The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-02-09 00:00:00

TOWN COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS.

The usual monthly meeting of the Council was held on
Wednesday. •
After the proceedings of the Finance Committee had
been read, Sir THOS. BRANCKER said that since the last
meeting of the Finance Committee, the Royal Insurance
Company had agreed to pay the Council the sum of £960
for the piece of last(' situated at the corner of Dale-street,
and North John-street.—A brief conversation took place
as to why a proposition from the Earl of Derby for open-
ing a communication with the Bootle line of road had not
been entertained by the Finance Committee ; Sir Thos.
Brancker said the Council had no funds to deal with the
owners of land. Mr. EARLE wished the subject referred
back, and eventually the consideration of the question
was postponed for a month.—ln reply to Mr. Higgins,
Sir THOS. BRANCKER said the Newsham House estate
had been purchased for investment, not for the use of the
public. The property was not yet entirely paid for, and
it was therefore no use getting plans for laying it out.
On the Dock Committee proceedings having been read,
Mr. BRAMLEY-MOORE said, in reply to Mr. Robinson, that
the Liverpool and Bury Railway Company in crossing the
street leading from the Borough Gaol to Regent-street,
would have to make the bridge at an elevation of 17 feet.
They would cross the dock estate with what was called a
" skew" bridge, and also a lift bridge.
The Courts of Law Committee recommended the Coun-
cil not to proceed with the erection of the organ for St.
George's Hall, as there was not sufficient time now to
erect it, and to postpone the building of it until the hall
was finished, when a better idea could be formed than
now of the size and power.of the instrument. Dr. Wes-
ley was requested to send in. his account for payment, and
a vote of thanks was passed to the professional gentlemen
who had kindly lent their services to the Council. Hr.
JAS. HOLME and Mr. SAMUEL HOLME made some obser-
vations as to the bad accommodation of the interior of
the Hall. The latter gentleman said he thought the 1.1..1e
had arrived when some practical man should interfere,
with reference to the ventilation of the hall. Hitherto it
had been a tissue of alterations, and Dr. Reid, with all
his tinkering, knew not what to do, and was not prepared
with any plan for ventilating the building. The whole of
the chimney flues had at one time to be abandoned and
blocked up again at great expense. Then immense sums
of money were expended in the excavations, cold air flues,
and mill wheels (loud laughter.) The whole edifice was a
thing of shreds and patches ; and now the architect was
making an enormous horizontal flue, into which the smoke
from every fire-place was to pass; and unless a proper
temperature could be arrived at throughout the building,
the whole thing would have to be taken down again.—Mr.
EARLE said he would never consent to pay £7OOO for, an
organ; and that subject was agreed to be postponed until
that day month.
The salary of Mr. Highton, the Governor of the
Borough Gaol, was increased from £350 to £450 per
annuls'.

The proceedings of the Health Committee recommended
Mr. James Newlands, of Edinburgh, as the most eligible
of the candidates for the situation of local surveyor. In
reply to Mr. J.B. Lloyd, Mr. LACE said that after Mr.
Newlands had been selected by the Committee unani-
mously, it was said that had Mr. Hawksley been aware of
the advertisement he would have offered his services.
Mr. J. B. LLOYD moved that the subject be referred
back, with instructions to ascertain whether Mr. Hawks-
ley's services could be obtained, and upon what terms.
Mr. HIGGINS seconded the motion. Mr. TINNE, Mr.
ROBERTSON, MR. TWINER, and Mr. AIKIN spoke of i
being very desirable to secure the eminent talents of Mr.
Hawksley, whilst Mr. H, HORNBY, Mr. PARKER, and
Mr. S. HOLME spoke of Mr. Newlands equally highly.
Mr. H. HORNBY said that for all practical purposes Mr.
Newlands was likely to be a more serviceable man than
Mr. Hawksley, and Mr. HoLmE said that if they now
gave the situation to the latter gentleman they would
brand Mr. Newlands with professional rejection. The
Council divided, and the proceedings of the Committee
were confirmed by a majority of 21 to 12. The appoint-
ment of Mr. Newlands is, therefore, confirmed.—ln reply
to Mr, Lloyd Mr. LACE said, that both as to the quantity
and quality of the water at Rivington Pike, the most sa-
tisfactory reports had been received. The water was
found of the very best description after an analization by
Dr. Lyon Playfair, and of the quantity there was an
equally good assurance. The Committee would be able
to show that they could supply the town, not only now,
but when it was twice the size it was at present, and at..a
cheaper rate.—Mr. TINNE : Yes, and when it is four
times the size.

The MAYOR acknowledged the receipt of several com-
munications relative to the distress at present prevailing
in Ireland, and said that there was no fund at the disposal
of the Council to be devoted to any such benevolent pur-
poses. He availed himself of that opportunity to state,
that if a town's meeting had not been called here by the
chief magistrate, the fault did not lie with him ; and he
stated this in order to purge himself from any little re-
proach to which he might have subjected himself, and to
tell numbers of his fellow townsmen who were waiting
for a public meeting, that it was not intended to call one,
and that they had better contribute liberally, in the ordi-
nary way. He was happy to say that the town of Liver-
pool had nobly responded already to the numerous appeals
made from the pulpits of the different churches and
chapels. (Hear, hear.)
Vr. S. HOLME then withdrew a motion of which he
had given notice, relating to the Irish mendicants who
have lately infested Liverpool.
After some further business, the MAYOR read a memo-
rial from the Licensed Victuallers, complaining of the
speeches at the former meeting of the Council, when they
made an application for the use of the Town-hall for the
purpose of a ball. His worship declared that he had said
nothing that could be offensive, nor had he heard any one
say anything in the Council which was offensive to the
association, at the time the memorial was entertained.
The TOWN-CLERK said lie had to lay before the coun-
cil a statement of claim for compensation made by Mr.
Deane, law-clerk to the late Highway Board. He claimed
an annuity of £1123 to be secured to him by bond, or a
gross sum of £ll,3o2.—(Sensation.)—The TOWN-CLERK
said in reply to Mr. Earle, that Mr. Deane's salary at the
Highway Board was £5OO, and that was a very small por-
tion of his emoluments. The claim was referred to the
Finance Committee.

• BIRKENHEAD COMMISSIONERS.
At the usual monthly meeting on Tuesday, a long con-
versation took place as to whether a letter received by the
chairman from Mr. Mallaby, and in which that gentleman
complained of some reflections, perhaps unintentional,
east upon him by the Gas and Water Committee, should
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Mr. COLE said, he was requested to ask whether it was
true, as stated in the Mercury of last Friday, that the
liabilities of the township exceeded the amount stated by
Mr. Briawnrigg, in his evidence before the government
commissioners.
Mr. BROWNRIGG replied that every statement made by
him was substantially correct: The bonds issued, includ-
ingevery liability, amounted to £366,367 155., showing
that the commissioners now could borrow £33,682., be-
fore they exhausted the £400,000 authorised by their act
of parliament. In proof of this the Finance Committee
had inserted an advertisement in the papers for loans of
money.
_

Mr. COLE had another question to ask, namely, whe-
ther the landed property included in Mr. Brownrigg's
financial statement before the government commissioners
had been valued at a higher or a lower rate than it was
valued in June last, when the present commissioners came
into office?

Mr. BROWNRIGG said it was valued considerably lower,
—£60,000 or £70,000 lower. than in June. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. TOWNSEND read a letter from Mr. Mallaby, in
which he begged respectfully to tender his resignation as
Law-clerk to the Board.

Mr. Wm. LAIRD, seconded by Mr. Wood, moved that
Mr. Mallaby's resignation be accepted.
Mr. PIKE moved, as an amendment, that he be requested
to reconsider his resignation, for, if persisted in, it would
be one of the greatest misfortunes which had ever hap-
pened to the Commissioners.
Mr. BRYANS expressed his regret, as also did Mr. PIM
and others of the members, that they were about to lose
the valuable services of so able and zealous a man. _

The motion submitted previously by Mr. Laird, and
seconded by Mr. Wood, was then worded as follows, and
was unanimously passed : " That Mr. Mallaby's resigna-
tion be accepted with regret, and that a committee be ap-
pointed to consider the duties of the future law-clerk, and
secure the services to this board of a professional agent
who will devote his time solely to their business, and who
will not, directly or indirectly, be interested for or with
other parties as a private practitioner,—the committee to
consist of the Chairmen of the Committees, Mr. Wood,
Mr. Thomson, and Mr. Berner, and that the Parliament-
ary Committee be requested to continue the services of
Mr. Mallaby for the present bill before parliament. •
The Board then adjourned ; but as the members were
leaving the room, Mr. PorrEn said,—" Gentlemen, I
shall beg you to appoint another chairman for your next
meeting ! "
A pause followed—all were taken by surprise—Mr.
Potter immediately left, and his observation was taken as
a resignation of his office of Chairman of. the Board.