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

THE NORTHERN TIMES.-LIVERPOOLI

only deal with the subject when the question of wages
came before them.
Mr. J. B. Brancker said, that the suggestion of Mr.
Newlands and Mr. White, as to the lighting of the town,
was under the consideration of the committee, and that
they would soon be in a position to report on it.
Mr. Robertson Gladstone replied, that that was a good
reason why the recommendation as to the appointment of
fifty additional constables should be deferred for the
present. The increase would involve an outlay of £3.000
a year, and he therefore thought that a delay of a month
might well be allowed to the members of the Council to
make themselves acquainted with the subject. And, now,
as to another subject. He saw from a letter in the papers
signed " Robert Lowe," that the head constable was
remarkably punctilious as to the title by which
he should be addressed. He hoped that such a
petty feeling as that would be at once laid aside
by that gentleman. It was absurd on the part
of the head constable of such a community as
that of Liverpool, to feel insulted whether he was ad-
dressed by the title of "Mr." or "Major." To the latter title
he believed, the head constable had no right, except in
courtesy ; but, under any circumstances, it was absurd in
a man who had important duties to discharge to be
quarrelling with parties whether they called him " Mr." or
"Major." It was not the first time,that this punctiliousness
had been made the cause of heartburnings, but it was
not creditible either to the individual or the force.
Mr. Alderman S. Holme said he was unwilling
that the Council should precipitately come to any resolution
which would involve a material increase in the police force,
and lay an additional barthen of £3,000 a year on the
inhabitants ' • but, at the same time, having frequently had
very painful evidence of the state of society in the town,
he was prepared to support the committee on this occasion,
because he thought the necessity for the increase
was quite apparent. Nothing could be more
painful than the study of criminal statistics ;
and Mr. Mansfield had called his attention
to a paper the other day containing statistics so appalling
that he almost hesitated to read them to the Council. He
found from that paper that comparing the Liverpool police
with the metropolitan force, they were on the average in
both places in the same proportion to the population. In
London the police force was one to every 455 of the
population, the total number being 5,183, while in Liver-
pool the police were one to every 477 of the inhabitants,
the total number being 886. But when he looked at their
open decks, and the facilities which they offered to
junvenile thieves to plunder ; and, on the other hand,
when he remembered that this was a port for the embarka-
tion of emigrants to every quarter of the world, and when
he knew that the docks were infested by characters of the
very worst description, who were engaged day and night
in plundering those poor people, he felt that it was
requisite that the town should be adequately protected so
far as regarded property, and that protection should
be likewise given to their warehouses and to the
poor emigrants who frequented the place. Drukenness in
Liverpool, was one of its most fearful vices, and was the
parent of very much crime. So far as his experience as a
magistrate went, he regretted to say that from the best
calculation he was able to make, one half of the crimes
which were committed in the town might be traced di-
rectly or indirectly to the sin of drunkenness. He found
that in London last year, owing either to its state of
society or that its police were not as active as those of
Liverpool, there were 5
.035 males, and 4,539 females
brought before the magistrates for drunkenness and disor-
derly conduct, the total being 9,574; but he regretted to
say that in Liverpool in the same time 4,726 males, and
4,249 females were brought before the magistrates for
the same offence, in all, 8,975 ; while the population of
London was 2,616 000, and that of the municipality of
Liverpool only 423,000, showing that though widely
different in the extent of their population, there was only
a difference of 599 in their number of complaints for
drunkenness and disorderly conduct. In London only
two and a decimal per cent. of the population
were brought up for the offence, while in Liverpool
the numbers amounted to six per cent. of the
population. They had constructed a gaol to contain 1,000
prisoners, but three days ago it contained more than 1,200,
and they had, in consequence, been obliged to abandon the
separate system, and put two prisoners in each cell. And
when he looked at the number of gin-palaces and taverns that
were open all night in the neighbourhood of Williamson-
square, and particularly at the number of dancir g_saloons
—the curse and pest of society—at the number of young
people who were inveigled into them, and at the mass of
prostitution which disgraced their streets, he confessed he
was thoroughly appalled, and knew not what they could do
to remedy such crying evils. It was true that it was better
to prevent than to punish, but the question was how were
they to prevent ? He did not know how they could do it,
but as a step towards it he would gladly join any number
of gentlemen who would make it their business to go night
after night and visit those houses ; for he was quite
sure from inquiries that he had made, and from facts which
had come within his knowledge, that such a system of
visitation would deter many young men from at all fre-
quenting such places, and restrain the license now prac-
ticed in them. Under any circumstances, he thought that
the addition of fifty men to the force was requisite, and
he should therefore support the recommendation of the
committee.

Mr. J. R. Jeffery sympathised with Mr. Holme in the
remarks he had made, but he differed from him as to the
necessity of an immediate increase to the police force. He
happened to I.now, from practical experience, that the
system of visitation suggested by Mr. Holme would prevent
one of the evils complained of, to a very large extent. He
(Mr. Jeffery) had visited those places himself, and he had
found in them those whom he did not expect to find. He
had, no doubt, prevented others from going to such places,
and he believed that a system of general visitation, such as
that suggested 11 Mr. Holme, would have the best possible
effect.

Mr. alderman Gardner, while admitting that such a
system would prevent much evil, maintained that drunken-
ness could not be suppressed until licenses for the sale
both of beer and spirits were granted only to respectable
parties.
Mr. Strains advocated the increase of the force on the
grounds of pubic economy, public safety, and public
morality.
Mr. 'Woodruff thought, that before doing so they should
first have before them the report on the lighting of the
town.

After a few remarks from other members of the Council,
the proceedings of the committee, including the recom-
mendation, were carried nen' t. con.

ST. GEORGE'S HALL COMMITTEE.

In connection with the proceedings of this committee, a
memorial was read from the Festival Choral Society, urging
that, as they derived no personal profit from their con
certs, but gave the surplus to charitable objects, the hall
should be let to them at the lowest pssible price—fifteen
guineas.
Mr. Alderman Parker moved that the prayer of the
memorial be acceded to.

Mr. J. R. Jeffery seconded the motion, which was
unanimously adopted.
Mr. Kitchen asked if it were true, that Mr. Best made
a charge of ten guineas for his presiding at the organ at
each of the public concerts ? If it were so, he thought
that an officer of the Corporation, receiving such a salary
as Mr. Best received, should not be permitted to make so
large a charge, on occasions where the public charities
were interested.

Mr. Alderman Parker replied that Mr. Best's charge for
attendance at all concerts, other than those given by the
Corporation, was five guineas, and that he was entitled,
by his agreement with the Corporation, to make that
charge.
Mr. J. B. Jeffery sake I if the committee were doing
anything in regard to the levels of the approaches to the
hall ?

Mr. W. Earle replied that, in consequence of Mr.
Wightman's absence in London, they were unable to
prcceed with the matter for the present. lie
thought, however, that the best thing they could do
would be to get some eminent man, Sir Charles Barry
for instance, to give them advice on the subject. He
had talked the matter over with Mr. Ceckerill, and he was
happy to find that not only was that gentleman favourable,
bnt that they could gat such an opinion for 1:50 or .£lOO.
If they were left to themselves, he was sure they would
bungle the business.
Mr. Alderman Dover said he had a very high opinion of
Mr. Earle's taste—

Mr. W. Earle : And I have none of yours. (Laughter.)
Mr. Alderman Dover, in conclusion. hoped that the
unmeaning monstrosities, the pillars, in front of the hall,
would be speeiily removed.
The proceedings were then confirmed.
The proceedings of the Education, Gaol and House of
Correction, Town-hall establishment, Health, and Gardens'
Committee, were read and adopted, without any question
of public interest arising upon them.