The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-08-07 00:00:00

The TOWN-CLERK had stated his opinion because it ha
been mentioned that. the council would be governed by it.
With regard to its resting with him as to what was to appear
in the notice, he must say that he had not claimed that pri-
vilege to himself, but it proceeded from the chairman of the
Dock Committee, stating that he (the town-clerk) had the
means of knowing what were the proper notice to be given.
The Dock Committee proceedings were in this building (the
Town.hall), so early as Friday last, but this was much earlier
than usual.
Mr. H. LAWRENCE believed Mr. Hornby hactstated the
A kiMI of charge of neglect had-been insi-
- against the town-clerk, for. not having brought this
subject forward in the notice. He (Mr. Lawrence) thought
there was no foundation for the charge. The town-clerk's
was merely to give notice of the time of holding the

case correctly

business

council meeting, and if there was any particular business to
be brought forward, the chairman of the Dock Committee
ought not to be above doing that which the chairman of

every other committee did.
Mr. Lv.ATHOM. —I must repel, with indignation, the
charge brought against me. What Mr. Lawrence has said
about me is most impertinent. (Order, order.)
Mr. H. LAWRENCE.—A more impertinent observation I
never heard in my life, than that of the chairman of the
Dock Committee. What I said was, that he should not
object to do that which the chairman of all the other com-
mittees did. If any person can see any impertinence in that,
or pretend to see any impertinence in it, he must have the
brains of the person who made the observation.
Mr. RATUBONE spoke to order. The council-room was
being turned into a bear-garden.
Mr. LEATHOM said he had been first insulted.
Mr. ISAAC H9l.mEs said Mr. Lawrence had been first
insulted.
_ _ _

The MAYOR interfered. There might have been a' little
want of courtesy on the part of Mr. Leathom. but he con-
considered that Mr. Lawrence was in fault previously.
(No, no.)
Mr. H. LAWRENCE had not been in fault. He bad stated
what occurred to him, and Mr. Leathom immediately said he
repelled with indignation the impertinence. Now the obser-
vations he had made were neither impertinent nor out of
place. He had used, no discoarteoas terms, but seeing that
Mr. Leathom had made use of improper expressions, nothing
in the world should induce him (Mr. Lawrence) to retract
what he had said. _ . . .

Mr. LEATHOM declared that the cause of offence had arisen
with Mr. Lawrence.
Mr. H. LAWRENCE said it had not, and he would appeal
to the council to confirm hint. He was sorry that anything
unpleasant should have occurred; but when he said that a
charge had been unjustly, as he thought, made against the
town-clerk, in having 'neglect of duty imputed to hint, he had
not been guilty of intemperate expressions or rudeness to any
body. Every gentleman who heard him would at once say
so; but if the majority of the council thought there was any
impertinence in that, he•would make the mo=t ample apology.
The MAYOR 'really .thought that each of the gentlemen
should.-feel anxious tp. make the antende honorable- to the
other. If Mr. Lawrence would only consider for a Moment,
he would confess that he had treated Mr. Leathom with some
degree of disrespect. To speak of a person's intellect 'or
character in the way he had was very offensive,. but he was
sure that as it was a mere matter of courtesy, Mr. Leathom
would meet Mr. Lawrence by an expression of regret.
Mr. LEATHOM begged to say that the offence began by
Mr. Lrvrence saying that he (Mr. Leathom) was above do-
ing what the chairmen of other committees did. He was not,
nor had he ever been, above doing anything for the dock
committee. He, therefore, did feel that Mr. Lawrence had
thrown an imputation upon him which he did not deserve.
He would admit that, in the irritation of the moment, arising
from what he considered to be an unfounded charge of ne-
glect of duty, he had said too much.
The MAYOR (to Mr. Lawrence, who bad not been attend-
ing), You hear, Mr. Lawrence, what Mr. Leathom says.
He says, that in the heat of the moment, hearing you speak
in a manner which he did not think he merited, he spoke in
terms which he perhaps should not have done. Are you sa-
tisfied? _ _

Mr. H. LAWRENCE.-.-I am ; and I also say the same.
After a few further remarks from several members, the re-
ports were confirmed.

