Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-11-12 00:00:00

COURT AND OFFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.

The Queen, with the Princess Frederick William of Prasia,
Princess Royal, and Princess Alice, walked in,the Home Park
yesterday morning, and visited her Royal Highness the Duchess
,Pf Kent at Frogmore. • ' -
His Royal Highness the Prince-Consort went out shooting,
accompanied by Prince .Frederick William of Prussia, the. ,
Duke of Cambridge, Prince Leiningen, and Count Bernstorff.
Before leaving Berlin for London, his Royal Highness
Prince Frederick William addressed the following letter to the •
chief magistrate of the city :---" I have to express my regret
to the Magistrates of the capital, that the princess, my wife,
as well as myself, is pz everted from assisting at the fete
which is to be given at Berlin in honour of the 100th anni-
versary of the birth of Schiller. However, the day upon
which the Prince of Wales attains his 18th year, at the cele-
bration of which we hare for a long time promised to be-
present, calls us to England, where we shall be witnesses of
the distinguished manner in which they will celebrate the
memory of the great German poet, and we shall participate
in spirit in the commemorative fete which will be given in
Prussia.-.-(Signed) FREDERICK WILLIAM, Prince of Prussia.=
Berlin,' Nov. 6, 1819."

ECCLESIASTICAL INTELLIGENCE.

Mr. W. T. Mason, B. A., has been appointed principal a the
Church of England Institution, Bolton-le-.Moors.
The Lord Bishop of Ripon has appointed the Rev. James
Atlay, D.D., Rural Dean of the Rural Deanery of Leeds, and
the Rev. Thomas Edward Morris, Rural Dean of the Rural
Deanery of Skipton.
The committee appointed to distribute the Bishop Longley
Endowment Fund met on Monday, and made a grant of £3OO
to each of the following places, towards the increase of endow-
ments, provided that adequate local efforts were made to meet
each grant before the Ist February next, viz::---Barkisland,
Christ Church (Leeds), Greeuhow Hill, Shepley, Embsay,
Clayton, Gawber, St. Luke's, (Leeds), Boroughbridge, Mount
Pellon, Moor Allerton, Dacre, Easby, Burley-in-Otley.
The Very Rev. the Dean of St. Asaph was installed on Sun-
day last, by the Venerable Archdeacon Wickham, one of the
canons of the Cathedral and a -member of the Charter, in the
presence of the Chapter and other clergy of the diocese.
The amount of subscriptions already received by the Dean
and Chapter of Bristol Cathedral, in answer to their appeal for
public assistance towards providing better accommodation for
the public in the Cathedral, amounts to £2,036.
. .

The interior of St. Paul's Cathedral is now undergoing an
elaborate and costly process of embellishment, preparatory to
the resumption of the special Sunday evening services in the
ensuing month, but intended also as an instalment of the per-
manent adornment of the fabric in accordance with the origi-
nal views of Sir Christopher Wren.
The Collegiate and Parochial Church of St. Peter, at Ruthin,
Denbigshire, after having been closed for eighteen months,
and restored at a cost of £3,000, has just been re-opened. The
occasion was celebrated by special services and sermons com-
mencing, on All Saints' Day, the Ist of November, and termi-
nating on the evening of Sunday the 6th.

