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

REPRESENTATION OF LIVERPOOL

MEETING OF ABERCROMBIE, RODNEY-STREET,
AND ST. PETER'S WARD.
On Friday evening the conservative electors of the above
wards assembled in the Music-hall for the purpose of afford-
ing an opportunity to Sir Howard Douglas of explaining his
political sentiments. The Hall was crowded to excess, and
the greatest enthusiasm and unanimity prevailed throughout.
The chair was occupied by SAMUEL HOLME, Esq., who
opened the proceedings in an able and eloquent speech.
Mr. Councillor RAE proposed the first resolution, to the
effect, that, fully cognisant as the meeting was of the princi-
ples of Sir Howard, they felt pride and pleasure in returning
him for the borough of Liverpool to parliament.
Mr. Alderman CROOKE seconded the motion, which was

passed nem. con.
Mr. Councillor Woon proposed the second resolution—
viz., that the meeting pledged itself to use all legal and con-
stitutional means to secure his return.
Mr. EDWARD Foun seconded the motion, which was also
carried unanimously.
Mr. Councillor BIRKETT proposed, and Mr. HUTCIIIN sots
seconded, the third resolution, appointing a deputation to
introduce Sir Howard to the meeting.
The deputation then retired; and in a few minutes the en-
thusiastic cheers of the audience stationed near the doors,
which were speedily re-echoed by the whole meeting, an-
nounced Sir Howard's approach. When the gallant general
had made his appearance on the platform.
The CHAIRMAN read to him the resolutions which had
been passed, prefacing each of them with suitable and com-
plimentary observations.
Sir HOWARD then presented himself to the meeting, and
was received with vehement and protracted cheering. When
silence had been restored, he spoke nearly as follows :—He
said—Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, you will first permit me
to express the great gratification I have in receiving this
communication from the hands of my excellent friend Mr.
Holme. (Hear, hear.) This is the first time he and I have
met since I came to Liverpool on the present occasion ' • and
the very great respect I entertain for your chairman leads
me sincerely to congratulate myself that he presides at this
meeting. (Cheers.) Since last I had the pleasure of seeing
my distinguished friend—l am sure he will permit me to
call him so—l have seen some battles and services ; but I
will say in all sincerity, and I am sure you will believe me
when I tell you, that on no occasion of my life, spent as it
has been between the field, the council, and elsewhere, did I
receive so much gratification as on my return now to Liver-
pool, after an absence of seven years in the service of my
country. (Loud cheers.) It is quite impossible for me to
express the gratification I feel—to express what I feel per-
sonally—at revisiting many kind friends, who ten years ago
received me with such kindness, when I was a stranger
among them. When I look back to that period, lam forced
to acknowledge that presenting myself here for the first time
without any acquaintance was a very great assumption on my
part ; but it afforded me the gratification of beginning a battle
which was then hopeless. I knew it would be so, and you
may recollect that I told you so at the time. But 1 also
knew that it would mature our forces—that it would kindle
a spirit throughout the land, and that from this place an
example would be given which would bring forth abundant
fruit in due time. (Cheers.) I came again a second time,
and then fought against less fearful odds. None of us com-
mitted any fault ; we never shrunk from any difficulty ; and
the party with whom I act bad well nigh placed me in
the representation of Liverpool; but on both occasions—
and you will remember that that was my primary object—
you secured the return of that noble and excellent lord,
whose colleague I hope soon to be; and that was my
greatest gratification, for it is well known to you all that
my anxious wish was to be his second, and never anything
beyond. (Hear, hear.) I have no regret on public grounds
that I did not succeed the second time, because you have had
the services of a most valuable and excellent member since
in Mr. Cresswell—(cheers)—and when we remember all the
circumstances together—of my having been called to serve
in another part of the world, and of my having now, after a
service for a considerable period abroad, been called upon to
serve in the situation which your late member filled so ho-
nourably and so well, I cannot but congratulate you, which
I do with all my heart and soul, on the progress which con-
servatism has made since we last assembled—on the victories
you have achieved, not only with respect to your parliamen-
tary but your municipal representation, and on the victories
you have secured for the church, that great bulwark of
Christianity. (Thunders of applause.) I think I often told
you when here before that the menaces coming on the church
had not then developed themselves, but that the government
would won begin to attack even the church itself, and that
when that attack should have been made, a spirit would be
roused which would rescue the church, and what might
remain of the constitution, from their merciless fangs.
(Hear, hear.) You have done that. (Cheers.) I have done
nothing to achieve it, having been out of the country nearly
all the time; but, if returned as your representative, I pro-
mise you that I will hold on. (Great cheers.) I will never
be a party to the promotion of every measure which may
tamper with our glorious constitution. We cannot go back
to what has been already done, and it would perhaps be vain
to wish we could ; but we shall make the best of what re-
mains, and we shall go forward. (Cheers.) Upon the
church we shall make our stand ; and here I pledge myself
to you with as strong a protestant feeling, and as firm a
protestant determination as any man, to defend the church
