The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-01-22 00:00:00

threeha:f

each week, to receive the money from the Collec•ors
the Sub-treasurer, and the Committee also Is each per night
Society prospeied, the collectors bees.., ~..----

the members etreles

commission was inere....
afterwards to 3d., or 25 per cent.,
as certified provided no too e than 21. in the shim
mittee regret their inability to fix the precise dat
salaries of the different officers were increased, r
all access to the books of the society. euftice it
present time the president receives about
secretary besides allowances, the . ,
and the sub-treasurer
.4i73 per annum, aittough the rules per
do no niehtt
provide for the payment of a shilling to that officer.
About the
year 1845 another abuse crept Into the management, namely, the
collectors sitting on committees4To this, and the dereliction of duty
on the part of the president, is to be attributed all the extravagance
and peculation which lollowed. The president is invested with
authority over a.l the officers ,of the society, and consequently
liable'for their misconduct. In 1851 in consequer ce of the erllece
tors (illegally as we believe) sitting on {committees, and then num.
bering 15 (so that they outnumbered tl.e committee as lega,ly con,
stituted) voted to then selves .t'2s each by way of Christmas-box.
Against this Mr. shepherd and others protested at the time at an
annual eeneral meeting held in Ci•cus-s,reet, but owing to the
illegal disorderly and indecent manner in which the meetings are
invariarly conducted, it was impossib e tot revent the fraud being
perpetrated, end nearly :4510 of the society's money to be swept
away. The committee, eith the exception of Mr. Henry Shaw,
receiving 410 each for their complicity in he matter. In 1852 they
(the officers and collectors) disagreed, as people of their character
usually do some time or other, and the members were in hopes that
the old adage would be verified in their ease, i.e., "When rogues fall
out, gm." However In this they were disappoidted.
The annual general meeting for 1853 was to have been held in
the Argyle-rooms, Newington, but owing to thenotoriety which the
transactions of the society hal acquired, it was found on the night
of meeting that all Newington would not contain the nnmber of
members who assembled the consequence was, that the president
adjourned the meeting sine die, thus rendering it impossible to hold
another meeting for twelve months. By this clever "dodge," they
secured another year, during which to make things snug among
themselves.
Having become reconciled to one another, the annnal meeting of
1853 took pl.ce in Clayton-hall, consisting principally of women and
children, who evidently acted under the guidance of some persona
who directed when to hiss, &c. This meeting was dis•ineuished
for more than the usual amount of Billingsgate and rowdyism,, It
being utterly impossible for any one, except the officers of the
society, to obtain a hearing. It appears from the printed re oft
published by them for that year, that two life policies, for £IOQ
each, were accepted from the sub-treasurer, Mr. Currie, as security
for 41000 which he owed to the society—the real fact being, that he
had appropriated that amount of the society's funds to his own uses
He, besides, held at that time 4790, over and above the 41000 be,
fore mentioned.
Whereas the Piles of the society declare that all over £3OO should
be at once placed in the bank, in the name of Wm. Brown, M.P.
This appears to have been the state of affairs in 1854. The sob.
treasurer owed £1790, some odd shillings-,the society held the
security mentioned c. 130 e.

ed to 2d in the sh
nd this

) creep in. the collectoni
then to 2id„ and
.s lien the rules
This corn.
at which the
they are denied
J say that at the
J per t.nnum, the
tee ss. •

It appears to this Committee that emboldened by the impunity
with which they escaped previously, they began to look enviousl, on
the entire fundslot the society, as the man Is said to have done upon
the goose which layed the golden eggs. Accordingly a few days',
previous to the 1 st general meeting, which took place on the 98th
of D cember lust, in the School-rcom, Bevington-hill, Mr. Shepherd
received a communication from ore of the auditors, Mr. Michael
Murphy, (a gentleman who has upon various occasions rendered
immense service to the society), stating that £2920 9s. 7d. of the
society's money bad been fraudulently voted away by the commit.
tee on the 30th of November last. In
deo„nnietqui raisaceuliftivil
thhicehlne:aadi refused to sign the balance-sheet, and that the officers of the society
were determined to have this vote confirmed at the annual Ineetl--
Mr. Shepherd attended that meeting for the purpose of mn,-.
an amendment that the balance-sheet
be rescinded, and the sums therein included .

of the society. 'What took place
feel it unnecess
brutal style
Mr. She!)lu
dienee to tl

.. vote
—5.,.. Fled to the credit
t on that OCcaslon this committee
cited
d. How tl-: Pres.dent, in his usual
the reporters t . Hoated
when that gentleman ascendedr the platform fintreone-
All but unanimous call of the meeting).
;l ow thost of the collectors exceeded even them s in in theire
needing
_.., y and
no co ungentlfromemanly cuiduct, are now notorious facts.
comment us. Such conduct, we are co
W II receive a fitting condemnation on the part of the publicnvinced,..
This committee, then, while declaring that they are actu-
ated by no personal animosity, beg to express their firm.
determination never to desist until they obtain a free and.
full inquiry into the affairs of the society. We charge
the officers and collectors with violation of the rules, with Megan/
conducting the annual general meetings of the society, for the pur.
pose of suppressing and preventing all inquiry ; and i Y
uditeaßrs,-;riTil
charge them, upon the authority of the Society's a
fraudulently appropriating the Society's funds to the amount of
42,350 9s. 7d.

to defa

This committee, therefore, desire to inform the members, and the
public, that they have taken legal proceedings, having engaged
solicitors to commence the inquiry, either by suit at law or such
o. her !proceedings as they may deem fit. In the mealtime sub.. scription lists are working and this committee would beg earnestly to impress upon the men the necessity of con
tributingti their
pence to aid in the prosecution of this inquiry, RS hwh a vie
cujW
to the well-conducting of Societies in general, as for this pare
instance.g

sthoaoll
ahraereinntoemmostreedßionyathil OsakquFreestindone:
!lasses we say, gore us your sympathy.
Shew to the officers of all Societies of the town that you are ally*
toTyooutrhoolpvnuhinatec
orelssots,osnillyyooc
pounds paid annually for interments by
waosf.uld otherwise fall upon the poor's-rate.
t Lookihf
enseee need
00 beteih,eetyloteh:or
uwpshuarincs
dhes,
We claim the support of all, having nothing in view but the pub.. lic good, and the preservation of the rights of the
poor.
This Committee also think it right to say to the Meznbers,rlPar
your Pennies as usual to the Collectors Who may call upon you.
If any of the Collectors do not call as usual, apply to. Mr. Shepherd,
or any of the Committee of Investigation, who will give yon
instructions how to act in the matter. Don't altos,' yourselves to be
thrown out of benefit. Our object is to save, notinjure the Society.
which would be the result rif Members 'Mgt payment. Continue
your payments, and we pledge ourselves to see justice tame to Ail
parties. Signed, on behalf of the Committee,:
111 Josims SillipasßD, 99 Scotland-road, Chairman.
FANG; Writaklt• fib, scoup4-root mg% svell