The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-02-17 00:00:00

SPECIAL MitETING OP THE TOWN COUNCIL A special meeting of the Town Council was held on Wed nesday, in the Town-hall, for the purpose of considering the heads of a bill proposed by the Fire Committee to be intro• thwed into parliament during the present session, for tb prevention of fires ; a motion by Mr. blishinent of a steamer to be used in case of distress at sea ; and a motion by Mr. Birkett for providing a remedy for certain inconveniences in the case of surcharges to the The MAYOR presided. North for the esta- income-tax PREVENTION OF FIRES —PROPOSED PARLIAMENTARY DIL. Sir Taos. BRANCKER said this special council bad been summoned at the request of the Special Committee on Fires, not for the purpose of giving any detail of their proceedings, but because, if they were to go to parliament at all this ses sion, it was necessary they should present their petition to the House of Commons in a very few days. " had drawn up a report in general terms, merely the council to give them authority to take the of introducing a bill, for it to be read the first time. - bill would afterwards be laid before the council; and at pre sent he did not know that more than five minutes need be taken in reading the committee's report, and in det- What step to take. He would conclude by sayin, eotnmittee did not call upon the council to pledge t, to the proposed measure, or to incur any serious ex Mr. HottivnY inquired whether the committee ha , eeedings to produce? If they had, it would be d' them to be read before the intended bill was ward. committee fling upon !rmilling that the ,ereby property ro proved. first reading. Mr. Alderman EARLE.—Then there was the more reason why they should go on. He would remark, after what they had beard to-day, that it would be a very sensible thing to bring in a bill, for placing the paving of the streets in the council, instead of there being two separate bodies. That would be good common sense. They had heard enough to day to see what an absurdity it was to have two bodies work ing in that way, and the Town-clerk would tell the council so. too • and, moreover, if th e y were separate d the streets would be better paved. (Hear, hear.) Mr. PROCTER wished for a little more information from Sir Thomas Brancker. He had said that it was intended to give the Highway Board the whole control of the water? Sir Twos. BRANCKER.—Yes ; they have the control of the pipes. Mr. PROCTER replied that the Watch Committee would not be satisfied with that. Mr. Alderman EARLE feared that, with the Watch Com mittee against it, the public would suffer. Mr. H ODGSON said, the fact of the committee having had so many points to settle had made it difficult for them •.. come to a conclusion so as to enable them to offer the details of the measure to the council in time for the present session. It was only just now that they had been able to arrange the parts which each body should take; and though it might not be thought that one body should take the paving of the streets as well as the management of the water, yet if that was opened as a matter of conflict now, it was clear the council would not be able to obtain the remedy which they sought. The question was, whether the council were prepared to take upon themselves the responsibility—merely for the purpose of delay, and for getting information which, after all, was distinctly promised before the second reading of the bill —of throwing aside the whole of the scheme for another year. They would not only expose themselves to the unfavourable comment which circumstances that might possibly arise would justly bring down upon them ; but did they not know that the feeling now abroad, which would enable them to accomplish this which was so desirable, might cool, and that they might find next year that they could not get on? The arrangement was now made, and if they tried to upset it by voting (for it was clear there must be a vote), the object would be upset; and the object was so great, that he was not afraid of its being Carried with the utmost harmony. As soon as the bill bad passed the first reading, all the details would be made the subject of discussion, just as if it had never been undertaken ; and the expense, he believed, was so trifling, that they would all be ashamed of making that a subject of discussion, even for the purpose of delay. Mr. PARKER contended that more information was re quired before proceeding to a decision. It was true un doubtedly that there had been communications between the Fire Committee and the Highway Board, but no plan had yet been laid down to enable the council to judge of the merits of the bill ; and he was of opinion that before going to parliament at all every detail should be produced. From the information of a practical man, he begged to say that the fire in Crompton -street could not have been better managed than it was; and as to that in Greenland-street, it was a po sitive fact that the more water there was thrown upon it the more it blazed. (Laughter.) Mr. PLATT said, so tar from that being the Case, no water could be got there for more than half an hour after the fire was discovered. (Hear.) Mr. PARKER was satisfied that all the acts of parliament in the world would never remedy the evil. Besides, when ever they went to parliament, the burden fell upon the inhabitants. It was for the benefit of the mercantile com munity only that the inhabitants were called upon to pay. (Cries of " No, no.") Then they were asked, " 'What would Liverpool be without her merchants?" True, but what would the town be without a population ? It would be an empty shell! (Loud laughter.) This was a question be tween the insurance companies and the mercantile interests— (no, no)—not between the ratepayers and the merchants; whilst all the burden would fall .upon the ratepayers ; and seeing that there was so little information on the details, he hoped the council would agree to postpone it another year. He was perfectly willing to bear his share of the responsi bility of delay. Mr. Alderman Nicol, suggested that the Town-clerk should give the council a general idea of the bill. It would save time, and prevent gentlemen from having the trouble of making speeches. (Hear, hear.) Mr. PLATT, as a heavy sufferer by the late fire in Green land-street, begged to say it was very evident to him that Mr. Parker knew nothing about the matter. (Laughter.) Had there been a supply of water at the time the fire was discovered, it might have been readily extinguished ; but there was none till three-quarters of an hour afterwards, and under such circumstances anybody who knew the combustible nature of the materials would not wonder at the conflagration being so serious. Mr. PA RKER.—I only say that Mr. Whitty tried the ex periment, and the , more water he threw on the flames the more they burned! (Laughter.) The AYOR.—That seems extraordinary doctrine. If it is so, that is one reason why we should have no bill at all ; water either, if that principle be correct ! (Renewed 0-- - Sir Tuos. BRANCKER, in reply, said that the proceedings of the committee consisted mainly of communications with Mr. Bold, Mr. Stewart, and others, from whom they had received reports which would in due time be laid before the council. Th e present, however, was merely an initiatory step, which, if the council went at all to parliament, must be done immediately, or the session would be lost altogether. The DEPUTY TOWN -CLERK then read the report of the special committee, of which tha following is a copy : a penalty; whether, in short, .they should not be regularly indicted, and, if proved guilty, be punished by fine and prisonment, or either of them. Such were the tions ; and he would only say himself, that if this bill were to go on in another session. P- nresent session, sr' the ' Uest course would be to get it printed for the present session. At the same time, he did not at all despair of the bill being brought forward in the present session, if the council so pleased ; but, in either case, the bill, being printed, must stand the test of the most rigorous examination by every interest concerned; and every man who had anything to assert against it ought to be fairly and quietly heard, what ever his rank of life might be ; for he certainly thought, that unless it stood all these tests it would only be an act of par liament which, in another session, would have to be re pealed. Mr. G. H. LAWRENCE asked if there was any arrange ment between the Paving Board and the council, that if the bill of the council failed theirs should be withdrawn also? Mr. Jonx HOLMES replied that the Paving Board were going on with their bill merely.' at the suggestion of the com mittee. The Highway Board thought, at one time, it would would be much better to postpone both bills till the next session ; and he thought from what the Town-Clerk had just said, that that would be the best step yet. The Town-Clerk had not said that postponement would be the best step. He thought the bill should be proceeded with as far as the first reading, this session even if they could lot go en till next session. Mr. BIRKETT observed that that was precisely his reason for voting in the committee for recommending the council to apply to parliament this session, upon the distinct under standing that both bills should be submitted to the inhabit ants previous to the second reading, when no great expense had been incurred. Mr. PLATT presumed that the Town-Clerk was aware that there was an act of parliament against dangerous trades passed forty years ago,—for instance, his own trade (M r . Platt's)—being carr i e d on un l ess at a certain distance from any other building. The TOWN-CLERK was perfectly aware of that act, but in going before Lord Shaftesbury they had found it difficult to convince him of the policy of those restrictions. Mr. HODGSON thought it most important to make a com mencement in this matter, because the council would then be committed ; but if they postponed it till another session a great many intervening circumstances might occur to put it aside. If they commenced now they would go on. Mr. ISAAC HOLMES referred to the plan which Mr. Adcock (whom he spoke of as one of the most scientific in dividuals existing) had desired to lay before the council, and expressed his opinion, that if the gentlemen named bad communicated with Mr. Adcock, his plan would have been adopted and proved successful, so perfectly simple and so effectual was it. Mr. Alderman BRAmLEy-MooRE said, that after the ob servations which had fallen from the chairman of the Finance Committee, he was rather disposed to acquiesce in the post ponement of the bill ; but baying since listened to the exposi tion of the Town-clerk, he confessed that he saw strong grounds why the council should proceed immediately. In the first place, the council were informed that, until the first reading of the bill, no expense in fees would be incurred-- Mr. ASPINALL.—Yes; about £3OO. Mr. BRAMLEy-MoORE.