from all assaults, and to listen to nothing but what comes
from her friends, and to defy everything which shall
come from her foes. (" Hear, bear," and great cheer-
ing.) I shall be associated in the House of Commons
with known protectors of the church. I shall have my per-
sonal friend, Sir Robert Inglis, there ; and, though I do not
promise to second all his exertions, yet I have no hesitation
in engaging to do ail that can be done for the best interests
of the country. (Cheers.) Much has been said of church
extension. How that is to be carried out may be matter for
consideration, but that the question of church extension
should be carried I do most certainly think. (Great cheers.)
Some persons say that churches make congregations, others
that congregations make churches. If churches make con-
gregations—Protestant congregations of the Church of Eng-
land—let hundreds of them be reared. If congregations
make churches, why then Protestant congregations exist.
They call for churches, and therefore churches should be
raised. (Vehement applause.) There may be many diffi-
culties in carrying out the vinous services of the country •,
and the first difficulty which the administration that I shall
have the honour to support will have to deal, is an exhausted
treasury—the result of all the professions of peace and eco-
nomy, many ruinous little wars, and a revenue utterly defi-
cient to meet the exigencies of the state. (Hear.) This is
after ten years of whig administration, and this is the happy
inheritance they have left us to begin with. (Laughter and
cheers.) And how is this to be met? There will be some
difficulty in doing so, but something must certainly be done.
(Loud cries of " Hear, hear.") You have said that you
are satisfied with my principles, and that you consider me a
fit and proper person to be the representative of this im-
portant borough in parliament. If you are satisfied of my
principles I shall not take up a moment of your time in
repeating them. I avow a strict conformity with my prin-
ciples, and an adherence to the engagements I make that
I shall abide by them faithfully. (Hear, hear.) In sup-
port of this assertion, you may take the assurances of a long
life devoted to honourable pursuits, and unstained with any
actions that can give me remorse. (Cheers.) I hope you
may take this assurance that I will observe my promises and
act in conformity with the confidence you have reposed in
me. I know not that I have an,y thing more to say, except
with regard to the corn question, one of the most important
that now occupies the public mind. (Hear, hear.) When
speaking of the principle of protection I am fond of scientific
figures, I think they are exceedingly powerful in the eluci-
dation of any subject. I remember, when speaking of the
corn-laws upon one occasion, and the folly of withdrawing all
protection from agriculture, I was asked what I thought on
the subject. I said I thought it would be like the conduct
Of some hydraulic engineer who would open a communication
between two vast bodies of fluids without providing safety-
valves from the superior to the lower levels. In such a case
the rush of water would be such as to drown all the low land,
and to swamp the whole country under its influence. So
would it be if the principle of protection were altogether
withdrawn. (Hear, hear.) Through all the corn countries
abroad wages would be raised, land would be raised, the
prices of corn would be raised, but what would be the case
at home ? Wages would fail, agriculturists would be out of
employment, land would be out of cultivation, and a great
part of the uncultivated land would be entirely destroyed ;
and then how are the people to be provided for ? " Oh,"
say the economists, "they would become manufacturers."
But who would buy your manufactures ? " The foreigners,"
say they ; but I apprehend it would not be so. You will
recollect that I am only slightly touching on this subject ; but
in my opinion it is high time forus to look at home—to protect
our own interests—to take care we do not compromise our
own independence with respect to the article of food on such
foolish theories as these and to take care, with respect to
our navigation, that we do not compromise this country.
(Cheers.) Recollect that we have stood triumphant against
the world in arms ; and he must be blind, indeed, who does
not see symptoms of rivalry on the land, and nations prepar-
ing for rivalling us upon the sea, God forbid it may be so, but
we must be prepared for it. This is the policy for British
seamen to adopt—this the course from which this country
will never be prevented, and this will be my course, if re-
turned to parliament, steadily and firmly to pursue. (Hear.)
I have congratulated this association, as a conservative asso-
ciation, on the great progress that conservatism has made. I
speak collectively ; but as this conservative association is
made up of a great many other industrious associations, I
see a great many faces here which, if I mistake not, I have
seen before in their distinct places of meeting. I speak, I
think, to the good worthy freemen of Liverpool. (Cheers.)
I recognise many faces here who voted for me before ; and if I
go the scratch I am certain I shall see those faces where they
ought to be. (Renewed cheers. 1 think I see others here
also, perhaps a brother chip—(a laugh)—for I am a ship-
wright of Liverpool. (Hear, hear.) I was voted so by accla-
mation ten years ago at a special meeting.—Sir Howard, in
conclusion, called upon the meeting to act forbearingly to-
wards their enemies ; and assured them that before many
days their good ship would be brought in full sail into the
port of conservatism, with the royal standard of England
floating at the main. He concluded amidst the most enthu-
siastic cheering.
Major DOUGLAS, Sir Howard's son, then addressed the
meeting in support of conservative principles; after which,
thanks were returned to the chairman, and the meeting sepa-
rated.