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

PUBLIC MEETING.

. .
tki‘s. Public meeting of the friends of Sir Howard Douglas
to called together by placards and publiC advertisement,
E4sstAble at the Royal Amphitheatre, 'Great Charlotte:-
vert Twelve o'clock, yesterday.
I pey 'part of the house (calculated to contain 4,000
tr "8,) was filled to overflowing, and the stage was
chiefly
kd with the gentlemen Who had originated
Au ',Ported the requisition to Sir Howard Douglas.
Nfil,sattltough the meeting was announced to be one of
~,..etriends" of the honourable and gallant baronet, it soon
e manifest that a considerable number of his oppo-
tti" also had.
congregated there, for the purpose of in,
. Ite:Pting the proceedings,; at which truly . sensible,
kid t, and laudable work they made repeated attempts,
ithY their persevering clamour and uproar, retarded
the eWhat, though they failed in their efforts to obstruct
cl'usiness of the day.
40 the motion of Mr. Alderman LEYLAND, seconded by
4111:. SMITH, of Fulwood,
ttoo t.• Alderman Rousisox was called to the chair. On
toNking the rostrum, if we may so call the elevated plat-
. (IttZ Which had been plaCed:• on the stage for the accomtno-
cin of the Chairman and Speakers, the worthy Alderman
thitgjeeted with several rounds of cheers and applause ; after
Of ti he addressed the meeting, saying that, at the solicitation
tlll3 ), of his friends, he had come forward to take the chair
Here
occasion, ough he could not but regret that some one
4:e able than he th
was had not been selected to fill that station.
1),40u1d not, however, shrink from the duty which was im-
th, on him by his friends, ready as he was, at all times
it 'ever called upon, to use his "lest exertions' to promote. the
Ifittlthe%ts of this peat commercial town. Many of those friends
til,l *horn he generally acted, had thought that present car-
14stances required that -another candidate of decidedly Con-
principles should be put in nomination to represent
thewn in Parliament. They had now another before them,
l Person of Sir Howard. Douglas (great cheering). He
I. 4 tried man, andif the electors thought proper to return
kr„' he (Alderman Robinson) would tnake.bold to say that a
tilt :Proper and efgcient man had never before been sent as
llt,,t'ielnesentative of..this town. (Cheers.) Some of the gen-
tileirell present were prepared with resolutions -which it was
'atention to propose for the consideration 'of the meeting,
before they came- forward, he had one observation more
'l',4,lake:.___that meeting was. intended to be one purely of
ilit'eads of Sir'HoWard-Douglas," and he trusted, therefore,
%ll° per-son had come thither merely, to disturb the course
• ori,tneeeding which the friends of Sir Howard might think
47,:r to take, but that every speaker would be fairly heard
Stt. .
tretti, t THOMAS •BRANcicEn then presented himself to the
ikif,tig,•and said, that, as they had-come thither on matters of
Lem and not for•the purpose of making long speeches, he
4 Cl, Offer very few words before he moved the resolution which
.It,tl in his hand. This town of Liverpool, had long been
Vtiuisbed as among the firmest friends of the established
kiiketpition of England, both in church and state. (Cheering
1114.1. with noisy expressions .of disapprobation.) He hoped
"1"e• Electors would not do anything to forfeit that charac-
ttt' (Loud cheertng ) The " liberal" candidates, as they
tailed, had expressed the fullest confidence in the suc-
ksirlf the endeavours making by their friends to secure their
y• He hoped, however, that the result of that day's pro-
°p *"0 would greatly abate that confidence. (Great cheering ;
ttctilt:llubsiding of which a voice from the back part of the pit,
'441;;1e-d, "Recollect Vivian at Bristol, and you need not de-
' which gave rise to an uproar of cheering mingled with
t't„.°l disapprobation that lasted several minutes.) There
' 4tCany inhabitants of the town who were now called. on for
kit tBt time to exercise the elective franchise, and the friends
ktti,,;PPorters of the' ancient 'constitution thought it a duty
'l4.€l'soent on them, to give to those Electors an opportunity of
„sing their sentiments fully and decidedly, and, therefore,
- :Re proposed to put in nomination a second candidate, of what
ctvi 'tilted Tory or 'Conservative principles. Be concluded by
''S4l,l' the First Resolution, which was received with several
4 sof cheering.
gt Alderman WRIGHT T then stood forward, and was re-
ti 4,t. With long continued cheering-. He said lie trusted that
c'se who had known him 'for so many years as he had
part in the public affairs of this town, would not be
h;q,d to hear him say that he got up with great pleasure to
tf,"4 the proposition which had just been made. (Cheers.)
t'tki 41 heard that a great deal of censure was bestowed, by
eallin themselves " liberals," on those who ventured to
'llhe3, justg now, any great difference from them in opinion.
asked of those gentlemen was to give him and those
,I!ijoaaßreed with him credit for being sincere in the opinions
:Ne they maintained, and to believe that, when acting upon
°Pinions, they were doing what they thoht their duty
i",titiously. lie asked no more from hem;t and, if he
Litigu,t3 friends felt it to be their duty to support Sir Howard
3(,4,°(.13, as the candidate whom they considered most likely to
lNtl°te the great interests of this town and:ldle benefit of the
at large, he was sure those gentlemen would consider
kols if they did not come forward in an open,
N,yrianner to avow their determination to support him.
.) For his own part, if they (the meeting) thought
etleLto put Sir Howard Douglas in nomination, he (Mr.
Zly,•"'an Wright) would be found at his post ready to do his
eierting himself to the utmost of his power to effect his
k (Cheers.) He had often before proved Inm-
,ttorfriend of the old freemen of the Borough, and when it
ttti °Posed to curtail their privilege, by the extension of the
, ktt;te franchise, he had fats it his duty as a freeman and a
Ytrate.,--:made so by thaw in defence of their privileges
rtese that measure. But since the law was passed which
41'4 privilege to others, it was now as strong as
pq.‘4l it was his duty, as a mat,istrate, to use everymeans
It141)° wer to give it effect. lie concluded by seconding the
7tlo„t`cql, which was put and carried by acclamation. (A
i‘ci. in the pit then called out " three cheers," which were
N,icg i°o37 given with great fervour, and being followed by
from the parties of Messrs. Evart and Thornely,
?drain repeated with increased warmth )
' T. B. II then stood forward and said ; I
Ith oust ALI.
L'4lieert called upon, gentlemen, to move the next resolution;
'll4' with the most heartfelt pleasure and satisfaction. If I
;Ott, tlYthing to daunt me in the undertaking,. it does not arise
41vt4,,,seeing before me so large an assemblage of my fellow-
F'en, met to promote the good cause ; (Cheers.) it does not
Lkt,'°ll-1 any fear of the libels of a degraded and licentious
, (Loud applause and hissing ) it does not arise from
,the',Prehension for the result ; (loud cries of "the press !"
I,ll4',„tess ") lam as fond of the press as you are, but let
44 honest one ; (Hisses-and much Cheering-) I say,
Cr,nen, it does not arise from any apprehension of the sneers
t;3t,, res of radicalism and infidelity ; (cheers and much-up.
1 Will wait your time, gentlemen :—lt does not arise,
`it,hf coin the cowardly conduct of certain cowardly individu-
, have thought it right--(clamour and cheers.) Gentle-
itioetar 'what I have to say before you judge. (Cheers.) It
Ip:4ll44arise, I was saying, from the conduct of those cowardly
140 als who have thought it right to address me, anonymous-
totigh the post, avowing sentiments which they dare not
a 6e Illy face. (" Hear, hear.") But if I have any ',Ms_
11,0 jo"rhey arise from the consciousness of my own inability
to the talents, the merits, and the principles of Sir
t llougla.s. (Loud applause.) I know, however, that
417,0,urable individual needs not the mecd, (" He's a pen-
it try Hisses and cheers.)
its,,,,Cll,sinstAN begged that order might be preserved.
too that one and all of them came there to hear free dis-
Vite (Cheats ) If interruption was allowed to go on, of
,`t wastna
t meeting must be dissolved. As he had said bekre,
4 meeting of the friends of ,‘,4ir Howard Douglas, and
111;tited to see there were individuals who wished to disturb
! t,e good sense of the company would, he trusted, be suffi-
Lt4lk. Preserve free discussion.
1:* B. Ho ItsrALL proceeded! Gentlemen, I was olt-
tittlle,toat that honourable man, 'Sir Howard Douglas, needs
rtlg%'end of my humble praise. He is known to many
41., LIS, as one of the noblest champions of our commerce ;
tlll4Varl he is know n to as all, as one of those brave men,
e led our armies to battle and to victory. (Loud ap-
VII lki.such, gentlemen, is the character of the man who
}, ore you, not only to solicit, but I feel assured to re-
3uffrages. (Cheers ) Having said thus much of
'4td, it now becomes me to speak of the other candi-

