The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1849-11-01 00:00:00

at such men as Mr. Jeffery and Mr. Ilarbord, who had been.
acting on the occasion of the negotiation, he could not believe
they were parties to repudiate the agreement which their legal
advisers had undertaken to make on: their behalf." 1 have
stated to you before, and I repeat again, that neither Mr. Her-
bord, myself, nor any member of our committee does or
has repudiated that agreement. (Hear,. hear.) It has been
submit ted to you in its integrity, and that agreement I have
now the pleasure of moving that you should-receive. (Applause.)
Now, gentlemen, I have a few words to say in reference to one
whom I believe will be the last I shall have occasion to refer to ;
and although last not least in the scale of estimation,—l mean
Mr. Hugh Hornby. 'AI r. Hornby said, " For those reasons, and
after having read the read the letter of Messrs. Avison and
Pritt, and understood that the Parochial Committee were not
prepared to agree to any arrangement, which, he ventured to
say, every member of the Special 'Committee imagined was to
be carried on with good faith on both sides, he was not pre-
pared to agree to the report." You see the same statement is
made still ; I fee I pained to go on, but it is my duty to go on.
He stated that there were many points in the report which he had
agreed to with great reluctance. I certainly should think that
he would not be prepared to agree to that report, when he had
agreed with us in another report. (Applause.) He surely
could not, as a faithful negociator, agree to that report—he
could not agree to a report which was not a faithful representa-
tion of that which had been agreed to between us. (Applause.)
Now, gentlemen, there lies the difference. The Town Coun-
cil's report is b-fore you. In our report, we venture to give no
opinion wha, ever, but state facts seriatim, and allow you to
draw your inference. I ask ifour solieitorswere wrong in sending
that protest into the Council, why have not the special Water
Committee, the pro-Pike advocates. not applied to he media-
tors, Messrs. Rushton, Gladstone, and Bold, for a certificate to
say that the report was all right. (Hear, hear.) If they were
wrong, would they not have applied to those gentlemen ; and
we should have seen the town placarded over with their names
appended to a statement that the report was a fair reflex of the
agreement come to. (Hear, hear,) We should in that case
have been in an unfortunate position, but we were strong
in our facts, strone in the position that we assumed, and stronger
still in our honesty of purpose. (Hear.) Hence it was that we
took so bold a step as to send in that protesting letter. I have
no doubt that it fell like a bomb-shell in the midst of the
Council, when it was met to consider that report. (Laughter
and app7ause.) Who called those mediators into existence,
gentlemen ? Your committee. Why? Because the door was
closed for any further negotiation by the special water com-
mittee of the Council against the committee you appointed at
the last Vesto . Reference is made to it in the report, and I
will read it, if you please. Mr. Jeffrey here read the resolution
of the special water committee, regretting, that in consequence
of their first proposals being declined, -the controversy could
not be settled in an amicable manner. HP said,—We thou ;ht,
therefore, that they had closed the door against any further ne-
gotiation. We felt, I say, am reminded, sir, that we were
not the first to call in the services of the mediators ; we do
not wish to take more credit than belongs to us) that the
door was closed by the Special Water Committee of the Coun-
cil, and it became a question hew it could again be opened, as
we were very anxious to carry out the purposes for which
we were appointed. We therefore requested a conference
with those gentlemen who had memorialised the Council,
and requested them to see the Water Committee on the
subject, to endeavour to bring the question to an ami-
cable conclusion. We received several gentlemen who had
signed that memorial, when it was arranged that Messrs.
Rushton, Gladstone, and Bold should be the mediators,
and by this means opened again the negociation. Does this
bear out the charge that we were not acting in good faith—
(hear, and applause)—and had every desire to bring about a
peaceful and satisfactory result. Our propositions will show
whether we have not manifested that in every respect. Did we
not, when we went in a deputation to confer with that com-
mittee, having been told that the great difficulty and first
stumbling block was dealing with the contractors, and grea
difficulties were pointed out, did we not boldly say—gen-
tlemen, let us attempt that task, let us see if we can make
better terms than you say you have been able to do,
and it was at our request that Mr. Newlands, their servant,
and Mr. Haigh, a member of our committee, were appointed
to go to Glasgow to negotiate with the contractors, and see if
that difficulty could not be set aside. (Hear, and applause.)
Their report, gentlemen, has been before you ; and I ask does
this justify the charge of a want of sincerity brought against
us? I leave you to answer the question, wh,ther all these
exertions on our part, these efforts, these strenuous efforts,
will justify such a conclusion in the mind of any disinterested
man. (Hear, hear, and applause.) We have been sincere,
gentlemen, and our object was peace ; hut, however desirable
peace might be, we declined to buy it at the cost of a principle.
