The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-10-18 00:00:00

MEETING OF'MR. WRIGHT'S FRIENDS.

On Tuesday a public meeting of the friends Of'Mr. Alderman
Wright was held in the large room, Golden Lion,.to consider
of the. steps requisite for securing his election to the office of
mat'oi• for the ensuing
.year. James Ackers, Esq., having been
called to the chair, briefly opened the business of the meeting,
after which,
Mr, SAMUEL Ilousix, jun. rose to propose a resolution to the
following effect:--" That this meeting,. entertaining the highest
sense . of the character and pnblic services of Alderman
Wright, Esq., considers him a W, and proper person to serve
the office of mayor of this boron it fur the year ensuing." He
had great satisfaction in propolling this resolution, from the
oplia nullities he had had of knowing the claims of Mr. Wright to
the services of his fellow-townsmen. He had been present with
hiM i
Loudon, and had witnessed the zeal, the intelligence,
and the spirit with which he combatted the attempts of a disap-
pointed party to deprive his fellow-burgesses of their birth-
right, (hear, hear,) and he therefore considered him a fit and
proper person to fill the office of chief magistrate, because his
former . conduct would be a pledge for the future. (Cheers.)
It was not his desire to say a single word that might cause au
acrimonious feeling, but he certainly did think that it became
those who refused to forgive never to sin. (Loud cheers.) And
while he allowed that it would be unreasonable to expect that
there should not exist some animosity in the minds of the bur-
gesses of the town, it was his wish that they would dismiss from
their thoughts, on the present occasion, all considerations of
that nature,_ and remember that to forgive an injury was the
noblest kind of revenge. (Applause.) Ile would also throw
out a hint to his brother-burgesses of the propriety of resisting
all temptations to intoxication, and to go up unitedly, freely,
and firmly to the hustings, to tender their votes for Mr. Wright.
(A person at the end of the room here showed some symptoms
of opposition, which he persisted in through the remainder of
the proceedings: the drift of his hostility seemed to he that
" He would have a poll," "He would not vote for Mr. Wright,"
"He wanted an opposition," &c.) In conclusion, Mr. Holme
trusted the freemen would show, by their conduct on this occa-
sion, that they were not the degenerate set which the calumnia-
tions of some would represent them, (cheers,) and that they
justly and fully estimated the value of the freemen's birthright.
(Loud cheers.)
Mr. ROBERT RUSSELL seconded the motion. He entirely
concurred in the sentiments expressed by Mr. Holme, that Mr.
Alderman Wright was in every respect qualified to fill the
office in which it was their desire to place him. From his pre-
vious experience, and the difficulties which might be expected
to attend the performance of the duties for the ensuing year,
there was no other person whom they could consider more suit-
able. He had only further to observe;—(the disturbance was
here renewed, and the chairman with some difficulty obtained
silence.) He was going to have mentioned that the person who
seemed so anxious to be heard would be willingly allowed an
oPportunity when it carne to his turn. The fact was, that on
the present .deca.sionthe wholematter would he left in the hands.
of the freemen. The:election would be their own spontaneous
act, without money, drink, or any other extraneous aid; being,
brought into action: their chief magistrate would be purely of
their own selection, and to that de.cisiou he thought they might
safely leave the claims of Mr. Wright.
A freeman in front of the chairman here rose and begged to
deliver himself of a miserable quibble upon the name of Mr.
Wright, which he did with all self•complacency, and then sat
down.
JOHN ALLEN, another freeman, who appeared, from the
quality and fragrance of his speech, to have beets showing more
respect to the health of the future mayor than to his own, also
stood up, and gave utterance to..something which might .have
been a very fine oration, if the ill-nature of the meeting, and
the determination of his companions either to put or to pull him
down, had not deprived it of its due effect. Mr. Allen was pro-
ceeding, when the chairman felt compelled to interfere, and
the friends of the speaker, according to their own expressions,
thinking that he was.exposing himself somewhat too much, en-
deavoured by main force to remove him : he resisted manfully
for some time, but was at' length induced to put up his elo-
quence, and carry it with him to the rear.
The CHAIRMAN then put the resolution, which was carried
unanimously, amidst loud cheers.
Mr. Itlctin. Da wsoisi moved the next resolution, that the
meeting pledged itself to use every means within its power to
secure the election of Mr. 'Wright. And he hoped the town
would do itself honour by complying with that resolution.
Mr. `GEORGE GREEN seconded the motion. Though they
could not but lament the interruption which had taken place, yet
it gave them a still stronger'reason for calling upon the freemen
to support Mr. Wright. (Hear.) Who had earned so well as
he had the title of 'the freeman's friend? (Cheers.) He had
been ever known for his exertions in their cause, and those
exertions had never been so devoted or so conspicuous as at the
moment of their greatest need, In choosing him they would
choose a man whose character would be worthy of the dignity,
whose prineiples were proof' against the contamination of a
faction that laboured not to build but to destroy,—who, if they
could, would see every institution of the countrytrampled under
foot, to make way for new-fangled theories, and crude, delusive
inventions, that were proved not to work. (Loud applause.)
The institutions of this country were a large and complicated
machinery--,--wheel within wheel—and he was willing to admit
that that machinery might perhalis act none the worse for some
alterations which had lately been made in it ;—but were those
alterations never to have an end ? Was the progress of revo-
lution to go on unchecked? (Hear, hear, and loud cheers.)
And were false accusations to be,l;rought against a body of
men, and he who clared to lift up his hand against it to be
calumniated, and charged with fostering corruption? (Cheers.)
Mr. Wright had defended the privileges of the burgesses and
they would not now refuse to exert those privileges in his be-
half. (" 'We will.") Having already shown his zeal in pre-
serving their rights; he was the most proper person to be
entrusted with,the keeping of them. (Cheers.) There was no
reason to fear a contest, but, if it 'should be the case, be trusted
they would all be ready and firm; and above all recollect that much
depended upon their conduct. Of late, lie fearlessly stated that
it had been exemplary, and be entreated them not to give their
enemies an opportunity,to say that they had in any way mis-
conducted themselves since those occurrences, which ought to
have been buried in oblivion. (Cheers.) He agreed most
cordially with the resolution, and had no doubt it would be
unanimously adopted by the meeting.
The resolntion.wgs then gaulecl by acclamation, and, on the
motion of IVIe. W: C. MOlineux; seconded .4 Mr. Wm. Statham,
a committee was appointed, consisting of fifty-one gentlemen,
with power to add to their number.
The thanks of the meeting were then voted to the chairman,
who briefly returned thanks, and proposed three cheers for Mr.
Wright, Which were given with great enthusiasm, and the meet-
mg quietly dispersed.