The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-03-25 00:00:00

TOWN COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS

On Wednesday morning last the adjourned council agaid met
for the purpose of considering the remainder of the paid officers'
committee report. The minutes of the last uteetiug were first
read over. _ _

KEEPER OF THE TOWN HALL,

The TOWN CLERK read the clause as fellows. "As the per-
quisites of this officer are considerable, your committee praise
that his salary should be reduced to £5O per annum, with his
house, taxes, and coals; and that he be required to give a bond
in the sum of £5OO, With two sureties." .
Mr: Councillor CoGLAN objected to the principle of perqui-
sites entirely. He _thought if they could arrange a system by
which the public, foreigners and strangers, Might see:the Town
Hall without paying the usual douceurs paid to attendants, it
would be acting in a spirit of liberality worthy of the character
of the present age lie need nut inform the Council that, pub-
lic placeS on tlie.Continent were free. It v.as a reproach to
England that the commercial spirit whiCh had raised her so high
should be carried into all the mirth tiee as it was. _An individual
visiting Paris finds the splendid gallery of the Louvre open to
him; and all other public places. If he went to to Florence he
found it the same: in Rome, he might traverse the Vatican,
and visit the magnificent works of art in that city without this
impost. Through all Germany, through France, and through
Italy, all public places were open for strangers, free of ex-
pense. The Town Hall might be considered one of their
lions"; they all had their country cousins, who were never
satisfied without seeing their docks and the Town Hall, and it
became a serious tax upon them to have to give perquisites
each time they introduced their friends into the lown Hall.
Nothing had given greater satisfaction than the removal of the
tax paid to the railway attendants, and it was a principle which
was extending to the principal hotels in London and Scotland.
He would submit that they should pay a liberal salary to the
keeper of the Town Hall in-lieu of perquisites. Some plan to
remedy all inconvenience might be fixed upon; each member
of the Council Might, be allowed to issue tickets, or' the trea-
surer might do so for the admission of parties, to ensure their
respectability and prevent injury to the rooms. If this should
not be assented to he would recommend that a fixed sum should
be named, say Is. or Gd. to be given in
.order to remedy' the
unpleasantness which was felt by parties not knowing what was•
the proper amount to give, and sometimes giving too much and
sometimes fancying they gave too little. He would recommend
that it be referred•to, the committee to arrange about this, and
would move " that the principle of perquisites should be abo-
lished, and that the keeper of the Town-hall should be allowed
a proportionable salary.
Mr. Councillor L. HEYWORTH seconded Nr. Coglan's mo-
tion. It involved a principle important to all mankind!
After a long conversation in which Mr. Bolton, Mr. Evans,
Mr. Shiel,Mr.- Hope, and Mr. Barclay'took part, Mr. Boltou
moved as,an amendment, that a Moderate fee be fixed. On the
aineridinent being put tliere appeared for it 13; against it 36.
For the. original motion. 32. The motion was then declared
.
Mr.. Councillor COG LAN Would :then beg leave to move that
the amount of salary be referred to the committee. and that they
should devise.a plan to be submitted to the next meeting of the
council for admission to the rooms, in consonance with the view
they had taken.
Mr. Councillor 14. I-lETwoßzu seconded the motion, which
was carried unanimously.

BILLET MASTER.
The TowN-ci.Eitx read:the clause of the.report which refers
to this office. It was as follows :—" Your committee recom-
mend that the salary of this Officer be reduced from £lOO to £9O
per annum."—Agreed to.
BATHS AND GARDENS.
The clause was read by the Town-clerk to the effect that the
Baths and Public Gardens, which the committee recommend
should be let on contract, taking due care for the preservation
of.the property.
Mr. Councillor H. HoutEs-moved that it be referred to the
finance committee to carry the, report into effect, and that it be
confirmed.
Mr. Councillor EARLE seconded the motion.—Agreed to.
MARKETS AND WEIGHING MACHINES.
Mr. Councillor LiOLT moved "that the report be approved,
and that the following five gentlemen form the committee, viz.,
Messrs. Duncan, Holmes, Evans, Thornh►ll, and Barton.
. Mr. Councillor HOPE seconded the motion.
Mr. Alderman FEEME thought it advisable that if a toll check
should be adopted instead of the present system, and would move
this as'a recommendation to the committee. He would move
that seven form the committee. Two to take the south, two the
north, and three the central parts of the town.
Mi. COEII6IIOI JORDAN seconded this motion.—Agreed to.
Mr. Freine and Mr. Jordan were then added to the commit-
tee of seven above named.