—And consequently, as it would advance the business, he would say, " let the bill be printed, and let the inhabitants be put in possession of it as well as the council." It was from the town that the council must hear objections and receive instructions in this matter. (Hear.) It was clear that there were a great many conflict ing interests involved, and before going to parliament it was only proper that they should be in a position to judge of the details. To judge of them now would be exceedingly pre mature; it would be taking too hasty a step, because none were competent to form an opinion from hearing the report read, nor would they be in that position till the bill bad been printed and placed in their hands. The argument that they would be throwing away a large sum Of money, therefore, fell to the ground. With regard to what Mr. Parker had said, as to this being a question between the merchants and the insurance companies, he (Mr. Moore) held a totally different opinion, because every body knew that occasionally a fire was a desirable thing for an insurance company, and a great good. They might lately have been too frequent for them ; but the insurance companies had all lately raised their premiums 50 or 60 per cent., which was a great consideration not only to the merchants but to the inhabitants, because if property was destroyed and insurance was raised, it was clear that you enhanced the value of the property that was left. With regard to the bill involving a rate, the town would speak its sentiments upon that subject when the bill was before the inhabitants; in the meantime, it was not for the council to consider whether they would incur any obligation by the measure, whether it would increase the rate id. or id., or whether there was no rate at all; bat they ought to be guided by what was consistent with the general interests of the town. If they were to consult every individual whe ther he would pay 6d. or Id., he might object to both, be cause he might not be in the district where fires occurred ; but nevertheless he was boand to contribute his proportion towards the general benefit of the community. The consi deration of a rate, therefore, ought not for one moment to weigh with the council, seeing that it was yet necessary to take steps to putthernselves in a position to judge what would be the best and most advisable measure for the genera benefit. "REPORT. appoin "The ted o the sth Octob, 1842, to inquire i n t o t h e most efficacious measures against er fires, and also the best means of arresting the progress of any fire which may hereafter unfortunately break out, have agreed upon the following report— _ " That th e C ommissioners for the better Paving and evt , •erag e of the town have, in consequence of communica tions with this committee, determined upon going to parlia ment, in the present session, for a bill, to enable them by river contracts with proper parties, and if necessary, from the , to provide water for the watering of the streets, in re servoirs and mains, which supply would be constant, and Friable them upon reasonable terms to afford water at the instant from suc h mains in every part of the town, and im mediately as the obje c t a l ready stat agency might arise, fo r th e i mportant That, this important "mint being attained, the committee recommend to the CounCil to go along with the bill of the commissioners to parliament for powers by another bill, to contract for such s 1 of,water, (which will not to any material extent increase the expense now charged upon the police rate,) and to regulate the position as to the width of vv s streets and the better construction and management of arehouses hereafter to be erected in the town, so as to pre vent the recurrence of loss of life and property, which, of late years, have so frequently visited this town, and as far as may be reasonable, and deemed by the Council practicable, to h Plpl ou y a p art of such regulations and management to ware es already erected. "That these powers are proposed by the committee, to be inserted in a bill, which, as soon as printed, should be circu lated amongst the Council and laid before the public, in order that it may receive every possible consideration and su ggestion prior t o any material expense being incurred. That, until thi s shall be effected, which will require the immediate devotion of considerable time on the part of the committee and their legal assistants, the committee desire from the Council permission to proceed to the printing of the bill, and to the extent of its being read a first time ; the se cond reading standing over until the measure shall have had that consideration which the committee are anxious for, not only from the Council but from the public." Mr. PLATT understood that some time ago an offer bad been made to the council by the canal company of the spare water of the canal, if a reservoir was constructed. He wished to ask whether that proposition bad been carried into effect ? Mr. TeroaNniee replied that no such offer had ever been made. He (Mr. Thornhill) was upon a deputation which waited upon a number of the proprietors of the canal, but they had made no such offer. Mr. PLATT.—I think you recommended it? Mr. THORNHILL.—It was mentioned in the town, but not carried into effect. They would give us the overflow, and nothing more ; but that c ou ld no t b e d epended upon. Sir Tnoeres BRANCKER observed that this was a point for the consideration of the highway-board. All the com mittee wished, at present, was, to have power to get the bill read a first time, and afterwards, the council might proceed with it or not, just as they saw fit. Mr. G. H. LAWRENCE really thought the committee ought to give the council something more to guide them selves than the meagre report which th ey h a d j ust heard, for he did not see how they could possibly form any opinion a' all with such a report. The committee asked permi' go to parliament, which was a very serious step, considerable expense, yet they did not tell the council whether it was for the prevention of fires or to extinguish them when once they began. Sir THOMAS BRANCKER.—For both. Mr. G. H. LAWRE NCE , resuming, said th a t was a reason why the co mm i ttee should give the council something more in detail the nature of their proposition. The only thing that lie gathered from the report was, that there were to be two acts of parliament, both for the same object ; the highway-board were to have one act and the corporation another. 1-1 , thought they should be ridiculed and laughed at in I if they said there that such a thing was necessary. rather absurd, indeed, that one body should sweep the streets and another pave them ; but, really, to say that two acts of parliament were required for the one purpose proposed, all the expense of which would have to be borne by the town, was, certainly very hard. Added to that he should be desirous to keep out of parliament this year. The people of London were quite tired of them (laughter), and be never met a member of parliament in London bat he eras asked by him, " sess Wionell,? how many bill s s ave you from Liverpool this " (Hear, hear.) At the same time, he was deeply interested in this question, for he was a warehouse owner, and one who had suffered materially in purse by the recent conflagrations, inasmuch as he belonged to the Fire Insu rance Company of Liverpool. Resides, he thought it a dis grace to the town to have such disasters in it as those which had occurred ; but, at the same time, he was 3tot one of those who liked to rush into matters precipitately; and if the Fire -Committee were not prepared with something more definite than they had yet seen, he hoped the conned would Pause b M efore giving thei r p erm i ss i on to proceed one step. TAYOR suggested, that Sir Thomas Brancker might be able to give the council some information upon the heads of the intended bill. The present did not appear a desirable period to enter into details ; but if the heads were furnished, they might materially assist the discussion. Sir THOMAS BRANCRER replied, that the object of the committee was to provide for the making of all new ware houses, as far as possible, fire-proof. As regarded roe exist ing warehouses, the committee proposed to do what was pos sible in order to render them more secare from ire than they Were at present ; and the reason why the business was divided into tw o parts was, that when the committee came to confer with the Commissioners of Highways, they faend they had atrong themse objections to any parts meddling with the streets exc e pt lves. It was originally intended that all shoeld be comprised in one bill, if they went to parliament at all, but the mobjections started were so strong that it was considered best atere the Highway Board the entire management of the part of the business ; and the Fire Committee had un dertaken to go to parliament for powers for the prevention of fire s . Mr. ICILSHAW.—That is, provided the council agrees. Sir THOMAS BRANCKER.—Yes ; provided the council !igreed. The committee could not undertake the other part, neeause it was not in their province. BoardMr ASPINALL, as one of the members of the Highway ~ reserved to himself the right of opposing this bill. !etlwo bills were to be framed, neither of which were commenced. Next Friday week was the last day , 11 which they could be presented ; and, We e ,theref he 'e 3 Posed the proposition, because it was too hasty. 15 4° , it, too, upon another and a very serious ground, a Warne(Y, that the Highway Board had pledged themselves to nier:te of one p enny i n the pound before they had called a sanction tin of the i n h a bi tants to know whether they would pi it. H e (M r. Aspinall) contended, that before Pro edgiPg th emselves to an additi ona l rate o f one penny, such ti.ceeding should have been b a meeti of "e In habitant s ; and, on these sanctioned grounds, he y ng opposed the re port. nrMr, Alderman Nicol thought some misunderstanding was i e r va ,-, il ing : gentlemen were confounding the bill which the , c ‘-otrirnittee proposed to apply for, with that of the High ,ay De eo un '.'uard ; but he apprehended that the sanction of the Thced_was not necessary to that of the Highway Board? ,'r• Alder l'ows-ctkatx. — Not at all. to ',man Nicole —The council, then, having nothing i_cno w.ith the bill of the Highway Board, it was not that bill e°o4.Wchi.ch the committee applied for the sanction of the strode",c ti but it was for a bill intended to regulate the con n of new warehouses, to regulate the width of streets le which th th e _ . , ee were built, and, as far as they could, to improve hendeex,isting warehouses ; the details of which, be appre council ,wmild be of some length, and would detain the Was, t o L °° long even to be then read. The truth, however, tte ee _!',e, To 'g had been so much occupied with other spee r that the bill was not at present prepared; but, re the.rig that, he could inform the council better than he t Alderman Nicol) could. At all events, with the bill of 47! g m , h waY Board the council had nothing to do. erteeti urteceeer thought it desirable to remind the council S epta I ' how this matter was placed. In the latter end of co l , r .riber or the beginning of October the attention of the firen,ctltst_waswdrawn to the subject by an awfully calamitous !ma ' a v " n ey were memorialized by all the associated bodies ; b e d e _ rY universal feeling prevailed that something should ....„,dijerielebly..atshem. A special committee was appointed, of ‘eri a i ' a member; and . up to last week he always en liattpld,the opinion that it was not desirable to go to tsar . must sa y "Ps year. . In expressing that opinion. however, he as i t I nhe felt himself in an awkward position, inasmuch Nhe w .., rt be thought that, being a very heavy rate-payer, can,esirous'of Shielding P i e gre.himself from :expense ; but . when tc.'eorfsider the Situation the town was placed in by r;itei • hte, 'and that during the time the committee were Staten another great . fire had taken place, as Mr. Holme could ti ' °w ing in eel s , , a great degree, to the want of those . precau to are e"ecn he trusted were about to be taken, he was forced to ;enowledge it was desirable they should attempt, at least, e ootai e t t Ills, ie . le bill this year. With regard to there being of tliglieue council were ' aware that the Commissioners water the• scree[ shad the power to repair the highways and to bill eine ° tec ts ; and In the last' session they nbtainetl a _ 111 dWering'theed tolay a rete Of one halfpenny in the pount. d l thiii r " t i! t° halre the streets watered. It Was " w PC °P 7' l F t !het al t t a bi g ll should bp . done 010 ohi e ,:: " 4 Prn- penny in the pound should be laid, for the away with, and in lieu C i , II and supplying Wat er C'S of watering the streets genera y • % us , . the preveetion of fi es The committee had Tor . - t hem, to the conclusion, frOth the evidence,) that Pothi n 'k'no they had had no contradictory . evidence mime (m ill e lj e c l o d uld ever prevent fires, 4 Poe 1 . k sat as they had done, un ess there was a source when they did take place, sep ply w n •i f iee at all tithes dependence could be placed for c a e lPeri e water. It was quite impossible ; whenever there had e ri c a of the last 20 years had shown that and, indeed, the apply of great fire it was simply because . tl t e n re n c.