The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-05-28 00:00:00

CAL gTANI3ARD.

and the rUin Would evidently recoil upon Our own hands.
(Loud ap'PlauSe.) Gentlemen, can it b,lcmisidered a mat-
ter of no imp&tance whether the exchange'df the manu-
factures of thii country for the productions dfi the earth,
is carried on with those wisp. are employed in the cultiva-
tion of the land at home, or those who are employed in
the cultivation of land iii foreign nations ? Applause.) Is
it not the theory of those.ge.ntlemen theinselies, that both
parties are greatly enriched bY this' mttual exchange s and
would they then deprive the home grower of those advan-
tages in order to enrich the foreign grower? (Hear, hear.)
Is it a matter of no importance that the agriculturist of
India, of China, or of America is to be enriched by that
exchange, and our home farmer is to be left in indigence
and destitution ? Loud applause.) We have heard some-
thing to-day about the restrictions imposed in this coun-
itmryt;o poafreodurwciothm
commodities.
ohneththeer
the Chinese have as yet arrived at that pitch of civilisation
to be burdened with a very large national debt—(hear,
ietie imposed
po ieddo in
not C
khinnoaw upon
hear),—or whether, if they have one, they will be more
asa a c t
ilo mn
inclined to reject the payment of it, or to keep up the na-
tional faith by means of taxes. (Hear, bear.) But it
seems that they do impose such duties as they consider
necessary for their own security and revenue. (Applause.)
Gentlemen, we have had also some statements with regard
to the United States. I would ask what tariff is now
more hostile to the manufacturers of Great Britain than
that of the United States? (Applause.) It is said that
this is the result of your own bad legislation. Be this as
it may, but have we to deal with the past or the present?
We have to deal with the present; and it will be in vain
to expect that the inhabitants of the United States will
now pause in that career which they have successfully and
wisely, as they consider, begun. (Applause.) It would
be vain to expect that we could either stop the march of
civilization, or that, with the march of civilization, those
arts of peace should cease to Le cultivated which form the
great prosperity of the country that is engaged in them.
It is in consequence, not of our tariff, but of the circum-
stances under which they find themselves, that they are
enabled to cultivate those arts. Manufactures and com-
merce have inevitably followed from the thriving state of
prosperity in which they have been able to place them-
selves; I allude to all nations, not America merely, but
to the countries on the continent of Europe also; these
countries enjoying the blessing of peace, have leisure to
cultivate those arts which have been so highly successful
in England. It is by imitating us in manufactures
and commerce which have raised this nation to greatness.
—not by following us in restrictions,—that they seek to
achieve the same greatness as has been achieved in this
country. (Applause.) Gentlemen, I would ask whether
there is not a very great contrast, and one much to the
advantage of the present ministers, between those who
imposed an additional duty of 5 per cent. on all the articles
paying assessed taxes, and those who have instituted and
carried into effect a very complete revision and reduction
I shall not trespass mum inugc.
of' Ali our import duties. (Loud applause.) Gentlemen,
ud I
hope for your indulgence while I speak the very few things
which I have to say. (Applause, and "go on, go on.")
I believe the questions at issue are pretty well understood
by all the inhabitants of this district; but there is one
point which I cannot omit to notice; and that is, that it
a
is claimed for my antagonist that the ministers themselves
would rather see him returned, in order that they may be
urged on in that course of improvement which they have
commenced. (Applause, and " That is only a trap.")
Gentlemen, it may be so ; I am too sensible of my own
deficiencies to pretend to assert anything as to the wishes
or desires of the ministers ; but it does appear to me to be
a little extraordinary, and I asked myself the question
from whence these gentlemen could have derived their in-
formation. (Loud applause.) And, upon looking round
at the probable sources from which they could have de-
rived the information, I came to the conclusion that some
gentleman of the League must have got into the secrets
of the cabinet by accepting office under Sir Robert Peel
(great laughter) ; and I entertained a sanguine hope that
the honourable member for Stockport would be compelled
to absent himself in order to defend his own seat, inste id
of attending my antagonist in his progress through the
county. (Applause and laughter.) I will, however, confess
that from the talent displayed by that gentleman, I thought
such would be a very happy result, and I rather enter-
tained a hope that it might be the case; but, gentlemen,
I have not heard that any such circumstances have oc-
curred, and therefore I am still at a loss to know from
whence they derive the information which they pretend
to have acquired, and how it comes that they have ascer-
tained the mind of our prime minister ? (Applause.) I
believe he is famous for keeping his secrets remarkably
well. (Hear, hear.) It is said that when the interests
of the country require it, nobody knows, until his mea-
sures are brought forward, what they are, except those
members of his own cabinet, to whom it is his duty to
communicate the information. I therefore wish to ask
how it comes that that assertion has been so confidently
made? (Applause.) When the gentleman, who pro-
posed my antagonist, made his speech, I confess I heard
him with no little astonishment, when I found that, hav-
ing formerly held to the conservative party, and now
entertaining the opinions he does, he should have felt
himself at liberty to desert them. (Loud applause, and
much, uproar in the league's box.) I have heard one or
two expressions which I most gladly recognised. One
was that the relaxations of the restrictions on trade
should take place gradually. (Applause.) Another was,
that our talent, and our industry, and our machinery,
were all easily transplanted to foreign nations, but that
our green fields could not be so transplanted. (Cheers.)
