The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-11-03 00:00:00

that we had beeni:scurYily used by
.our party: in being
selected so frequently for a losing game. The polling
during the whole of the day was in favour of the winning
candidate, Mr. Holt never having a shadow of a chance,
and Mr. Toulmin being ultimately returned by a majo-
rity ofk36.i !In 1843 his majority was 33 over Mr. Robert
Benn.
"41:71.,--7777 GREAT GEORGE WARD.
Mr. Joseph Cooper was eppcsed in this ward by Mr.
W. P. Freme—of course a purely factious opposition, for
not an individual in the ward ever expected that the Ra-
dical had a chance against an opponent so universally re-
spected by all parties. The tight was a winning one
throughout on the part of Mr. Cooper, and was only
enlivened by a vain effort made by that gentleman, at
late hour, to assist his opponent by a
voting for him. We
are not aware that Mr. Frerne returned the compliment.
RODNEY-STREET WARD.
This ward has this year been the scene of a contest un-.
precedented for the bitterness of animosity with which it
has been carried on by a clique of the professing liberals.
It is one of the dark spots of these annual elections, that
out of trifling causes, or, more frequently, out of no
cause at all, they raise up personal passions and preju-
dices, which are a disgrace to the town, and which unhap-
pily endure long after the occasion of them has passed
away. Mr. Samuel Helene, the Conservative candidate
for the ward, has keenly experienced these passions and
prejudices; and, as may be expected from his eminent
and unsullied character, he has passed through an ordeal,
most trying to the temper, with increased reputation :
and we hope, now that the battle has been fought, and
the victory won, that dissension and misrepresentation
will quickly pass away.
But although this is our hearty desire, we must advert
to some facts in order to enable our readers to appreciate
the victory that Mr. Holme,has won. The Whigs, to do
them justice. exhibited great tact in their selection of his
opponent. Early last month, they induced Mr. Thomas
Booth, in an evil hour for him, to consent to he put in
nomination ; and with two such men it was expected the
contest would be exceedingly close. Some Conserva.ives
gave way to what may be termed municipal despair, be-
cause the registration had been so grossly neglected that,
on the examination of the list there appeared to be a clear
majority of f -Jay Whig votes. This feeling was not at all
consoled by the most significant fact that the numbers at
the contest last year between Mr. J. N. Wood and Mr.
Harvey were equal, and that upon the decease of the late
Mr. Pemberton, a few months since, Mr. Robertson, a
Whig, and perhaps something mere, was returned without
opposition. The ward, in fact, was decidedly Liberal in
aspect, with the disadvantage of a defective registration,
and a positive majority of at least forty. These are the
circumstances under which Mr. Holme was incited to be-
come a candidate, and under which be accepted the invi-
tation and won. Like another Cresar he may say, " Veni
vidi vici."

In addition to these adverse circumstances, Mr. Holme,
from day to day, and week to week, has been assailed,
both by Radical and Tory papers, with the most inge-
nious and persevering misrepresentation. He' has been,
positively hunted by anonymous slanderers. All his
contracts, whether with the Corporation or otherwise,
have been made evidence against hint ; and bricks have
been levelled against brains, because the calumniators
folnd it easier to find one commodity than the other.
Poetry—and such poetry—was often called in aid, and
much prose run mad has been perpetrated to deceive the
Electors. It is not our business to notice these miserable
shifts of a despairing faction. We can only testify to the
fact, that instead of deceiving the Electors, they only
disgusted them ; and that happily victory sided with truth
and justice.
The polling booth in Renshaw-street was exactly op-
posite Mr. lioline's house; and on the east side were
the committee rooms of the two candidates, in most
neighbourly conjunction—significant of the private friend-
ship between them. In the language of the turf, Mr.
Holme took the lead, was never headed, and won in a
canter. To give the poll hourly vtould be a waste of
space; and we shall, therefore, content curseives with
naming the final result It four o'clock :

