The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-01-26 00:00:00

NEW CONCERT HALL IN RODNEY-STREET.

We have been favoured with an inspection of the plans of
Mr. Ashton's New Concert-hall, in Rodney-street, at the
corner of Hardman-street. As the project creates some in-
terest, the following description will not prove uninteresting.
The plans are very beautifully executed, and promise well
for the undertaking. They are by the Messrs. Williams,
and do them infinite credit.

In the basement are—Kitchen, which will be fitted with
every convenience for cooking dinners, &c., upon the largest
scale ; Waiting-rooms for Servants, and a splendid Saloon
116 feet lag, and about 20 feet wide : this will be tastefully
fitted up as a promenading-room between the acts. In this
portion of the building will be provided suitable rooms where
refreshments can be obtained.
On the next floor will be the Grand Hall, containing the
orchestra, the audience seats, and the private boxes. At the
back of the orchestra the organ will be placed. This instru-
ment, it is intended, shall be as nearly equal in size and
power, as the difference in the size of the room will admit,
to the organ at Birmingham. The front elevation of the
organ will be a beautiful specimen of the Corinthian order.
Accommodation for 300 performers will be afforded. In the
centre will be a projection for the principal performers. The
front of the orchestra will be elegantly decorated in the florid
style. This orchestra, for size and convenience, will be equal
to any in the kingdom. The body of the hall will contain
comfortable sitting room for upwards of 1,000 persons, the
side seats being elevated above the body of the ball. The
entrance to this portion of the building will be at the sides,
after passing through an extensive corridor, which we shall
presently describe. A broad aisle will run down the centre
of the building, the doors of which will be thrown open to
allow of a free and easy egress. By this means confusion
and delay in the departure of the audiences will be prevented.
The public will be further accommodated by three tiers of
boxes or galleries, having a separate entrance from Hardman-
street. The boxes face the orchestra at the opposite end of
the building, and will with comfort contain about 750 per-
sons. The front of these boxes will present a handsome
appearance from the body of the hall, and will be admirably
adapted for hearing. ThP interior will be highly conducive
to comfort.

At the entrance in Rodney-street there will be a noble
vestibule, on each side of which will be waiting rooms for
ladies and gentlemen, fitted with conveniences for coats, hats,
&c. From the vestibule we enter into the corridor, which
we have noticed previously as leading to the doors of ingress
and egress, which will be in the centre. Thus every atten-
tion seems to have been paid to the public convenience and
comfort, and we think there can be hardly a suggestion to
be made on which an improvement can be carried out.
Underneath the orchestra will be the accommodations for
the performers—a splendid green-room for the principal
artistes, tuning-rooms for the instrumental performers, and
for the convenience of committees. These apartments will
be all appropriately fitted up.
The walls of the principal room are judiciously planned,
being without projections or indentations of any kind. The
roof will be flat, with rounded sides to the wall. The light
will be brought into the room by plate glass in the panels
and curvature of the roof, running from end to end of the
building. At night the light will be supplied by hnndsorne
brackets projecting from the walls, thus preventing the sight
from being impeded.
Having described the interior, we will now describeT the
exterior. The elevation to Rodney-street will present a
most handsome and imposing appearance, to the extent of
60 feet. The style of the architecture will be a bold speci-
men of the Italian or composite order, with highly-finished
decorations. The side to Hardmanstreet will be in the same
style as the front, but less florid, nevertheless handsome and
ornamental. In this front will be the private entrance to
the orchestra, at the upper end of the building. The entrance
to the boxes will be next to Rodney-street. These entrances
are both contrived so that they can be made available for
egress frem the body of the ball, so that carriages can take
up at three different doors at the same period. The length
of the hall, without the recess for the organ, will be 120 feet :
the depth of the orchestra, 30feet ; the gallery, 18feet ; body
of the hall, 70 feet; the breadth, 56 feet ; the height of the
hall, 40 feet; the basement, 11 feet.

