The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1835-01-09 00:00:00

MANCHESTER

NOMINATION OP THE CANDI DATES.—On Wednesday last the
istimination of the candidates for the representation of this
borough took place in St. Ann's-square, where a commodious
hustings was erected immediately next to the church. The
eandidates were Benjamiu Braidley, Esq., a conservative, who
has twice filled the office of Boroughreeve f)r the town. Charles
Pouiett Thomson, Esq., Mark Phillips, Esq., two whige, cud
that once renowned destructive Sir Charles Wokeley.
Sir Charles was the first to make his appearance on the
hustings, and he was shortly afterwards followed by Mark Phil-
lips. Esq., the Right Hon. C. P. Thomson, and Benjamin
Braidley, Esq., supported by their friends and the members of
their respective committees. The people assembled in front of
the hustings chewed no marks of either approbation or disap-
probation en the appearance of any of the candidates. A few
minutes after nine o'clock the Boroughreeve, Edmund Buckley,
Req., supported on the right and left by the constables, John
Allen, Esq.. and John Price, 14:sq., took his station at the front
of the centre compartment of the hustings, and briefly addressed
the people, announcing to them the business for which they
were assembled. Mr. Oswald Milne then read the precept from
the High Sheriff, and the act of parliament against bribery and
corruption. The returning officers then took•the oaths in the
presence of John Frederick Foster, Esql. the stipendiary
isiaitistrate.
The Boroughreeve said that having disposed of Nisi prelimin-
aries, they would now proceed to the business of the day. He
would not occupy their time, because he knew that they must I
be dnxious to. bear their favourite canditates nominated and
seconded, but he would express a hope that every gentleman
would be allowed a fair and impartial hearing. At the last
election the people of Manchester had conducted themselves in
'null a peaceable and quiet manner as afforded an example to I
the whole country. and he hoped they would adopt a similar
line of conduct on th;s occasion. (Cheers)
_

, .
Mr. IL H. Grevg tlien proposed Mark Phillips, Esq., as a fit
anu pioder person to represent the borough. and hi doing so
said that it wits their duty to return as representatives only such
welt es wunid offer a bold and tiveided el:position to the piesent

