The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1861-01-10 00:00:00

THE NEW PUBLIC OFFICE*

The following motion, notice of which had been given
by Mr. James R. Jeffery, was then read :—" That as
the Council has now decided that the new public offices
shall be limited to accommodation for the departments
under the direction of the Health, Watch, and Water
Committees; and as a majority of the special committee
appointed on the 9th of November last, to consider plans
for new public offices, is of ,opinion that such limitation
will be insufficient to meet the exigencies of the case,
and be prejudicial to the public service—the resolution
of the 9th November last, appointing such special com-
mittee, be rescinded."
Mr. JEFFERY said that notice was given for the-pur-
pose of dissolving the special committee appointed to
consider plans for the construction of all the public
offices. When he moved the appointment of that com-
mittee the Council had resolved that the public offices
should be concentrated ; and it was with a view to review
the plans that had been submitted to the Council, and
to various members of the Council, to see what improve
runts could be suggested, and what would be the cost
of carrying out such plans as the committee might
approve of and recommend to the Council, that he had
adopted such a course. The Council subsequently had
thought proper in its wisdom to alter that course ; and
as the special committee had been appointed for the car-
rying out of a special purpose, which the Council had
departed from, and in the opinion of the committee met
the welfare of the public, the committee now asked
to have the present resolution rescinded. The subject
had been so fully discussed on previous occasions, that
he did not think it necessary to take up the time of the
Council by referring to it at any length at the present
meeting.
Mr. Stitt seconded the motion.

From the statement of the Town-clerk it appeared
that the fi;st resolution on this subject was passed by
the Council at its meeting on the 4th of April, 1860,
and was subsequently nullified by another resolution in
November last.

Mr. PICTON said, from the resolution just read, under
which the special committee bad been appointed, it
appeared to him that the object for which that com-
mittee had been appointed had been repudiated, or at
all events rescinded by the Council ipso facto. On it
was a committee appointed for a specific and special
purpose, the Council having resolved that it was of
importance and necessary to concentrate the whole of
the public offices; and plans having been prepared with
that view and submitted to the Council, the Council

referred them to the committee, not questioning at all
whether the offices should be so concentrated or not,
but whether these plans were the best that could be
decided upon for the purpose. They were to consider
this particular question, and report the result to
.the
Council, and, if they considered it necessary, were to
call for fresh plans. No further instructions having
ever been given to that committee—but the very object
for which they were appointed having been now aban-
doned by the Council—what, therefore, had the com-
mittee to do? Why, the object for which they were
called into form having dropped, the committee thought
that they were necessarily a mortuwn caput, or a defunct
body ; and consequently there was no other course open
to them but to consider themselves dissolved.
Mr. C. TURNER, having entered into a minute
enumeration of the details of the resolutions passed by
the Council in the months of April and November last
year affecting the present committee, stated that though
he did not desire to bring the proceedings in question,
relating to the New Public-offices to an end, still he did