‘ b • hee es s sa °' water. It was, therefore, in order taasiiiiiotthias 45 the r_Y.supply of water, for the prevenloi n i w of ay fig o s ar a d s , w n e n l t l tie r „ t , seering of the streets, that the Ilig 11 Choir owe motion but having been moved to it by t e lt': subject • te `-'owillaitteelnof the co uncil, had taken up and they intended to a 1 to pa rliarnent for the power r to w,, r e ai o se f Pu s / . 4 :1 1 : q c 'oney not exceeding th this Pu su l m - they Pro ho l tB N tanks and laying mains. To repay X 30,000 for e weil'itil called rate of one penny in e pound. They o pirlio have the inhabitants together and tti t e a y k m en us t t be b i e r befuren thereon but for the circumstance that • no tittl parliament next Friday week, so that • there t w in as the e for it•'re • , go to parliament tel e , • new resolution was to h etwee way as the council, and to place the bills in abeyance the iii 4 the first and second readings, until the w o n p u i l u d ro sa n ne ! ti„_abitants had been obtained whether they , en the kinli,,,icouncil council must bear zsirt oners would not go ; but the n e° IL I f th e w o u ld po t go to parliament th in e 4 tbat in ta kinwtheinitiatpry stete tidy a li ged mite tn d a d m n o n u ny t thie ; P e nse Weis incurred, and If they now refa -4,.........- nvolving wondon It was laughter.) Mr. S."HOLME.—I hope it does not apply to malt! (Con tinued laughter.) Mr. Alderman EARLE.—It's a new discovery, Mr. Mayor. Mr. PARKER..--It is based upon science, sir. The TOWN-CLERK said, he should be glad to give the Council any information in his power; and he would begin by stating that he had never, in his life, met with any bill which seemed so full of difficulty as the present. It was a bill in which they could not be materially assisted by counsel, for it was a bill as to which every provision must be framed by the band of men who had some practical information, as well as some legal knowledge, to satisfy an act of Parliament. He despaired of such advantage from the assistance of coun sel, any further than testing what he did himself, and in see ing whether the bill would stand the objections of opposing counsel. He considered it a bill of the greatest importance to the town of Liverpool, and he was satisfied that though the bill might be prepared, and go on this session (which was not at all to be despaired of), that the best thing they could do for the town would be to proceed at once to the first read ing, even if it were ultimately to stand over to another session. He did not, however, think that would be the result; but if there should be a prospect before tb ern o f i ts standing over he would say, " proceed at once to the presenting of the bill, for I consider that every clause to be put in that bill must be tested by being put into a printed shape before it would be at all likely to answer the purpose." With regard to the de tails of the bill it would be very easy to state them ; but it was extremely difficult indeed to put those details into legal language. In the first place he would draw the attention of the Council, before he stated the heads of the bill, to this fact, that they had before them a most desirable point gained in the disposition upon the part of the Commissioners of Paving and Sewering to go to Parliament for an act to enable them to supply the town with water in every part—not by reservoirs here and there, but by mains, by which water would be furnished wherever it was wanted, and at all times and under all circumstances, as was fully ex plained in the report before the Council. Here he must be allowed to mention, that it was not any part of the plan of the Commissioners for Paving and Sewering, as he under stood it, to interfere, in the slightest degree, with the powers of the Watch Committee, or those of the Fire Police Com mittee ; they were, in fact, only to supply the water to be used by the Fire Police Committee just as the Fire Police Committee would use the water at present : they would exer cise no control over the water beyond the placing of it in the mains in all parts of the town wherever it could be wanted, and then the Fire Police Committee would exercise their power upon the materials so provided for them. As to the general details of the bill, he would say, in the first place, it had been his desire to begin with placing the execution of the bill under the regulation of a committee of the council, just as any other branch of the duties of the council. Then, it was easy to enact very useful things as to the new warehouses. Now. as to new warehouses, there could be no objection to enact that they should be built with iron doors and iron shutters ; and he thought it must turn out, upon consideration, but only after the most serious consideration, that this provision ought to be made to apply to the existing warehouses. (" Hear, hear," from Mr. Birkett.) Then, there was one most useful provision, which he nould state upon the authority of a gentleman of great practical experi ence in the town, that it would be a great protection to ware houses if there was, between the roof of one warehouse and the roof of another, either parapet walls or a wall to prevent the communication of fire, serving also as a protection to persons who might be upon the warehouse not upon fire when repelling the flames from that which was burning. Mr. G. A. LAWRENCE.—That is for future warehouses? The TOWN-CLERK.—Yes ; for future warehouses. With the protection of iron doors and shutters, to a great extent, the existing warehouses would remain in their natural con struction. In the next place, he apprehended there would be no great difficulty in enacting that, in future, no warehouse fur the deposit of goods should be built without a space of sixteen yards in front of it, whether it consisted of a street, square, or court; and again, there should be 4t passage within any new warehouse, Which,' for 'every one hundred yards, at least, shOttld Wien yards wide. When he stated VA' the miMber 106 was used by him more as an illustration than anything else, because it might be fixed at fifty yards, or two hundred yards, just as the committee thought proper. A ga i n , if there should be any communication with that passage, so as to admit assistance to arrive to put down a fire there, it should be by means of a passage covered in that way so as to be fireproof. For in s t ance , if it should be determined by the mercants of this t own , as he understood was not at all unlikely, to build warehouses in squares or courts, they would take care that any communi cation from the streets into that square or court should be by g a o p io as ig sa i g n e to so h c o o n p a s t r i t l e o d r assqutaore or protectoo fire-policeurt. heoag o w i oh, itpn would be for consideration—but only yfor consider a ti on unt il they saw how f ar th ey could put the shape—how far they could overcome the P l r e °v a i l ai d 9° into ; no in t fact, sq sooq as they could make the objec g t . ip;ef% legal so much in legal language, but so that practical wthl men could understand it, for they had to deal not hyipbrell m s vflis o eoi n sooi l nt y rs.: but surveyors and others who must know what othe bhuaiellwdl in the be print do ae of i t t able s o soon,to submith e s this could council as to fireproof warehouses, in which certain dangerous nature should b e ware h oused, and to gi o cl s w of a houses those goods should b e restricted. There was anotherotal7e; suggestion, and one of great importance, that in s t ea d of legislating as to the distance between dangerous trades and the warehouses which contained the wealth of the merchants of the town, that the difficulty should be at once disposed of, by enacting that places in which a dangerous trade was carried on should have all the various flues combined into one, and go into a chimney which should carry them up to a height of at least sixty or seventy feet above the ground. This sewed to him, when it was mentioned to him, as a very large demand to make upon those trades ; bit he was quite astounded to find, from the information of gentlemen of the greatest practical experience, that a chimney of that kind would not cost more than £7O. (Hear, hear.) Another part which had had anxious consi deration on the part of the committee was this, that in order to make some compensation for the necessary expense whicl? shouldunho pub lished er the would be thrown upon the new warehouses, there sho rt ia 1„,,; registere lsilt a register provided, in which eve h r i y o w i a rh act should be registered, and iv under the direction of the counci l , and any existing " liciUse if ware , the owners thought proper to subm i t to the regulations applying to new warehouses ,. _ s h ould . have afforded great difficulty indeed to them the. bounty of, bring admitted into that register. There was another itubj,eat, and sae of Mr. THourrarm. understood that the bill to be applied for was for the regulation of warehouses and that of the Highway Board for providing a supply of water, for which they were to lay a rate. He should object to its being called a fire-police rate, because that rate was quite sufficient for the purposes to which it was devoted; it was one halfpenny in the pound, and they had now a balance of £2,500 in hand beyond their expenses. The TowN-CLERK, in reply, said, the calculation was that the money to be required by the Paving Board for supplying water to the Fire Police Committee would not exceed the pre sent amount which the fire police no* sustained, or if it did it would be only to a very trifling extent. There was one point which be had not yet mentioned, and it was this,—ii was proposed by the committee, (at least it was under con. sideration,) that there should be a clause in the bill author. izing the chief magistrate of the tows to direct the demolition of any building which it might be expedient to remove, with a view of putting a stop to fire. In cases of that kind it had been conceived reasonable and proper that the public should bear the expense of such proceeding, and upon that account it might be necessary, under the direction of the committee, to propse that a small addition of one halfpenny should be made to the rate. Mr. THORNHILL asked who was to collect that rate? The TOWN-CLERK. —The Fire Police Committee. Mr. THORNHILL.—I should object to that, The TOWN-CLERK said, that the rate for the better water ing of the town would be a rate which must rest entirely with the Paving and Sewerage Commissioners ; but whether the committee might finally determine to recommend any addi tion to the rate would depend upon further consideration, and of course any recommendation would be subject to the con firmation of the Council. Mr. THOMPSON.—What is the objection to going for a joint bill ? The TOWN-CLERK, in reply, said the proposition in the outset was to go for a joint bill, but they had been recom mended by the parliamentary agents, upon excellent grounds, to prefer the course of going for two bills, because what was called " multifariousness" in proceedings at law, was by no means approved of by the taste of the present day in parlia went. if his course as Town-Clerk were to come over again, be thought there was ne part of it he would avoid so much as the mixing up of different subject's in one bill. In the case of providing water that belonged to the raving board, because they had the control of the pavement—they were the proprietors of the pavement—they were the parties to break it up, and they could, with their awn consent, lay the requisite mains for the purpose of supplying water ; and so long as they were not united with the council, it was far better it should be so. He mast say, too, that he had gene. rally found' that mixing up different subjects in one bill, had caused eventually greater expense than if several bills had bees introduced for the purpose. Mr. JOHN 1 1 10LMES.—We gave a joint notice with the council of oar intention to apply to parliament. Sir THOMAS BRANCKER here moved that the report of the Fire Committee be adopted. The TOWN-CLERIC said the Deputy Town-Clerk bad re minded him that there was so saving is fees in parliament on a joint bill, for when it was found out that two parties had joined in a bill, both were made to pay the fees. In that case there were two fees paid. Mr. Alderman EARLE.