The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-12-16 00:00:00

combinations a "cabal"—or the whole transaction a most
base and "servile" afriir, we know not ;:but we Perfectly
agree with Mr. James iley worth in the appropriation of
every one of these degrafling designations to them; and
are assured, that every virtuous and c irrert mind in the
kingdom will agree•with us. It is worse than a bench of
magistrates meeting at a tavern, and apportioning the
punishment of a criminal before he is tried; because, in.
such an instance, tity might have the whole ease before
them—they may know the man—they may personally
have been acquainted with the circumstances of his
crime, and thence have an exact knowledge of his delin-
quency. But these forty radicals could know nothing of
the merits of those whom their brother councillors might
propose—they could not measure the objections that
might be brought against the objects of their own choice ;
and, in both oases, the public is defrauded of that expli-
cit expression of sentiment which is the only guarantee
of justice in public proceedings.
In the above remarks we wish to be considered as di-
recting our artillery against the fortress itself, not against
the individuals within. In private life they may be "all,
all honourable men." It is of a faggot of radical Town
Councillors that we have spoken, which was privately
bound up for the destruction of municipal integrity and re-
sponsibility. We say responsibility, notwithstanding the
superlative nonsense uttered by Mr. Councillor Black-
burn, whose classically-turned phrase was, "men don't
act in bodies in that way, so as to throw off all responsi-
bility at all—every man is responsible for his own acts."
If Mr. B. have sense enough to understand the question,
we would aid: him, where is the responsibility of any one
of these forty radicals whose conduct has so disgraced
the-'town of Liverpool ? Neither the act, nor, conse-
quently, the responsibility, can be fastened upon any one,
of them; they took care of that. Mr. Rathbone has
made then a " joint stock company," without any clause
of personal responsibility, save and except himself, by a
strong implication.
. ,
The whole affair is so irredeemably disgraceful, that we
believe there will never be heard again, as there never
has been heard of before, the caballing of forty members
of a corporation, to prejudge, and predetermine publi'd
business, which can only, with security, be confided to an
open Council—there to be openly discussed and openly
concluded.
We Forbear, now, to introduce the subject of the Bi-
ble, at the very name of which by Mr. James Heyworth,
the Town Council of Liverpool, like another theatre on
the night of a condemned play, or a tavern at the last
hour of a bacchanalian meeting of radical reformers—ne-
ver exhibited a scene of greater-or more disgraceful dis-
order than the Council Chamber of the Municipal Cor-
poration of Liverpool at its last monthly meeting. De-
cency blushes at the remembrance of it, and England
feels shame, whilst she sees Truth recording it .in the
chronicles of her history. In the annals of debate it
stands without a precedent; and, for the honour of our
country, we hope it will never find a parallel. Never
did a guilty wretch, caught in the very act of a flagrant
crime, evince more dread of, or more violently resist be-
ing dragged before a magistrate, than did this municipal
body the exposures of one of its own Council. Never
did political iniquity, like " the galled jade," so " wince"
before—never did corruption, exulting in a tyrannous
majority, so impudently raise its head and voice—never,
when the charge was pressed home, did it so shrink back
abashed, and hide its face under the mantle of power.
Some observations have already appeared in our columns
upon that dark, disastrous day of Liverpool's disgrace;
but the occasion was too momentous, the incidents too
rare, the subject too memorable, to be allowed to pass
into the grave of oblivion without a more full inscription
engraved upon its tomb, for the admonition, not of Li-
verpool only—first in " bad pre-eminence"—but of Eng-
land also.
We who calmly read the proceedings of that day, di-
vested of all personal feelings, and free from all momen-
tary excitement, intend to strip off the leaves, and lay
bare the fruit of the question. If individual character be
implicated in our conclusion, it is not because we com-
mand any one to " hold up his hand" whilst we prefer
our charge; but because individual guilt has attached it-
self to them in public judgment, before we proceed to

