The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-04-03 00:00:00

TOWN COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS.

The usual monthly meeting of the Council was held in the
Town-hall on Wednesday, for the dispatch of business.
There was but a slender attendance. JOSHUA WALMSLEY,
Esq. the mayor, took the chair.
The proceedings of the last monthly meeting were read by
the DEPUTY TOWN-CLERK.
.

The proceedings of the Finance Committee were read over
by the deputy town-clerk. They contained a statement to
the eifect, that at the meeting of the committee on the pi e-
vions day, a deputation from the Dock Committee had
attended with reference to the bill now before parliament.
The denutationttated that a strong opinion had been ex-
pressed by their legal adviser and others, that the compul-
sory clause between the council and dock trust would cause
a discussion in the committee of the House of Commons as
to the probable price of the land forming the graving-dock
and strand to the west side of the Salthouse Dock, and
would place the bill in jeopardy, and that therefore the legal
adviser recommended that the price should be fixed by the
council, under the direction of the lords of the treasury. The
surveyor had therefore been instructed to make a new valua-
tion, from the price of land for the last eighteen months, and
they had come to the conclusion that the graving-dock and
strand were worth £3 4s per square yard, which, with cer-
tain deductions for paving, &c., would leave a nett price of
50s ; that they thought reasonable as between the council and
dock trust. The Finance Committee were of opinion that
£2 13s. 6d. would be a reasonable price, and instructed the
town-clerk to insert that price in the bill, -where there had
been a blank left.

The proceedings of the Finance Committee were con-
firmed without observation ; so also were those of the
Improvement Committee, and the leases.

WATCH COMMITTEE.

In the proceedings of this committee were embodied a
letter from the mayor to Lord Normanby, on the subject of
clauses in the county constabulary bill, enacting that that
bill shall have force in all the boroughs and towns already
having a police force, and that the regulations for the police
force, whether belonging to counties or the towns thereof,
shall be framed by the secretary of state and the justices of
the county. The letter objected to this power of regulation
being.vested in the secretary of state and the justices, so far
as Liverpool was concerned, inasmuch as they, and the jug,
tices in particular, would frame regulations applicable to
county exigences, and unfit for a great commercial town.
The letter further stated, that under the municipal reform
bill the council possessed the power of passing bye-laws for
the regulation of their police force (those regulations being
subject to the approval of the secretary of state,) and that
the Liverpool force exceeded in number the whole of the
force contemplated for the county, and that the outlay thereon
was much greater.
.Under these circumstances, his worship
wished that the provisions of the bill should not extend to
thiS town.
It was subsequently mentioned by the MAron that he had
received from Lord Normanby, through his lordship's secre-
tary, a reply to the letter which he had written in accordance
with the wish of the Watch. Committee, informing him that
the bill for the -amendment of the county constabulary bill
would not in any way interfere with the Liverpool police:
The Watch Committee's proceedings also set forth that the
Town-clerk and Surveyor had recommended alterations and
additions to the central bridewell, the estimates for which
amounted to .*;300.. These, however, were not recommended
with the view of making the place lit for a permanent bride-
well (which it was impossible to do by any alteration), but
t] make it reasonably tit for the prisoners until a new bride-
well dould be built, either in connexion with the new courts
or somewhere else.

The proceedings of the committee were confirmed.
METROPOLITAN POLICE ACT.

