The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-06-28 00:00:00

PITT-STREET WARD

The Conservatives of Pitt-street Ward commenced the
series of ward meetings, in connection with the forth-
coming borough election, on Tuesday evening, when a
numerous and influential body of electors met at the Vine
Tavern in Pitt-street. The room in which the meeting
was announced to be held was soon found to be far too
small to hold the numerous electors present, and an ad.
journment consequently took place to the large yard at the
back of the house, the speakers being located in a room
looking into it. Mr. Thomas Toulmin was called to the
chair; and amongst others present were Messrs. G. H.
Horsfall, J. W. Horsfall, L. Peel, Jeffreys, Arthur Hen-
derson, Bold, Rimmer, and Callis.
The CHAIRMAN, in reference to the recent decision of
the parliamentary committee, expressed his surprise how
the committee of the House of Commons ever arrived at
the conclusion they had done, his opinion being that it
had raised the character of the constituency.

•
Mr. THOMAS BOLD, who was the first speaker, said he
had been for the last month engaged in London in pro-
tecting the rights of the freemen of Liverpool. He must
say the ordeal they had gone through there was highly
creditable to them, after the attempts that had been made
for the last twenty-one days to deprive them of the rights
which they all valued so highly, when it is only proved by
the witnesses—the 153 witnesses taken up to London by
Messrs. Rathbone and Ronald—(groans)--that only the
small sum of £6 17s. had been spent in paying the wages
of some men who had, very likely, large families to sup-
port, and could not afford to lose their day's work without
injury, or without their children suffering by it. He
thought, therefore, with Mr. Toulmin, that he might con-
gratnlate them on the result of the investigation. In
commending the two candidates, Mr. Horsfall and Mr.
Liddell, he said of the latter gentleman :—Having been
consulted in London, I have seen Mr. Liddell ; he is a
man who was for many years the parliamentary represen-
tative of an important constituency in the north of
England; he distinguished himself in taking the lead and
opposing the navigation laws when they were first intro-
duced into the House of Commons. He fought the battle
of the shipowners, the blockmakers, ropemakers, sail-
makers, carpenters, and of every other man connected
with the shipping interest ; and he is prepared to protect
that interest still, and by electing a man of that character
•ou will never regret it. (Cheers.) On church matters
wind, I believe, as any man living. He is most
firmly opposed to the Maynooth grant. (A Voice : "He
voted for it.") He voted for it, but he will be better able
to explain the reason why he voted for it when he comes
here himself. (Cheers.) When he voted for it, he sup.
posed it would benefit those for whom the grant was
made ; but now he is convinced that, rather than hav-
ing benefited them, it has been prejudicial to them. I
would close with one remark in regard to the way in which

he is a

the late petition was got up. I think you were deceived
altogether. They talk of purity at the last election ; now
it so happens that all they wanted was one seat.
(Laughter.) They would have been very glad to have
withdrawn the petition if we gave them one seat. I shall
he very glad to meet Mr. Rigge or Mr. Rathbone, and to
expose them completely, and to show they had no pure
motives whatever, and that it was all humbug from begin-
ning to end. (Cheers.)
The next speaker, Mr. GEORGE HENRY HORSFALL,
said : It happens, unfortunately, that my brother, who has
been named as a candidate, is absent on the continent,
and consequently cannot attend here this evening. Means
have been taken during the day to communicate with him,
and it is just possible, in the course of to-morrow, we may
have an answer from him, stating when he may be here.
The accusation which has been brought azainst you,
against tee, and against almost every respectable Tory in
the town, is as false as it is possible for any statement to
have been on the face of the earth. (Cheers.) I think
myself it is very questionable whether, in a court of
law, the gentlemen who have put forward the names of
=their fellow-townsmen as parties who were guilty of
,bribery, and also the names of their fellow townsmen who
were bribed, are not themselves liable to a prosecution in
.a court of law. (Hear, hear.) And I say publicly, on my
own behalf, if I find, on taking legal advice, such a step
would be attended with any good results, I for one am
prepared to spend a considerable amount to punish those
gentlemen—(great cheering)—for what I say was a gross
insult to you, a gross insult to me ; and they have done
under the protection, or what they conceived the protec-
tion, of a petition to the House of Commons, that which as
men and gentlemen they dared not to have done. (Con-
tinued cheering.) He then alluded to the fact that it was
something like twelve months since they embarked in the
election which had now so unfortunately terminated.
They commenced it from that window, he believed. He
next advised the electors to show the country " what the
petition against the late return was—that the late election
was then fairly and honourably won, and the election now
shall be fairly and honestly won by a larger majority than
it was on the previous occasion. Ido not speak to one
or the other ; but I shall feel disgraced as a freeman if
you do not return your men with a still larger majority
than before" But the greatest possible caution should be
used. The enemy's spies are in the camp; and there are
parties amongst us to lay hold of the slightest flaw.
(Hisses.) They will not scruple to avail themselves of
any practice which they think will contribute to their own
success. They will be on the watch for us, and we must
be careful not to commit ourselves in any way, for, as I
said before, there is no use winning elections in Liverpool
to have them overthrown in London.

Mr. JOHN RILIMER proposed, and Mr. JEFFREYS
seconded, a resolution pledging the meeting to support
Messrs. Liddell and Iforsfail.
This was unanimously carried.
Mr. Caws then submitted the resolution—" That this
meeting cannot separate without expressing their deep
regret that so paltry and miserable a case as that which
Messrs. Rathbone, Jun., and Ronald have brought before
the House of Commons should have severed the connec-
tion .of William Forbes Mackenzie and Charles Turner,
Esqrs., with us as members of Parliament for the borough
of Liverpool."

Mr. LAWRENCE PEEL energetically supported the
motion, which, like the preceding one, was adopted with
enthusiasm.

Mr. RIGBY then proposed a vote of thanks to the late
members, which was seconded by Mr. ARTHUR HENDER-
sox, and adopted ; and after a vote of thanks to the chair-
man, and three cheers for Mr. T. B. Horsfall, the meeting
dispersed.