The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-05-22 00:00:00

TOWN COUNCIL.

The adjourned meeting of the council was held at deft,/
o'clock yesterday, in the Town Hall. In the absence of tll5
L'mor, Mr. Alderman J. Hayward Turner presided.

IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE

The p.^oceedings of this committee contained a recommenda;
tion to purCliase from Mr. Banner, jun., about 1,500 yards 0'
land on Shaw" ...brow, for £5,500, the possession of the propertf
to be given up %%:ithin four months. The land is required for
the purpose of the I,roposed public library and museum. u.
Mr. Alderman Ben'llott proposed that the proceedings

con firmed.
Mr. Earle thought the pi:le very extravagant, and a great
deal more than the land was wo:th. ed
Mr. godson said if the land on shaves-brow were collWarto
with that in Great Howard-street, the latter would be arena.
be infinitely superior. The property on the Shaw's-brow la 1
was very poor. Of course it was necessary tho council slic'neli&
have the land, but there was no comparison betwe& it and'
land in Great Howard-street.
Mr. Fernihough moved that the consideration of the (Pelf-
tion be postponed for one month.
Mr. Gladstone seconded the motion.
-the
Mr. Picton said the matter had been well considered by
improvement committee, and he believed they had acted ap°o
the advice of the surveyor. Suppose it were postponed,. t°
which he had no manner of objection, and that the questleo
had to come before a jury, and a larger amount had to be give"e
than the property was now offered for, he should protest d
behalf of the library and museum committee, that the fun
administered by that committee should not be saddled with any
additional expense the council might be put to in obtaining tu:
land in that way. If gentlemen who had not attended, %/A
did not belong to the committee, were so much more eapa -
of judging than the committee who had paid so much attsotil
to the subject, then it would be unfair to saddle that fund's t.,.
any additional expense incurred in consequence of postps'"
went.
Mr. Shen expressed a hope that the practice, now becoteihng:
very general, of making use of something like a threat, en
part of chairmen of committees, would be abandoned. A
thought it would be very well that gentlemen, who came befoir;
the council with such proposals, would allow some time 'of
deliberating upon them, and consider whether the disposal °
so large an amount of the corporate funds was judicious. g,
Mr. Alderman Cooper said the corporation were in Pesfiel.
sion of the land adjoining, and the. 7 wanted this land to ele
plete the whole. It was very likely They might give a
too much, but he did not see any advat, tage in referring
:I,li
purchase back. If they referred it back ti:, would Pob
raise the price of th other land required.
,lineet
Mr. Gladstone said his in seconding tlic amen— is
was for the sake of enquiry, as lee contended that such proposa

should he before th- council one month at least.
Mr. Picton stated, in answer to a question, that this „,11; e
chase would complete all the land wanted on that side. ' "re
i 5,1
had got the centre piece—this was the piece below,
a Ol
MO a piece with a narrow frontage above, which they 040,

require.
Mr. Johnson thought it would be very injittt:icious to po'.11:
pone the purchase. The property belonged to air estate Whc
s-
had been in chancery. It was now pressed for .sale tho tro
tees being exceedingly desirous that it should be w°uncia
immediately. Suppose another party stepped in ant! Puk"h;: op
t-
it, and then it came before a jury, the jury would, •ilak
nion, certainly not award less than the sum for which' "
offered now. If what Mr. Gladstone and Mr. Sheil
mended were done in every instrncc, the council might as
give up their committee, and be resolved into one c'
" • -

mittee, to conduct the whole business of the corporation.
ort
Mr. A. C. Stewart expressed a desire that the qn"ot:ild
should be postponed for a month, until the council c
see whether they were getting value for their money or not.
Mr. Beckwith, urged that, under the circumstances, postivri!.
ment would be very dangerous.

Mr. Aiken was in favour of postponement. wag
Afters everal other gentlemen had spoken, the aniendmen-
t
fiflally withdrawn, Mr. Gladstone expressing a hope that Or
the future the notice-papers would state more fully the ow
of each committee's recommendation, when of so imPortant a
character.—The proceedings were then confirmed.

ST. GEORGE'S HALL COMMITTEE.
The proceedings of this committee were read. In rer.., tur
Mr. Beale, the committee stated that the Concert Hall °nil!
be finished in a fortnight, and that the terms on which it wont
v•
be let would be fifty guineas for the first concert, and tilr:ci'
guineas for the second concert. They also stated that theY
entered into an agreement with Mr. Willis, who undertook t
tune, and keep in repair, the organ for £l5O a year.
Ml'. J. B. Lloyd moved the confirmation of the P
ceedings.
Mr. Alderman Parker seconded the motion, and in doing ilt°,
c observed that the average attendance at the cheap eencro,
numbered fully 1,900 persons.—The proceedings were °
firmed. MARKETS' COMMITTEE. is
'iCa
The proceedings of this committee comprised a leng*Teti g
report from the superintendant of the North Markets,
is d
out the manner in which frauds were committed in the 'Bl.°oo
hay, by the insertion in the market ticket of the tare aeld
by the carter. It was ordered that henceforth the tare 'h°tbe
never be inserted until the cart was first weighed *I

rnaehine in presence of the proper officer.
The proceedings were confirmed. f
Mr. Wagstaff tendered his resignation as a member °-
committee, which was accepted. in 4
A memorial from the inhabitants of Scotland-ward'
reference to tho management of St. Martin's Market, wo

referred to the committee. —ere
The proceedings of the education and gaol committees
t er7eread and confirmed. They comprised no item of
The proceedings of the health and gardens' committees also w
confirmed. OBSERVATORY COMMITTEE.
The proceedings of this committee comprised a
dation to place 2100 at the disposal of t, le committee to.t
applied in experiments for the regulation of ships conlPll9l,o
On the motion of Mr. Aikin, seconded by Mr. Alue—
te e
Bennett, the recommendation and general proceedings
confirmed. WATER COMMITTEE. TeCOlCOrae.no
7

The proceedings of this committee were read. doing
;
Mr. Alderman Cooper moved their confirmation, and e
_
so, stated that the tunnel being made near °be
was nearly completed, there being only one mile to
ex,
laid of the pipes. They were going on progressively, anddeli.
pected in a very short time they would be ready for the
very of the water from Rivington. ard-
Mr. Alderman Bennett asked for some explanation reg_co.,
ing the settlement of Mr. Ridgeway's claim for coals, red to
mended by Mr. Jackson to be made, and which amou°te

between £2,000 and £3,000. ilader
Mr. Cooper said that the claim for the value of Oa' es
the tunnel came so very near what the committee themolvbe
valued it
,at, that the matter had been easily amlnged'„t sill
exact amount was not yet settled, but it would be vvit'°-
legal expenses.
Mr. Hodson said the coal question was anticipated Inngetag.
and the committee thought they bad got a very proper g
ment of the question.—The proceedings were confirmed.
LIBRARY AND MUSEUM CoMMITTEE. malen-
The proceedings of this committee comprised a rec%li
dation that notice should be at once given njaPr°LertY
committee for the purchase of the remainder of the prop
required for the new museum. he , -
Mr. Picton, in moving the confirmation or tthat i;
mendation, said that the committee were of opinion ", 000
would be undesirable to borrow any portion of the oj. zits
for which they had obtained the sanction of the govern
until they had first got far into the expenditure of the Xl°'
with the £3OO interest accumulated, which they had nO9l
bank, the.
Mr. Alderman Dover again complained, that althong- the
act specified that the rate should not exceed one penny in
The
pound, as much as lid was levied in Toxteth-park.
;„ the
consequence was, that no tax was more unpopular

township.
Mr. Alderman
on theAldermangCrnosospearsseexsspnilaeinnte,d
athnadt
ttet committee
n
eesottril%/;
the race
whatever to do with the manner in which it was leviedi,n the
Mr. Picton denied that it was an unpopular tar. Thive
contrary, it was most popular with the middle and operetbat
classes of the community—(hear, hear)—and he wished 'hose
every other tax was paid with the same cheerfulness, by
who were benefitted by them, as was the library ra,te.
con'
The recommendation and general proceedings wel
firmed.
Mr. Robertson Gladstone tendered his resignatien„
oSe:
member of the committee, as, owing to the pressure or
public business, ho could not attend its meetings.
The resignation was accepted.
HAuctiftir CARR lAGE COMMITTEE. Wed
The proceedings of this committee were read, but conta
nothing of any interest. n,o Jed
Mrn. Woodruff moved their confirmation, which was 6—
by Mr. Alderman Cooper, and carried.

