The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-10-26 00:00:00

j• ..
6it.P y he had done, he was not about to be rejected,
although he had, when expressing his opinion in the
Council, had handed to him an austere note,—" re-
.collect that St. Martin's Market is in your ward." He
did not care if all the markets were in the ward he
represented, he would do his duty. (Cheers). Ile con-
cluded by seconding the Motion.
Mr. T. S. RAFFLES, Who Was received With great
applause; moved the following resolution That, in
the opinion of thiS Meeting., the P4tilent of !Wages Oil
Friday evening, dr A early hour dil Saturday, ads
beneficially both t'si the Working classes and to the shop-
heOPers." He believed this association would exercise a
very important influence on all classes of the community
morally and socially. If its efforts were successful, they
would find that the advantages now offered to the
working classes by.the Free Library and Reading-room
could be fully appreciated. • In• connection with crime,
also, he had no doubt that they would find the influence
of early closing very be4eflPial:.l;lt, was dnring the latter
hours of the eyeiiiiig that the greatest amount of crime
was Cdriiiiiitted; and he was sure that if the public-houses
could be cloSed only one hour earlier, there would be a
great improvement in the morals of the working classes.
He was glad to find that there were men among the
licCnsed victuallers who were open to conviction upon
this subject, and who were willing to close their places.
There were also publicans in this town who did not avail
themselves of the permission to keep open on Sundays,
and closed their houses during that day, (Applause.)
He thought that something in the proper direction could
be done by large commercial firms. This was not only
a working man's association, hilt one for cuinmerpial
men alio,
,and bpi thought their regPect'ed Blitiirnian had
considerable, influen'ec„ which , Might, be , exerted with
good effect Aim establishments like his own. He could
make every allowance for differences of opinion between the
employers, and their employes, but he thought that if
both sides would. but fairly discuss this question, they
Would speedily come to a right determination, which
determination would undoubtedly be that early closing
would be for their mutual benefit. With regard to the
first part of the resolution, that referring to the payment
of wages on Friday evening, • it was quite, clear that it
would be productive of very beneficial results. In many
cases those who received their wages on the Saturday
carried them to the pliblit house. ,The dbiisetineilee.Was
that, they were tined *chit on a SMidaY rnornin6 in a
state of, drunkenness, iid4efe brought before him, on
MondaY morning. The fa,rail..Y Went:WithMit:niprieY in
Cditoeiinenbei and the ,mail Was probably litmight tip
again Charged with beating his wife. These there plain
facts. He believed that if the early closing movement
were but fairly established, it would have an immense
influence upon the evil effects of drink. He concluded
his observations by wishing the association every
success. _ _

