The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-09-02 00:00:00

TOWN COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS.

Yesterday morning, at eleven o'clock, a special meeting of
the town council was held, called for the purpose of swearing
in the commissioners of the. Court of Requests.

SERGEASIT-AT-MACH'

On the reporters being admitteW,"illey found the TOWN-
CLERK speaking By this act, (the court of requests act,)
it was necessary to appoint a sergeant-at-mace, who must give
security. The person svho'naturally would have the appoint-
ment would be the sergeant who bad tilled the office before,
and, in fact. the present appointment would be merely a conti-
nuance of that officer. A • letter had been received by the
Mayor, from Mr. Parkinson, who hid filled the office, soliciting
to be continued in office under the new act of parliament, and
that he coold fin 4 the requisite seeority. He had filled the
office of sergeant-at-mace since. 1822, and, should he be re-
elected, would faithfully discharge the duties of his office. One
of the principal points of the act was to obtain from this officer
sufficient security for the property of suitors. No such security
had hitherto been given. Another object of this act was, to
separate the sergeant from the bailiffs, and make him their su-
perintendent, to prevent oppression and extortion. He thought
no better course could be pursued than to re-appoint the
sergeant-et-mace during pleasure, obtaining from him the re-
quisite security, which he (the sergeant-at-mace) stated he
could give. Ile would also rewind the council that if this
officer were discharged he would certainly he entitled to com-
pensation. Under these circumstances .he would propose a re-
solution for the adoption of the council :—" That Timothy
Parkinson he appointed• sergeant-at-mace, to hold his office
during pleasure, and that security be taken from him, and that
he receives a salary in lieu of fees, the amount and the appoint-
ment to be 'referred tod.he next borough council."
Mr. Councillor RATHBONE would move that the resolution
be passed, with the, understanding that it did not hold out any
pledge to the sergeant-at-mace that he would be continued,
until after the council had determined on the appointment.
Mr. Alexander Ls:A.l4ot%z would second *the resolution with
the same understanding, that the appointment should not be
considered as permanent.. .
Mr. Councillor MELLOR wished to know why security for
the office was to be given, and for what the sergeant was re-
sponsible? •

The TOWN-CLERK said it was his duty, through his bailiffs,
to arrest: pal ties, and if, the debtor. escaped the plaintiff would
have ari
.action against him, and the, security ought. to be such
that the plaintiff might be satisfied that he should receive his
money. Again, the amounts which passed through his bands
very frequently amounted to £5OO or £6OO, and on one occa-
sion he had as much as £2,500 passed through his hands at
once. On the subject of security, he had suggested that the
amount should be two sureties in £2,000.
The resolution .was then carried.
SWEARING IN COMMISSIONERS.
The TOWN-CLERK said the next proceeding. would be to call
in Mr. -Lowndes and Mr. Hall, who were in attendance to
swear them in as commissioners of the Court of Requests. In
the interim, he would read the resolution appointing' William
Lowndes Esq., and Thomas James Hall, Esq., stipendiary
magistrate, as commissioners of the Court of Requests, and
Richard Radcliffe, Esq., as clerk of the commissioners of the
said court.

T 11eIEyoR said that they might not lose time, he had yes-
terday. received a letter from Bristol, stating that the British
Association holding there would hold their next annual meeting
in September next, at Liverpool, whiChwould avoid the assizes;
the period of the month to.he fixed by the council. The letter
was signed by the president, the vice-president, the secretary,
&c..; and addiessed to the Mayor
Mr. Lowndes and Mr. Hall now entered the room, and the
requisite oath was administered to them and to the town-clerk,
after which

The MAYOR, addressing Mr. Lowndes, said—" I beg to con-
gratulate'you, sir, and, from all I have heard, I congratulate
the council also; on your appointment. With the merits of the
other gentlemen we are acquainted. I have no doubt but that
3'04.- will each fulfil your office so as to give satisfaction."
(Applause.)
Mr, Lowndes and Mr. Hall bowed and left the room.
'the MAYOR then announced that the business was concluded.

THEATRE-ROYAL.
On Tuesday evenincr, the, play of the "Stranger" was brought
out; the part of the Stranger b'y Mr. Stuart, and Mrs. Haller
by Mrs. Sharpe, of the American Theatres. We have already
spoken of this lady as being a fine figure for the stage; and,
where fitted with a character she is a good actress. As Mrs.
Haller, she played extremely well. lu thelast scene especially
she "was peculiarly effective, the best criterion of which was the
general application of handkerchief from all parts of a crowded
house, and the audible sobs of many of the feminine part of the
audience. Stuart's acting as the 'Stranger was energetic and yet
suppressed ; it partook sufficiently of all the bitterness of the
Misanthrope without bursting into rant and fury against all the
His representation :of the last scene was fully " up to
,autaark." The interlude of " Rip Van Winkle/' a silly
pjece, in which Mr. Hackett played Rip Van Winkle, followed'.
The only good pnints in it were Rip Van Winkle's Americanisms
grafted upon aboriginal Dutch. In the afterpiece, a farce
called " Hunting a Turtle," Miss Faucit played the part of
Mrs. Turtle with much naivete and talent, and, together with
Mr. Browne's clever acting, and the assistance of Mr. Goldsinid,
'kept the house in a roar of laughter. On Wednesday evening,
Mr. Goldsreid took his benefit, but had but a Poor house. Last
evening, Shakspe are's play orate "Tempest'' wasbrought out,
but so murdered, mangled, cut up, and metamorphosed was it, that
Shakspeare himself would hardly have recognised it. Whole
scenes were left out, and whole scenes introduced. The reading of
the characters of Alonzo, Gonzalo, and Antonio was wretched, and
by leaving out the whole of the first scene in the second act, and
all the succeeding parts relating to it, the plot of the play was
Much injure:l. This, with the introduction of Dorincia into the
Plot completely altered the author's conception, and destroyed the
narrative of the piece converting all into jumble and burlesque.
Mrs, Bland made a most Ariel-like looking, Ariel. Mr. Stuart,
as Prospero, appeared hardly " at home," and Mr. Bland con-
trived to make such a hash
of Ferdinand that he had not a leg
to stand on Miss Stanley played Miranda
pretty well. The
Opera of " Guy Mannering.,"' concluded the performances.
The house was only thinly attended.

TO *.t**** ;k
I've roved through many a •
Pleasant vale,
And looked abroad from In
Where fragrance came on ever gale,
al hill,
And music played in every rill
Oft have I wander'd where the brake
Above me spread its curtains dim,
And where, clear shown in the still blue lake,
Lay the rich hued woods that fringed its-brim.
But vale nor hill, wood, lake, nor stream,
Could form a scene so fair to me,
(Though fair it was as poet's dream,)
• As that o'er which I roamed with thee.
True it was but a waste of sand.
Without a tree—with scarce a flower ;
But whilst.l press'd my true love's hand,
'Twas sweet to me as a fairy bower.
Then oh! how donbly,sweet had been
Each charming spot, hadst thou been there
To view with mokeacb lovely scene,
• And wander o'?rthe landscape fair; ,
And thus throughllfe's oft varying state •
Would thy sweet presence he to me ; • -
Thy Ire would cheer ray gloomiest fate, •
jp-an 71.1,smile would gild prosperity.
4'clust 22, 1836.