BATHS COMMITTEE.
Mr. Wagstaff moved the confirmation of the proceeding',
which was carried without any remark.
BIRKENHEAD DOCKS COMMITTER.
Mr. Hornby moved the confirmation of the proceeding
. _

Mr. J. B. Lloyd seconded the motion.
Mr. R. Gladstone asked permission to retire from
committee, in consequence of his having still five others
attend. tbst
Mr. Aiken urged on Mr. Gladstone to remain upon
committee, at least until the town dues question was settled
ain a
Mr. Tobin strongly requested Mr. Gladstone to rem
member of so highly important a committee.
Mr. Gladstone finally withdrew his request.
The proceedings were confirmed. „, Of
SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON INCREASED ACCOMMODATIO,- the
E°

TH .
This committee brought E
upcortricrt its report, which contained la
recommendatiou that the small ball room should be tried as
id
place of meeting, in order to ascertain whether it ithe,
afford the additional accommodation required.
ball-room is 61 feet by 29 feet. while the present con is
room is but 39 feet by 27. The height of the ball-1"°000
also considerably greater, and it has a cubic space of 40,
feet, bein
to
g double that of e present room.
Mr. Picn moved thatth the ball-room be tried, as an exPel:i:
went, for the next council meeting, and, after a short CO'
versation, the motion was d to.
The coroner's account,a amounting to £39 13s 6d, Was
passed.
The council then broke up.

_,M4,34=I•IIIWOMPIO,PM.IMM

'THE
lIITGELEY 'POISONINGS.

TRIAL
QF PALMER AT THE CENTRAL

CRIMINAL COURT

OFROII OUR OWN REPORTER)

SEVENTH DAT

LONDON, WEDNESDXY

iittlerhe Proceedings in this highly important and deeply
estin 411)ciet g case were resumed this morning. The
on
qtra,Y . the part of the public has increased in a most
ern ,rdirlarY degree. Not only was the court densely
the th ) Out the excitement outside was tremendous,
pa 4 ,°renghfare in the Old Bailey being rendered im-
,rhaele during the whole of the day.
e'ert
b,„
e gentlemen composing the jury were brought into
the jur• Harker, and the other officers in charge of
them'sliortl3, before ten o'clock, All-things considered,
torsete4cd remarkably well, and certainly none the
bsiti• r°l34 the early closing of the proceedin
oau

