The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1849-09-25 00:00:00

REPORT.

The claims under existiiiirconiracts entered into by the
Corporation, for constructing the new works authorised by the
Liverpool Corporation Watez works Act, 1847, are now accruing,
more especially the payment to the contractors for the iron
pipes, who have already delivered upwards of 3,000 tons of
pipes, and further quantities are being daily received. By the
terms of the contract the contractors are entitled to payment,
on certificate of the engineer of the delivery of pipes, by instal-
ments equal to three-fourths of the value of the pipes delivered,
within one month front the time of delivery, and some pay-
ments are now due, and others will rapidly follow, which it is
expected, for the honour and character of the Corporation,
should be regularly and promptly met.
The Comycil have been advised that the Corporate Estate, as
distinguished from the Borough fund, may be made liable at
law for non-performance of these contracts on the part of the
Corporation. Feeling that the Council would not desire to put
parties having just claims against the Corporation to the delay
and inconvenience of resorting to legal proceedings for the re-
covery of their demands, and which proceedings would ulti-
mately throw additional expense on the Corporate funds, your
committee recommend that application be made to the Lords
of the Treasury, under the provisions of the Municipal Cor-
porations Acts, to mortgage a portion of the lands, rents, and
hereditainents of the Corporation,and thereby raise a sufficient
sum to meet the demands under existing contracts and en-
gagements. This sum your committee estimate at £200,000,
and they recommend for adoption the memorial to the Lords
of the Treasury now submitted, praying for leave to mortgage
the Corporate Estate, for the purpose of raising that sum, in
order to meet these demands as they accrue due. Hafing
called upon Mr. Ashlin, thp treasurer of the water account, to
lay before them a statement of the position of that account,
your committee received from him a report, at the conclusion
of which is the following paragraph :
" I hope the committee vviir bear with me for a moment, to
crave their indulgence in submitting these accounts, which I
hope will be clear and intelligible, whilst 1 say tat my present
position is a very uncomfortable one, owing to my hands being
tied up by the Water Committee in the resolutions which they
passed•on Friday and Monday last, my only desire being to do
my duty faithfully to the Council, whose servant I have the
honour to be."

Upon referring to the resolutions named by Mr. Ashlin, your
committee find the following minutes recorded upon the pro-
ceedings of the Financial Committee of the Water Committee:—
" At a meeting of the Financial Sub-committee of the Water
Committee, held in the committee-room, Cornwallis-street, on
the 10th of September, 1849, present Messrs. Harbord, Bennett,
Beckwith, Hodson, Langsdale, and Wagstaff, Henry G. Har-
bord, Esq., in the chair. A letter from the town-clerk to the
chairman, with reference to his sanctioning payments on ac-
count of contracts for iron pipes fur the Rivington Works for
42050 Os. 9d., having been read, and which payments were
made from moneys advanced otherwise than in accordance with
the provisions of the Liverpool Corporation Waterworks Act,
184,7,

" itesolved,—That the treasurer be, and he is hereby directed
not to pay any moneys on account of the Rivington Works,
except such moneys have been first borrowed on bond, in ac-
cordance with the provisions of the Liverpool Water Works
Act, 1847.

"itteslved,—That the bankers, Messrs. Arthur Heywood,
Sons, and e requested not to honour any cheques on the
" Liverpool Co.,Vater account," except such as are signed (in con-
junction with the treasurer) by the chairman or some other of
the Water Committee, which at present consists of the follow-
ing members, viz.:—
" Mn. H. G. Harmon"), Chairman,
" WM. BENNETT, Deputy chairman,
"R. M. BECKWITH, I "THOS. L. HODSON,
'6 EDW. LANOSDALE, "THOS. WAGSTAFF,
and that the bankers be informed from time to time of any al-
terations that may be made in the names of the members of the
said committee."