.miuistry. (Hisses and cheers.) It was their duty to return
representatives who would Abe deceived by no proinises, but
would look only to political conduct and political principle as a
passport to their confidence. (Cheers.) They had been asked
to give tho ministry a fair trial—this, he admitted, was only a
I reasonable and fair request—but that trial had already been
granted, as it was the same ministry that had before ruled them.
Mr. C. J. S. Walker, of Salford, seconded the noinivatiou
because he was convinced that Mr. Philips was a man of un-
flinchine integrity and a tried opponent of oppression and mis-
rule. Ire was not a reformer of yesterday, but had been a warm
.
advocate of reform during the whole course of his life, and
would be what he was to the latest periodof his existence. Mr.
Greg had told them that the present ministry asked for a fair
trial. He thought they had already had that trial. Let them
look at Sir Robert Peel's declaration—he said that
_he would
not accept power on condition of being thought an apostate—
(cheers)—that his principles are what they were ; but this meet-
ing would tell him that his principles were not theirs. (Cheers
and hisses.)
Mr. Benjamin Heywood came before them on this moment-
ous occasion again to propose the Right lion. Charles Poulett
Th nusen as a fit and proper person to be their representative.
(Hisses and cheers.) He had now been two years in their ser-
vice, and they would naturally look to his conduct during that
period, as the only proof of his fitness to discharge the duties of
his office ; he should, therefore, in recommending him, only ap-
peal to that conduct. (Hisses of disapprobation.) They had
seen him boldly and vigorously acting up to his principles of
reform, and striking at this root of those corruptions which a
long course of vicame legislation had fastened upon the coun-
try. (Hisses.) As regarded their local interests he had ever
been prompt, energetic, and effective in all applications that
were made to him, and by the repeal of the tax on cotton he
had deserved their thanks. (Cries of "toe malt tax," and }treat
' uproar, in which the latter part of Mr. it's speech was lost.
We gleaned that it was on these grounds Le recommended Mr.
Thomson to their notice.)
Mr. J. C. Dyer seconded the nomination, and was received
with a mingled volley of hisses, groans, and cries of "Off, off,"
which rendered it utterly impossible for any one to collect one
perfect sentence of his speech. At the termination of the speech,
ha was applauded by his friends on the hustings, but the hoot-
, ings in the square were even more horrible thau when he first
presented himself.
Mr. Hobert Gardiner, of Beech House, next addressed the
meeting on nominating Benjamin Braidlev, Esq. He had the
honour to present to them an old and valued friend, who was
well known to most of them, and who had been long tried iu the
service of the town. lie had rendered the town the greatest
service by. arranging the dispute with respect to the tithes with
the collegiate hely, on the most advantageous terms for the in-
habitaat s. He would not for a moment be understood to insi-
nuate that "the late ministry were personally concerned in the
late wassacie ; but he repeated that it was committed in conse-
quence of the orders issued by theta. ']'his was a base calumny
against Mr. Braidley (cries of " It is") ,• and it showed the
mean opinion which its authors entertained of the electors to
suppose that they would be deceived by it. He should not be
surprised if the next charge would be thst he had eaten all the
bread and destroyed all the cotton in the kingdom. (Laughter.)
He was sure that the people of Manchester would answer the
base itr• ations aea:M4 Mr. Braidley by placing' him at the
id he. poll (cheers), and they would find in him the most
vem
slo e and efficient member that ever iepresented this or any
other tfiwu. (Cheers.)
Mr. Wm. Ilaynes briefly seconded the nourivation of Mr.
Braidley. Ile had had the pleasure of acting with him in an
of capacity for three years, and he was sure that no man
was better acquainted with the interests of the people of Man-
chester, or wore disposed to forward them. (Loud and conti-
nued cheering.)
Mr. Thos. Fielding proposed Sir Chas. Wolseley as a fit and
proper person to represent the borough. He was a consistent
radical reformer, and au honest man. (Cheers.)
Mr. Condy said he had the very pleasing duty of seconding
theiumnination of Sir Chas. Wolseley, who was the oldest'.
baronet of his native country, possessing a most ancient and
valuable estate, which lie managed with excellent husbandry,
and with perfect contentment to his tenantry. lie did not
mention these claims of Sir Charles with anything like that pro-
found respect which it was the fashion with the new orderof the
whigschoui to pay to prope4 alone, but to show that they, the
" ragged rabble," that degraded class "the destructives, that
everything in the way of epithet which the foulest part of the
dictionary could furnish forth—(loud laughter,)—that they did
adhere to the honourable prejudices iii regard to statiou and
property, when combined with respectability of character; and
that they o ere not offended because they could not select a repre-
sentative from their own "scrubby" body, (Laughter and cheers.)
With retard to the present crisis—and he thanked Gud and
the King for bringleg it about Hear.) Hetthought it afforded
an excellent opportunity fur a . ief revision of what the im-
maculate whig government had' oue for us. (Hear.) As to
t4.i
the famous motto of " Reform, retrenchment, peace," which
the whips had set up—how had they observed it ? Why , in
regard to reform, the bill which they had submitted to the house
on the subject, was 'so limited and contracted in its passage
through parliament, by the divers qualifications to it, that the
whigs were trembling at the idea of that ascendancy under its
provisious, for the total destruction of which it was professed to
be brought forward. (Hear.) Then as to " peace," they had
commeuced a tithe war in Ireland, and blockaded an ally in his
own port, while they set up a gimcrack in a neighbouring na-
tion, which would out be of three years' duration. (Hear.) The
financial arrangements of the government had also been much
lauded; and he (Mr. Condy) would take a high authority—no
less than that of the vice-president of the board of trade—for
saying that the excellence of a tax was to be tested by the large
ainouut which it brought into the treasury, with the sum it took
out of the pockets of the people. They must determine to send to
parliament men who were determined to respect all kinds of
I property—that of the poor as well as the rich; men who would
not hold it good volley to strip the unrepresented of their na-
tural, legal, and inalienable rights, as had been done by the
new poor law bill. (Hear.) " We, the radicals," continued
Mr. Condy, the " mad rabble," the " destructives," are iu
principle and essence the only teal conservatives in the country.
(Laughter.)
The Boroughreeve then announced that each of the midi=
dates would now address the meeting, dad requested that a
patient hearing would be granted to them.
Mark Phillips, Esq., according to the rotation of the nomina-
tions, was the first to aiirees the electors. Ile wade a long
speech condemnatory of the ministry, praised himself for what
he had done and what he had not done in the late House of
Commons, and entered into other matters which we regret our
inability to do justice to by reporting. The speech elicited
considerable laughter. Ile said, it has been moved by the
Duke of Wellington, seconded by Sir Robert Peel, and carried
by the court and the conservative party, that an appeal shall be
made to the people to desert their principles and to go back to
toryisin. They are now about to test their principles, and I
have no doubt that the result will be anything but satisfaction
to those who are trying the experiment. There is no hope that
the people will turn their backs ou those principles which-they
have so nobly upheld, when they find that the late administra-
tion have been disintssed, not because they did not go far
enough, but because they were going too far with reform. Of
that administration the people had but small means of judging,
in consequence of the short period they held office ; but of the
previous administration, I must say that I did not think they
took that bold and decided course which they ought to have
done. If this be the opinion of the people—(" No, no,")—cau
you expect that the principles advocated by the Duke of \Vel-
liugtou and Sir Robert Peel will be as satisfactory as those of
Earl Grey's administration ? (" Yes, yes," and -"No, no.")
I am not here to abuse the Duke of Wellington or any other
individual—but I must say that while I believe him to be sin-
cere, as a politician I consider him to be grossly mistaken; and
if his military tactics had been as antiquated as his politics, lie
would have remained to this day comparatively unknown.
(Laughter.) From that ministry I do not expect the advocacy
of those measures which nothing but apostacy could bring about.
Sir Ruhett Peel has told you to look to men and not to mea-
sures. "I do look to men, and I look to them with dissatisfactiou
and disgust. (Cheers.) Can you expect that these men will
satisfactorily work out those measures we support? Can you
expect grapes shall grow upon thorns, or figs upon thistles?
With measures such as these men will give us we shall have a
plentiful crop of thistles. In the same strain the honourable
candidate continued to a tedious length, and concluded amidst
laughter and cheers.
When Mr. Braidley came forward, he was received with three
times three hearty cheers, and " one cheer more," which com-
pletely drowned the slight opposition manifested by a few indi-
viduals, friends of the other candidates. When the cheering
had subsided some confusion occurred, and a small party ap-
peared to be determined not to allow Mr. Braidley a fair bear-
ing, but this opposition was speedily overpowered, when Mr.
Braidley said,—Friends and Fellow-townsmen,—l am perfectly
ready to address a few observations to you, if you are willing to
hear me; but if you are not willing to give ins a fair bearing, I
shall at once withdraw, and not take up your time unnecessa-
rily. (Cheers.) I have often had occasion to address you in
an official character, but never until now did I come before you
to seek an appointment at your hands; nor should I have done
so on the present occasion had I not been most numerously and
respectably called upon, and swhatever may be the result of my
obedience to that call, I shall have the satisfaction of feeling
that I did not shrink from undertaking a duty which so many.
of you have requested me to undertake. (Cheers.) Gentlemen,
I am here not as the slave of any man, or any body of men,
(cheers;) if the appointment which 1 now seek be granted
me, I declare to you that I shall act for myself independently,
after carefully aud anxiously giving my best attention to your
wishes; and although I will not consent to pledge myself to any
set of men, or to any particular measures, yet if at one glance
any measure upon which you wish to obtain my opinion be laid
before me with all its details, I spa dl probably not be many hours,
or at most not many days before I make up up/ mind respecting
the course I shatradript upon it, (cheers,) hut before I. have
considered the reasons which can be urged in support of or
against any particular measure I, for one, will not consent to
pledge myself either to support or oppose it. (Loud cheers.)
Gentlemen, you have been called upon to support no candidates
but such as will declare themselves the determined opponents
of the present ministry. I, for oue, do not agree with this doc-
trine—and whether Lord Melbourne be minister, or Sir Robert
Peel be minister, I will nut go to parliament so pledged.
(Cheers.) If Lord Melbourne, or even a raulca.l, were prime
Minister, as an honest man I should consider it right to give
him my support upon matters of daily business which corns be-
fore the house. (Cheers and hisses.) It matters not tome wile
is minister—l have no place to seek under him-1 am not l,ie
slave—but 1 ant of opinion that every minister meat have a
certain degree of confidence reposed in him as the head of his
majesty's governineut. In all matters, however, involving the ,
liberty and property of the people, and unconnected with this
daily business of the house, I will not be bound as to my
opinion by any man or any set of men. (Loud cheers.) Gen-
tlemen, it has been said that in electioneering all things are
fair; I do not hold this doctrine, but I say that in electioneer-
ing, as in all other affairs, truth and honesty ought to be our 1
guides. (Cheers, and cries of "Bravo, tory.") I have to cone-
plain, then, that I have been unfairly treated by my opponents,
by being held up as an uptioider of abuses; and in a letter
which appeared in one of the papers, that reseectable body of
my fellow-townsinen, the society of friends, are called upon not
to support rue, because I ant an upholder of the "infernal sys- '
tens of tithes." (Cries of "You are," and "No, no.) But
bow stands the fact on this subject? Six years ago, by my own
exertions, in a great measure, the long-litigated tithe question
in this parish was settled to the satisfaction of all parties—
(loud cheers aud (lies of "No, no,"—end although the Court
of Chancery decided that the collegiate body were entitled to
six years' ari eats of tithes, on my advice, the wardens and
fellows consented to waive all consideration of what was
passed. aud to make a new bargain for the future. (Cheers and
disapprobation.) After this, chew me the man that, with any
regard for consistency, can say that I am an upholder of abuse.
Its one sentence, thin, I shall dismiss this subject, be stating
that what I have already d6ue for one part of Enteland, I shall
be most happy to assist in doing for the sister kingdom, Ire- I
land. (Cheers.) It has been said, gentlemen, that I have I
declared my opposition to the malt tax, in order to pay court
to the radical party. New. there are many of the radical party
here, and I appeal to them whether I ever made any conees- 1
sion to them for the purpose of courting their favour. Nn,
gentlemen, if I think that any tax is a burden to the country, i
as I believe this to he, I will endeavour to get it removed
(cheers); and although it may be objected that the repeal of
the malt tax will only add to druilkennesii amongst the working
classes, I can only say that if II clottin for them a boon and
the; convert it into an abuse, thetfault rest. with them, and Out

