The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-11-09 00:00:00

PUBLIC MEETING AT BIRKENHEAD LAST
NIGHT.

Last evening a public meeting was held in the Craven
Rooms, Chester-street, to take into consideration the
propriety of applying for a charter of incorporation for
the township. The meeting was called by the overseers,
on a requisition presented to them by the inhabitants of
Birkenhead and Claughton ; the requisition was headed
by the signature of William Jackson, Esq., M.P. The
meeting was very numerously attended. On the motion
of one of the overseers, W. Jackson, Esq., M.P., was
called to the chair, and opened the proceedings of the
meeting by taking a graphic survey of the past and pre-
sent position of Birkenhead. He alluded to the posi-
tion in 1844, then the admiration of the kingdom—
then not a house uninhabited—now there were hundreds
—then they had good credit, now that credit was de-
stroyed. After speaking at great length upon the causes
of their position, and stating that he did not wish-to
blame any individual in particular for bad management,
he stated that thousands and thousands of pounds had
been lent to them in good faith, and now, when the inte-
rest was most valuable, it was not forthcoming. By this
they had lost caste. At one time, the whole kingdom was
ready to trust them, but no one would do so now, and the
reason was obvious : they had drawn from strangers
money to embellish the town, and had not taxed the
owners of property in the town for it. Mr. Jackson then
went on at very great length, complaining of the present
mode of managing the township affairs, observing that it
was as easy to put into office, under the present system,
sweeps or rogues as honest men. It had been said that
their difficulties had been brought about by their being
too sanguine, but their greatest crime was in having
got hold of £400,000 of strangers' money for their improve-
ments, parks, and other matters, and not now being able
to meet the interest of it. No one could say that his
property had not been doubled by the accommodation
they had received, and it was only right that a tax should
be laid upon the prcperty of the township to pay that
honest debt. After speaking some time longer upon the
subject, Mr. Jackson said it was wrong that persons who
came into the town at nine o'clock, and paid their rates
at eleven should have an immediate privilege of voting
for the commissioners to govern the township. He then
proposed a resolution to the effect that steps be taken to-
wards obtaining a charter of incorporation for the town-
ship, for levying a tax upon the property towards paying
tospheffr seconded
commissioners
t'dmioonintsdhseiaeodtnreg rderseseobalftt.uoslength.or tinnd
a.t ni‘fulorrrP.
H°l Craven
adtviel enilar d7dßinterviewthat
theydu gwhhi theate hds
any right for inducing the commissioners to call a public
meeting of the inhabitants for that purpose, and to
suppose themselves in the position to which Mr.
Jackson had alluded ; and as they had not been asked for
a tax by the commissioners, he did not see that they
should tax themselves. It was not proved that they were
in debt. Mr. Bentham said every one knew they were
in debt, and no one better than Mr. Craven himself.
Mr. Collins thought an act of Parliament to tax property
should be properly defined. He confessed as a landlord,
that if fifteen or twenty per cent. was to be superadded
to his present taxation, he could not remain in Birken-
head. The chairman said they were only now met to
affirm the principle. Mr. Matthews, amidst the laughter
of. the company, made some singular observations. It was
useless, he said, building, without having manufactories.
A multitude of money had been spent to make a " garden
of Eden," and it was after all a " Paradise lost.' Mr.
Matthews continued to go on in a somewhat incohe-
rent manner, and being met by expressions of disappro-
bation from several persons present, he answered it by the
exceedingly classical remark of "go look." The resolu-
tion was ultimately carried by a large majority, and
Messrs. W. Jackson, M.P., Craven, Bailiff, Appleton,
Hughes, Collins, Mortimer, Eastwood, and E. G. Wil-
loughby, were appointed.a committee with full powers to
confer with and assist the commissioners in carrying the
foregoing resolution into effect.

ADULTERATED FLOUR.—On Friday, two cases in which
whole families had been taken ill, in consequence of eating
bread made with adulterated flour, were brought under
the notice of the Leeds borough magistrates, by Mr.
Chorley, surgeon, of this town. He stated that the flour
had been adulterated with plaster of Paris, and the suf-
ferers alleged that they had purchased it from a man
named Samuel Vickers, who has two shops, one in
George's-street, and the other in High-street, and the
other in High-street. Mr. Chorley added, that the indi-
vidual in question had sold his flour 2d. per stone below
the regular price.—Leeds Intellipencer.
RAILWAY WORKS.—It is said that replies have been
received from various railway boards to the memorial of
the Manchester Chamber of Commerce with regard to
the suspension of works. From the Lancashire and
Yorkshire ; Leeds and Thirsk ; Ambergate, Nottingham,
and Boston; London, Brighton, and South Coast; North
Staffordshire, and Manchester, Buxton, Matlock, and
Midlands, answers of an indefinite character have been
received ; the Shrewsbury and Hereford Company express
concurrence in the prayer of the memorial ; the Norfolk
Company add to a like statement that they have confined
their works to the smallest compass. Lord Yarborough,
chairman of the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire,
states that he is anxious, and he believes that the board
generally is, to avoid the active perosecution of any works
the completion of which is not of the most urgent im-
portance. The Edinburgh and Glasgow, without con-
curring in all the views set forth in the memorial, think
it most desirable that powers should be obtained from
Parliament for facilitating the dissolution of companies,
and for extending the periods for the completion of works.
The Liverpool, Manchester, and Newcastle Junction
fully concur in the prayer of the memorial, and state that
they bad already anticipated its object.

