Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-07-07 00:00:00

TOWN COUNCIL.
The monthly meeting of the Town Council was held, at
eleven o'clock, yesterday, in the Town Hall the Mayoi, Wm.
Preston, Esq., in the chair.

CHARGE or DISCOURTESY ON THE PART OP MR: STEWART

- -
AND THE FINANCE COMMITTEE

Mr. Steains said : Mr. Mayor, before the proceedings
commence, I wish to call your attention to a charge which
appears in the Liverpool Mercury, reflecting in a most
improper manner, and in a most incorrect manner,
upon the worthy chairman of the finance committee.
I have only to express my astonishment, and my
.deep regret, that such a highly respectable paper as the
Mercury, should admit any such letter. (Hear, hear.) I
was present at the interview with the deputation alluded to,
headed by Mr. Jeffery, and the account of the reception of
that deputation, given in the letter in the Mercury, was
positively false. (Cries of hear, hear.) Mr. Stewart re-
ceived the deputation with as much courtesy as it is possible
for one gentleman to show to other gentlemen. The subject
upon which the deputation waited upon the finance com-
mittee was not one which called for many remarks, and the
chairman replied in a very proper manner, which met with
the unanimous approval of the committee. I believe Mr.
Holme and Mr. Tyrer made one or two remarks, but there
was nothing, to call for any general observations. The lat-
ter charges the former with being a set of " dummies," who
were not allowed to speak unless the chairman gave the
permission. It is surely scarcely necessary to answer such
a charge. When you look at the gentlemen who compose
the finance committee, it is impossible to suppose that such
men as Mr. Holme, and Mr. Earle, or myself, would be
bridled by Mr. Stewart. (Hear, hear.) The whole thing
is contemptible -contemptible. (Hear, hear.) The whole
thing is a tissue of falsehood from beginning to end, and I
think it due to our excellent chairman to express my convic-
tion that none of the remarks contained in the letter
could possibly be applied with justice to him. (Hear,
hear.)
Mr. Jeffery said his name had been mentioned by Mr.
Steains as having introduced the deputation in question.
His attention had been called to the letter to which Mr.
Steains referred. He saw also that another deputation was
referred to in the letter as having been introduced by
Mr. Stitt, and, as he understood the reading of the letter, ft
was Mr. Stitt's remarks at the health committee which pro-
voked the writing of it. lie (Mr. Jeffery) was not responsible
for the writing of that letter. (Hear, hear) But his
attention had been called to it, and substantially he
declared it correct. Upon the deputation withdrawing from
the room after the interview,-the gentlemen whom he had
the honour of introducing and accompanying, felt excessively
hurt at the very silent manner in which their remarks were
received, and —for he had no objection at all to adopt the
word used in the letter -at the " supercilious" manifestation
of opinion upon the part of the chairman. One of
the members of the committee did venture an observation
—that gentleman was Mr. Parker—and the chairman put
forth his left hand, and silenced the speaker instantly. Mr.
Parker was not permitted to proceed, and no other gentle-
man made any attempt whatever to enter into any conver-
sation, or to elicit any desire. upon the part of the deputation.
He confessed too that he was disappointed--as Mr.
Steains had been pleased to open the question—
that Mr. Steains himself had not taken any
interest in the subject of the interview. Several gentlemen
who were present among the deputation were Mr. Steainf
constituents, and the locality was one in which he shuffle
have thought a deep interest would have been excited it
Mr. Steains mind for its welfare. Now it ought to be made
known to the council what the deputation waited upon
the finance committee for. Seven years ago, propert
was pulled down in the Old Haymarket, for tli
purpose of making improvements. It had remaine
in a comparatively dilapidated state from that day to th
present, an injury to the neighbourhood, depreciating
value of property there, and materially interfpe:
business of the ratepayers of that locality.
the deputation was to ask the finance committee, seeing the
they were now widening •Shaw's-brow, whether they
would be good enough to complete the alterations which
was now in process of operation ; and, if they inteuded to
complete them, whether they would be good enough to
make known to the deputation what their intentions -were
The chairman of the committee stated that they were nr
prepared with any plans for carrying forward any imprr
ments there. The plans, whatever they might h'
whenever they'were ready, would have to be sub-
the Council before being adopted. Then cam'
in his opinion, a most reasonable request. It v
stoneyard,
whirl-
dispensed with