dates ; and I most respectfully beg all those gentlemen to hear
me, and, if I say anything that they can answer, not to be satis-
fied with contradicting it, but to disprove what 1 say. (Cheers.)
Of Lord Sandon I feel it needless to say much. lam not upon
his Lordship's committee, nor am I connected with them in any
way ; but, from all that I can hear, I have uo doubt of his
triumphant return. (Loud cheers.) I now come, gontlemen,
to examine the conduct and the principles of his colleague.
And when I look at the first address which Mr. Wm. Ewart
put forward in this town, 'what do I see ? I see him avowing
himself the disciple of Canning and a Huskisson. But I ask
no better proof that he has deviated from their principles than
to see, in the foremost ranks 'of his supporters, Mr. Shepherd,
Mr. Currie, and Mr. Rathbone. (Cheers, hisses, and great
noise.) Now, gentlemen, I will tell you what Mr. 'Ewalt has
done for us. (Hisses and uproar.) I am going to speak a
word for Mr. Evian ;--hear me ! I will you what he has done
for us. (Hisses and cheers.) When I look at the proceedings
of the meeting of his friends, I then find That Mr. Hope tells us
(44 Question, question.") It is the'question. ,Why gentlemen,
we have no right to bring forward a new candidate unless we
have reason to be dissatisfied with our other candidates :---Ap-
plause.) Mr. Hope told us, at Mr. EsVart's meeting, that he
young as he was, had effected reforms in the'crimival code which
Sir Samuel Romilly had in vain endeavoured to effect. (Laugh-
ter.) I confess, when I read that speech, it reminded me of an
old freeman whom many of, you knew, named George Dykes,-:-
( Laughter.) That old freeman had an action-at-law with a man
who kept a small public-house called the GLOBE ; and George