(Loud cheers.) We, as a committee, have endeavoured to
discharge our dutt honestly, faithfully, and zealously ; and in
the resolution come to at the Council's last sitting, on Monday
last, they have decided that this question shall be settled by
the new Council. It is our duty now to call upon you as elec-
tors to-morrow to do your duty I (Mr. Jeffrey sat down
amidst loud and protracted applause.)

,
Mr. J. ATKINSON, in seconding the motion of Mr. Jeffrey,
said that he had nothiog to add to the able, clear, and
lucid speech which they had just heard. It embraced the
whole of his opinions and views on this important subject, and
therefore it was with feelings of pleasure that he seconded tha
motion.—(Applause.)
The Chairman was about to put the motion from the chair,
whrn

Mr. WILLIAM BROWN (overseer) rose and said, that he had.
an amendment to propose. He objected to the whole of the
report being receiyed, as the report of the committee. He was
a member of that committee, and he had attended carefully to
its proceedings. was prepared to show in what manner that
committee had condueted the business intrusted to them, ,
which to his mind had been conducted in a must nnsatisfactory
manner. He should move an amendment to the effect that
only so much of the report as related to the proceedings of the
committee, anterior to the mediation of Messrs. Rushton,
Gladstone, and Bold, with the addition of Messrs. Haigh and
Newland's report be adopted. He did so, because all the reso-
utions passed since that time were in accordance with a resolu-
tion said to have been passed at that time, but he was prepared
to show never had been put to the meeting. At the
meeting on the 16th of October, he attended, as he was
suspicious that there was a disposition on the part of the
the Committee to throw overboard the only men in whom the
public had confidence. (No, no.) At that meeting he threw
out a suggestion about the engineers. Mr. Dover threw out
another, and Mr. Rushton said that the appointment of engi-
neers should form the basis of any future negociation which
they might have with the Town Council. He (Mr. Brown)
asked distinctly if the matter of the engineers was to be kept an
open question, and he was answered that it was. Having some
other business to attend to, he and another gentleman then
Irt'tthe-room or. thgvt.,,,-.4-cro,-....-6;1,6. IS-6 the ncnt
both attended, being then prepared to move a definite resolu-
tion on that question ; but, to their astonishment, they were
informed that a resolution on that subject had been passed at
the last meeting of the Committee. To this he replied that
such a resolution had not been passed. Mr. Dover said i. was;
and if the discussion of that question was again allowed, he
would leave the room. The chairman said he would vacate the
chair, and under these circumstances we retires', and penned a
protest to the resolution which was alleged to have been passed.
He. would now call upon Mr. Hart to produce that resolution—
he meant the original document—and if the Chairman would
read the words which were on the margin, it would prove what
he stated to be true. The document was here pro-
duced, and the marginal note was read as follows :—" Opi-
nions suspended until the contracts are disposed of."
He contended that the note just read confirmed his
assertion. Prom the position which had been as-
sumed by the committee, the majority of its members
thought fit to deviate ; and they hid telt the difficulties into
which such a step had placed them ; they were obliged after-,
wards to swallow resolutions which they had previously made,
in order that they might not appear ridiculous and inconsistent
before the publit. In consequence of this step they had been
forced to place the matter in the hands of men who could not
possibly know a single fact about the subject. On the 25th of
October they came to a certain lot of resolutions, upon which
they pledged themselves to take their stand, L'•: subsequently
they had been obliged to swallow them—(no, no)—for these re-
solutionswere deliberately agreed to, and afterwiadswithdrawn.