It will thus be seen that ,Mr. Ashton's plans are upon the
most liberal scale, and, when completed, the building will
be an ornament to the town, and rank amongst the first of
its public edifices. The want of such a hall has long been
felt, and the repugnance experienced by many persons to
enter the walls of a theatre upon religious occasions cannot
be excited. All denominations of religious bodies can have
accommodation for their meetings in this hall. Those who
have the ability ought to support Mr. Ashton in his under-
taking. Liverpool is much indebted to him upon many
occasions, and an opportunity now occurs by which the obli-
gation may be repaid at small cost, and receiving a quid pro
quo even for any support. The Concert-hall, when esta-
blished, will be a decided gain to all who at any time enter
within its walls, and therefore the outlay will not be applied
without a return. The only thing now left is, to beg all
those'who are at all interested in the welfare of the town and
the convenience of the public, to come forward and assist
the projector of this excellent scheme. if a liberal hand is
held out, we shall have a festival here this year ; and we need
not tell the tradesmen of Liverpool that a festival would be
a godsend at a flat time of the year. The tradesmen ought
to be the first to support Mr. Ashton, as they will be un-
doubtedly benefited by his Concert-hall being speedily com-
pleted.

An early lamb, produced a month ago, and belonging to
Mr. Ralph Milner, Marske, was sold on Saturday week to
Mr. James Blenkiron, of Richmond, butcher, for three so-
vereigns.

The severe frosts and heavy falls of snow will prove most
beneficial to the growing crops, should no sudden and great
change of temperature take place, Throughout the north of
England the young wheats present a very promising appear-
ance.

It is stated than in less than two months Steam Coaches
will run daily on the common turnpike roads between London
and Birmingham.

The Small Pox is at present very prevalent in the hospi-
tals in London : and throughout the whole country it has
been fatal to an alarming degree.

REPLY OF DR. BUCK TO THE CHARGES PRE-
FERRED AGAINST HIM BY CAPT. WILLIAMS.

(Continued from our last.)

REPLY TO THE I

VENTH CHARGE

Gentlemen,—l trust that long ere thiS you have perceived
that in dealing with testimony which has been adduced against
me, in support of any charge, I have never shunned to meet
it in its full force; I have not turned from stronger points,
and dealt only with the weaker, but have at once put myself
in array against the strongest assertions, and have, I trust,
shown that in each and every instance crime could not be
fixed on me ; that the evidence itself clearly proved my inno-
cence, although, at a first glance, ,it may have appeared to
promise a contrary result. It is certainly my duty, when I
meet with evidence which is not subject to the possibility of
mistake, to acknowledge its force,_though that acknowledg-
ment may, for the present, weigh against me.

In reference to an entry in my journal, dated March 17th,
1840, brought as a charge against me, there can be no doubt
that the testimony of Mr. Archer, supported by that of Miss
Davies, establishes the fact that, in that particular instance,
I must have made an entry, at least erroneous ; but as I am
quite certain, (and as Mr. Archer himself suggests may have
been,) altogether the effect of unintentional mistake.

I cannot pretend to be able to recollect any of the circum-
stances which really transpired on that day, several months
having elapsed, and my attention never having been drawn to
the entry until its incorrectness was proved in evidence. You
will remember, gentlemen, 11Ir. Sammond's secret examina-
tion, taken by the inspector of prisons, was read to me at the
commencement of the days proceedings, at my respectful re-
monstrance against the unfairness of not letting me know the
charge which was about to be brought against me • not a word
was said of any specific error in that evidence, of Nlr. Archer's
testimony, or of the entry in my journal. No metns were
afforded me of looking into these, before the case was unex-
pectedly produced, clearly under the expectation that I was
in a dilemma from which it would be impossible I should
extricate myself.

Gentlemen, charges affecting moral character ought not
thus to be brought forward ; ample time ought to have been
granted to enable me to consider well the nature of the cross-
examination which I should have to conduct. This would
have been too lenient a course. A sudden, an overwhelming,
a secret blow must be inflicted. The minds of my judges
must be, if possible, set against me. This charge, contrary
to military practice, of sending out a forlorn hope before a
besieging party, must be brought forward when the main
attack having failed, and the dispersed and discomfited troops
being in disorderly retort, the advance of a corps of reserve
became needful, that the whole army might not prove a mi-
serable failure ; but to return to my defensive position,—l
cannot pretend to be able to recollect any of the circuni-
stances which really transpired on that day, several months
having elapsed, and my attention never havinc, been drawn
to the entry until its incorrectness was, proved° in evidence.
Whether I may have conducted a careftil inquiry through the
male side of the prison, intending alsb at the time the entry
was made to finish an entire inspection, by also going through
the female side, the lateness of the hour, however, (for it
appears I did not leave until half-past three,) hindering my
purpose being fulfilled ; or whether in making the entry I
omitted, by pure accident, the words male side (a very com-
mon mode of expression in my journal) after the words " of
the" ; whether either of these, or any other equally unin-
tentional, error occurred, I cannot pretend to assert. The
supposition last made agrees so completely with the proper
and correct construction of the entire entry, is so essential to
the latter clause becoming intelligible, that I think you will
be quite satisfied that this single error may have arisen with-
out the slightest imputation attaching itself to me.
Observe, I beseech you, the entry as it now stands :
" March 17th, 1840.—Visited every part of the prison
with care ; was occupied a considerable time in the school."
The school, not the schools. You know there are two
schools. Had I merely passed through one, and stayed a
considerable time in the other, such an entry could not have
been made. The sex of the parties of the school required
to be expressed in the sentence, to give it intelligibility.
Now, gentlemen, do me the favour of reading the words
male side of the after the words of the:—
" Visited every part of the" (male side of the) " prison
with care ; was occupied a considerable time in the school."
The particular school is now defined. The phrase is now
complete—the meaning clear. It will be equally so if the
word female be used instead of male; whereas, as the entry
now stands, there is clearly an omission of words needful to
complete any sense whatever.

