The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-06-04 00:00:00

r„r For particulars see advertisements.

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THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 1857

THE DAY'S NEWS.

The Town Council held their usual monthly
meeting yesterday. There were only twenty-two
members in attendance at a quarter past eleven,
and the Mayor complained of the delay in the
transaction of business in consequence. A discus-
sion took place on the proceedings of the Finance
Committee being brought up for confirmation.
Mr. Alderman Holm° eulogised the ser-
vices of Mr. Hughes, who, he said, had been
so overworked during the past three years, that his
health had given way, and as it was a matter of
life and death for him to be removed to
the sea side, he (Mr. Holme) hoped that the
Council would at once accede to the proposal of
the committee, that Mr. Hughes's salary should be
increased for this year, by £l5O, making it £6OO.
Mr. Jeffery opposed. Mr. William Earle was
astonished at Mr. Jeffery. He, himself, had sent
some of his own clerks, who had been overworked
to the sea side at his (Mr. Earle's) expense, and
be did not see that what was done by
parties in their private capacity, should
not be done in their public capacity. Several
gentlemen spoke on the subject, and on a division
the proceedings so far were confirmed by a vote of
35 to 4. The Finance Committee have given the
tenants of the George Hotel notice to quit. A
letter from the agent appointed by the Court of
Chancery to look after the property of the late
Mr. Castle, was read, explaining that some
errors had crept into Mr. Gladstone's statements
respecting the George Hotel, in his speech on the
occasion of his complaining of the delay in fur-
nishing the Council with a return of all the parti-
culars concerning the Corporation property. It
will be found in our report of the proceedings of
the Council. Liverpool is to have an addition of
fifty police constables at an expense of £3,000
a-year. So the Council has decided. Mr.
Alderman S. Holme made a long speech on the
drunkenness, demoralization, and crime, prevailing
in Liverpool, and quoted a number of statistics
showing that, for all the vices which could be
enumerated, Liverpool stood pre-eminent. St.
George's Hall is in future to be granted to the
Festival Choral Society at fifteen guineas per night.
Mr. Kitchen complained of the high charges made by
Mr. Best, organist of the Hall, for his perform-
ances. Mr. Alderman Parker said, that he charged
only £5 55., and that, by his agreement with
the Corporation, he was entitled to it.
A long and fruitless discussion took
place on the propriety of paying the
salary to the organist of St. Luke's Church.
The Corporation had not appointed the organist,
and, although it is one of their churches, they,
through their Church Expenditure Committee,
refused to pay the salary. The voice of the
Council was decidedly in favour of the payment of interest.
the salary, and it was therefore ordered
,to be Abuses and anomalies have now so accumu-
paid. The proceedings of the Water Committee,
fated that the consideration of the subsubject could
on the motion of Mr. Alderman Bennett, were
confirmed ; which, after a few words from Mr. not any longer be deferred. It has been felt
Earle, Mr. Jeffrey, Alderman Cooper, &c., ttc.,
were acquiesced in. that it is better to run the risk of some crude
The domestic news this morning is of no great legislation than to perpetuate the existing state
importance. From parliamentary papers issued
yesterday we glean several interesting facts. The of things. Our present marriage laws date from
total sum expended at Enfield factory (against a period of great popular ignorance ; supersti-
which the Liverpool Financial Reform Association
call out so loudly, in a pamphlet just issued), from tious feelings lent their sanction, the rudeness of
Jan. 1, 1854, to the Ist of April last, was 240,0001, the times and the grossness of men's perceptions
of which 75,0001. was for buildings, 64,0001 for
required more stringent checks. Now, we trust
machinery, 27,0001. for stores, 4,7161. for salaries,
and 67,0001. for wages. The estimates for eivil servi- that the nation is capable of using discreetly a
ees show that the sum required for public works and larger measure of freedom. The marriage union
buildings during the present financial year is
919,4521., of which a large proportion was voted on we hold to be a high and holy relation not to be
account by the last parliament. This sum exceeds thoughtlessly formed nor lightly dissolved. It
by 24,0001. the estimate of last year. The salaries
and expenses of the public departments for the should be a life union, unless where the most
present financial year amount to £1,509,000, being deplorable circumstances may render separation
a decrease of upwards of £5,000 on the sum ex
pended for similar purposes last year. expedient or inevitable.
Much determined opposition against Mr The LORD CHANCELLOR is highly justified in
Hardy's beer bill is being shown. A meeting of
the beersellers of London has just been held in bringing forward the present measure ; the
the metropolis, for the purpose of taking measures wonder is that this long-suffering nation has
to secure the rejection of Mr. Hardy's bill, for the
borne so patiently that load of' oppression,
regulation of beer houses, coffee houses, and
oyster shops. wrapped up in the laws of Marriage
A church movement has been initiated in the
diocese of Oxford, which cannot but command the and Divorce. When the Bill becomes
good wishes of every one. The growth and distri- law, it will be a great relief and a
bution of population have exceeded the spiritual
means of many parishes, and at the instance of great improvement upon existing practice.
the Bishop of Oxford, a Spiritual Help Society, Several of the amendments rejected by the
to augment present scanty endowments, and to
provide additional curates, was founded on Tuese Lords would have improved the bill much more.
day, at Oxford. How much more lovely is it to see Many will regret the loss of Lord LYNDHURST'S
churchmen thus occupied in remedying the defects
amendments. Surely desertion by a husband
of the establishment, than in vain attempts to re-
tain a traditional ascendancy founded on a non- for five years ought to entitle the poor wife to
recognition of the Christian liberty of others.
a separation. A more merciful. law of Marriage
The Duke of Cleveland has been making a speech
about Parliamentary Reform, at a Conservative would prevent much domestic unhappiness.
dinner in Durham, which is so far satisfactory as The fearful I.ne crimes of wife-beating and wife-
it indicates a willingness to argue the question
in a reasonable way. The Duke is of opinion that killing, which have been so increased of late
every person who has fifty pounds a-year, no matter years, may be imputed in part to the injustice
from what source, is entitled to the deunty fran-
chise, That seems a liberal proposition, but in and inhumanity Of our marriage laws: It will

The steamer Indian has arrived from Quebec in
ittle over eleven days. Her news is three days
ater, but it is not of the slightest importance.

No wonder that the Legislature is very chary
in dealing with the difficult and delicate topic
of Marriage and Divorce. No laws are more
difficult to modify, and perhaps in no field is it a
matter of nicer calculation to do good without
doing harm. Whether we regard marriage as a
sacrament, according to the Roman Catholic
Church, or view it as a civil contract with the
Protestant Church, it is an institution which
connects itself with the very foundations of
society, and as implicated with some of the
purest, holiest feelings of our nature. Crude
legislation on the subject would imperil the
purity of home, and the stability of society. This
is a social question of the deepest interest to
every man and woman, both married and
unmarried ; for we have all an interest that
justice should be done to all ; and especially as
by general agreement the existing laws press
hard upon woman, we have all an interest that
our wives, sisters, and mothers should have
justice done them. Unfairness to them is
injustice to ourselves, but the argument ought
to be sufficient without the appeal to self-