Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-10-05 00:00:00

TO THE BURGESSRS OF LIME-STREET WARD

GENTLEMEN,
T" Period of my delegated trust as your representative
in the Town Council is about to expire. A deputation
of your body has dtuteir,e the honour to wait upon me with a
view to its renewal. With pleasure I accept their invitation,
and deem it therefore ao.less a privilege than a duty to addre
a few words, to you on the occasion. Whether they shall be
parting words, or merely preliminary to a continuance of our
connection as constitnentsand representative, is a. question for
your sole decision. . .
My conduct as a Menther of -tlie Town CounciL for talast
three years, is before you. It is for you to decide how far that
conduct has exceeded or fallen short of your expectations.
But this I think I may.- venture to say—all that L promised,
when, in; compliance with a numerously-signed requisition, I
placed my services at your disposal, has been zealously and
faithfully performed.. What I under ook to do, if ou con-
ferred upon me the honour of representing you, was simply to
discharge the important duties thereby devolving upon me to
the best of my ability- Perhaps I may be allowed to add;
without incurring the charge of presumption, that even
opponents and mine cannot deny that this pledge has been
fully redeemed. • . . .

Should there be,hcoiever, any doubt on this. point, I shall
be happy to render the fullest possible account of'my steward-
ship,-whenever anclwkerever the opportunity is afforded.
The matters to which I alluded three years ago, when, at
your request, I • fferesi myself as a candidate for your suffrages,
have certainly not diminished in importance;, nor do they re-
quire less unremitting attention on the. part cf your represen-
tatives. •
The Town Dues question has been settled. if not exactly as
we could have wished, and as justice demanded, still in a man-
ner far short of absolute confiscation. The part I took in
effecting a compromise, when nothing less than such spoliation
was sought by some of our envious opponents in the neigh-
bouring towns. islinown to you all. For property. held by as good
a right as that on which some of our assailants enjoy their private
estates we have obtained some compensation,.though by no means
an equivalent. This question having been thus settled, it seems to
me a matter worthy of consideration, whether we should not
now endeavour to come to some similar arrangement with re-
spect to the River Weaver Tolls, which are so heavy a burden
on one important branch of the trade of Liverpool. These.
Tolls are far in excess of what is necessary to maintain the
navigation, and the surplus is applied to county purposes.
This may be a very convenient arrangement for Cheshire
landed proprietors, who seldom have to pay a county-rate of
more than a penny.in the pound, but it is not exactly in confor-
mity with the principle on which they assailed the Liverpool
Town Dues. .

•• ....
The precise information relative to the Corporate Estate,,
ordered to be furnished on the motion of Mr. Robertson Glad-
stone, of the non-compliance with which order, after a lapse of
twelveponths, I complained three years ago, has not yet been
`supplied. It is most important that, wherever the hitch lies,
and whatever may be the motive for withholding it, thisinfor-
mation should be forthcoming ; and should you again return
me to the Council, I will continue to use my best exertions to
obtain it.

I have endeavoured, as you are aware, to prevent the adop-
tion of a new mode of disposing of Corporate property,which
I consider most unjust, to the present ratepayers, since it
inflicts upon them increased taxation for the benefit of pos-
terity:entirely uncalled for; and, failing in this attempt, at
least to-insure publicity and fair competition on all occasions
of sale or lease, so as to obtain the best possible terms for the
public, and prevent even the suspicion of collusion and jobbery.
The importance of this question can hardly be over-rated.
With proper administration of the Corporate Estate, annually
increasing in value, and judicious economy in expenditure, I
believe there will be no necessity for a borough rate ; but that,
otherwise, it will be unavoidable.
Although a complete separation between the Corporate and
Dock Estates has been effected, the interests of the two are,
and must ever be, so interwoven, that a member of the Town
Council, anxious to do his duty, will always have to keep a
watchful eye on the proceedings of the Dock Board; and the
Council-Chamber is certainly the place in _which he should"
direct the public attention to these proceedings whenever he
considers it necessary so to do. Ard Allis duty has become all,
the more important since the transfer of its jurisdiction from
the Corporation to a body of gentlemen, many of whom have
no interest in the permanent welfare of either estate.
The time may not be far distant when some determined
stand against the extravagant expenditure of a body so con-
stituted will be necessary, and especially on the part of the
I owners of fixed property,, who are the persons most interested
in the proper management of the Dock Estate. Shoald such
necessity arise, I trust that I shall never be found wanting,
either as your representative, or, if that honour be denied me;
as a simple member of " this 'great community very largely in-
terested in its welfare.'
Being firmly convinced, after much inquiry and serious
reflection, that. the rating of the Dock Estate, and all other
public property, towards the support of the poor, is a measure
recommended not less by its justice than by its expediency, I
need hardly assure you that I shall persevere in the use of my
best efforts to accomplish that object, in whatever way they
may seem to be most likely to be available.
'-In conclusion, gentlemen, I venture to hope that no further
exposition of my sentiments or intentions will be deemed neces-
sary from me in this addres's. At your Ward Meetings, I shall
be happy to afford any other explanation which may be required.
For the present, therefore, I will only say that what you have
found me in the past, you will, if you think fit to renew my
trusteeship, find me in the future,—a zealous and painstak-
ing friend and advocate of every measure calculated, in my
judgment, to promote the prosperity of-the town and port, and
the general wellbeing of the inhabitants.
I have the honour to be, gentlemen;yours, very respectfully,
MS. It. JEFFERY.
Compton-hou.e, October 3, 1839.

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