SCHOO LS.

The clause in the report was read as follows :—" Your corn-
mittee have already recommended that the existing corporation
schools should be placed under the direction of the education
committee." •
Mr. Councillor 3. HOLMES moved that this subject be placed
under the charge the education committee, which was se-
conded by Mr. Alderman Itobinson, and agreed to.

BOROUGH GAOL.
Th 6 TOWN-CLERK read the clause, which 'Was Etn the effect
that the committee were of opinion that the Borough Gaol, and
the appointments therein, may, with propriety, be placed under
the direction of a committee selected from the borough magi-
strates.
Mr. Alderman ROBINSON moved that it be referred to the bo-
rough magistrates.
Mr. Councillor Eswnox seconded this. Agreed to.
riAnnota• MASTER.
Mr. Cmincillor .11 not..m.E& moved that he be continued at
his present salary, which was seconded by Mr, Alderman LEIA-
Tkiom, and agreed to.
SWORD BEARER. .•
The clause ran as follows:"-2--"( if this old chartered officer, his
duties and emoluments, your ,committee refer to their former
report, &c. They considerthat no change can be made with
advantage in his antics and emoluments. The clause from the
former report Was-read, and was to the' effect that this officer
had charge of the regalia,—that his salary was £l5O per annum
without any other emolument except five shillings at each quar-
ter sessions.
Mr. CouncillerJim Es moVed,mnd Mr. Councillor LoaAN se-
conded that the report be confirmed.
Mr. Councillor SHIEL said that this involved a salary of
£l5O per annum, The general,declaration that he ‘• waited
nu the mayor on all oglisions," was not sufficient to induce him
to vote a considerablellialary ! If public occasions meant the
parade on Sunday, he really thought it would be more creditable
in them to vote the same sum. to have it abolished. He could
not imagine anything more rediculous than that procession was
f—^m begin,-;.- •

rom beginoing to eno.
Mr. Courint4;l-lotsts said, -Mr. litikelih 'filiended at the
Town-halldayday',y day', and if dismisSe'd,-lirwould he entitled to
compensation of half the. salary he reeeived, and the.), must
have seine one iwthat situation.
Mr. Councillor Rosiut,t, said they had not a more efficient
officer.
Mr. Councillor SuilF.t, said as he really performed efficient
service, he would withdraw his motion.
The report on this subject was then approved.

, SERGEANT AT. MACE.
The TOWN-CLERK said that the Borough Court committee
were now bringitig forward a bill in parl►ament wherein the
duties of this officer would be separated from the bailiffs of the
borough. Referred to the Borough Court committee.
INSPECTOH OF COACHES.
The clause in the report was as follows:—" The payment to
this officer is by no means excessive for a diligent and impartial
performance of its duties."
Some conversation ensued when it was urged that some of
the coaches were it► a very bad state and wanted regulating,
which argued a fault some where. The Town-clerk replied that
a code of laws was preparing respecting this, which would be
submitted to the magistrates. This part of the report was then
agreed to.

BELLMAN.
The committee remmended• the Bellman to be continued ai
his former salary. Agreed to.

