The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-02-05 00:00:00

TOWN COUNCIL PROCEEDINO.4

The monthly and second quarterly meeting of the council
was held at thb Town-hall, on Wednesday, for the despatch
The mayor presided.

of business

The MAYOR said, that as there was a good deal of busi-
ness to be got through, and as it was possible the council
would not be able to dispose of the whole of it upon that
day, he would propose, as some inconvenience was felt by
reason of their being no chairman of the Dock Committee
at present, that at one o'clock the council should fill up the
vacant aldermanship of the Dock Committee, consequent
upon the death of Mr. Alderman Leathom.

THE FINANCE

COMMITTEE

The proceedings, resolutions, and reports of the Finance
Committee, comprising an increase of salary to Mr. Jogins
Smith, clerk and collector under the treasurer, and also an
increase of salary to Mr. James Abbott, clerk to the com-
mittees' clerk, were next read, and, with the exception of
some money Items which were postponed until next month,
confirmed. '

THE IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE

The proceedings, resolutions, and reports of the Improve-
ment Committee were next read and confirmed.

THE WATCH COMMITTEE—THE LATE REPEAL MEETING.
The proceedings, resolutions, and reports of the Watch,
Lighting, Cleansing, and Fire Police Committees, compris-
ing the appointment of a billet-master, the appointment of
collectors for the lighting and fire police rates in the out-
townships, and an increase of salary to Mr. John Hewitt, the.
foreman to the fire police establishment, having been read,
Mr. BIRRETT rose and moved—" That the proceedings
now read beconfirmed, with an instruction to the Watch.
Committee to mace diligent and careful inquiry, whether or
not a political meeting was held at a place attached to a pub-
lic-house, and called the Queen's Theatre, on Sunday, the
24th ult., during the hours of divine service, and, if so, to
instruct the town-clerk to institute legal proceedings against
the principal offending parties."
The MAYOR thought that, as the motion formed no part
of the proceedings read, it could not come in the form, of an.
instruction to the chairman of the Watch Committee. A.
notice of it might then be given by Mr. Birkett, when it
would come before the council upon a future occasion.
Mr. BIRKETT, in reply, said that as the proceedings of the
committeee in question ought to have shown that some steps
had been taken, in consequence of such a meeting having
been held in the town, he would alter his motion Ivith the
view of having the proceedings referred back to the com-
mittee, in order to afford them the opportunity o.f taking
--ssary steps.

.
The TOWN-CLERK apprehended that the motion in its
original state was in course.
Mr. J. SMITH thought it would be in order at the next
council meeting, and was preparing to give his reason for so
.thinking. when Mr. G. H. Lawrence and several others on
the conservative side called on Mr. Birkett to procetid.
Mr. BIUSETT trusted he would be allowed to give his rea-
sons for introducing the motion, and that he would not be
put down. In the first place he should state, that hofore as-
certaining weather any steps had been taken by the watch
committee, he made inquiry whether the magistrates had
taken the matter up, and finding that they bad not, he went
to the watch committee, and asked the chairman of that com-
mittee (Sir J. Walinsley), on Saturday last, whether he had
received any information on the subject. He replied in the
negative. It appearing to him (Mr. Birkett) that the head-
constable of the town ought to have made a report to the
watch committee, that gentleman was called before the com-
mittee, when he stated that his attention was called to the
subject on the previous Tuesday, but that he had not; made a
report. (Hear, hear.) Having a very strong opinion with
regard to the outrageous circumstance of a meeting of the
kind having been held in a theatre on the Sabbath-day, he
(Mr. Birkett) then consulted the rector on the subject, his
own impression being, as neither the magistrates nor the
watch committee had interfered, that the churchwardens
ought to have called a public vestry of the inhabitants. The
rector, however, dissented in this respect, thinking that the
matter ought to be again brought under the consideration of
the proper authorities ; and under the extraordinary circum-
stances of the case, he (Mr. B.) hoped that every n ternber of
the council would vote for the committee to be instructed in
the manner set forth in his motion. (Hear, hear.) He be-
lieved and his belief was founded on the best information that.
he could obtain, that such an occurrence as the one in ques-
tion never before happened in Liverpool, and that a similar-
one had not happened in England for the last century. That
any meeting should be held in the town on a Sabbath-day,
with the exception of meetings for religious purposes, he was
not prepared to allow ; in fact the law was opposed to them,
for it provided that even meetings for religious purposes
could not be held on that day except in licensed places of
worship. In this case, however, about ten or fifteen hun-
dred persons assembled on the Lord's-day, at a place attached
to a public-house, and under the license for a public-house,
for a purely political object. If his (Mr. B.'s) own brother
had been guilty of such misconduct, he would be one of the
first to denounce it, because it was the most outrageous act
of which he had ever known or heard. It was irapossible for
any man to expect the blessifig of God while he continued to
show that he had no regard for religion, and, as no nation,
since the formation of the world, could give a stronger attach-
ment to the Maker of the universe, than the respect in which
it held the Sabbath-day, so whoever endeavoured to weaken
that respect was an enemy to religion and a nuisance to his
country. (Hear, hear.) He dared not trust himself to speak
on this subject, fearing that, if he expressed what he felt, he
might overstep the Courtesies usually binding on members of
council, but be hoped, without taking up any further time,
that his resolution would be unanimously adopted.
. Mr. Honosost seconded the motion. He rose with ex-
treme regret at finding that, in a Christian country and a
protestant town it should be necessary to recall the attention
of the magistracy and the public authorities to an occurrence
such as had been stated, which took place nearly a fortnight
ago—and with regard to which, he, as a magistrate, had re-
mained uninformed by any constituted authority. He rose
also to say, that as one of the Watch Committee he had been
frustrated in his attempt to gain any information on the sub-
ject at the Police-office, the head of the police merely telling
him that he was cognisant of the proceedings in question,
but that he had never reported them to the comraittes. He
(Mr. H.) was not prepared to go into the question, as the
party upon whom the visitation should fall—whether the
owner .of the public-house or those implicated in the proceed-
ing—but he was truly sorry to find that an investigation into.
the circumstances had been all this time delayed. At the:
same time he would exonerate the churchwarden (Mr..
Birkett) from all blame, who had discharged his duty by thus.
coming forward in a spirit of Christian frankness and confi-
dence in his God, and in a manner which set at nought the.
contempt as well as the sneers of infidel men. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. Birkett had felt himself. bound to support the laws of
his country, and the position in which she was placed, by
taking his present stand ; and the only remark that he (Mr-
H.) could not quite agree with him in was, that he believed
the meeting was held for a purely political purpose, whereas
he (Mr. H.) believed it was held for a most impure purpose
—namely, to inculcate a most direct breach of the law, and a
direct breaking down of the constitution of England, in an
attempt to sever Ireland from this country. He wanted not
the law to be stretched, but lie wanted to see it executed, and,
with that view, he hoped the motion would be carried.
The MAYOR considered it due to himself and the other
magistrates to say, that he had no information of the meeting
in vestion. (Hear, hear.)

Mr. JOHN SMITH rose for the purpose of saying that the
reason he had spoken a few minutes before was, because he
considered the motion irregular, but, finding that the object
of it was to '" inquire" whether such a meeting had been held,
he had not the slightest objection to its being then passed.
Mr. EARLE said it was the duty of the gentlemen whit in-
troduced the present resolution to make a motion on the sub-
ject at the Watch-office, if they believed the head constable
to have behaved himself improperly, and that in omitting to.
have him brought to an account for having; as they supposed,,
done wrong, they neglected their duty.
Sir J. WALMSLEY said that Mr. Hodgson laboured under
some mistake with regard to Mr. Whitty, the head consta-.
ble, for that his (Sir Joshua's) impression of the proceedings.
before the Watch Committee was, that Mr. Whitty was to,
report. The present motion was, therefore, brought forward,
for the purpose of display, inasmuch as Mr. Whitty- bad been,
instructed to report on the subject. When Mr. Whitty was
brought before the committee, Mr. Hodgson found fault with
and rebuked him for not having reported such a circumstance
when it took place in the town.
Mr. HODGSON—WiII you allow me to explain ?
Sir J. WALMSLEY-111r. Whitty is about to report on the
subject. My view was, that Mr. Whitty was then not abso-
lutely requested to report, but that there was an understand-
ing that he should report.
N
Mr. HODGSON—o, no.
Sir J. WALMSLEY—And I requested him to report imme-
diately oa the subject. Therefore, every object was gained.
(Hear.) Now, the present resolution states that the meeting
took ;lace during divine service. I believe such was not the
fact ; but, at the same time, Mr. Whitty said he didn't know
whether it did or did not : subsequent inquiry proved it did
not take phce at that time. Mr. Whitty also stated, that a
large number of persons assembled in Christian-street who
were admitted into the theatre. What subject they dis-
cussed I know not, except from the public papers that it was
the repeal. If, therefore, Mr. Birkett is wrong in saying
that it was held during divine service, I apprehend no in-
structions can he given the Town-clerk to take proceedings;
and, if it was inquiry he wanted, a full report would have been
laid before the committee on Saturday next. This, then, as
it appears to me, is an unnecessry display before the council.
(Hear.)-

Mr. HonGsoN—l distinctly declare that Mr. Whitty said
he knew, of the meeting ; that it took place at twelve o'clock,
during divine service; and that, when Mr. Whitty left the
room, 1 said I should be ready to make a motion, notwith-
standing the feeling and the taunts of the meeting.
' Sir J. WALMSLEY—SureIy you are wrong in that.
Mr.. HODGSON—I also declare that there was no instruc-
tion given to Mr. Whitty to report at all. I left the room
With the churchwarden, (Mr. Birkett) who said that the
chairman of the committee told him, not in a very happy
strain, that " he wished he had left an hour before." (Hear.)
If any instructions of the kind had been 'given Mr. Whitty
they were unauthorised. To that hour he (Mr. H.) was un-
aware that any such instructions had been given, and he now
challenged the chairman of the committee to show that taly
authorised instructions were given. (Hear, hear.)
Sir J. WALMSLEY—I stated before that no instructions
were given in writing, but I gave him instructions to make
an early report-that it might come before the daily board.
With regard to taunts, I am sure that Mr. Hodgson cannot
say that any taunts came from me as chairman.
Mr. HODGSON—I did not say they came from you.
. Sir J. WALMSLEY—With regard to what Mr. Hodgson
says ♦ told Mr. Birkett. I have have to observe that Mr.
Birkett is excessively troublesome in the committee, and that
he is continually bringing forward matters which are frivo-
lous and nonsensical in my mind. As he passed me on this occasion, he whispered to me " Would I allow him to go ? "
and 1 replied in a joking way—
The MAYOR (interrupting)-1 think it may be as well not to mention circumstances of which we are not cognisant, and
of which we cannot, therefore, be the judges.
Sir J. WALMSLEY—I did not know that I was irregular. I
was merely explaining.
The MAYOR—My remark only applied to the inadvertency
of your mentioning here what took place elsewhere.
Sir J. WALMSLEY—But when Mr. Hodgson says I spoke
disrespectfully to Mr. Birkett, I merely wished to explain that
what I said to him was—" I wish you had gone an hour
ago." That was said in a joking manner, and in a whisper ;
but if such trifling matters as this are to be brought before
the council, we shall only lose our time here to very little pur-
pose. (Hear.)
Mr? ROBINSON attended the committee on Saturday morn-
ing, when Mr. Whitty said he thought the meeting took
iptlawcaesaht
etl‘dvealvbeouot'
o'clock, but he afterwards came back and said
ast four. He (Mr. R.) agreed to Mr.
Birkett's motion, as he thought the circumstance a most out.
rageous one. He also thought that their chief r.onstable had
neglected his duty in not reporting it to the committee, and
he would add to the motion that the license to the public-
house be withdrawn."

-V4;.fsii,iKErr, in explanation, begged to state, that on the
day in quest:on, he had asked leave of the chairman of the
committee to retire. He had asked leave sitting, and not in
awhisper, when the chairman said to him, that he wished he
had gone an hour before. His (Mr. B.'s) answer was, that
he was'sorry to hear him say so, as it was not treating the
subject properly.
Mr. WOOLLRIGRT asked whether Mr. 13irkett or Mr.
Hogdson had given notice of this motion to the committee
with regard to the head constable ?
Mr. EARLE replied in the negative. Mr. Hodgson had
preached'a sermon on the occasion, and accused him (Mr.
E.) with taunting him. He had not taunted him, but he
said, if it was his opinion that the head constable had not
done his duty he ought to submit a notice on the subject:
Mr. Hodgson dealt always in inuendoes. (Order.) He
(Mr. Earle) had often told him so, and he told him so now
again. (Order, and confusion.)