The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1832-12-21 00:00:00

sponsibility of the station. (Cheers, and cries of "No doubt of
• it !" ) He had no pledges of past services to offer; he could not
boast of experience either in legislation or business : the few
occasions in!which he had appearedin. public had been solely
to promote the canse of civil and religious liberty, (loud `•ap-
plause,) and on, those occasions he had lent his humble aid
to promote also that great measure, the reform of the represen-
tation 'of' England. (Cheers.) In the reformed parliament,
which they would shortly see assembled, as the representatives
of which it was composed would be Selected by the choice of the
public at large, there would be no doubt that the measures they
would adopt would bq for the public benefit. (Hear, hear.) Hi-
therto..they had had parliaments: in which any measure might
be carried by the nominators to rotten boroughs, and in which
the voice of the people could not turn out any ministry, be—
cause they could, by their own influence, pack the House of
Commons, and carrvi any 'measure, whatever mischief it might.
produce to the country. .In the new _parliament they would'
have sundry measures brought ,forward for the good of the
public; (cheers) and though the exposition of those measures.
was now left in feeble hands, he would endeavour to call their]
attention to ,some of the iniprovernents which might be ex-
pected frmn them. The first question, and that which he
considered of the most vital importance to every subject in the,
kingdom was, the qdestion of. the corn laws. In his particularf
situation, interested as he was in the landed property of -the.
country,-he might be supposed to lean to the continuance of
the existing high price of corn ; but he did declare,.that his own
advantage he -should not look to, but that of the community.
The corn laws at present in force were, he did not doubt,
originally established with an idea of benefiting the people;
but they all knew that they had done no such thing. He did.
not pretend to tell,. them in what way those laws ought to be.
revised and improved ; but altered they would be—altered they
must be. (Applatise.) He believed the best measure •to be.
adopted was, a fixed duty upon corn. (Cheers.) But to those
who wished for ;the abolition of the corn-laws, he would say—
if they had' Christian feelings—if they had English generosity,
they never would wish to starve one half of the community,
to fill the mouth i of the other half. (Cheers and laughter.)'
-In;Laneashire they had vast numbers of men who did not de-.
pend upon agriculture ; but spread over England there were,
multitudes of the; labouring classes upon whom the manufac-
turers were, in'a ,great degree, dependent, and to whom they
should, .in return, give what they could in the price of•bread.'
Another topic, which was in the mouth of every one, and'
which would be deeply looked into was, that of reform in the.
church. He belonged. to the church of England, and he
wished to see-the church standing on its own merits. (Hear,'
and cheers.) He' wished to see it elevated above other profes-
SOUS of faith by its purity; by its humility ; by its ch.arity ;
by its good :works. (Loud cheers.) He wished it not to be
upheld as the stepping-stone of ambition. He wished it not
to be the path cif separation. (Cheers.) But whilst making.
these remarks upon the system of the church, he did not allude
to the ministers of that church. (Hear.) Amongst them were
most excellent, ,eminent, and able individuals, and such, he
was—convinced, he should have with him in the question.—
(Applause.) The next subject which created great interest-
in the country_ at the present moment, was the subject of colo-
nial slavery. (Hear, hbar.) He had been brought up, from
earliest infancy, with a horror for that system of slavery; and
since he was twelve years old, and was taken to see, as a
strange- sight-as a lion,—one of the slave-ships at the quays
of Liverpool, he had entertained the same opinion. He did
not, however, desire to injure the property of any Mall—nor
yet the interests of the colonie's ; but his first and chief object
was, unqualified emancipation for the negro. (Loud applause.)
Compensation to the planter would' enhance the justice and
_the wisdoin of such a measure; but lie would repeat, that. his
sole object was the 'emancipation of The slave. Nevertheless,
whilst speaking upon this subject, he was not telling them it
was the one-rif greateSt moment in his mind. He had given
them his opinions, and from them they might calculate in what,
way he should' act; but he; could- not carry his eves and his
Sympathies over the broad Atlantic, and not look down upon
the-sufferingOand the burdens of the poorer classes of England.