For Mr. Moline 306
For Mr. Booth ......... 229

Majority fur Mr. Holme.. 71
Or nearly double the supposed liberal majority. We
cannot conceive anything more gratifying than this re-
sult must be to Mr. Holme, and its announcement eli-
cited long, loud, and general cheering.
At the close of the poll, Mr. Holme and a number of
his Committee crossed over the way, and from the window
of his drawing-loom, he addressed a vast crowd, which
had assembled in the street. On making his appearance
he was received with many hearty cheers; which having
ceased, he spoke as follows :—Gentlemen, I should, indeed,
be ungrateful if I did not return to you my most heartfelt
thanks, for the triumphant position in which you have
placed me this day. (Hear, bear.) This position is
the mere gratifying to my feelings, because it has been
a triumph gained over a gentleman for whom I have
the greatest regard ; and even if I had been defeated,
it would have bee.] some consolation to me that I
had been defeated by such a man as Mr. Booth.
(Hear, hear.) I beg, however, to say that I attribute very
much of the victory which has been achieved this day to
the vials of abuse which have been so unsparingly heaped
upon my head,—(hear, and applause)—by men who bad
not the manliness, and who dared not, when I gave
them the challenge, to come forward before my face.
(Cheers.) Therefore I treat, as I ever will treat, every
anonymous slanderer, who has not the courage to say
to a man's face what he insinuates behind his back
—with perfect contempt. (Hear.) In prose and in
poetry, have I been figuring upon the walls ; and I now
beg to say, that the poet who has done me the honour to
placard me through the town during the last few weeks,
may go, as soon as he pleases, and exercise his poetical
skill by writing a parody upon the words :
(Cheers
and
laughter.)
stintearmoe isGneenvtleermheena,rd.''
" 01], no, we never mention him,
Mark,
ef
es l
hlwoahwvaet
townsmenact ht
eed resulton e satsi iys
Ia
appeal
pethroughapeetai
lont.n t theirtheir
ilri whenn
and mark:ve tindependently,the
appealed men,resuwl
th
too of
you. Mark, I say, what has been the result. I state it
now publicly that I did not put myself forward. I was
anxious to have remained, as I have for some
years, in
private life. But a requisition, numerously and respect-
ably signed, was presented to me; and I have ever advo-
cated the principle, and I always shall, that no man
has a right to live exclusively for his own benefit; but
that it is his bounden duty to do as much good to his
fellow creatures as 1 e possibly can. (Hear.) I ask what
has been the result? Why, that a number of tradesmen,
honest independent tradesmen, men wielding power, and
wielding it well, have been indignant at the course which
has been adopted by—not a number of the respectable
Whigs of this ward, but by a small, and insignificant, and
contemptible clique, whom I set at defiance. (Cheers.).
The result has also been that my brother James has been
brought out for Scotland Ward, who, probably, would not
have become a candidate at all had it not been for this un-
mitigated abuse. Thus a just retribution, and a just
reaction takes place when men depart from the principle
of rectitude, and do that which is mean and despicable.
Let me further say, although you may accuse me of
partiality, that if the electors of Scotland Ward return
my brother, and he makes half as good a Councillor as
he bas been a brother, an exemplary man in every rela-
tion of life, and an honest and straightforward tradesman,
they will to-morrow make a choice that will be a benefit
Ito the inhabitants at large. (Cheers.) Some of you will
have observed a paragraph in the Albion this morning,
to the effect that every vote given to my brother
and myself will be thrown away. I beg to contradict
that statement. (Hear, hear.) When last in the Coun-
cil, for the purpose of recognizing a salutary prin-
ciple, but contrary to the opinion of the Town-clerk,
so far as the law was concerned ; first, in conformity
with it so far us the spirit of the act was concerned, I paid
the fine. Though I had nothing to do with the Corpora-
tion, yet, for the purpose of keeping myself clear and in-
dependent, I did see fit to resign my seat in the Council.
You have called upon me now : it was no act of mine
that I came forward ; and in coming forward, I took that
which I think was the most straightforward course. I called
a public meeting of the electors of Rodney-street Ward, as
the jury to whom I appealed. (Hear.) They have
responded to the appeal ; they have pronounced their
opinion ; and I shall now go to the Town Council inde-
pendent, unfettered, and as anxious as any man can be to
forward the best interests of Liverpool. (Cheers.) lam
sure, gentlemen, that all of you, whether you agree with
me in political opinion or not, will coincide with me in
this, that we should have no small measures for a port
like Liverpool. The extent of our commerce requires ex-
tended accommodation. The state of many of our streets
—what is popularly called the sanatory condition of the
town—requires great and vigilant attention ; and that at-
tention I shall be most happy to bestow. It is to me a
mark of great gratification, that I have had the cordial sup-
port of so many of my fellow-tradesmen. I see faces among
you with whom for years I have been in the habit of bold-
ing friendly, nay, affectionate intercourse. It is inched a
source of rejoicing to me, that my conduct has met with
their approval, for I have never been the man to grind them
down in their prices, but, on the contrary, always to act
upon the principle of " live, and let live." (Hear.) These
principles have gained me your support, end I hope they
will enable tee to preserve it. But, whilst I say that, I
will never be one to endeavour to force a great num-
ber of tradesmen into the Council, so as to take entire
possession of it, because I wish to see ourselves repre-
sented by men of all descriptions; and at the same
time I will never be one to assent to the opinion
that because a man is a tradesman he is to be ex-
cluded from the Council ;—(cheers)—for if there is any
one thing more offensive to me than another, it is the
aristocratic feeling of some of those who call themselves
republicans and levellers. (Cheers.) I fear lam unable
to make myself audible to all of you. (Cries of "Go on.
go on.") lam suffering from a severe cold ; and I must
conclude by again thanking you for the way in which }ou
have so triumphantly returned me as your representative. I
beg you to accept those thanks from the very ground of my
heart. And, now—whether a man has been opposed to
me or not, I beg to say that no political or personal feel-
ing on my part shall influence my conduct in the Town
Council; I will endeavour, to the best of my power, to
carry out those measures which are for the benefit of the
inhabitants at large. (Cheers.) There is, however, one
thing I wish to mention before I conclude. A
paragraph appeared in the Journal of Saturday last,
stating that I had lent myself to some small clique
to exclude Mr. George Hall Lawrence from the mayor-
alty. It was scarcely honourable, I think, to say that
upon the eve of the election, (hear) for although the editor
said he did not believe any such thing, he did not hesitate to
publish the insinuation. (Hear, hear.) I beg to state
distinctly, as I have already in a letter to the Albion, that
the statement is entirely a fabrication—a fabrication from
beginning to end. And I state now, thus publicly, that if
assiduity and attention to business, if ventlemanly feeling,
and if being a member of an old Liverpool family. are
any passports to the mayorality. I do not Wok the.
(Continued on the eighth page.)