POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE. [From the Home News, Sept. 24.]

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 781, 26 January 1853, Page 4

POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE. [From the Home News, Sept. 24.]

Several dinners and meetings hava taken place in the provinces, consequent upon the General Election, or having reference to the present state ofuparties, and indicating upon the whole the nature of the movements in progress towards the opening of Parliament. That the agricultnral and conseivative mind still loAks for some compensttion for the lots of protection is evident at every gathering of the supporters ofGovernment. At Newcastle a dinner was given to Mr, H. G. Liddell, one of the members for South Northumberland, by the Conservatives of the division. There was great enthusiasm, and in the coarse of his speech Mr. Liddell stated the gronnd of his reliance on the present ministry. He said that he went to Parliament convinced that great reforms were needed in our financial system, and it was only in such reforms that relief could be looked for by those interests which had suffered by recent changes In our legislation. But he had the greatest confidence in that great Ministerial seer who had already conjured up the vision of a financial system, which, though still looming in distant obscurity, would ultimately merge in a substantial budget ; a budget which would at once provide for the necessities of the nation and give relief where relief was due. Other Governments had acknowledged the existence of great distress, bnt it was reserved for the present Government to relieve it. These anticipations were received with the loudest cheers by the audience. Mr. Ord, the late liberal member for Newcaa-tle-upon-Tyne, has also received an ovation from bis former constituents, accompanied by two leaders of bis party. They dined some two or three hundred strong, and the proceedings were animated by the utmost hilarity and confidence in the future. As every sentence referring to the reform and the progress of the last 50 years, daring which Mr. Ord sat in the House of Com-

mom, fell from the lips of the speakers, the loadest cheers ascended to the roof of theAssemblyroom. W hen Lord Grey declared that " no measure demanded by the majority of intelligent and welleducated men can be long refused, and no measure to which they object has a chance of being carried, " the thunders of applause" that followed bis words are described by reporters to hare been "tremendous." The Earl of Carlisle elicited hearty hughtcr and applause by assuring the meeting tbat Wbiggism was still alive and merry. " I have heard it said," observed his lordship, " that the Whigs, as a political party, were extinguished, annihilated, done for, smashed ; and tbat Whiggism as a political creed, was repudiated, spat npoo, dead and buried. (Laughter.) All I can say, if this is true, is that I have saen marvellous instances of political resurrection and political rejuvenescence. (Cheers and laughter.) Nay more ; even now, when the Whig leaders have been removed from office — when we are enduring the sway of a Tory and Protectionist, and perhaps more in will than in power, a reactionary administration — I feel convinced in my own mind tbat the old Whig principle is still fall of youthful sap and vigour, and tbat, like the oak on Mount Algidus, it will continue to gather resources and vigour from each descending stroke. The party may bt out of place ; their chieftains msy be out of power ; they may no longer be on the sunny side of the street, If men choose to think so j but 1 do feel in my own mind assured that their opinions and principles will still pervade the conduct of public affairs, marshojlling the march of Imperial Government." Hera the cheering was Tociferons. There were 7 members pf Parliament present, and the young Earl of- Durham, who said that be attended to show reapect to an old friend of bis father, and the liberal principles he had advocated. Mr. Robert Owen, the socialist, has announced himself a candidate for Oldbam. It is stated that a Mr. Henry James Porteoua Oaks will be the Derbyite candidate for Bury St. Edmund's, the seat vacated by Mr. Stuart, just raised to the Vice-Chancellorship. Some serious rioting has taken place at Oldham between the partizana of Mr. Fox, the Radical candidate, and Mr. Heald who stands on the Tory interest. Both parties formed processions, and meeting in a field, a violent affray ensued. The contest is likely to be a very severe one.