Excerpt from Speeches of the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, M. P: Delivered at Warrington, Ormskirk, Liverpool, Southport, Newton, Leigh and Wigan, in October, 1868

Representation in this division; and you, gentlemen, who are electors and of Liberal opinions are to answer whether you will submit to this exclusion which was attempted to be enforced. Perhaps you will ask me how it was attempted, and there is no difficulty in the answer. It was not attempted to affect your Opinion or even to appeal to your prejudices. It was attempted in a manner which it is easy to understand. It was attempted by that most ingenious but frequently effectual method of clubbing together to make a long purse. That being so, the Liberal party in this division adopted such precautionary measures as appeared to be justified {or the purpose of ascertaining its sentiments, and came to the conclusion, first, that they would not submit to be excluded from the representation, and, secondly, to accept the challenge which they gave, and to seek to return to Parliament two representatives Of Liberal opinions for the county. Well, the campaign is to begin today. It is not the 12th of August, a day fatal to many Of our fellow-creatures; but it is the 12th of October, a day on which we set out for a season in which I believe our motives are at least as elevated as the motives of those who commonly take to the moor on the 12th of August, and in which, I must add, that our sport will be quite as good. We are in for it new, and we must go' through with it. I agree with the resolution which characterises the men of England, and, not least, the men of Lancashire. We ought to consider questions of public interest with a determination in no instance wilfully to misconstrue our adversaries' intentions or their acts, but with a firm determination to beat them if we can. The war to be carried on this evening is a war of argument, and I rejoice to think that we have arrived at a period when the masses of the people of this country are supplied, through the inestimable machinery of the daily press, and, above all, of the cheap press, with the means of bringing an enlightened judgment to bear upon questions of public interest and policy. I cannot depart from this subject without Observing that the establishment of the cheap press was not secured without a struggle, and that we who stand here upon this platform are the representatives in our humble sphere of those who procured for the people that inestimable benefit. It was, gentlemen, by many efforts in the front both Of enemies and of half-hearted friends; it was in the front, I am sorry to say, of the misguided action Of'the hereditary branch Of the Legislature, that those of us who were determined to set free the press of this country, persevered in our purpose, and obtained for the country the enormous advantage which they now derive from having brought to their doors from day to day information upon public affairs, which, although it is not in every instance infallible, yet contains within itself the secret and means of the cure of this defect, because it is, though not infallible, yet free; and the errors of Opinion which proceed from one quarter are corrected by the more just judgment of another. Well, gentle men, that is the footing upon which we meet, so far as regards your means of information; and we meet likewise, as I am rejoiced to think, upon a ground in which the borough franchise to a very large extent, and in which the county franchise to some considerable extent, now stands upon a basis wider than that upon which it stood when I last had the honour to submit my claims to the constituency of Lancashire. Gentlemen, it would not be unnatural if I were to presume to detain you upon the subject of the im portant change which has occurred in our Parliamentary constitution. It.