Gentlemen, I submit to you that those who have no other
resources are those who are entitled to the consideration
of the legislature—(hear, hear) ;—that if our manufac-
turers and those engaged in trade and commerce have that
easy resource open to them, common fairness requires
that they at least should show more consideration for
those whose interests are not protected in that manner.
(Loud cheers.) Gentlemen, they may be rash enough to
make those experiments which they talk of; but I do
most sincerely hope that the good sense of the electors of
this district, as of many other counties, will prevent
them from experimentalising on those laws on which our
prosperity and our happiness depend. (Loud applause.)
Gentlemen, I will only express to you that I am sensible
a much &rutty', G.maidata might be found on the side that
I espouse, than myself—(" no, no ") ;—but I may be al-
lowed to congratulate myself on one point—that I be-
lieve the question will now be fairly tried. (Cheers )
And if the decision of the electors of South Lancashire
shall be given in a manner in which I will allow myself to
hope that it will—(cheers, and cries of " yes, yes ") :
I congratulate myself, and those gentlemen with whom I
coincide in opinion, that those electors will have decided
in a manner not to be mistaken against the pretensions of
those gentlemen, and against the experiments which they
wish to force upon the country. (Loud cheers.) I am
quite willing to pledge the issue on that point on which
for the decision to be given ; and rely confidently on the
good sense of the electors here not to be deluded by the
fallacies which are so currently put forth. (Hear, hear,
and applause.) We have had a good many statistics
brought forward here to-day, as we have had them per-
petually brought forward by the emissaries of the league
in all parts of our kingdom. Tracts and newspapers,
missionaries and lecturers—(bear, hear, and lauzlitt.r),—
every engine is brought to bear for the instruction of the
people, who yet resolutely refuse to accept the arguments
which they bring forward, and prefer judging by their
own sense to being taught by these lecturers of the league.
(Great cheering.) Gentlemen, if the country at large is
unable to see its own interests, I am afraid we stand but
a small chance of those interests being considered. (Ap-
plause.) Gentlemen, if the ministers will continue to
possess the confidence of the people, I sincerely hope and
expect— (loud cheers) ;—and I appeal to the manner in
which their measures have been considered and carried
through,—l appeal confidently to the fact, that the confi-
dence of the House of Commons, of the representatives
of the country at large, has attended them in their ex-
ertions for the prosper.ty of the country. I would hope,
gentlemen, with all respect for this meeting, I may now
be excused for concluding my address to you, because I
begin to feel myself unable longer to speak, from the beat
of the day. I may now be allowed, perhaps, to say, in con-
clusion, when I had the honour to appear on these
hustings, having been called upon to second your late
respected representative, I had little idea that I should
so soon be called on, on account of so melancholy an event,
to stand here as a candidate to be his successor. (Hear.)
But, gentlemen, if I be honoured with your approbation,
it will be my study to endeavour to deserve that approba-
tion, by following up, to the best of my ability, those
principles which he maintained, and which I believe to be
those on which the safety, honour, and welfare of our
country rest. (Applause.) Gentlemen, if I should suc-
ceed in that attempt, by being returned to parliament,
and if I should be able to win any degree of your good
will and approbation, I shall consider myself most fortu-
nate, and amply repaid for any exertions I may make.
(Loud applause.) 1 will now return you my thanks for
the kind manner in which you have listened to what I
have been able to say to you, and to request that calmly
and dispassionately the question may be argued, that the
struggle may be carried through, as it has been begun,
without rancour or animosity, and that the decision of
this great question may be carried on throughout the
county in such a way as to be an example to the rest of
the kingdom. (Loud and protracted cheering.)
A person in the crowd, who said he was a freeholder,
obtruded himself near to where the High Sheriff was
standing, and requested permission to address the elec-
tors, which the High Sheriff declined to allow, unless he
purposed to conclude by proposing a candidate. He then
desired to know if he might be permitted to put some
questions to Mr. Entwisle, which was granted. He put
two questions ; the first—would he, if returned, endea-
vour to procure the abolition of the window duty? and
secondly, would he vote for taking off the tax on farmers'
dogs. To both questions Mr. Entwisle replied that he
was ready to give any exposition of his principles, but he
would not pledge himself on any particular question of
detail. The man then forebore to press Mr. Entwisle
further.
Mr. COBDEN next importuned the High Sheriff for
leave to address the electors, but he was not allowed, ex-
cept on the condition required from the former applicant,
when finding that his itch for talking must needs be grati-
fied, even at the expense of propriety and gentlemanly
honesty, he gave a paltry unmeaning assurance of his in-
tention to propose a candidate, (and which he fulfilled in
a very questionable way) and then attempted an address,
but the meeting generally seemed determined that he
should not be heard, for on the mere motion of his lips
to open his mouth, he was met by a torrent of groans and
hisses, enough to have satisfied any gentleman that his
room was esteemed of much more value than his com-
pany. He seemed, however, to be no stranger to such an
unflattering kind of reception ; but on the contrary,
evidently determined to brave the expression of popular
contempt and indignation ; and as he told the folks he
would remain there till twelve o'clock at night, or have a
hearing, they consented, (after being earnestly entreated
by the High Sheriff, Mr. Wilson Patten, and Mr. Ent-
wisle,) to allow him to proceed, apparently considering
that his talk would be a less evil, than an unnecessarily
prolonged meeting. He thee went through a repetition