—They rob them both then. The Towsr-CLERK.—They rob them both; and for the information of the Alderman Who spoke last, I may mention, that when they find they have a corporation to rob, they make that corporation pay double fees. Mr. Alderman Nicot seconded the motion proposed by Sir Thomas Brancker. Mr. EVANS said it had been asserted that the bill was for the benefit of the town, but he would say that the expense in favour of a particular description of property ought to fall upon that property ; but it had been hustled off that pro perty on to all other property. It was intended to have the law made prospective as regarded all new warehouses. He would appeal to Mr. Holum if there were not as many ware houses now building as would answer all the purposes of the town for two years to come ? At all events then they had two years before them, for they could not interfere with the ware houses already is course of erection. It was useless to talk of Iron doors and windows to the existing warehouses, unless they could change the stairs. There was the cause of all the evil. All kinds of windows, it was well keown, were more likely to be left open than shut. He loOked upon this as an attempt to bolster up the old warehouse system in Liverpool. It appeared they wete going to lay a penny in the pound on the vvilole property of the town, and all the benefit that the inhabitants at large would have in return, would be an in creased facility in watering the streets. There was not the slightest necessity for baste in the business. He repeated that anything they could do for the old warehouses would be useless, unless they could so alter the stairs as to give easy access to the uppermost stories. Again, in their interference with the porters, they were proposing unjustifiable measures for bolstering up a bad system. To say, if a wan were guilty of carelessness that he should be liable to a punishment little short of felony, was most extraordinary. He could not be lieve that a monopoly of labour would be continued, even if enacted. Mr. SAMUEL HOLME, who spoke under the oppression of a severe cold and hoarseness, thought it would be admitted that the calamitous fires that had occurred in this town du ring the last few years, and which had involved the destruc tion of property to the extent of nearly one million and a half within the last ten years, thus causing an annusl loss of something like £150,000 upon the average, was a state of things which loudly called for a remedy. When he added to that the destruction of the furniture of the poor, and the alarm incidental to a great conflagration in a large town; when he called to mind the appalling spectacles which he had himself frequently witnessed with the deepest pain, of the mutilated fragments of some of his fellow creatures car ried out from under the burning ruins; those who considered these matters would cordially agree with him that it was a n e H t e a ee t d e be o ed f g g t h e di not n t g to s o h w as h sv i ye c ,h taken f r s e r q t u h i pe r rl e a, d c t i e m h isf m t t e immediate ea a r n e hd calamitouso i u n s s e ta p n r t o r p e re m er st e yu d l o y t sf . Liverpool had not been constructed upon false and imptoper principles. He could bear testimony to the efficiency of the fire-police, as for some years there ha d scarcely been a single fire at which he had not bee s n k in sayin g that in all England thenrte P h o e l t i t c e e r of regulated, Liverpool;or wasHe had not no afire-police hesitation directed, than the fire police water could ! ;),e could Mr. Whiny a b d m u w hater Hewitti was generally half burnt before a drop could lf u anylldo fire police do; what when, the warehouse tained ? In the case of Sir John Toti ton-street, a fire which only occurred 'lf varebl)4'it°n to the great fire, a single bucket of W et 9w weeks previously Holrne) arrived on the'spolt'wbuld'har soon after he (Mr. a single buel'et "of water could not b put the fire out, but himself Mr. Whitty running about obt ained. He saw for water in all directions ; and it was not e e lunatic, be gg i ng that warehouse, containing most valuable till two stories of consumed, that any water could be obtained , an had been they were obliged to obtain it from the dock, artrl even then and immediate supply of water would at all ti T hat a ready m . es almost ex proof, great fires, there was on that occasion practical proof, for as soon as they got a su ffi cient pPly although three stories were then in a state of dreadful conflagration, . . , ~, • Mr. G. H. LAWRENCE.-4 never said the council shotild —Namely', whether the pow ers t o rtfinlate porter§ in ware- they strateded in preventing the fire from , ix tending to the refuse; I only asked for mote information. houses could not be materially hop-coed ; whether it was remaining three stories, both as to the building and the pro- Mr. EIRKETT, in continuation, said, if the council now possible to have gangs of men under the direction of ware- duce they contained were saved. He mentioned this fact to refused to authorise the committee to apply for this bill, the house owners, and to elevate some of those porters into the show that a supply of water ought to he avaikable, immedi present session would be lost. The committee asked only rank of foremen, who should be ma de the parties to corn- ately, and in all directions, whenever a fire took place, for, he fo r leave to go to the first reading, and then the bill would be mood those gangs. It would also be for consideration, repeated, that a si ng l e b uc k et of water, when4rst th e fi re submitted to the council; no p erson wou ld b e now pledged to whether, considering the great extent of loss of life, as well ! broke out, was of more importance than almost any quantity the details, for the whole measure would afterw ar d s b e t inhj,ct as of property, in this town, it would riot be deemed by the 1 of it afterwards. It was not his intention to have gone into t o consideration. But, as be said before, if they refused their legislature essential to enact, that any wilful act or negligent 1 details.as to the defects in the warehouse system, as th e co m , consent now, there would be no time, because if they were omission upon the part of porters and others employed ' not in parliament by next Friday week with the bill, along warehouse with the petition, they could no t go f or i t t hi s session. He, ought ruin fie therefore, for one, would not t a k e t h e respons ibi l i ty of saying ti' roved, 1 ( that to the town ; but h e wou ld ta k e any means to prevent iyment l that which, it had b een p rove d b y ev i dence before the coin-. ._ regularl le and ifn mittee, had caused a lo ss t o th e town o f no less than one Prisonmeo,, -- considera • -- • ...._ million and a half of m oney i n t h e l ast ten years. (Hear.) and he would o ne Mr. Alderman E ARLE th oug h t h e h a d heard the chairman - ---.100 , and not of the Finance Committee (Mr. G. H. Lawrence) say lie would not give any authority whatever to the committee, not even to give the parliamentary notice ; whilst it had repeatedly been stated that if they did not do it now, the bill would be lost entirely for the present session. He thought gentlemen would be incurring great responsibility by so refusing,. seeing the calamitous fires we had lately had ; and as measures had been brought forward for the prevention of similar fires, and for the extinguishing them if they occurred, the council ought certainly to be in a condition to have the bill brought in, at any rate to see what it was. He presumed there would be no great expense in that? The TOWN-CLERK.—There are no fees payable upon the mutt:ly aisKing the council to give them power to go to parliament, to prevent them from being thrown over the session ; he would, however, with the permission of the council, as far as his strength would allow him, state a few of the defects which, us he conceived, a tt ac h e d t h emselves to the warehouses of Liverpool. The first was the narrow streets in which many of the warehouses were erected. When a warehouse took fire in a narrow street, and there was a •• .wino mowing towards the opposite building, having nothing but wooden doors, wooden shutters and pent house, the fire was almost immediately communicated, from the great heat thrown from the other side of the street. The best plan was to give a practical proof of his meaning. When the fire took place in Lancelot's-hey lie was down there; the fire shot across the street in one sheet of flame, and long before the warehouses on the west side were consumed, the warehouses on the east side were in a state of conflagration. Mr. Alderman EvANs.---It was so with the Goree, which is a wide street. Mr. HOLME.—The next defect was the non-separation of the roofs of warehouses. Warehouses built in stacks, with nothing to separate them but a lead gutter, between the spar of one warehouse and the spar of the other. No sooner did the lead melt than the spars, being at a declination from the roof, ignited, and the .warehouse immediately took fire. The warehouse got into a state of flame at a part which the police could not reach, and so it ran from roof toroof, and that was the reason why we had seen such great destruction. If the warehouses had been properly constructed, the fames would have been confined to the place where they had originated. The next defect was the proximity of the bearing timbers in these warehouses. It had not been unusual for stacks of warehouses to be erected from one end of a street to another, in many cases with party walls, and being connected one with another, here was another means of communicating fire. The next defect in warehouses was having them constructed with wooden pent-houses projecting from the roof, cat-heads, with wood doors and windows; the consequence was, that all these being constructed of Baltic timber, which was full of turpentine, the pent-houses were commonly the first thing to take fire. tie need not tell the Council that the pent houses of warehouses were just in that position which the fire-police were unable to reach by the force of their engines. It was Quire an error to suppose that one of otr common en gines could reach the pent-house of a tall warehouse& The next defect was wooden staircases ; and a great defect it was, because in consequence of their being merely separated from the warehouse-rooms by a thin wooden partition, and the stairs being spiral, the flames ran up them ; and when a ware house took fire the staircase was almost the first thing com pletely consumed. It was likewise a means of communicat ing the flames from room to room ; and therefore he was under the necessity of saying that wooden staircases were a great defect in our warehouses, and one which he hoped to see soon remedied. Besides, when a staircase was on fire it was utterly impossible for the fire-police to get into anyroom which might be in a state of conflagration. The next great defect was the proximity of many warehouses to dangerous trades. It was not at all an unusual thing in Liverpool to see a stack of warehouses filled with cotton, every window open, and within a few yards of it half a dozen, or a dozen common low smithy chimnies vomiting out smoke mixed with sparks. Under such circumstances, it was only to be wondered at that our fires had not been more numerous than they had been. There were great numbers of other trades which were exceedingly dangerous, whose proximity to warehouses was to be carefully guarded against. Having spoken of the defects in our ware houses, let him now be permitted to speak of that which he would venture respectfully to submit to the council, as a practical man, who had paid great attention to the subject, who had assisted with his own hands to erect many ware houses in Liverpool, and who, since he had become a master tradesman, had bad some practical experience in the building of warehouses. With great respect, therefore, he begged to recommend, as the council probably could not obtain an act of parliament to operate retrospectively, that in all future streets laid out for warehouse purposes, or in any case where mercantile men, either individually or