The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-04-09 00:00:00

TOWN COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS.

The usual monthly meeting of the town-council was held in
the council chamber, Town-hull.
WIDENING OF MYRTLE-STREET.-APPOINTMENT OI

DEPUTY TOWN-CLERK

In the report of the Finance Committee, allusion was
made to a recommendation of the Improvement Committee,
touching the widening of Myrtle-street ; which was ulti-

mately referred to the Finance Committee

In the course of the report the Town-Clerk introduced a
schedule of what he conceived to be the duties of the
Town-
Clerk and deputy Town-Clerk, iu which the last mentioned
appeared to have, in some respects, a separate responsibi-
lity, while in others, his responsibility was laid down as con-
joint with, and subject to that of the Town-Clerk. Some
discussion arose on this subject, Mr. SHE IL, who appre-
hended that the schedule was about to be immediately pas-
sed, expressed his opinion that time was required for
consi-
deration. It was ultimately decided that the question of the
duties of these two officers should be considered with a report
of the Town-Clerk on the appointment of .a person to fill the
vacancy. The Town-Clerk's report detailed the chief duties
of the deputy Town-Clerk, and pointed to an individual
(not named) whom he conceived would be very eligible, and
by whose appointment a considerable saving would accrue
to the borough fund. On being called upon by Sir J. Walin-
sley, to name the individual to whom he had alluded, the
Town-Clerk named Mr. William Shuttleworth, one of the
clerks to the magistrates, of whose talents and acquirements
he spoke very handsomely, and by whose appointment,
amongst other things which would be effected, a considerable
one would be, from his not succombing so readily and deffe-
rentially as had been done to the suggestions of council on
the subject of sending for witnesses from a distance, as
from his skill and legal knowledge, he was qualified to ex-
ercise a bold discretion.

It was at length agreed that the subject should be referred
to a special committee, who are to report to a special coun-
cil to be held on Wednesday next. The office was formally
declared vacant, and the appointment to fill it, is to be made
at the next monthly meeting of the council in May.
The following gentlemen were appointed to be the commit-
tee :—Messrs. Morecroft, Toulmia, H. Hornby, Mellor,
Sheil, Evans, Leigh, Sir J. Walmsley, G. Holt, and Case.
The salary of Mr. M'Fazsen, superintendent of the sca-
vengers. was raised from £125 to £156 per annum.

PUBLIC PROCESSIONS.
A memorial was read by the mayor from the merchants,
&c., frequenting the Exchange, complaining of the annoy-
ance to which they are subjected from time to time, by
processions passing round the monument in the area of the
Exchange-buildings, whereby they were seriously interrupted
in the performance of their business.
Mr. SHELL and Mr. EVANS expressed a hope that, if the
council had the power, they would not interfere with the pro-
ceedings of the people in this respect.
Mr. MELLOR, as representative of Exchange Ward. said,
he thought it his duty to say that he had heard many gentle-
men complain of the serious annoyance which they expe.
rionced by these processions. Several other members eX-
pressed similar opinions.
The TOWN-CLERK, having examined the act, said the area
of the Exchange was private property, except for thepurpo-
ses of trade, &c., set forth by the act, and they might take
peaceable measures to maintain their rights. They could
appeal to the magistrates for that purpose, and call in the
aid of the constabulary. It was not necessary that they should
look for any aid from the council.

..• ya•yall•
It was agreed that the Town-clerk should write his opinion
and send it over to the proprietors.

BOROUGH COURT, COURT OF REQUESTS, &C.
The council proceeded to the consideration of the proceed-
ings, resolutions, and reports of the Borough Court and
Court of Requests' Committee, comprising—the appointment
of Daniel Wells as summons server ; the increase of the
salary of Mr. George Park, treasurer of the Court of Re-
quests, from £2OO to £220; the increase of the salary of Mr.
Thomas Cattrall, assistant clerk in the Court of Requests,
from £7B to £110; the increase of the salary of Mr. John
G. Hughes, assistant clerk in the Court of Requests, from
£7B to £100; the increase of the salary of Mn W. S.
Harris, summons clerk, from £BO to £lOO ; and the County
Courts Bill.

A. letter from Mr. Lowndes, the Commissioner of the
Court of Requests, was read, stating that there were two
clauses in the act of Parliament relating to the Court of Re-
quests, which required lists of unclaimed money to be re-
turned to the Council every twelve months. The clerks had
neglected to do this duty till recently, and as they had now
only made up the accounts to Jan. 1839, instead of 1840, he
could not recommend that they should have any increase of
salary. The Mayor said he had but just received the letter.
Mr. EVANS described the negotiations which he, with Mr.
Rushton and Mr. Benn, had carried on in London, on the
subject of the county courts bill.

Mr. COOPER expressed his at the letter which had
been sent by Mr. Lowndes, as it was his fault that the re-
returns had not been made up previously, as the clerks had
been working night and day to make them up, but they had
not found it possible. The clerks were not to blame.
Mr. BRIGHT concurred in this view.
The TOWN-CLERK said he had met the Commissioner,
(who, as well as himself, was to blame in this business) on
the preceding day, and the clerks had then promised to have
the returns ready by May. He had no notion that such a
letter as this would be sent, and had not heard of such letter
till this moment.

Several members inquired when the letter was sent, and
what was the date thereof.

