The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-10-18 00:00:00

OCT. 18, 1836

TOWN COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS.

Yesterday the council met by adjournment, for the purpose
of taking into consideration the bye-laws.

BYE-LAWS.
The,'CowN-ctanx said he should now proceed to submit to
the council the bye-laws framed by the committee, “n the sub-
ject of hackney.-coaches. It would be necessary in the first
Place to refer to the powers of the act of 1833, which gave the
power of making these laws.
The act of 1835 enacts that it shall be lawful for the mayor
and justices of the peace of the borough, and by a late act for
the council to rescind or alter such rules or bye-laws as they
shall think fit, for regulating coaches, cars, &c. plying for hire
iii the-town, and also as to what manner the owners shall con-
duct themselves. That they shall regulate the number to be
provided, and that owners and drivers shall register their
names with the-clerk of the peace, to fix the stands, &c., and
how many shall ply for hire on any stand; what fares shall be
I.lcen, and what punishment awarded for extortion and impo-
sition, and for securing property accidentally felt in any car.
The act then enacted that the penalties should not exceed 40s.
for the first offence, or £5 for any subsequent offence. He
?night here state, that by a previous act of parliament it was re-
lated in this act that the magistrates had power to mitigate the
fines in the case of hackney-coaches, so that they don't miti-
gate below one-half of the penalty subscribed. 'L'he act then
directed that these bye-laws should be registered with the clerk
of the peace, and published in the newspapers. It further
stated that the overcharges should be repaid besides the penalty.
There was also another important provision is hich did not ex-
ist till the act of 1835, that the owners and drivers should leave
With. the clerk of the peace a full account, in writing7of their
place of abode, and so from time to time if, any such owner or
'driver should remove from his place of abode. There was
another provision, that if the owner should use or permit a
coach to ply for hire with,tut having obtained a license as afore.
said, every person so offending should forfeit and pay a sum
riot exceeding 40s: for every• such offence. There was another
provision, that if any driver should be a second time convicted
of a breach or non-observance of these laws, it should be law-
ful fora justice to deprive the driver or conductor of his license,
or to, suspend the same for such period as that justice should
think fit. Besides these provisions affeeting coaches plying
for hire; there would he found another general provision affect-
ing carriages of every ,description. Then the law having pro-
vided
_without the assistance of the bye-laws, these diffetent.
provisions for the regulation-of hackney-coaches, he came now
to the bye-laws submitted fur their consideration by the coin-
tnittee. The first bye-law had a blank for the date, which
would be best filled up- when these bye-laws were finally passed.
" 1.. That from and after the day of next
every uch coach, chariot, car, cabriolet,.or like carriage plying
or hire shall be licensed-as required by the said last in part re-
cited act •- and the owner or owners thereof shall, within twenty-
four hours after obtaining such licence, register his or their
l'aule or names, and place or places of abode, and his or their
licence,. with the clerk of the peace, otherwise such licence
shall be void, and that for such registering a fee of 2s. Gd. shalt
rowx-ccaltr.—For this alit owner shall obtain a plate with
the number, which will cost,the borough fund Is. 4d. He pro
posed
the thit these laws submitted to the council by the committee
suld.:each of them be recommitted to the committee; for at
he Last moment it was possible that some technical alteration
ght lie necessary, and it would give time to the last moment
tthem. to make -any alterations which 'might occur to