The late Rev. Frederic S. Bevan, rector of Carleton Rode,
Norfolk, has left a variety of religious and benevolent societies
legacies, to the amount of £8,400. --This-emu, however, repre-
sents very inadequately the long-sustained liberality of Mr.
Bevan during his lifetime. Thus to the Church Missionary
Society alone he presented, at various times, sums amoun'ing
in the aggregate to £12,000.
The Bishop of Ely will hold an ordination to-morrow, and the
Bishop of Bangor on Sunday, the 27th. The Christmas ordina-
tions will be held on Sunday, December 18, by the Archbishop
of York, the Bishops of London, Winchester, Rochester,'
Peterborough, Chichester, Lichfield, Oxford, Hereford, Lin-
coln, Bath and Wells, Carlisle, Gloucester and Bristol, and
Norwich. The latter right rev. prelate announces that he will
hold an ordination for the future in each Ember week.
At a meeting, consisting of Clergy and laymen, held on
Monday, at Cambridge; it was resolved that the persons pre-
sent form themselves iuto a " Church Defence Association."
And also that the objects of the association should be : 1. The
circulation, by means of pamphlets and newspaper articles, of
information respecting the position, rights, and claims of the
Church. 2. The furnishing replies to all attacks made
upon the Church, and especially those of the Soeicty •
for the Liberation of Religion from State Control. 3. The
presentation of petitions to Parliament in all cases when
such a course should seem desirable.
The Synod of the College of Bishops of the Scottish Episco-
pal Church met on Wednesday, in Edinburgh, and gave Judg-
ment in the case of the Rev. P. Cheyne, of Aberdeen, whose
extreme opinions, and the measures taken by the Bishop of
Aberdeen thereupon, have for some time attracted the attention
of churchmen. Each bishop delivered his opinion at con-
siderable length ; and a judgment was then read, in which the
Synod repealed the appeals against the judgments of the Bishop
of Aberdeen. Before delivering sentence, however, the Synod
called upon Mr. Cheyne to state whether or not he was willing
to submit to the sentence of suspension of the sth August, 1858,
upon the understanding that he was thereby prohibited from
the exercise of every clerical function in the dinese of Aber-
deen, and also to express his regret for certain of his published
expressions, and his rouest that these expressiiona might be
cancelled and withdrawn. Mr. Cheyne having declined to
accept the prescribed form of retraction and apology, the -
Synod affirmed the sentence of the Bishop of Aberdeen, and
also publicly declared Mr. Cheyne nolonger a clergyman of the
Episcopal Church of Scotland, "reseiving to him to apply for
restoration, upon giving evidence of a sincere repentance, in
the manner authorised by the 41st of the Canons."
On Sunday afternoon last, the evening service of the Angli-
can Liturgy was celebrated in the French language, for the
first tune in Paris, at the church of the Rev. Archer Gurney,
in the Rue de la Madeleine. A short discoUrse, also in French,
was delivered by the incumbent to a mixed congregation.
The Rev. Dr. Forbes, who some ten years since relinquished
his charge of St. Luke's Church, New York, and became a
Roman Catholic priest, and who since his conversion has li.:(51
charge of St. Anne's Church, which he was largely instru-
mental in building up, has now announced his M ithdrawal
from that communion.

sgorting

LIVERPOOL AUTUMN MEETING.

The support which this meeting has received during the last
three days? fully proves that the "national pastime " has not
lost anything of its nationality. The weather was the only
drawback to a larger attendance. Every stable was taken,
and Mr. Topham may congratulate himself on the success of
the meeting, for he has left no stone unturned to make it
popular ; and, if the same amount of liberality be displayed in
future meetings, Liverpool " must look up."
A HANDICAP PLATE of 30 toys, for all ages. Winners'this
day 71b extra. 10 subs, or no race. 1 sou entrance, to go
tUthe fund. Straight half-mile. 15 subs. . .
Mr Locke's b g Fractious, 6 yrs Bray 1
Mr Williams' b c Norton, 2 yrs Parsons 2
Mr W. Thornton's b c Topaz, 2 yrs Edwards 3
Mr. Rich's b f Adelaide, 3 yrs H. Grimshaw 4
The following also ran:—Polly Peachum, Emerald, and
Nessus.
2to 1 agst Topaz, 5 to 2 against Fractious, and 5 to 1 agst
Norton. Won by half a length ; same between second and.
third; a bad fourth; Emerald was fifth, Nessus sixth, and'
Polly Peachum last.
The GRAND STAND NURSERY of 30 sous, added to a
Handicap Sweepstakes of 3 sous each, 1 ft' to go to the
fund, -for two years old. Winners this drip 71b. extra.
Winner to be•sold for 80 toys in the usual way; if for £lOO,
71b extra. One mile. 7 subs.
Mr Phillip's b g Rattlesnake (£80) Moorhouse 1
Fordham. 2
Gardiner 3
3311; TB7C7lil_ft:?s bbrrff PC°rmeeyear (c£8800))

