The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-10-19 00:00:00

MUNICIPAL ELECTION

ST. PETER'S WARD

The coraervatiyes of this ward held a meeting on Friday

loigia, in the large room over Mrs. Peacopp's, in Paradise.
street, for the purpose of taking measures to secure' the re-
turn of Ebenezer Rae, Esq., as their representative in the
town-council, in the place of Mr. Wool!right, who again
comes forward on the radical interest. The place was
crowded. CHRISTOPHER BUSHELL, Esq., was called to
the chair amidst loud acclamations.

The CHAIRMAN, in commencing the proceedings, said—
I
have been called upon to take the chair upon this occasion,
and I assure you it affords sue much pleasure to do so. First
of all, I consider it a great honour to have had my name
mentioned in the way it has been, as a conservative member
of the town-council ; not that I consider it, of itself, an ho-
nour to be a member of the town-council—for I think there
are some men holding places within that chamber who do not
act in a way that either does honour to themselves or to the
town they represent—but because to be a conservative coun-
cillor in the strictest sense of the term is to act upon all oc-
casions upon conservative principles, to deal honourably and
fairly, justly and uprightly. These are true conservative
principles, and if 1 am, worthy of such a title, then indeed
am I honoured. (Hear.) Gentlemen, I consider it a privi-
lege to preside over you upon this occasion ; because, first
of all, the cause which you espouse is dear to me, and next
because I highly respect the gentleman whom you intend to
bring forward as your candidate. 1 have known that gen-
tleman for many years ; I have known him in business, and
in private life in some degree ; and I am happy to say that
you could not, both from his sound conservative principles
and his straightforward dealings as a merchant, have fixed
upon a man more worthy of your confidence. (Cheers.) It
is not necessary for me now, especially as you know my opi-
nions in reference to all matters brought forward in the
council, to enter into the course of conduct to be pursued
by your representative in the town council. (Hear.) You
have shewn that you understand what those duties are. and
therefore it is unnecessary for me upon this occasion to at-
tempt to teach you. We have arrived at an important crisis.
The town has declared—l may say the conservative town
of Liverpool has declared, for some time past, that she will
have as her representatives in parliament none but men of
sound conservative principles. (Hear.) If it be necessary
for her to have her representatives in parliament of those
principles, surely it is also necessary she should have in her
local government men of similar opinions. (Hear.) In fact,
it is an anomaly which can scarcely be understood, that Li-
verpool should be represented in parliament as she is, and in
her town council as she is. (Hear.) This must be changed
—not that I would have you to change your parliamentary
representatives, but your municipal. (Hear.) That this is
in the course of coming events, I am perfectly confident.
Look at the strides we have made within the past few years ;
look at what we have done, and how little remains to be
done! (Hear, hear.) But although it seems that our
course is clear, that our duties arc anything be arduous,
and the victory within our grasp, it is by entertaining such
opinions too confidently that we may lose all we have been
struggling for, and therefore I would impress upon you most
earnestly to strain every nerve, to use every effort, by every
means—honest means of course—in your power, every con-
stitutional means you possess, to carry out that great victory
which has been already so well commenced. (Hear.) I
must dwell a little longer upon this point, because apathy
may ruin us all. If you fail now, upon the Ist November,
to secure that which you really have in your grasp, the op-
portunity will be lost to you for some years to come. If you
lose this victory—and your oppnents are aware of this fact,
your loss will be carried on to a period of time which it is
impossible for me to mention. They are acting upon this
knowledge, and are struggling with all their energy to de-
feat you. but I trust you will counteract them by your ener-
gy, and prove on the Ist Novhmber that you are not to be
defeated. (Hear.) There is another thing which is a matter
of congratulation—the sort of men who now come before you
as candidates for municipal honours. Look at the class of
men whose addresses are now upon the walls—our leading
merchants and professional men—men who will fearlessly do
their duty to the town if elected. (Hear.) I will not, how-
ever, dwell further upon this subject, but conclude by again
impressing upon you the strong necessity there is for you to
unite as one man, in the great work, in order that it may be
forwarded and perfected. Your opponent—and I desire to
speak of him with all respect—is a man of great respectability,
but let not his respectability induce you to forget his political
opinions. Separate the one from the other. As a man, be
is worthy of respect, but as a politician, drive him out of
your service. (Cheers.)
Mr. RANKIN moved the first resolution, declaring Mr.
Rae to be a suitable person to represent the ward. With
the others it will be found in our advertising columns.
Mr. HODGSON, in seconding the resolution, said, that
by unanimity, perseverance, and exertion, he had no doubt
of Mr. Rae being returned. At the last election great
efforts were made to secure his success, but it unfortu-
nately happened that at the preceding election the ward
was not contested, consequently the conservatives scarcely
knew how they stood upon the register, and the double votes
not being available, in consequence of the election being upon
the old list, the contest was carried on under great disadvan-
tages. But now their course, comparatively speaking, was
open, and he would impress upon all conservatives in the
ward the necessity there was for exertion to secure the return
of Mr. Rae. If they succeeded they would have broken
through " the Gibraltar" of the town of Liverpool. That ob-
servation was made by one of the councillors for this ward,
who he (Mr. Hodgson) believed was a worthy man in private
life, and whose conduct had given great satisfaction to his
own party, and certainly it was a very bright idea. If the'
conservatives gained the citadel they would have in Mr. Rae
an Elliott who would maintain it. (Cheers.) Unlike the
Elliott of the present day, he would not win the city one day
for the sake of marching out of it the next. (Cheers.)
The resolution was then put and carried unanimously.
Mr. PERRIS proposed the second resolution, which pledged
the meeting to support Mr. Rae in the ensuing contest. He
thought it would only be necessary for him to read it, as he
felt assured that it could not do otherwise than meet the
commendation of that respectable meeting. Mr. Perris then
went into a long and interesting detail of the causes which
had lost them the election last November; but as they would
now command the duplicate votes which they had on the
former occasion lost, he was convinced that by using a little
energy they would not only have conservative aldermen, but
a conservative mayor also. He stated that the result of the
municipal revision was in favour of the conservatives in St.
Peter's Ward. Mr. Perris concluded a very interesting
speech by proposing the resolution.
Mr. MATHEWS seconded the motion in a speech of great
length and eloquence. He said that the conservatives had'
been termed the whisper of a faction, but it was such a
whisper as had driven Lord Melbourne out of office, and it
would also drive the radicals front the town council of Liver-
pool. (Cheers.) Let their motto be nil desperandum, and,
like the men of Derry, let their cry be " No surrender."
They ought to compare what they had received from the
hands of the whigs after their ten years of misrule, with
what they had promised to give at the time they took office:
The whigs had said that all they wished was a fair division,
but that division had turned out to be a one-sided one. He
called upon the meeting to stand firm by their church and
constitution, as handed down to them by their forefathers—
that constitution which "for a thousand years had braved
the battle and the breeze"—to rally round the standard of
conservatism and drive the radicals from their ill-gotten
powers. Mr. Mathews was much cheered throughout, and
sat down by seconding the resolution.
The resolution was then carried unanimously. _ _

Mr. RAE, on making his appearance for the purpose of ad-
dressing the meeting, was received with the most deafening
shouts of applause, which lasted for several minutes. After
silence had been restored, he proceeded to say that, on being
waited upon by a number of gentlemen requesting that he
would again come forward as a candidate for St. Peter's
Ward, he had much pleasure in responding to their request,
and he now stood before them a candidate for their suffrages.
He would earnestly solicit them to come forward and support
him in the present struggle, and he trusted that their votes
would be recorded in his favour. (Cheers.) Upon the
last occasion he had only lost the ward by twenty, but
as they had now a number of duplicate votes at their
command, which votes were intended to go to the wards
which should most stand in need of them, he thought they
might be certain of success. (Hear, hear.) He did not
think it would be necessary for him to enter into any state-
ment with regard to his political opinions, as he was well
known to the electors of the ward. Cheers.) He might
say this much, however, that whatever was for the good of
the town—whatever measures were brought forward, either
in a maritime point of view, or for the improvement of Li-
verpool, and those measures were good—they should have
his support. 14c would not detain them longer, as he
thought there were other gentlemen present who wished to
address the meeting. After thanking the meeting for their
kindness, he rearmed his seat amidst loud applause.
On the motion of Mr. HODGSON, seconded by Mr. RAE,
a vote of thanks was presented to Mr. Bushell for his kind-
ness in presiding, and for the able manner in which he had
conducted the proceedings,
Mr. WunsTErt here said a few words, in recommendation
of an active canvass.
Mr. Busir ELL said he had had but one other feeling than
that of great
_pleasure in presiding over this meeting, and
that was from his occupation of the chair of a gentleman who
from circumstances, which he sincerely regretted, was unable
to attend. He meant their respected friend Mr. Ferguson.
(Applause.) He was happy, indeed, if his conduct had given
satisfaction. They bad had some forcible observations placed
before them by Mr. Webster, and he begged they might have
a proper impression upon their minds. Meetings such as
the one they had held to-night, were very good in their way,
but they would not win an election. They were simply the
means to an end, and that end was success. (Hear, hear.)
If they desired to win this ward—which had been termed
" the Gibraltar" of Liverpool—they must work, and that
work must be canvassing. (Hear, hear.) They must each
of them make up their minds to gain over some doubtful man.
(Cheers.) Let that be the task to accomplish which every
man should make up his mind, and success was certain.
(Cheers.) He had seen the celebrated rock of Gibraltar, and
a most formidable rock it was, but St. Peter's Ward was
scarcely worth the title—at all events, be apprehended, it
would not be a rock upon which the conservatives would
split. This ward had also been termed " the refuge for the
destitute ;" but it was not that, for Mr. Rathbone had not
yet appeared in it as a candidate. He would not, therefore,
have the conservatives to despair. If the) worked with all
their energies, he felt confident they would win. (Loud
cheers.)
• The proceedings then terminated, and the meeting se-
parated.