And your committee find that, before the proceedings of that
sub-committee bad been submitted to the Water Committee or
sanctioned by the Council, a copy of the resolution relating to
the banking was forwarded by the chairman of the committee
to Messrs. A. Heywood, Sons, and Co., the bankers of the cor-
poration. Your committee t',ink it right that no time should
be lost in notifying to the council this extraordinary proceed-
ing. Your committee have been directed by the council to
carry out the recommendation of the report submitted to and
adopted by the council on the 29th August last, and it appears
that, on the appointment of your committee as a special com-
mittee for that purpose, the powers and duties of the Water
Committee became limited and confined to the management of
the existing works. Your committee therefore recommend
that the Council should recommend the Water Committee to
withdraw the notice which, without any authority from the
Council, they have given to the bankers of the corporation;
that the watercommitteeshould be further instructed to confine
their proceedings to the busipess arising from the carrying out
of the existing works, and that all business connected with the
prosecution of the new works, including the raising of the ne-
cessary funds, and giving orders for the payment of moneys on
that account, should be transacted by their committee. Your
committee are advised by the treasurer that there would be no
practical difficulty or inconvenience in separating the accounts,
so as to show a new works account and an existing works ac-
count, both accounts at the end of the financial year, be-
ing brought into one general account, as directed by the act of
Parliament, and your committee recommend that they be au-
thorised to instruct the treasurer accordingly.
[Signed) G. H. LAWRENCE.
A memorial from the Vestry of the parish of Liverpool,
signed Richard Harbord, praying that the Council would
not pursue the course recommended by the special com-
mittee was then read, after which, •
Mr. HARBORD suggested that as a case had been sub-
mitted to counsel for opinion, as that opinion had been
received, and as the special committee professed to be
guided by the opinion so received, that the opinion should
be read before any further proceedings were gone into.
THE MAYOR.—That case has already been before the
Council ; but if you wish to have it read it shall be done.
Mr. HARBORD.—The case I allude to never was before
the Council at all.

Mr. HORNBY submitted that they should hear the
chairman of the committee in confirmation of the pro-
ceedings first, and if Mr. Harbord wished to have any-
thing read, he might have it done afterwards.
Mr. HARBORD observed that his reason for asking that
the opinion might be read was because it differed
materially from the report of the Special Committee,
although the committee professed to be guided by its
opinion. _ _

The matter then dropped.
Mr. G. H. LAWRENCE then rose to move the confirma-
tion of the report. He said that in rising to move the
confirmation of the report, he was constrained to express
his deep regret at the absence of Mr. Bolt, the chairman
of the Water Committee, in whose hands the subject
would have been much more ably handled than in his :
nevertheless, lie did not shink from the duty which had
devolved upon him. The report in question stated, in as
clear and comprehensive a manner as possible, the nature
of the recommendation which it was their duty to submit
to the Council that day. It proposed to mortgage, for a
time, the estate of the Corporation for the purpose of ena-
.bling them to meet the engagements of the Water Com-
mittee—engagements which they were at present unable
to fulfil. That was their object to day ; and he hoped
that their deliberations would be confined to that object
alone, and that they would not wander into the discussion
of other subjects. He did not ask the Council to go into
the Rivingtou scheme. He did not consider that that
was the question in dispute ; neither did he consider that
the admissibility or the non-admissibility of the contracts
formed the subject matter of their present meeting. The
object of the present meeting was to consider whether
there was any other course to be token than the one pro-
posed, by which they could honourably and fairly meet
their engagements. As men of business,asmen of honour,
honesty, and integrity, he hoped that they would not
shrink from meeting this difficulty, and, as honourable
men, he saw no other course open to them than the one
now proposed. There was no doubt but that money
amounting to £200,000 was either due or would soon be
due.
Mr. HARBORD. —No, no .

Mr. G. H. LAWRENCE.—The money if not due now
would soon be due, and must be paid. (Hear, hear.)
They might now refuse to pay this money; they might
cramp the energies of the committee; they might damage
the character of the Corporation ; they might drive the
contractors to bankruptcy and ruin ;—but in any court of
law they could not withstand the honest and just claim of
these men. It was his opinion that where difficulties like
the present occurred, it was their duty to meet them
boldly and firmly ; and pursuing the course which he now
recommended, he begged to state that he was not advo-
cating any new doctrine, for when this subject came first
before the Council, and when the Water Committee found
themselves unable to meet their engagements, he took a
course nearly similar to the present, for he recommended
that their payment should be referred to the Finance Com-
mittee. Mr. Allen's account had been paid, and he con-
tended that there was no difference between the claims of
Mr. Allen and those of the people who were now im-
portunate for their money.
Mr. HARBORD.—Decidedly there is.
Mr. G. H. LAWRENCE contended that there was no
difference between the two classes of accounts ; they were
both to be paid for out of the monies to be raised under
the water act. He would ask if it was likely that parties
at a distance who were supplying them with pipes, cared
whether those pipes were for Castle-street or Rivington.
They were all got under the water act, and it was the
same to those parties if the Council used the pipes for
either place. In endeavouring to have these matters
settled, and in having every. proper claim paid, it was
the desire of the committee to act honestly, and fulfill
their duties faithfully as Town Councillors. He had ever
regretted that they should be compelled to impose new
burthens upon the Corporate Estate ; but in this case it
was unavoidable. They knew that the expenses of the
town were provided for out of the rates and rentals of the
town property, instead of out of the Corporate Estate ;
but on an occasion of emergency like the present, were
such things to stand in the way to prevent them from
doing that which was just and honest ? He thought not;
for he had too much confidence in the Council, as men of
honour, and as men of business, to expect that they would
do so. He would ask them, as men of business; and as
merchants of Liverpool, as members of the Town Council,
and as tradesmen, to take the case of these men (the
contractors) into consideration, and in that spirit of
manly integrity which ever characterised their actions, to
pay these men their just demands, and not compel them to
resort to legal measures for the recovery of their own.
(Hear, hear.) He would put the case to them in another
form—suppose these contracts had been taken up by men
in Liverpool instead of Glasgow ; if this money was to be
divickdamongst the manutacturers of their own town, and

spread amongst their own artisans,—and if the same course
was attempted to be pursued they would be goaded into
the payment long since. (Hear, hear.) Let them weigh
the matter well, and see if they could refuse if that were
the case. They had been told that if this course should
be adopted the bondholders would be ruined ; but he
could assure the bondholders that they had no business to
be afraid. What was the position of the bondholders ?
They possessed the security of the corporate estate, worth
nearly £7,000,000, whilst their bonds debts did not, after
deducting the amount due by the dock trust, amount to
more than £600.000. What was the security ? Let them
look at the vast estates of the corporation, and where
would they find such security ? But, after all, the real
sheet anchor of the bondholders was, in being able to come
upon the property of every individual, to make good a
deficiency, should such ever occur, by means of a borough
rate. (" Hear, hear," from Mr: Harbord.) In reality,
however, the bondholders were not alarmed ; they were
much more likely to be alarmed by any breach of faith on
the part of this council, and by the statements which were
put forth respecting the water account. He did not
pretend to say that the committee which he represented
were infallible ; they might be wrong—they believed
themselves to be right—but even if wrong, there was still
the right of appeal against them ; for they could not take
one farthing of this money from their corporate estate,
without applying to the Lords of the Treasury for permis-
sion to do so. He had no doubt but that when this appeal
was made to the Lords of the Treasury, it would be met in
the same way that all such applications were met by that
board, If, on that application being made, the Lords of
the Treasury thought they were wrong, why they would
submit to the decision with goodwill, but if they thought
that the committee were right—as he believed would be
the case—then he had no hesitation in saying that they
would be enabled to do a great deal of good. (Hear,
hear.) In asking for the confirmation of this proposal
they were not asking the Council to do that which would
fix the Council in any new projects; they were not going
to do anything further in consequence of this with the
Rivington project; they were merely asking leave to do
that which was honest, fair, and proper; and, therefore,
with these feelings he begged leave to move the first reso-
lution, as follows :

That the report, so far as it recommends that application be
made to the Lords Commissioners of her Majesty's Treasury
for permission to mortgage a portion of the lands, rents, and
hereditaments of the body corporate sufficient to raise a sum
or sums of money not exceeding in the whole the sum of
£200,000, to meet the payments due, and to accrue due, under
existing obligations entered into by, and on the part of, the
Mayor, Aldermen, and Burgesses, in respect of the act called
" The Liverpool Corporation lVaterworks Act, 1847," or other-
wise, in securing the interest upon such sum or sums of money,
if borrowed under the power and provisions of the said act as
counsel may advise; and that the following memorial to the
said Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, showing the posi-
tion and wishes of the Council, be sealed with the common seal
and transmitted to their lordships by the Mayor, and that no-
tice of the intention of the Council to make such application be
forthwith given, as required by law.

