The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1835-01-06 00:00:00

SIR HOWARD DOUGLAS.

• On Sahli,lay last Sir H. Douglas addressed a large body of
electors at. Messrs. Holmes', in Seel-street, by whom his addrece
was received with repeated cheering.
He said that it was with extreme delight he was permitted to
speak to such a numerous body of those who constituted what
was called the popular body;_ because he had ever found them
ready to receive loin with kinduess and consideration. A severe
accident prevented hint from paying his personal respects to
them all, and' he hOped their generosity would attribute it to
that cause that he haft solicited the honour of addressing them
in a body. During the late attempt to deprive them of their
elective right it had been his good fortune to assist by all the
influence he poSsessed oat of Parliament those who in it made
so noble a stand in defence of their privileges, and considering
that there was an identity of interest amongst the various classes
by which society is formed in this great country, he did beseech
them well to consider the present value of their franchise, and
the dangerous position this country would be placed in if not
used aright. It was• in vain to say that the institutions of- the
country, and with it• the monarchy, were not now endangered.
The spirit of innovation had placed them in jeopardy; and it
was now iu the power of those who possessed the elective right
to rescue them from danger, by sendmg to Parliament men who
knew how to remove abuses without pulling down those sacred
institutions which, under God, were identified with the social
happiness and the national prosperity of the land. (Loud
cheers.) Seeing around him many of those who possessed the '
right of voting under the reform bill, he would just remind
them that when that measure was passed, the good sense, the
moral habits, the love of peace, and the general loyalty of the
people of this country were taken into consideration ; and no
further measures were adopted, either for extending the privi-
leges of the monarchy, or the peerage, or for placing other safe-
guards around them than the acknowledged good sense of the
people of England. (Cheers.) He need not tell them that it ,
was a 'fundamental
.principle in mechanical science, that if you
increase the velocity and machinery—if yen add numerous
wheels and make the machine more exteursve—that you must
at the same time increase the propelling power, that every part
may harmonise and work together. Now the support of the
morrarelav, the aristocracy, and that glorious established church
which had been a blessing to the land—(long protracted cheer-
ing)—needed not, he thought, the adoption of this received
principle, but were confided, and he hoped safely, to that in-
herent love for our sacred -institutions which is one of our na-
tional characteristics, and which every man who really loved
his family and his country must be anxious to see remain unim-
paired and uudestroyed. It was probably needless fur him to
go into any exposition of his political principles; they had been
often before them; they were founded upon a conviction of the
necessity of supporting to the utmost our constitution in its three
estates, in that exact proportion which makes every one a coun-
terpoise to the other. The name of Earl Grey, who brought
forward the reform bill, was hell in high and deserved estima-
tion. He (Earl 'Grey) opposed vote by ballot, annual parlia-
ments, and universal suffrage, as strongly as any roan,'-because
he believed they would destroy the counterpoise
.he had spoken
of; and Earl Grey was a strenuous supporter of our established
church from a thorough conviction of the inestimable blessings
which i.. scatters around. In those conservative feelings he
(Sir 11. Douglas) participated, and whilst be was anxious to
remove every abuse which could at all impair her usefuluess and
efficiency, he for one should always endeavour to distinguish
between reform and destruction. (Cheers.) If these senti-
ments were responded to by those around him, he claimed their
support early on Tuesday next, and he felt assured that the
bottle—" I dislike the term battle:" said Sir Howard, em-
phatically, "for I have seen too much of the horrors of battle
to loVe the word." (Cheers.) He would rail it the political
conflict, therefore, and he repeated.that if the burgesses would.
press forward in his support, the victory would be certain.
(Great cheering.)
Mr. Alderman 'WRIGHT, who was present, was loudly called:
for, and he assured the numerous body he was then addressing,
many of whom were freemen, that had he not last year received
the strenuous support of his frien'l, Sir H. Douglas, out of par-
liament, whose zeal and influence were most valuable, and the
ability and assistance of their noble representative, Lord San--
don, in parliament, it was his conviction that he and others
might have returned crest-Tuilen, as far as the preservation of
their elective franchise had been concerned; and the burgesses
of this town were hound by every tie of gratitude to support to
the utmost those men who supported them. He was much
mistaken if they did not support them, and well too, and he
(Alderman Wright) felt thoroughly convinced that iu support-
ing Sir H. Douglas and Lord Sandon they were upholding the
best interests of this great town, the interests of themselves,
their children, and of all that men held most dear and sacred.
(Loud cheering.)
Three cheers were then given for the King, 'the House of
Peers, and the Church.