The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-10-11 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

GREAT CONSERVATIVE DINNER IN NORTH.
AMPTONSHIRE.

NORTHAMPTON, FRIDAY.—The great Conservative dinner
for the town and county of Northampton took place in this
town yesterday. If any thing were wanting to prove the great
extent to which the principles of Conservatism have spread in
this county in common with almost every other county in Eng-
land, it would be only necessary to point attention to the great
assemblage of rank, wealth, intelligence, and respectability
which congregated at this dinner. Never did we witness a
more splendid affair, or a more fervid demonstration in favour
of any principle than that displayed by every one present. The
dinner was held at the George Hotel, and although the great
room; which is capable of containing upWards of 700 persons,
was crammed to suffocation, yet still there was not anything
like sufficient accommodation for those who were anxious to be
present at this splendid political festival. The consequence
was that between 200 and 300 persons were obliged to dine in
other mins in the hotel, and there adopt the best means left to
be present in the principal apartment when the proceedings
were going forward.
The chair was occupied by George Payne, Esq., of Sulby
Hall.

The cloth having been removed,
The Chairman proposed " Church and King," which was
responded to in the most enthusiastic manner.
'I he Chairman then gave, " The Queen, God bless her."
(Loud cheers.)
The Chairman next gave "The Princess Victoria." (Cheers.)
The next toast was " The Army and Navy." (Applause.)
The Chairman then, in a highly energetic speech, gave " Mr.
Cartwright, the county member," with nine times nine. (Loud
cheering.)
Mr. Cartwright rose to return thanks, but was unable to do
so for some time, owing to the enthusiastic greeting with which
he was received. When the applause subsided he said that he
was sure they would give him credit for not being able to ex-
press in adequate terms his thanks for the kind and heartfelt
manner In which his health had been drunk by that influential
and highly respectable company. lie was exceedingly grati-
fied at it, because it was a splendid demonstration in favour of
our glorious constitution in church and state. (Loud cheers.)
He owned that he had been most anxious to promote this meet-
ing, for he felt that it would have been a disgrace to Northamp-
tonshire if, after what had taken place in Lancashire, in War-
wickshire, and in other places, this county had not come for-
ward to bear its testimony in favour of the great principle of
conservatism. (Loud cheers.) There were other reasons
which influenced him in his anxiety to have this meeting. There
was at that moment a strong republican feeling abroad in, the
country, and those who professed that doctrine were using
every effort in their power to give effect to it. (Hear, hear.)
Now, were these persons to be active, and were the conser-
vatives of the country to be slumbering ? (Cries of no, no.)
Let them look for a moment at the conduct of Mr. O'Connell
in Ireland. (Cries of hear, hear.) That individual had suc—
ceeded in putting down the Orange associations in that country,
and the only sin of those associations was, that they supported
the constitution in church and state. (Cries of " Hear, hear.")
Well, having effected this, he then proceeded to concoct another
association, the object of which lie (Mr. Cartwright) verily be-
lieved to be to put down for ever the protestant Church of Ire-
land. (Hear.) Now ought they, as lovers of the constitution,
as supporters of the protestant church, to quietly permit such
courses to be pursued without endeavouring by measures such
as these to show that they were ready to uphold and defend both
the one and the other? (Cheers.) The House of Lords had
done its duty : let the people of England do theirs, and Eng-
land was still safe. (Hear.) Let it not be en posed that in
the course which the House of Lords pursued they were influ-
enced by factious or unworthy motives. (Hear.) They did
not oppose measures for the sake of doing so; no, they merely
exercised their constitutional privileges for the purpose of re-
jecting insidious clauses in bills which would unjustly give too
much powerto the dissenters of this gountry and to the catholics
of Ireland. (Cries of " Hear, hear.") In doing this they acted
constitutionally; they only in this iustance placed themselves
as a barrier against the encroachments of the people, as upon
former occasions they had acted similarly to prevent encroach-
ments on the part of the crown. (Loud cheers.) There
were also other circumstances that made him anxious for
this meeting. The radicals were at that moment impatient.
(Hear.) O'Connell had just issued his edict. He had, as it
were, fulminated his bull from the Vatican. (hear, and a
laugh.) In the first place, O'Connell tells Lord Melbourne
that lie must satisfy the radicals of England, Ireland, and Scot-
land. In the next place, Ise threatens a conflict wills the, House
of Lords. Now the question was, what would Lord Melbourne
do in this case? That noble lord said he did not go to the ra-
dicals—they came to him. But did that so appear from what
had taken place upon the Irish church bill? (Hear, hear.)
In a work whirls he held in his hand, Horne Tooke—who, by
the way, used to be considered a very extreme reformer, but
who, it he lived in the present day, would be looked upon as a
very moderate reformer indeed—that individual was reported to
have said that if his friends were anxious to go as far asiSiough
in their efforts for reform, he would accompany them to Houns-
low. But Mr. Coleridge, in his very able commentary upon
this passage, asks this very pertinent question—" Would a man
be justified in going arm-and-arm as far as Hounslow with a
man who was going to commit a robbery at Stroud ?" Now
O'Connell was hand and glove with Lord Mulgrave, and he
(Mr. O'Connell) was at that moment declaring his determina-
tion to rob the church. (Hear, hear.) He would take
what he could get at present, but that would not deter
him from taking more hereafter; on the contrary, he
