The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-02-08 00:00:00

LIME-STREET AND ST. ANNE'S WARDS

The same evening the electors of Lime-street and St.
Anne's Wards met Sir Howard in the large room of the
York Hotel, which was completely filled.
JAMES PARKER, Esq., one of the councillors of St.
Anne's Wards, was unanimously called to the chair, and the
several resolutions were moved and seconded by Mr. J. B.
Lloyd, Mr. John Kilshaw, Dr. Gouthwaite, and Mr. Ho'.
den. All of them were unanimously carried.
Sir HOWARD DOUGLAS having been introduced to the
meeting, spoke nearly as follows i—Gentlemen, I am deeply
sensible and inexpressibly gratified at the terms in which
your chairman has presented me to you on this occasion, be-
cause he has introduced me as your .old and tried friend.
(Cheers.) I look back with inexpressible gratification to
the time when we first became acquainted. It is now ten
years since those struggles commenced— at least those
struggles with which I was connected, by your solicitation,
for the safety of the protestant monarchy, and the glorious
constitution in this country in church and state. (Cheers.)
And I engaged in that struggle with the greatest prompti-
tude, because I knew that I was connecting myself with
spirits that would never desert the cause. I knew that I was
connecting myself with a strong political phalanx that would
yet achieve a victory over those who attacked the political
constitution. I knew that there was a protestant feeling
here which would raise a tone and produce a spirit through-
out every part of protestant England where the church would
be attacked, as attacked I knew it would be, for the attempts
were insidious. At first the attacks were levelled at the po-
litical constitution, and I allied myself with the conservatives
of this place because I was perfectly certain that, though the
struggle might be long, the victory would be signal. (Hear)
And it was that that gave me a consistency of purpose from
which 1 never deviated, and which you carried on to the
most glorious and triumphant results. (Hear, hear.) I came
forward a second time at the solicitation of the conservatives
of this place, and then I saw that the spirit was kindling and
diffusing itself widely throughout the land, and 1 was sure
that the constitution, with the exception of the few inroads
which have been made, and that the church—the glorious
and protestant church—was safe from all dangers. (Great
applause.) I have since then been employed for nearly seven
years out of the country in the service of my sovereign; but
1 hope there is no mistake here. Parties who look to me and
are pleased to repose in me their confidence, should be well
informed my of every part of life, of every thought, and of
every action, to be sure that I never deviated from the course
I took in their service. The service I took on me I took

under a conservative ministry. I went abroad under them,
and when that ministry was changed, I did not desire to re-
main. I felt all the difficulty of the position in which I was
placed, lest, that serving under a whig government, I might

give ground for some surmise that it was got by some defec-
tion or tampering upon my part ; but I am bound to say that
that government listened to my recommendations, and that
they adopted the policy I recommended for the government
of the colony over which I was placed. (Hear, hear.) It
is due to them to say that they supported we throughout in
the principles upon which I had set out, that I acted through-
out consistently, and that I mime home, having acquired for
my services the thanks of the whip; government, and having
gained the confidence of the government that appointed me, for
having acted without committing myself; for I need scarcely
say, that had I made the least trip, it might have afforded a pre-
text to the late government for putting a whig in my place.
I was, therefore cautious—l was careful—l took my own
views—l propounded them—the v:hig government believed
me to be an honest man, and here I am, agreed, certainly,
with the late government in lonian policy, for that was my
own, but prepared to attack them on every other part of their
policy whatever it may be. (" Hear, hear," and long con-
tinued cheering.) Your resolutions proceed on a conviction
of what my principles are—that you are satisfied with them,
and that the declarations I made on my former visits here
render any further declaration of them unnecessary. I shall
not, therefore, speak of them, but simply say that my con-
duct shall be most strictly observed, and that I shall zealous-
ly devote myself to the interests, local and general, of this
great emporium of the British empire, and to the promotion
of all the branches of industry by which the gentlemen I see
in their various professional avocations are engaged, and by
which they live. (Cheers.) I would particularly mention
the interests of this great port.. The agricultural interests
of the empire I will certainly protect by applying the prin-
ciple of protection in such a way as is due to that great in-
terest, the independence of the country, and so essential an
article of consumption as its food. (Hear, hear, hear.) I
hope that that principle of protection may be combined
with such a revision of the degrees of protection as
will afford safety and security to all without inflicting an
injury on the empire, but consulting all the interests of the
state, whether they be the agricultural, the commercial, or the
trading interests, and then applying such protection as may be
sufficient to maintain a good principle for each severally, but
not to carry that so far as not to be generally advantageous to
the whole. I have nothing further to add. I have repeated
my discourse so frequently that I have to apologise for de-
taining you so long. (No, no.) Besides, I must confess, that
having spent seven years in a pure, fine atmosphere, I do not
find the climate of England so pure as I once did, and for that
reason, I may shorten my discourse. Allow me to say in
conclusion, that it will be my pleasure, my greatest desire, to
co-operate with the noble lord whom I hope soon to call toy
colleague—he, my leader, and I, his second. (Cheers.) I
feel that I am most peculiarly fortunate in being placed in
the House of Commons as the second of such a man, from
whom I may acquire some portion at least of that unwearied
zeal, that great ability, that statesmanlike sagacity which he
applies to all the business he conducts for you in that house.
(Great cheers.) And I pray that God will make as remote as
possible that event which must come at some time, and which
will deprive you of his services ; and I hope should
I live to such a period, that I shall then be in a state
more capable to take a lead in your business. (Hear.) I
feel, also, all the disadvantage of comity, into the representa-
tion of Liverpool as the successor of that learned gentleman
whose elevation to the bench has caused the present vacancy.
I shall endeavour to make up for the loss you have sustained
in Mr. Cresswell as far as I can ; but there is one part of
the loss which in my person will be irreparable—l allude to
the legal knowledge he pbssesses, and which no doubt must
have been often useful to his noble colleague. (Hear.) Hav-
ing said thus much I beg leave to close this discourse, again
offering you my sincere and cordial congratulations on the
glorious triumph conservatism has achieved both in your
municipal and parliamentary representation, and exhorting
you to remember that you brought yourselves to your present
position by union. (Hear.) Permit me to express my
prayer that that united phalanx at the head of which I
hope soon to see myself placed, and which will have an over-
whelming majority, should any one be rash enough to oppose
me, will keep united if they mean to be strong, and that that
union may be consolidated here and elsewhere throughout
the empire ! (Cheers.) I hope we shall have no opposition ;
I hope we shall do nothing to provoke it by anything indis-
creet in expression or bearing. (Hear, hear.) I hope we
shall carry our triumphs gracefully and moderately ; but I
hope that whenever any opposition may come, you will do,
as I know by experience you can do, and that you will be-
lieve that I shall be prepared to do all that depends on me
as I have done in other quarters of the world. The gallant
general resumed his seat amid great applause.
The meeting then separated.