illy' at ten o'clock
the judges, Lord Campbell,
e.ll..rtuar°4 Alderson, and Mr. Justice Cresswell, were
sej°4ltned,.ln:()t, and took their seats on the bench.
'the pia"'s eke afterwards, the prisoner was brought up,
aexi etzt at the bar. He appeared
.more than usually
and as though the approaching consummation
ItiliB 441 weighed heavily
Attu accordance with theupo'uth.mi is
ntimation made by the
th eY-General, at the rising of the court on Tuesday,
s,,e.°llovsin witnesses were called on behalf of the
•sseceti on •g
let , •
'Wei b °cora, Charles Weatherby examined by Mr,
islr.Y: lam a racing agent. I received a letter from
'prod sorter, dated November. 22, 1855, which I now
Ishiciice• (The letter requested payment of the stakes
I Cookie horse, Polestar, had wen at Shrewsbury.)
rePlied to that letter that we had not sufficient funds
meetth% the demand. Subsequeetly we wrote. to tell him
the Mr• Frail had informed us that he paid Mr. Cook
an-. stakes on the course. Afterwards we received
sll:74letter from the prisoner, telling us not to pay
the o,° eY on Cook's account until they had satisfied
J. 4eque he had already sent. I wrote a letter to Mr.
tese: °col( at Rugeley about the matter, but I never
te h,tved an answer. The letter was afterwards returned
Was from the drAd-letter office. I think the cheque
148.ja C°°k's bandwriting, but my attention waslB7s:
trt'cularly dixected to it. On the 23d November,t pay
4tletive(l a letter from Palmer directing me
s4t at Cook's stakes to Mr. Earwaker, buot did
eo go.
Cross
A' R. exatnined by Mr. Sergeant Shee : I cannot say
tihe the
Stakes ought to have been in our possession
Payment was demanded, but such matters are
1,,`" Y settled through our house. The prisoner gave
i; a formal notice not to pay the stakes over to any one
at hirllBeir.
hitatton, of the Staffordshire. notice, said he had
coins covered among the prisoner's papers. any of the
Petsesl3°'-idence• On the 24th a notice, signed by the
Crser
office. • It was a request that
~arall , was left at our
• Men,
Ys that might be or had been received for J.
t et.tollB Cook would be sent to him. On the 23rd I had
ieh; letter to Cook at Rugeley—it was returned to.
tin:
lof ~11 the dead-letter office. I knew the handw tgl
reeolek• The cheque for £350 was signed, as far as
-`e,t' by him. I cennot recollect whether it was
till 17 I. or J. Parsons Cook. I cannot say whether
81,4"°dY of the cheque was written by Cook.
1,04' lir. Sergeant Shee : When that cheque arrived we
lipaot funds enough of Cook's to meet it.
eir
/ ` rands Butler examined by the Attorney-General :
them 41 the habit of attending races, and betting on
hadlsetra. I was at the Shrewsbury races in November
lear) When I had an account to settle with Palmer.
bets.T'7°':' and odds to receive from him, on account of
a : had made for him at Livorpool, I had no
skeet-4 with him in connection with the Shrewsbury.
me I tried to get my money from him, and he paid
s 440 • that he would pay the
eloa, on account, saying
tes,-4 soon afterwards, as he had some large bets
heto
date me
Subsequently, the day afterwards, in facht,erse
1' 1- a cheque for £250. I knew Mr. Cook's
ll
t:eet.Btlr. The horse was worth at least £7OO, but at a
rntis.
6he was worth more than that before the race, as
gorse had several valuable engagements.b°lae
examined by Mr. Groves, Q.C. : I won £2lO on
oe,ta_r_, f°r Palmer, and kept it on account of the money
-t
Was sold reverts was recalled, and proved that Polestar
at Tattersall's for 720 guineas.
3 was the case for the prosecution.
g THE DEFENCE.
'tcldees-erßeant Shee then rose amidst intense interest to
1113' that thejury for the prisoner, but he spoke so inaudi-
rePoeter-t was With difficulty he could be heard by the
llikeed at' Who, by the bad arrangements of the court, are
441:1n a considerable distance behind the counsel. He
lead„rsing to perform the task that devolves on me to
Nth, 7,4e110vr-creature for his life, I cannot: but be over-
-111
(11%;e1;4 With a sense of the onus which rests onme,pd
Neepy ha
that duty I am afraid it must. necessarily
4,•aseate°llsiderable time. If, under ordinary cirneduma-
ory 18 a difficult task both for an advocahteenaafter
sit(;° Perform, how much more so it must be w.
(lays my unhappy client has been standing on the
15th
1(1 e scaffold, and any error of judgment on my
cls;liaBt consign him to a murderer's doom. It cannot
the ed that the prejudice of the public has imperilled
tee :,.,-`l7° administration ofjustice ; and ituseless for
is
t with all
Yo4,:eNleeal what you know perfectly well,
that
prejudice
illeavours to keep your minds free from
you
141):,11aot wholly efface it from your recollection.
(11,4 that for six long months, under the sanction. o.renu on
has
eNvalljtj.ll°,,ritY of science, an almost unanimous opini
"ote °ll the case throughout the country, and there has
r John-4
altnost universal cry for blood to avenge the death
isrelParsons Cook, and that it was made under the
sit°ll and conviction of the guilt of the prisoner.
dote /ara"' to be doubted but that you have entered
IQelne4lities With the endeavour to efface from your
aed ul./ all that you have read and heard of this case,
refesetlhlininenced by that cry which has been raised withnd
'hat you to the guilt or innocence of the prisoner, a
ter "°n know opinion you may have
INed that whatever
e e,id:4l it, it is now your duty to attend only to
sour voee en both sides of the case, and upon it form
thlADilli,°ll. The circumstances under which we meet
FIRs Place are of a character to excite mingled feel-
the';3, "coUragement and alarm, and those whose duty
47selwateli over the safety of the Queen's subjects, felt
ve ao
ri much apprehensive lest in this case the
j4(lit.se. Ons- °Nce might be disturbed by the popular pre-
hat e,
'at has been excited against the prisoner, an
Pknecta 1111jUst and adverse verdict might thereby bef
all against him, that they resolved on the passingo
44, Aet of
thatthe
ordinPaarrliafmremnts toot. prevent the possibility
law being affected by
toli,el)°Pular Prejrudioce which received the unanimouseeThe
tre: of the Legislature a short time.
'tee,)ll• "der the advice of the responsiblenMinister,
liot
bee? Mao that the conduct of this prosecution should
itlatitutterliselitcisliebftiliilnyporrieste hands, but that its own law officer, the
e,. Agorae,.
General, should take upon himself thed
conducting it in a proper manner, an
4ettl eut with his duty to the public ; and that learned
ate,Bl", when the duty was entrusted to him, did what I
he
,resolve ttly opinion, will ever redound to his honour—
kitteasve,cl that, in a case in which so much prejudice had
Pro,„ all the evidence which it was the intention of the
hse`sellt°r tO call against the prisoner should, as soon as he
I teli:ten it) be communicated to the prisoner. Everything
1)4111 laY (turning to the prisoner)—and I must tell my
PPY cli
veryth. ent—that the constituted authorities of the land,
the Itig which the Legislature and the law officers.olf
trim ;Nwn could do to secure for him a fair and impartia. bilit 41 this Place, has been done by them, and the responsi-
the ja:f 0113' injustice being done to him must rest alone on
e°111" a" the jury. One of the greatest calamities that
elitti4tlave befallen any man, circumstanced as my unhappy
18) has befallen him in being deprived of the services of