avowed his determination never to cease until he had
effected the Complete spoliation of the Irish church. (Hear.)
Now, did Lord Melbourne mean to say that he would go part
of the way with an individual who made the declaration of his
intention to go the length he mentioned? (Hear, hear.) The
hon. gentleman, after alluding to the statement of Mr. O'Con-
nell, namely, that the English people were, if not hostile to the
'claims of the Irish, at least lukewarm in their cause, proceeded
to observe that there were three parties in the country, namely,
the conservatives, the radicals, and the whips. (Hear, hear.)
Of the first class there were 300 in the House of Commons.
(Cheers.) Two years ago there was not half that number there.
(Hear, hear.) Was there not something cheering in this?
Was not this a proof that the cause of Conservatism was suc-
ceeding? (Hear.) For himself, he would say that although
he was not now able to be so strict in his attendance as he had
been heretofore, he was always present when an important
question came under discussion. (Cheers.) It was now nearly
forty years since he first came forward to represent that county
in parliament. During that period he had given his vote upon
many occasions in favour of those measures by which they had
been enabled to defeat the foreign enemy (hear, hear)—and all
he prayed for now was that he might be permitted to see the
day when the country would be equally successful against its
domestic enemies. (Cheers.) Before he sat down he felt it
right to say that in the event of a dissolution of parliament it
was his intention to ask their support again (cheers)—and he
could assure them that so long as his humble exertions should
be deemed worthy of support, so long would he be anxious to
serve them. (Applause.)
The Hon. Mr. Pierrepoint, in a complimentary address, pro.
posed the " health of Sir C. Knightley, the other member for
the southern division of the county." (Applause.)
Sir C. Knightley was received with loud cheers, and after ex-
pressing his gratitude for the kind reception which he had met
with, observed that the meeting of that day afforded a source of
unexpected pleasure and satisfaction to him, for he had no idea
of seeing so vast an assemblage of all that was influential and
respectable in the county as that by which he was then sur-
rounded, (Cheers.) He did not think it possible that such a
meeting could have been convened, unless some great excite-
ment was abroad. It was, therefore, the more gratifying to find
so vast an assemblage coining forward, influenced only by their
desire to uphold the constitution of the country. (Cheers.)—
What added importance to these meetings was the rancorous
assaults made upon them by the ministerial press, who, in. their
efforts to injure the cause of Conservatism, frequently damaged
their own. There was no doubt the Radical press was losing
the influence which it once possessed over the minds of the
people (hear, hear)—and in the same degree that the ministerial
journals were losing their power, the Conservative press was
exercising a great and mighty influence over the minds of the
country (loud applause)—and upon his conscience he must say
that he attributed the present state of security in which the
country was, to the unrivalled ability displayed by the writers in
the Conservative press. (Great cheering.) O'Connell was not
able to get the press with him in his cry against the House of
Lords, and it consequently because the subject of gross attack
from that person. (Hear, hear.) He contended that the end
and aim of the Radicals was to destroy the Church, thinking
that it was the weaker vessel; but they had not found it to be
so (hear, hear,)—for, notwithstanding there bad been a most
extraordinary mixture of Catholics and Dissenters, of ministers
of the crown, whose great boast was that they were the descend-
ants of those who fought and bled for the reformed religion, and
others; yet still they had not succeeded in their attempts upon
it, and for this reason, that the people loved and revered the
Church (cheering)—and they determined to defend it to the last.
( Hear, hear. The Church it was that shed a halo round the
darkness which at present encompassed them, and he had no
doubt that it would be the polar star that would enable them to
steer the vessel of the constitution safely into the harbour of
repose. (Cheers.) For himself he would say upcin all occasions
he would be ready to stand and fight the battles of the country
so long as it would be their wish to intrust the cause in his
hands. (Cheers.)
Mr. B. Leigh, in an able address, proposed "The healths of
Lord Brudeoell and M r. Mannsell, the members for the northern
division of the county." (Applause.)
Mr. Mauusell was received wills loud cheers. He begged to
return his sincere acknowledgments for the compliment which
had been conferred upon his noble colleague and himself, and
he could assure them that, although the county was divided,
there was but one feeling amongst the great body of the voters
of the whole county, and that feeling was a determination to
olihold the.great principle of conservatism. (Loud ,cheering.)
He, in common with his constituents, were ready upon all
them, (Cheers.)
to come forward in defence of the altars of the church
( g r e ade tha(acadowirhiooletifrlehsalreeuas
t.stt:eill)aob—nuerrsea nd'the noble institutions connected with
ehnuses
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legisla-
ture with so much advantage to the great interests of the coun-
try. (Loud cheering,) To secure the institutions of the country
it was necessary, however, that the conservatives should be up
and stirring. (Hear, hear.) They must not slumber at their
posts. They must present a resolute and deter mined front to the
enemy. (Misr, and cheers.) They
must uphold the House of
Lords, who despised the assaults of popular clamour, and had
andintrepidity worthy of the
done
a theiru,,ediunt,yvhsvici
they
fearlessnesseyhadb n eengaged.e (Great cheering.)
It was for the constituency of this country to imitatEe,nthgelatnsdndsutit
of the (Louou Lords. (Hear.) If they did so
was sae. d cheers,)