in bodies, might choose to build warehouses in squares, there should be an increased width of street or of court. If you had sixteen yards width, it was probable that the warehouses being on fire upon one side would not communicate to the warehouses upon the other; and, as an example, in the great fire in Crompton-street, the warehouses upon the side of Neptune-street —a street of six teen yards wide—were unscathed. He, therefore, considered an increased width of street a subject of vital importance. He would, likewise, beg to point out the necessity for a bet ter separation of roofs and bearing timbers, and as a sketch would give more information than he could orally he had drawn one—which he submitted to them—from which they would see that every warehouse would be rendered a perfect funnel, completely fire-proof, to conduct the flames, so that they could no more communicate to the adjoining building, than if they were sent up the middle of the chimney. Then he would suggest that the doors, shutters,pent-houses,cat-heads, should be of iron, and especially the staircase, which, instead of being of wood, should be framed either of stone or of iron ; and that the staircases should be enclosed with brick walls up to the top of the building, by which the fire-police might, at any moment, have free access to the top of the warehouse, the roof of the adjoining warehouse, and water be taken to where water was wanted. The next was smithies and fur naces in the vicinity of warehouses. Unquestionably, as a measure of public security, they ought to be obliged to turn their small flues into one general chimney. The great danger from sparks—for it was a spark from a bone-boiler's which first set fire to the warehouses in Galton-street—would then be avoided, and no calamitous result would ensue. Ware houses, he granted, might be built fire-proof at a compara tively small expence above the common mode of building : he was not, however, prepared to say how much additional, because, at present, it was in some degree speculative, and iron-founders were not prepared to give estimates with that accuracy which would soon be arrived at;. bat he had no hesitation in saying this, that warehouses might be built en tirely fire-proof for somewhere between 13 and 17 per cent. additional. And this he did contend, that if warehouses were not erected entirely fire-proof, if you had the party walls made strong enough, the whole of the timbers completely divided, the roofs divided at the top by t arapet walls, if you had iron doors and iron shutters, and stone or iron staircases, yon would convert every 'warehouse into a perfect fire-proof funnel ; and he would stake his existence that a warehouse constructed upon this principle would never co mmun i ca t e fire t o any a dj o i ning buildings ; but that the fire mi g ht i n all cases be k ept in t h e building in which it originated. He knew it was said, and it might be argued, that this act would be an interference with the rights of private property ; but he begged to ask, whether the B u ildi ng A ct, which was not obtained without opposition, was not i n some degree an ac t o f inter f erence with private pr o p er t y ? Parliament gave the council power to compel individuals about to erect houses in Liverpool, to have stronger walls and stronger timbers than had been hitherto usual. W as not t h at, in some d egree , an act of in terference with the rights of private property ? Again, the Health of the Town Bill was an interference with the rights of private property, for it compelled parties to have courts of a certain width, and that all should be severed, which would involve expen se; t h ere f ore, when he eats told that this .pro posed bill was in some degree an interference with the rights of private property, he replied that it was not more an inter ference with th e r i g h ts o f property than the Building Act, obtained some years ago, or the Health o f th e Town Bill, now in operation. In all great m easures for the public benefit, there mu s t, i n some degree, be an interference with the rights of property ; and he contended, that this proposed bill should be looked upon as an extension of the Building Act, and not as upon a new bill. Mr. Evans said. " let this bill lie over for a few months ;" but could any man guarantee that his own house would not be burnt down i this night;? Could any one say th a t L auncelot's Hey might not be n flames within a week from this time? And if they had established, as this committee had established,and was firmly of opinion that great danger resulted from the present system, why defer even for a few weeks? Mr. Evans contended for the necessity of dock warehouses • but when he was opposed, did lee ever think of saying, " let the bill lie over tot a few months, it is of no importance ?" (Laughter.) No; he said it was of vital importance, and he would not wait Per a moment; and he (Mr. Holme) now threw upon the council the responsibility of refusing to go to parliament for the benefit of the poor who suffered from these fires, as well as the rich merchants, for this bill which was imperatively wanted. Mr. Evans said that buildings were now being erected. So they were ;at this moment a number of ware houses were being erected; but he (Mr. Holme) begged to observe, that many of them were in the place of those which had been burnt down, and, with one slight exception, they were all being reconstructed as they were before ; and he was very much mistaken if, in reconstruct i ng t h ose ware h ouses in a street only eight yards wide, they were not erecting mate rials for another serious bonfire at no distant period. Mr. Evans stated that iron shutters were of no use unless they were closed ; but the shutters of warehouses were those which of all things the Fire Committee would say that there should be a clause compelling them to be closed, in the same way as Mr. Evans would ma k e a law to compel shipkeepers to walk the deck all night. He granted that iron shutters were of no use unless they were closed. [Mr. Alderman EVANS.-- " Corn] Well, there might b e an exc eption i n th e case of corn. He was reminded, that warehouse occupiers were compelled to heave the heisting ropes up; and the same thi ng might be enacted with r egar d to the windows. Mr. *vans had talked a good deal about bolstering up eld warehouses: he seemed, indeed, to . have a g reat h orror o f o ld ware h ouses ; but he knew not with what grace Mr- Fvans could say that this was a bill to bolste r 4 1A old warehouses, w h en t h ey were absolutely trying to make those old warehouses compa ratively fire-proof, Mr. Evans must remember that they were not layingthe found a ti ons of a new town, but that they were dealing with Liverpool as it was, and as it had grown during the last century and half. If they had to begin de novo, it would be easy to say they would not have warehouses in the streets at all; but they had to deal with two or three millions' worth of property in existence—much of which be longed to trust ees , w hi ch, of course, it was difficult to deal with—upon which he knew a great many children depended for their bread ; and, therefore, they must deal with things as they found them, and not argue' as if they were going to build a new town. He (Mr. Holme) thought the council would give him, credit for disinterestedness, for as a ware house owner this proposed bill would involve him in consi derable expense; and with reference to his own trade hp was at once agreeing to cut off a considerable portion of that by which h e earned h i s bread. He, t h erefore, stood up as a dis interested man to recommen d thismeasure. He was not an individual for grea t h ast P , but he said, if the council did not give the eargizattee permission to go to parliament for a mea sure tp preyent life and property from being lost, after the labour, a t tent i on, and time w h ic h the committee had be stowed upon th e su bj ec t, he thought it would be hardly treating the m f a i r l y ; — at a ll events he trusted that the bill might go to the first reading and be printed in order t o b e put into th e h an d s o f ever y member of the coun ci l. H e would then be glad to hear their r emarks, and any remarks, from the town, and he should be prepared to defend those clauses which he had had the honour of suggesting. Mr. to the motio n Holme co nc l u d e d b y an earnes t call upon th e council to agree had expressmeidttnete.theltbewgoinunminbge. Mr. Holm e , an d raarn had produced, he ante with i G th . t H he . sraeAnWtimßeEnNtCsEhseaid he should g i ve a vote at vari• theA After e rthe importantable details speech whichhe that l tnt ie re a te r oti d etipin f einc r n ] ven the counc i l so bald and (Mr. Lawre nce ) cou ld no t incur the res ponsibility of delayin g a te t o th g i r s ea l t n a o m re e s n p t o t i l l i s e i b i o l b i t j y ec f t o o h f ; but he did com plain of the co mm itt ee having g! poor a report. When the bill should come before, them in a printed shape, he should be ready to -- g iv e it every cou.sidera tion in his power, but at the same ti me. wa h- ‘: •Y ought the diffi culties in it were very great. The motion was then pt ly the MAYoa and carried without a division. swfAlli BOAT Mr. Nowrg stated that he was not prepared to bring for tice. sFaia' 4 it ha s m d ot been pution on this s the übject paper by, of which he had g i ven no mistake. l TAX. The MAYOR explained that it had' mistake. put o n the paper either in order now or at to give the M nextr. Nort m eeting. h the option o f b ringing it forward The motion was then postponed till the next meeting. THE INCOME Mr. BIRKETT brought forward a motion of which he had given notice, with reference to the places of appeal against surcharges to the Income Tax for those parts of the borough which are not w ithi n the parish of Li verpool. The Church wardens and overseers of Liverpool wa' e kje coileCtors of the tax in th e par i s h, and O AFY considered th at ' part i es chargeable to it in the new parts of the borough sh ou ld de rive th e same a d vantage as thoSe who resided within the old borough. This was his reason' foi bringing 'forward the " " • subject.. With regard to those parts of the borough which were out of the parish, the inhabitants, he conceived, were unfairly treated. The only protection which they had against surcharges was the right of appeal; and he, under stood that those who were in that position . had, on the north side of the town, to go to Orniskirlc, and, on the other side, to Prescot. This, if not a denial of the protection of appeal, was, at least, a mockery of it. Government were protected from fraudulent returns in various ways, but the persons who were surcharged had no protection except the appeal, and they were compelled to lose their time in going to Prescot and Ormskirk, with the possibility that their case might not be heard on that day. He would call attention to another circumstance --namely, that i n surc h arg i ng, a differ ent course was «L assessed taxe han was taken with leg;i•d to tl made a return of i;ve; Eases, if 1 twenty-five, it was so stated ; but in the present case, a pape was merely handed in, saying " Property tax, so that you were put to the trouble of multiplyic,_ her of seVenponces, in order to see whether you were sur charged or not. In the township within the borough, be had been told, the parties having control over the surcharges had behaved remarkably well—that very few instances of them had taken place, and those were being amicably settled ; whilst in the out-townships they were surcharging right and left. Now, as this was a matter likely to bring a good deal of odium upon the government through the fault of its officers, he thought the council would be justified in inter fering. He concluded by moving that a memorial be pre seated to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pointing out the inconveniences of this system, and recommending the subject to his favourable consideration. Mr. Alderman BRADLEY-MOORE seconded the motion. The subject was one involving the interests of every indivi dual connected with the out-townships; for, in many in stances, the present system amounted to a denial of justice. Mr. Alderman EARLE.