The MAYOR.—The Town-Clerk might as well read the
memorial on the subject to the Lords of the Treasury.
Alderman PROCTOR.—I think it right to ask if there
are any other resolutions on the subject than the one now
proposed ?
Mr. G. 11. LAWRENCE.—They are so small and insig-
nificant that it is not worth referring to them.
Mr. PROCTOR.—They are not too small, nor yet too
insignificant for us to understand.
Mr. G. H. LAWRENCE.—Then read the whole of the
resolutions, which were subsequently proposed seriatim.
Mr. HARBORD asked if it was not the usual course first
to move the adoption of the report, and then to move
certain resolutions upon it ?

Mr. HORNBY.—eertainly. He wished to ask the Town-
Clerk if the objects of the resolutions would not be gained
by simply moving that the report be adopted ?
The TOWN-CLERK.—Yes, except that the memorial
must appear upon the minutes of the Council.
Alderman HORSFALL observed, that if the Council
adopted the report they adopted everything, and there was
no necessity for any resolution whatsoever.
Mr. G. H. LAWRENCE then acquiesced in the sugges-
tion of Mr. Horsfall.

The MAYOR then, for the information of the Council,
read the resolutions which were to follow, of which the
subjoined is a copy :
That the Water committee be instructed to withdraw the
notice which, without any authority from this Council, has been
given to Messrs. Arthur Heywood, Sons and Co., the bankers
of the Corporation, as recorded on the minutes of the pro-
ceedings of the Finance Sub• Committee of the Water Com-
mittee, under date the 14th day of September instant, and set
forth in the above report; and that the Mayor be requested
also, to send a copy of this resolution to Messrs. Heywood and
Company.
That it be an instruction tithe Water Committee to confine
their proceedings to the business arising from the carrying out
of the existing waterworks, including the giving orders for the
payment of money on that account, and that they be not
authorised to take into consideration or deal with any matter
relating to the new works authorised to be constructed by the
said act, called " The Liverpool Corporation Waterworks Act,
1847."

That all matters connected with the prosecution of such new
works, be referred to and managed by the Special Committee
appointed to carry into effect the report presented to this
Council on the 29th day of August last, and that such com-
mittee be authorised and empowered to give orders for the pay-
ment of money on account of such new works.
After some further discussion,
The TOWN CLERK read the memorial, which stated
that the Special Water Committee could not raise the
monies necessary to meet existing contracts and carry on
the works -of the Water Act of 1847 ; that they had no
power to appropriate any portion of the borough fund to
that purpose, but that they were advised that the necessary
funds might be borrowed on the security of the corporate
estate. as distinguished from the borough fund, and prayed
that they might be allowed powers to borrow upon that
security the sum of £20,000.
Mr. HARBORD. during the reading of this part of the
memorial, rose and said that he did not know whether he
was in order now, but really the matter involved in the
report and the memorial were of so much importance that
he felt that the two or three days which they had to con-
sider them were not sufficient for that purpose. He would
therefore move that the Council should adjourn for a
week.

The MAYOR.—You cannot now do so till after the
memorial is read.

Mr. BRISCOE.—This takes precedence of everything.
The MAYOR.—Yes, but the reading of a document
takes precedence of all, when once it is commenced to be
read.

The reading of the memorial was then concluded ; after
which

Mr. HARBORD put his motion formally.
Mr. JOHNSON felt great pleasure in seconding the
motion of Mr. Harbord.

Mr. S. HOLME said, that if they could adjourn the
claims of hunger as preferred by the wives of the workmen
of such men as Stewart and Stevenson ; and if Mr.
Stewart could get out of the difficulties in which this delay
was placing him, he would vote for an adjournment ; but
as the case admitted of no delay, he would not Tote for an
adjournment.
The vote was then taken, when there were
For the adjournment
Against it ... 22

Majority.... 6
The following gentlemen voted for the adjournment:—
Councillors E. Langsdale, W. Walthew, J. Woodruff,
J. Thompson, W. Preston, T. L. Hodson, J. Briscoe,
H. G. Harbord, J. Rogers, J. Johnson, W. Bennett,
W. P. Freme, R. M. Beckwith, E. C. Hindley ; Aldermen
John Holmes, John Bent. Against it—Councillors J. G.
Morris, T. Littledale, J. Aikin, H. Hornby, D. Bell,
Thomas Rimmer, S. Holme. J. A. Tobin, T. Kaye, G. H.
Lawrence, W. Watson, R. Benn, W. Mann, W. Fisher ;
Aldermen tl. Swainson, T. B. Horsfall, J. Cooper, J. N.
Wood, J. Procter, E. Molyneux, T. Chilton, The Mayor.
Mr. COOPER then seconded the motion of Mr. Law-
rence.

