The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-11-13 00:00:00

MITOURNED COUNCIL

MEETING

The adjourned meeting of the council was held on Tues.
Asy, for the purpose of transacting the business left over from
the preceding day. The MAYOR presided.
Alderman EVANS rose, as the regular business was about
to be commenced, and said—Before we proceed, I should
like to address the council on what affects them as well as
the community, and that is the manner in which the pro-
ceedings of this council are reported. I admit that, gene-
they are accurately given, but we have more than one
instance where they were otherw se, and on the part of one
Paper we have much that is falsified. I care nothing for my-
self in the affair, but I really do not think we are keeping
faith with the public if we fail to mark those complete misre-
Presentations. The reporters were admitte.l here for the
Purpose of giving a faithful recount of the roceedings, and
When any of them ceases to do that, he ougpht to vacate the
Privilege of being here. I happened in the newsroom this
Morning to look at the Mail, and I found that what I said
Yesterday was therein misrepresented. I looked at the two
other papers, in order to see whether the misrepresentation
!vas general, and I found that the Times and the STANDARD
have given it exactly as I spoke, but the Mail has, in the
I
sential parts, altogether misrepresented the thing. Now,
I do not mean to follow this up by any motion ; but, if it be
repeated, I shall follow it up by moving that the reporter of
any paper that misrepresents shall be prohibited from com -
'lig here. I have no objection to the whole of their other
columns being devoted to ridicule and libel, but I think
they ought to give the proceedings of the council as they are
With truth and faithfulness.
Mr. JORDAN.—I beg to state, in addition to what Alder-
ken Evans has said, that I have a complaint to make on this
head against the press generally. If the members of the
Douses of Lords and Commons correct the accounts given
°,)r reporters, they also call on the editors of papers to assert
that they were present and that they voted so and so. Now,
't is a very common practice with the reporters to leave me
out altogether—(a laugh)—and to exclude what little I do
IRay ; and sometime since when a motion was made and that
spoke upon it, I was not mentioned as being in the council
at all. Now, I think our constituencies have a right to see
that we are here, because if they never see our names in the
Paper they may think that we have resigned and left the coun-
cil; and, therefore, every man who sits here has a right to
have himself mentioned.

Mr. SMITH.--I think Mr. Jordan has made a very curious
complaint ; and I must say that though my name does not
always appear in the divisions, I should be very sorry to
Imitate Mr. Jordan's example and find fault with the press
011 that account. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. G. H. LAWRENCE.—As I have not seen the Mail of
to-day lam not in a position either to admit or to refute the
charge of misrepresentation of which Alderman Evans has
Complained ; but I think it cannot be said with truth that the
Mail misrepresents, for I know not any paper that reports
better than that journal. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. D. HODGSON.—I think the papers ought to be left to
take their own course without any interference on the part of
this council. (General cries of " Hear.") For my own
Part I have been abused not a little, especially during the low
state of the Mercury lately in reference to what they were
Pleased to designate a wooden Bible, but I have not inter-
fered, because when men are found to tell such falsehoods I
am anxious to let them possess the character of liars as much
as they please, either by acts of omission or commission.
Mr. H. LAWRENCE.—For my own part I have been in-
debted to the newspapers for the manner in which I have
been reported, for they generally express my sentiments in
'ouch better language than I could myself.
The MAYOR.—The object of affording admission to re-
Porters here was that they might give a f^ithful, or, at least,
a substantially faithful, account of what occurs, and there
can be no doubt that it would be exceedingly wrong if any
distorting words were put into the mouths of any of the
speakers. If we cannot have the power of either lords and
commons, the reporters should confine themselves to truth.
Mr. EARLE.—The papers tell no lies, sir; they are only
errors in degree."

