The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-05-16 00:00:00

SON GLADSTONE an(

PARKER, or no „other respectable mau in or out
of the Council, will say that we should have been
justified in remaining silent when we saw a body
of public men about to sell frontage land for 2/. 10s.
in 1856 to a Company who paid four guineas per
yard for back laud in 18=19, and so deprive the
Burgesses of about 30,000/. !

Mr. ROBERTSON GLADSTONE has given the Coun-

cil a far better idea of what the public expect of
and the Press, as the
their. Representatives

exponents of popular opinion. His axiom is
" Let us beware—let us not boast of bonesty_va
" man is not honest, he has no business here (in the

" Council (

this was thro

Intl no

:ght to talk:

Mr. Alderman PARKER,

but we cannot help feeling that it was meant
for other Liverpool journals as well as this paper,
and such a lofty sentiment could not have been
ttered "as an antidote to Mr.
3A3itTEL HoLmE's doctrine : " There is nothing

more opportune)

easier thian to find fault—

v man can do so—

" any man can throw dirt on ti

e finest dress

' which the skill

of the weaver can manufacture;

" but the man who can find fault is unfit to be
.a
.

' Legislator

Few thin

would be more agreeable

to our Imperial orlocal legislators, than the certainty
that no faults would be found out. But the truth
is, that there are so many faults 09mmittked, that

nine-tenths of the business of life consists of fault
finding, and exposing the 'evils which follow a
career of error. In the present, instance it was
alleged that the Finance Committee had con•
eocted a job, and what was their defence, and that of
their supporters ?. They never attempted to finswer
Mr ROBERTSON GLADSTONE'S, Mr. GODFREY'S, Mr.

ffoAsoreq,arguments

Mr. HOANBY was ready to adopt any course the
Council might think best, and having said this
much, he launched out into wild recriminations.

Mr. PICTON, always pcoelin, thought it would be
acting.very graceful by at once withdrawing the
recommendation, although he had no objection to
raise to it. Mr. GEORGE HOLT 'trembled• at the
thoughts of delay in concluding a bargain for land,
like a burnt child in the neighbourhood. of )3:
burning mountain. Mr.. J. A. TOBIN had no
arguments to offer in support of the Committee,
except that 4i per cent. could not be considered an
insufficient rate of interest ; and after making this
solitary point, he twitted Mr. 'ROBERTSON GLAD-
STONE with the part.he played in opposition to the
Government on the Town Dues question ! But
beyond this. common-place banter, and irreve-
lent twaddle, the Finance Committee and
their 'supporters hid not one word to say for
themselves. Like boys caught, in an orchard, and
preparing for. a very questionable appropriation 'of

apples and nuts, they could only consent to
abandon their pretensions, and withdraw from
the scene of their discomfiture, with a promise not
to trespass- again. If Alderman.' PARKER had
capitulated quietly, and said nothing of an insult-
ink character to the highly respectable Burgesses,
who thought pioper to call a meeting, for a- Con-
stitutional purpose, at the Clarendon and at
Bimbury's-rooms, the successful, bombardment of
the citadel of corruption would have gone off
pleasantly enough. •
Should the enemy, however, attempt another
movement in:,the direction-of the- forbidden land,
the " tens of thousands of Burgesses," on whose
support Mr. Alderman PARKER seems to rely, for
the consummation of any job that may be brought
before the Council, will, we feel assured, he folimd
at their pdst, ready to resist, by all lawful
means, the sacrifice of their property. It
is not likely_ that _ any further irruption
of Vandalic or Gothic Alder_ men will take place in
the same directidn ; but as men become embold-
ened by success, it is highly probable that in what
ever neighbourhood they may be found dealing
with one-eightieth of the corporate estate, they will
find a few good men ready to dispute their right to
treat Liverpool as a bear-garden, and depreciate
the value of the property entrusted to their keep-
ing in the eyes of capitalists, whom the Burgesses
desire to see become purchasers.. But while we
feel moderately secure for the present, the public
should not forget that their deliverance has been

wrought by a few men, and that to those members of
the Connell who defeated this monster job, their
best thanks are due, and we have no doubt they
will be freely given by all who desire to see the
Corporation purged of its glaring impurities.