The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-10-07 00:00:00

WARD MEETINGS

ST. PETER'S WARD

A crowded and enthusiastic meeting of the burgesses of
St. Peter's Ward was held in the Music-hall, Bold-street,
on Wednesday evening, for the purpose of receiving from
Samuel Holrue, Esq., who had accepted a requisition inviting
him to become a candidate for the representation of the ward
at the ensuing municipal eleetion, an exposition of his senti-
ments. The place was completely thronged. On the plat-
form we observed a numerous body of members of the
council, including Mr. E. Rae, Mr. Birkett, Mr. Bromley-
Moore, Mr. Sands, Mr. J. B. Lloyd, Mr. Bushell, Mr
Parker, and Mr. Isaac Holmes. We also observed Mr. E
G. Deine, Mr. I. 0. Bold, Mr. Shepherd, Mr. Dover, Mr
Frodsham, Mr. Matthews, and many
servatives

her influential eon-

On the motion of Mr. HoDSON. EbenezA- Rae, Esq
one•of the representatives of St. Peter
mously called upon to take the chair

Ward, was unani -

The CHAIRMAN, after a few appropriate introductory ob-
servations, said, that the object of the meeting was to intro-
duce to the conservative electors of the ward, as a candidate
for their suffrages, that highly talented and popular indivi-
dual, Samuel Holme, Esq.,—(cheers,)—who had accepted a
requisition inviting him to come forward ; and they had
assembled with a determination to adopt ample and honour-
able means of returning him as one of their representatives
to the council. (Cheers.) Mr. Holme's qualifications for
a seat in the Town Council were of the highest order ; but
this was a subject which he would leave in the hands of those
gentlemen who were about to take part in the business of the
evening, and who would do more ample justice to his merits
than he (the chairman) was able. Ile would therefore con-
clude by calling upon those who had votes to go early to the
poll on the day of election, and tender their votes freely and
without solicitation-. (Hear.) Those who had no votes lie
should be happy to see assisting in the election ; so that in
case of an opposition, the conservative candidate might be
returned by a triumphant majority. (Cheers.) At the last
election they fought a noble battle, and gained a glorious
conquest (hear, hear) ; they then beat their opponents upon
their own ground ; they took from theta their boasted " rock
of Gibraltar ;" which, continued the Chairman, we intend to

keep. (Great appladse.) Gentlemen, should they again
venture to give us battle, upon the Ist of next month, 1 will
venture to predict they will receive such a beating as they

are ill prepared to expect. (Loud cheers.)
Mr. BIRKETT then came forward amidst great cheering.
He said he considered it a very high honour to have been
selected, by his brother burgesses of this ward, to propose
the first resolution, a resolution which embraced two distinct
propositions, to both of which he could give, and he trusted
the meeting would give, his most cordial approbation.
(Hear, hear.) The resolution said, " That this meeting con-
siders it to be the bounden duty of the electors to return to
the council men whose loyalty and attachment to the institu-
tions of the country are unquestionable, and whose local

