The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-01-31 00:00:00

THE QUEEN'S MARRIAGE

The MAYOR said the next subject for the council's con-
sideration was the Queen's marriage, and whether any and
what measures should be taken upon that occasion.
The TOWN-CLERK, as a guide to the council, thought it
would be better first to read over the course pursued by the
council on former occasions, such as the coronation and
marriage of George the Third, and the coronation of George
the Fourth.

The council acquiesced, and the TOWN-CLERK then pro-
ceeded to read, from an antique volume, the resolutions
of the common council on the occasion of the coronation and
marriage of George the Third. The following entry caused
considerable amusement

" 9th September, 1761.—1 t is ordered that the mayor'be
authorised and empowered to entertain the gentlemen, mer-
chants, and tradesmen of this corporation with dinner, or
otherwise—(hear, hear, and great laughter)—and to give the
ladies a ball in the Exchange—(hear, hear)—on the day of his
Majesty's coronation' at the public expense ; and that the
treasurer be authorised, and is hereby authorised, to pay the
charges thereof, and that they be allowed in his account."
After two or three entries prescribing what was to be done for
" the more splendid and glorious celebration of that day,"
there came this—" And that the treasurer repay the mayor
the two guineas given to the company of invalids to drink
his majesty's health on his late birth-day." (Laughter.)
On the occasion of George the Fourths coronation, a
committee was appointed, consisting of the whole of the
council to take into consideration the best public mode
of celebrating that event, and, amongst other things, they
came to a resolution to present the sum of £l5OO to the
public charities of the town, to distribute which a com-
mittee was appointed, as well as to consider what further
sum was necessary to entertain theiradesthen. At the coro-
nation of Queen Victoria, an extra allowance of £750 was
made to the mayor, to enable him to defray the necessary
expense which, with the advice of a committee appointed to
assist him, he might he called upon to incur in the celebra-
tion of that occurrence. The usual custom of presenting
addresses had of course been followed on all the occasions
referred to.

The MAYOR now inquired whether any gentleman had any
observations to make.

Mr. RATHBONE thought it desirable that a committee
should be appointed.
Mr. Alderman EVANS said that if a committee were ap-
pointed, there was always an endeavour to throw a kind of
halo over its proceedings, which were not to be touched
afterwards. He thought that some general idea must exist
as to what was expected. He should like to know what
would be the probable expense, and what the measures that
would be recommended.

Mr. BOLTON said, that as no one appeared to have taken
the matter into consideration, as to what was best to be
done, it would be better to have a committee. He should
second Mr. Rathbone's proposal, and suggest that the com-
mittee consist of nine members, together with the mayor.
They might report either on Saturday or Wednesday next.
Mr. RATHBONE thought that on such an occasion as this
the regularity of debate should he done away with, and every
member be allowed to make such suggestions as he thought
proper. Referring to the observation of Mr. Alderman
Evans, Mr. Rathbone said, that there should neither be halo
nor hallucination thrown over the committee on this occa-
sion.

Mr. ISAAC HOLAIES said that, as this was a question of
finance, he should move that it be referred to the 'Finance
Committee.
Mr. R. JONES seconded the motion.

Mr. BLACKBURN thought that a special committee would
be better. The habit of referring everything to the Finance
Committee was not one to be recommended. He partici-
pated in the view of Mr. Evans, and thought it was very im-
portant that the committee should have some general idea of
what was expected—whether a considerable sum of money
was to be expended, and, if so, whether for the entertain-
ment of the rich or the poor. In his opinion, whatever was
done ought to be done for• the substantial benefit of the
poorer classes. If anything were done by the wealthier
classes, let them be at the expense themselves : it would be
a substantial benefit to the poor to relieve their wants through
the means of a gift to the public charities.
Mr. BOLTON suggested that the committee should consist
of the chairman of the different committees, as representing
the different interests of the town very properly. (Cries of
" No, no," and " They are all of one side in politics.")
Mr. Alderman EvAsts, like Mr. Blackburn, should like
the committee to have something like an idea of what the
council meant to do, and of the extent to which they would
go. He himself looked upon most of these things as rem-
nants of the feudal and barbarous ages. What had been
read about George the" Third's coronation was literally
barbaric. He should like to see the day when such
things would not be commemorated, because what did
they do ? - They took money that might be expended in
useful purposes, to lay out in a very questionable way. He
claimed to have as much sympathy with the lower orders
of the poor as any gentleman; but he was of opinion that
by giving the public money to public charities, they gave the
selfish and narrowminded an excuse for not supporting those
charities. With regard to entertainments, of what use were
they ? He would have nothing done for mere show—nothing
but what was barely necessary to eke out the retiring shadows
of such nonsense as coronations, and displays upon marriages,
and all that. The idea that eating and drinking was to do
public good, either amongst the higher or the lower ranks,
was sufficiently curious, and he hoped that the committee
would recommend very chastened measures indeed.
Mr. ,CurtitiE said, that what had fallen from Mr. Black-
burn, met hii concurrence more than anything else. The
season was unfitted for any out-door exhibition, such as fire-
works or a procession, and as to distributing provisions, so
as to entertain the whole of the poor of the town, that was
impossible. He thought that Mr. Blackburn's suggestion
would best promote the views which influenced her majesty ;
and he hoped that the marriage of the queen would not pass
over without sortie measure of good,' and the council could
not do better than promote the public 'rood. The committee,
in his opinion, should beinstructed to take into consideration
which charities were most in want, and distribute amongst
them such a sum as might be thought fit. The mayor, of
course, would be sent up with an address.
Mr. BUSHELL said, it appeared to him that if the council
were to recommend the day to be observed as a general holi-
day, and masters to pay their workpeople their day's wages,
that would be very desirable. With regard to the public
charities, he also thought that in this town which abounded
in wealth, loyalty, and charity, if a subscription list were
opened, headed by a grant from the corporation of £5OO,
hundreds of people would be found ready to contribute to it
as their means allowed. He had no „doubt that, by these
means, a fund would be obtained in amount far beyond their
most sanguine expectations. As to, treating' the poor, that
was out of the question, considering the extent of the popu-
lation ; and as to treating the rich, they were able to treat
themselves.
Mr. Alderman SHIEL was amazed to see what a variety
of opinions were entertained on a subject like this, particu-
larly when, as in the present case, gentlemen came unpre-
pared. He agreed With his friend Mr. Bushell—if Mr. B.
would allow him to use the term—that it would be a good
thing to give the working classes a holiday, provided they
would not abuse it by getting drunk. But was there the
most distant probability of inducing the great mass of the
employers to pay their workmen the day's wages ? He
thought not ; and he wondered how any man could fancy
that the recommendation of the council on such a subject
could have any weight with those who were in the habit of
employing people. His experience would lead him to say
that a very small portion of masters would pay their work=
men; and if this were the case, the men would not only, in
case of a general holiday, lose their wages, but also the ad-
ditional sum which they might expend, and probably, by
getting drunk, they would injure their health a great deal
more than the outlay injured their. pocket. He agreed with
his friend Alderman Evans (who he knew would allow him
to use the term,) that if they, by contributing to the public
charities, .could induce the selfish and narrow-minded to con-
tribute, it would be desirable to do so ; but as the opposite
result would take place, they could not adopt either of those
courses.

Mr. 111USHELT, thought it was rather hard that, when gen-
tlemen had been called upon to express their opinions, and
to offer any. sug estions, at a moment like that, Mr. Sheil
should get up and throw ridicule upon what he (Mr. Bnshell)
had advanced.
Mr. Alderman Fo.,FmE said that the medical charities of
the town were never in a worse condition than at present,
and he thought that this was a most opporVdne period for re-
lieving them.

The amendment of Mr. Isaac Holmes was then put. Only
three gentlemen stood up for it, namely, Mr. I. Holmes,
Mr. R. Jones, and Mr. Alderman Sheil.

The original motion was then agreed to.
The following gentlemen were appointed the committee,
the number being extended to eleven instead of nine :
Messrs. Rathbone, H. Lawrence, Bushell, Currie, Earle,
Case, Mellor, Woolright, Gladstone, Bolton, and Sheil.