I appeal to you, gentlemen, whether this explanation, in
itself perfectly natural, is not more fitting to be received by
a liberal and an upright mind, (resting the whole error of
the entry on mere mistake,) than the supposition that a
minister of religion should make a wilfully false entry, and
leave that entry. open on his vestry table, subject to be
looked at by any person entering the place, his falsehood
being at once capable of immediate detection—for not only
is the journal public property, open to all, 'but on this one
occasion it is proved that it was actually left wide open upon
my table.

In answer to a question proposed by Captain Williams, as
to whether Mr. Archer's having looked into my journal was
not a somewhat extraordinary proceeding, Mr. Archer re-
plied,—" I did not think it an extraordinary step ; I saw the
journal lying open in the vestry."
I must always exceedingly regret that Mr. Archer did not
at the moment bring the error under my review, when it
would of course have been rectified. I the more regret this,
as he has stated that his present unfavourable impressions of
me arise chiefly in this unexplained entry. He has himself
afforded me not only the benefit of the expression of his
belief that the entry originated in mistake, but has added a
remarkable proof how easily an error of the kind might be
committed by me. "On three different occasions," he says,
" Dr. Buck entered in the time-book Visited the hospitals
as usual,' instead of Visited the prison as usual; ' and this
in the common entry-book, where visits to the prison only
are registered.

" It is but justice to Dr. Buck to say, that in the time-
book, after we had altered the mode of entry, he entered on
three occasions, by mistake, Visited the hospitals,' instead
of ' the prison;' and I could only explain the entries, by
supposing similar mistakes had before occurred."

"Question by Dr. Buck.—On the terms of intimacy
which then subsisted between us, how.-did it happen that
Mr. Archer did not make a friendly communication to Dr.
Buck on the subject ?
" Answer.—l should not have considered it my duty, on
every occasion, when I thought Dr. Buck not quite correct,
to tell him my impression as to his conduct.
" And yet, Mr. Archer, I think you have said that these

circumstances have shaken your confidence in my veracity

" Yes

" And notwithstanding the 'importance of a good under-
standing between the senior officers of a prison, you did not
think it needful to caution me when you thought I was act-
ing wrongly ?
" No."

The cause of this backwardness in Mr. Archer to speak to
me will be fully understood, in considering Mr. Sammond's
testimony under the next charge. 1 need not on this point, I
apprehend, add another word. A mistake has occurred in an
entry on a particular day : the words at present employed do
not make a perfect sense : a very slight introduction, namely,
two words, male side, which ought to occur after and before
the same words of Ole—words which, be it remarked, I am in
the constant habit of employing, turns it into good sense, and
makes the entry accord with the probabilities. For no other
part of the entry has been impugned. Neither Mr. Archer
nor Miss Davies being able to fix the time in the afternoon
when the entry was seen, nor when I or Mr. Archer left the
prison.

Even supposing the entry to have really contained the me-
morandum 3i, P. M., at the time Mr. Archer saw it, this will
not alter the case ; for Mr. Archer may have seen it after
that hour; he tells you in evidence he cannot fix the time.
He thinks it must have been between twelve and four, (his
visits usually occurring between those hours) he has no other
data on which to ground his opinion.
" You having given a specific day of supposed error, will
you state the time of the day it occurred ?
" My impression is it was in the afternoon between twelve
and four. My impression was that you had left the prison,
but I cannot positively swear you had or had not. I have no
means of ascertaining the time I left the prison that day."
Miss Davies is equally unable to specify the time. She
says it is a mere surmise ; it may have been about three
o'clock, but she cannot tell.

