The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-01-16 00:00:00

KIRKDALE QUARTER SESSIONS.

Yesterday, the quarter sessions for the Kirkdale division
were commenced at the court house, for the transaction of
the public business connected with the hundreds of Orms-
kick, Prescot, Warrington, and Kirkdale. The magistrates
present on this occasion were, Messrs. T. B. Horsfall, M.P.,
W. Browne, M.P., T. Thorneley, M.P., Y. Bramley-Moore,
M.P., W. Earle, G. Holt, T. B. Barclay, It. E. Harvey,
W. Preston, It. Benn, R. Theakstone, L. Siller, M.D., D
Hodgson, J. A. Tinne, J. S. T. Greene, S. 11. Thompson,
W. G. Unsworth, D. Bromilow, Major Bourne, W. Ailcard,
S. Campbell, A, Silvestre, S. P. Tew, P. Ryland, and John
Rossoti.

At the request of the magistrates present, Mr. Thorneley,
M.P., was called to the chair, and, after a few brief observa-
tions relative to his incompetency to discharge the duties,
announced that the first business to be proceeded with was,

THE ELECTION OP A CHAIR:HA:4. IN THE PLACE OF THE LATE

ARCHDEACON BROOKS.

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with the permission of the court, he would read. In effect,
this letter stated that he returned his sincere thanks to the
magistrates who had expressed a desire that he should he
appointed chairman of the sessions, but, from private as
well as public grounds he should, if he were proposed,
decline to accede to their request. The letter then went on
to state that he (Sir Thomas) considered, taking aL! the
circumstances of the times into consideration, that the
situation should be filled by a barrister of some years'
standing, and not by one who had only followed the profes-
sion in the early part of his life, as it was to be recollected
that the court over which he had to preside, was not only a
criminal court, but it was also a court of appeal, in which it
was required that the chairman should be well conversant
with the law, and also that he should be of such standing
as to have a check upon the bar practising before him.
Mr. Tinne then rose and said, as Sir Thomas Birch, who,
they would all admit, was perfectly able, and possessed all
the qualifications for a chairman, had declined to accept the
appointment, they were bound to consider who they could
find to fill the vacant chairmanship occasioned by the
death of the late venerable Archdeacon. (Hear hear.) As
he had taken a very active part in the management of the
affairs of this hundred, he would take upon himself the
duty of proposing a gentleman to fill that office—the gentle-
man he would name was Mr. Joseph Pollock. Mr. Pollock
was, from the position he held, well qualified to fill that
situation, not only from his legal knowledge, but also for
the kindness and urbanity of his disposition. lie was,
indeed, the most suitable person that could be found to fill
the chair—he lived amongst them, and would always be
accessible—not only when presiding in that court, but also
in Liverpool, they would be enabled to have his assistance.
He was of opinion that they could not do better than elect
a gentleman who was always amongst them all. In con-
clusion, Mr. Tinne begged to propose that Mr. Pollock be
elected the chairman of the sessions for the Hundred of
Kirkdale.

Mr. W. Earle, after passing a high compliment upon
Mr. Pollock, for his kindness and urbanity, seconded the
motion.

Mr. J. S. T. Greene said, before the motion was put, he
had a few remarks to make, which he hoped would be taken
in the same spirit as he intended them. He alluded to a
meeting which had been held in Liverpool, on the subject
of this vacancy. That meeting he had opposed, as he was
extremely desirous that the election of a chairman should
be decided when all the magistrates of the district were
assembled together by public notice. It gave him great
pleasure to think that such was the fact, and that he had
been the cause of bringing so many gentlemen together.
He expressed it as his opinion, that it was much to be
regretted that Sir Thomas Birch was not then present as
their chairman, for, if be had been so, he should
have made some remarks on the letter, while
he (Mr. Green) would have preferred his having been
present to have given those opinions himself, as he could
not agree with him in the opinion that any gentleman con-
nected with the bar was the most suitable perscn to fill the
situation. Ho had not one word to say against Mr. Pollock,
but he should prefer some other gentleman. Why not have
had my Lord Stanley ? He was a man well calculated to
fill that situation, but as he (Mr. Green) had not had any
communication with the noble lord, he could not presume
to propose him without his lordship's authority. He con-
cluded by stating his objection to a barrister being appointed
to the Chairmanship, and expressing a hope that a gentle-
man would be seleAe I from amongst the country gentlemen
who were in the commission.

Mr. John Rosson said he also most strongly protested
against Mr. Pullock being selected, and if for no other
reason because a meeting had been called in Liverpool, by
which an attempt had been made to foist that person upon
them, and he used the words advisedly, because an attempt
was made by a few gentlemen to place Mr. Pollock in that
position. That meeting was got up by eight individuals for
that purpose, and he most decidedly disapproved of the
way in which it was done. In the second place he would
say that Mr. Pollock had disqualified himself from holding
the situation of Chairman, as in a letter which he had sent,
and which was produced at that meeting, he stated it to be
his opinion that the Chairmanship of the Sessions should be
a salaried officer.

Mr. Earle : He has since explained that letter, and I
will read the explanation.
Mr. Rosson said he was in possession of the chair. He
thought it would be a very bad precedent to choose a bar-
rister for their chairman, nor did he agree with Sir Thomas
Birch, when he said that it would keep the bar in order.
But he should certainly consider that Mr. Pollock had dis-
qualified himself by the letter he had sent in, in which he
stated that he thought it ought to be a salaried office.
(Hear.)_.

Mr. -Tinne rose to order, and stated it as his opinion that
Mr. Rosson had no right to make remarks upon the
letter, as it was not before the Court, rior had it been read
in public.
Mr. Hall stated that Mr. Pollock had since explained the
letter, by saying that he thought if the Chairman was paid
a salary, it would be the better. But he thought there
ought not to be any allusion made to the letter in that
court.
Mr. Rosson : Chair, chair.

The Chairman : This is an adjourned meeting. We all
know about the letter and the explanation, and I think it is
a matter which has no right to be touched upon.
Mr. Rosson : That being the opinion of the chair, I will
not further comment upon it.
Mr. Green said he had always considered the letter as a
private letter, and in the course of his remarks he had con-
sequently abstained from mentioning it. The meeting at
which it was produced he did not consider a legal meeting,
and therefore did not recognise its acts ; he wished Mr.
Rosson had taken the same course.
Mr. Rosson said he would not further allude to it.
Mr. Earle said he had the explanation to the letter,which
he would read.

Mr. Green : That was after the meeting.
Mr. Tinne: The letter was not publicly read,
Mr. Rosson : You were not present at the meeting, and
therefore cannot tell. It was a meeting to get Mr. Pollock
in.

Mr. Tinne said the meeting to which Mr. Rosson had
alluded, was a meeting of all the magistrates of the hundred
to consider the appointment of a chairman ; therefore he
could not look upon it in the light of a private meeting. It
had been said it was not a legal meeting, but he would
assert it was not a hole-and-corner meeting ; he hoped it
would not be understood that he had had any hand i❑ call-
ing a hole-and-corner meeting.
Mr. Earle thought it was a loss of time to discuss the
matter with Mr. Rosson, and called upon the chairman to
interfere.
The Chairman : Mr. Rosson is in error.
Mr. Rosson : It was a public meeting when it suited your
purpose, and now it is a private one. (Order.)
Mr. Earle : What right had you to come to it ? (Order.)
The Chairman: Mr. .Rosson is out of order in alluding.
to the letter at all.

Mr. Rosson said he would not dwell further upon the
letter, but as a member of the profession he considered Mr.
Pollock's professional honour was at stake when he sent
that letter, and then became a candidate for the situation,
But they had heard Mr. Pollock much extolled. Now, he
would ask, what were Mr. Pollock's antecedents ? He is an
Irishman—a stranger to the town--he had been a barrister
in Dublin, but had never practised in any of the superior
courts. From thence he went to Manchester and practised
as a barrister, and all at once he found himself the judge of
the County Court, which, with the private practice he
enjoyed, was a quiet occupation enough for him without
bis wishing to sit as the chairman of a quarter sessions. As
his friend Mr. Greene had said it was necessary that the
chairman should be a man of large fortune, and of high
standing in the county, therefore it was that he hoped that
the broad ducal county of Lancaster would select a chairman
from some of the old aristocratic families. He had not
been in communication with Lord Stanley, but if that noble
lord was prepared he would secund the proposition. If no
other gentleman was prepared, he, like Mr. Greene, should
not take any part in the proceedings.
Mr.. Hale bore testimony to Mr. Pollock's ability._

Major Bourne said be WasnOlP;eiared to vote for Mr.
Pollock. although he was one of his most personal friends,
but he thought the chairman should be a gentleman more
closely connected with the county. lie regretted that no
person had seen Lord Stanley on the subject, as by his
lordship's being chosen an honour would be conferred on
the district. As Mr. Pollock would have to preside at the
courts of appeal, as well as at the criminal courts, he
thought it would be more satisfactory, without casting any
disparagement upon Mr. Pollock, that some gentleman
'Chairman observed that Mr. Rosson had no right to
more intimately acquainted with the county should be
reflections on Mr. Pollock, as his appointment
as County Court Judge was made by the Secretary of
cmsh taoTakst
The Chairman
a y

Mr. D. Hodgson said that he had no personal feeling in
the matter, but he thought that it would be a reflection on