THE CHARGE AGAINST THE MAGISTRACY

Mr. AIKIN here said.—Before we go into the business of
nominating the committees, I rise not to gratify any wishes
Of my own, but to afford an individual present an opportu-
Oity of making an explanation. I do not rise with the pre-
sumptuous thought of defending the magistracy, but for the
Purpose of demanding the reason why the individual in ques-
tion brought his charge against that body. I trust that op-
Portunity will be afforded me of following up this matter;
rlf od, in the first place, I will simply recall the words as they
from the gentleman. His allegation was that " many of
'nose who should have been the protectors of the law had be-
e°l4le the breakers of it, and made others the protectors,"
and he afterwards repeated the words, and said that " if ever
"e should be called upon to state his reasons for making the
iellarge, he should be prepared to do so." I now call upon
him to state upon what grounds he advanced it, and I trust
no attempt will be made to prevent him from doing so, see-
stitg the very serious way in which the charge was made, and
lue grand style in which it was introduced ; for the tone, the
"olt and gesture, were all elaborately formed to catch the eye
°f our wondering imagination. (Hear, and a laugh.) I want
to know, then, on what basis this charge rests ?
Mr. BusHELL.—Sir, I feel. that Mr. Aikin has .very justly
4brought this matter before the council. (Hear, hear.) Feel-
"ig desirous of leaving this room as early as possible last
!vening, I requested to know fro him wheter e would
'ring forward the subject to-day.m I ascertainhedh that be
Would, and he has now done so. 1 pass over the manner and
testae that he ascribes to me. Whatever may be my mode
!if delivery in this council that affects nothing that I say, and,
,iberefore, I cannot help thinking that it would have been
better bad he confined himself to calling for the explanation
he demands. (Hear, hear.) That which 1 said yesterday
.tos, that " some of the magistrates who should have been
the protectors of the law, had become the breakers of it, and
made others the protectors." And, now, I boldly avow the
!huge which I intended to convey in those words. (Cheers.)
trust I never said anything in this council for which I could
Oot produce justification ; and it will be for you to say whe-
!per or not I have had justification for the prese c
nt hhaarge.
ou will, however, bear in mind that I brought no crge
against the whole body, but that I said "some," unless they
sere greatly belipd, bad been guilty of such conduct. Now,
r, for the proof. I bold in my hand a newspaper ; and I
must crave that no interruption will be given me while es-
r4blishing this charge, so serious as it is to the body at large.
Hear, hear.) In the STANDARD of the ith of August, this
Year
I find a list of subscribers to the Protector Society.
find in the Mail of the Sth of August the same list verbatim,
I believe, of subscribers to the Protector Society ; and I shall
read the names contained in that list with your approbation.
It is headed, " Subscribers to the Protector Society ; and
this is the way in which it was introduced g—TANDARD.
i h

"The foll Owing list of subscribers to the Protector Society
has been handed to us; it having reached us anonymously we
cannot vouch for its accuracy."
It is thus introduced in the Mail:—Sinews of war for the
radical party.—The following list of subscribers to the Pro-
tector Society has been published by a contemporary, but
though correct, we have reason to believe, in the main, there
are one or two omissions." And now for the list.

J, Waimsley...
J. Mullineaux.
- Thorneley

£5OO
500
250
200
200
200

J. C. Evrart..
- Cropper..
John Holmes

• (Laughter.)
It remains to be seen whether this is a subject for laughter
or not, and, before I have done, I shall take the means of
Droving its correctness. It continues as follows)7,

Eyre Evans
John Platt
Pattison Ellames
Francis Jordan
- Preston
- Frankland
-Blackburn
- Quayle
Booth
- Shed

- Thornhill
W. Rathbone (3:1 donation),
James Brancker.
- Yates . .
- Glenn.
- Hornby.
- Segar
- Carson
- Coglan
- M'Kee

