The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-04-14 00:00:00

CHESTER ADJOURNED SESSIONS,

The arijourned sessions for this city were held yesterday
at the Cas`le. Tr,:fford Trafford, Esq., the chairman of
the sessions; presided. Amongst the other magistrates
present we Cserved—Messrs. J W Harden, Tollemache,
M.P., C Potts, Rey. M Comm, R Barton, E Corbett,
Mainwaring, Congreve, Townsend, G W Lath 4m, J
Renshawe, Armstrong, Hollingsworth, and Major General
the Hon. Sir Edward Cnst.

The usual formalities hiving been disposed of, the
following gentle Men were sworn in as the

GRAND JURY.
Aman, William, merchant, Bebington
' Barton, Henry, shipbroker. Bebinetoa
Buckley, F , gentleman, Banbury
• Cowley, Thomas, gentleman, do
Devonport, E., gentleman, do
English, W., railway agent, Birkenhead
Finley, Kirkman, merchant, Thornton
FOX, W., ironmonger, Birkenhead
Ge ant, Frederick, gentleman, Sutton
Henderson, Wm., silkmercer, Bebington
Manifold, James, merchant, do
P rter, George, agent; Birkenhead
Roche, Mark, agent, do.
Senior, E., broker, Bebington •
Turner, W., mariner, Sefton
White, J. G., merchant, Sutton
Yates, John, gentleman,
The names of several other gentlemen were called over.
but they did not answer. Some sent in certificates of
illness, And others apologies, but these who did not were
lineA £lO eae% for non-attendance.
Toe usual formalities having been disposed re':
The Chairman addressed the grand jury, and in doing so
exeressed his regret that there was such a small attendance
of the grand jury present, a circumstance very rare in the
c )anty of Caeshi,n. Some had sent in an apology, others
hal not done so, and the result would be that, however
painful to the magistrahy, they would have to be served
with a scire facia, ealline, upon them to show cause why
they did not peej the file imposed. This was the first
seesions in xvb2,ch the grand jury would have to perform
the extra, duty consequent upon the resolution passed at
the last tessiens, whereby it was decided that the sessions
should be adjourned from Knutshrd to Chester. This, no
would impose additional duties upon them, but they
trust recollect that for many years they had been spared
attending, and, so to speak, they were now merely perform.
;cg duties that they should have been called upon to per-
form, or making up for past services performed by others
He did not know that there was any case that he need
particularly direct their attention to, as they as men of
experience and ability would be able to deal with
all the cases that would be brought before them,
but there was one in which there might be some
legal difficulty, and that was the case in which a person
teas charged with breaking into a ranary. In that case
they had better be satisfied that the offence was committed,
and if they were so satisfied, they would find a true bill,
and leave the question on the point of law to be settled
iu the open court, when- the question would be argued
between the learned counsel for the prosectition and the
gentleman who appeared for the prisoner. The other
eases were such as they could easily dispose of, being only
aueb cases as they, from their daily experience in
business, were well acquainted with ; therefore, he should
hot Make any observations upon them, but would request
elm to find the preserved to them, as speedily as
possible, in orfler that the business of the sessions might
be proceeded, with.
The uatendar only contained the names of ten pri-
tonere, all of whom were charged with petty larcenies,
and were totally devoid of public interest.
baring the time that the Grand Jury were considering
the bills presented to them, the magistrates adjourned to
the private room to dispose of

THE COUNTY BUSINESS:
The first question brought under consideration was
that of the Weaver Dues, and from an observation made
by Mr. Mainwaring, it appeared that at the sessions held
at Knutsford on Monday last, it had, by the magistrates
there assembled, been decided upon, that a requisition
should be prepared to the High Sheriff of the county,
requesting him to call a county meeting for the purpose'
of prep iring a petition to parliament against the bill then
in the lionse for the abolition of those dues. He wished
to know what s!eps the magistrates would take on the
present occasion.
The Chairman wished also to know Whether the magis
trates present really thought that it would be expedient
to call a county meeting on the subject. For his own
part he conceived that it was a matter for chi ratepayers
to decide upon, as they were the parties most interested,
indeed they were the parties 4:'-do were most materially
intereqed in the matter.

