The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-12-20 00:00:00

THE NEW. COUNTY CONSTABULARY.

On Wednesday an adjourned meeting of the jnstices of the
peace for the county in general annual session was held 1:1
the Sessions-house, Preston, for the purpose of receiving
.311.
taking into consideration the reports - of the visiting jasticei
of the several prisons in reference to the new prison act, twt
for appointing a fit person to be chief constable of the count). t
and also for transacting other business relating
at large. The attendance of magistrates from all parts of the,
county, especially from Liverpool and Manchester, was veilgreat,
great, no less than 128 being present. Shortly after. eleven
o'clock business commenced by the Hon. Richard, POPtie
Wilbraham,
at
ilbraham, M.P., being requested to take the chair. d
The Cu AMMAN, in opening the business, briefly' eXPInV
the general nature of the business to
.be brought-before
court.
ro
court. to the county

Mr. T. B. ADDISON said the first subject for the aitenti?a
of the court would be the reception and consideration of the
reports of the visiting justices of the several prisons in relcr,"
ence to the new prison act. Now that was a subject which
would occupy the entire day, and if it were entered into, the
important question of the appointment of chief con,t3bi
would be delayed, so as not to receive the consideration tl
which it was entitled. Under these circumstances be begged
to suggest that the consideration of the visiting justices-reT
ports be postponed.—This suggestion was adopted.
The CIIAIRMAN stated that the.next business was the ar
pointment of a chief constable, or head, of the intended eon'
stabulary force.
Mr. T. B. ADDISON, before the appointment was matl:
rose to move a resolution, of which he had given notice.
conceived it was the intention of the framers of the new act,
that whatever was done under it should be done with the,
concurrence of the m6° "agistracy at large. If he (Mr. Add.
were the chief constable, he should tremble at the vast amount.
of responsibility imposed upon him, unless he acted wider
the magistracy' and had every opportunity of taking their
opinions. By the pint he intended to propose, the chief co!"
stable would have his responsibility lessened, and the naaN;
strates would be doing what was expected from them. fit
begged, therefore, to move the following resolution :--"
a constabulary committee he 'appointed, consisting_ of "'-
magistrates, from each of the hundreds of Lonsdale, Anaoun,
derness, Blackburn, and Leyland, and four magistrate, 11.°11-
each of the hundreds of Salford and West Derby, to-super.
intend the appointment, organization, pay, clothing, distri-
bution, and ..management of the constabulary force ; ~
prove of all expenses, and examine all accounts, relaun,
such force, and to report on all matters relating thereto 11'
the general session. That such committee. remain ciffic.e,
till the meeting of the court for the dispatch
,ofbusine.,l"
September, when the court will consider as to its rene".l,,
That the first meeting of the committee do. take place in ~'"h'e
Court-house, Preston, at the. rising of this. court. That
committee,.or such of them as attend the first meeting, lwe
appoint a chairman and a vice-chairman, and: that ally
of them, the chairman or vice-chairman being one, have Pewer
to act." dire

Mr. WILLIAM MAasnAr.r. seconded the motion, and e -
pressed his concurrence with Mr—Addi.,oo's views.
Mr. R. T. PARKER, M.P., dissented from the proposition'
on the ground that the act of parlianient imposed
the
sponsibility upon the chief constable. He was not, howTve
oppOsed to the appointment of a committee to confer with ther,
.„
chief constable, but he was opposed to the suggestion of I.':
moving the responsibility which ought to devolve upon IS
to the magistrates. - Ile would therefote move m
, as an a",
meat, that Mr. Addison's motion be agreed to with the.„o,
ception of the words " appointment, organization, distrait'
tion, and management" of the constabulary force.
A MAGISTRATE seconded the amendment.
the
The Rev. J. T. HowroN objected to the motion, 09 f
re
ground of principle. It went to crop the chief constahle?..
his responsibility, and to deprive the general body of „
strates of their privileges, by delegating their duties t°
committee. He was strongly opposed to the proposition• rt
Mr. POUT, M.P. contended, that the --act of parliame.
confided all the powers referred to in the chief constaho'
alone.

• Mr. THORNILY, M.P., inquired whether the act of 10,t?
liament did not rest the appointments in the chief constable
The CHAIRMAN replied in the affirmative.
The question was then put, and Mr. Parker's amendah°
declared to be carried.
tier
The Rev. J. T. HORTON said he would propose 300—
amendment—
of
Mr. T. B. AnntsoN rose to order. After the decision
the court, on Mr. Parker's amendment, it was not co'llPe.
tent for any magistrate to propose another.
The Rev. J. T. MORTON contended that the learned genii
tleman was in error, and lie appealed to the hon. eloit°l3i
whether it was not competent for ,
him now to wove -3
amendment upon the general question. •
,
I is certainly my view. •
The Rev. J. T. HORTON said the-amendment he intelqe
to propose was, that the court take' into consideration
subject of the appointment of a committee at this day ta he
months.' I•lis objection to Mr. Addison's proposition,
had already stated, was founded upon principle. That
position went first to crop the chief constable of his
leges, and afterwards to deprive the magistracy-'of th t
By delegating that, which they were all hound, to (10,,
the
committee, they were setting a precedent which be hop eu the
magiStrates of this county would nevrr sanction. 13Y aj-
terins of the act, the chief constable was empowered 0 feet
minister the duties of the office in his own way'omitY,
him, therefore, hold the situation upon his own respons"-10,
without having any committee to tell him how to 01.0, the
clothe, distribute, and manage the constabulary force of
county— the
The CHAIRMAN said the resolution went only so far as
payment.
Mr. HoRToN apprehended it was the business Of
cre-
court to fix that ; that the rates sent down by the home se,leir
tary sufficiently showed. But the qiiestion he put to."
intelligence was this--if the individual, when aPPmeol
wanted the magisterial sanction for what he might do, it to
not this meeting be adjourned for the purpose of giving o I
him ? Let him come and say, if he thought Poll'ef'Onm
have 500 men ready to be appointed, but I want the san'elby
of the magistrates ;' in that case-let every thing be (11,
an
an adjournment of the sessions, for then there would
.3 ig
open 'court, and not be a committee.' Ile .concludeu.
moving the amendment.

- Mr. DAWSON seconded amend.
The CHAIRMAN put thethe question, andment thenmendolen wat 0.5 s
carried by a large majority. Mr. Addison's motion
• consequently lost.
Mr. W. G. GALE moved, that the court do now loyiug
to the appointment of a chief constable.—The motion ha
been carried—
The CHAIRMAN announced that eight eandidat" ni3ls•
Before fhe mentioned their nameS the situation. and had
he wished sent in thto I
eir testitno
have the pie?,
efor
sure of the Court as to the mode in which the votes -
be taken. jir.
ut,
A long and wearisome discussion followed upon tl,' P tiv
in which Mr. MARSHALL, Mr. T. B. Avoisus,' al,st
GREENE, M.P., the Rev. J. T. HoHORTON,N, Mr. W3l•
Mr. DAwsoN, and the CHAram AN engaged. C01'1%; re'
s
diven,ity of opinion was manifested, but at last it `cd the
solved that the votes should be taken after the fashi°ll -061
ballot—the person who had the lowest number-4o etire
the candidates had been reduced to two.
The CHAIRMAN then announced the names of the
dates. The first was Capt. Woodford, an officer 11°1(14,1.'10r-
adjutancy of the Royal. Lancashire ; the secoDocoot
Henry Leader, of Londonderry, an officer in the Irislitimoo
Guard service ; the third, Lieut. Fabian R.::.. a ge!!:.e tro"
whom many of our readers will recollect as a very the
yelling agent of the British and Foreign School , Soele'.4esrs'
fourth, Capt. Helinsworth ' • the fifth, Lieut.-Col.
Captain in the 3d Dragoon Guards ; the sixth, Cal),t• Forri;
of the 37th Regt. of Infantry ; the seventh, Mr. John
and the last, Mr. J. F.K
of the P E Freik. be tee'
The CLERACE then proceeded to read td were
timonials of the candidates. Those of Capt. Woodfor of 5.e"
of a very high character, and they included the nanles„d
veral general officers, as well as other military men, ar ice""
of several leading county gentlemen. Mr. Leaders of
very numerous, and they spoke in unqualified tertotorri'
character and efficiency as an officer of the Irish Coast 00'
Lieut. Fabian's we might almost call volurninous..o4o°,;
Helmsworth did not appear, and consequently his
nials were not introduced to the court. Liut.-Col. "—eitilas:"
were very bulky, and from them it appeared that tile Div
officer held his commission as lieutenant-colonel ill), DiOf
tish Legion, which served in Spain under General row
Evans. Capt. Willis's testimonials were exceedillgb:
rous, and many of them were from general oftieer,;le 0.;
other two candidates did not appear, and the same
therefore observed towards then, as towards CaPt•
of
worth.
titi°°
Mr. DAwSoN, before the voting, called the attebeing
ra
the Court to the necessity of the chief constable mopie
some degree acuainted with the practices of the Pf 10l
lowingt he
thatcoasts, calleddisgraceful"u're hcakbeirts.,"Hine
pouritleriuteostpiorenvsetnot ttriies eth:c
seen
°
to the candidates. se
Capt. WOODFORD acknowledged that he had never 0
iDe
wreck. the he
Mr. LEADER said he had seen three, one of whien„tees
under his command saved, and in the other two i",,s`:riii6 tl3O
succeeded in preventing the wreckers from Pie"—
1153
ill-fated vessels. but he
Lieut. FABrAN said he had seen no wrecio, ober,
been in command of vessels and of considerable 101 ,
men.
Lieut.-Col. O'MEARA stated that the commissl43,l v'or
in her- Majesty's service was that of Captain ill ,
goon Guards, and that he had also served with the ,
2d West India regiment. ADP'al'
Capt. WILLIS', in reply to Mr. HORTON and Mr 1) 1,3,1 e°3c,
said that frequently, for a fortnight together, ' c-00jetlofr
manded detachments of his corps, which served?'" here
,ere
tion with the police in Ireland; and that he had sere
years in Bermuda when some prisoners confined t
the
prevented making their escape.
vote °idle
The CLERK of the PEACE then collected the v 0 ere
magistrates in a hat [each magistrate writing then r they
candidate he voted for on a slip of paper], au
aeela
counted by the CHAIRMAN. The numbers we'
v
to

Captain Woodford .. .............. 4.,
• Lieutenant Fabian .... . ............ • 33
Captain Willis . • 21
.. ' • 1
Mr. Leader 20
.... fi tli
Lieuenant-Colonel 'eara , • q
Liciit.-Col. t
O'MCara and O
Mr.M Leader were conse u' ,
•il 0°
withdrawn.
The number of magistrates who voted WAS 123 ; C'neeiltjaieli'l,°:
vote at all ; and another wrote on his slip, a -,g,,e sOitt• i,
who hates the absurdity of the ballot system." ",,eitY file
magistrate gave to Capt. Willis's name, the 1'.°,,. se. to
somewhat original orthography, by spelling it W"'ssperi so
clerk of the peace professed on meeting with this l'ilsirW.s;
be tumbled to make out the writing, but the lion. cliteri
came to his assistance, and' eventually
hieroglyphic was deciphered as above.
On the second balloting, the members were— 51
Capt. Woodford.. ..... ..
• • 4.2
Lieut. Fabian • • ...........
.... •• • • • ?.1 „„vii,
Wiis ........ • ~,• itliuhog
The 120
._00ii!..,.
and then came the " tug of war" between the twrilorwei'
the rit 1.1
rivals. The numbers the third and last time of c"'" (•,5
Capt. Woodford. .................... • • • • 50
Lieut. Fabian ... .......... r ........ • • • • ~..-15 et/
115. •
AmlaagjoisrtirtaytefosrvCoatipntg. I,ll:aoso,dfitiiirids P.tiio•e, re
The number of magistrates
to
The CHAIRMAN then announced the election to h3s3.' 0
o
on Capt. Woodford. , SeP Th
Mr. J. F. FOSTER, chairman of the Salforu rt. :for
said he wished to submit a proposition to the CO.,°oiiite.lioie
court had decided that no committee should be ePi..oo,el;sg,
the purposes set forth in the resolution agreed to chief tb°
ago ; but it appeared to him that if they left II! ~ 1014.41
istrate without the means of communicatiiiro.,,id,,'" i 4
magistrates, as a body, they would be doing tleiot,
.'ocii:,filit
introduce great confusion and inconsistency.
er.ilsoy I uosy:
different parts of the country. There would b ' 1
,senti3 ;Ole;
1., io—'l pe-t..
arising on which it would be important
stable
„i i
absolutely necessary that the chief consta:hst;
with the magistrates at large. The inag!tabitces%3ll"l,evibl"ll;
sessions had certain control over the ''
con:atters tu „ to,,
chief constable ; there were also several nr.,
__core, !;,,i I
they came under the control of the session; tusf,,,l idiou,',„.ci;
reared to him necessary, that some uniform savirrot ItTy Der
adopted, or else the practice would differ in
coequeleith
and in all probability the country would.i._'were
ri ler tje
applied to thr the allowance of expenses NO ''01:1 in o,Aii ti
right nor reasonable. For these reasonsl,saconicr ''..i.,g 0.0
give the chief constable an opportunity l' of seeu'djoill,
magistrates, and to give them'an opportunity
Court s
ligia
uniform system, he begged to move that
ethis_TV'6table,..j:e, ..
to some given da in order that the ehi l',"loetitu,',loo`.'
that the magistrates should have informa
to►enable
report what proceedings. be had taken intitoutleas to tltibt,oo Pi
in which the constables were distributed,