- Mason. ..
- Mellor.
- Alison. 2O
Now, with
20
4,_°w, with regard to this statement, I have to observe,
that it appeared in two of the leading journals of this town,
and that it has never been contradicted. (Hear, hear.) I
have invariably found that, when any charges are brought

against a party or individuarl, there has always been a desire
evinced by that party or individnal to rebut those charges,
sud to prove them to be unfounded; and it was upon this
that
statement, or, at least, partly upon this statement,
'hat I founded my charge against some of the magistracy of
this town yesterday. (Hear, and cheers.) The accuracy of
Luis list has, I repeat, never been denied, and, therefore, it
was anything but probable that it was incorrect. (" It is in-
i:orrect," from two or three voices.) I have nothing to do
here with the denial of those who are not magistrates. I find
the name of Sir Joshua Walmsley on the list ; I also find the
bathe of Mr. Ewart, of Mr. John Holmes, of Mr. Eyre
-:vans, of Mr. Francis Jordan, and of Mr. Rathbone. As
the Christian names of Messrs. Cropper, Booth, Hamby, and
Alison are not mentioned, I shall not say whether or not they
are the magistrates answering to those names: But, at all
events, I have brought the charge against the six magistrates
who are named by their Christian and surnames on this list.
The next thing for me to do is this : I have heard several
start up and deny that this is true. Now, I call upon those
who have not yet started up to say and deny that they have
ever, either directly, or indirectly, subscribed their names and
their money to any fund for such a purpose (hear, hear) •,
and when I have received such a denial as magistrates and
48 men of honour ought to give to such a charge, I shall get
111) and say that I am sorry they did not sooner contradict the
statement, for that, in such a case, they would have saved
~theruselves from the odium and me from the trouble of
"kiting such a charge. (Applause.) I now call publicly for
a distinct and a direct denial from each that they have ever
Riven their names or their money by themselves or by their
I.;elatives for such a purpose ; and then, when they give that
Genial, I shall come forward and express my regret that this
statement had not been sooner rebutted, and I shall also ex-
iress my regret that I was the means of becoming the ye-
Liele of opinions and sentiments which, if not contradicted,
wif
have disgraced them as the administrators of the law,
and shall express my sorrow for it. (Loud applause.)
, Mr, Ars:lN.—l rise to put an end to this discussion. (Hear,
hear, and ironical laughter from the conservatives.) I rise
also to exhibit the groundlessness and total falsehood of the
;purge, advanced by the individual who has just sat down.
he words he used were, that " the magistrates, if not very
mhch belied, had been guilty of breaking the law." I rise
t'su to say that the individual who made so malignant and
ese a charge as that, when I asked him for the proof, pro-
two Liverpool newspapers, and reads out of them that
them
had been paid to a certain society ? many of
,q,ena to myknowledge were lies, but suppose they were true,
,luat has that to do with the breaking of the law ? And yet
'llls is the ground on which the gentleman has thought pro-
per to assert that " the magistrates, who ought to have been
hhe Protectors of the law, have become the breakers of it, and
„ave„maile others the protectors." I called on him to prove
that charge, and he produces two papers nearly as worthless
il'
his own charge, because they contain a mass of gross and
they
; but I say, that if they were as true as
are false, they have nothing to do with this question.
Mr. BusitELL rose to reply, when
The MAYOR, addressing him, said—l wish to ask you one
Zuestion : have you any other ground for your charge besides
ts one you have read ?
Air. BUSHELL—Yes, sir, I have. I made an important
,scission, which I now beg to supply, and I shall make no
ii;PIY to Mr. Aikin, except read that omission. I presume
at every one here knows the objects of the Protector
1 t3eiety, for which the fund I have alluded to was raised, but
lie:_lYou should be ignorant of them, I shall read a speech tle-
id at the close of the revision court by the revising
iZrrister, Mr. Wharton, the authorised judge of the govern-
!'e said nd a, as it is very short, I shall read it all for you.
Liv Now the revision of the list of voters for the borough of
st,`4ierPool is gone through, I beg leave, on my own account,
to4,?ft account of many of my colleagues, to return thanks
kr"le gentlemen who have acted professionally before us,
Qusthe assistance they have afforded to us during the ardu
weei:)usiness transacted in these courts during the present
v • We have each of us had duties and difficulties of a
ry
deellt Peculiar nature : my own have certainly been unprece-
ed• They have arisen partly from the very great num-