Mr. Corbett expre- 8...•4 it as his opinion that the calling
o a county meet'eng would be of no avail, as all that could
13 ') done"3‘ceen done to oppose.the measure in committee
r.
eermstrong said that he was in favour of having a
meeting called, because he believed that there was
not one person in a hundred that was aware of the
encroachments that were abut to be made on the rights of
the people of Chehire if the bill passed into a law.
The Hon. Sir Edward Cust was surprised to hear
gentlemen say that there was no necessity for a county
meeting when the rights of the people of Cheshire were ea
attacked by the Board of Trade, and he expressed his
astonishment that, on the second reading of the bill, the
members for the county had given their assent. to it, which
they virtually did, because they remained silent. He
nceived as little as they could have done would have been
to liaVe offered their opposition to the second reading,
particularly as it would raise. the rates from one penny to
lebe shilling in the pound.
Mr. Tollemache, M.P., was surprised that Sir Edward Cast
did not come forward at the hustings and offer an opposition to
the members of the county on the subject, instead of letting
. them be re-elected. Ho could assure the hon. gentleman that
there had been a great alteration in the arrangement of the
business of the House of Commons since he was a member of
the house. He would wish to know what it was intended to
do if a county meeting was called.
Mr. Mainwaiing : To pass resolutions against the bill.
Mr. Tollemache : And have them presented to the house ;
but he would assure them that such a course would be of no
avail, as all had already been done that could be done in the
matter. He then explained that it was of .no use persons
tending in a petition to the house against a private bill,
as it could not be entertained, because such bills were
always referred to a committee of five persons, who
had to make a declaration that neither themselves nor their
constituents were interested in the matter. The only thing
that could be done, and which had been done, was to
petition the committee to be heard by counsel. He then
went on to exonerate the county members from any
blame in offering no opposition to the bill on the second
reading, believing that they would have been beat by an
overwhelming majority ; an‘l if that had been the case, he
believed that it would have been prejudicial to the cause
in the committee. In illustration of that position, he
referred to the steps that had been taken by the people of
Liverpool on the Town's dues question. They had
canvassed all the members to oppose the second reading,
and had after all to withdraw their opposition. He did
not think, that any good would result from calling a
county meeting.

Mainwa-ring had understood Mr. Lee to be of a
very different opinion from Mr. Tollemache on the subject
of petitioning the house.

Mr. Corbett thotight that Mr. Lee bail expressed the
same opinion as Mr. Tollemache on the subject. He hoped
that gentlemen would recollect that the bill in question
was a private bill and not a public bill. He thought that
cal!ing a county meeting and making speeches and pass•
irg resolutiOns would be like whistling to the wind.
A very long conversation then took place, in the course
of which Mu. Tollemache aeain and again reiterated his
opinion that no petition could be p-esented to the house
on the subject.
Mr. Mainwaring then wished to know if it was the
intention of the magistrates to upset what had been agreed
upon at Knutsforcl.

• •
The Chairm:4l said that they were nat about to upset
what had been done at Kotesfurd. it •had then been
decided that a 'requi'sition 'slionid 'he prepared for
signature. asking the !Ugh Sheriff to call a county
meeti ; that requisition was ready for signature, and
any gentlemen present:could sign it as a ratepayer.
After Some further • conversation the memorial was
handed round the table, but received only ' one signature,
that of Mr. MainWering; who offered his protest against
the opinion of Mr. Tollemache that the right of petition had
been abolished.

Mr. Tolemache explained that it was so with regard to
private bills, and added that even then it was too late to
present a peition to the house or to the committee.

Mr. Mjnwaring took the memorial, and stated his
determinat'on of allowing the ratepayers an opportunity
of signing it and presenting it to the High Sheriff.
The subject then dropped.
POLICE AFFAIRS.

The High Conitable, Captain Smith, presented a code
of rezulations for the management of the police force about
to be c stablished in the county, which were unanimously
adopted by the magistrates, and will, with a variety of
others, be presented to the court at the next sessions.
After transacting some further routine business the court
adjourned.

Governmer_•t has given orders (says the Atheneum) for
the erection of a new picture gallery—the Sheepshanks
Gallery—on our magnificent estate in Kensington. Mr.
Sheepshanks' gift to the nation is accepted, with all its
imposed conditions; its expressed wishes, however,
especially with regard to the opening of the gallery on
aSundays, are postponed for future consideration.