The MA von hdYing Put the question, this bye-law was agreed
to and recommitted:
" 2. That from and after the day of next
the driver or conductor of every such coach, chariot, car, ca-
briolet, or other like carriage shall be licensed as required by
the same act."
Agreed to and recommitted.
"3. That every -such driver or conductor shall, within 24
hours
.after obtaining his licence, register his name and place
of abode, and his licence, with the Clerk of the Peace of the
said borough, otherwise his licence shall be absolutely void;
nod that for such registering no fee shall be paid or charged."
Ai greed to and recommitted. .
"4. That every such owner employing as any such driver
or conductor any person unlicensed, or who, under the piovi-
''i°l3B of the said act, shall have been deprived of his licence,
°T Whose licence shall be susended, shall forfeit and pay the
fine or sum of forty shillings; and for every second or other
subsequent offence, alleged and proved as such, the fine or sum
of five pounds."
Agreed to and recommitted.- .
"5. That upon any owner or owners ceasing to use any
coach, car, cabriolet, or other like carriage to ply for hire, or
selling
or disposing of the same, the licence for such carriage
shall end and be determined, and the same shall be delivered
°P by such owner or owners to the Clerk of the Peace, under
the penalty of forty shillings."
Agreed to and recommitted.
"6. That if any driver or conductor shall cease to act as
such, or be deprived of his licence, or his licence shall be
suspended, he shall deliver his licence into the hands of the
Clerk of the Peace, under the penalty of forty shillings."
tgreed to and recommitted.
, 7. That every owner or owners shall,. on reistering his,
her, or their coach, chariot, car, cabriolet, or other like car-
riage, receive four plates numbered according to-the licence to
be fixed on such coach, chariot, car, cabriolet, or other such
like 'Carriage ; and such owner or owners thereof shall, before
the same shall ply for hire, have his, her, or their name or
names painte i a straight line o te outside of each dour
thereof in lard gen letters, and black orh white, whichever shall
most differ from the colour of such carriage, and shall affix one
of the said plates on each of the doors of such carriage in the
Most conspicuous part, but so as not to conceal the name of
names of the owner or owners, and shall also have another of
the 'aid plates fixed at-the top of such carriage in the inside;
and in carriages having doors at the side the plate shall be af-
fixed lit the back, on the outside nearest the centre of such car-
riage,and on each side,, of cars having the door at the back ;
and such name or names and places, and the number thereon,
shall be kept and continued legible and undefaced during all
the riieq the carriage shall ply for hire; and if any owner shall
make default in any of the matters aforesaid, he shall forfeit and
Pay, for the first offence the suns of forty shillings, and for the
second and every subsequent offence, alleged and proved as
such, the sum of five pounds."
After a short' discussion, Mr. Horn recommending that the
numbers should be fixed at the inside of the coach, at the back,
When there is kwindow, as they would be less liable to accident,
this b'ye-law was agreed to, and recommitted.
"80--That the several owners of such coaches, chariots, cars,
cabriolets or other like carriage, or the drivers and conductois
thereof, shall and may demand and receive the following prices
and fares, and no other :

HIRE FOR A COACH.

