they had
once the supeort of -the reformers in the general election,
turning sharp towed upon them, and with an insulting;
mockery dismissing the propositions to which those reformers
were most strotsgly attached ;,but not till the general elections
was over, and not till they had mutually lent each other every
assistance hetheir power. (Cheers.) Well, than, the govern-
ment was shortly compelled to abandon those projects, and
Wire& fur ilea assistance from the conservatives in parlie-.
went which they had endeavoured to make it impossible, by
the course they pursued in tine electious, for those conserve-
tives to offer them in the House of COMMODS. II avin2 en-
deayoured to exclude .every . conservative from the House
of Commons, when it came actually to the discussion of
measures, they were obliged, in almost all their measures to
look to Use con ere:elves to carry Owns out. (Loud cheers.).
Weil, but gentlemen, if the government has not excited your
respect, has the conduct of the reformers been. moracalcus
• latod to produce that result on your minds? Why, after you
have beard many of those, the most flaming patriots of the
day, expressing their abhorrence at the apostacy of the -go-
vernment which induced them to recoil from those liberal
opinions they have professed, have we not seen these very
reformers—having grumbled a Julie, and teazel little—
drop into time quiet, warm, snug berth, which their kind,-and
was going to say,
so disinterestedly disposed friends have to offer to one or the
other. (Cheers.) One has been made an ambassador;
a commissioner,
true—" another ;". 1 could nut vomit
another itlhieart hasw would
llideenn not
mabrlee
those who have been made commissioners; (cheers) another
has been made inspector of hackney coaches,—(cheers, and
laughter); thus, after all, these flaming patriots hive abused
the government at the top of their breath, they have found
that nothing was so- covenient as to sink into the obscure,:
atul warm berths, which this government WAS DiellUed to
offer them. And, gentlemen, I think the proceedings of the
last session of parliament were like that in the Infirmary
yard , they began with a great deal of flaming advantages
to he conferred on you, but they ended with the-reaLgist,
namely, the advantage to be conferred upon themselves.
(Cheers.) Gentlemen, these parties constantly found fault
with us, for expressing our apprehensions in regard to the
monarch and the church. They say we area parcel Of foolish
old women, full of idle app'rehensions. It is vets •singular,
certainly, that they should not allow its to allude to their
own declaration : but day after day they come, to tell us
they come to pull down the church, and when we. meet
their cry by the statement of " the (florets is in danger,"
they say we are a parcel of credulous old fools. , Rut
there are times wren they do bate their breatle--.:winen
they do talk of kindness—when their projects are net for de-
struction but only for reform aunt amendment, and when they
thus prefessingly act for support of the menarche' and the
church. They find themselves supported by those who are
most attached to both. Of these things, however, we cannot
but express a little doubt of their intention. It is generally
allowed to be a fair maxim for common guidance, to look a
• little at the company a man keeps; and when these men
' sociate.with those who make ter disguise of their enmity to
the church, it is not any very unlikely thing to doubt those
men who keep such company. ( Hear). I happened this
mertsing to be reading a new publication, and turned over a
page which seemed so exceedingly apt, that if you null allow
me, I will read a short extract. The work I happened to get
hold of, was, "The Life of General Monk." You ell kieese
gentlemen, that he was the person who restored our monarchy,
but, in restoring it, made a way through a course of subter-
fuge and dissinimulation, which did no credit to the cause
had in hand, lie was surrounded by republicans and eeperi-
mentalists—be was surrounded by men ou all sides with were
anxious to asceitain his motives, and for a time, he held the
whole trembling•balance of the destiny of this country. This
is the quotation which I will read.., "-The republicans could
shut their eyes no longer; they had seen so many indications
at last that they could not doubt that it was his intention to
restore the monarchy. Martin, a distinguished regicide,
asked, him, one day, what he was going to establish? A
Commonwealth' said he, I have always desired it and de-
sire it still.' I have always believed your excellency' said
Martin, but will you give the leave to tell you a story; a
city tailor was met one evening in the country, with the im-
plements of husbandry in his hands: he was asked what he
was going to do? 'to lake a measure for a new suit' said he.
'What? with ir spade and a pick axe in your hands?' Yes,'
said he, 'these aTe the meastires now in fashion' (loud laugh-
ter and cheers.) Now gentlemen, this struck me as no. bad
illustration of the present state of things-. We meet a gen-
tleman with a spade and a pick axe in his hand—instruments
generally used in upturning the soil ; we ask him what he is
going to do? he says he is only going to make a new suit—
he is only going to reform ! . What? going to make a new
suit with a spade and a pick axe'? Yes, these are the
suits now in fashion.' (Great cheering.) I believe we have
at last as much penetration has Martins had, and we are nut
to be led astray by one who tells us he is only going to make
a new suit whets we find him with a spade and a pick
axe in his hand. (continned cheering) One pelt of the
story is not quite so apt ; the end of it was, with the
assurance that " these were the measures most in fashion;"
but these measures are no longer in fashion, thanks unto
Providence and to you, the conservatives. (Cheers.) If
the spade and the pick-axe are still in fashion, it is not for the
purpose of destruction, and for the purpose of uprooting, but
for the purpose of obtaining a wholesome ground, and increas-
ing the fertility of the soil. (Great cheering.} Gentlemen,
last night, when I had the honour or addressing a similar
•
party in this room, I took the opportunity- of asserting several
circumstances in which I thought her majesty's ministers
had not acted to eosure the confidence of the community;.
butrthere is one point which I omitted, which I think so im-
portant that 1 should be sorry if it should be entirely omitted.
I am sure you must all remember very shortly before the ter-
mination of the last session, the solemn warning which-
that enlightened, illustrious, and not easily deceived noble-
man, the Duke of Wellington, gave to her majesty's minis-
ters, that they had not maintained the nave of this country
in a situation fit for the emergencies of the times. And
would have you to weigh this deeply; it is one of the gravest
negligences of which a ministry caa be guilty; but it is else
of which there certainly cannot be a doubt that the. British
navy has been neglected, and that at this moment we are
unable to fit out that fleet which we ought at all times to be
able to do. I believe, at this moment, our commerce is not
protected as it ought to be, because we have not the navy to
give that protection. (Cries of "Shame.") Gentlemen, I
call this to your attention, because I think it is a subject to
which the public attention should be called; and at this very
moment when there are rumours of war in which this country
may be engaged, the attention of her majesty's government
should be called to it by the public voice, and they should be
told that they will be subjected to the reproaches of the pens
ple of England if they suffered this great arm of our.pidtec-
tion to be neglected. Gentlemen, I believe if you look
through every branch of the public administration you-will
find that the country is not in that state in which ought to be
placed, and I believe, until you have firmer hands at the
helm—until you have not firmer hands, but firmer heads, and
sounder hearis,—(cheers)--that you will not be able to enjoy
that security which Englishmen have hitherto enjoyed, and
to which the sacrifices they have made for the public welfare
fully entitles theinson all occasions (Hear.) Gentlemen,
not wishing to repeat those sentiments which I have so lately
expressed on those topics of deep attachment to our institu-
tions, andeleep attachment to what I consider the mein prin-
ciple of our constitution, the close connexion between the
church and the state---between the Protestant aura 'mid
(;be Protestant state. I shall not further intrude upon your