knowledge will prove useful in the management of our muni-
cipal affairs." (Cheers.) The first part of this proposition
was the most important; and if ever there was a time when
parties were required to come forward and express their
opinions, now was that time ; for although we had been for
the last few years fighting to put in a conservative govern-
ment, he was extremely sorry to say they had not, in the
matter of education, done that which as guardians of a
Christian land they ought to have done. (Cheers.) It was
monstrous and lamentable to think how the last generation
had neglected their duty, alike to their maker, themselves,
and their children. (Hear, hear.) The population had been
largely increased, especially in the manufacturing towns ;
whilst little or no provision was made by them for the reli-
gious instruction of the rising generation. (Hear, hear.)
Within the last few years, this state of things had been en-
deavoured to be remedied ; but the evil had got too great a
head to be suddenly put a check to; and it was his deliberate
opinion, that the great fault of the age was this—not pro-
viding churches and schools in which children of the poor
might be brought up in the nurture and admonition of the
Lord. This was one reason why they were called upon, as
they had that day been in the Town-council, for the erection
of another gaol here, and also why a large number of gaols
were in course of erection throughout the land. (Hear.)
He thought, then, they would agree with the former part of
the resolution, that it was their bounden duty to return to the
council, at this crisis, men whose loyalty and attachment to
the institutions of the country was unquestionable, and men
who not only feared God, but honoured the Queen. (Cheers.)
Having disposed of this, the weightier matter, he .came to
the lesser, in which, as far as regarded the interests of the
town, they were very much concerned. In this, they should
also support the principle, that it was their bounden duty to
select a man to represent them in the Town-council whose
local knowledge might prove useful in the management of
the municipal affairs of this great town. He need say no
more than this. These two propositions were self-evident;
and knowing their devoted loyalty, from •the result of the
last election, he was quite certain that " every man would
do his duty." (Loud cheers.)
Mr. JAMES MATTHEWS, in seconding the resolution,
thought it right to say that he cordially concurred in the ob-
servations which had fallen from the mover, with regard to
the important subject of education. (Cheers.) The Town-
council had done themselves exceeding honour by boldly re-
turning to Protestant principles, and oy turning the national
system out of doors. (Hear.) The times in which we lived
were times in which there should be no turning, no vascilla•
tion whatever, but a bold uncompromising declaration of
principle, and a practical carrying out of the same—(cheers)
—and having said this much with reference to the subject of
education, he would advert to the eet.eral nature of the reso-
lution in his hand. He took it to be a natural consequence,
that if they were to return mew of unquestionable loyalty and
attachment to the institutions of the country, the institutions
of the country were institutions of value, that we possessed
a constitution unrivalled in the world, a constitution which
had been the glory of our own beloved land, the envy and
admiration of the nations—a constitution not of the mere
mushroom growth of yesterday, but rather the gathered wis-
dom of a thousand years—(cheers)—a constitution under
which every man in the country sat as under his own vine
and his own fig tree, none making hint afraid—a constitution
under whose protecting power a man in the humblest station
might rise to the bighest office in the state—a constitution
which had done itself redoubled honour in casting the ./Eeis
of its protection round the acknowledgment of religious
principle, and had been found standing boldly forward to
uphold our beloved church, a church which had been instru-
mental in preserving the liberties of the subject, and at the
same time extending a peaceful toleration to all those who
can not in conscience conform to her outward discipline. If
this were the constitution of the land, it was right that we
should have proper guardians of that constitution, and not
send in false friends, or men who under the garb of liberal-
ism were doing all in their power to overturn her. (Cheers.)
It was then a matter of deep moment to be found ready to
do their duty ; and as communities made up a nation, it was
right that the constituent parts of those communities should
be of the right sort. If we had soundness of limb, we ran a
fair chance of having a sound body. (Hear.) Let them then
show that they had a sound body by doing then duty in the
same way as they did it in the last election of 1841, when by
untiring energy, by patriotic zeal, and by a firm determina-
tion not to be defeated in their purpose, they overthrew the
enemy in what they considered their strong-hold, forcing them
from the Gibraltar of pseudo liberalism. (Hear.) Under the
conviction that it was their bounden duty thus to come for-
ward in the spirit of men ready to do their duty, he, humble
as he was, had responded to the call made upon him to
second the resolution. (Hear.) He called npon them to be
firm, determined, and united among themselves. Let not
petty differences or bickerings disturb the harmony of their
purpose; let them agree to differ in minor points only, re-
membering that when bad men combined, good men