, .
Mr Barton's eh c Jim ?.£80) Challoner 4
6 to 4 ant Pomona, 2 to 1 agst Jim, 4 to 1 agst Rattlesnake,
and 6to 1 agst Creeper. Won by a length; half a length be-
tween second and third, and a head between third and fourth.
A HANDICAP PLATE of 40 sovs for all ages Winners of
any Handicap this day 7lb extra. 2 sovs entranc.'. One
mile. 12 subs. . •
Mr M Dawson's b g" Bourgeois, aged G Fordham 1
Mr T Hunt's gr h Master Bagot, 5 yrs' Marlow 2
Mr J Merry's ck c Apollyon, 2 yrs ' Daley 3
Mr H E Johnstone's br c Sobersides 3 yrs II Glimsbaw 4
The following horses also ran :-....itins, Bucepha/us, Wood,
mite, Malton Messenger, Tomboy, Doeskin.
2 to 1 agst Doeskin, 4 to 1 agst Mater Bagot, 6 to 1 agst
Tomboy, and 10 to 1 agst Bourgeois. Won by two lengths ;
same between second and third ; a bad fourth.
The HOOTON NURSERY HANDICAP of 60 sovs, added to
a Sweepstake of 3 sovs each, for two years old. If twenty
subscribers the second to receive 20 sous out of the stakes ;
if a less number, but not fewer than ten, to receive 10 sous
out of the stakes. Winner to pay_ 5 says towards expenses,:
Winners this day 7.1 b extra. 2 sous entrance, to go to the
fund. Eire furlongs ; 10 subs.
..............................Charlton I
Mr Stephenson 's b c Springwe . .......................... Custance 2
. Lady Grosvenor and Chirper also ran.
5 to 4 against Slockton, 7 to 4 against Lady Grosvenor, and
6 to I each against Springwell and Ch'
D Mreci
lengthsßdiiiel
betweenßichmond's o
heatnd 's:c hst
hcteo Stocktonfirstontw Stockton.
and third ; fourth well up.
irper. A dead heat • two
Won by a short half
length.
A SELLING STAKES of 5 sovs each, with 20 sous added.
Two years old Bst, three 9st 4lbs, four 9st 121 b, five 10st 41b, six
and aged lOst 61b. Mares and geldings allowed 21b ; horses
not haying won in 1858 or 1859 allowed 7lb ; and maiden four
years old arid upwards 71b in addition. Winner to be sold for
120 sovs in the 'usual way : if entered to be sold for £lOO allow-
ed 31b ; 80, 61b ; '6O, 101 b ; 40, 181 b ; and 20, 211 b. Whiner to
be sold by auction, and any surplus over selling price to go
to the Race Fund. Five furlongs. -5 subs.
Mr. C. Wintringhain's b e Malachite, 3 yrs (£2O) ...J. Snowden I.
Mr. T. Hunt's'br h Cumberland, syrs (£2O) G. Fordham 2
Mr. Brown's b f Pomona, 2 yrs (E2O) Bottom' 3
Mr. Ewbank ns b c Tom Grasbb 3yrs (L2O) ....... Challoner 4
Mr. S. Beaufort's b f Miss E:eanor, 3yrs (£20)...... Edwards 5
5 to '4
on Cumberland, 3 to 1 apt Pomona, and 6 to 1 agst
SouSPY6ediaief,
Malachite. Won by ahead; same between second and third.
Winner sold for 40gs.
The GREAT AUTUMN CUP, value 200 sovs., given by the
Lessee, added to a Handicap Sweepstakes of £25 each : loft.
Mr. Merry's br fMeg Merrilies, 3 yrs Buck 1
Mr. E. Gill's gr c The Squire, 3 yrs H. Gtimshaw 2
Mr. Shelley's br c Lifeboat, 4 yrs L. Snowden 3
'Mr. T. Stevens' b f Thnandra, 3 yrs
..
.:
..... •
...... . . '..Drew 4
Day also ran. - • ,
York,mutin Peoerle,sitartar,alNAliviiisi:e.anid,aPrvinim_f
Denmark, Underhand,
Julia,

Spode3't and Raru lOO ch against Uncle Lif-
o SqUite, 15 to 1
against Prince of. Denmark, 29 to 1 Wallin Tintantira, 25 to 1
eac.b. against souvenir paid york; and 100 to 3 against Fly-by-
Day. Won-bj, 4 ltjngth • (limo lengths between' second and
Vlird, and a length, between third (Ind fourth. The next apt
1/4' bp as th64pa'ssed the ebair, were Rua Avis, Under-
hand, Pam tondoi; Adertui,- •alid York; the last lot bring
Souvenir, 11,1'4:Neer, FlY'l7,l3ail autl 'Prince. of De.elaili. •

6

BIRKENHEAD COMMISSIONERS.

A special meeting of the Birkenhead Commissioners
vas held at the Board-room, Hamilton-rivare, yester-
day morning, Mr. Hind, in the chair. The other mem-
bers present were—Messrs. Gough, Willoughby, Peck,
Barnett, Beazicy, Baylis, Bell, Verelst, M'Gill, Rae,
Aspinatt, IValker, Keightley, Harrison, .and Cook.
The business before the board was the consideration
.of thepropriety of directing the publication of notices
for an act of Parliament to authorise the Commissioners
to erect a Town-hall in accordance with resolutions
!passed at.a public meeting of t'ne inhabitants of Birken:-
lead and Claughton, hold last Saturday, in the Town
'hall at Birkenhead.

