Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-12-03 00:00:00

SEPOY ATROCITIES.

At the c'ose of a lecture delivered in London by the
Rev. F. F. Statham, on " our Indian Empire," the Earl
of Shaftesbury, who presided, made a few remarks on the
present position of affairs in India. He thought there
had been an undue reserve in making known the atrocities
committed by the &Toys, for by them we should know
the character of the people with whom we have to deal.
"It is only this very day," said his lordship,
" that I have seen a copy of a letter written and
sent tc England by an officer of rank, who was
one of theefirst that entered Cawnpore a few hours, or
perhaps, only one hour, after the perpetration of the
frightful massacre which was enacted there ; and, think of
the description he gives, and what was seen by the whole
soldiery, and you will not wonder at the exasperation that
was felt by every man among them who bore the European
name. Oa arriving at Cawnpore, lie stats—and he can
seare.ly permit himself to write the sad story—that, to his
unutterable horror and dismay, he saw a number of
European women stripped stark naked, lying on their
backs, fastened by the arms and legs, and there many of
them had been lying four and five days exposed
to a burning sun ; others had been more recently laid
down ; others again had been actually backed to
pieces, and s 3 recently that the blood which
streamed from their mangled bodies was still warm.
He found children of 10, 12, 13, and 14 years of age
treated in the same horrible manner at the corners of the
streets and in all parts of the town, attended by every
circumstance of insult, the most awful and the meat
degrading, the most horrible and frightful to the concep-
tion, and the most revolting to the dignity and feelings of
civilise.' men. Cawnpore was only a sample of what was
perpetrated in various parts of that vast region, and that
with a refinement of cru-lty never heard of before.
Women and children have been massacred before, but I
don't believe that there is any instance on record where
children have be:n reserved in cold blood to be most cruelly
and anatomically tortured in the presence of their horrified
parents More being finally pat to death. Can you wonder,
where such a religion prevails as that which has been
described to-night by my rev. friend, that the people
should prove worthy of their tuition when the opportunity
occurs of developing its fruits ? The character of the
Hindoo religion is to defy Every passion, every propensity,
every moral sin, and every physical abomination.

TOXTETH PARK GUARDIANS AND JOBBERY.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES.

Sir,—l see by a report of the proceedings of this
body that the architect is to furnish plans for
inspection to day (Thursday). Now, it seems to
me, that our friends who are complaining, and
justly so, of the waste and extravagance in
providing a workhouse larger than is needful for
present exigencies, have forgotten to inquire how
it is fiat one individual architect should be chosen
out of a community like Liverpool? Does it not
remind one again of the appointment of Registrar?
Why not let the affair be advertised, and ail have
a chance.. By so doing the various improvements
and suggestions of varied talent would, probably,
conduce to the saving of the money of the rate-
payers, and the providing of better accommodation
for those whom it is our bounden duty to protect.
The policy of the majority of the Toxteth division
of the West Derby Board always was to have a
big house, and it is because of that policy that
the rates have been wlnit they are.
Hoping this may meet the eye of some ere
too late, and that we may have equal chance and
fair competition in this matter, .[ remain, k%,
A HATER OF HUMBUG IN TOSTETII.

The Times speaks confidently of the launch of the
Leviathan being immediately accomplished. More than
enough force will be at work to day to push her acoss the
river if necessary.
The following troopships for India are reported :—The
Sydney (e s.), arrived at Calcutta on the 23rd Oct ; the
steamer Adelaide, at Simon's Bay, on the 7th Oct.; and
the Medina, at Colombo, from Kingstown, on the 17th
October.