must unite in order to keep the enemy from them. Let
them go forward upon the broad principle of Protestantism,
not being ashamed to confess their faith in this respect, and
not minding the canting liberalism of the day which talked
so much about " bigotry." The only construction he could
put upon statements of that sort was, that the men who talked
so much about liberalism knew nothing about it. (Cheers.)
He need hardly add that it was also important to have in the
council a man acquainted with the local circumstances of the
place he was called upon to represent. Mr. Matthews then
briefly noticed the superior claims in this respect of Mr.
Holme, and concluded by seconding the motion, which was
unanimously carried.
Mr. THOMPSON moved the next resolution, which stated,
that Mr. Holme, from his long connection with this, his
native ward, his well-known conservative opinions, ane his
extensive local knowledge, was a fit and proper person to
represent St. Peter's ward in the Town Council. After a
short eulogium upon the eminent merits of Mr. Holme, Mr.
Thompson stated, that with the assistance of the gallant
troops which not only assaulted but took Gibraltar last year,
their present candidate would be returned by a triumphant
majority. (Cheers.)
Mr. A. SMITH, jun., seconded the resolution. Having
paid some compliments to the private character and public
conduct of the chairman, Mr. Smith said, that as an elector
of the ward, he should have the greatest pleasure in voting
for the election of his excellent friend Mr. Holme, whom he
had long known and respected as a man and a citizen. He
did not know any person in Liverpool better calculated to
fill the situation of a member of the council than Mr. Holme.
His great ability, his vast knowledge of every thing con-
nected with the interests of the town, and his practical ex-
perience would be invaluable in the council; and be (Mr.
Smith) should be astonished indeed if any opposition were
offered to him. (Cheers.) He wondered who in the world
would dare to face him ! The resolution was unanimously
adopted.
A deputation, consisting of Messrs. Clarke, Leatherbar-
row, and Clapham was then appointed to communicate the
resolutions to Mr. Holme, and to introduce him to the meet-
ing. The appearance of Mr. Holme, with the deputation,
was the signal for a most enthusiastic burst of cheers.
Mr. HOLMES proceeded to the front of the platform, and
spoke as follows :—Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, I can
assure you that had I consulted my own feelings and inclina-
tions I should have stood before you to-night rather as the
proposer or seconder of some fit and proper person to re-
present this ward in our municipal council, than in the
onerous and somewhat responsible situation of being myself
a candidate for your suffrages. I have resisted various soli-
citations from influential persons in this and other wards to
permit my humble name to be put in nomination, and I have
been charged with dereliction of duty in consequence of my
repeated refusals ; but the time has at length arrived when I
can state the reasons for having declined the kind invitations
which have been forwarded to me ; and I am convinced that
when you hear my reasons you will give me credit for since-
rity in acting as I have hitherto done. (Loud cheers.) Many
who hear me are aware that my avocations have been nume-
rous, compelling me to rise early and late take rest ; and that
I have had few opportunities either for mental improvement,
or for the enjoyment of that social and domestic comfort,
which was otherwise within my reach. My physical exer-
tion has been for years as much as my frame could bear ;
and a regard for those who are dear to me has been ona
reason why I did not feel justified in adding to my life con-
suming exertions. In addition to this, you my fellow-
tradesmen, did me the honour of placing me in the respon-
sible position of Chairman of your Conservative Association,
which, at one period, occupied mach of my time, and in-
volved me in an extended correspondence ; and that I might
stand in an independent position, identified as I was with
an association which commanded considerable moral a's well
as political influence, it became me to take care that no man
should be able to charge me with sinister or ambitious
motives in occupying that chair—(hear, hear); and J felt
desirous of holding in stern defiance any opinion, by whom-
soever formed, that I was actuated by any other motive
than love for our common country and her admirable insti-
tutions, while I was the organ of that association, which I
would fain persuade myself was of some service. (Loud
cheers.) But, gentlemen, I am no longer its chairman ;
and the repugnance I then felt at holding any other office
in commendam, no longer exists ; and as I have often avow-
ed the opinion, that no man ought to enjoy the blessings of
civil liberty without devoting some portion
i of his time to
the good of others, both as a public duty and n token of his
gratitude for the personal benefits which he enjoys under the
protecting wing of the British constitution : so, in accord-
ance with my often expressed sentiments, and now feeling
myself unfettered, I have considered it to be my duty to
accede to the requisition which has been presented to Tee,
and to the opinions of many friends to whose judgment I am
bound to defer, and I now place myself entirely and unre-
servedly in your hands. It has been often asserted that
mere political associations are abstractedly speaking, an
evil; that they are justified only by stern necessity; and
they can only flourish in periods of excitement and of danger.