came off victorious. At the ensuing election he arose on the
hUstings, and addressed the Mayor as follows : Mr. Mayor,
you area very great man, sii laugh.)--My Lord Nelson
was a very great man ; the Duke of Wellington was a very
great man, indeed, sir; but I am greater than 01 of you, for k
have conquered the Gr.on." (Much cheering, laughter, and
uproar.) Now, gentlemen,' thoughJ do not question that Mr
gwart and George Dykes are both very, great men ? yet I do
say.--(Hisses and cries of ".hear him.") yet I do say notwith-
standing Mr. Hope's opinion, that I yet think the Duke of
Wellington and Sir Samuel Romilly are greater than either of
them. (Cheers.) But - Mr. Hope further- told us of some
member of parliament who shrunk from his 'post, and dared not
vote upon, perhaps, the most delicate question thut could possi-
bly be Submitted to him. (" Sandon.") Did Mr. Hope foi-
get that the very man he was then standing up to extol' had
shrunk from his post and declined to vote ? (Hisses, cheers, and
"hear him.").--it is a fact--declined to vote on a question of far
more importance than that, and vitally afFecting the commercial
interests of this port and of the country at large? (Name,
name.") I will name it; I allude, gentlemen, to the Timber
question. (Bravo!) A question involving one-fifth of the
whole foreign trade of this country ; a question involving the
employment of 400,000 tons of British shipping, and 25,000
British seamen. (Hear, hear, and cheers) On the discussion
of that question, Mr. Ewart, the member for Liverpool,
shrunk from his post and did not vote at all. (Hisses, cheer;
and cries of " Ewart for ever !) Now, gentlemen, contrast
with this the conduct of Sir Howard Douglas with respect to
the same question. That gentlemen was then Governor of New
Brunswick; and because he could not conscientiously acquiesce
in the views of His Majesty's .Ministers, he resigned his, psi,
and with it £4,500 per annum. (Great-cheering.) But 1
turn again from the addresses of Mr. Ewart's friends to the ad-
dresses of himself ?—and what does he tell us ? Why that the
blessings which Reform is to give us are " Commerce, free and
ntriversal ; religion, purified and disenthralled." ' I hope, when
that hon.. member estands on the hustings, he will tell us
what he means by " universal commerce." (' laugh.) I
_ .