DENIM OF MR. HINDLEY, M P.—We have to record the
death of the above gentleman, who expired on Taesday
morning, at his residence in Westminster. Mr. Hindley
Vi AS member for Ashton-under-Lyne, and President of the
Peace Society.
The suspension of payments by the house of Huber and
Cramer has spread a general dismay on the Bourse. The
disastrous consequences are not to be calculated. There
have been twenty other failures in a Single day ; many of
them of firms of high credit. The panic is general, and
several stock brokers have defaulted. There is no quota-
tion of stock or shares to be reported.
CAPTURE OF A GANG OP BURGLARS.—On Monday
morning, about half-past one o'clock, Mrs Sellars, the
landlady of the Volunteer Inn, Kirkgate, Wakefield, was
awakened by hearing some persons apparently moving
about in the lower part of the house. Being too fright-
ened to go down stairs, she jumped out of bed, threw open
the window, and screamed out for the police. Fortunately
at that time the constable of the beat was p esing. Mrs.
Sellars told him to go 'to the back door, as she believed it
was there she heard the noise. The constable ran up the
yard, and found the back door burst open, and likewise the
bar door, 'out saw nothing of the burglars. Mrs. Sellars
then coming down stairs, found that the bar had been
swept of a number of bottles of spirits as well as glasses
and decanters. The money she had taken out of the bar
before going to bed. The constable having sprung his
rattle, and procured the assistance of three other officers,
they began to search the houses in the yard. During this
time a man, named Frank M'Gorty, stood at the door of
the house ; but the moment he saw the additional
constables arrive on the spot, he went iu and hastily shut
it. The officers demanded admittance, which he refused,
but on their threatening to break the door open, be
allowed them to enter. They here found his brother,
Thomas M'Gorty, a man named Michael Caveney, and a
woman named Catherine M'Gorty. There was a strong
smell of ardent spirits in the room, but all the parties
denied any knowledge of the robbery. After searching
for some time the police were nearly baffled, when one of
them pulled up a grating under the fireplace, and there
found a number of the bottles, labelled gin, rum, and
brandy, which Mrs. Sellars at once recognised as her
property. The whole gang were at once taken to the police
office.

TOWN CO UN CIL.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the Town Council was
held yesterday, at eleven o'clock, in the Town Hall. The
Mayor, James Holnie, Esq•, presided.

Bsfore the commencement of the business—

Mr. HAYDOCK said : Since the last meeting Of the
Council, his name had been brought before the public in
consequence of his absence from that room, on the 9th of
November. He had to state, that for five days before the
9th of November he was confined to his house, and
during the greater portion of that time was confined to
his bed. Were gentlemen to come down at the risk of
their lives—to leave their beds to come down and record
their votes, and, if no', were they to be subject to libellous
remarks from certain gentlemen in that room, and likewise
out of doors? He should hope not. He would yield to
no man in his attention to the duties of his office either
in that room or in committee. He hoped these few remarks
would be taken up by gentlemen, in order that they might
be more cautious in using expressions, and coming to
foregone calculations relative to gentlemen's absence from
that chamber. If he had been present on the 9th
of November, he should have recorded his - vote
in favor of Mr Preston, not that he doubtod
the ability of the present Mayor to fill the
ehair, for he was satisfied that that gentleman would not
only fill the chair with ability, but would deal out even-
handed justice to all parties. With these fa w remarks he
would let the matter drop, throwing back, at the same
time, upon their authors the scurrilous remarks with all
the indignation which they deserved.

FINANCE COMMITTEE.

The proceeiings of this Committee contained tho fol-
lowing:—Recommendation to make a contribution of
£lOO for the present year, towards the establishment
and maintenance of an office in London, on the
principle of that conducted by the late Mr. Wainwright;
provided that the details in connection therewith are
arranged on a satisfactory basis, so as to be most available
for the assistance of the Boroug's Members, and the gene-al
advantage of the inhabitants. Recommendation that the
discretion given by and contained in the Act of 7 Wm. 4,
and 1 Viet., cap 19, as to the appointment of an Assistant
or Deputy. Recorder, should at the next sessions be exer-
cised by the Recorder. Report of the Town Clerk, Sur -
veyor, and Treasurer on the Income and Expenditure of
the Corporation, distinguishing what is obligatory and
what discretionary, with reference to the operation of the
Mersey Docks and Harbour Act, 1857.
Mr. HOLME remarked that the report last referred to
was a very lengthy document, which it would take about
two hours to read. It would have to be printed -and
distribtoed, and he would therefore leave it to the Council
to say whether they would have it read.
Mr. STRAINS said, as it was a very important document,
upon which many works would depend, he moved that it
be printed at once, and a copy sent to every member.
Mr. HOLME said it would be utterly impossible, even for
those acquainted with the subjects, to carry the enormous
amount of details and figures along with them. It would
have been very mach better in his opinion, to have re-
served it until the Ist of January, when they could have
had actual statements of amounts, in place of mere
estimates, as in many instances at present.
Mr. STEWART did not know that any works depended
upon the statements in the report. On the Ist of January,
instead of giving estimates of several amounts of receipt
and disbursement, the actual figures could be laid before
the Council. One part of the report was certainly very
important to be known now—that was, the effect of the
late act of Parliament upon /le whole of the Corporation
business. In an official point of view, the whole revenue
of the town dues, set forth in the report, was a mere
estimate of what probably would be received from the Ist
of September to the Ist of January. When the Ist of
January came, the Council would know every penny of it
Many other items of disbursement and receipt were now
only conjectured, whereas they would be known exactly in
January. Now, they ware at present in the month of
December—the report probably would not be printed for
a fortnight, and the question was, whether it would be
worth while to incur the expense, when in January they
could have all the figures accurately and exactly stated.
Mr. STRAINS said he did not mean that the business of
the town would bo actually at a stand still, bat there were
certainly some important qu Estions which could not be
moote I until the details of that report were laid before the
Council. He had reason to know that it was one of the
most important reports which had ever been presented to
the Council, and he, therefore, should press his motion
that it be print el.

Mr AIKEN also urged that the report should be printed.
Mr. STEWART said he had no objection whatever to the
report being printed, except as regarded the quesbion
whether it would not be well to wait until January, fnr the
reasons he had stated. He had no wish whatever that the
information contained in the report should be withheld
from the Council ; on the contrary, he thought it should be
made known to every member.

The TowN CLERK explained that there were two pars of
the report—one part showing the effect of the Mersay Con-
servancy Bill ; and the other contained each item of the
Corporate expenditure for the past year, showing what
were obligatory and what were discretionary. The report
itself was not so long. It was the mass of figures which
made it long, with which it would not be necessary to
trouble the Council at p-esent. The question of the est.-
mats of the income was only contained in one Digs—in
fact, in two or three figures.

It was agreed that the rap)rt s'iould be printed. The
following is the Town-Clerk's

REPORT.

In accordance with a Thsolution of the Finance Corn-
mitten, the Town Clerk, Surveyor, ani Treasurer, s
the foLowing Report " on the Income and Expenditure of
the Corporation, di3tingnishing what is discretionary and
what obligatory Expenditure, under the Munieip I or
other Public or Local Acts, with reference to the altered
cireurns'ances of the Corporation, under the operation
of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Act, 1857."
In considering this subject. we have gone over every
item of the Arc nulls of the Treasurer for the last financial
year, ending 31st of August last; and we have added
opposite to each item such marks as we judged would be
necessary to give a full explanation to the Committee. But
that the matter may be better understood, we think it
desirable to notice the principal Enactments of the "Mersey
Ducks and Harbour Act-1857," so far as that Act affects
the financial position of the Corporation.
Under the head of " Transfer of Property to Board," it
is enacted by section 26 " that all such Estate and Interest
in the Docks, Buildings, and other Property, both real
and personal, situate at Birkenhead or elsewhere, as are
transferred, or are intended to be transferred, to the
Corporation of Liverpool, by the " Birkenhead Docks'
Act, 1855," shall upon and after the first day of January,
1858, vest in the Board, but subject to all charges and
liabilities affecting the same."
The E ita'e and Interest in the Birkenhead Property,
transferred to the Corporation by the Birkenhead Docks'
Act, 1855, consisted of the Estates and Property then
vested in the Trustees of the Birkenhead Docks, and in
the Birkenhead Dock Company respectively. That of the
Trustees comprised all tLe Docks, Lands, and Buildings
of the Trustees ; and that of the Birkenhead Dock
Company, all their Works, Lands, and Buildings, Materials
and Effects, including the property• known as the Her-
culaneum Estate. The principal part of the property of
the Company was the Land on the south side of Wal-
lasey Pool, with the warehouses and building thereon
erected. This Property was hell by the Company under
Lease from the Corporation for 75 years, from the 31st
day of Oetbber, 1848.
The same Estate and Interest which the Co-poration
acquired in these Docks and Property under the Act of
1855, and no more, will now pass to the new Board, and
the Corporation will continue the owners of the reversion
of the leasehold portion of the Property.
Section 27. Transfers to the new Board, but subject to
all charges and liabilities affecting the same. All such
Docks, Lights, Buoys, Lands, Buildings, and other Pro-
perty, both real and personal, situate at Liverpool or
elsewhere, as are held by or in trust for the Trustees of
the Liverpool Docks, under, or in purrivance, of or for the
purposes of any of the Liverpool Dock Acts.
By section 28 the Landing Stage for sea-going steamers,

1,143,000 0 0

194,670 0 0

1,337,670 0 0