The Chairman then gave the Duke of Wellington and the
House of Lords," which toast wat revolved with deafening
cheers.

y.
Icomplimentary
indefa,
man
ea,
,r
h e Chairmanieal thenofmr.c. proposed,R(,s Rosa,
in
ther veryingiecpozlitel nt
tigable member for the town of Northampton."
.(Cheers.)
Mr. Ross, in returning thanks, assured them that no one
'r,l4e `
could feel more deeply anxious for the welfare of the town of
Northampton than he did. The long and eloquent speech of
this gentleman, for which we regret we have not room, was re-
ceived with loud cheers.
The Chairman then proposed " Sir Robert Peel, and the
Conservative members of the House of Comtnons."
Sir T. Fremantle, M. P., returned thanks, and regretted.
that that duty had not fallen into the hands of one who had
held a prominent position in the late Cabinet. (Hear.) He
thought he might sum up the conduct of the Conservative
members of the House of Commons in this short sentence—
they had done their duty. (Loud cheering.) Much was due
to the leaders of the Conservatives in that assembly. (Cheers.)
The position of these leaders was a proud one, and they were
ready, if it pleased the Sovereign, to take the reins of govern-
ment again; but, if it was considered not expedient to do so,
then they were willing to give such support to the ministers as
they conscientiously could give, but at the same time, to resist
those measures which they deemed would lead to general an-
archy and ruin. (Hear, hear.) The hon. baronet concluded
a long and admirable speech amidst loud and continued cheers.
Mr. Cartwright, M. P., then proposed the health of the
Chairman, who returned thanks in an appropriate and eloquent
speech. _

Several other speeches were made and toasts proposed; and
the meeting separated.