(" And Ireland !") Not only in England but in Ireland. He
looked upon those huidens to arise from excessive taxation.
They could not undo the measures adopted by ministers fifty.
years ago, but.they could watch, with the strictest eye, the con-
ductof our presentministers-Land they couldtake care that the.
-strictest- economy should be observed, with regard to the
public purse, in order to alleviate tile sufferings of the labour•
mg population by a' diminution of the taxes. (Loud cheers.)
If returned bylthent,he would do his best to support the pre-
sent ministers,: for sundry reasons. He would support them
because he thought them honest men; he would support then
because he thought them only desirous to prontote the peace
and the proventy of the country; and he would support them
to the utmo,st, of his ability, because neither hintscif not7his
fellow-countrymen could put confidence in the men-who were
ready to step.otto their shoes. (Loud cheers.) There was one
question which he had omitted, and that was the question of
tree trade, That measure, which was brought forward by the
late lamented Mr. fluskisson and his party, and which was
found much -fault with by his opponents, had preyed of great.
benefit to the country; -formic ot' its most brilliant consequences.
was the wonderful improvement in the trade of silk, the manu-
facture of winch in England had increased one hundred fold,
and the exports in proportion. Our neighbours, the French,
were preparing to follow our example, and a law was now in
preparation, or had been already brought into the chamber of
deputies, to allow the admission of cotton twist into France.
He did not doubt that, in the course of time, every article of
British manufacture would be admitted into foreign countries.
(Tremendous•cheering.) On the subject of the ballot, he for
his own part,. would rather know his political opponent, when
he saw him; from his friend. (Loud cheers.) On that parti-
Cular acconnehe had heard with grief that means of intimida-
tion and exclusive dealing had been resorted to even in that
neighbourhood. (Hear.) He 'had' been told that the only
means of counteracting those evils was the adoption of the
ballot. As to the duration of Parliaments, he certainly did'
think seven years too long. He relied on the principles which
he had now laid before them, and he spoke sincerely from his
heart.

Mr. G. W. Wool) then presented himself to the electors •
and was also'gO idly cheered. He stood there in the character
of a candidate for becoming one of their representatives. Of
the 'extreme; importance of this county,' and of its varied in-
terests, would- be unnecessary for him to say one word, and
of the propriety of their having a commercial man to repre-
Sent them tu Parliament it Would 'be unbecoming idhim, in
ins present. Opacity, to say any thing, he knew he would be
told that the-large towns Of that county had now been enfran-,
chised; and Were permitted-to send 'representatives of their
own to attend to their commercial interests. He was aware
such was Ufa, fact, and. lie rejoiced in it. (Cheers.) But there.
were large portions -af the -,sont he rn- - division - of that county
extensivety interested in, its commerce, that were not included
within the .Inuits of any .of its. boroughs. ( Hear.) Was it
too much tltat' those who tesided in those districts should be
represented equally with their more favoured neighbours who
resided within such limits? ' The whole hundred of Salford,
with a small.. eXception, might be considered as one vast and
scattered-city, thickly peopled, as a great hive of manufae-
tining industry. ' There would,' he apprehended, be objects of
the greatest commercial importance :to be attended to by the
Parliament ,which was Lout to assemble; questions of great
intricacy, and ivluiring thg aid of men connected with coin-
mercial undertakings , and pursuits. He might allude -to the
renewal of the East India Company's charter. (" We will
have no more it!") Well, the consideration of it, then.
He- might also refer to the consideration of the privileges of
the Bank of . England, of our whole, colonial system, and our
system of taxation. He was happy to hear the observation of
Lord Nolyueux, thatthe foundation of commercial intercourse
between Great Britain and France, upon more liberal prin-
ciples, were' already_laid; that those two great, powerful, and
free nations, known hitherto by little else but deeds of war
and slaughter, were about to have their connexion strengthened
by ties of •eoucord, of unity, and mutual interest. (Cheers.)