Mr. TnomsoN asked what portion of the £480,000 had
been borrowed ?
Mr. MORILIS.—About £30,000.
Mr. TnomsoN:—And the old water company would
have got £200,000 readily ?
Mr. S. HoLME.—Certainly.
Mr. G. H. LAWRENCE.—The amount borrowed is
£30,844 14s. is.

1 %Mr. HARBORD.—AIIow me to say that that is a fallacy
altogether.

Mr. TuosisoN was of opinion that if the question had
been more calmly gone into from the beginning, the
money could easily have been borrowed. (Hear, hear.)
At the same time he knew that he had not met a single
man in Liverpool—whether he was in favour of the Pike
or against it—but who was decidedly against mortgaging
the Corporate estate in furtherance of that scheme. He
feared that the Corporation were going on at a ruinous rate
throwing away their money, and that they would yet
suffer for it. A great deal had been said about throwing
some members of the Council out at the next election.
Now he was always opposed to having paid servants, but
really if they were to have an election he should like to
see Mr. Bally (the phrenologist) engaged by the Corpora-
tion to examine the heads of their incoming members.
(Hear, hear, and laughter. t He was against a borough
rate in toto, and the late Mr. Aspinall was always against
it. For these reasons he would therefore move that that
part of the report which was embraced in Mr. Lawrence's
motion be not adopted.
Mr. Alderman PROCTOR said he had an amendment to
propose, which would include that of Mr. Thompson, and,
perhaps, it might be as well if he were now to do so. To
shew that he was desirous of avoiding all personal alter-
cation in the matter, he would at once state that he would
not enter into the question of the Rivington Pike at all.
He would, however, say that the burgesses of Liverpool
were the owners of the corporate estate ; and he begged
to say that it was against all the principles of justice that
any man should be taxed, or that his property should be
taxed, without first consulting hinrelf. He then moved
an amendment to the effect, that in order to give the
burgesses an opportunity of expressing their opinion on
this matter, that the further discussion of the report be
adjourned for a month.
Mr. WALTELEW seconded the amendment.
Mr. HARBORD (who was labouring under severe indis-
position) rose to support the amendment. He did so on
a variety of grounds. There were many grounds of objec-
tion to the course now proposed by the Special Committee.
His chief objection, however, was, that after having got
the best of legal opinion before them they were about to
act in direct opposition to that opinion—an opinion which
they affected to regard very much, Before saying more
he begged to have the opinion of Messrs. Rolt and Hen-
derson read, and probably the Town-Clerk would state
the viva voce case which had been submitted to these
counsel.

The TOWN-CLERK said that he saw Mr. Henderson
first, and he stated to him that the contractors were now
delivering the pipes ; that they had received the certificates
of the engineer, and that the parties were coming for pay-
ment. He (the Town-Clerk) then submitted the former
opinion of counsel, and wished to know if the cor-
porate estate as distinguished from the borough fund
might not be used for the purpose of paying the demands.

He then read the opinion, which stated that the corpor at
estate might be pledged as a collateral security for th
interest of the money only.
Mr. HARBORD continued to observe, that it would be
seen that the proposition to mortgage the corporate estate
for £200,000 was at variance with the declared opinion of
counsel, who decidedly recommended that the corporate
estate should be given as a collateral security for the
interest only of the £200,000.

The TowN CLERK.—So the memorial says.
Mr. HARBORD.—Then the memorial as different from
the motion on the notice-paper.
Mr. HORNBY.--The one is the same as the other,
Mr. FREME.—It is very wrong that Mr. Harbord should
be interrupted in that way.

Mr. HoltNay.—This is a question of law, and it must
be set right.
The MAYOR.—It is a question of law, and when that is
settled, and when Mr. Harbord resumes his speech he
shall not be interrupted.
Mr. HARBORD contended that the recommendation was
at variance with the opinion of the gentlemen who had
been consulted on the subject—to say nothing of the
unconstitutional nature of the proceeding. Mr. Lawrence
had informed them that £200,000 were due, or were about
to be due. He (Mr. H.) begged to say that there was
nothing before the Council by which they were made
aware that such was the case—that such a sum was due,
or anything like it. He very much doubted whether the
contracts were validly executed, and whether these sums
could be forced from them. A short time since the Town
Clerk told them that they could not get money from any
source to meet these liabilities, and yet he now told the
men whom he supposed to be in power that they could raise
the sum of £200,000 on the credit of the corporate estate.
Mr. Lawrence told them that it would be a hardship to
subject the contractors to the trouble of a legal decision
before they got their money, but he still felt convinced
that this was the proper course, and the course which
would have been taken had not the contractors been
hoodwinked in this matter. (Here.) He should like to
have it stated by the Town Clerk whether the usual
month's notice—the same as when the sale of any land
is made by the Corporation, would apply in this case, and
if that notice would have to be fixed on the Town-hall ?

The TOWN CLERlC.—Certainly, if this is adopted.
Mr. HARBORD continued : Mr. Lawrence had dwelt a
great deal upon the security of the bondholders. He
(Mr. H.) supposed that he had overcome the scruples of
his friend Mr. J. B. Lloyd, on this subject, and that Mr.
Lloyd was now of opinion that the Corporation-estate
might be safely.pleclged without at all injuring the secu-
rity of the bondholders. Here Mr. Harbord appeared
much exhausted, and having stated that he was unable,
through indisposition, to speak further, he resumed his
seat.

The TOWN-CLERK explained that he had advised the
Water Committee and the Council that they could not
touch the Borough Fund, for the purposes of the Water
Act ; but he had never said that the Corporation-estate
might not be pledged for that purpose.
Mr. HORNBY confessed that he had listened with great
curiosity to the remarks made by Mr. Harbord, for he
was at a loss to know what objection he could have to the
proposal now brought before the Council. The Special
Committee had been charged with indecent haste in bring-
ing this matter before the Council; and it had been said
that they had shewn an utter disregard of the opinions of
the people of Liverpool ; and they were about to engage
the Council in contracts which would very much compro-
mise the people, in the event of the Rivington scheme
being abandoned. No charge could be more unfounded,
and they must have been made in utter ignorance, both
of the report and the resolutions there before them. In
point of fact the Committee had entered into no new en-
gagement, although the vote of the Council authorized
their doing so. They had been induced to adopt this
course, not only in deference to the voice of public opinion,
but they thought it wise not to engage the Council in any
new liabilities till they had the means of meeting those
which the Council were now legally bound to provide for.
Some of these payments were actually due, and it was only
in consequence of the forbearance of the parties—a for-
bearance granted on the assurance of the committee, that
every means would be taken by the committee to pay
their just debts—that the council was not even now ex-
posed to the disgrace and ignominy of being sued in a
court of justice for the payment of money, against which
they could not set up even a shadow of a plea. All they
asked for was, that the Council would give them leave to
ask the Lords of the Treasury for powers to meet their
present engagements; not one penny of which would be
taken to enter into new engagements ; not one penny of
which would be taken to further the Rivington Pike
scheme, except so far as their present contracts ; and un-
less this was done it would be a serious losi to the corpo-
.ration. Unless this was done they would be brought into
' discredit in every part of the country. It was no later
than Saturday last that one of the parties to whom money
was due came before the committee, and stated that he
was willing to wait till the result of this Council was
known ; but in the event of that result not being favour-
able, he would feel bound to proceed against the corpora-
tion. He really could not believe that the members of
the Council and the town of Liverpool could be guilty of
placing the Corporation in so unworthy a position. For
these reasons he hoped the Council would adopt the
report. After a few words of explanation with regard to
the signing of the contracts in the month of October, and
on the first of last November, Mr. Hornby concluded.
Mr. J. B. LLOYD supported the adoption of the report
as the only means of meeting their difficulties and putting
an end to the strife on this question.
Alderman HORSFALL thought that some little conside-
ration was due to the members of the special committee,
whom the council had supported. He wasreluctantly named
as a member of that committee. He did not seek for the
task, but still he felt that a duty was imposed upon him by
the council, and he undertook it. What they asked them
to do was not to pay one farthing which they had con-
tracted but to pay that which they themselves had con-
tracted—contracts unanimously agreed to by the council.
Mr. Harbord was present when contracts to the amount
of £170,000 were confirmed, and the only comment made
by any member of the council was made by Mr. Higgins,
then a member of the council, who said that the contracts
were exceedingly low. He appealed to them as gentle-
men, as merchants, as tradesmen, and as honest men, to
sanction the report before them, and pay their debts,
which could be forced from them in any court in the
kingdom. They might depend upon it if they did not pay
this money the very chairs upon which they were sitting
might be taken from them, even in the council chamber.
Mr. AIKIN called attention to the fact, that an ad-
journment of one week had already been negatived, and
consequently he did not now expect that the Council
would sanction an adjournment for a month. He con-
tended they would gain nothing by refusing to approve of
the report, for eventually they would be obliged to pay
the men the money, and that with all the additional ex-
penses attendant upon its recovery ; besides, in taking
such a course they would lose that which they never could
redeem—the character of the Council of Liverpool. If
this repudiation course was followed, the Council would
be stamped with disgrace. He begged and entreated them
not to delay the payment of this money one moment.
The Chairman of the Water Committee repeatedly stated
in his place in the Couucil, that no man in his senses
would lend money on this water account. Now when this
had been the case, and when every means were taken to
injure the credit of the Council, how could they be sur-
prised that such a course as the present was necessary to
remedy the injury which had been sustained through the
statements of the Chairman of the Water Committee. He
trusted, as they knew that they could not raise the neces-
sary money by any other means, that they would allow
them to take the only course which would enable them to
meet their engagements as men of honour should do.
Mr. FISHER briefly supported the adoption of the re-
port.
Mr. Berereerr could not allow the observations of Mr.
Aikin to pass unnoticed. Mr. Harbord, as chairman of
the water committee, was the first member of that Council
to take the true view of the affairs of the water commit-
tee. He took the view which neither Mr. Aikin nor any
member of the Council took of the water acceunt, when
he proclaimed in this Council that that account could do
no more than meet the current expenses of the works.
They were now asked for £200,000. For what ? To
carry out the beginning of the Rivington Pike scheme.
He, however, would ask where the next and the next
£200,000 was to come from. Would any man be so mad,
if this proposal were acceded to, as to tell them that ever
the water account could increase so as to pay an addi-
tional £lO,OOO a year—the net interest on £200.000. Yet
they had been told that this act was to be self-sustaining.
On the 15th of last August Mr. Lace told them that they
would save £15,000 by the stoppage of the present en-
gines ; yet now they were told that it was not the inten-
tion of the committee to stop tle whole of the engines,
and consequently this estimated saving would be propor-
tionably decreased, so that if, in addition to their expenses
for Rivington, they had to maintain their present engines,
their deficiency of income would be materially increased.
(Hear, hear.) It was most flattering to Mr. Harboard
that he foresaw that which had since occurred, namely,
that the water rental was stretched to its utmost limit,
and he alone had the manliness to bring it before the
Council. Here was a report, which was unanimously
carried.