REDUCTION OF THE SALARIES.
The committee,.in concluding their report, stated that the
reduction of expense in the several departments of Corporate
Government which had come under-their consideration, would
be upwards of £2OOO per annum; They recommended that the
proposed reduction of salaries should take place, on the lit
of June next.
Mr. Councillor 11. HoLmEs moved " that the reduction take
place on the Ist of June," which was seconded by Mr. Alder-
man Barclay; and agreed to.
TREASCRER!S OFFICE.
The TOWN-CLERK then read a further report of the paid offi-
cers' committee, presented on the 4th instant, to the effect, that
the committee' had given the • subject further consideration,
called for by the circumstances of the case. In' the contem-
plated reduciion, of the treasurer's salary, it had been thought
inexpedient to Make any reduction in the number of clerks.
But that not being complied with, there was no ground why the
treasurer should not be required fully and effectually to dis-
charge the duties of his office. And the committee were of opi-
nion that a treasurer, with ;one clerk, assisted by the out-door
collector, would be quite sufficient to manage the busineSs of
the 'office. And the committee entertain an opinion, that in any
subsequent appointment, £5OO should be the sum given to the
treasurer with one clerk and a collector. The committee, under
existing circumstances, recommended that the present treasurer
should be continued in the office at his present salary ; but on
the retirement of MesSrs. Sudlow, one clerk only should be re-
appointed, and that the out-door collector be continued as
heretofore.- And it recommended if the present treasurer
should .not re7apptiinted, that an arrangement should be
mutle that he should receive £5OO per annum as compensation,
and that all lititation be avoided. That the committee shall,-
in the event of th treasurer not being re-appointed, pay him a
compensation of £5OO peirannurn quarterly during his life. the
committee notiti' any Wry admitting his right to compensation.
After some .itYntiersation, Mr. It AminoNE moved the adop-
tion of the' ietdracthe most eeononaini. arrangement that
Could be made; iViiith was seconded by Mr., Alderman Evans;
/r t o;
And agreed to. '4-
Mr: CotincilleidgiTkny Hottists then moved that the report
be 'referred back to the committee, to carry into effect the
reso-
lution of the council.
Mr. Councillor. HENRY LAWRENCE seconded the motion,
which was agreed to.
TOWN-HATA. ESTAPLISHMENT.
The Towrzer..erix• then read. a further report of the corn.,,
mittee on paid officers; to the' effect that,' the council having
approved of -the ,geneial plan of-the committee report-of the
4th instant, so far as regards the Town-hall' establishment. have
agreed that the- following resolutions shall be submitted to the
council. That a committee for -the Town-hall establishment
shall be appointed, to consist of the Mayor. for the time being,
and four menaherkof the council, and that that committee should
have in charge all matters, the expenses of which were com-
prehended .in the treasurer's accounts for the corporation for
the last year • namely, the Town-hall account; establishment
of Town-hall'account ; Mayor's carriage account ; stock of wine
account; Session's-house account-, and -judge's lodgings ac-
count. That in future an allovance of £2,000 should be paid
to the Mayor, provided that he should thereout contribute £7OO
for the expenses of the town-hall establishment, the Nayoi• be-
ing relieved from, any, charge or expenses attending the car-
riage, or servants, or livery, or any ehari a affecting him, ex-
cept. as after Mentii,ried. 'That'. he should have an allowance of
£1,300 at his own personal disposal, upon the terms that the
borough ftind 'should he exempt from the expense of any enter-
tainments-which. might be• given by the Mayor, the cost of
lighting the room, and the expenses of the wine, the same be-
ing furniihed-him from the stock at a compensating charge, and
that an allowance of £5O per-annum be given to some compe-
tent persdn for taking care of the wine.
Mr. Councillor HENRY Hot.iies moved that this be adopted
as carrying into effect the resolutions come to at the last
meeting.
Mr. Samar, had nearly the same objection against this sum as
he had at first expressed, namely, that. the'whole was' illegal.
He could not think that the finance committee were authorised
by the municipal bill .to lay out money. in a stock of wines.
Could it be saidOttidbi of.the provisions of that bill, that
this came under the head of " necessary exnenditure." If they
should
,be. comfell6d to lay a rate. every inerulicr of the corn-
munitk trlight .Object to it, because 4V6nld then have laid it
fight
the ne•cesSitY. for it. Be was firmly con
Minted titrainr bf the bill would not allow them