" 'For the fare or hire of every coach conveying not more
than four persons, or of a chariot, and going a distance not ex-
keeding one thousand yards, one shilling.
" Exceeding one thousand yards and not, exceeding one
thou Sand seven hundred, one shilling and sixpenCe.
" ` And for each seven hundred yards, or any intermediate
distance, the additional sum of sixpence.
'And fOr the fare or hire of every car two-thirds of the above.'
"And it is hereby declared, that so far as concerns such fares
or hire, a carriage saving few. wheels and two horses shall be
deemed a coach; and a carriage having either two horses and
(w,.° Wheels, or one horse and two wheels, or one horse and four
wheels, shall be considered a car; and it is further declared,
that Such rates are inclusive of all charges for luggage."
Such distances-to be-computed from the Stand or place
'Mtn whence the carriage may be engaged or hired, provided
such place of taking up shall not be more than four hundred
ards from the stand or place from whence the carriage may
;aken llPen to be engaged or hired ; but in case a carriage shall be
b from any place of public amnsetuent, the distance shall
computed fromsuch place of amusement; and not from the
Stand Where the carriage may usually ply, whether such car-
riage may or may not have been previously engaged to take up
4t such place of amusement.'
Mr. Alderman EVANS su Tested that the fares of the cars
should
be particularised as well as the coaches, which was
agreed to.
Ml'. Councillor BOLTON said that the practice at present
was to pay Is. 6d. for every coach, however short the distance,
ncs person paid less than Is 6d. If that were the universal
Vi
racOcet they ould by this law be 'educing the charge to Is.
appeared to him, that a coach was not overpaid at Is 6d. He
"°‘•ad propose, that all fares under 1700 yards be ls 6d. He
would.include the first and second clause in one, and charge cat s
et a like rate.
Mr. Councillor LAWRENCE HEYWORTH would second this.
Mr. Councillor Braces said, this subject had been very fully
.°nsidered in committee, and Mr. Martindale had stated, that 1
'ares tyeze very general; that many could not afford to show
that kind'of liberality which Mr. Bolton was in the habit of
Sh?wing, and that numbers of ladies who were in the habit of
°ing to church twice a day, who had limited incomes, would
nud it a great hardship to pay this extra charge. He was of
_o
Pinion, that the present rate of fares was quite enough.
Air. Councillor RATHBONE would ask, whether they were
Quite competent to inquire into the question of rates, if it did not
rest with the Magistrates?
The TowN-CLERK replied, that the Council could at ally time
make any alteration they pleased in them. These rates were
the same as had been in use for some time in Liverpool, and
there had been no complaint against them.
Mr. Councillor CoGLari thought it very important that the
din_e.n. should be well Paid, and feel an interest in the accommo-
dation they gave to the public. The convenience was a consi-
deration they should not lose sight of, and he was confident is
would- not remunerate the men.
,7„141r. Councillor LAWRENcE HE.YWORTH. said, they ought to
`-'„!0.11 principle for what was most expedient.
„ Alderman STUART felt a little surprised at the nature of
the discussion. He understood these were the fares which had
1'! charged since 1829. Individually he could get taken under
thoseeve rates every day; it has, in fact; been a general remark by
One who had been in the habit of visiting London, Chel-
tenV
hi , and other places, that the fares here were enormously
gn The fare to his house was 6s; and there were many coach-
:79i on the stand who would take him for 4s. He should feel it
i‘rhardshipi if the fares were increased.
.ICs G
ouducillor BLACKBURN said, that gentlemen who advo-,
cated
sometimes
Is 6d were faresd should remember that very short distances were
enforce onPeri?Fen le a coach. Gentlemen who chose to give
tLectly at liberty to do so, but there was no need to
give. He was
ample compensatio
s'Lliarueblihc at large what those gentlemen chose to
complainattsih.
at at the coach-proprietors would receive an
swer, and no These rates had been found to an-
ad been made against them.
The Mayon said, thatpersons also were much in the habit of
taking ls fares, and being
put down going as far as they could.
• Mr. BoLToN'S amendment
was then put, when there appeared
for it only 5. The bye-law, as it stood,
was consequently de-
clared carried.
Mr; Alderman RonissoN s
ri
v:Tn%e,geasstebdo
et hoadt
tion
hLaovned
co
hnaint
gwas
ya
regulation that every cab-driver
Withoutmein
some
y suchforegulation
r the nienee of those who took a
it would be useless fixing
Bd. fares. It was a regulation h
might be very easily made,
and those persons who wished to give the coach Man leo•al fare
Might do so, and those who wished to give more were at iberty
so to do.
Mr. Alderman LEATHoNI SUggested tha" place of worship''
be inserted as well as " place of public
amttouvsisoeionh was made fores were hiamusement...c
Mr.' Councillor SMITH said that no
p
Coaches carrying large parties. Sometimes
for Parties, and six persons were placed in them.ac
. The TOWN-CLERK said that the bye-laws
had left this for
special agreement between the parties.
After some further discussion these points were referred
structions to the committee, and the bye-law as
awas agreed to
nd recommitted.
t_ "0. That in the event of the carriage going beyond the dis
t'nee of five miles from the General Post-office, within the the post-horse duty payable under the existing acts of par-
lament, is to be added to the fare and paid."
The rate of post-horse duty was ordered to be appended in
'jret? being 3d. a mile duty for a coach, and id. per mile for a car.
uye-law was then agreed to and oldered to be recommitted.
IA That if the driver of any such coach, chariot, car, Ca-
tu'nlet, or other like Carriage in the course of his fare be de
reen!(.l ~
above fifteen minutes at any place or places, h eshall
• theetve 6,1 for ,every fifteen minutes' detention, but it shall be at
tape:Von of the driver to charge either by. time or by:dis: