The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-06-26 00:00:00

MI:;CELLANEOUS

The reports of the visiting and hospital committees
were read and adopted, as was also that of the finance
committee.
The report of the superintendent of the out-door
labourers was read and adopted, and he was instructed to
get some more stones in order to employ the paupers.
Mr. Jones, a contractor, applied for the sum of £45,
which he cAleged, ;was due from the board to him for
certain sewerage works he had done about four years
since in the township of Bootle.
After some conversation, in the course of which it was
stated that he had already threatened the board with an
action, which the clerk had recommended them to de-
fend, the whole matter was left in the hands of the
clerk, the finance committee having agreed to resist the
claim.

THE CHURCH RATH QUESTION,

Amongst the other correspondence read, was a letter
received from the overseers of Everton, Messrs. Kirk and
M'Connell, in answer to an application from the board,
requesting to know why they refused to permit their
collectors to collect the church rates on behalf of the
churchwardens of Walton ? The reason they assigned
was, that they withheld their sanction on public grounds
—that the subject of the legality of church rates was a
disputed point, and they thought they should not be
discharging the duties devolving on them by talking
about a disputed question, and neglecting other duties
which especially belonged to their office. They also
contended that the legislature did not impose such duties
upon the collectors, and that the item " church rates"
bad on previous occasions been surreptitiously intro-
duced into the collecting papers. The overseers hoped
the explanation would be as satisfactory to the board as
it was to themselves.
Mr. Whittv denied the assertion that the collectors'
time would be further occupied in collecting the church
rates more than any other rates, as the collector would,
it being a voluntary rate, only have to ask for the
amount, and if payment was refused, ho would have
to
strike it out. He designated the letter as the greatest
piece of balderdash he had ever read. They had then
to collect the poor rates, the county rates, the highway
rates, and yet the overseers refused that the collectors
should receive the church rates.
A. brief conversation followed, in the course of which
Mr. Callis, Mr. Wensley, Mr. Abrahams, Mr. Ed-
wards, and several other guardians took part, and it was
unanimously resolved to request the Poor Law Board to
permit the collectors to receive the church rates of
persons who were willing to pay them.
After transacting some 'routine business, the board
adjourned.

ROYAL AUSTRALIAN MAIL STEAM
NAVIGATION COMPANY.

The ordinary general meeting of the Australian Royal
Mail Steam Navigation Company was held yesterday at the
London Tavern. The report of the directors set forth that
out of the monies in hand and those due from government,
the directors proposed to add to the suspense account a
sufficient sum for the payment of ten shillings a share
during the ensuing month, and the directors asked for a
resolution of the proprietors authorising the same., The
report also stated that, in conformity with the resolution
adopted at the last general meeting, the directors had
applied to - the Board of Trade for an extension of
the Company's charter ; no reply had, however, yet been
received, and the directors were not without hopes that they
will be enabled to submit a plan for the dissolution and
winding up of the affairs of the company, which will be
approved of by the shareholders. From a supplemental
statement of accounts, it appeared that the assets of the
company showed a total of £6B 961 13s. 2d., including
assets of doubtful value amounting to £24,428 7s. 2d. The
liabilities on the 21st inst. amounted t 3 £14.339 4s. 6d.,
leaving a balance of assets of £54,622 Bs. 10d. A motion
was made by a shareholder to reduce the allowance to the
directors to £450 per annum. An amendment was pro-
posed that this question should stand over to the next meet-
ing. The amendment was carried, and, after a vote of
thanks to the chairman, the meeting separated.