Was it too much, in the discussion of topics of such vast im-
pOrtance to)the manufacturers of Lancashire, that those of its
inliabitautat who were engaged in commerce, and who could
not avail themselves of the privileges of its boroughs, should
ask for a voicein the legislature through the , medium of one
who was. ac,quainte.d with their peculiar concerns? But
though it Was in his charaeter as a British merchant that lie
appeared there, and that in which he most wished that they
should,
consider him, the present was a time of great political
excitement, and it was proper that they should know his sen-
timents urn- some of those.great questions which agitated the
public mind at that moment. He was, then, a friend to peace,
a friend to economy; a friend to reform; and understanding
that an allusion had been made to the miscalled 'Dutch war, Ire
said, that as a friend to peace, he was an* advocate of his Ma-
jesty's present ministers.--(Cheers and an exclamation of " So
are we ") He believed them to be sincere advocates of
peace, and however unfortimlitemight be those peculiar circum--
stances, (pf which so very much was made,) he sincerely be-
lieved that to have.a desire for peace was the best of all possi-
. sible courses for maintaniug- the peace of Europe.—(Cheers.)
He believed they were disposed to carry a searching, economy
into all the great departments of national expenditure, to cor-
rect
en abuses, apply reform to all matters which called for
m
tud applause.) He was an 'advocate for *the.
adbmusQehst,. and too
com Mutation of tithes.---(Hear, hear.) On the ground of the
welfare of the farmer, the advantage of the landholder, the
comfort and -peace of the church, and the advantage of the

. .
whole communitv.—(Cheers.) Ile was an advocatOor the im-
provement of the corn laws. He wished to see cheap and
prompt justice. administered to the people..of England; to
provision made for the-moral, religious, and intellectualof all classes. of his Majesty's subjects ;to s.ae the condition of
the working-classes especially occupy the .close attention of par-
liament to discover it—smile remedies cannot be devised for
those circumstances in which, unfoitunately, they happened to
be placed. He had been a sincere supporter, and
.he was still a
deliberate advocate Of the reform act: it was because he was so,
that he was deSirous to give to that great measure. a full, an im-
partial; and a deliberate trial.. On this account he was opposed
to any further present changes in the constitution of parda-
meat, .He .considered it due to a gracioriS'King, to his able
and honest Ministers, and to • the great charer of their modeai
liberties itself, that it should have such a trial. Bat if, after
that, it should he found ineffectual, for the only object, of
all sound.policy, cheap_ and good Koverament, then he; tor dire,
would, not shrink from making those future alterwiors for. that
grdat. aitd desirable end.—(CheerS.) lle was a friend to the
,abolition of slavery. He trusted that the time had arrived
• -when -nitta-shottld no .longer-bo—considered the .chatteded p.o-
perty of man, (cheers)—should be no longer sold and bought by
his brother man. If in the accomplishment of this act of na-
tional justice to a long-injured and degraded people, pecuniary
injury should be inflicted upon another, he would compensate
it. (them's.) The West India planter would not be looked
upon as the only offender. They were-all involved in the I):lime,'
and he was willing to bear his poition of it; but he-was not on'e
of those who wished. to run after the expression of a cheap phi-
lanthropy. (Loud cheers.) If the- opinions-whiai then
ec-
pressed, and which he had avowed on former occasions, were in
accordance with their own, and they should think him fit to
give effect to their sentiments in Parliament, and able to serse
them' there, lie need not tell them how highly he.should estimate
that honour. He should have taken leave of them here if it
-Irad-net-been for the-attack which a gentleman-on. his right had
thought proper to make upon him. lie was sorry to have occa-
sion to allude to "that topic in an assembly
.of Englishmen,
which he felt himself bound to notice, from the maime"r in whkh
it had been', introduced. He was one who considered religion
too sacred a subject to be lightly intermingled-Jwith.-po.litical
discussion: From his cradle. he was bred to the Relief that man
was accountable to his Creator alone fur his religious opinions.
(Loud applause, and considerable disorder.) Thafin the sight
of God all men-were-equal. .othor opinions had -been formerly
entertained-by a certainportion of 'the •community, bat late.:y
he_thought that no distinction was to be made between English-
man and Englishman with regard,to.religioas opinions. It-was
the sentiment expressed in a speech delivered in the House of
'Commons by an able and'enliglitened 'statesman,' that 'when lie
• urged the passing of that great measure of justice, the Catholic
relief 'bill; religion waSto make no distinction in a man's suit-
ableness for any office. -He alluded to Mr. Peel, a fornier friend,
at least, of . the worthyzentleman on his left, and to whose
iiit-
mortal memory he once-thought the honourable gentleman had
planted a limb of British oak.. (Yes, yes, cheers, and much
laughter.) -- He .confessed he was a I'iotestant dissenter; but
he was conscious of no sectarian jealousies, nor of hostility V,
the Established Church, or any otTier.bOdY of igigitaiiks. And
though, as a tlissenter, delica..y'and his own feeling pi evented
his meddling.with that church, yet if any measures were brouOit
forward by its friends, which did not appear adverse to.the Lest
interests of the British people, he, for one, should wish to see
them adopted: (Cheers.) he thanked them for their indit!geuce
s,n. -.that _occasion ;• he had stated the grounds upon which ho
rested his claims, and into their • hands he willingly resigned
them. . • . .

'Mr. Wood then retired, and Sir Thomas Hesketh pree.eded
to address the electors. 'He was received. with much' applause
by his friendi, mingled with the hisses and clamour of the
opposite party.
Sir T. HESTETH said, heappearecl before them at the .eleventh
hour, called upon by a large, respectable, and influentialbody
of 'the electors of that division. lie had yet to learn, that be-
caliSehis arrival had- been delayed-mitil -the • eleventh hour,
that therefore the electors,. as' the noble lord seemed to insinu-
ate, had no right to fix upon uiiy person to represent,them but
the •candidates who were already in the field.—(Cheers.) -A
considerable portion' of the freeholders of that county had
chosen to honour him with their approval as a propel-candidate
to represent their interests .and their prinCiples.. Those prin-
ciples embodiedavithin them honour to the King, subjection to
the -reverence and .respect'- to their-holy-nation/11
church.—(Cheers and laughter from the opposition.) The wish
most congenial to -his own feelings, and most 'suited to his
manner of life, was to have remained in retirement; but when
called upon to serve the interests -of those who deemed him
capable of, the task, he did not think he had a right to indulge
those wishes- which •he would othereise have 'obeyed.—(Loud'
cheers, and hisses, and much' up-oar.) On the great political
questions which agdatcd the c ountry;,. there might be some
shadow of (I,fietence between himself and the candidates who
had just addressedthem, but he was happy to find, from the
tone of their speeches; that it was more -as' to the mamier an
which improvements ought to be effected than any dispute as
-to the improvements themselves.—(Cheers, and cries of " Olt!
oh !") It had been objected to him, at Manchester, that he
declined answering the questions which were put to him. Ile
said then, as he did now, that, if they did him the honour to
elect hilt', he would go forth to Parliament. a free, unshackled
country. gentleman, anxious to serve the best interests of the
country, and of the church and state.—(hisses and cheers.)
Let _ it not be supposed that, in promoting the cause of his
country, he would be the
.promoter of any abuses 'which; by
lapse of time, had crept into its constitution, or the divine
right of its holy national church.—(Groans from the other side,
with great contusion.) The present aspect of the tunes must
convince them that those abuses ought to he radically cured;
but,- in choosing the means by which that was le be accom-
plished, they must be careful not rashly to touch upon those
complicated springs which had sustained Great' Britain upon'
the high pinnacle of glory to which she had been raised.--
,(Cheers.) The ground of opposition on which lie stood was not
against the candidates indivicially, but against their aninci-
ples.—(Cheers.) And he hoped that, whatever the decision of
their proceedings might be, it would not make the slightest
difference-with respect. to private opinion.—(Great applause.)
There were certain questions. whka, as they had heard,
would be brought under. the consideration of the legislature.
If in giVing an' opinion upon therrii he should be. betrayed..
into any-pleige, he should saerifice4ns own honour, his.prin-
ciple, and his inde.P-endence.—(Clicers;) If he went- to the
House of Commons 'fettered by our • 14dges.which would de-
prive him of his indepennent right of 4:Ong an opinion, as the
case might require, when it. was argued .byjhe legislature, he
'should b.e unworthp-nf the confhtetice of a.. wealthy, an 'in-
telligent, and an hOhourable constituency.--=(Loud cheers.)
'With respect to the corn laws, as well as most of the other
points touched upon, he was happy to say that there was not
much diverSity of opinion between them. • (Oh! -oh ! )''There
was not, he would venture to say,',in- that assemblage a man
more desirous to mitigate all the nktresses,of the poor, than the
individual who had the honour of addressing' them. (Cheers
and laughter.) • There was not a 'than, he was -proud to say;
who had lived on his property the whole period -(tfhis life, who
was more careful of the interests of-those who were dependent
upon hini;-or who had a greater desire to benefit them. (Cheers
and hootittg..) With regard 'to the corn laws, he had no other
desire thanto do that which shouldlie beSt for the general 'goodof the whole community. • - it-was impossible 'that an absolutely
free trade in corn could answer that end. (Cheers.) If landed
property sunk in, value, commercial and mannfacturing -pro-
perty must -sink-in value also: The two interests could never
be separated.; they were so intimately blended one with the
other, that if one should fall, the other must inevitably follow.
On that most sacred of all ..subjects, the tithes, he would
,otily
say, that,when any measure should- be brought before the le-
gislature of the country, sanctioned by the holy:Ministers of the
church, it should have his most &voted attention and support.
(Oh ! oli ! laughter, and Cheers.) • lie Weald never go to par-
liament shackled with pledges. Ile would have education pio-
moted, and conducted on principles •-areligion— As to slavery,
he thought if it.could be put an end to, it ought to be done ;
but, in his humble judgment, the slaves 'themselves would be
the victims of emancipation. (Cheers:and hisses.) In con-
clusion, lie called-upon all those who approved of him as their
representative, to come forward and support their cause. If
the majority-should-decide against him, he-would• retire-te4he
bosom of his family Much happier than if he had entered up'on
the toils 'of public life. (Cheers and uproar.)
Mr., THORNELY.fieXt attempted to address the electors with
a view of catechising Sir Thomas, but he was assailed with 'an
overwhelmiiag din •of hisses, groans, and cries of " Off! off!"
He put a question to Sir Thomas as to whether he would have
supported the reform bill in parliament, but as the sense of Sir
Thomas's .friends was against the questions .being answered,
Mr. Thornely merely enumerated- them -as -follows; if he was
favourable to the general principles of the bill, to a fixed mo-
derate duty upon corn, the speedy abolition of slavery, to the
principles of free trade, the removal of trammels -.from:them-
dustrious labourer, the abolition of, sinecures -Ito ,unmerited
pensions,- .and of a. considerable and' immediate reduction of
taxation.

After a few further remarks the high sheriff called for a skow
of hands, which being in favour of Nrolyneux and Wood, a poll
was demanded, and hied for Friday and Saturday next.
The high sheriff then dissolved the meeting, announcing that
he would attend there at ten o'clock on Monday, to declare the
result of the poll.