."_!r

of old worn-out statements of abuse of landlords, and
cuckoo egotistical laudations of his own vtt‘t importance
in and out of parliament, and finally concluded by pro-
posing (" Oh ! tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the
streets of Askelon") mind, reader. for a member for the
county of Lancaster—Sir Thomas Potter as a fit and
proper person to be a candidate! Now then comes the
finale of the Cobden and Potter farce.—The High Sheriff
called out, " Who seconds the nomination ;'
" and echo
answered " who ?" for the people on the right, the left, in
front,—were " silent one and silent all ;" and the weight
of absurdity and fraud with which the motion was con-
ceived, brought it still-born to the ground! It fell to the
ground, as the saying is, for want of a seconder. What
then, Mr. Richard Cobden had obtained the opportunity
of giving an exhibition of his astonish;ng feats in farcical
illustrations, and what matter to him if all else were dis-
gusted beyond endurance—he had had his fling at the
grasping landlords, and the " chaw-bacon," clodhopper
farmers.
The HIGH SHERIFF then proceeded to take the show
of hands. This had to be done twice in consequence of
the parties in carriages, near the hustings standing up,
and obstructing the view from the hustings of a great por-
tion of the crowd. It was then declared to be in favour
of Mr. Entwisle; and there is no doubt that the
number was at least two to one. The most enthusiastic
cheering followed this announcement, and great conster-
nation manifested itself in the League's box, which at last
found vent in some ill-matured remarks to the sheriff,
impugning the correctness of his decision.
Mr. G. GARDNER having demanded a poll for Mr
Brown, the officer declared the court adjourned to Thurs-
day next, at ten o'clock, and stated the hours at which the
poll was to commence.
Mr. Estrwisix in a brief speech, thanked the electors
for what they had done, and said that he would leave the
matter in their hands in full confidence and reliance that the
same result would follow the polling that had attended
the show of hands—(Cheers.) He concluded by propos-
ing a vote of thanks to the High Sheriff, for his kind, cour-
teous and impartial conduct. (Applause.)
Mr. BROWN said, though many of his friends consider-
ed that the show of hands was in his favour, he was sure
the High Sheriff, as the returning officer, would be dis-
posed to act correctly on every occasion according to his
judgement; he had therefore great pleasure in seconding
the vote of thanks.—The motion was put by Mr. Entwisle,
and carried with loud and general cheering, except from

the blinded faction in the League's box.
The HIGH SHERIFF then said—Gentlemen, I beg to
return my best thanks to the honourable gentlemen who
have proposed the vote of thanks to me for my services on
this occasion. I assure you as I told you in opening the
business of the meeting, that I intend to be guarded by
the most impartial motives, and the motion proposed by
the honourable gentleman on my left, and seconded by
the honourable gentleman on my right, leads roe to sup-
pose that I cannot be accused; and at any rate of acting
partially. (Hear, hear, hear.) There may, and always
wilt oe. utrrerences or opinion as to tne -retort.e iv...bee
of hands held up in favour of either candidate ; but I
assure you I have acted conscientiously in the decision I
have given, because lam perfectly satisfied THERE WAS
AT LEAST TWO TO ONE HELD UP IN FAVOUR OF Mr.
ENTWISLE.—(Loud and prolonged cheering.) Gen-
tlemen, I beg to thank you all. I should have done my
duty in declaring the show of hands for my friends on my
right if I could conscientiously have done so. (Hear,
hear, and applause.)
The immense crowd then dispersed.