Mr. having read :one minutes of the meeting
referred to -
- .
The Cliki4mAN -said theie was a letter from MT..
Joseph 'Craven, No. 3, liamilton-square, which should
be r6t.

WALK read the later, which was a protest 1
againtt the resolutions paseed at the meeting on Satur-
dayiring received iq the Cominhisioners as an. eaPrcs-
sion if the opinion of the inhabitants on the question of
going. lfor 'Parliarnentary.powers to erect a Town-hall, on:;
the ground of the informality of the notice convening
the meeting.
Lei GOUGII—Is that letter legally fatal to the pro-'
ceetEng proposed to be taken ?
; but it. would be a serious'round
of opposition to the bill, ,if the ratepa-er4 opposed it in
PxrLament.

The CHAIRMAN .said 'he had receiwd the following
letter froth Mr. Laird, the chairman of the board :

". Conservative. Club, London, Nov. 10, 180.
"Dann. regret I cannot attend the mccting
on Friday morning, ,on the subject of _going to Parlia-
meat,
"iliad I been present 1 -should have felt it my duty
to -support the det,ision.come ,to at the :iieeting. on
Saturday last; and, I hope, the special meeting on
Friday may instruct the :law-clerk to Live the netts-
sary otices.
"The question of going to 'Parliament this session or
not can be fully discussed ,by the Parliamentary Com-
mittee, and a final deoision- come-to at the first board
meeting in December.
"As it was necessary to have "Mr. Walntwith me here
to-day, on business coweeted with the ianding7stage
approaches, to save time I instructed him to have draft
notices-prepared to lay before yuar special meeting on
Friday.; and,. in. case the board may wish the notices
to.Coruptita -a general amendment and .consolidation of
the act; have asked him to :frame them for that pur-
poSe. -
" Hoping what I have done will meet the approval
of the board, I am, dear sir, 'your obedient servant,
• "W. RIND, Esq. "JouN.LAS-nD."
For the purpose of bringing the matter before.the board,
the would ,formally propose the, the Law-clerk should
'be-instructetl to give the necesearynotiees for a bill. 'lt
must be digtinctly understood that he did not pledge
himself individually to the principle of going to Parlia-
ment ; and he did, therefore, reserf,---e the ezplanation of
his sentiments for a future period.
re. (focoll.---Ilad-we not better have some informa-
tion es regards the -cost of this Town-hall ?
Dr. Boirs.—.4ll.that will conic before us hereafter::
We onEy ask now ler notices to be given, but that does
not pledip us to going for the bill.
Mr. Gouctir.-:--I don't like meddling with the matter
at all, before we know what the cost of it will be,
Mr. 11.A.r (the representative of the bond-bolders)-
fiiid.—Sir, I:am very sorry that we are calledin to die-,
cuss this veryserious matter in the absence of the chair-
mats of the board. It is very much to be regretted that he
is not here to-day, and the cause of his not being here
is still more a matter of regret,. for he was present at
the public meeting on Saturday last, and was, therefore,
in possession more fully than we can possibly be of the
views and arguments brought forward on'that occasion.
In seconding' the adoption of the motion that you have
made, sir, I do so on the distinct understanding that I
by no *means pledge myself, or wish to pledge the board
to take one other step in this matter. I.think we owe
it to the meeting and to Mr: Lairl, to give the notices;
beeauseby doing so we leave the matter open for future'
discussion, whereas, if we do not, we at once shut'
the door, for this year at any rate, to the
whole question. But, sir, in agreeing to these
notices being- -given,- • I shall now— state...... the.

reason why I make the reservation I have done.
The resolutions which have just been road to the board
require or recommend. the commissioners to apply to
Parliament for powers to provide a variety of buildings
for various public purposes. They propose that we
'shall construct a building that shall concentrate under
- one roof the commissioners' rooms, the free public
library, the 'savings' bank, a law court, and a large hall
for the purpose of public meetings, concerts, and so
forth. Now, sir, with regard to the first requirement,
namely, the commissioners' rooms, we have just lately—
at our very last' meeting, in fact made arrangements
for five years, which I think will put us in possession
of premises that will be amply sufficient for the purposes
of the township for many years to come. And
with regard to concentration, I suppose it it quite
enough to state that next month, or, at all events, the
Month following, both the gas and water department
and the other offices of the -Commissioners of Birken-
head will be concentrated on one side of Hamilton-square,
and therefore I really think any further concentration
than this would be very dearly purchased at an outlay of
£15,000. Then as to-the Free,Library, I think by the
acts that constitute.these bodies, if the Free Library re-
quires a larger building than it occupies at present, and
which, no doubt, it soon will do, I have no doubt the
committee will have power, under the acts of Parlia-
ment, to borrow funds for themselves on security of
their own library rate.

