The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-02-09 00:00:00

MEETING IN CHESTER

LAST NIGHT

(PROW OUR OWN REPORTER.)

8 A Mlle meeting of the inhabitants of the townshiplasotf
~,hton, Chester, was held at half-past seven o'clock -grit, In the Cherry Orchard Inn, to consider what steps.
should be taken in reference to the closing up of a public
the cad by Messrs. Walker, Parker and Company, o
100 lead Works. The attendance was very numerous and.t
e°4lPrised representatives of every class in the communiy-
.(l2/vs the motion of Mr. Morris, the chair was taken by
illiarn Titherington, Esq.
~.I'lle Chairman, in opening the proceedings, said that he
"Ls
if the no political partisan of any kind, and that, therefore,;
he
meeting were for any party purpose, he would not
pospitrieesirt, and still less would he consent to accept the
of chairman on the occasion. It was not a poli-
tical meeting—(hear, hear)—and it ¶vas probably because
It Was not Such, that they had called on him, as being a
tesident among them for many years, end an independent
ePerson, to preside over their proceedings. Occasions of
Inergermy called for corresponding action on men's part,
Ma
~. - the occasion which called them together that night
_rae of such a nature—(hear, hear)—because they, as in-
4ahitants of part of the city of Chester had, by a strange
Proceeding and beeti deprived by violence
b —but gentle violence as yet—
,eli of what he believed, and he hoped rightly
eved, had been a right of road for nearly 60 years.
A Voice: I remember it for 70 years. (Hear, hear.)
ZediThe Chairman continued to say that that made the pro-
ng more strange, and their case stronger. (Hear,
ear.) Accordingly they, as Englishmen, were met in the
flislertien of their right, to discuss the question calmly and
eatieBslY; and he felt sure that if any difference arose he
World receive the cordial support of the meeting in obtain-
The
for all
, a fair and impartial hearing. (Hear, hear.)
1115
-ana Wamrd deprivedaper them of the right of road was
that of Messrs
riegandtiveotrhkast, Parker and Company, of the
tahnedraitzianzsgto, resist that infringement on their.
bad for was then assembled. The public
a t.,,,:r man
years enjoyed the right of road, certainly of
--. Path, through the lead works, and those who knew
all tam.
thatrizeunastances connected with the infringement of 1
~„ "6"‘ considered that it Iliad been done in a very
%eh —rhmallner. (Hear, hear.) It was not done all at 1
the road, it
road, by degrees. A gate was first built across
~
Gni . -"" though in the first instance it was closed
' apOut eight :o'clock at night, yet afterwards it
Was closed
that both by day and night. (Hear, hear.) In
1;41. Manner the infringement had been completed, and it
wials their the
to say, in public meeting assembled,
not, the Parties who made it had a right to do so or
of The question should, of course, be tried in a court
h.. ILStice, itnd felt]
when it would be
mt 0h...L. , _ he assured that
f„„"tio.t before a legal tribunal, the public right would be
msly vindicated and maintained. (Hear, hear.)
tlo r tient"' Churton (coroner), moved the first resolu-
ta:, Which was as follows :—" Resolved. That this meet-
. °' regarding with great regret the arbitrary and illegal
isr°oeedings of Messrs. Walker, Parker and Co. in closing
t'6 feot-read before the Lead Works, pledges itself to
Use ey
the
s_erY le the
means to re-open the same and establish
, 'Mae right of foot-road, and that the following gen.tle-
....lea be
With rowaPPoilated a committee to carry out this object,
_ rower to add to their number:—
air. Mr. Titherin t
Moms g " Mr. David Roberts
Mr. T. V. Moyle
tr. R. Chur.on
Mr. Celdlc.,tt
r. Winstantei,
air. 7.. ~
~.
bents .r
Mr. R. Davies
4r.
Thxzientw
Mr. F. A. Frost
14111011,n,, t , Mr. J. Wason
ktieh -1. the resolution he said that he for one felt very
si, aggrieved at the road through which they had for
tbany e
(Rear, -Tears enjoyed the right of way being closed
.up.
1,4 ' "ear.) The matter was of the very greatest Ira-
k emee
to the . eL only to the public generally of Chester but
d Inhabitants of Boughton in particular (Hear, hear.),
kalean- he was therefore anxious that every fair and legiti-
abti illeallB Should be taken in it for the assertion and
through -tltertne
' of the public right by having the road
he the lead works thrown open to them. (Hear,
yetnarh.). lie was comparatively a young man in Boughton,
' Was old enough to recollect the road for twenty
ars
pepa„' "d there were ell hers present who had passed and
pi.,,:,.ed over it without hindrance, and as a matter of
1;61---L"'ee aornething like seventy years. (Hear, hear.)
to"e,. Public had therefore a legal and parliamentary title
arty
and he looked upon the conduct of Messrs. Walker,
Ille et and Co. in closing it as extremely arbitrary and
gal. (Hear, 'to r
tailuier‘;
thberts:st;ge.)sted that their object might be ob-
/ilas;—_.°Y2 resPectabte deputation of gentlemen waiting on
tlatte,sr. walker, Parker and Co., in reference; to the
pre-
lel'e the Ir,:bNlNi:ras anxious as any one present to
°um. sacs, but he would prefer quiet and con-