PUBLIC SALE OF THE PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH, RODNEY STREET.

Yesterday afternoon this edifice was brought to
the hammer at the Clarendon-rooms, South John-
street. As has been before stated, the disruption caused
by the Free Church secession has fallen heavily upon the
financial position of the establishment, until at length a
sale of the building seems to have been rendered neces-
sary in order to satisfy the claims of certain legatees.
The sale took place by order of Mr. Harmood Banner.
the representative of the mortgagees, who have advanced
£2OOO upon the property. On Saturday a meeting of the
shareholders in the church was held, who were dissatisfied
with the conduct of the trustees. The meeting was ad-
journed to yesterday afternoon at one o'clock, but the
attendance was so limited that no business was transacted.
The sale was announced for two o'clock, and soon after
that hour, several parties had arrived. At half-past two,
when Mr. Branch, the Auctioneer, commenced read-
ing the conditions of sale, the room was densely
crowded with interested parties. Mr. BRANCH
(the auctioneer) in rising to read the conditions of sale,
stated that he had instructions to say that the mortgagees
regretted having to bring the property to the hammer, but
they had no alternative.—Mr. HALL, solicitor, of Man-
chester, here observed, that if the mortgagees were so an-
xious for their money, why did they not issue a writ
against the trustees.—Mr. HARMOOD BANNER said that
lie merely acted for others. It was now necessary for him
to divide the money amongst certain legatees, and he had
taken what he thought the best means to obtain the mo-
ney which had been advanced upon the building, by offer-
ing it for sale. He had no wish to commence actions
against any one. No doubt that might have been
very profitable to his son, but he had an objection
to do it.—Mr. HALL said the legal trustees of the
building had never received notice of the sale. Mr.
Bogie only had been informed of it, and he had
not cornmunicaled it to the rest —Mr. BANNER did not
consider he was to blame for the neglect of the trustees.
He was not acting for himself, but for others.—Mr. HALL:
It would only have been fair to give all the trustees notice
of the sale. To pick out one person looked as if there
was some collusion. He wished them to understand that
they must take upon themselves all the consequences
which might arise out of the sale. They might depend
upon it he would have an eye upon them.—Mr. BANNER.
begged that Mr. Hall would be cautious in the observa-
tions he made. He did not understand the meaning of
the reflections he had made.—Mr. BRANCH (the auc-
tioneer) did not see that the present discussion had
anything to do with the sale.—Mr. Hall seemed
to be intent upon a personal attack on Mr. Banner.
The conditions were here read, and several questions
were asked upon them, and as to the terms of the
lease on which the property is held from the Corpora-
tion.—Mr. HALL wished to know from Mr. Banner, soli-
citor, whether he was not aware that the Trustees had
the power to sell the property for the purpose of paying
off the mortgages, which might have saved them the
trouble of the present sale.—Mr. E. BANNER, solicitor.
was not aware of it.—Mr. HALL felt much surprised at
that.—On the suggestion of Mr. HALL, the conditions
of the lease referring to the purposes for which the build-
ing was to be used, were read. They stipulated that
it was to be used only for the celebration of divine ser-
vice according to the forms of the Church of Scotland.—
Dr. IVPINTYRE thought that a building which had cost
£14,000 ought not to be sacrificed for a mortgage of
£2,000. The mortagees bad sent notice to certain of .the
trustees, six or eight months ago, of their intention to
sell, and the meeting would easily imagine the consterna-
tion of the shareholders when he said that only within the
last week or two had they been made acquainted with it.
What had taken place at the opening of the sale might
have appeared irregular, but he thought the gentlemen
present would agree with him that the shareholders had a
right to complain of the conduct of the trustees. He
made this explanation to satisfy Mr. Banner. He regretted
Mr. Hall had insinuated any collusion on Mr. B.'s part.
It was evident that gentleman was only acting for others,
and if the property was sacrificed he could not be blame-
able.—A SHAREHOLDER here asked if £3 18s. per
annum, payable to the Corporation, had regularly
been paid.—Mr. E. BANNER : No ' • for I have received a
notice from the Corporation, stating that there is 231
years' rental due. (Laughter.)—Mr. BRANCH here put
up the property. The first bid was £2OOO from Josias
Booker, Esq., followed by a bid of £2lOO from Mr.
Andrews. These gentlemen had, indeed, all the bidding
to themselves. The bidding ran up to £4OOO by Mr.
Booker, and £4050 by Mr. Andrews, and after a pause of
some duration Mr. Branch endeavoured to obtain another
bid from Mr. Booker, when that gentleman observed,—
" No, I have done, and since I have found out that the
gentleman bidding is doing so for its being made into a
Wesleyan chapel, lam sorry, 1 bid so much. I live near
the place, and was afraid it might possibly be converted
into a foundry, or some other such nuisance." (Laughter.)
The property was ultimately knocked down to Mr. An-
drews for £4050, who, it is understood, has purchased it
on behalf of the Wesleyan Methodist body.