He would ask if a candnittee appointed for the purpose which
this committee had been appointed for should have permitted
such a resolution as that appointing the engineers to be on
their books? (Yes, yes.) ;: e could tell them that the special
committee of the Council had nominated an engineer who was
well known to favour their own views—(hear, hear)—rind he
knew that the committee of the parish—he spoke advisedly
when he said so—would take care that their man agreed with
them in opinion. (Hear, hear, and laughter) The fact was,
that one man would stand out as long as he could ; his oppo-
nent would stand out as lone as he could also; an umpire
would be appointed, and the result would be they might just as
well toss up for it.- (I..auchter.) Would they allow themselves
to be tied down to a set of engineers? If the specialcoromittee
of the Council were sincere in their professions fur settling this
question, let them give power to wake the necessary borings; if
they did so, 11w water springing up under their feet would be an
answer to the whole question. (Cheers.) If they made the
necessary borings the water, if there, would come up ; if not
there, why there was an end of the whole controversy. They
had been humbugged enough by engineers; they had suffered
enough from their quackery. (Hear, hear.) He told them
plainly that if all the engineers in the universe were to tell him
that there was not plenty of water in the red sandstone he
would not believe them. (Hear.) They did not want opinions ;
they had the fact before them ; let them test the extent of
their supply, which he believed could be done cheaper than they
could obtain the opinion. (Hear, hear.) He complained that
the committee having once made its propositions to the
Council did not take their stand upon their propositions,
and st,nd or fall by ths.m. (Hear.) Why did they not take
their injunction, and restrain the Council from proceeding till
after the approaching election? On that subject he warned
them now to vote for no man who would not pledge himself
against the Pike scheme.—(Loud cheers.) The special com-
mittee of the Council, be believed, never would have gone
with them at all were it not to deceive them. They were deter-
mined to bring men to test the wells, whose interest it would
he not to find any water; they were going to put the whole
question into the hands of men who would sell them. He spoke
thus strongly because be felt that be had been deceived and be-
trayed on this subject.—(No, no.) Mr. Brown concluded by
moving his amendment, which, with other resolutions, will be
found in our advertising columns.
The CHAIRMAN said that it was quite unusual to reject
merely a part of a report, they should either have the whole or
none of it.

Mr. JEFFREY said that his motion was merely that the re-
port be received. If they rejected the report, they Eouid be
shutting their ears againstall information. They did not ask
the meeting to confirm their report,—to accept it or to act
upon it ; they only gave the meeting all the information which
they could upon this subject. (:seer, hear )
After a few words from Mr. Brown and Mr. Lowndes,
Dr. CoLetiss rote to second the amendment. tie commenced
by saying that he was always afraid when he saw lawyers in the
way that they would not get much common sense. (Laughter.)
He came there without any intention whatever of speaking;
but when he had heard the melancholy intelligence which had
been communicated to them, namely, the illness of a gentleman'
to whom the town was deeply indebted for his manly vigorous
and unflinching conduct, (loud. applause,) he was induced
to come forward and perform his duty to the public. He fully
concurred in the sentiments expressed by lkir. brown. He had
cautioned the Committee at the outset to beware of the Water
Committee ; to watch them nar. owl,. The committee of the
parish were appointed fur the purpose of testing the wells and
prosecuting the injunction, but instead of doing that they had
entered into negotiations which had thrown them into embar-
rassments of the most serious kind. When Mr. Haigh returned
from Glasgow a resolution was sent to the Tnwn Council .stat-
ing that the abandonment of the contracts should be made a
sine qua non before another step was taken. At the same time
a deputation. consisting of Me firs. Jeffery, Haigh, and others,
were deputed to confer with the special committee, but so c..va.
Belly hit they been treated that wilen he saw them they were in a
slate c f great excitement—" di .race ui corm' uet," " i gulf i me"
" not to be borne with," and seeL ploisses being their stork
of eloquence. In fact he was apprehensive hat the negotiations
would terminate with pistols and coffee in the morning.—
(Roars of laughter.) Their blood was up, sir; they had been
ill-treated and they would retaliate.. (Leughter.) In the beat
of their fury they pressed the resolutions of the eilth of Oct.,
which had so nearly broken off all further negotiations. Up
to that time the resolution of the 10th -had been thrown over.
After that however they abandoned the resolution aflhe •25tb,
and again a '.opted that one of-the 10th, by which an eminent
engineer was to be appointed. He had lived long enough to
find out that when men wanted to humbug you some -pomp-
ous high-sounding title was thrown ix. Eminent engineers
indeed. (Laughter-) net meant some needy, greedy
fellow who had friends at court; who wanted a job, and who
knew on which side his bread was buttered. (Cheers, and loud
laughter.) Well, then, on the 25th they had a meeting in the
Magistrates'-room, after which the resolutions which had been
come to in the morning were abandoned, all insults were for-
gotten, and everything made smooth again. And he most. ob-
serve that, in discussing the matter, that day, Mr. Ruiliton
had been pleased to pay him a bit of a compliment, by saying
that he was the only one of the whole committee who took a
common-sense view of the subject. (Loud laughter.) . [Here
Mr. Rushton' who was standing at the back of the chairthan,
shook his head in a style which betokened anything but a con-
firmation
of the doctor's self-laudation, whilst the whole meet-
ing, including our worthy magistrate, himself, were convulsed
with laughter. The scene was rich in the extreme.] •He knew
that Mr. Jeffery and Mr. Harbord winced under the castigation