The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-12-10 00:00:00

SKETCH IN THE TOWN COUNCIL

There was something positively puzzling in the appearance
of the council at its opening on Wednesday. A happy ex-
pression sate upon the countenances of the Radical portion
of the members. Bolton looked unutterable bliss ; James
Aikin laughed ever and anon with his face upon the table ;
William Earle—credite posteri !—closed his mild eyes and
dozed during a great portion of the opening discussion ; whilst
the small fry around them—the mosquitoes which flutter in
the beams of these suns of the " Liberal" heaven--sate
mute as mice, as if waiting for some coming event of the
most delightful nature. Upon the faces of not a few of the
Conservative members, on the contrary there was an air of
stern determination—a dare-all, do-or-die 100k—contrasting
singularly with the chuckling expression which pervaded
those of their opponents. Altogether it was a perplexing
picture; and struck us as presenting strong symptoms of a
foregone conclusion, to the glorification of radical tactics.
We pass over, most willingly, the somewhat uninteresting
discussions which preceded the announcement of Mr. Thomas
Bolton's motion, ❑pon the subject of the system of Educa-
tion to be adopted in the Corporation Schools. The rising
of that redoubtable champion of the " Popish" cause, how-
ever, in a moment altered the uninteresting face of things.
What a shuffling of feet—what a rumpling and unfolding of
napers—what a drawing in of lips and opening of eyes was
the result of the first movement of the great ex-mayor ! And
yet after all this preparation on the part of the majority of
the council to " cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war"—
after all the conning of speeches and furbishing up of
apologies—after all this girding up for the encounter with the
arch enemy—after the mental exclaim from more than one
or two of the expectants of immortal honour—
" Strike, oh ye bards, the melancholy harp,
For this is the eve of death !"
how insufferably provoking, how " lame and impotent" was
the conclusion ! The trumpet was sounded, but there was
no opponent to set lance in rest against, for the cunning Mr.
Thomas Bolton coolly intimated to the gentlemen who were
big with speech, that he had no motion to make for them to
exercise their rhetoric upon. The slippery thing flourished
its forked tongue, wagged its slimy tail, and then wriggled
out of the grasp of Conservatism, leaving stupid wonder-
ment and blank dismay upon the countenances of more than
one who were on this day to have dispelled for ever the cloud
which hangs over their names and fame, by the blows which
they were to have dealt upon its prostrate body.
Reader, imagine the scene which ensued when William
Earle jumped off his seat like a cork from a soda water bottle,
and went off into hysterics of delight—when Mr. Christo-
pher Bushell tried to recall to their seats the departing meal-
bers—when Mr. John Smith, with papers in hand, inti-
mated that he too had something to say, and when the
mayor, ex cathedra', intimated to one and all, that they must
" live to speak another day."
i It was a scene which we trust we shall never see again. 1.1" e

could never get over it.
Wily Thomas Bolton ! Cunning faction ! Tricked, diddled,
easy-going conciliatory Conservatives ! When will the for-
mer leave off their Jesuitry ? when will the latter begin to
know the serpent nature of the opposition they
.have to con-
tend with? Another month of Popish and Socimau teach_
.
ing in our Corporation Schools! Thet all, although
quite sufficient for Thomas Bolton and his clique to Chuckle
over, as the result of their management of conciliatory Con-
servatism in the council.

A person had laid some night hooks down in the river
Tivy, Cardiganshire, a little time ago, and on going the fol-
lowing morning to visit his lines, he found a crane attached
to one of them. An eel had taken the bait and was caught
by the hook, and the crane afterwards took the eel as a Bair,
and got hooked himself.—Cartstartlavt Journal: