The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-03-05 00:00:00

TOWN 'COUNCIL.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the Council was held
in the Town hall, at eleven o'clock, yesterday. The
Mayer, Francis Shand, Esq., occupied the chair. There
was but a small attendance.
Mr. Alderman Holme mentioned that Mr. Charles
Turner, Mr. John Stewart, and the Town Clerk, were
engaged with Mr. Hope Scot, Mr. Merry weather, and
Mr. Hartley, in the survey at Birkenhead.

FINANCE COMMITTER.
The proceedings of this committee comprised the
following recommendations :—Recommendation to grant
the reversion of a piece of land in Cambridge street to
the trustees of the school attached to St. Catherine's
church, subject to the approval of the lords of the
treasury, and on payment of the sum of £65. Recom.
mendation to accept the tender of John H. Mullen,
for the erection of the proposed public buildings in Dale
street and Hatton garden, for /20,201 2s 6d, in accor-
dance with the drawings and specifications.
Mr. Alderman Hohre moved the first recommendation,
with reference to the land in Cambridge street. He said
it appeared that the schools attached to St. Catherine's
Church required very considerable alteration, and the
trustees had applied to parliament for a grant. It was
well known that parliament would not make any grant
for schools unless the freehold of the land was first
secured. Therefore, upon the same principle as the
council always granted to such institutions, not only of
the Church, but of every other denomination, the rever-
sion of the land for such purposes, he moved that this
grant be made. The land comprised 373 square yards,
and there was an existing lease for a little more than 50
years.
Mr. Earle seconded the motion.
Mr. Sheil presumed that this grant could not be con-
considered as other than a deviation from the standing
orders of the council. It was nothing more or less than
a gratuitous grant of the land to the schools. £65, as a
reasonable price for such a quantity of land, was entirely
out of the question.
Mr. Alderman Parker contended that the grant was
made on the same principle and calculation as other
grants.
Mr. Robertson Gladstone presumed it was made on
the usual scale. If so, he did not see how the council
could object to it, but complained of want of informa-
tion in the notice paper. Where there was anything to
pass with flying colours, and to gain credit for the parties,
then the particulars were furnished with profuse libe-
rality. But when there was something which had the
appearance—he did not say that it was really so—of
being smuggled through the council, then the informa-
tion was scanty in the extreme. If, however, it was
calculated upon the ordinary principle in this instance,
lie would not object to the grant. He thought, as a
general principle, they ought to encourage all schools
of all denominations, for, although they might differ on
matters of religious faith, yet, he thought, if they only
got so far as to teach the children to read and writeeehey
had overcome a certain amount of difficulty, and adopted
means for producing a certain amount of good. (Hear,
hear.)
Mr. Holme explained that the amount was calculated
upon the usual scale.
The recommendation was then confirmed.
Mr. Holme moved the acceptance of Mr. Mullen's
tender, stating that the contract was thrown fully open
to public competition, and that Mr. Mullen's was the
lowest tender out of nine, and the bonds offered being
considered in every way sufficient, the committee recom-
mended that it be ac,:epted.
The recommendation was confirmed.
Mr. Gladstone asked whether the committee had bad
laid before them a communication addressed to the
treasurer, Mr. Tweedie, in regard to a more complete and
perfect audit of the corporation accounts. He was aware
that that document was not perhaps addressed ae it ought
to have been, to the Finance Committee, but,as itinvolved
a very serious question, he thought it right the opportunity
should not pass without the council obtaining some
information upon the subject. (Hear, hear.) He
also begged to ask what was the circular building
now being erected on the corporation ground
in Dale street. He thought any building to be erected
there must be of a very short existence, inasmuch as
some appropriation of the land for public offices, or some
such object, must be made forthwith.
Mr. Holme, in reference to the latter question, said he
presumed Mr. Gladstone was alluding to the circus being
erected in Dale street. The party erecting it offered, for
three months,' o pay a considerable amount for the ground,
and the committee considered that, whatever might be
the decision of the Council, the lard could not be re-
quired for three months, nor could the drawings be pre-
pared, and therefore they thought they might as well
accept the offer. The party himself erected the building
and paid a very considerable sum—he believed £4 or £5
a week for the ground. Mr. Holme then proceeded to
move the general confirmation of the proceedings, and in
doing so, alluded to the removal of the chain-testing
machine. It had been intended that the building for the
proving of cables should be placed upon the site of
the Herculaneum land ; but as that land would get
eventually into the possession of the dock committee, it
was deemed right to ask that committee whether they
approved of that site. The deck committee thought it
would be unwise to erect a permanent structure upon
land which they thought they might require within a
very short period. It therefore became the duty of the
Finance Committee to endeavour to ascertain whether they
could not not find a better site. Being possessed of land
at present in the occupation of the Anderton Carrying
Company, it bad been suggested that, by taking 1,200
yards from that company, which they could spare, they
could get a sufficient site there to erect a large building
capable of doing about six times the work of the present
machinery. At present the cables were tested by hand,
but it was intended to erect a steam engine, and to place
the building upon the site he had mentioned, which was
the most extensive in Liverpool. and from its contiguity
to the tobacco warehouse not likely to be required for
any other purpose. Birkenhead had been suggested
as a site, but as Birkenhead pool might be empty
for a year or two, and as there had been
no regular plan agreed upon, they did not know whether,
if the building were erected in any given place, it might
not be afterwards found to he in a wrong place, and have
to be taken down. The cost of the structure now pro
posed, would be, as nearly as the surveyor could calculate,
about £5,000, and the cost of the machinery, somewhere
about £1,400 or £1,600. He, therefore, proposed that
the recommendation of the committee in that respect be
confirmee, With reference to the question put by Mr.
Gladstone, it certainly would have been much better if
Mr. Beloe or Mr. Macquire, the auditors, had addressed
their letter at once to the finance committee. The
treasurer, did, however, bring a letter from those gentle-
men before the committee, which was read to them, and
referred by them to the parliamentary sub-committee,
who would report upon it at a subsequent meeting. As
the subject had been mentioned, he bad no hesitation at
once in stating what the course of the Finance Committee
was in reference to the proceedings referred to. It was
well known that the town clerk, in London, required
sums of money constantly, day by day almost, on some
occasions, and a sum of money was lodged to his
credit, out of which he drew as long as the
amount lasted. The council would be exceedingly
surprised when be told them that the fees of the House
of Commons alone, what were termed the house fees, upon
the bills now before P. rliament, absolutely amounted
to £1,275. He mentioned this -fact to show die necessity
of having a sum of money placed to the credit of the
Town Clerk in London, who was called upon at any time,
at a few hours' notice frequently, to pay the fees of the
house before the House of Commons would move one step.
The expenses of a Parliamentary enquiry were very con-
siderable, probably some £2OO a day while a committee
was sitting. At the end of the year ace Town Clerk sent
in his accounts. He submitted the whole of the details of
the accounts to the chairman of the Finance Committee for
the time being; the auditor of the corporation investigated
the whole of the items, and having done so, the balance
sheet was brought before the Finance Committee, who
sanctioned it if it were correct, and it then went upon
the general proceedings, to be commented upon by the
committee. In consequence of the necessity of having
sums of moneyavailable upon all occasions, for the purpose
of paying witnesses, &c ,the committee were obliged to have
money instantly accessible in London. A plan had been
suggested recently by which it might be possible for the
Town Clerk to send down every fortnight a statement of
the expenses incurred during the fortnight; and the pro-
bability
was that they should be able to carry out this
plan ; but as a great number of accounts, legal and other.
wise, could not be got in until after parliament had risen
they would be under the necessity of merely considering
them as payments on account, until they came regularly
before the Finance Committee.
Mr. Alderman Cooper seconded the confirmation of
the general proceedings.
Mr. Gladstone wished he could say he was satisfied
with what had fallen from the chairman of the Finance
Committee ; but he was of opinion decidedly, that the
communication he had referred to, having come before
before the Finance Committee although not regularly
addressed to them, and having been referred by
them to the parliamentary sub committee, some notice
should have been taken of it upon the records of the
proceedings. (Hear, hear.) He did not complain of
the arrangement. of having a credit fdaced at the disposal
of the Town Clerk in London, because he believed it to
he necessary, but what lie did complain of was, that
although in the treasurer's department the ;much (.6