with me. (Loud cheers.) 1 have also been told that my oppo-
sition to the poor law bill is merely for the same purpose; now,
this is no more true than the former assertion. Nut having for
some years been concerned in the administration of the poor
laws, it is only a few weeks since I read this act; but on look-
ing it over I felt convinced that too much, power was given to
the commissioners, and one of its enactments I could not ap-
prove of, because by it the weaker sex appears to me to be
borne down. (Cheers.) I will nit deny that many abuses
existed under the old law; but the way to remedy those abuses
was not, in my opinion, to fly into the opposite extreme, and
when two parties are fulled guilty, to punish only one of
them. (Loud cheers.) It may, perhaps, save some trouble
to the gentlemen who may wish to put questions to me, to
say at once that I am not an advocate fur the separation of
church and state (cheers and hisses), and for this best of
reasons, that if our laws are, as they are said to be, based
o christianity, it would be cruel to the poor to leave them
without the means of instruction on that which is admitted
to be the basis of those laws. (Hear.) But although I declare
myself an advocate for the church establishment, I am not an
advocate for those enactments which oppress the consciences of
our brethren, the dissenters. If in their marriages, the regis-
tratiou of their births, &c., they can only point out the means
whereby with safety to the country—and by safety to the country
I mean so as to guard against runaway marriages, that a parent
may
.know what has become of his daughter—if they can point
out the means for safely removing such
_oppressions, I shall be
ready to assist in removing them. I will only add, gentlemen,
that if the result of these proceedings. should bs my return to
parliament as your representative,-I will du the best I can to
serve you. The.utmest powers of my mind and body shall be
devoted to the work, and, every thing that I can cuusistently do
as a man and a Christian, I will do to promote your welfare
and the welfare of the country at large. (Loud and continued
cheering.) . . _ .