mg with t

The object

was a nuisance to the locantj,
And another nuisance, which
abomination to the neighbourhood, should be r
and that the committee would simply, for. the presen
until they were prepared to appropriate the ground to an
purpose for which it might ultimately be designed, gag i
over, and leave it an open space. As a member of till
council, introducing the deputation, he had to complain o
resnect shown to the Parties who constituted the
lie had had the pleasure of accon---
"Pes upon sPu--

positiv

the Nvzi::

deputation

deputation.
..verai occasio,
he had
,never, upon any occasion, met with the stiln
silence and the expression on the part of the chairman
which was shown in this instance—an expression which
signified, in common parlance, " don't you wish you may
it ?" There was a reservation manif-

) commit

in the chairnian'

countenance, and there was a twinkling in his eve
could not well ho described in language. He somewhat r
gretted that 111 r. Steairis should have introduced this subject a
all. It was an anonymous letter, and no gentleman there shoub
'have taken notibe of it. (Hear, hear.) He confessed, however
that he was surprised the gentlemen constituting the corn.
mittee should have permitted a deputation waiting upor
them to he,so treated. (Hear, hear, and oh, oh.)
Mr: Steains begged to say, in his own vindication, tha
he did not make any observation upon the occasion in pies.
firm_ Rlihrincrh hp Vqfprina t,, ..„—.

for the simple reason

iat Mr. Stewart expre;sed his viewl
so mach better than he could do himself, that he did not think
it right to take up the time of the committee. Mr- Stewart
told the deputation very properly that as to the nuisance
alluded to, the committee had nothing to do with it
belonged to the health committee. •
The Mayor : Nor with the stime-yard ei
Mr. Earle said : Mr. Jeffery, as usual
opportunity of making a long speech

detaining.

council
v

one farthing. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. Jeffery : I rise to order. I spok
Mr. Earle said it was always in self-defence that l

in self-

Jeffery talked against any of the committer
did not himself happen to have a finge.
(Hear, hear, and laughter.) He much regre!ted that M
Steains should have taken any notice whatever
so scurrilous, and so abominable an anonymous k
(Hear hear.) It was not worth Mr. Stewart's while,
consider it for one moment, nor worth the while of an,,
respectable inhabitant of Liverpool. Mr. Stewart was very well
known to them all, and would not have the confidence_which
he enjoyed'from the illustrious indi'v;il-1-1-
hood-1_,,,1

wh
r in th

of so 'vi

)n, anc

wha

ata "1 1115 aIIVICC upon every occasion, if he were not in
every sense deserving of it. (Hear, hear.) He, thought
the inhabitants were particularly indebted to Mr. Stewart
for the .very great labour he had taken in defending the
corporate estate in every way possible. He could speak of
Mr. Stewart ; for he bad bad dealings with him muel
more extensiv- it

e, he could answer for than the
anonymous scribblers who abused him—and he always had
singular satisfaction in dealing with him. He was a most
honourable man, and any one who consulted him upon
important business would find his professional charges, for
a man of his ability. were most moderate.

Wehare nothing to do with Mr. Stewart

professional charges. (Hear, hear.),
Mr. Earle said be would talk as much as
if he liked. He was very 'sorry that so re
as the Mercury should have taken notice
but the editor had it put iu very small tv

Jeffery did

)e, as if he was

half ashamed of insert'in,trit althOugh perhaps he .thought it
his duty to do so, and wished that. it should not be observed
by anyyone. (Hear, hear, aid lawihter.) '
Mr. Stitt said, as his name had been mentioned, he

to sac ti

not at 'all responsible for

to h‘.

oiled forth th
retract from what

nnance cOn ,
lmittee. He' tber
the former (I...nittation was not

,ach as to encourage him, in
gam going before the finance committee. He would state,
with. as much frankness as possible, that the deputation to
which he referred had been received' in the same manner, or
very much the same manner, as that described by Mr.
Jeffery. It was the opinion of all the gentlemen who came
forth from the deputation that they had not been
received
to haveed b the chairman of the committee as they
tght .been. Although the business upo n which
were em a,
I in effect

P, tic business, they seemeL _
told that they were departing from their provinc
altogether, and had better mind their own business. Thai
was the plain English of it. That being the manner of
thei:- reception, he (Mr. Stitt) did not feel inclined to expose
himself to • such a reception again. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. Samuel Holme said he was sure the council would
excuse him, in the absence of the chairman of the finance