Di. BAYLIS—I am afraid -it will be a long time be-
fore we can afford to incur that expense.
Mr. RAE continued—As regards a Law Court, the
magistrates either have built or are building a Law
Court quite ample for all magisterial purposes, and if '
the County Court requires the use of it occasionally, no
doubt it can be had. We therefore arrive, by a simple
process of exhaustion, at the fact that the only require-
ment pressing upon us, is to provide a large public _
hall. Now I should be the last man to say, seeing the
course I have taken in thig,inatter for many years past,
I repeat I should be the last man to say the
requirement in that respect is not a very urgent one.
I know it is so, and in common with a great many
other gentlemen for years back, I have done 'the best I
could to see if such a thing could be raised by sub-
scription. I don't despair
.of it being yet accom-
plished ; but still the question for, determine to
iisa
whether this requirement ought de to be provided
for by the residents of; the place, or whether it should
be thrown "upon the ratepayers at large. (Hear, hear.)
Now, with regard to the Commissioners providing it, we
have to consider various points that do not appear to me
to have suggested, themselves to the speakers at the
late
public meeting. We are bound to consider„ in the first_
place, the magnitude of our existing debt. If we take
the township -debt proper at £300,000, the ferry debt at
£103,000, the gas and water debt at £240,000, the debt
to the railway company at £20,000, and the mortgage
on the markets at £5,000, we shall find we are at this
rno-fnent under liabilities to the amount of £670,000 ; and
that within two years from the present time the amount
will be still further increased by works at the ferry, which
will involve us in further liabilities to the amount of
£lO,OOO or £15,000 ; and, sir, within the same period,
I apprehcu we shall have to find a public cemetery at
au eNpensa, probably, of £lO,OOO more; so that you
will perceive in the course of two years from the pre-
sent time, our total debt will stand at very close -upon
£7OO on T the-refore respectfully submit to this
Doctr,l; rate-payers, *nether, looking at this

enormous total, it is a wise or a prudent thing in us to
increase it by a single pound, uni ess under the pressure
of the most imperious necessity. (Loud cries of" hear,
hear.") But, sir, there is another class of liabilities ahead
of us, to which we are bound to giv e very serious attention.
The bonded debt at present, as y 'ou are aware, embraces
interest at only 3yper hint. ; he .t, this arrangement will
terminate at the end of five ye ars, and you 'will than
have to make a fresh arrangerne; it with the bondholders,
under which you will have to I lay, I apprehend, 4.1 -.or
.5 per cent,—(hear, her)—ef tiich Will increase the •
-aniemil charge upon the fine inces of the township,
' either to the eetent of £3,, 000 or £4,500 a-year;
recording to the arrangemern then made. Then
-again, tho interest on the gas and water debt
whichis'only at present four p ?r cent., will, at the end
'of four-yeaes, be increased to five pe,rcent , and that
, will throw an annual additionaL burden upon us-tolhe
amteuntof £2,400 s.:year. Ne at year weeehall have a
cemetery rate, which I think we ean hardly -take at
'less than 2d.. in the pound; and, if It only reached
that we should have an ,mount of £1,200 'or
£1,500 a-year. •Talee, finally:, the interest on the
new woriss at the ferry, -and -we -41 ave, another
sum of £7OO or £BOO. a-year to add-to elle other items I
have mentioned. Now .I de think, looking at
these- heavy liabilities a-head, of us, that we should be ,
very cautious about ;adding to them in any shape or,
form. I (Hear.) I don't entertain the shadow of a doubt, Mr..
1 Chairman, looking at-the elasticity-of the finances of the
; place nos that our population has sorapidly.increased,
and is inte.Oasing, I' have no doubt whatever in my own
-mind that, -by-the-adoption of a prudent economy
on the. put, of the bwird, we shall be able to• meet
these requirements : comfortably as- they fall due,
:hut I do -wet think, as I have stated before, that we
.should. laeeease - them unnecessarily by a single
pound. ;Bee the . answer -to this as I, understand
:it is, that this ,• public building will not involve
:us ineany further•expeases than we are at at present. It
is -said the rental of the building will pay the interest on
-its cost, -and that, practically, net rate will ever be
necessary, or eeer be laid. lam son-y, sir, I cannot at
all-share in -this view. -I apprehend that, supposing
we obtain the act„ the very first thing we will have to do on
the bill receiving the Royal assent, will be. to levy a
rate-in-aid to pay the expenses of • the act, simply
because you have no fund whatever. out of which to pay
the expenses of the act. That refers to the expenses of
the first•year. New, in the second year, suppoSing you
' have arranged for plans, and that the Specifications and
estimates are ready to enable you to ,commence the
building, I apprehend, as prudent men, you
will not commence the' structure until you have the
money in band, by borrowing on security of the rate
a seffioieet sum to suffice for the completion of
it, because, as we all know, it would be an awk,ward
thing if you:were to get half of your building up, and
then be compelled to stop its ' progress fox want of
fund. New, to pay interest on this debt Which you
must incur when yeti commence the building you have
no other means ,but a rate-ineaid ; and therefore a rate-
in-aid during the whole progress of the building will be:
necessary to enahleeyme to pay the -interest on the debt
taring that period. 'Bat supposing the building, finished,
it es an extremely doubtful thing whether this rate-in-aid
will not becothe One in perpetuity. .Grantin2-, sir, that the '
rents may beesufficient to meet the interest on the-cost of
the structure when fully accomplished a,.(loccripicd, there
is still an item of very seriouS niOnient which appears
to MO not to have been taken into account at all by the
speakers at the public meeting on Saturday last. I
find by the corporation accounts of Liverpool for the
last year, unfler.the head of "Cash paid on account of
the establishmentof the Town-hall; and• on account of
building the Tow -hail" a total amount of expense of
£1,927 for the year, and that the total revenue' derived
from the building ,was £105; so that :there was a loss -
to the Corporation on that structure of £1,822, entirely
independent of the interest on the cost of its construc-
tion. Now, sir, I do not for one moment intend
to 'say, or to argue that our intended building
Would involve us in anything like the same amount
of expense as this.. We will not have the same
number of servants in livery; we will not have
the same number of livetieS to provide, but there will
be a number of expenses quite as necessary on our Side
as on the Liverp6Ol side of the' water. I find amongst
the items the following :—Wages to charwomen,
£204 18s. ; assessed taxes and rates, £2B 17s. 6d. ;
printing and stationery, £36 .3s. 2d. ; newspapdrs and
gazettes, £36 lls. 9tl.`; gas and fittings, £146 17s. Bd. ;
coal and coke, £29 10s. 65. ; water, £ll Bs. 9d. ;
candles, soap, fee., £4B 9s. 101; cabinet andupholsterers'
work, £23 3s. 7d. ; earthenware andcrystal, £lO 13s. 6d.;
repairs to plate, £1 2s. ; ironmongery,. £27 15S. 2d.
mats, brushes, &c., £7 19c. 25. ; scouring flannel,
£5 1 ls. ; cleaning carpets, £2 ; lighting outside
lamps, £4 Cs. 81; and Mr. I. Wharton, for disbursements,
£29 7s. 6d. . ,Now, sir, I; contend that, to a certain
proportion, these are items that will be as applicable
and as necessary to our' building as to the building of
the Corporation. They amount to a total of £654, and
the maintenance of the "structure to £l9B ss. ; so that
without allowing for the wages of the keeper and
porters, these items alone will amount to £Bso'for one
year; and if you assigned to your own building one keeper
and one porter, you would increase this total to £l,OOO.
Now, I will affirm, without much fear of contradiction,
that to provide; , with any modificati, n o this list, for
the requirements Of the hall, you w:ll re enire a penny
rate-in-aid if the building is carried cut, And, sir, as I
consider. this is a very serious question fore us to
discuss, I thought it my duty to state the reasons
why, although as a matter of form I shall support
the parliamentky. notices .being given,. I shall oppose
the introduction Of any, bill unless, I , have different
information before me to what I have at present. My
opinion is that-the movement, although a very desirable
one in case the township were flush of money, which I
hope we shall be in a few years to come, is, nevertheless, ''
premature at the present time. (Hear, hear.) Sir, I hope
we shall all live to see the time, which, I trust, will be
not many years hence, when this movement shall become
one in which we can all ,heartily and most cheerfully
join and cordially support; but I- think that at the
present time it Would be the best for all parties if the
movement was not proceeded with. (Hear, hear.)
Dr. BAYLIS thought, in the present state of matters, as
regarded the commissioners side' of the question, they
could not be justified in going to any expense. He had
attended the meeting, and the greatest unanimity pre-
vailed, only one gentleman ' dissenting. He thought it
was only fair that the notice should be given, and then
leave it to the ratepayers to decide whether they should
go to Parliament
a arliaetia tor not. He .did not think that there
in
mbent
oetei go yixprg of the ratepayers to decide
whethereu ,to
tPhaeirrlioamieniot,ns b. 'a
He
eitwowurd'
give the necessary notice, but he would not take another
step in the matter until they should hear whether the
I.kitepa.yers. were willing to take it upon themselves, and
not trespass on the funds which were in the keeping of
"the commissioners. He thought they ought to have the
sense of the town taken upon the subject. ,
Mr. AspINALL said he found that, at the meeting held
on Saturday last, the person who moved the first resolu-
tion had stated, according to the reports of the meeting
in the newspapers, that the inhabitants of Birkenhead
numbered 50,000. He thought there was a very serious
mistake in that, as the number was less than 30,000.

Dr. BAyras---Not less than 30,000.
Mr. ASPINALL—About that number. lle also found
that another gentleman said they required a building
for public offices, a town-hall, a music-hall, a savings'
bank, and other purposes, which did not belong to a
public building, such as ought to be built by the tow a-

ship. He did think that, when they came to consider
that the town-hall was to be turned into a theatre; it
-was not at all. tin keeping with tthe town-hull
establishment. Ilettnild almost fancy. that he saivrin
the midSt of this ball or building; the music hall fillod
. with excellent performers ; but, at the same
could not think that the public buSinesi-cOuld Well 'be
conductet) nromfdsi:Oh,a file'Way that it sho-ald
It would be a very strange thing floi
siissiol4er§ to be conducting `their—business at the.--came
lime that there was drumming, and daneingamrfiddling.
going on around 'them. Indeed, suet. a state of things
--would be altogether .out of the question. Let them
have. a concert hall, by all means, and a so
soon as they could get one. He know there was £2,000
er £3,000 down on paper fOr the buihing of a-concert-
hall, but.the erection .of a town-hall Ilitist:bcrieft over
for some years yet. He did not think' they Avere,in a
position:. to build -a town-hall. now that should
meet the 'future.' requirements of the tOwnship.. They
proposed now to erect one at the, cost ef'Sts,ooo, but
he would say that they should wait tathe.y could build
ene.at a cost of £40,00. With regard to another reso-
lution, in reference to levying a rate-in-,aid,,the gentle-
man who Proposed' that resolution was not a ratepayer
in the township, and consequently it could not matter
to hini whether . Such a rate was levied at a ;.penny or:
sixpence in the pound.. He thought it was to bad that
the poor of the township should be taxefi to pay foi
amusement for the rich. He thought, with . all due
deference to the Meeting that Was held" on Saturday; and
.believing,, as he do, that these who were , there were
highly respectable Men, yet still it was his 'opinion
',,that- not one of these men had looked at the.guestiou in
a financial point of view; they had not, looked .at it in.
.the light of paying 20s. in the pound; and as last year
was the first year that they had' been able to do so like
honourable men, he was sure the 'people wouldte satis--
,fied with -the explanation if they did not ,giVe any
.notice. He, therefore, Moved, as an amendment, that no
notice be given, and • that 'the meeting be adjourned
silze dies
Mr. GILL rose and seconded the motion, and ex-
plained that he did so because he felt that they ought to
see what effect the docks would have upon the township
before proceeding. with such a matter. He was sure if
it were allowed to stand over for some time they should
,be in a..pOsition to go to Parliament for something that
would be an honour to the township and all connected
with it. There was also another reason, and that was
that the chairman had stated in his letter that it should
be left to the Parliamentary' Committee.
Dr. Bavbis asked if the Parliamentary, Committee
recommended the going to Parliament, if it should come
before the•board again?
- This was answered affirmatively.
Mr. GOUGIi -understood that there were to he notices
for the consolidation and amendnient of the 'acts.
The CHAIRMAN—Yes.
_ _

Mr. GOUGH—Then I shall vote for it..
The CHAIHNLIN—This mot called for that
purpo-fe.

Mr. Coo; said he was surprised that Mr. Rae should
have -mentioned the notice being given at all. It ap-
peared to him like inserting the small end of the .wedge ;
and he thought every. one who agreed with Mr. Aspinall
should vote with him. Now, when the ,Commissioners.
had. taken their new . offlces, and gone to Stich an el-
pense, it was not the time .to build .a town-
hall. He thought when the tiown-hall was
built, it .would be found to be self-supporting,
taking into-consideration the rent that was' being* paid
for .the. various offices .and library. He hoped they
would not go to Parliament, as he was sure if they kept
out of Parliament, they should save £2,000 a year.

Mr. BELL did not agree with Mr. Aspinall on the
point that the promoters of the meeting had "not made
'their calculation as to the cost of such a building as was
proposed,_ for he knew they had taken some trouble to
ascertain .what the probable cot of such a building
would be. It was thought that the concert-room
should accommodate 1;200 to 2,000 persons, and he
was told ;that the land allotted for the purpose
would not be, more than sufficient for . one-
half or one-third the requirements of . such - a
building. He did not think that the inhabi-
tants were aware of that, or they would never ask the

- ,
Commissioners to go to Parliament for such a purpose.
The requisitionists . wore not looking to the town-hall,
but to a concert-hall. The Commissioners, themselves
had got all the accommodation they wanted when they
got into the new buildings, and he therefore put that
aside altogether.. If the people wanted a concert-room,
or an assembly-room, he, thought these should be pro-
vided by a separate company; for, he could not see
what right the Commissioners had to provide for them
in the same budding. The concert-room would have to
be used for all purposes ; and it would be very awkward
to have a concert and a ball at the same time. The
Philharmonic-hall in Liverpool, which had been erected
for a concert-room, and for the accommodation . of
*between 2,000 and 3,000 people, had cost £25,000 ;
and he would like to know what one would cost to
accommodate from 1,200 to 2,000 people.
Mr. HARRISON said he was 'going .to vote for the
resolution ; but he would not consent to increase the
rates 'of the township unless he saw that the matter
could not be done wit hout a rate-in-aid. He did think that
they should give the notice, and
,when they got the report
of the parliamentary committee they should have the
full views of every committee. They 'ought not to cast
out the requisition without giving the notice. He bad
exerted himself and done all he could to get up a public
building for a concert-hall, and there were few people
knew what a benefit such a thing would to the town-
ship. ' He did not think that the peoplb wanted a
theatre as Mr. 'Aspinall had stated, and he trusted it was
a slip of the tongue on .Mr. Aspinall's part. He would
set.hislace against theatricals as much as any • one else,
and he was now prepared to support the original
motion. •
Mr. 13EAZLnY said the meeting on Saturday was
convexed at an hour of the day when few could at-
tend, and he thought there were few who would consent
to a rate-in-aid being raised for the maintenance of
such a building.. It was, well known that 'when they
went for anything to the Chairman of the Finance
Committee, " Remember the bondholders" was always
thrown in their faces. He thought they should not go
into the matter for five, years to come, and he believed
thefe ought to be an end of the matter after what
Mr. Aspinall had said, that, one of the proposers -of a
resolution was not a ratepayer.
Win VERELST was of opinion that the site chosen for
the concert-room was, not central enough.
The CHAIRMAN felt it his duty to explain his senti-
ments in the matter. When' he proposed the resolution,.
he had reserved for himself the right of expressing his
-sentiments. He had no doubt there was very great re-
'spect due to the meeting. He was not favourable to a
rate-in-aid. He did not think that they would be justified
in going to any expense whatever, unless by the desire
'of the ratepayers. He would vote for Mr. Aspinall's
amendment.
.Dr. BAYLIS asked, did he withdraw his motion ?
- The CHAIRMAN—I do not, having only proposed it
pro forthet to bring it before the meeting.
Dr. BAYLIS was- of opinion that, if the chairman
voted against his own motion, he had better withdraw
it altogether. (Cries of " order," and cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN proceeded to say that the rates for the
last year amounted to £18,652, and there was but
£12,000 to be expended on the township, after paying
the interest to the bond-holders. He thought it was a
very hard thing that the ratepayers should have such a
very small amount expended on the township. It was
only reasonable that like honest men they should pay
the interest on their debt, and only make use
of the surplus after the interest was paid. There was
an observation made by a gentleman, at the meeting on
Saturday, that if the Commissioners did not go on
with the matter it would be made a war-cry at the
next election. His tenure of office expired in June
next, and le was willing to submit. to lie judgment of
the ratepayers, and he- would come before her thee
conscious of having acted consistently, mad he knew the