speak not of free trade,--. I know what that is; but what
" universal commerce " is, unless it be to admit French
ships, and Dutch ship, and Spanish ships, and Portu.
guese ships, to carry on the coasting trade of Great Britain, I
know not what it is. .(Cheers.) But; I come to-the next
point,—" religion purified and disenthralled." How does Mr.
Ewart exemplify this ? ' Why by standing up—(clamour and
hisses)—by standinc, up; in the British House of Commons,
and opposing a bill promoting the observance of the Sab.
bath—(Hisses and cheers.) Illy attention was drawn to this
by seeing a letter signed " William Ewart,"
.in the " Liver-
pool Saturday's Advertiser ;" a letter which conveyed the im.
pression that he had not opposed such a bill. Now, I ask
every honest man in this room, and 1 speak to no other ; I
ask every honest man to look at Mr. Ewart's sentiments on that
question, and say whether they do not bear the construction of
opposition ; if they do not, then' they bear no construction at
all.
~ (Cheers.). With those sentiments, I would put it to
every respectable man in this community, and, when I say re-
spectable, I mean the respectable porter, as well (hisses and
cheers) I mean the man who does his duty in the station of life
in which Providence has placed him, (loud cheers.) and' I
would appeal to every such respectable man to say, whether the
individual who stands up in the British House of Commons, as
the member for Liverpool, and opposed such a bill, does not
libel the character of this great town, and insult the principles
of its inhabitants ? (" Yes, yes," and much disorder.)_
Gentlemen, I fear I am tiring 'your patience—(no, no,)—l
am sure I am tiring my own strength; but, ("Mr. Thornely !")
with regard to Mr. Thornely, I will
,only say one word.
The community of Liverpool (hisses and cries of "Hear
him;") have honoured them selves by rejecting him be-
fore, and I trust, indeed, I feel assured they will do them-
selves equal honour on this occasion. (Cheers, and cries,
of " Ewart and Thornely.") Gentlemen—we live in times
when we want legislators of firmness and decision ; we
live in times requiring iegislators who, unbiassed by
prejudice, and unpledged to party. will look with honesty and
candourinto all the great questions which will speedily be sub-
mitted, to them. Such a man, I feel assured, is Sir Howard
Douglas; and I am persuaded that all those who admit that the
names of Canning and Huskisson shed a halo of political gran-
deur around the title of member for Liverpool,' will agree with
me, that if Sir Howard Douglas be elected as our representa-
tive, he will neither tarnish the lustre, (hisses and cheers), he,
I repeat, will neither tarnish the lustre nor disgrace the laurels
that adorned their brows. (Loud cheers.) I have much plea-
sure in moving the second resolution.
MR. ALDERMAN LEYLAND said, as Mr. Horsfall had so
well directed the attention of the meeting to `the questions be-
fore them, he would not detain the meeting by any ob§e.rva-
tions of his own, but confine himself to seconding the resolu-
tions, which was put and also carried_ by acclamation.
Mr DUNCAN Ginn, moved the next resolution was for
the appointment of a Committee to carry the object of the
-preceding resolutions.
Mr. W. C. MourNEux, in secondihg the resolution, said,
that he did it with very great satisfaction. The demonstration
of feeling in favour of their cause was highly gratifving. That
was.truly a proud day for Liverpool, and to his mind it was the
harbinger of that victory which he hoped would shoTt,l<crown
their efforts.

Mr. W. BATESON, then came forward and said :—.being
called upon to read the resolution 1 now hold in my hand, I
feel proud that I have to do it before so numerous a meeting
of my fellow townsmen, comprising as it does a great portion
of the wealth and respectability of the town, perhaps more
extensive and unanimous than any that has ever been held
upon any former occasion similar to the present.—(Cheers
and a vainly renewed attempt at disturbance) Although
anxious to state to you my sandal**, :pad to say a few words
in justice to the cause we arc met to advocate, yet, in defiance
to the wish of the chairman that the meeting should be con-
cluded in consequence of the noise, and impatience of some
present, and after the able and eloquent speeches of those gen-
tlemen who have preceded me, I will detain you no longer, but
read the resolution.

On the motion of Mr. D. GIBB, the thanks of the meeting
were voted, by acclamation, to the Chairman.
Mr. AUGUSTUS RIGG then stood forward, amidst great con-
fusion, and said he appealed to the chair, and he would be
heard; he would not detain the meeting one moment. He then
endeavoured to speak, in behalf of the cause, we believe, but as
the meeting did not wish to hear him, his voice was completely
drowned.

Sir HOWARD DOUGLAS being loudly called for, made his ap-
pearance on the platform, and was greeted with enthusiastic
cheering. He was, however, interrupted in the commence-
ment of his speech by some hisses, and cry of " Ewart and
Thornely for ever !"

A call was then mode for Sir Howard Douglas, and after a
few minutes the worthy and gallant Baronet ascended the
platform, and wa46e..etaed with several rounds of hearty cheers,
acconipained by the grbans of the adverse faction, and a cry
from the gallery of Ewart and Thornely for eier,'l.

Sir HOWARD DOUGLAS bowed repeatedl ail pasts of the
house, and when the clamour had • he addressed the
• meeting, as follows:

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.