Mr. Elijah Dixon wished to know, as Mr. Braidley would
give Ll 3 pledges as to particular measures, but merely as to his
opinions, whether he had made up his mind as to the necessity
of repealing the abominable poor-la.3r bill ?.
Mr. I3raidicy.—No, I have not, (hisses,) and I will tell you
why. There are two ways of amending an act of parliament—
one by destroying it altogether, and the other by taking away
from it all its obnoxious clauses. Now, it dues not matter to
me which plan is adopted so that I get rid of the evil. (V4eers.)
Mr. Dixon.—Then, am Ito understand that there are clauses
in that bill which You consider as evils?
Mr. Braidley.—tMainly.
Mr. Dixon.—Do you consider the bastardy clauses evils 7
Mr. B raidley. —Certainly.
Mr. Dixon.—And you will endeavour to get them altered?
Mr. Braidley.-1 will. (Cheers.)
Mr. Dixon.—Do you consider it an evil that the bishops
should have such enormous emoluments, while many of the
working clergy receive no more than a poor mechanic ? .
Mr. Braidley.-1 consider it an evil that any clergyman
should receive no more than a poor mechanic, and I shall be
very gad to see it altered by au amended distribution of church
property, by which that property shall not be diverted to any
other than its legitimate purpose. (Cheers and disapprobation.)
Mr. Dixon. —Du you think that the tax on Malt should be
continued, in order to prevent a tax ou property 7
Mr. Braidley.—l think nut.
Mr. Dixon.—Do you think a bill like that of Sturges Bourne's
ought to exist? _ _

