The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-09-27 00:00:00

DISTRICT COUNTY COURTS

LIVERPOOL.
(BEFORE JOSEPH POLLOCK, ESQ., JUDGE.)
THE ROYAL OAK BURIAL SOCIETY.—Mr, Martin and
Mr. Hull attended to report the result of the meeting of
the society on Monday last, in accordance with the
directions of the court. Mr. Martin handed in a report
containing a minute of the proceedings of the meeting.
After detailing the proceedings, the report thus concluded :
"In the result, all the original motions became the
resolutions of the meeting. From the opening of the doors
to the close, five hours were occupied. The meeting was
much more orderly than either of the two preceding ones,
and I feel satisfied that the members heard the addresses of
the several speakers and their motions, and that they also
distinctly heard the latter when I put them ; and, conse-
quently, the results wero in these respects fairly arrived at
by the majority of the members present. There being a
great change for the better in the conduct of the members,
and the house being divided, I bad an opportunity of
satisfactorily corning to the following conclusions : The
supporters of each side came prepared to vote in favour of
certain known measures, and the arguments of the speakers
did not appear to lead to a change of opinion. 2nd. That
the motions carried were influenced by great numbers of
female members, who were on the side of the house which
supported them. 3rd. That the members on each side
caused interruptions, but by far the most difficult side to
keep in order was that on which the females were, and very
many of them in particular were the most unruly in the
entire house." Mr. Hull said he concurred in the general
tenor and purport of the report, a draft of which he had
been shown by Mr. Martin the day before. That report
brought to a close the labours of the investigation committee,
but before quitting the subject he thought it right to
remark that the proceedings of the committee had been
solely influenced by a desire to protect the best interests of
the society. No personal or vindictive motives actuated the
members of that committee ; but having become convinced,
by investigating the accounts of the society, that some of
the officers had appropriated a portion of the funds of the
society to their own purposes—he would not say without
the intention of repaying it—as a loan, the discovery of this
irregularity naturally excited some suspicion, which
resulted in the appointment of the investigation committee.
It was only justice to the officers to say that they had met
the committee in a fair and honourable manner, making
due allowance for the frailties of human nature. Of course
to them it was a question of vital importance, as the pro.
c 2edings might involve a substitution of other officers for
them ; but the investigation committee had no object in
view beyong a desire to protect the interests of the society
for the benefit of all. He expressed a concurrence in the
remarks made in the report upon the conduct of the " lady"
members, many of whom frequently interrupted the pro-
ceedings by exclamations of an entirely personal character,
wholly irrelevant to the subject in hand. For instance,
the cry of " Who robbed the Druids ?" was introduced on
the mention of one gentleman's name. No doubt it
was a very improper thing to rob the Druids, if any one
did so, but no question of that kind carne to be enquired
into by the meeting. At the close of the proceedings Mr.
Martin made some observations which caused a little dis-
satisfaction. Mr. Martin appeared to have stated that the
proceedings of previous meetings showed that the working
classes were not capable of managing their own affairs.
This he (Mr. Hull) did not think warranted by the cir-
cumstances. Had there been no "lady members" present,
the business would have been much more quietly and
speedily transacted. It was indeed, however, in this
instance, that a great deal of personal feeling had been
brought into the dispute, which was probably the less to be
wondered at, when it was remembered that these parties
were brought into frequent intercourse with the collectors,
whose interests were evidently reflected in the proceedings
of these " ladies." In point of fact, the moment a question
was put to the meeting, they were at once ready to vote upon
the right side. His Honour : A very happy qualification
in voters. Mr. Hull concluded by saying that the labours
of the committee had failed in some of the most important
objects, with the exception of having obtained a new and
practicable code of laws, and secured an investigation of
the accounts. Mr. Martin said the only outrageous women
present was the red-haired lady." his Honour said the
working of the society, which was one of great importance,
must be regarded as a matter of much moment by all who
took an interest in the social well-being of the operative
classes. The discussions which had arisen out of the affairs
of the society, had been productive of no small amount of
advantage. The investigation into the accounts of the
society had resulted in placing its pecuniary affairs in such
a footing as to secure them for the future, which must, of
itself, be looked upon as a very important advantage. New
laws, of a practicable and workable character,
had also been introduced. The object of substituting
new office bearers had not been realised, and the
officers appeared, under all the imputed odium
to which they had been exposed, to have retained the
good feeling and good opinion of a majority of the mem-
bers. They were accordingly retained in office. No doubt
it was true that some irregularities had been traced to s-me
of the officers, and it was undoubtedly wrong and unjusti-
fiable to appropriate any portion of the funds of the society