The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1849-11-06 00:00:00

'TWI LIT SPOIL STANDARD.

On Friday, a sailor named Fitzsimmons was fined £lOO,
for having smuggled 1501bs. of cavendish tobacco on
board the Washington Irving.
Too BAD.—On Tuesday, a man named William Reed,
a " dog fancier," was charged with stealing a dog, the
property of Edward Rushton. On the case being called,
the worthy stipendiary left his seat, remarking that he
" could not sit on that case, having an interest in it," and
it turned out that the " Edward Rushton " on the sheet
was the veritable magistrate himself. Mr. Rathbone, who
acted during Mr. Rushton's absence, disposed of it by
ordering a month's imprisonment to be imposed.
EXTENSIVE ROBBERIES.—Five men, named William
Brown, John Harper, Joseph Harper, Gilbert Patterson,
and John Finch, were charged on Tuesday, the former
with breaking into houses in Paddington, Mount-pleasant,
Ivy-street, and elsewhere, and stealing silver spoons,
jewellery, &c., and the latter with receiving the stolen
property. The apprehension of the parties arose from a
report of numerous burglaries having recently taken place
in the neighbourhood of Windsor, which induced the po-
lice authorities to place Storey and Povey, two of the de-
tective police, on the look out, and these officers were
again assisted by Johnson, Hutchins, and Grimby, also
police officers. The officers having got on the track of
the prisoners, traced them from place to place, particu-
larly to No. 10, Ivy-street, where an entrance had been
effected on Sunday night, and some plate stolen. The
officers succeeded in apprehending the prisoners, one by
one, in various places, and discovered a number of silver
spoons, a clock case, a quantity of tobacco, several ladies'
work bags, and a variety of property of different kinds, as
well as a large collection of skeleton keys and house-break-
ing instruments. Mr. Owen defended Finch, who is a
beerhouse-keeper. The whole of the prisoners were re-
manded for seven days.
INGENIOUS CAPTURE.—On Friday a ploughman, named
Jackson, in the employ of Mr. John Peers, of Thingwall,
had occasion to leave his team, which were engaged in
ploughing a field adjoining his master's house, all the
inmates of which were absent. On reaching the house,
he found that the kitchen window had been broken, and
an entrance effected. He immediately went to the stable,
where he met one of his fellow-servants, and, on asking
him if he had seen any one about, he was informed that
two men were seen coming from the house in the direc-
tion of a wood, situate at a short distance. Jackson then,
after detaching one of the horses from the plough, rode in
the direction of the field, and overtook two men—one of
them, named George Ewart, he succeeded in capturing.
Several drawers had been broken open, but the thieves
had only taken away six and a half sovereigns. On
Saturday, Ewart was brought up' before the magistrates
and committed for trial. During his examination,
Mr. Gleave, the bridewell-keeper, and Mr. Inspector
Birnie, observed two women in the court, who seemed to
take very great interest in the proceedings. The prisoner
was also seen to recognise them. When the court broke
up P. C. Mathews and John Tagg watched the movements
of the women, and followed them to Liverpool, when
they were traced to a house in a court in Upper Beau-
street. At dusk P. C. Mathews, having the assistance of
two Liverpool police-officers, entered the house, and
there found a man named Edwards, whose hands were
much scratched, and his clothes smeared all over with
mud. He was taken into custody, and brought over to
Birkenhead, where he was identified as the man who
made his escape when Ewart was captured.

SPEECHES OF MR. PICTON AND MR. RUSHTON
AT THE PARISH MEETING, ON THURSDAY.

