The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-04-20 00:00:00

Glee.—" Elail smiling morn."
The 0 FIA lIIM AN said the next toast on his li=t was " th. mem-

bets hr the Southern Diviiitn of the county—Lord Fraucis
Egerton and the Him. Itivhari 11.1otle Wilbraham." The

toast Was atien with 3 times 3 cheers.

'CneC lAlit 1.5 N then annonoced • that he had received let-
ter from Lord Francis Egerton, expressing his regret that a se-
vere attack of the gout prevented his attendrhg the anniversary
of that association. After some preparatory eulogistic remarks
he proposed as a toast " Sir Francis Burdett." The announce--
meat of Sir Francis Burdett's :tame was received with the most
tumultuous cheering.
Sir Fa aticts Bunntar then rose, and it was long before his
enthusiastic reception allowed him to proceed. He said he
must confess that the chairman had imposed upon him, by the
honour he had done him, the most ditlicuit task that could he
imposed on man; for how could any man speak of himself with
any credit to himself? He must leave it to others to estimate

his actions and judge of his conduct. The meeting had already

testified to him Their feelings; but however gratifying it might
be to his kind friends, it was utterly impossible for him to Utter
more words on the subject than to say that he thanked them for
the kind feeliugs they had expressed, and his strong opinion
that they felt ac warmly. to him as they did on account of that
great cause. which inseparably united them together—the good
of the country. (Cheers.) The genius and talent of his hon.
friend (Sir George Sinclair) had already more than sufficiently
and justly noticed the theme that iu his mind he had contem-

plated with apprehension. He could not pretend to speak of
his (Sir George Sinclair's) judinent which be had formed,
which he (Sir F. Burdett) knowing the honesty and integrity as
well as the sagacity of his understanding; the stores of his mind,
the good feelings and genet ous and warm feelings of his heart,

and estimating-, as he (Sir F. Burdett) ought to do, his know-
ledge of the world and.the country, and his patriotic character.
when his fruitful judgmept which his friendship dictated was
confirmed by so long and so respectable and important a portion
Of his fellow-subjects, be ( Sir Francis) could not but express
his feelings of gratification, and thought that he should overstep
the boundaries either of discretion or prudence and modesty. if

he did more than say he was proud of their approbation ; and
he trusted and hoped that as he had run so long a career of
public duty, and he would say without the least motive except
the public merest, what he now believed and most highly esti-
mated. was that neither king nor any power under heaven
could deprive one of the consciousness of one's own.rectitude of
conduct,—that reward which'heaven had given (next to that
conduct)—which was above all mortal considerations. He
would end that theme,—a difficult one to him—though at the
same time it was gratifying, as it was not distasteful. (Hear.)
He would conclude this subject with the saving of a true-
hearted Englishman—in the words of Nelson and other great
men, if he could do anything for the service of his country he
was willing to render them ; and he hoped most sincerely to
thank them for the honour they had done him. ( Loud cheers.)
Sir FRANCIS BURDETT having sat down, apparently under

strong emotion, again immedia—tely rose and said, he would
turn from that theme to which he had lately alluded, to another
subject—to that of his fellow-countrymen, of the most import-
..

ant station—or at least as important as any station could fie in
this great, industrious, and commercial town ; he turned from
himself with great satisfaction to the consideration of those

whom he saw around him—the operative conservatives of Man-
chester—(loud cheers)—which was in his mind as a barren
waste to a fruitful soil, full of the healthy and thriving plants,
and ready from, a degree of the most successful cultivation, and
which could be expatiated upon by an Englishman proud of his
countrymen; and he firmly believed there was no set of men
to be produced in any part of the world ; and be looked to the

. . .
gentlemen of America, who were supposed to be the same as
Englishmen, though at a great interval from their own country,
to see if they could produce a specimen of superiority iu any
rank of life, and he turned to the operative classes in England,
where England was concerned, and he firmly berieved no people
in the world could produce such a display auroral qualities and
religious princip!e (cheers) as those whom he • had the honour
and pleasure of seeing. It was to him (Sir F. Burdett) a far
preferable consideration to be invited there by the high opinion
of those operatives amongst his fellow-couutrymen, com-
prised within the industrious classes—the operatives of which
class were, perhaps, the most intelligent and most likely to
judge well, and not easily to be biassed by false patriats—bv
sham patriots, or by any other description of persons;. and,
therefore it was that he felt the weight of the the tribute, and
the great public feeling of affection which they had shown, and
he felt the affection which they had done him the pleasure as
well as the honour they had that day testified. He was not
surprised' at this under the circumstances, from his own
opinion of the "native stuff" of which Englishmen were
composed. He always relied on the country, and ho
expected that the country would rally in support of all
honest law in England; and let the time come %viten come it
might, and he would perish as an atom, and without regret—
his only regret weuld be. that if it could • be shown that their
countrymen had belied the character which, for so many ages
and centuries gone by, to the remotest time, if they should at
last fall under the maladministration of the weakest men • that
ever presumed to rule this great country, the first in the world
for religion and for undaunted courage—the first of all men
of every description—the first in science—the first in literature,
ancient and modern—the first in religious belief—hilt which was
in accordance with the principles of the established church of
England in which he was bred. He (Sir Francis) knew the
liberality of his hon. friend's mind—he knew his enlightened
understanding, and, at the same time, the justice of his heart,
that he could indeed " spy desert in a bishop." There was no
firmer man in the church of England than his noble friend; but
if they wanted a firmer friend to the church establishment, they
would have to go to that limb of the church which hart attended

there that day;:and who had spoken like a true protestant Eng-
lishman, who was determined to support that glorious and be-
neficial establishment which there were some few vain, shallow
pretenders—some shallow, cold philosophers—some presump-
tuous men would not. only submit, but would be totally at a loss
if called on' to place something in its room. He had been

abroad, but his reason had confirmed him in his firm attach-
ment to the church of England. He loved the clergy as the
most enlightened, as the least interfering (he ought to say,
no-interfering") but, at the same time, reads at alt times, and
with greatest ability, to prombte the welfare and spiritual com-
fort of the people at large. (Cheers.) • '['hey would not disgrace
themselves—they would not injure or desert the establishment;
their integrity was too honest; they would not betray the best
interests of the country; and though, in general, they withdrew
from political contamination (if it might be so called) which he
(Sir F. Burdett) doubted; for he confessed, that if the society
of men of high moral talent, of great understanding—if the so-
ciety of men of great talent, of liberal principles and unsuper-
stitious religion—(cheers)—if this be thought to be in any way
discreditable to them and disserviceable to their fellow coon-
trymen,—then he confessed himself one of the most mistaken
of mankind. (Cheers.) He was delighted with the learned
and pious gentleman who had addressed theta early that even-
ing. He was a man of whom he was proud, and he thought he
dare meet the whole world in comparing churchmen belonging
to the establishment as enlightened persons in all the great
,paths of learning and science,• whether as instructors of the
public mind; whether as directors of those who were placed
under their care; whether as friends and enlightened and good
advisers of those who are in the highest stations in life, or as
a inistrators for the salvation of those who are lost. He
lo7fied on them as men striving for the happiness of the coun-
try. (Cheers.) They were not like the popish priests—They
were not ambitious seekers of power • (Cheers.) They,did not
basely intermeddle, intruding themselves on the private affairs
of persons. All they do, was their duty, and they did not make
themselves intrusive; but if called upon were ready to perform
it, and were ready to do good to whomsoever has the wisdom to
demand it front them. Somebody said at the Salford meeting
that every thing seemed to be thought culpable in an English
clergyman; but nothing seemed to be culpable (if even of the
mist atrocious kind) ins popish priest. He was sorry to ae-
lieve that this was a sentiment quite. consistent with the prae-
lice of the present ministers. LSir Francis again animadverted
upon the conduct of Lord Melbourne for what he said in the
House of Lords respecting the effects of whig legislation upon
the Irish church.]-1-le (Sir Francis) was, therefore, an irre-
concileable foe to such a system of government. He had long
been connected with the ministry, and had had a lon. and
strong connection with them, which he put au end to with r'great
pain to his own feelings.. He always considered the interest of
his country as next to his God. Ile trusted in the mercy of
divine Providence that his life would never be prolonged until
he should be insensible of these feelings, or forget these prix.
ciples, and thus he weak enough to change his line of conduct.
It was now a matter of policy to see the importance that all
should unite in support of the great cause which could not but
be now triumphant, in spite of the miserable popish priests.
They were driven and not led. They dared not say their souls

were their own ; and' in spite of agitatton to boot,—in spite of
all those persons who seemed determined to do away with all
moral feeling, and who did not seek the interest of the country,
they would preserve the institutions of the country, Having
again adverted to Dean Swift's saying respecting the difference
in doing things in Ireland and elsewhere, Sir Francis pro-
phesied that O'Connell would fall like Lucifer, and he com-
pared O'Connell's transactions with ministers to the quarrel
betwen Peachem and Lockett, when one said to the other,
" Brother, brother, we are both in the wrong." This was the
Peachem and Lockett administration, for he believed that no-
body doubted the existence of an alliance between the parties
in what Mr. Sheil called the compact of Lichfield-house, and
O'Connell was offended if any one called it a conspiracy; tint
he (Sir F. Burdett) would call it the conspiracy of Lichfield=
house. O'Connell pretended that he had no influence, with the
government. "Oh, no," say.- me for say
thing." He was a perfect roaster of his heart, and pretender,,
when people came to him for his interest in obtaining situa-
tions under goveihment, that he conld render no service, as he
had no influence. Sir Francis then adverted to O'Connell's

conduct in the Raphael business. and the parmetit by the latter
of £I,OOO for a seat in parliament, which he lost, and the subse•
quent offer of a baronetcy by O'Connell. He thought no
farther proof of the Lichfield house conspiracy was necessaty
after the circumstance of the Raphael affair; a nd in this matter
the government was standing natural,y, like ;kangaroo, upon
its tail. He again animadverted upon the conduct of the ad-
ministration with respect to the Irish church and their expensite
commissions, which cost more than the money they saved.
.They seemed to think the Irish church was affected with ple-
thora, which was to be removed only by a vast.deal of bleeding.
They should take the government front those hands which were
too puny to direct it, and from persons whose minds were too
vacillating to have any firmness Of opinion—whose under-
standings appeared not to be ennobled by any fixed principles
or convictions. The hon. baronet concluded, amidst loud
cheers, with givino. "The Operative Conservatives of Manches-
ter, and may they live long and prosper."'
The toast was drank amidst hearty cheering.
Mr. LETTAT, a member of the Manchester Conservative
Operative Association, rose to acknowledge the toast, and
spoke with. much ability. He adverted to the increase and
spread of the association since its commencement, anti spoke
strongly 'of the utility of spreading conservative principles
amongst the working classes.
The CHAIRMAN next proposed "the health of Lord Maid-
stone, the defender of honour and justice."
Lord MAIDSTONE, on rising to respond io the toast, was
greeted with prolonged cheering. Ile said he sht.uld begin the
very few remarks, which he should make to them that evening,
by prefacing them in the same way as he had dune at a similar
meeting at Leeds the other day, by telling them the honctir
they had conferred' upon him by drinking his health, was ill
deserved—that 'he was not the asserter of the integrity of the
House of Commons—that he was not the defender of their
rights,but the person who had given the members of that house
the opportunity of defending theit own rights. Had it not
been far the confidence he repoSed in them, knowing that they
were all Englishmen of honour and straightforward men, and
and that they would not sit down tamely under such an imputa-
tion as that of perjOry, he should nut hive acted as he had done.
For what was petjury ? It was his crime who 'Jo to God his
I Maker, in order that he might deceive niau, hii fellow-creature.
Here was an imputation roi; one man to east upon another's
condition. He (Lord Maidstone) was ashamed, and quite me•
lancholy and sorrow struck when the observation was Made, :14
he Sat. in his place in the House of Com Mons.
.No punishment
attic indiiidu'al,could indemnify theta, end nOthing could re-
deeM their hondur, lint the united voice of the nation, saying—
hear)—" You ;ire not the men we took you fur when we stmt
you to parliament, if yoo would so allow party prejudice and
feeling.to bias you, that fort' s.Volcd do an intentional injaistice
on your oaths. ,to your fellow-vouotry Whotn those who
differ from you have sent to represent their. interests iudepett.,
dently ju the great British Senate." It waft these feelingiorbieli