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

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May 2R, 1544

SOUTH LANCASHIRE ELECTION.

Newton
nomination of candidates took place on Friday at
Newton in-thc•Willows. The weather was extremely
favourable Tor the occasion, the day being fair and warm.
Hustings were erected on the vacant ground in front of
the church, but they were extremely small and incom-
modious, not capable of holding more than 150 to 200
persons. For the reporters. of whom about 25 were in
attendance, no sort of accommodation was provided, and
they were compelled to engage a couple of waggons, and
have them wheeled up in trout of the hustings.
Ten o'clock was the hour fixed for the commencement
.f the Proeeedings, but abou an hour before that time the
little town began to be very busy, carriages and other
vehicles continuing to drive up in quick succession until
after ten o'clock.
_ John Fowden Hindle, Esq., of Wood-fold Park, near
Blackburn, the high-sheriff, arrived from Warrington, at
!bout a quarter before ten o'clock. He was accompanied
13.1' William Whalley, Esq., of Parkhill, and was attended
29 the hustings by Robert Brandt, Esq., the assessor, and
Walker, of Preston the under-sheriff.
w to• Entwisle, Esq., the Conservative candidate,
arrived from Liverpool, accompanied by several members
of the Liverpool co.nmittee, at about half-past nine o'clock.
They proceeded to the Central Committee Rooms, at
the Legh Arms Hotel, where the procession formed, and
moved up to the hustings. It comprised a vast number
of persons, and a profusion of elegant banners, bearing
appropriate Conservative inscriptions.
Mr. Brown arrived in his carriage, comparatively un-
attended ;
Wood,
his small party were Sir Thos. Potter,
J•C.Ewart, Esq., W. ood, Esq., John Finch, jun. Esq.,
Dobert Gardner, Esq., Henry Harrop, Esq., R. Cobden,
MT and some of the most prominent agitators of
the League.'
_ The hustings were divided into three compartments ;
the centre one was occupied by the High Sheriff, that on
Ve right by Mr. Brown, and the one on the left by Mr.
_ntwisle. On taking his place on the hustings, Mr.
Zntwisle was loudly cheered.
Amongst the very numerous party by whom he was
supported on the hustings were—J. Wilson Patten, Esq.,
M.P„
M.P., Peter
John Ireland Blackburne, Esq.
P ,•-stl, M.P., George Cornwall Leigh, Esq.,
Plumbe Tempest, Sir Thomas Brancker,
Thos"')"Esq ,
Thos.
Townsend,bq
Robert Bentley, Esq., Wm. Gar-
Joh , Jonah Harrop, Esq., Clement Royds, Esq.,
Buln Bentley, Esq., Henry Littledale, Esq., Wm. Ford
ton, Esq-.
William Smith, Esq the Rev. James
nornbr of Winwick, John Roby, Esq., James Dear-
den, Esq, Hall,
Esq"
of Grappen-hall, Al-
bert Royds, Esq., Gilbert Greenall. Esq.' John Greenall,
Thomas Lyon, Esquire, Henry Charles Lacey,
Esq., Edward Lloyd, Esq., H. H. Birley, Esq.,
John Darwell, Esq.. John Smith, Esq., Robert Lomax,
Esq., John Clare, Esq., It. S. Sowler, Esq., Elias Chad-
wick, E-q., John Lord, Esq.. &c.
Precisely at ten minutes after ten proclamation for si-
lence was made, and Robert Brandt, Esq., the sheriff's
assessor, proceeded to read the writ. At that time the
crowd in front of the hustings was very great, and every
window commanding a view of the place was crowded

with spectators.
The cath was administered to the high sheriff by W.
Aall, Esq., of Grappenhall.
The HIGH SHERIFF then said—Freeholders of the
Southern Division of the County. In pursuance of his
duty as High Sheriff of the county, he had called them
together for the purpose of electing a fit and proper per-
son to represent thernin the Common's House of Parlia-
ment, in the room of their late much lamented represen-
tative, the Hon. R. Bootle Wilbraham, a gentleman, of
whose death he might say it was a cause for the deepest
grief to his friends and relatives, and an irreparable loss
!A) the county that claimed the high distinction of having
had him as one of its representatives, for he was a man of
ant any constituency might indeed feel proud ; his
death, therefore, was a matter of grief to the county at
large, and
especially to that division which he so ably re-
presented. Their duty now, however, was not to enlarge
on the merits of their late member, but to select a gentle-
Man worthy to become his successor, and in the perform
Vace of that duty he would not interfere further than what
tiee sw.as required to do in the performance of his public du-
ne rejoiced to believe that hitherto the matters
Connected with the election had gone on in a quiet and
peaceable manner ,• that no bad feeling had been evinced.
'lls own duty, as they were aware, was to act in a straight
forward manner ; to make a return to the writ, and de-
clare the gentleman elected who had the majority of votes.
Bell could assure all who heard him, that it was his fixed
determination to act with strict impartiality—(loud
cheers) ;—to endeavour to obtain for all a fair hearing—
(cheara)—and he trusted when the election should have
been concluded, that neither party should have cause for
e saying it was lost by any action of his. (Loud cheers.)
any not further detain the freeholders from hearing
—et gentleman who might desire to propose a candidate.
'• GA11.1314E11, Esq. rose to propose his friend-William
"Brown, Esq., as a fit and proper person to become a
ti rising re-
presentative for the Southern Division of the county. And
g to discharge that duty he could not but feel sin-
cere regret that the duty had not fallen into abler hands,
T.e tri he did indeed feel his own great insufficiency to place
also
of his friend in that strong point of view before
the electors to which they were so eminently entitled. He
had
another cause of regret, namely, that he felt he
was aoout to vote and act against those friends with whom
he had been so long connected, and in whose political
views he bad agreed. He felt, however, that he was about
to act honestly ; that he was about best to serve the gene-
ral s interest of his country, and he would much rather see
ni country prosper than endeavour to promote the predo-
minancyof any particular political creed. Their country,
then,c was formerly an agricultural one, but it was now a
ommercial one, and being so, it required that its repre-
sentatives should be men well versed in all subjects rela-
ting to commercial affairs. The Southern Division of the
county comprised an area of 444,000 acres, and was rated
on a value of £5,000.000. The Northern Division com-
prised an area of 721,000 acres, and included Preston,
Blackburn. and other towns, but only contained a popu-
lation of 200,000, and was rated at an annual value infi-
nitely below that of the Southern Division. (Loud cries
of " Question.") Mr. G. then went on to show a num-
ber of well-known facts respecting the density of the po-
pulation of Lancashire, above every other in the kingdom,
and as this great addition had been created by the spread
of manufactures within it, it followed that its representa-
tives should be thoroughly versed in commercial affairs, a
requirement which they could not expect to find in Mr.
Entwisle, but which existed in the greatest perfection in
his friend Mr. Brown. He then said a charge had been
brouait forward against Mr. Brown that he was a Soci-
nian and an enemy to the church (No, no), but he denied
that such was the case, and he would say further, that if
he could have believed such a charge well founded, he
would not have advocated his cause. He (Mr. G.) might
say for himself that very few men had contributed more
than he had done to extend the church's usefulness ; it was
therefore not to be expected that he would give his as-
sistance to any man who would endeavour to injure the
cause. Another charge had been brought against Mr.
Brown—that he was an American, a foreigner; now the
truth was he was an Irishman; but it was not very im-
portant to state the fact; it was, however, to say of him
that he had proved himself at all times, and in every re-
"et, a most consistent man. And it was of the last im-
tortiance to select such a man for their member ; one who
would remove all restrictions from trade, and leave it per-
fectly
free. This country could never have risen to its
Present proud pre-eminence without the aid of commerce,
and if now deprived of that, he would wish to ask what
would it soon become ? and yet, although the certainty of
decay was an almost self-evident truth, the landed interest
were disposed to feel and act hostilely towards com-
merce. Let them, however, remember that labour and
Machinery could be removed, were removing, to other
lands, where they might be more profitably employed ;
but there was no removing green fields. There was ano-
ther charge alleged against his friend, that if he were re-
turned to parliament, be would go pledged to oppose the
present government ; but he believed on the contrary, he
would be able to give the government much better sup-
port than his opponent, especially on all commercial ques-
tions. The country wanted members who would support
free trade; let him not, however, be misunderstood; he
did not wish to see restrictions removed suddenly, and at
once, but gradually and by degrees; he was not, there-
fore, a thorough free-trader ; for although he deemed the
former and the present corn law unjust, he would not have
the restrictions which it imposes removed at once but gra-
dually, (oh, oh !) for sudden changes often do evil, and
seldom do much good. (Cheers.) But if he might
to judge'
Of Mr. Entwisle from the answers he had g
tions put to him he could only regard him as a Tory of the
Old school—one who would oppose the removal of restric-
tions on the coin trade, and commercial restrictions gene-
rally. Having made some statements in answer to the
charge that low priced bread would occasion low wages,
(which were most tame and shallow) he came to the
pre-
sent situation of the Chinese in having thrown open their
ports to the markets of England and the Colonies, and
that too without imposing any import duties, if they might
have been met in a reciprocal spirit of liberality. At the
present time there was a great demand for grey shirting
cloths in China, the duty on which was 71d. a piece, and
one piece would purchase 121bs. of tea, on which we put
a tax of 2s. 2d. per lb., or on the 121bs. of tea paid for by
one piece of cloth, no less than 265. 3d. The article next
greatest in demand in China, is yarn, the duty on which
1.1,: 9 llths of a penny per pound. Now 121bs. of yarn will
r:teure, on an average, 151bs. of tea, and the Chinese
ye Talon the yarn would be 7d. and ith of a penny, while
the (2:1)91d impose on the 121bs. of tea, 265. 3d, duty. And
our
manufactures
would engage to take as great a quantity of
prod "nufactures as they are able to pay for in their own
Te nee. (Cry—let them take bricks and mortar and all.)
41: ~was sold in London at 6d. per lb., on which govern-
. `Chinese
Put a duty of 2s. 2d.; if the government met the
a conese fairly, we might have tea at Sd. which is now sold
sis. a lb. Now the County of Lancaster might be called
re great emporium of trade, and it required representa-
rna Well versed in trade interests, rightly to watch over
ol'ne, Promote its welfare ; but if they put the capabilities
it the two candidates in comparison to do this, he thought
thwould be comparing the sun with a candle. (Cries from
After
Conservatives, " We've all the sun at our side.")
sin detailing a plentiful supply of sympathetic expres-
Vas in the sufferings of the poor ; and alluding to the
sere a of. Richmond and his party as likely to offer offen-
f resistance to Sir Robert Peel's policy ;he again spoke
tau his disinclination to a sudden withdrawal of restric-
dutya, and confessed his preference of a fixed moderate
biT on corn, of 65., 75., or Bs. a quarter. He concluded
saying he believed there were many gentlemen on the
th!iieft who would say " amen" to much that he had said,
i" then begged to propose his friend William Brown,
eerl.;. of Liverpool, as a representative for the Southern
-Lilyi ion. (Loud cheers.)
JOSEPH EWART, Esq., rose to second the nomination,
and_ before proceeding with general observations, he begged
concur in all the eulogicm expressed by the High She-
riff upon the late Mr. Bootle Wilbraham, a gentleman
To. In he recollected as an old tried friend and school-
"mows and who bad proved Limself invaluable as a mem.