__ _....,.....
The MAYOR said... it had no date, and he had received it
about two o'clock that day, since he took his seat in Council.
The subject dropped.
Mr. H. HORNBY moved, and Mr. EARLE seconded the
appointment of Mr. Blackburn to fill the vacancy in the
Education Committee.

Mr. ISAAC HOLMES opposed the motion, and moved that
Mr. Blackburn be not appointed.
The motion was not seconded, and it fell to the ground.
The original motion was carried.

The Nuncil adjourned at three o'clock, till Wednesday
next.

MEETING OF THE DOCK COMMITTEE

The weekly meeting of this committee was held yesterday.
The business on the tapis was not of peculiar public interest.
There were present—Mr. T. Booth (chairman). Messrs.
Quayle, Miller, Evans, Martin, T. Tobin, Middleton, T.
Holt, Holmes, and Barclay.
The SECRETARY read the proceedings of the last meeting,
and the usual accounts presented for payment :were called
over and passed—amount £1454 5s 9d.

The CHAIRMAN said that the first business on the paper
related to the schooner Milo. As that vessel was no longer
required as a light-ship, it was proposed that she should be
sold by auction.—This was agreed to.
A letter was read addrssed by Messrs. Chapman and Willis
to the committee, complaining of the dock duty levied on the
ships built at this port—which, as regarded one new vessel,
they had paid under protest, while ships built at the outports
of Great Britain could evade such duty by having on board a
barrel of herrings or flour for cargo, or any other trifling
article.

Mr. EVANS complained that, as the subject had previously
been before the committee, the document then presented was
quite unexpected, particularly as it emanated from a mem-
ber of that committee. The subject was yet to be discussed,
and involved the question whether the charge was made too
high or too low.
Mr. CHAPMAN explained that he by no means wished to
precipitate the discussion of the question, but he considered
it proper to lay the case referred to before a committee, u
one of recent instance. Vessels built at other places could
evade the duty, and his object was that the spirit of the act,
the encouragement of home-built ships, should not be in-
vaded. He was desirous, of course, that all further discus-
sion on the subject should be postponed until Thursday next.
This was agreed to.
Mr. TOBIN made sonic few remarks with reference to a
topic also to be hereafter discussed, and the meeting sepa-
rated.

only one in which the government could procure any infor-
mation so as to bring the parties to trial was in that of Mr.
Biddulph. Two persons were apprehended, and he would
admit that, up to a certain point, the Irish government had
done everything in its power to bring them to punishment.
The jury was empanelled according to the practice which
prevailed ever since the noble marquis (Normanby) had been
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. The crown did not set aside
a single man. There were 50 names on the jury panel ' 11
did not answer to their names ; the prisoners challenged 27,
and the other 12 formed the jury. Of these 12 one was a
county delegate of the ribandmen, and there was a com-
mittee man of the same society, and a third was parish
master of the ribandmen. There was also a case in Armagh
where the same course was pursued, but it was departed
from at Londonderry, on the trial of a Protestant named.
Grey, who was charged with having committed a cold-
blooded murder. In Grey's case the prisoner challenzed
seven of the jury, and the crown challenged ten. The noble
lord, after contending that all efforts to administer justice in
Ireland effectually must cease unless the jurymen could be
placed above suspicion, concluded by moving for papers
relative to the trial of the parties for shooting at Mr. Bid-
dulph, in which case .the jury had declared they could not
agree in their verdict.
The Marquis of NORMANBY said that if the noble earl
had made further inquiries than he had done, he thought he
would not have come forward to pronounce in that house an
opinion on the guilt of those parties who were yet to be tried
at the next assizes, and thus prejudge the verdict of the jury.
The noble earl had not stated the whole case—he had written
to the Lord Lieutenant upon the subject, and the reply the
noble earl received proved that the jury in the case of Mr.
Biddulph, had not been empanelled without interference on
the part of the crown. Mr. Biddulph had been consulted by
the crown solicitor, and had, after the jury were sworn, ex-
pressed more than once his satisfaction, and said a more im-
partial jury could not be had. Mr. Moore, the solicitor-
general, had also declared that the verdict of the jury (if
coming to no decision can be called a verdict), upon the evi-
dence adduced, could not be found fault with. The noble earl
had received much of his information from sources upon
which he ought not to rely. There were 123 names on the
the panel, and only one was objected to by Mr. Biddulph ;
and his only objection to him was, that he did not like him—
an objection which could not of course be allowed. Not one
of the jury was known to the government as a ribandman, or
in any way connected with that society. Precisely the same
course was pursued at all the trials referred to by the noble
earl; and as to the system referred to respecting the empa-
nelling of juries, he admitted at once that it originated when
he was in Ireland, and that he was proud of it—the principle
being, that no arbitrary right of challenge should be allowed
on the ground of religious or political principles. He gave
much credit to the noble earl for persevering to reside in the
Queen's County, but he thought he ought to take more care
respecting the sources from whence he received his informa-
tion, remembering that the people of Ireland required to be
led by the hand of fellowship, and were no longer to be driven
like slaves. He hoped the noble earl would not press his
motion, as it would be extremely injudicious at the present
moment, when the trial of these parties was still pending.
The noble marquis also read some documents, tending to
shew a great diminution of crime in Ireland.
Lord GLENGALL said that much of this diminution was to
be attributed to the good management of the police.
The Earl of CHARLEVILLE replied, and eventually with-
drew his motion for papers.