The facts of the case are these. Mr. Alderman Evans,
at the last. monthly meeting of the Town Council, rose.
Nl,. _ T tie) LII osu, in a
speech delivered to his constituents, at a ward dinner, de-
clared that some act (Mr. Alderman Evans very adroitly
omits all mention of it, though we•know all about it) of
certain members of the Town Council displayed a "ser-
vile majority"—" deep dishonour"—" political cabal"—
and " petty cowardice." We might, as did Mr. Coun-
cillor Heyworth, deny the power of the Town Council to
sit in judgment upon the language of any one of itsmem-
bers, delivered out of the Council Chamber, and we
might thus put a close to the question, by simply fasten-
ing upon Mr:Evans and his coadjutors the seal of igno-
rance of municipal rights. But this would leave the me-
rits of the question undecided. Besides, Mr. Evans's ex,
peclation of an apology was so defeated, and the Mayor's
parallelism so completely destroyed, by the prompt ad-
dress and irresisiible reply of Mr. James Heyworth, that
what they hoped would have ended in their honour now
so threatened to overwhelm them in disgrace, that, losing
all presence of mind. they floundered till the radical as-
sembly sank down the slough of infamy beyond redemp-
tion. The first hope was, that Mr. James Heyworth
would give the bag to the reporters of our paper, and
run off, to elude the charge preferred against him. But
this was a false estimate of his integrity, though a stand.
ard, perhaps, of their own. Then, when Mr. Heyworth
stood firm, and admitted the charge—as " they had
nothing to say against it"-,--they open another loop-hole
for him, glad if the lion which they had roused would
escape. " I suppose," says the Mayor, "it is the
Clothing that is objected to"—excellent wit! " I will not
call you a liar, Sir William," said Junius, " but with all
the politeness imaginable I will prove you one."—
" Well, well," says our Mayor, " you may prove us
what you please, a servile majority—capable of deep
hishonour'—' a cabal'—or guilty of cowardice,' but
mind you do not call your proofs by these hard names—
if there be some spots upon the municipal garment we
don't like to have them pointed at—if like sepulchres.'
we are full of all uncleanness,' we only desire to be
painted.'" But, when Mr. James Heyworth scouted
all these paltry offers of escape, with indignant scorn, as
incompatible with truth—then the dogs burst from their
kennel, and disputed the prey with the lion.
This was the last, and ought to have been the first
step—if any step were proper—after Mr. James Hey--
worth acknowledged the report to be " substantively
and substantially true." Would a man charged with
stealing our watch, not immediately say, " search me,
and if you find the property upon me, hand me over to
justice, but if not you are false accusers." Did Mr. Al-
dermau Evans—did the Mayor—did any of their col-
leagues, partners in crime, say "search us," and see
whether we are chargeable with the alleged offence—
" our withers are unwrung." No, a shuffling, dis-
honourable subterfuge of words, was made the matter of
discussion, in the hope that as innocence could not be
established, guilt might be overlooked. But Mr. James
Heyworth, stood like the monument, with a damning
imycriplion upon it, uniting another Popish, Unitarian,
municipal plot meditated against the rights of English.

We promised to strip off the leaves, and lay bare the
fruit of this question ; and to that task we reluctantly
proceed, though with something less of fear, since we
purpose out of their " own mouths to condemn them/
Mr. Rathbone admitted, when it was hopeless to con-
ceal it, and after every attenr,t at evasion had com-
pletely failed, that "they (meaning about forty members
of the Town Council who privately met at the Angel
Inn, prior to the appointment of the Dock trustees,) did
THINK on a list, and DID AGREE, certainly among THEM-
SELVES, and if they saw nothing better transpire for the
community !! ! they did agree to that list. Let infamy
be written under this picture-7a libel upon municipal
corporations. If Mr. James fieyworth's exposure had
etrected no)other gond beyond thiS extratn'dinary confes-
sion, be would be entitled to the grateful thanks of his
fellow toWilsthen. We bAft:e'tiacktid the crafty fox