The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-07-19 00:00:00

ROYAL OAK BURIAL SOCIETY

Last evening, a meeting of the members of the above
society was convened at the Clarence ball, Bond-street, for
the purpose of taking into consideration the best means to
be adopted to pre, ent the r,petition of frauds in the
management of the society, and to carry into effect the
contemplated reforms under the new rules lately formed tor
its better eoverument.

Mr. Shepherd, by the unanimous voice of the meeting,
which consititeil of about two hundred members, was cilleti
to the chair. In a speech of considerable length, and with
his usual minuteness, he detailed the defalcations of the late
officers, and expressed it as his opinion, that by their adopt—
ing the new rules, that the society would be much bene-
fitted. He expressed his disapprobation, that a society of
the magnitude of the Royal Oak Society, should hold their
meetings at a public-house, instead of taking a nobler
stand, and having offices of their own, and not go to pot-
houses. He then stated that he had no faith in the present
officers of the institution, because he believed that they were a
set of subservient slaves, and were not deserving the name
of men, from their past conduct. He then suggested
that the members of the association, at the meeting on
Monday night, should give their support to electing
W. Rathbone, Esq., F. Hull, Esq., and Mr. Martin,
as trustees, instead of the present lot, Moses Cullen and
Co. He repudiated all idea of having any personal motive
in getting up the present investigation for the personal
agrandisement of himself, becauss the fact was he could
not spare the time to take any situation where the man
was paid for doing his duty, as his time was more valuable,
but he had no objection whatever in taking a place es a
committee-man, for which he was not paid, and as tliey
met often at eight o'clock in the evening, for the purpose
of seeing that justice was el( ne to the members of the
'. . _

society, who were chiefly persons of the poorer classes
He concluded by urging upon the meeting, on Monday
night to elect the most fit and proper person to fulfil the
duties of the office, and not to trust to persons in whom
they had no confidence.
Mr. Spencer Smith then came forward from the body of
the meeting, and read the following
Regaisition to the Members of the Investigation Committee.
" GENTLE3f EN, —We, the undersigned Members or Repre-
sentatives of Members of the above Society, feeling deeply
grateful for the eminent services which you have rendered
to the said Society, by securing the repayment of the money
fraudulently withheld by the present officers, as well as
having been instrumental in providing a proper Code of
Rules for the future government thereof; and also having
lost all confidence in the present Officers and Management
in consequence of the facts disclosed during the late Inves-
tigation. do hereby request that you will allow yourselves
to be put in nomination as Candidates for the several offices
about to be filled at the next ensuing Annual Meeting;
knowing as we do, that from your experience in the working
of Societies generally, you are peculiarly fitted to undertake
the re-organization of this Society. And while we are
desirous of avoiding all sernblence of invidious distinctions,
yet being fully impressed with the great sacrifice of time
and labour made by your Chairman on various occasions in
furtherence of the interests of the Working men of Liver-
pool, and consequently the great confidence his name
inspires in the minds of the Working Classes, do therefore
respectfully solicit him to allow himself to be put in
nomination as Candidate for the office of Sub-Treasurer,
and thereby restore to the Society the confidence of those
classes, amongst whom the name of Mr. Shepherd is a
synonyme for honesty of purpose and integrity of principle."
This was unanimously adopted amidst the cheers of the
assembly.

Mr. Shepherd declined to take the office, and suggested
that
teedhomosuechMtirm.
ellaenndryatTteanytlioorn,
of
to the business of the society. He also recommended that
they
Scotland-road,should in
who
Mr. Michael Murphy should be elected as auditor, and Mr.
his
a di)
Idaec devoted
M‘Phillips, who had taken the greatest interest in the
well-being of the society, should be elected as the president.
(Mr. Shepherd's observations were received with the greatest
enthusiasm by the meeting.)
Mr. Henry Smith, connected with the Tailors As.
socia'ion, next came forward, and proposed the fol-
lowing resolution, urging upon the memt-ers to attena
the meeting on Monday evening next :—" That this
meeting being fully convinced that the present officers
of the Liverpool United Legal Friendly Burial Society,
namely, Noses Cullen, William Currie, and William
Jenkins, are no longer entitled to the confidence of the

members of the society, in consequence of the reckless an
fraudulent manner in which they have hitheto conclude(
1 the business of the society." The resolution cincluded by
T ledgi ng the members present to give their votes and in.
fluence for the persons proposed by the investigation com-

mittee

Mr. Henry Tiylor seconded the resolution, which was
unanimously adopted.
Mr. M'Phillips moved the second resolution, which was
to the following effect : " That the meeting feels it its
at, vuutlizt;li ot
present committee of management, Messrs. Ellice,
M`Farlane, Moylan, Styles, Finn, M'Connell, M'Comb,
Farrand, Fullarton, and Golightly, in carrying out the
designs and objects of the officers and collectors, to the
detriment of the society, and to declare it as the deliberate
opinion of this meeting that they have thereby rendered
themselves unworthy of being elPcted to places of trust in
connection with this society for the future.
Mr. Burns seconded the resolution, which was adopted.
A vote of thanks to the chairman, who acknowledged the
compliment, concluded the business of the meeting.