—A pleasing instanee of the com forts of the income tax ! The motion, after a verbal alteration snri.p.ted ha, th.. 'charge( ;g the num: as unanicaoL shortly after one o'clock CORRESPONDENCE THE REGISTRATION ACT OWN-CLERF adjourned TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. SIR,—In consequence of public attention baying been di rected a short time ago to the evils of the Registration Act, in an article which appeared in most of the London conser vative journals, and which subsequently found its way into many other periodicals and provincial papers, a petition on the subject has been forwarded from the Wirral Union, for presentation to both ho use § o f p ar li ament, of which the fol- you favou in your valuable and widely-circulated paper, other hoards of guardians may be induced to follow the example set by the Wirral Union, and may so strongly and simultaneously press the repeal of so iniquitous a measure upon the notice of the legislature, as to cause an erasure from the statute book of an act which is a disgrace to a Christian legis inguishing ordinances of reli- gion, is raj idly 1;i-in—girl Lu a zastaLu Ul nea . thenism ; and which, while it robs, degrades, and insults the clergy, perpetrates an imposition and a palpable fraud upon all poor -rate payers, by extracting enormous sums of molip,, out of their pockets, tenance of the poor, of the registrars ostensibly " for the support and main ' which is appropriated to the payment - I am, sir, your very obedient servant, JOSH UA KING Woodchurch R ec t ory , F e b . 10th, 1843. (corr.) To the Right Honourable and Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, in Parliament assembled, The humble Petition of the undersigned Guardians of the Poor of the Wirral Union, in the county of Chester, SHEWETH, That an act was passed in the sixth and seventh years of his late Majesty King William the Fourth, entitled, `'An Act for registerin g Bi r th s , D eaths, and Marriages," and amended in the first year of he r p resent Majesty, Queen Victoria. That, in carrying the said act into operation, a large amount of expense is entailed upon the country in the shape of poor rates (to pay the registrars); from which the poor receive no benefit whatever, nor the community at large any adequate advantage. That the expense caused by it to this union alone, situated in a thinly-inhabited agricultural district, amounts to the sum of £139 13s. 6d. a-year. That, at a time when the country is labouring under in creased taxation, and agricultural produce far below a remu nerating price, it is but ill prepared to bear this apparently unnecessary burden. That the same results the legislature had in view when passing the said act, might be attained without expense to the country, if each officiating minister would, at the time of baptising a child, register its birth as well as its baptism ; and, at the interment of every corpse, would register the time of death as well as that of the burial ; provided such registrations were made legal evidence in courts of law. That it subjects the clergy to a heavy penalty should they bury a corpse without the certificate of a lay registrar; al though, through his neglect, they are frequently obliged to bury without such certificate, which is both unreasonable and unjust. That the operations of the said act in unchristianising the community, by doing away with the solemnity of a religious contract in marriage, and by superseding the sacrament of baptism, especially among the lower orders, are still more deeply to be lamented. That it has such eff3ct to an immense extent, may be abun dantly proved from the great diminution of baptisms which has taken place under its operation, particularly in l a r ge towns and populous di s t r i c t s , while he number of inhabi taqts has been very much increased. That your petitioners feel confident they only need call the attention of a Christian legislature to an act that thus tends to supersede a rite which the Divine Head of that re ligion appointed, and commanded to be observed, in order to have such tendency, together with the other evils therein contained, entirely removed. Your petitioners, therefore, humbly pray your honourable house to take their great grievances into your serious consi deration, with a view to remove them by repealing the said act. EDUCATION AND RE LIGION TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. SlR,—Will you have the kindness to give a place in your highly -respectable paper to the following remarks on the principles set forth in a report published by a school society in this town. One of the resolutions in the report is this— " That this meeting dissents from the opinion that knowledge is in itself a dangerous thing, being fully convinced that Whatever tends to deeelope and exercise the intellectual fa culties facilitates the reception of moral and divine truth." No*, this principle seems to me to be quite contrary to the teaching of Scripture, to historical facts and daily experience. The Scriptures inform us that the cause why the Greeks (the then most learned nation in the world) would not receive the Gospel was, that they "counted it foolishness." They said of Paul, " What will this babbler say?" The fact evidently appears that When the mind gets stored with secular know ledge, without a knowledge of the Word of God, it becomes so sell sufficient as to disperse the simplicity of the Gospel ; this is the knowledge that " puffeth up ;" and this fact has been proved wherever the Gospel has been proclaimed. A striking instance of this truth has been, and is at this mo ment exhibited in Ireland, where so many hundreds of un educated persons have gladly embraced the Gospel, while it would be difficult to find one individual, who has received only secular education, who has embraced the Gospel. This I knew by experience, having resided in that country for many years, and being perfectly acquainted with the state of it, both as respects its education societies and the general state of religion. The same principle is inculcated through the whole report, enforced by such strong assertions as these —that to differ from their principle is " a most despi cable fallacy, repugnant alike to common sense and universal experience." In refutation of this it may be sufficient to state *hat effect secular learning had on the conduct and principles of the Greeks and Romans : its evident effects were to enable them to know that many surrounding nations could be easily conquered, robbed and made slates ; and this they did to a very great extent, and just for the purpose of enabling themselves to indulge more largely in the most de• spotic and abominable practices, thus rendering themselves more unhappy, and making thousands of others most raise rably so. But there is another reason given why the lower orders should receive secular education, and it is this. that they may be qualified to use political power, or, in other words, become inflammeral rulers in the state ; now this object seems to me to be also contrary to Scripture teaching and experience, and, whenever adopted, has had most ru. inorts consequences. In Scripture it is said, " Wessed art time 0 Land when thy king is the son of nobles," King here evidently means the rulers of a state; and as to its ru inous consequences, see the late revolution in France—yes, and, see the present state of our own country, thousands of Chartists arid other .such politicians boldly threatening to overturn the present constitution ; and there is every reason to fear that tench blood must be shod before a stop can be put to what they avow as their object—viz., the overthrow of the present happy constitution, unless some ministry can be bend with sufficient nerve to at once put a stop to all meetings and agitators of questions subversive of govern ment—and this could yet be done. It is a fact that, ever since our pusilanimous government submitted to the Bir mingham mob, in allowing them to appoint a ministry, government has been daily losing its strength, and mob legis lators daily gaining more political power. But, to return to the education question. Those who advocate secular in struction ever take for granted that Roman Catholics would not send their children to be taught in schools where the Scriptures were read and made the basis of their education ; but this is proved to be a most erroneous opinion, for, prior to the establishment of the national schools in Ireland, there were upwards of 100,000 Roman Catholic children at schools where the Bible was not only freely read in the schools, but the children had to commit to memory considerable portions of it; and, if sufficient funds could have been obtained, five times the number of Roman Catholics would have attended the shoots, and that in despite of all the denunciations of their clergy ; and even qt this moment there are more t h an 100,000 Roman Catholics (including adults) receiving a truly religious education, and carefully reading the Word of God. 13 ut the report on which I am observing, with other publica tions of the like import, is evidently intended to influence the government to adopt in Great Britain the mode of edu cation imposed on Ireland. Now the facts respecting the state of the parties for and against the establishing of the Irish system in Britain may, 1 think, be fairly stated at about one in every hundred of the inhabitants in favour of the Irish system ; then the case stands thus, that to gratify these few, who hate the Word of God, cannot bear to hear it even read, that precious Word, given by God for the guidance and com fort of man, is not only to be kept from the people, but be lowered in its inestimable value and importance in the eyes of all, it being made a matter of indifference whether it gsgssid be read or not. I may just observe that, although do not see the necessity of putting my name to this letter, should any one dispute the correctness of what l have stated, as far as regards Ireland, by his noticing it in the STANDARD I shall immediately give him my name, and I pledge myself to produce authentic documents to prove all I have stated. am, Sir, yours, 4sc. A DISSENTER Liverpog,k, 11th Febru ar y, 1843. - -a THE LIVERPOOL MERCURY AND THE NE\ COPYRIG HT LAW. TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. SIR.—I shall feel myself much indebted to you by your permitting me to make a few remarks on a paragraph which appeared in last Friday's Mercury, touching the advantages of the new Copyright Bill, under the head of " Benet Effects of the New Copyright Act" ; for, in this said . not very lengthy p aragrap h , the Editor totally disavows the prin ciples of free trade, virtually recants all his, previously. pub lished sentiments, and, in principle and effect, becomes a rigorous and uncompromising advocate of restriction, mono poly, and com p re h ens i ve protection; (I take for granted that the Editor of the kicrettry r rote the paragraph is guts, tion, or fatly APPkoXed, of doctrirrs, since ha has not . a4;. ; nowledgeil it as taken from any other newspaper.) And it is not a restriction of any thing immaterial ta the peopy 4;: by a restriction "of which they will not be tn Mercury here advocates: on the other haad, it is a mattes of j the highest importance, it is tbe .fuorae(49'• t i te l 4e°l)l( • The Editor of the Me7;M:3lPle'als ledge! For dear req..( l ,lAg,:for high-priced literature; ture_; for a (or a monopoly_ in know monopoly of; tb.‘ , ',utast interesting books l i e n ra the English language!, 4 w4 s h, sir, to call your close attention to that part of the ators, wh _ . could defy competition as to Now, sir, this Quotation c But this very satr tie English publisher was r ,upyi act; he was protected, from the native invasion of his rights. "foreign speculator" was concerned, the ed February 16, 1843 landed proprietor, he cannot feel their fort be is a literary man, and may, f or oug / preparing a volu me for the press, he set books, the ruinous tendency of "unfair riva,., speculation ; lie may have literary property sometime of other by which, of course, he may expect to subsist; and it he should, he sees that he may be undone by " foreign specu because the manuscript owner is " not protected I scribe should not forget that his ft.! anourer of the anti-monopoly club, Colonel Thompson, has said, that " all protection means robbery ; " a doctrine which, no doubt, is deemed by the editor of the Mercury as contain ing the quintessence of truth. Therefore, if this be so, he is placed in the enviable position of advocate for robbery. It is " unjust traffic," he says, to admit " French, Belgian, and American copies of works," because the English pub lisher is under greater expense than the foreign speculator." Indeed! and did the editor of the Mercury learn this doctrine in the anti -monopoly school? Not he. But let him carry his doctrine beyond the province of " copyright " and " manuscript; " let him apply it to the landowner and farmer and it will turn out to be " unjust" to admit, duty free, " French, Belgian, and American " corn. because the is not t►t that we know, be es,*as to literature and .ngl►sh producer is under greater expense than the " foreign peculator." The case of thR Luc Lwo is precisely ; yet, with prodigious consistency, the editor contends that one should be protected and the other not protected ! If there be any argument in the above quotation that is worth a straw it may be translated in favour of the agriculturist, thus : The legitimate sale of English coru has been contracted by the sale of French, Belgian, and American corn ; and the English landowner, though in many cases paying considerable sums for land, and embarking his capital in other• large out lays for farm-houses, barns, shippons, stables, carts, plough, gearing, horses, cows, seed, plants (including tithes, poor rates, and various other taxes), &c aid riot hope for an entire possession even of the home market, there 1 ••••••., Uy iui cigti specu lators, who, not having so expensive an outlay nor so many taxes, can defy competition as to price." If the editor will be just, he must now see, if he never saw before, that the landowner has at least equal claim to !Protection wit!, And, as far as the to have 0 11L/Lll 0./.../IAU Dt Ns. per cwt.; a duty, in itself almost equal to pro hibition ; especially, if it be considered that besides this the " foreign speculator". would be saddled with many additional expenses for freight, &c. Of the " beneficial effects of the new copyright act," of which the Meacury speaks I shall not say much. Some of its clauses may possibly be beneficial to a few ; but not one of these clauses contemplate the advantage of the public, or the dissemination of knowledge among the people : and how a more rigorous exclusion of competition can have the effect of reducing the price of books, as the paragraph pretends, is unfathomable. A very different doctrine is taught by the Mercury's friends of the League, who invariably contend that monopoly increases price. One of the " beneficial effects" of the new Copyri g .. is, that the public must pay double, at least, for all those works which would soon have fallen out of copyright during the neat seven years; and it ought to be borne in mind that but for the new Copyright Act, the "immortal Waverley" would have dropped into the hands of the cheap publishers ,n July last ; but the " beneficial effects" of the new act ex .end the monopoly of this work several years further, and the )üblic now pay double what they otherwise would have had o pay for it; although, previously, it had been the instru nent of a princely fortune to its owners. So far from the iew Copyright Act presentinc , any " beneficial effects" to the , üblic, i defy the editor of Mercury to show a single lause even pointing that way. It ought to be regarded as a 3b, and nothing but a job —a robbery of the British public, nd an iniquitous proscription of cheap literature ; and justice D the reading public demands that most of the new clauses e at once repealed. Hoping that these remarks may find insertion in your seful paper, I am, sir, yours respectfully, to wit be A BOOKSELLER JOINT STOCK BANKS. — During the past week or ten days here have been several meetings in the country of joint itock bank proprietaries. The Dudley and West 11,..,‘,,,;„t. .4au Cb _ l• Bank at the annual meeting decl are d th e usual dividend Jareniwicn of 10 per cent. with £4,000 added to the guarantee fund mak ing the reserve £38,000, notwithstanding, as stated, that a " considerable diminution of profits had taken place for the last year." At the meeting of the Bilston district Bank a dividend was declared of 7 per cent. out of profits, but only leaving less than £203 to be added to the guarantee fund, which would then amount to £4,680. It must be observed however that the dividend was clear of income tax, whilst a fair allowance was made for bad debts. It was noticed pro perly as a singular circumstance that, notwithstanding the " trying nature" of the times during the year n o t, " a si ng l e bad debt had been incurred." At the eleventh annual meet fng of the Wolverhampton and Staffordshire Banking Com pany a dividend was declared of 10 per cent.. clear of income tax, for the half-year ending march Ist, the dividend of the previous half-year ending with September having been 7 per A surplus of profits remained of £4.52R. of .Vllllal lb was calculated that one-half would be required to meet bad debts sustained during the past year. The guarantee fond of £25,090 was untouched, and the directors conceived tkat the resolution at a former meeting, for appropriating, all the future profits beyond 17 per cent, to the establishment of it second guarantee fund not to exceed the first in amount, was judicious and would be rendered available. At the annual meeting of the Leicestershire Banking company at Leicester a dividend was declared of 12 per cent., free of income tax. The capital of the company was stated at £64,950, whilst the guarantee fund amounted to £32,829. At the meeting of the York Union Bank a dividend was declared of 10 per cent., leaving a surplus to be added to the guarantee fund which then amounted to £16,922. At the meeting of the Yorkshire District Banking Company a dividend at the rate of 3s. 9d. on the old and 5s 3d on the new shares. The sum of £17,416 had been written off the bad bebt account during the past half-year as loss, so that there remained a " balance of £72,273 at the credit of that account." At the meeting of the Leeds Banking Company a dividend of 6 per cent. was declared, and a " handsome" sum carried to the reserve fund. At the meeting of the Barnsley Banking Company a dividend was declared of 8 per cent., and £6OO carried to the reserve fund. At the meeting of the Leeds Commercial Banking Company a dividend was declared for the half-year at the rate of six per cent. with a " satisfactory" report of nrocress. STOCK ExcHANGE PRACTlCE.—Circumstances have oc curred from time to time which have led to a feeling among the members of the Stock Exchange against business in the securities of any character whatever being transacted out of the house. At length, a difference between two of the mem bers, arising out of a dealing of this sort, has brought the subject before the committee, who have been deliberating I came in to her assistanc such assistance as he c dreadfully burnt over I tely conveyed for about six hou The body UpOil IL ror roe last two trays. It appears that a broker who some Great Western Itailvray shares to sell met, as he was leaving the market, another broker, and their conversa tion turned upon the business. The consequence was, that the second broker bought the shares. The partner of the first broker, in the meantime, not being aware of this trans action, and bearing that the firm was empowered by a prin cipal to sell Great Western shares, concluded a sale with auo ther broker in a public market, The number of shares sold in both these transactions was the same. When the first broker, who had sold his shares out of doors, returned to his countinghouse, he found that a similar sale had been effected by his partner in the house, at a lower price. The conse quence was, that an endeavour was made by the firm to set aside the bargain concluded in the house in favour of the one concluded out of doors, a priority of sale being the reason al leged. The broker, however, who had bought the shares in the public market, would not consent that the sale to hire should be annulled, inasmuch as be had operated against his purchase in the course of his subsequent transactions. As a discussion involving the principle of the strict fairness of doing business out of doors was raised among the members of the house, it was thought expedient to refer the matter to the committee, the feeling generally being that the transac tion of business out of doors was injurious to the members of the establishment. The committee, after consideration, have declared the sale in the market to be an absolute sale, in spite of the priority of the other, and that it cannot be set aside. The consequence of this decision has been, that the seller has been obliged to re-purchase the shares at a higher price than that at which he sold them. The committee, in the notice which is posted in the house on the subject, recom mend that in future all business for the benefit of the public shall be transacted with' •he walls. This recommendation husband I also 1; presented a shocking appearat nearly to a cinder. The dens that she had been sit quest, am YESTEI fall, Bo Molynewc, Royc p, which v guilty authors of /abut will apply most forcibly to a course of l ousiness which is very prevalent, and which consists in some of the membe rs carry ing ou extensive transactions in their counting-houses, or otherwise privately, instead of coming into the open market. It will also prevent the recurrence of such differences as that just recorded, arising more from the defect of a system, than from any fault of the parties immediately concerned.- 7'it,i2 es. IMPORTANT CASE.—A trial of considerable interest to merchants, occurred in Dublin last week, before the Court of Common Pleas. It was an action brought by a merchant, named Rish, against the Messrs. Scovell—who are the lessees of the crown of the Custom-house stores, where bonded goods are placed—under the following circumstances :—lt appeared that in the month of May last there were between two and three thousand chests of tea in bond in the stores of the de fendants, and on the ground floor, under the lofts where they were, a cargo of oranges had been placed, Amongst the tea thus stored, the p;aintiff Rish had 15.9 chests. Some of the merchants, upon taking parcels of their tea out for sale to their customers, found that it bad imbided a strong flavour of the oranges, and in some instances it was sent back to them as unsaleable. Amongst those so cireamstanced was the plaintiff's in the present action. Inquiry was at once set on foot about the matter, and tea tasters from London and Liver pool were brought over to ascertain if the complaints were well founded. The oranges were removed in the mean time, and, upon an examination of the teas, it was found that the whole two or three thousand chests had more or less imbibed the orange flavour ; but that the finer qualities bad been af fected in a far greater degree than the coarser. It was then agreed between the Messrs. Scovells and some of the mer chants, that their teas should be sold by public auction, sub ject to the fault complained of, for whatever they might bring, and that the Messrs. Scovell should make good the difference between that and the T.nnelnn -c... A Jo not call ft ) on flour's ~~~; paragraph in question which reads thus:--" The legitimate DIMADFUL CASE or _Liu..._ sale of English books has, indeed, been contracted by the Wednesday, before Mr. Curry, circulation of French, Belgian, and American copi es o f o f th e b o d y o f Ell en Maynagh works; and th e E ng li s h publisher, though, in many cases, It appeared from the giving considerable sums for manuscripts, and embarking his morning of Tuesday last, the decea., capital in other large outlays, for paper, print, advertise- family in Pall Mall, wa s found, by so me pt. _ ments, (including d u ty t o G overnment,) &c., could not hope the house on hearing her cries, to be envel for an entire possession even of the home market, where his I from head to foot. Her person, indef,d energies were defeated, where he was not protected (!) from tinctiv seen through the bla ze • unfair rivalru, and wino,..s. n ' ' •• - Iguish the fire, thP ' had his hand- —An inques borourh mence, that at 0t.1e.-4;' irs Yot tory ha ificed in t the in - --- - the world will ridicule our notion of England's respons governors, and despise the name of Britain's greatn Then it will be proved that the very kernel of institutions is rotten, and that the sun of Britain set.—Well, we shall see.—Ostler's Fleet Papers NEW SPECIES OF CURREN CF.—When •in Africa he took 1.11. was I.l2lVGliinf, •••• ••• occasion for exhibiting his head. His face and Wand' - s ;- n( feet had become very dark from the effects of the broilin sun ; but his head, which he had shaved, and kept genera' covered with a cap or turban, retained the whitene. northern skin. A tradition of this having„_ intimated to Mr. Buekhardt, at a town where he brief halt, that two of the ladies in the vicinit to pay for a sight of his bead. Not being rich ai got abr :y were the traveller consented, and the price of the exhibit fixed at four onions each. At the first glimpse of ti skin the ladies ran off screaming that they had l oo k the devil, and the traveller , putting his onions in h (which in those parts no doubts resembles very muc vision bag), went upon his way rejoicing. Sir Ch weaysenreingad;from M LONDON ROYAL GEOGRAPRICAL SOC lETY.—.T Hare n w t a h s c held ai chair. AMon Letterday son, of this town, stating that he had received a let some new, important, and interesting intelligence, Becroft, os the Niger river and the late expedit chief paper for the evening was a very voluminous the last expedition of Mr. Schorobargek, in the Guiana ' forwarded to the Society by Lo r d S tanh partied by a great variety of mineralogical and specimens, chiefly from the Monte and R oopoouv The heat of the country was intense, ar expedition were great, but they made a gre a t nornetrical and astronomical obser va ti ons, the heights of the varioas ranges of mount a i ns. nnation of the paper, which was replete With i nforr ofth e th n e a t n tr a r t a i l v historywas deferred fe ch r e et country, as well as o f th e meeting, ad the f and ascer Turegnr.—Letters have been received front Constantin, to the 28th ult. A few days beforeM. he Boutenieff Russia. extraordinary envoy, had it long conference Sarim Effendi on the 'fairs of Servia. The Gove contineed to receive the most satisfactory intelliger that country. Prince Alexander was to have left to visit his mother, who was lying ill ab Schabat absence woeld not interfere with the regular cour ness. A ieptatation from Alb an i a presented, a petition to the Supreme Connell of Jesti‘ the dismissal of the Govenor o' Mr. Curzon, private Secretary to act as the British Commissioner at the the Terkish and Petsian p le nipotentiaries a' for the Trebizond on the 27th, Captain appointed to fill that mission, had L it in consequence of indi— - t that movinc ) Sir. S. e.vin unable to un Smyrna were subjected to a quarantine of ob six days, on account of an infraction of the sanat committed by the English Steamer-of-war Hecat arrived there from Cyprus and the coast of Syria on The vessels comin BILAZIL:—French diplomacy in bra... the following ar rangement :—The disput k between Brazil and Fren c h G u i ana h as to ue sett cession to France of 80 leagues of the Braziilan The. mttrage of the P r i nce d e l o i nville with the Jayattria is resolved on ; and as by the law of B princess cannot leave the empire until her ituperia shall have issue of his 45.wri to the Crown, the Prince tills will be appointed Governor of French Guiana, side in the province of Brazil nearest to that French It I. proposed that a corps d'eirthe'T shall be stati French Guiana tb give eclat to the Royal Governme to aid IR Twll other purposes as events may . render t twist's to French interests in South. Amencao'culrt added that the French Minister at Rio has the Brazilian Government a promise of Pre i doubtless Lugar 4aties in the French Charibere_. Preach fabrics; the result of the forth w coe influence any decision op t hat . pe s es s ti on. rr _ ve4 Ti t io l - ; Joinvirle had not at the late.a daL ; e y cited there f roi . debates royal highness was anxieles l 3 7 . nspe thectieg insign Gambia, where he had be . e n l yet en P t r ial (It settlement the French have in that river . has acc 'ad bou price or toe day, on the first of June,whlc - I;w — as the period when the alleged injury was dis •... ...... ...tumult E FECTS OF A NEWSPAPER ON INDIAPib•.—J. 11, ~,, ~,, covered. There were several other merchants, amongst whomknfrom my painting apparatus an did. num was the plaintiff, who did did not come in under this arrange ment, nor did it clearly appear, in the course of the trial, why 'Missour i , by e t a a 't V Yo g a Commercial .Adpertiser, edited by rn) her of the .1 they saw me for friend Colonel Stone, wee extraordinary. Tim , tion F l - produced among the Minatarees while on the Lippe kind and tried it was that they were excluded- The teas were sold in Se tember last, when the. prices were higher than in June N l e- - together with my eyes fixed on its pages. They had ceding, and noterithstandine the injury complained of, they hours different and various conjectures about it; the most current generally brought within three-halfpence mad twopence a of which was, that I was looking at it to cure my sore eyes, Minetarees thought that I was mad, whew pound of what those of similar characters, perfectly sound, and they called it the "medicine cloth Ar sore eyes" l lat brought, then in the London market, and some Jew parcels lea tlput an end to this end several equally ignorant con -lof the coarser qualities brought lust as much. Besides the novelty of the case, there was a very important legal question j them, 'and the subjects of Oa paper fully explained ; after 'ect g ur ' es p , by reading passages in it, which were interpreted to at issue, namely, how for the Liability of warehousemen gene - w hi c h it was looked upon as a much greater mystery than rally, and storekeepers' holding as lessees under the crown, before, and several !limed, °trees were made me foe it, which extends. It was alleged by counsel for the defendants, that I was obligee! to refese,,having already received a beautifully painted fact of their being lessees of the crown gave theman in- garnished robe for it from the bonds of a young son of wig told me if he could employ a good interpre deninity not extending to common warehousemen ; but that • was a t once overru l e d b y th e Chi e f Justice, who, by consent t l e y ::sc t u o lW eat ise pla ' in teveLe d th l‘ ii i ig an it d i a i r t , , s, he a c o oe d il s d io t o ra x e , el cu a d boa ex t h a ib m i o tnigt ,of counsel on both sides, submitted the four following ques- the Wiliat" e "' tions to the jnry :—First, did the plaintiff's teas receive any ow I was gone; getting Hell with presents, and adding l birch w when n b bark injury in the defendants' stores ? Secondly, did that injury ~,,,„4, to lire list of his Si edirints, as it would make him - ft result from the teas having been stored, as appeared in eve, been placed ? Bence, upon lofts over where a large quantity of oranges had ;real IPPtiieidte-man. 1 !tit with the poor fellow his robe em the newspaper; and just befoul I departed I saw Thirdly, were the defendants gPiltt of mcg' tookhim fout tld o i r ti o g ut i i t d t i o t ali so o tb ee lo te , : il o t rae o, o t f ol l:is fol f d ri s e o nd f negligence or culpable ignorance, beyond what neigait taxis& ate the part of a reasonably skilful and pru de nt . . et eilig and deer skins ;- nivacov, m oall of which %tyre carefully his ownteas ?enclosed in a And, fourthly, what was the amount of injury, sock made of the skin of apole -cat, des if any, sustained by the plaintiff? The jury, after delibera- • dto beand to , tine . come, and undoubtedly led, his myste ling for about an hour I ant a half, returned a verdict Pe, 0-19_ 49".—CaKia on Ile Noreb ry or medicine defendants, with costs. '"''- " ' . . American Ind' tans. • child was lyir returned a verdict of " A chairs DOCK COMMITTEE, Sands, (chairman,) liar Martin, and Middle department reported to the North-west Li who found them The committee also resorted that the would, in future, alsays have ( with the steam up, which might be 1 life-boats incase of need ; she will be st Pier-head, and, wben a signal of _ mediatelY take the first life-boat in tow_ veyor recommended that means should be tal the wreck of a schooner, lately sunk outside heir boat lad for t( ferred to the harbour master relative to the duties of the pilots the entry of vessels, in consequence o the-sub-committee that the doclo masts pier-bead, in place of the pier -head ma _ ' of opinion that relative duties of each were fined. The ship Arlow havirp received some d into the Graving Dock, an application %r the facts of the case, but the committe them-elteg responsible. A - Messrs. Itathoone Brothers hurgh not being worth repairing, at Grating Dock, they wished Some cony( s teceiv letter wa;a?so. atatin• t tee conld not re ../•••• the Birkenhead Cemetery Bill was sent in for t t!on of the committee, who then proceeded to the of financial matters, and soon afterwards adjour LIVERPOOL FIRE AND LIFE INStIR The annual meeting of the Liverpool Fir, !ompany was oath John-sft the directors, the declaration of a divi ment of seve❑ directors, in the place ( by rotation. George Ball Lawrence, the losses which the company conflagrations bad been confined almost ( cautile districts of Liverpool. The coon excellent position, and he trusted - had rained, they would cot had been driven to a painful experience, like all.o panics, that the mercantile premium.' fore totally inadequate to protect them fro ran. and though they regretted to ' 'art tinder any addilionilbardens After shewiag t e the cor d ort. This do,. ,•ar had been £4f ,eaving the reserved fund at £27.481 " ' all liabilities; and it recommended aG. on the paid-up capital be declared. A long dis principally with reference to the protection of perty against are, at the end of which the repor mouslv adopted. The dividend proposed by t .ed to be paid • the thanks of the pros vet? to the directors and auditors; the retiring ectors" during the y grounds on whit prosperity might be expect Bordt to read the ' that the was order 'Auditors were re-elected ; the to be placed at the disposal ividend of ainong themselves ; and after some discus matters of business, Mr. Lawrence was the duct in the chair, and the meeting separate CANDID.--" How is your husband ?" said doctor to a middle-aged woman, 'who bad come " Oh, sir," she replied, " Ifiattcr myself be's It appears, from some statistics whi lished, that notwithstanding the press] _ nufactures experienced since 1839, there has been property in the the last three leari, of not less than£2: AFFECTION OF THE SPARRI sitting in a cotta few years ago I wa., was attracted by an unusual scr immediately went to the back doc from a house-sparrow that was flutter at the base of which was whi it was endeavouring to swallow observing it, I found this to be a callov duck with sornethit lipot :ones of the poor sparrow there was no parent; the feathers tinued honpinz and atter were distressing cries for the loss o pose bad fallen out of the nes DR. SHELTON Mr. Bentley's announcements for " Titian a Romance of Venice." 1 we believe is editor of the Salopian we hear, is the first specimen in our lit Novel—a species of fiction very PC The h the t. aracters are his rival Gior the celebrated Cornett u. of Raphael and Michael Angelo. The at Venice, and the time is that of the beag.. There is a love story, of course, but the object of t to illustrate the romantic incidents of Titian's car The subject, it must be confessed, has great capal Literary Gazette. TRE WAR IN AFFGRANISTAN. — One word on ou kgripp: How can impeachment be refits were justified in invading Afighanistan, were guilty of treachery when they evacuatt country. If the conservatives were justified in rel possession of Affghanistan, the Whigs were lawless in the attack. Either there must be impeachrm affairs possibility is a farc honour wh 1 has s