The TOWN-CLERK read the following, petition for the ex-
tension of the metropolitan police act
" The humble petition of the Mayor, Aldermen, Burgesses

. .
of the Borough of Liverpool,
" Showeth,—That an act was passed in the last session of
parliament, intituled, An act for further improving the po-
lice in and near the metropolis.'
" That gle provisions of the said act have been found to
be of a most beneficial and salutary nature within the district
therein comprised.
" That it would tend greatly to the public benefit of the
inhabitants of the borough of Liverpool and the adjacent dis-
tricts, and be, in the opinion of your petitioners, generally
advantageous to the county at large, if many of the provisions
of that act were extended to the whole of England and Wales,
such provisions being amended, qualified, and adapted, as to
the wisdom of parliament shall appear requisite, and the exe-
cution thereof placed under existing jurisdictions, and parti-
cularly in corporate towns under the municipal authorities
provided by the act of 5 and 6 William IV., c. 76, for the
regulation of municipal corporations.
" Your petitioners therefore pray that an act may be passed
in the present session for effecting such extension.
" And your petitioners will ever pray, tkc."
Mr. TuonNium. moved, and Mr. BRIGHT seconded, the
adoption, of the petition.—Carried.

ADMISSION OP REPORTERS TO TITS MEETINGS OF THE

DOCK COMMITTEE.

In the proceedings of the Dock Committee there was the
following resolution :—" Resolved, that the reporters for the
public press be admitted to the meetings of the Dock Com-
mittee, subject to exclusion by a vote of the majority of the
committee." _

On the motion for the confirmation of the proceedings of
the Dock Committee being put,
Mr. Aldermen LE ATuom, the chairman of the committee,
objected to the above resolution, which, he said, had been
passed during his absence, which he much regretted, as he
should have wished to have recorded his opinion against the
measure. The member for Ahercromby Ward (Mr. R.
Gladstone), who he was sorry to see was not then present,
was the mover of the resolution which had been adopted.
The objections which he had to the admission of reporters
were, that their presence would tend materially to increase
the labours and embarrass the proceedings of the members.
On every committee-day subjects came before them which
were not then disposed of, and it would be inexpedient to
allow the discussions on them to go before the public when
the matters were in an immature state. If repotters were
admitted, it would lead to the appointment of sub-commit-
tees to discuss the majority of the measures brought for-
ward, and thus take up a great deal of the time of the Mem-
bers in attending those sub-committees, of which, according
to established rule, he should be expected to be a member.
He had nearly every day something to do in connexion with
the dock affairs, and if, iu addition to what he now did, he-•
had to sit upon sub-committees, there would be no end to
his labours. He did not know the reasons of the member
for Abercromby Ward in bringing his motion ; but he could
say, without fear of contradiction, that that member attended
the meetings less than any other member. It was difficult
to keep him in his seat for more than half an hour ; and it
perhaps would be convenient to him to read, next morning,
in the papers, the proceedings of the committee meetings
which he had not attended, and that the rest had attended
all the time.
Mr. Alderman Boone entirely agreed with Mr. Leathom,
but he did not think it worth while dividing the council on
the subject. He mentioned his objections to the propositionf
but stated that he was nevertheless willing to try the experi-
ment.

Mr. Alderman G. Holt seconded the motion of Mr. Alder-
man Leathom, that the proceedings be confirmed, with the
exception of the resolution for the admission of reporters.
Mr. Alderman EARLE said that the fact of their being a
provision to enable the committee to exclude the reporters
when they thought fit, showed that the supporters of the
motion were conscious that some inconvenience would attend
the admission of the press. The very circumstance of letting
the reporters retire when certain points were to be discussed,
would show the public those points ; and he did not know whY
they (the council) should not allow the reporters to go to the
meetings of the Improvement or Finance Committee, as
well as to those of the Dock Committee. There were a
great many conversations going on there which would be de-
trimental to their objects to have published.
Mr. BOLTON suggested to the chairman of the Dock Com-
mittee that he should allow the proceedings to be confirmed,
and when the committee again met, propose a resolution for
the annulling of that already passed. He had better do so
than press his motion then, because it would require two
thirds of the council to do away with the resolution that bad
been adopted.
Mr. LEATHOM approved of the suggestion, and allowed the
proceedings to be confirmed.