proceedYingizeasur first before having recourse to legal
Air. Churton replied that he fully concurred in the pro-
Iltiety °f the suggestion (hear, hear), but at the same he
did not see that an"
*Skin --.Y good would result from the committee.
re._ gon Messrs. Walker, Parker and Co., and for this
"°h---that when some months since Ihe was turned
back _
1.444114 s trespasser, and requested in consequence an
eitre ew
with Mr. Walker, that gentleman seemed
Atpl2l,selY solicitous that:the question should be tried.
flill. It. berts observed that with that explanation he
The Chided with the resolution.
tem `-'huirluan remarked that the committee would
be settled anY suggestion in the matter, and that if it could
!el amicably (Rear, they would readily adopt that course.
kr•'ll`ear.)se
Of 3u /r* —oyle said, that considering that the conduct
14,bi blesses Walker, Parker, and Co., had been extremely
cedertrarr and such as ought not to be submitted to, except
111,4,,, the decision of a court of law, he had the greatest
4re-in seconding the resolution. (Hear, hear.)
The resolution was carried by acclamation.
...14r. Caldicott moved the second resolution, which was
KU fOIIOWS :"--- 14
eilt.-_-. _
." ...esolved, that a public subscription be
tweetreZrea into immediately, and that Mr. Titherington be
ed to act as treasurer." . (Hear, hear.)t,
the said there was great unanimity amongst
Indi-4:e, ting, and• he hoped that he might take it :aes
of
ta,,, "en of their zeal. (Hear, hear.) Every onthe
trll„,. should feel aggrieved in the matter, and when they
ghteVo el)." a privilege, or to speak more correctly,tres
ntl what ..Ing, when they were turned back as_ passrs
a pll t,neY hate for so many years used and. considered
s
liepi• ,_`c etighway, he did think it was their. duty .
4,,,, isunien to vindicate and maintain that right, how
_,►
ft.
char.)Breat and powerful that opponent might be. (Rear,
They ns;
ght be weak individually, but collectively
ti:" were strong, and he was certain that in the struggle
In 4 would have the sympathy of every inhbuirtta
118‘..,ceec.ity and would make good theirt
weaeureseuinn a of
theirco side,
44,ithf,eal(ler,,, hear.)
Law
r encroached erg; on their liberties in
ttlIS instance :seer Were hs
tor oennge and
l'au9siZres should be adopted to resist them. (Hear, hear.)
&' hoPed, however, that before any action would be taken
i resources would be provided (hear, hear), for indi-
PluallyPh he should object to the committee adopting any
legal measure until they were provided with the means to
earry it out to the utmost. (Hear, hear.) He felt assured
that the citizens generally would largely sub3cribe in the
4tatter, and the corporation, though unwilling to undertake
the vindication of the 'public rights themselves, having
already burned their angers so much in law (laughter),
would yet liberally support them. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. T. E. Frost, jun., said that being no advocate for
41pression ho seconded the resolution with great pleasure.
ear, hear.)
The resolution was unanimously adopted.
an Old inhabitant of the eit then
Mr. John Vaughan,
addressed the meeting and testified to the yPublic
having enjoyed the right the road for upwards
"Sixty years. He said that aboutto thirty years since, he
Was Passing through the works on his way to milk his
c's, when he was stopped by a Mr. Lowndes, one of the
irks, who told him that there was n right of way, and
-company. He,
that he should go back by order of °the
pour ever, remembered the place long before the company
Dqrchased it, and he knew there was a style arid footpath
..through it, having been carried over it when about three
ye of age, on his father's back. lle accordingly
Vl.' gn back, and then and there maintained that nootfevtehne
Aet of Parliament could deprive the people
right which they had so long enjoyed, (, hear.
wnde's then scid that he might goon, but
that h are
should hoh_,cozne back that way, but,cl nevertheless, he did comp
i 1, presented himself next
iZeo_at (laughter) and further
e,,,lneg at the gate,.full resolved oslved if it were not open, to
1144 his way through it with the axei which he carried over
is should for the purpose. (Cheers.)
b., er Theo emnozetnhte,
uwever. Lownde's saw him, he ran down and P
previous day,
bate, (laughter), and did not, as on the
141ernrpt th interrupt his passage through the works.
adopt
tile e:__, hear.) He was prepared
forto
the even-
ing, toe measure now, and he. ()lily waited
elt row lightsome to put it into execution,. if in the
erral the people's right to the road was in
parties in tutu!
1,150,_ room to whom he had communicated his intentions a el
sr heart
assure them that he had a hammer strong enough,uh,
;Teak
stout enough, and arms still. brawnye enough, w through the obstruction to their rlght,. even h
iadere a gate of iron. (Cheers.) As to their rht to the
it'z'.
thettheesitri could not be a shadow ofdoubt,for in addition
be, could give n Which he, and many others older than
in the matter, he had been informed by a
leutleulan well acquainted w, ith the olreumstances of the