The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1896-10-24 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

ARGYLE WARD CONSERVATIVE CLUB.  Mr. Elliott Leee,M.P.,on Tuesday even ing,continued his tour. He was accompanied by Mrs. Lees, who, before leaving their residence in Hamilton-square, was presented in the name of Mr. W. L. Morris and Mr. E. G. Mason, on behalf of the Cleveland Ward Conservative Club and War k: Committee with a mapifioent bouquet of choice roses. The first club visited by the hon. member and Mrs. Lees was that in Argyle-street, belonging to the Argyle Ward Conservatives. Here there was a very large and enthusiastic gathering of members, whoaccorded Mr. and Mrs. Lees a hearty welcome. The genial chairman (D-. Cornwall) presided over the proceedings, and among those present were Mrs. Cornwall, Aldermen Getley and Shaw, Messrs. R. Rowland Hughes, E. Denman, R. D. i'mncis, J. Boffey, Helsel!, G. G. Davies, J. T. Hudson, A. Birkett, George Edwards, W. J. Newton, James Murphy, J. J. Elliott, J. H. Robinson, A. Bloom, J. Leeming, R. J. Aitken, W. J. Milton, J. D. Williams, Henry Thompson, E. Hancock, and a number of ladies. Dr. Cornwall accorded to the hon. member and and Mrs. Lees a hearty welcome to the Argyle Club. Referring to the Armenian question, he said they found the ancient prophet was on the warpath again, but, to his mind, he would be better at home, as be could not understand the man who left Gordon to his fate displaying [so great anxiety for the Armenians. They had parliamentary leaders at present to whom they were perfectly safe to leave the affairs of the country, and it was their duty in no way to hamper them. They all deplored that such things were going on, but they could not afford to commit national suicide. (Hear, hear.) With regard to their member, he had done well for the bmough of Birken. head, and as a local citizen he had been a success in every way. There was nothing of a local character he had not been associated with, and h had done everything in his power to push forward the interests of the borough. (Applause.) Mr. Lees, who was received with loud applause, said although they might be along way off an election, still it was necessary that they should keep their armour bright, and their weapons in good order,or the next election might find them not so well able to maintain the victory they won last year. Soltenoig an as they had such excellent chairman and o leader, he knew there was no fear of Argyle Ward. (Applause.) In politics there was not so much doing at present. They were all amused on the previous day to read that somebody had been playing a hoax on Sir William Harcourt, and that it was not correct he had described the late leader of the Liberal party as "an amiable and distinguished colleague." He (Mr. Lees) would rather like to know the term in which Sir William would havedescribed Lord Rosebery, if he put pen to paper. (Hear, hear.) The Conservatives found themselves in for a long spell of power, and he only hoped they would be able so to conduct themselves that the country would say that they had deserved to enjoy it, and would return the party to office st the next appeal, Mr. Gladstone's letter en the Armenian question, published that day, appeared to somewhat contradict the speech he made in Virve?, pool recently. In his letter Mr. Gladstone laid down a proposition which he (Mr. Lees) thought went against what he said at Liverpool. He said in the letter, "To ad vertiee beforehand in the ears of the Great Assassin that our action will, under all circumstances, be kept down to what the most backward of the six may think sufficient, appears to me, after the experience we have had, to be an abandonment alike of duty and of prudence." Unless he entirely misread the Liverpool speech, what he there proposed for the policy of England was that they should withdraw their Am. baasador, that they should then proceed to threaten the Turks with force, but if they found the powers ot Europe would sot assent to their using force, they were to withdraw, and wash their hands of the whole concern. He (Mr. Lees) did not know how they could describe that except to advertise to the Great Assassin that England would be ready to do what the six powers desired. It seemed to him that Mr. Gladstone diametrically opposed himself in that letter. At present there was no question of great political importance before them, but he hoped they would be able to fulfil some more of their pledges in the next session as they did in the last. (Hear, hear.) Their policy was in the hands of wise and able statesmen, to whom they could .safely trust all their interests. (Applause.) Mr. E. Denman proposed a vote of thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Lees, which was supported by, Mr. R. Rowland Hughes, and approved with acclamation. A vote of thanks to the chairman, proposed by Alderman Shaw and seconded by Mr. R. D. Francis, terminated the proceedings. Mr. and Mrs. Lem subsequently visited the Trail. mere Conservative Club, where they were received with unbounded enthusiasm by a large gathering of members.