Mr. Cooper.—Who carried it ?
Mr. HARBORD.—The Council.
Mr. COOPER.—Not at all ; I never carried it. (A
laugh.)
Mr. BENNETT, in conclusion, observed that he would
vote for the amendment, in the hope that some more
speedy means would be adopted for the payment of this
money. Rather than pledge the corporate.estate,—rather
than do that which Mr. Lawrence was so shocked at when
the St. George's Hall business was before them, he would
appeal to the rate-payers, who he had no doubt would on
all occasions do that which was fair and honest. He
would hiinself consent to pay a pro rata tax for the pur-
pose of paying their just demands, rather than one penny
of the corporate estate should be touched.
Mr. PARKER, although not in Liverpool, expected from
what he had read of the recent public meeting that they
wonld have a special council, and therefore he had come
to be present to record his vote. He found that Mr.
Holme and the ex-members of the Water Committee
were present on that occasion, and after the defeat he had
there experienced he certainly thought he would have
found him retracting his errors.
The MAYOR begged to remind Mr. Parker that they
were•not discussing the proceedings of any public meeting.
Mr. FREME.—Really, Mr. Mayor, we must have a fair
latitude for discussion.

Mr. PARKER was aware that they were not discussing—
The MAYOR.—But I will not allow Mr. Frame to say
that Ido not give a fair latitude for discussion. I will
not allow that public meeting nor the Rivington Pike
project to be discussed upon this occasion.
Mr. FREME here made some observations which were
inaudible.

Mr. PARKER observed that as Mr. Holme had appealed
to the opinion of the public, and as that appeal had been
decided against him, he (Mr. P.) really expected to have
seen him in the Council that day bowing to that opinion