THE MAYOR'S COMMUNICATIONS

A memorial from the cart owners, praying for a revisal of
the book of rates, was referred to the finance committee.
A letter from Lieutenant Henry, requesting a continuance
of the grant of £5O per annum, formerly paid to Lieutenant
Low, was referred to the finance committee.
TRIALS AT THE SESSIONS. _

Mr. RATIMONE, in the absence of Mr. Earle, moved that
a return be made of all persons who have been committed
for trial to the borough sessions, between the Ist of January,
1839, and the Ist of January, 1840, distinguishing the name
of the prisoner ; his age ; the nature of his offence ; the ar-
ticles stolen, and the value thereof, in cases of felony ; the
name of the committing magistrate ; the place of confine-
ment before trial ; the verdict of the jury ; and the sentence
of the court ; together with the name of the attorney employ-
ed in the prosecution ; and the cost of each prosecution paid
by the borough.
Mr. CASE seconded the motion, which was carried.

ELECTION or MEMBERS FOR TBE DOCK COMMITTEE

The next subject was the election, nomination and ap-
pointment of five members of the council to be members of
the committee for the affairs of the estate of the trustees of
the Liverpool Docks. under the Dock Act of 6 Geo. 4 c.
187, in the room of Mr. Alderman Evans, Mr. Alderman
Thomas Brockhurst Barclay, Mr. Alderman George Holt,
Mr. Alderman Thomas Ilolt, and Mr. Councillor Edward
Segar, who retire from the committee by rotation, but are
re-eligible. _ . . .

The Town-clerk, upon the resolution of the Dock Com-
mittee on the above subject, reported that in the Dock Act
of 6 Geo. IV., the Dock Committee by law retired, and if
only four retired, the successor to Mr. Ripley, who succeeded
the late Mr. Islam, who was the last in order elected by the
former council, on the Gth August, 1831, would be the only
one of the five (all the five original elections having been on
the same day); tvho could be fixed upon, in the application
of the act, as the junior ; and if this be correct, he would be
entitled to remain until the next period of election, viz.,
August, 1844. The successor of Mr. Ripley is Mr. Alder-
man Evans, but considering the doubt upon the act, the
Town-clerk suggested that five elections should now take
place, to sit in right of his present authority to continue for
three years, or of his re-election for nine years, as the law
may be found to warrant. But if any member should be
elected in lieu of Mr. Evans, a difficulty will certainly aria
upon the question whether the office is not full for three
years, and that difficulty would requite consideration before
the election is concluded.
Mr. LEATUOM seconded by Mr: inEliai-ono.ed sae-reap-
pointment of the retiring members, seriatim.
Mr. BUSHELL protested against the reappointment of Mr.
Evans, in conseauenee of his opinions on the dock bill—a
measure which, in his (Mr. Bushell's) opinion, would so ma-
terially injure the town, that from the period of its enact-
ment would be dated the decline of Liverpool. (Laughter.)
Gentlemen might laugh, but at the proper time he would be
ready to give a reason for his opinion, as it was not his habit to
form opinions for which he could not give a reason. 1-le would
not move an amendment, because he knew that it would be
of no use ; the outgoing members were sure to be reap-
pointed.
Mr. ISAAC HoLmEs protested against aldermen being
placed on the Dock Committee. He also adverted to the ap-
pointment of Mr. Robertson Gladstone, and said that the
council asked for the credit of great liberality because they
had appointed one out of thirteen members who did not belong
to their own Angelic party. (Cries of " Move, move.") Yes,
" Move, move ; " he supposed they wanted him to move out
of the council. (Laughter.)
Mr. LAWILENCE said, that as it was perfectly useless
to oppose the motion of Mr. Leathom, he should leave the
room. He did so, and was followed by Mr. Isaac Holmes.
The five retiring members were then re-elected.
The meeting terminated at a quarter to two.