To questions by Dr. Buck—" I believe it was sometime
in the afternoon of the second day when I conversed with Mr.
Archer, perhaps about three o'clock. It is a general im-
pression on my mind I cannot fix the exact time of the day."
You will remember, gentlemen, I endeavoured to obtain
something definite on this point, but both witnesses agreed
that they could not fix the hour, Again, gentlemen, although
it is almost an invariable habit with me to make up the Jour-
nal of one day as the first business of the following morning,
I beg to state, that it is most improbable that I should, be-
fore quitting my vestry, enter in my time of departure, be-
fore I really quitted the prison. I think I could safely swear,
that I have never done so, even on a single occasion, because
it very frequently happens, that after being prepared to de-
part, I am detained by new matters—conservations with
offices, prisoners requesting to be visited, messages to see
the governor, either in his own house, or in the office. Many
times an hour, or much more has elapsed, between my leaving
the vestry, and departing finally from the prison. Although,
therefore, on this particular day I may have broken through
my usual habit in filling up my Journal, yet it is next to im-
possible. that I should have entered up the time of quitting
the prison ; that clehrly could only be done at my following
visit. I have added these remarks, not as affecting a point
of any weighty consequence, but simply because I would not
willingly allow any part of our charge pressed against me to
remain unanswered.

This is, I believe, the only occasion, through a long de-
fence, in which I have not been enabled to support my cause
by direct testimony ; the palpable error, however, of the
entry, and tho easy and natural mode by which the difficulty
is capable of solution, will, I doubt not, lead you to an entire
conviction of my innocency of intention.
REPLY TO THE TWELFTH CHARGE.
The next charge to which I am called upon to make a reply
may be stated in the language of Mr. Salrnond, a youth of
half my age, who received an expression of your approba-
tion for the way in which he had given his, evidence.
" It was the daily practice of the chaplain, when he came
to the prison, with some few exceptions, of making false en-
tries (in the time-book) as to the hours of coming and depar-
ture. It was nine times out of ten wrong."
I apprehend, gentlemen, that this is a charge of so exten-
sive, so general, so undefined a character, that no man living,
being thus accused, could defend himself directly against it.
It is a charge which, if allowed to appear for a moment on
the table of a judge, I am fully convinced he would dismiss
as unworthy of consideration, unless the evidence to be pro-
duced in its support appeared sufficient, clearly, and dis-
tinctly, to establish several, nay many, specific instances of
transgression; and even then, the libel would have to be
amended, specification being essential to the first principles
of justice.

It is a sweeping charge, which would not for a moment
stand iu a public investigation ; it may have a momentary
existence with a secret tribunal; but no English Court of
Law would admit such a libel.
Now, gentlemen, you must be aware, that no single instance
has been attempted to be established, even by a single wit-
ness; moreover, the time laid out commences in February,
1837, and terminates in January, 1840, at which latter period
all the supposed guilt had been contradicted ; and now, at
the lapse of ten months, I am called upon to rebut an airy,
an unsubstantial accusation. Gentlemen, this charge, like
my prosecutor, cannot be defined. They are equally the
beings of imagination. The magistrates have brought no
charge against me ! The inspector has made no charge He
distinctly disclaims being my prosecutor ; and yet I am under
prosecution ! I feel the fact painfully, though some softer
term for the process of my torture may yet by possibility be
devised.

I must, however, though I trust with a different result
than that which attended Don Quixote's attack on the wind-
mills, at least endeavour to drive away from supposed vision
this will-o'-the-wisp, this ignis fatuus kind of charge. It
may appear almost as difficult to succeed in this attempt as
it was to destroy the monster, (an apt emblem of this whole
proceeding,) who. being shorn as to one of the serpents which
adorned its brow, soon found others arising to supply the
loss. That monster was eventually crushed to death. So
will every accusation be which has been brought against me,
an innocent, an unoffending man, seeking as the sole object
of his pursuits the good of man, and the glory of that gracious
Being who is even now fiulfilling his promise—" But take
heed to yourselves for they shall deliver you up to councils ;
and in the synagogues you shall be beaten, and you shall be
brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony
against them. But when they shall lead you, and deliver
you up, take no thought beforehand what you shall speak,
neither do you premeditate ; but whatever shall be given you
in that hour that speak ye, for it is of ye that speak but the
Holy Ghost." Thy shoes shall be iron and brass, and as