The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1832-11-30 00:00:00

SIR HOWARD DOUGLAS.

Haying been invited by a requisition, numerously and sil°'
respectably signed, to present himself to the Electors of Liver.
pool, as a Candidate for the Uepresentation of the Borough'
on Conservative Principles—Sir Howard Douglas arrived
town on Tuesday last, and shortly afterwards visited the CO
Exchange, accompanied by Mr. Alderman Leyland and lgt'
Duncan Gibb; and, in compliance with a call from maul
the Gentlemen present, addressed the assemblage as follows. )
" Gentlemen,—From the moment that it became my duty,.oe'o
reference to the opinions to which I was pledged in the serve 1
in British North America, to resign the government of
Brunswick rather than have any. participation in a meast'ati,
with which you must all be acquainted, I mean the timber !
ties, which I knew would prove injurious to the interests 4.. I
these colonies,—from that moment I have retired from the Veil':
of public life, and devoted myself to the business of my fat111):f
.to domestic enjoyments, and to the pursuits of science and
literature.—(ApPlause.) Since that time I have had four 141:
positions made to me to become a candidate for a seat in Part
liament, but I invariably declined the offer, because I thog,
a contrary, step might have evinced a disposition of hosts its
and vengeance against the government, of which, I assu„„,
you, I felt none, and thus deprived my conduct on that 00.1,,
sion of the construction to which it was entitled by those ,TA
tives on which, I trust, I have ever acted, the true and
principle of devoting my own interests to the interest of Gre,
Britain and her colonies.—(Loud cheers.) Gentlemen—WLeo
that measure was attempted to be brought into operation,—P.'d
measure to which I was pledged to give my opposition,-.--a tit
when I found that it had been determined in London, withe,„
affording me an opportunity of representing how it would ,°_;
injurious to British North America, I resolved to surrender Flt
government, and to put myself in a position for defeating tn,
plan, as' far as I was able. I did. resign, gentlemen, and la
proud to declare that that resignation was accepted with reglT; !
and laid before the King after some hesitation. And the co
I took was this: as soon as I did this I determined that tin '
should be no mystery as to the cause. I therefore threw in !
my views of the interests of British North America, whic.e.
believed would have been sacrificed. The day after I 1.0
ceived deputations from Liverpool, from Glasgow, and fr,sb..
London, one of which included my excellent friend Mr. Gillet:
and in this originated my acquaintance with that very res.Pe„,
able person, with the exception of whom, I think there f,
one here that I can claim acquaintance with. Here is no !a,
trigue—(Cheers.) I took an early dinner, and telling the Prliis
ter I should have occasion for his services, and to keep h'
devils at work—(a laugh,)—before twelve o'clock the next
that pamphlet, with which you are doubtless familiar, was of
in print. And thus, having done what I could in defenee.
the interests of that branch of commerce, and in vindicall,oo
;c
of my own proceedings, I have lived in the privacy of domati
life,—(Applause.) Gentlemen,—A few days ago it was hsn
e•
to me, that there was a large party in this community. who '1
sired that a person should be larought forward professing, ago,
do, conservative principles.—(Loud cheers.) I cordialq" et it
braced the offer, and having learned shortly afterwards Oa
red 1
would be expedient to show myself here, I immediately eateras 1
the mail and came down. Here then I am, with the hand ,
, prompt to execute, as the mind has been zealous to adopted.
withss
et this
is
which I
attachmenttrust
the
ecol
sacrificeonial interests x
4,
s,oowith y
eaa disinterest itsoi npt
re
irne
1, let ;
n
will be admitted as some proof, and a devotion which did uoi,
hesitate one instant to abdicate the highest station whichA,
individual, not being a sovereign himself, can hold on es,-1
the representative of his sovereign in a foreign overnroell” to
pledge that principle, that promptitude, and that devoticnl.re t
you, if you have occasion for such a man. I stand here be I
you all and declare what my principles are.—‘ Ships, colou'ebai
and commerce !'—(Loud applause.) A firm belief that wo.
has made Britain great will retain her in that high and c 0
mending place in the rank of nations, in proportion asoo
adhere to that course;—(Cheers.) but just as we deviate Ica,
that path which has led her. to her state of maritime grand
must she become, in that respect feeble.—(Cheers.) I sati.- I
wish to say a word about slavery; but you will allow rae to the
mark, that no time has elapsed since my introduction t°o,
tl
gentleman to whom I have alluded, and his imparting hi' seer
sion to me, for me to assume a spurious eloquence to al! tor)
my purpose on this occasion. I make no pretence to °lsl.,' p
never before did I stand in the honourable position in whii:etig,
now find myself. But unpractised as I am in public sRe3/ "coo
I know 'that what I feel, and believe, and understand, eel
utter in any presence,—(cheers,)--and I do know and the
that I understand the commercial interests of this couutrY' de• I
interests of her navigation and shipping,—and these I e
termined to uphold be I where I may.--(LoudaWause.) d it
respect to slavery, I dare say. I may be asked questions, a:lied:II ;
right these questions should be answered. Had I lived sn
when men first dared to usurp a property in their fellow; It-ors, I
would have risen in opposition to the atrocious attempt—lc bell
and a cry of Why perpetuate it, then ?') But man ba:sea
permitted to acquire that property ; it has been recoPis of I.
many acts of the state to be in the immediate holders ques'
and the right has been confirmed by many deeds. irnerty ?-'"
tion is, how shall we extinguish this unnatural proPe
How? Emancipate the slave. But then I say, how and, "ay it
is this tobe done ? Is it to be immediate or gradual ? I;,'`,er I
should be gradual, with a proper regard to the rights oliarae-
perty :—to extinguish it in a 'legal. a pror and a just' ts,
ner, and without interfering with the rights of proPerd pet 1,
(Cheers and hisses) But -lay this question aside, °tier! 't
the question of humanity. And what is this ? The anle it is
tion and benefit of the slave. I will contend, then,
ems
essential to their amelioration, and their benefit, that the er- sll
cipation should be gradual.—(Hisses and cheers.) Me'fore
changes of moral condition ought to be gradual, and thre
o)
the acquirement of freedom must be g►radual.—(APP
It is not the best to do hastily all even that ought to he ‘etted
I contend, that if the claims of morbid humanity were 1i5,1.,
to, and the slave to be emancipated according to its rill_crie
would be reduced to the greatest destitution, and the 7ov
black population be made to suffer.—(cheers.)—We arc,,r
barrassed enough with white paupers at homes but I •
.I,!;.tit
fectly convinced if these projects of emancipation wereltinaf ,
carried into effect, we should have htnnireds of thous,e;co,
black people in a stale of detitution and misery. Gear.' als
with regard to the Church, I ought to state my opinions-,,
a churchman. (Cheers.) I will uphold the church es".' ,1
anent for its own sake, and for the sake of the monarchy' _teiel
newed cheering.) I will never consent that one fraction itacl
dues and properties shall he annihilated, or diverted rest&
purpose but the support of that church. But at the tyitil ty
time I am ready to join in any proposition originating,trilar
the friends of the church for such an alteration, 0
, lfootsh,tO
tion, and modification of her revenues, as shall be t,
by the friends of the church, to be reasonable in it,SZnt.
"
just in its design to equalizing and moclifying the sYstivea
will uphold national credit.—(Cheers.) To that, gentle
air
lam pledged. These are my opinions • these are ilY11,0:1
ciples: and be I where I may, I shall ;hope a courscoidere
viatingly fashioned upon them. Perhaps it may be eon the
that this is too late to come forward, in the linguage
time, at the twelfth hour; but that is for you to judgeoail)
see me here in obedience to an invitation, and in 0)1'4 el; 't!!
with a requisition, and it is for those who know the locolo,l ?4,14
tics in this place—(lltre the market bell began to ring, t! 1, k,
caused some amusement, and a cry of " Turn him
,ielo
If it be the pleasure of those who are friendly to me \eveol.l, ,t
put me in nomination, if they consider that even at the cet reef
hour it is not too late, I have only to express ray perceiloopy
ness to comply with their wishes.—(Cheers.) Phrasal,
teaches us, and you most probably know, that p0w,°1.1.00"...,
condensed to act with great energy and activity in a s"°,„o
and human power may do that which mechanical Porable )
not. If such be the pleasure of those who are favours
my nomination, I would observe, that it is nut the Pradisca;
he profession to which I belong to be intimidated or a ,at
raged ; and it is not the temperament., or the state'ee t,„11, kit
frame of my mind to be daunted by any circtunatani it '
may interpose themselves in the path illicit I filial
attatrYti
duty to take for the honour and the good of this greutk,c, 04341€1c
therefere be it for you to determine: If the prinelP,o-o,ttd,
I profess are such as to accord With your own ; Lobe 0,
that a caedidate professing my principles should be and 111
;then latinch me, and rely upon a mest undeviating,
compromising course in the way which have ileclareltieurap
be taken.—(Cheers) As to habits of business, ge,11,, ;re
shall, I think, be able to command my speech beta "ts
elsewhere. lamof a profession accustomed to Pllsse-e:c ste
mind in difficulties and eremendeus noises somellulabiedeor
never to deviate from it. This Iho e• shell be en .I.uile.
prove.—(‘‘ The corn laws.''). Oh ! The corn laws'yo'
only say, gentlemen, that it, is a complicated inatter't tiore ,if•
I am sure it will not be expected that, on the naive
four hours, I shall be ahle to,adkess top& very Fat. cio,
I have, perhaps, thought as i.tach upon the
jority of those whom I see around me, and I have
hic'le 111"
h
tomed to study abstract questions in a way. O. 1,101
enable Inc to apply to this. In the prop .j
er time and ova. , rlie
shall give this subject my earnest and careful Aff kec,
uninficieneed by any views of party opinionsAultl' 11,1
reference to the interests of the nation, and ‘l,
portion of‘the community,—( A question wasustzed
monopolies.) Monopolies? Corouial 4 In'
Will uphold colonial trade."