Mr. J. A. Pic-rosr, architect, next rose, and was received with
cheers. He said,—Gentlemen, when sitting here listening to
the statements and counter statements which have been made
to the meeting this morning, I could not help internally reflect-
ing and saying to myself, " Who would be a committeeman, for
the public service, when we find that this committee, after
spending days upon days, I might say weeks upon weeks, at a
time since they were appointed, (and many anxious hours and
sleepless nights have been spent, I can assure you, Sir, in this
case, for the benefit of the parishioners); when we find that
we on the one hand are charged by members of the council
with repudiation, and on the other hand charged by other
members of our own committee with a variety of improper
acts. (Applause.) I say, who would enter, with these pros-
pects, into the public service, in matters of this sort ? But,
sir, I have more confidence in my townsmen assembled here
this morning to hear this report, than to believe that, after the
plain, simple, and unvarnished statement which has been sub-
mitted, they will not hold up their hands in support of the
committee which they appointed. (Applause.) Now, sir, what
are the facts? This committee was appointed, in the first in-
stance, for the purpose, it was said, of testing the wells, and of
considering any other matters which might present themselves
in the course of the inquiry, which would tend to elucidate and
clear up this much-vexed and tangled question, and upon these
inquiries and the information obtained we were to report to a
subsequent meeting of the general vestry. They had then, in
the first instance, to test the wells, but there was another
matter which they considered it their duty to undertake,
although it was not included in their written instructions—
that was to get the Rivington Pike works stopped. (Hear,
hear, and applause.) It was clear to your committee that,
unless that was done, nothing could be accomplished.
(Loud cries of " Hear, hear.") Supposing we had gone
under the strict letter of instructions given to us as a commit-
tee, that we had proceeded to test the wells, and have asked the
Council to give us powers to test the supply; the operation
would have extended itself month after month, and what would
have been the result in six months? The casting of the pipes
would have been going on, at an accelerated speed (hear, hear),
and at the end of that time it would be said, " The mischief is
done, the pipes are cast, the town has incurred an expense of
, £175,000 (hear, hear), now what do we care about your
testing, the Rivington scheme must go on.—(Hear, hear.) Now,
the committee saw this difficulty, and their first object was to
get the Rivington works stopped.—(Applause.) With that view
we entered into a negociation with the special water committee.
Mr. Brown and Dr. Collins say that we made it a sine qua non,
that the Rivington works should be stopped. We did so ; but
when we went to the special water committee, they said "what
equivalent do you offer us ; for what purpose do you propose to
stop them. Those two gentlemen appear to think that we had
nothing to do but to buy harness, and go and test the wells, put
the town to great expense. and just do as we pleased—act how,
when, and where we pleased. There is not a man in the room
but knows we had no such power; that we could only act by
the consent of the constituted authorities, the Special Water
Committee and the Common Council of the town. When we
asked their permission to test the wells, what was the reply ?
It was this (and it was more than, in the first instance, we ex-
pected), "We agree to stop the castings, to suspend all opera-
tions with regard to the Rivington scheme ; but, gentle-
men of the parochial water committee, are you prepared to
abide by the result; supposing that the testing prove a defici-
ency , are you prepared to withdraw all opposition." (Hear,
hear.) Well, could we expect the Council to enter into a one-
sided bargain ? Should we have all our own way without giving
some equivalent? We entered into the negotiation to put an
end to those unseemly disputes and acrimonious differences
which have distracted the town, and done infinite mischiefboth
to public credit and private concord—(applause)--and I do
not know of any better conclusion than when two parties
differ, to appoint a tribunal as judge. Mr. Picton afterwards
showed that Dr. Collins himself, notwithstanding the amusing
speech he had made, had approved of the appointment of two
engineers. It must be evident to every man who reflected for
a moment that the only effect which the proposed reference
would have would be to bring the matter in a clear and definite
shape before the council on the Ist of November. It was they
who would have to decide, and since the
.gentlemen present
had the nomination of the council in their own hands, the
matter rested with themselves. (Hear, hear, and cheers.)
And now it was generally considered that, in all committees
that were appointed, a majority was to govern ; whatever was
decided upon was considered to be the act of the committee.
If nothing was to be warranted, approved of, and adopted, but
what every member of any committee should agree to, he
would like to know how public business could be carried on ?
All the apparent opposition that day had arisen from two gen-
tlemen out of a committee of eighteen, not beiag content
to be bound by the act of the majority. (Loud applause.)
Mr. Rushton, he was sure, would bear him out, that the com-
mittee had endeavoured to obtain a suspension of the Rivington
works, without being pledged to the reference as it stood ; but
they could not obtain the consent of the Special Water Com-
mittee. Mr. Picton afterwards stated, that the resolutions of
which Messrs. Collins and Brown complained, had been adopt-
ed after they had thought proper to take up their hats and re-
tire. Was public business to stand still because it was incon-
venient for them to stay ? (Laughter and approbation.)
In conclusion (Mr. Picton said), all he had to say on behalf of
the committee was, that they had acted in perfect sincerity,
and endeavoured to carry out to the utmost possible extent the
business for which they had been appointed. Having given
the explanation which he had done, he had nothing further to
say than this, that as parishioners of Liverpool they had en-
deavoured to carry out the views and objects which they had
at heart, to the utmost of their power. The committee threw
themselves upon the meeting, confident of their support. They
had entered upon a disagreeable task, not to please themselves,
but to release the town trom the dilemma into which it had
fallen, and to a considerable extent lie thought they had been
successful, for their opponents in the Council spoke now in an
altered and modified tone. (Loud applause.)
Mr. RUstrrON here presented himself to the meeting, and
was received with loud and reiterated bursts of applause.
When silence was restored, he proceeded to say that his name
having been two or three times mentioned during the course of
their proceedings, he felt it incumbent upon himself to say a
few words in explanation of the part which he had taken in
this matter. He wished, in fact, now that his name had been
mentioned, to tell them how the whole negociations, so far
as he was concerned, began and ended. (Hear, hear, and
cheers.) Three weeks ago as he was passing up Bold-street he
met Mr. Robertson Gladstone, who solicited him in the most
strenuous and impressive manner to interfere in some way, to
use his influence in some manner to put an end to the unseemly
dispute which was then going on with respect to the water
question. He, in reply, said that it was impossible to get
any settlement effected, inasmuch as both parties were deter-
minedly arrayed against each other ; and that, however
much they might interfere, the probability was, that they
would get their heads broken for their pains. (Laughter, and
cries of no, no.) He, however, said then, that he would con-
sider the matter. He saw that they would have great trouble
to encounter; that great trouble was to come to them in any
and in every shape ; but he felt convinced that one of their
greatest difficulties would be an arrangement of the
pecuniary branch of the subject—for he knew that, what-
ever scheme was to be carried out, the money was to come
from the pockets of the ratepayers, and that they. were being
prejudiced against anything which might tend to increase the
burden of taxation. (Hear, hear.) Well, from the spot where
he then stood, during a short interval of rest which occurred
during the business of the court, he wrote to Mr. Gladstone,
informing him that the appointment of an engineer, who was
in no way mixed up with this question, was the only safe, fair,
and reasonable way of bringing the matter to a close. He did
not. however, contemplate the appointment of either two or
three engineers; he merely wished, as he said before, to have
the matter left to one who never had been in any way mixed
up with the question, not because he should not avail himself of
the information to be obtained from Mr. Gage and all
other sources of intelligence on the loca 1 supply, but because
it was necessary that they should have some master mind to
pronounce upon this subject, and whose opinion would be cal-
culated to lead the public mind in a fair and honest direction.
(Applause.) As he said, he wrote for Mr. Gladstone; he came
to him at the Sessions-house, and after consulting together he
went away, saying that nothing could be done, for the parochial
committee would not listen to the proposition for the appoint-
ment of an engineer. However, two or three days afterwards,
a memorial on the same subject was brought to him, which he
signed,—that memorial being presented to the Council. A confe-
rence between the parochial committee and the special water com-
mittee of the Council took place. The result of that conference
was well known. After that the parochial committee requested
the attendance of himself and the other gentlemen who were
associated with him in the negociations. They did so wait
upon them, hut he (Mr. R.) thought that it would not be fair
if they were to enter into negociations on behalf of the parish
committee, without first putting them in possession of all the
facts and of all the conversations which had previously taken
place. Accordingly he told them all that he had now detailed,
and afterwards they proceeded to discuss the propositions
seriatim. It was then that Mr. Dover suggested that two en-
gineers should be appointed—one on behalf of the parish, and
the other on behalf of the Council. That proposition was then
agreed upon. The next proposition was made by Mr. Picton,
which was, that the casting of the pipes should be suspended
till after the home supply had been tested to the satisfaction of
the committee. At the foot of that proposition he put these
words, or something near to them :—` That this is to be car-
ried out bona fide by the corporation. If the contractors will
not consent to this arrangement, then that the best possible
terms be obtained, and that the casting be stopped, lest that
the magnitude of the expenses should operate as a reason for
proceeding with the scheme." That resolution was taken to
the Special Water Committee, by which it was adopted. The
resolution was then brought back, and agreed to by the Parish
Committee. There was, to be sure, a protest against it on the
part of a few members, but the chairman and all the members
of the committee—these three excepted—said that the resolu-
tion had been fairly passed. Mr. Richard Harbord said he
would leave the chair, and Mr. Dover said he would not move
another step if this resolution was contravened. Under these
circumstances the resolution was declared to have been passed,
and he hoped that its effect would be to bring the good people
of Liverpool to a right understanding, and that it would
be the means of relieving them from a very critical
position—a position which did not involve mere money mat-
ters only, but a position in which there were many points of
character at stake,—for it must not go forth to the world that
they were incapable of governing themselves ; that they were
almost cutting each other's throats • standing with daggers
drawn upon a subject which, above all others, should receive
a calm, careful, and scientific consideration. (Hear, hear,
and cheers.) This was a spectacle which he would no longer
bear. It was a spectacle which grieved him very much, very
much indeed. It was a sight which was much more easily
felt than described ; it was one he could assure them which
affected him very much. (Applause.) The mischief
of all these affairs was that when negociations embodied reso-
lutions parties took various views of the subject matter of these
resolutions, according as they were biassed in favour of their
own opinions... That was just the case with the reports before
them. The report which they had heard read he confessed bad
put the matter in a clear, succinct, and forcible manner before
' the public: the Report of the Council did something more.
(Hear, and applause.) Now let us not exaggerate anything;
the difference was but trifling. He had read the report of the
Council with great care, and he had paid great attention to the
reading of the report then before the meeting, and from a full
consideration of both documents he came to the conclusion
that the paragraph referring to the appointment of engineers
was the only one in which there was any material difference.
[Mr. Rushton then read the paragraph in question, and pro-
' ceeded.] This was the point upon which all this unhappy dif-
ference had arisen at the last moment, but still any reflecting
mind must see that all these were points which, in the regular
order of things, must be inquired into by the engineers. (Hear,
They must be referred to them for their decision. The
only point in dispute, then, was the insertion into the report of
the Town Council of a more amplified statement of the duties
of the engineers than what appeared in the report then before
them ; and that the committeeof the council had done so with-
out consulting the committee of the parish. (Hear, hear.) He
had listened to the report, which, as he said before, put the
matter in a clear and concise manner, and he was also bound
to say that Mr. Picton had stated the whole of their transac-
tions in a very fair, impartial, and upright manner. (Cheers.)
If they adopted this report of the Parochial Committee, he did
not despair of seeing this vexed question settled in an amicable
and satisfactory manner. (Hear.) With what they might do
at elections he would not interfere with ; but he could not
refrain from cautioning them against allowing their feel-
' ings upon one single question to lead them to do that which
they might have occasion again to regret. In all negociations
of the kind it happened that some things were hastily done.
He noticed this because he wished to notice one word in the
speech of Dr. Collins. He had said that the mediators threat-
ened the committee, and that the committee winced under the
threat. Now, what was the fact ? When the mediators saw
the resolutions referred to, they told the committee that they
were at variance with their former resolutions, and advised
them to goback and reconsider the matter. They did so. All the
mediators said was, i fsuch resolutions were proposed they should
withdraw from further negociations. The committee did re-
consider the matter, and the result was that they adhered to
their first resolution. The doctor's speech was very humour-
ous. It was very well to have the fun, but it was bad to have
to pay for such fun. (" Hear hear,"'and cheers.) As a friend
tethe town—as one who had long struggled for corporate re-
form—he implored of them to cast aside all narrow-minded
prejudices, and to have this. matter settled in a fair, honest

manner, in a way which would be conducive to the welfare of
the town. (Hear, hear.) He implored them to cast aside all
the difficulties which had been put in the way of a fair settle-
ment of this question, and come forward prepared to solve the
difficulty like men of sense. They had now an opportunity of
doing so, and he hoped they would embrace it. (Loud cheers,
amid which the worthy mlgistrate resumed his seat.)
The thanks of the meeting were then given to Messrs. Rush-
ton, Gladstone, and Bold, for the part which they had taken in
bringing this matter to an amicable conclusion.
Mr. Bol) returned thanks in brief but suitable terms; after
which a vote of thanks was passed to the chairman, and the
meeting then separated.