The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-10-13 00:00:00

TOWN COUNCIL.-YESTERDAY

The adjourned meeting of the Council was held at eleven
o'clock, yesterday, in the Council-chamber. In the absence
of the Mayor,

Mr. ALDERMAN TURNER presided as Deputy-Mayor.
The report of the Education Committee was read and
adopted. The report contained no matter of importance.

GAOL AND HOUSE OF CORRECTION COMMITTEE

The reports of this Committee were then read. They
merely detailed the ordinary meetings of the Committee, and
recommended the payment of sums incurred in the usual
expenditure.
Mr. BANNER said : Before the proceedings of the Com-
mittee were adopted, there was a questioninvolved in them
which it was very material should be laid-before the Coun-
cil. • He had gone very carefully over the minutes of their
proceedings, and he had discovered that the Governor of the
Gaol had not as yet given the bond required by the Corpora-
tion. He was not about to attribute blame to the Gover-
nor,. nor to the Gaol Committee, as both he believed were
anxious that the matter should be completed; but there was
a question connected with the manner in which the bond
should be drawn out, on which it was very material that the
opinion of the Council should be taken. The appointment
of the present Governor was made in August, and in January
a draft of the bond was sent by the Town Clerk for his pe-
rusal, before it was engrossed. The terms of the bond were
these—that not only should Mr. Jameson be bound,
himself and two competent sureties, for his own conduct and
integrity, but that he should be also bound for the conduct
and integrity of all the officers under him. To these terms
Mr. Jameson objected, and the bond consequently remained still
unsigned ; but surely it was desirable that it should immedi-
ately be completed. (Hear, hear.) For they all recollected
how very unsatisfactory it was with regard to the last
appointment of Governor. A period of only about six
months elapsed before his bond was completed ; but during
that time, unfortunately, defalcations took place, and when
he died it was found that it was totally impossible to recover
any portion of it, in consequence of the absence of the bond
during the period of defalcation. He (Mr. Banner) had 'no
apprehensions of that kind here, nor had the Gaol Com-
mittee ; for they believed Mr. Jameson was a very honest
and upright man ; but they thought that for regularity's
sake his bond ought to be completed. (Hear, hear.) The
objection of Mr. Jameson was, that he was bound for others
as well as himself, and he objected on the ground that he
had no power in the appointment of these officers, nor any
discretion with regard to their dismissal when they misbe-
haved themselves. Mr. Jameson further stated, that he had
consulted Mr. Mansfield on the subject, and that that gentle-
man conceived his objection well founded ; but he (Mr.
Banner) could state, that when Mr. Mansfield was made aware
of the circumstances of the case, he altered his opinion, andnow
agreed in the propriety of the bond. There was besides a re-
solution on the books of the Council that in future the bonds of
all heads of departments should be taken from them, not
only as security for themselves, but as security for the con-
duct of their subordinates. It was for the Council to say
now whether that was reasonable or not—whether Mr.
Jameson's objections were well founded or not; and if not so,
whether he should not be compelled to give the bond which
the Corporation required. As to the nature of the Gover-
nor's duties, besides taking charge of the prison and the pri-
soners, and which the bond would, hold him responsible,
he (Mr. Banner) would briefly detail them to the Council.
Goods were manufactured in the gaol and sold outside. A
collector was appointed to collect the money ; and when col-
lected it was paid into the hands of Mr. Wade, the clerk,
who in his turn immediately handed it over to the Governor.
The Governor then paid over to the Treasurer such sums as he
received, and in a month accounted to him for the balance,
whatever it might be. The Treasurer also gave bonds not
only for himself, but his clerk; but the latter, in his turn,
gave a bond to the Treasurer. There was, however, some
variation from the system in this instance which might,
perhaps, justify Mr. Jameson •in demurring to sign the
the bond, unless, under all the circumstances, it was in-
sisted upon by the Corporation. He (Mr., Banner) could
not help thinking himself that there was some hardship in
calling upon a man to be bound for the conduct and integrity
of others, in whose appointment he had no voice, and whom,
if they misconducted themselves, he had no power to dismiss.
The Corporation appointed these officers, and, therefore,
they were, in point of fact, servants of the Corporation ; and
he consequently thought that the Corporation should do
this—if they required Mr. Jameson to be answerable for
his subordinates, they should also require that these latter
should be bound in competent security, either to him or to
themselves. (Hear, hear.) -
Mr. Alderman PROCTER thought it wouldbe well if the Town
Clerk explained to the Council the position of this matter.
The TowN CLERK said, that on the death of the date
Governor, it was ascertained that his accounts were incorrect,
and upon examining them, it further turned out, that he
and the Clerk kept a private account between themselves ;
and it therefore appeared to him (the Town Clerk,) that for
the protection of the Council, the bond should be framed
in a different way, so as to cover each and every claim.
He accordingly prepared the bond, making Mr. Jameson
responsible for the Clerks in his department, as well as for
himself, just as the heads of the other departments were
responsible to the Council for those under them ; and this
appeared to him to be the more important, because Mr.
Jameson contended that it was no part of his duty to see to
the collection of the accounts. He said certainly that he
was prepared to do it, but that it was no part of his duty;
so that if, as under the ordinary form of bond, he would be
responsible only for the money after it came into his hands,
his direct interest would be that it should not get into his
hands at all. It therefore appeared to him (the Town Clerk)
that the ordinary form of bond was not the proper one. He
accordingly brought the subject generally before the Finance
Committee, and they passed a resolution, that in their opi-
nion all bonds should be taken direct, as far as regarded the
Council, from the heads of the departments, and that the
heads of the departments should require their subordinates
receiving monies, to give in turn bonds to them, these bonds
to be prepared at the expense of the Corporation. That ap-
peared to him to be the only proper way of dealing with
the subject. One of his own bails being -now dead, he was
going to prepare a bond, making himself responsible for his
clerics ; and even the collector of town dues was responsible
for all the collectors in his department.
Mr. BANNER : In cases where heads of departments aro
security for those beneath them, are not counter securities to
be given to them ? •

• The TOWN CLERK : Oh,• certainly ; and the resolution of
the Finance Committee goes to:that extent. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. Alderman PARKER could not see where Mr. Jameson's
hardship was in being called upon to do what every. other
head of a department had to do. There was the Receiver of
town dues ; Vie received large sums, and was guarantee for
every one under him ; but, in return, he had a guarantee
from every one of them. Surely, then, the time of the
Council should not be wasted in the frivolous objections of
Mr. Jameson, who, if he did not like the situation, could give
it up. _ _ _ _ _

Mr. BIGIIAM should dissent from the censures passed on
the Governor of the Goal. It was evident that his prede-
sessor had been called upon to give security only for him-
self, and therefore when Mr. Jameson was called upon,
under a new arrangement, to give in addition security for
his clerks, whom he had no power to appoint, it did not ap-
pear to him (Mr. Bigham) very surprising that Mr. Jame-
son should object to give such a security. If the new ar-
rangement had been made in time—if a distinct agreement
had been come to with Mr. Jameson, and the bond prepared
for signature at the time of his appointment, then there
could have been no dispute ; for, if Mr.. Jameson had made
any objection, the Council would have refused to sanction
his appointment by the Magistrates. But this was not the
case, for the Town Clerk seemed to have taken it for granted
that the bond would be signed. He (Mr. Bigham) could
see no reasonable objection why Mr. Jameson should not
have adopted the course he did ' - and, if he were compelled
to give the bond, his clerks, on their parts, should be com-
pelled to give him security for any money passing between
their hands. (Hear, hear.) But it seemed to him (Mr.
Bigham) better to relieve the gaol altogether from collecting
this money. Let the Treasurer collect it, and then the
Council would require no responsibility from Mr. Jameson,
or any of his clerks. He had no .particular friendship or
respect for Mr. Jameson, because -he did not approve of his
conduct when magistrates' clerk ; still, he thought that, in
this instance, he had acted properly and correctly.
Mr. HOLT concurred in the propriety of requiring from
the Governor a bond for the- financial collection and other
moneys of the Gaol, otherwise his position would not be that
of complete responsibility which it .should be. There was
the strongest motive that could be to enforce a vi&ilant atten-
tion to the duties of the Clerks ; and responsibility for their
conduct, on the part of the Governor, would alone ensure
that attention being paid. He was not surprised at Mr.
Jameson making the objection, taking the precedent of the
late Governor ; still he thought that it was the interest of
the Corporation that the bond should be enforced, and car-
ried out in the way pointed out by the Town Clerk. In doing
this, however, he thought that the expense of the bonds ought
not to fall upon the Clerk or Mr. Jameson, but upon the
Corporation, who had in some measure neglected the oppor-
tunity of laying down the principle.
Mr. TURNER said it was necessary, if the affairs of the
gaol were to bd properly managed, that for all the work
done in the gaol, the Governor should be responsible. It
was proper that the subordinate officers, if Mr. Jameson re-
qUired it, should be bound to him, and if, in that case, these
officers should. be put to any expense, it was proper to con-
sider whether, the Council should not increase their salaries.
But it was clear that things could not go on properly, unless
for all money collected for work done in the
.gaol, the Go-
vernor himself were responsible to the Council. With re-
gard to subordinate officers, and, heads of departments in
general, who were responsible for their conduct, the system
was that stated by the Town Clerk : the Council allowed
the nomination of the heads of departments to prevail, re-
serving to itself the right of dismissal ; but even that was
merely nominal, as in case of any allegation on the part of
the superior of improper 'behaviour, the subordinate would
be at once dismissed on his recommendation.
Mr. ROBERTSON GLADSTONE said it seemed a 'little hard I