Mr. 13taidley.—In the answer I give to that question, I know
I shall not please many of those who are now before nre. I
have heard the voting under that bill described as bricks against
brains, but I should rather describe it as bricks against bricks.
I certainly think that, in a tax upon property, the man who has
100,000 bricks, and pays the tax upon them, should have more
influence than he who has only 10,000, and payi the tax upon
them. (Cheers and hisses.) I think that where property has
to vote and to pay, the man who has the must to pay should
have some advantage. (Cheers and hisses.)
Mr. Dixou.—Then would you support a bill, if one were in-
troduced, for giving to the man with lASO a-year assessment six
votes for a measlier of parliament, while the man with only £lO
a-year has only one vote ?
Mr. Braidmy.—No, I would not, and for this reason :—That
members of parliament have to deal with the lives and liberties
of the people as well as with property, and a poor man's life and
liberty ate curit:ed to equakrotectiou with the rich.
Dixon.—:dudMr. Dixon.—ud does Sturges Bourne's bill affect the
lives of the poor?
Mr. Braidiey.—l think it would be difficult for Mr. Dixon to
point out the life of any poor man which can be affected by the
votes of a vestry meeting under this bill.
Mr. Dixor..—Why,a_cmel churchwarden might be appointed
who would starve the poor.
Mr. Braidley.—But the poor have an appeal against the cru-
elty of churchwardens, if any such should be appointed.
Mr. Dixon.—lf a bill to relieve the poor factory children
were brought into parliament, how would Mr. Braidiey act, if
he is returned ? •

Mr. Braidley.—l have always been an advocate fur shorten-
ing the hours of labour for factory children, but it is a subject
which ought to be touched with a delicate hand, lest by any
sudden change an injury be inflicted on trade. I always told
Mr. Sadler, that to proceed as be wished to do, would produce
greater evil, by the suddenness of the change, than any, good
that would be effected to the children ; but I have long been of
opinion that it was cxtreinely desirable that factory children
should labour less than they do at present. (Loud cheers.)
Mr. Dixon.—Will you, if you are returned to parliament,
avoid that shameful system of compromise whick is so common
there. What I mean is this—we are told that Lord Brougham
Kaye up patronage to the amount of £25,000 for which his re
tiring pension was increased £l,OOO per annum. Now, I have
calculated that at 5 per cent. this would be £1250 per annum,
at 4 per cent. £l,OOO per annum, and at 3 per cent. something
!ess. (Laughter.) Now, this is what I call compromise, and
what I ask, wkether you will avoid?
Mr. Braidley.—l hate compromises of all kinds ; and if you
send me to parliament I will always endeavour to avoid com-
promising my character as well as your interests. (Loud ap-
plause, followed by three cheers.)
Mr. Braidley concluded amid the most deafening cheers,
which drowned the few hisses of the opposition.
Charles Poulett Thomson, Esq. then came forward, and was
received with the most discordant yells and other tokens of dis-
approbation that we ever heard at an election Notwithstanding
this the honourable gentleman persevered in making a speech ;
but iu consequence of the uproar continuing without intermis-
sion not one word of it was heard even by those who stood close
to him, which is our apology fur not reporting it. We are given
to understand, however, that the flood of eloquence which the
" sweet public" could not appreciate is not altogether to be lost
by the.electors at large, as the speech which nu person could
hear will be published.
Sir Charles Wolseley then appeared, and spoke for about a
quarter of an hour, on the subject of the vote by ballot, universal
suffrage, and equal rights, for particulars of which read the
speeches of Sir Charles and Fleury Hunt, delivered oa all
public occasions for the last quarter of a century,—and for the
appreciation of which see the state of the poll ou Thursday.
At the conclusion of Sir Charles's address the boroughrecve put
the qualification of the candidates to the test, which being de-
clared in favour of Benjamin Braidley, Esq., a poll was de-
manded for each candidate, and the court was afterwards ad-
journed until Thursday.

TM LIVERPOOL STANDARD.