The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-11-10 00:00:00

The MAYOR : Mr. Moss wishing to be regular, you must
confine yourself to the charge made by Mr. Hodson.
(Hear, hear.)
Mr. Moss : I shall do so. Only you did not stop him
making that long harangue about a party. I only want
the Council to know there were scenes enacted in that
ward three years since, much more disgraceful than ever
occurred during the last election. (Chair, and order.) I
shall support the name of Mr. Bradley; it would be a
perfect disgrace to discard a respectable man in this council,
on the mere ipie dixit, the exparte statement of a man
like Mr Hodson. (Oh, oh, and chair.)
Mr. BRADLEY, (who rose amidst the most profound
silence) said : It certainly has become a most unpleasant
task for me, to stand up here to answer such a charge as
has been made. In the first instance I will state most
positively, it is a gross falsehood ; and emanating from the
party it does, who appeals to character, I think he is the
last man who ought to appeal to it, considering what he is
really, and nothing. more, a gambler and blackleg in the
town. (A scene of indescribable confusion ensued on the
utterance of this sentence, followed by an unanimous cry
of withdraw, retract, chair, order. Mr. Alderman Parker.
Mr. Beckwith, and some other gentlemen were on their
legs, endeavouring to make themselves heard, but in vain,
the cry of "retract" drowning their voices.)
The MAYOR, (when order was somewhat restored,
although two or three members were on their legs)
said, I cannot allow anybody to rise. (Hear, hear, and.
order.)
Mr. BRADLEY : Mr. Chairman, (loud cries of withdraw,
withdraw.)
The MAYOR : Mr. Bradley, it is my duty to require you
to withdraw those words and expressions from being
applied to any member of this council. (Hear, hear,) I
am sure you will see it is important to the conducting of
the business, that you should withdraw the words and
epithets you have applied. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. Alderman PARKER : And also to apologize to the
council. (Chair, order.)
The MAYOR : Allow me Mr. Parker.
Mr. BRADLEY : I withdraw the expression used
in a moment when my feelings were excited. (Hear,
hear.) But a serious charge has been brought against
my private character by this man. Ido think the source
from which it emanated ought to prove the untruthfulness
of the story. There is no doubt, this has arisen
from a party feeling towards myself and Mr. Moss,
with a view that we should be taken off of every Committee
in the Council, and, for what ? For exercising that duty
whichevery man in this Council I suppose exercises. That is,
to act according to his sentiments and feelings, when such a
time occurs as the return of the representative of any ward
in the town. In assisting my friend, Mr. Powell, I certainly
did come across scenes that were of the grossest
character ; and, as Mr. Holden has really introduced him-
self into this matter, I must say, so far as I am acquainted
with this affair, for it came before me in a very indirect
manner, it was this that the -man Stopford, was brought to
the Committee-room, and what was his demand ? He
wanted to know whether Powell's Committee would give
him a sum of £5, and, to the Mr. Jones that Mr.
Oliver Holden mentions, a situation as a poll clerk
in the election. The Committee at once stated they
would not countenance anything of the kind, and, from that
moment, I believe that that man whom he calls his own
servant, Stopford was never in the room afterwards. To my
knowledge certainly not, in any form or shape. That is tho
whole and real substance of the matter. The man came
there to know whether Mr. Powell's Committee would
give him £5 for his vote ; he was in difficulties ;
he had lost something like 16 or 16 horses during the
last year or the year before, and if the Committee did
that, he would vote for them, provided also, they
would place this Jones, whom he speaks of, as poll clerk.
Now I will appeal to the Alderman of the Ward, to, know
whether such a party was poll clerk or not. I can positively
state he was not, nor was there any arrangement entered into
with those men ; but they were sent at once awry, and told
the Committee would not interfere in any such matter. That
is the sum and substance of all that I know of. But you,
see, Mr. Mayor, this is a mere disguise to do away with the
feeling which first dictated this attack. It is because that
I chose to exercise the right which every man has a right to
exereise, that is, to assist his friend, I am to be brought for-
ward before the public in this unseemly manner. And for
what ? Because I unfortunately beat Mr. Hodson in the
Ward, defeated him by the largest majority that ever voted
in the Ward. Hence this angry tone of feeling on his be-
half, and this trumphing up of matters of this kind. I, as
a gentleman, sir, give you my wordof honour that every word
of what he has said is a gross and downright falsehood. I
can say no more, but on the honour of a gentleman I state
what I now do.
The MAYOR observed that as Mr. Bradley had withdrawn
the expressions which were made, at a moment of excite-
ment, against a member of the Council, and which were not in
accordance with the feelings of the Council, he should beg
both Mr. Bradley and Mr. Hodson to allow the subject to
remain as it stood, if the Council were satisfied with the with-
drawal of the expressions.
Mr. BRADLEY was about to make some observations,
when _ _ .

The MAYOR again said that it was his duty to ask both Jaim
and Mr. Hodson to give their assurance that they would
allow the matter to rest as it was. (Oh ! oh! and cries of
"that is too much.")
Mr. HODSON : So far as I am concerned I wash my hands
clear of it, and if you allow me
Mr. BRADLEY (interrupting) said that he thought he
had a privilege, as a member of the Water Committee, to
call upon the Chairman of that Committee, and also the
Chairman of the Committee of Works, to state if, for the
twelvemonths he had sat with them on those Committees, he
had been guilty of anything derogatory either to his position
as an individual or a member of the Council. He wouhE
ask them if he had not given that strict attention to the
duties of the Committees, which every person ought to give
when they were placed upon them. He would likewise go
on to say that if this matter had any foundation in truth in
it, Mr. Hodson himself was on the Water Committee, and it
appeared very strange that he (Mr. Hodson) being himself
ou the Committee, could permit such a matter to take place.
Was it possible for him, as a member of that Committee, to
say.

-jiir. HODSON : I will prove my case if I get a Com-
mittee, and I will prove that the man is stating what is

untrue.
Mr. BRADLEY still felt that he had, in some degree, the
privilege of calling on the gentlemen to whom he had re.
ferred, to substantiate what he had said.
The MAYOR observed that the only question then before
the Council was, whether Mr. Bradley should be retained on
the Committee, or suspended.
Mr. HODSON : I move that Mr. Bold be eleoted in his

place.
Mr. HORNBY thought that the place should not be filled
up until the matter was inquired into. A very serious
charge had been made against Mr. Bradley, and if, upon
inquiry, it turned out to be the fact, ho thought that not
only would it incapacitate Mr. Bradley to be a member of
the Committee, but it would be a question, then, whether it
would not become incumbent on the Council, to institute
further proceedings. By leaving the 'appointment
open they would be enabled to do Mr. Bradley justice,
(hear, hear,) but to inquire into the charge. He should
therefore move that the appointment be left open.
Mr. HoLT said that Mr. Bradley had referred to him, as
chairman of the late Committee, to state whether or not he
(Mr. Holt) had seen any improper interference in the duties
of the Committee by him. He had no objection to say that
he had observed nothing of the kind on the part of Mr.
Bradley. The present charge was a matter that did not
present itself to him (Mr. Holt), and in no way had he seen
Mr. Bradley to act in a derogitory manner, either to himself
or the Committee.
Mr. LANGSDALB, as Chairman of the Committee of
Works, could also state that he had never observed anything
in the conduct of Mr. Bradley but what was proper and

correct.
Mr. BRAMLEY-MOOR would not be a consenting party
to strike off any gentleman's name from any committee,
inasmuch as by such a proceeding they would be pronounc-
ing a verdict on the gentleman upon an ex parte statement.
He therefore thought the course pursued by Mr. Hornby in
moving the motion he had done, was the only one that
could afford Mr. Bradley an opportunity of vindicating his
character from the charge that was made against him. The
proper course was to appoint a special committee to inquire
into the charge, and he would therefore second Mr. Hornby's
proposition that the place be left open.
The motion was unanimously adopted.
OBSERVATORY COMMITTEE.
Mr. Picrox, in the absence of Mr. Neill, moved that
the following gentlemen be the Observatory Committee, and
in doing so, observed that he submitted the names merely
as they had been presented to him by Mr. Neill : Messrs.
H. Neill, J. Tyrer, T. Wagstaff, J. A. Picton, A. Hender-
son, W. J. Horsfall, 0. Holden, J. Gladstone, jun., and
J. R. McGuffie.
The motion was unanimously adopted.
WATER COMMITTEE.

Mr. HOLT moved that the following gentlemen constitute
the Water Committee : Messrs. G. Hat, J, Cooper, E.
Langsdale, T. Avison, J. B. Branker, H. Hornby, T. ag-
staff, J. liolme, J. Woodruff, T. L. Hodson, J. Stewart,
M. Gregson.—The appointment of Mr. Bradley to the com.
mittee to remain open for the present.
The motion was unanimously adopted.
LIBRARY AND MUSEUM COMMITTEE.

Mr. PicroN moved that the gentlemen who constituted
this Committee last year be re-appointed; but as they would
have very important duties to perform in organising the
new library and museum, the Committee thought it would
be well if Mr. J. Holme were added to their number. The
Committee would then consist of Messrs. J. Picton, T.
Avison, J. M. Nicoll, W. Bennett, G. Holt, R. M. Beck-
with, J. Woodruff, T. Fleming, J. Bigham. J. C. Fernihough,
J. Stewart, Robertson Gladstone, Sir John Bent, and Mr.
J. Holme—the appointment of Mr. Bradley on the Com-
mittee to remain open for the present.
Mr. J. HoixE begged to be excused from this Committee,
inasmuch as he was on so many other Committees, and had
so many duties to perform that he could not attend to the
new duties which were about to be placed on him.
Mr. Moss conceived Mr Holme's objection a just one,
and well worthy the consideration of the Council ; for no
man should be placed on a Committee who would not attend
o its duties. There was Mr. Hodson, for instance, who