Mr. Nrcxsorr seconded the resolution. It was with
great pleasure that he complied with the request of the
committee to attend that meeting. As one practically
acquainted with the evil of long hours of business, he
had the greatest pleasure in appearing there to give his
testimony to the fact, that no movement was so;likely
to benefit the. working Classes as this: The dbject of
the £o3b.Ciati6li *fi;3 to shorten the hours of labour,
and to afford opportunities for self improvement.
And the manner in which the operations of the
scociety have been conducted was such, he thought,
as to • warrant the confidence of . the public.
The main difficulties which stood in the way of its adop-
tion by the upper and middle classes of trades and pro-
fessions appeared to be now surmounted. But there were
still serious obstacles to the adoption of early closing on
the part of the small tradesmen. Public opinion had
been all-powerful with reference to the higher classes,
and with reference to the middle classes; but -the case
was different With the lower classes. Public opinion,
with them, was almost powerless bat, throngla the
agencies now in operation, he hoped that the efforts of
• the (society *mild be drowned with snedess: One of the
greatest difficulties td the general adoption Of the system
was the reprehensible practice of late paynients of wages.
He did not believe that the common objection that the
working classeS would get drunk on the Saturday had any
foundation. He believed it to be a siniple,.d.saliinption,
and a libel on that class. supported the movement on
grounds.of morality, because he believed it was calculated
to benefit net only the working classes, but the public
generally.
• The CHAIRMAN then put the resolution, which was
carried unanimously: •
Major WALTER =lie for*a.rd to move the next
resolution. • He was received with great cheering and
enthusiasm. After apologising fof appearing in uniforni,
which, he said, Was owing to his having been summoned
to attend a meeting of his corps since the present.meet-
ing Was convened; he proceeded to move the resoldtion,
which was, " That this meeting Considers that the
requirements ,of trade do not prevent, and the public
goOd will be benefited by the adoption of the Saturday
half holiday, iti ffiereantile and other offices, and the
large retail establishments of the town.''There were
possibly few persons who knew more of the excellent
results which had followed only a slight adoption of the
movement, in the case of clerks, than he himself. It
was of that class that the corps to which he belonged
Was principally composed: (Applause.) He had had
to call. upon several employers, to get some relaxation
of the hours of labour, and he believed that, without
any exception, this relaxation had been productive of
good in every way. He believed, further, that every
employer who had ' consented to such a reduction
had found increased industry in the young men
to whom he had extended the privilege. He
believed the same thing would occur with the work-
ing classes; he had great faith in them. Re had
been in distant parts of the world, and had been in a
great measure dependent upon them, and as the result of
his experience 'he could give an expression of the great-
est confidence. (Applause.) He was warmly and
deeply attached to the association, and he hoped that
the observations they had heard would produce a proper
effect. After the retharks 'which had been made by the
respected.magistrate, it would he:presumption in him to
attempt to add anything ; but he might say that he had
the very beet authority for saying that those haunts of
vice, which used to 'be frequented by the young men,
were now almost entirely deserted. (Applause.)
Mr. F. A. CLINT seconded the resolution. In the
coarse of his observations he alluded to the fact that
there are in Liverpool 1,672 public-houses and 894 beer-
houses, out of which number only 77 close on Sundays.
The resolution • was put and carried with applause,
after which,
The Rev. VERNER WHITE moved " That this meeting
rejoices in the early closing of the public markets,
especially on Saturday night, and earnestly urges the
Town Council, in accordance with the feeling of the
following memorial, not to alter the present time of
closing." He stated in his observations that p, canvass
had been made amongst the publicans of the town,
which resulted in 700 of them having signed a paper,
the object of which was to abolish Sunday trading.
There would have been even more signatures had the
persons applied to been owners; about 254 objected to

sign.
-Mr. Adam Hodgson seconded the resolution.
The petition was as follows :--
PETITION TO THE TOWN COUNCIL.
In favour of the present bye-law for closing the Markets at 10
o'cloCk on Saturday nights from a public meeting of the
inhabitants of Liverpool, held in the Concert Ilan, October

25, 1860,
Sheweth,=--That your petitioners regret that efforts have
been made to induce the Council to return to the old hour of
closing the markets on Saturday nights, viz., 11 o'clock.
That in answer to the assertion made to the council, that the
present hour of closing' on Saturday nights is injurious to the
mterests of the working classes, and that therefore they are
opposed to it, your petitioners assure you is totally unfoluided.
That your. .petitioners trust that when you consider the pre-
sent prosperous state of markets, coupled with increased
rentals, you will reject, the fallacious, objection urged, " that
closing at ten o'clock is a hardship' on dealers in perishable
articles ;" especiallY as the same objection would apply with
equal force to eleven o'clock.
Also, your petitioners would strenuously urge you to adhere
to the present bye-law, in consequence of the undeniable fact
that its tendency has already proved so beneficial to a large
class of the community outside the markets, as is witnessed by
very many establishments now closing an hour earlier than
they did when the, old bye-law was in operation • by such
adhesion to the present bye-law you will assist in developing
those principles of early closing which latterly you have ex-
tended throughout the Corpbrate Estate, you will relieve vast
numbers from the drudgery of midnight toil, and give a
stimulus to a movement which has for its object the common
good. And your petitioners will ever pray. •
Signed On behalf of the Public Meeting,
T. B. nonsrAtt.
• A vote, of• thanks was then' enthusiastically passed to
the chairman, who in reply thanked the meeting for the
warm vote of thanks with which it had honoured him.
He was most gratified to hear that a majority of the
publicans were in favour of closing on the Sabbath.
If a local act of Parliament were required to bring
such a thing into operation, he would say, as one of
their representatives, that nothing would give him
greater, pleasure than to take charge of such a bill.
(Great'applause.)
This concluded the meeting.