THE MARRIAGE CR MUTABLE FUND.
The MAroit stated that he had received a communication
from S. U. Thompson, Esq., the treasurer of the Marriage
Charitable Fund, intimating that the subscriptions on the
part of the public amounted to £2859. 10s. 6d., so that the
charitable institutions were now entitled to the second grant
of £5OO- from the corporation.
Mr. PLATT asked whether the subscription was now to be
closed ?
The MAYOR replied, certainly not ; the committee thought
that they should still be able to raise a considerable sum, and
it was also their intention to have a fancy ball in aid of the
fund.
Mr. CuRRIE moved that the corporation grant of £lOOO.
should now be paid.

I

THE CORN LAWS.
Air. Alderman .SHEIL then brought forward his motion on
the corn-laws, and read the draft of a petition to both houses
0' the legislature, praying for the repeal of the laws prohi,
the importation of foreign corn, He proposed that
•
petition should be adopted, •
r- Ir Alderman GEORGE HOLT seconded the motion.
. 11
••vA.THBONE, Mr. CURRIE Mr. BOLTON, and Mr.
irc-,.1-InS: spoke briefly favour.of the motion.
'l.• liustiELL protested against the introduction of such
89.)iects in the council chamber. The council was not con-
toituted
for the discussion of political matters. With respect
I,,°lie at least of the motions brought forward, he could not
"eLP zetuarking that the day—All Fools'-day—was peculiarly
PPlicahle• When he was returned a member of the council,
slits constituents—for so, .he supposed, he must call them,
, '!ce it appeared to be the.fashion there to ape the style and
ghat iris -of the House of Commons—had never asked him
opinions were on the- corn-laws, nor, had the pri-
:lfege question then been in agitation, would •they•ever have
dreamed of inquiring what he thought about it.
pet YATES having spoken in favour of the motion, the
Petifion was adopted.
The council adjourned at a quarter past two.

The motion was seconded by Mr. JOHN HOLMES, and
carried.

MEMORIALS.
A memorial from fourteen owners and occupiers of houses
in Rupert-street was referred to the deputy town-clerk.
CLEVELAND-SQUARE MARKET.
A memorial sighed by from 230 to 240 persons, chiefly re-
siding in South - Castle-street, by seven occupiers of houses
in Cleveland-square, and five in Price's-street, was presented
by the. mayor. It referred with satisfaction to the willing-
ness. 'which had been manifested by the council to improve
the• Cleveland-square Market, and prayed that the suggestion
which had been thrown out, that the market should be re-
moved-to the site of the old Custom-house, should be adopted.
The opportunity they thought to be a very favourable one,
and were of opinion that a better site could not be selected,
inasmuch as it was in the midst of a dense population, and
contiguous to the docks.
Mr. RoniNsos moved that the memorial should be refer-
red to the- Market Committee. He mentioned that several
other of the inhabitants of Cleveland-square would have
signed the memorial if they had been aware of its nature. He
maintained that any attempt to improve Cleveland-square
'Market would only make it more inconvenient. He had
measured the space it was possible to enclose, and found it
to be only 11 yards by 13.
Mr. BOLTON suggested that the Market Committee should
be requested to add to their report the probable cost of the
land and the proposed new market.
The TOWN.-CLERK here read the following report :
" The town-clerk reports upon the memorial from the
inhabitants of Pitt-street Ward, for a general measure of
efficient improvement of the Cleveland-square market, re-
ferred to the Markets Committee, but in the first instance
to he reported on by the town-clerk.
"That on the 27th of October, 1763, the Cleveland-square
market was first opened by the proclamation of the Wor-
shipful George Campbell, Esquire, Mayor of this borough,
and clerk of the markets of the same,' of which proclaMation
the following is an extract.—(We omit the extract as unin-
teresting.)
" That in the opinion of the town-clerk the market cannot
be converted into a permanent building, covered in, without
power being obtaind from parliament, inasmuch as, without
such authority, it would be an encroachment on the legal
rights of the public. That with regard to any minor im-
provements. the -town-clerk will be prepared to attend the
Markets Committee."
Mr. COOPER seconded the motion of Mr. Robinson.
Mr. CURRIE hoped that, in passing the 'notion, it would
not be supposed that the council pledged themselves to the
Prayer of the memorial, but that the carrying of it into effect
must depend altogether on the expense.
The memorial, together with the town-clerk's report, were
then referred-to the Markets Committee.
WATCH-RATE.

The TOWN-CLERK said he had to report that, pursuant to
the direction of the council, he had proceeded, before going
on with the bill, to obtain the opinion of the attorney-general.
He read the opinion which had been given by Sir John
Campbell, Mr. Wightman, and Mr. Rogers,, which setforth
that in their opinion it was obligatory on the council to levy
a watch-rate of sixpence in the pound. The town-clerictlien
referred to a bill brought in by Mr. Baines, and said the
effect of this would be, that the act of last session would not
apply to this borough, unless, adding the surplus of the
borough fund to the amount of watf2h-rate they could levy
under the original act, there was a deficiency in paying the
watch-rate. If there was a deficiency of any sort, the act of
- last session, would then apply, and the council would be tun-
Powered to levy a watch-rate of sixpence in the pound, pro-
vided it was required for the expenses of watching. The
amount now to be levied, under the municipal corporation
act, would be, for Liverpool, on a rental of .£820,366, de-
ducting ten per cent. That rental would yield, at 2 48.97 d.,
£8527 10s. lid. ; for Kirkdale, on a rental of £13,331, the
levy would be £l3B Hs. 6d. ; for Everton, on a rental of
44,516, the levy would be £504 Gs. 7d. ; for West Derby,l
on a rental of £39,073, the levy would be £406 3s. sd. ; fur
Toxteth-park, on a rental of £96,471, the levy would. be
£lOO2 16s. 7d. ; total, £10,579 9s. Then afterwards it
Would be for the council to lay another rate, as they found it
e°mPulsory or not.
Mr. THORNAILL moved that the rate should be 2 48-97 d.
Seconded by Mr. JORDAN, and carried,
PRIVILEGES OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.
Mr. BRIGHT, having been called upon to bring forward the
motion of. which he had given notice on this subject, said
that in consequence of a bill having been introduced, de-
his claring the privileges of the house, he should not then press
ire motion, but continue it over until the next month, that
might have an opportunity of bringing it forward if the
llouse of Lords before whom the bill now was, should, as
they sometimes did, amuse themselves by throwing it out.
ABOLITION OF THE PUNISHMENT OF DEATH.Mr
RATnnoNE read a petition which he had prepared,
Praying for the abolition of the punishment of death, and
stated that he wished to have the petition printed and taken
into •
eonsuleration at the next meeting. In -order to enable
him then to bring the subject before•the council, he should
continue his notice of motiom
A Mr. Alderman EvANs counselled Mr. Rathbone to with-
n his !notion until he could brim; it forward with more
likelihood of its proving efficient, The question had already
been this session disposed of in the House of Commons.
Mr. HoncsoN thought this an important subject, and he
'as to some extent in favour of Mr. Rathbone's views; but
•Ie contended that the council was travelling out of its way—
;L was departing from the business peculiar to itself when it
iegan to discuss great national and political questions, and
Particularly one which was about to be introduced. He had
..inade up his mind, and lie believed that several other gen-
ctnen had done so,- to retire from the room if the council
began to discuss the subject of sending up a petition for the
abolition of the corn-laws. The council, in his opinion, did
not meet for any such purpose.
Mr. Alderman 5f1.411, protested against this unfair way of
dealing with the question.
Mr, Aldartnau EARLE would ask one question, with re-
sPect to what Mr. Hodgson had said, and it was this, whether
any member was at liberty to leave the room without the
Permission of the mayor? He contended that it was not in
the power of Mr. Hodson to leave the room, and take his
tail with him—(Mr. Currie—" except his own tail")—yes.
except his own tail, without the mayor's permission.
Mr. BATIIBONE would withdraw his motion.