The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-08-05 00:00:00

TOWN COUNCii,

ESTABLISHING A N OBSERVATORY.

Mr. Councillor HOPE then proposed that the committee should
consist of fice.

The resolution, appointing a special committee on the sub-
ject, and nominating Messrs. Brown, Carson, Atikin, .Hope,
and lloskell, was then carried.

THE SESSIONS.
The MA Yon said that he had taken the opportunity of commu-
nicating with the Recorder after the last sessions on the propriety
of holding the sessions more frequently. He had expressed his
concurrence to hold two intermediate sessions, one in October
and the other in January, which he was of opinion would be
sufficient.

BRITISH ASSOCIATION.
The MAYOR said he had intimated that he thought it would
be desirable to send an invitation to the British Association for
the advancement of science to hold their annual meeting at Li-
verpool the next year. He had received a communication from
the Literary and Philosophical Society of the town, stating their
wish that the invitation should go from them. He had had a
resolution prepared on the subject ;—" That a respectable ap-
plication, in the name of the Mayor, be sent to the British As-
sociation, in4iting that body to hold their annual meeting at
Liverpool, and that the rooms of the Town-hall be offered for
their accommodation." It was desirable that the invitation
should be sent immediately.
'Councillor Dr. CARSON moved the adoption of the resolution.
The Town-hall would do for the meetings of the society, and
the Theatres, or the Mechanics' Institute, might be obtained
for the admission of the public. The society met, on the 22d,
at Bristol. As a member of it he should be very glad to sup-
port the invitation now given by the Mayor.
Mr. Councillor BLACKBURN suggested that the society's meet-
ings should not be held during the assizes.
Mr. Alderman BROWN seconded the resolution, which was
unanimously adopted.

THE BOROUGH GAOL.
The MAYOR said he had received a letter from Mr. Fox
Maule, the Secretary to Lord Russel, on the subject of
the enlargement of the borough gaol.—The letter was then read.
It stated that it appeared to Lord John Russell that the most
desirable course was to erect a new gaol. Referred to the gaol
committee to report-on the whole subject to the'council.
The MAYOR said, connected with this subject, he was very
sorry to have to announce to the council the death of a very
valuable officer, Mr. NeighbOur, whose death had certainly been
caused by the increased duties and anxiety of his office. This
subject would, however, come on on a future day.
A petition was read, presented by Mr. Egerton Smith, from
the inhabitants of t'ool-lane, complaining of the delay, and con-
sequent inconvenience and loss, in the completion of the im-
provements in Poal=lane.
Mr. Councillor HOPE proposed that it should be referred to
the improvement committee. As a member of that committee
he took the liberty of saying that the progress of the alterations
could net be accelerated.
Mr. Councillor E. SiniTa seconded the motion, and recom-
mended that the street should be called by some other name
than Castle-street, as the inhabitants were dissatisfied with the
name as not sufficiently distinctive.
The MAYOR recommended South Castle-street to the notice
of the committee.—Resolution agreed to.
FINANCE COMMITTEE.

The report recommended that no further proceedings should
he taken relative to a pier at Toxteth-park until Captain Den-
ham had been communicated with.
That notice be given to the occupiers of all slaughter-houses
to remove to the slaughter-houses lately erected' by Mr. John
Etches, which had been inspected and approved of'-
Resolved, that no further payment be made to the, Reverend
Thomas Moss, the lecturer of Bt. John's, as the section of the
municipal act did not authorise the engagement of more than
one lecturer; on which section counsel's opinion had been
taken.
Rcsolved, that counsels' opinion be taken on payment of the
salary of the Rev. Mr. Formby, one of the ministers of St.
That the petition of the inhabitants of Wallasey, on the sub
ject of the removal of the Magazines, cannot be entertained.
A further report of the committee resolved, that the minister
of St. Paul'sand the lecturer of St. John's be paid, but under an
arrangement, that the amount be refunded front the endow-
ment.

The MAYOR inquired if the report should be confirmed ?
Mr. Councillor RATH BONE wished to make a few remarks on
the memorial of the inhabitants of Wallasey, He would move
that that part of the report relating to the Powder .Magazines
should not be confirmed. It appeared to him a very serious
subject. The report of Lieutenant Robinson on these maga-
zines did not appear to him to be sufficiently distinctive on a
subject where life was concerned. The report spoke of the re-
sults of an explosion being more of conjecture than of cer-
tainty. More of conjecture where life was concerned ! With
respect to Liverpool, Lieutenant Robinson said, " I do not
conceive that any material injury can, by an explosion, accrue
to the town of Liverpool; but I do not thereby mean to assert
that the site is wholly unobjectionable." In that report not
one word was said of the inhabitants of Wallasey ; it was com-
pletely silent as to what would be the effect of an explosion
there. He had heard that sparks from the steam-vessels had
flown very near the place, and steam-boats were continually
passing at the time they were discharging the powder. He felt
no doubt in saying, that the lives of ninny depended upon their
decision. At the present time a very large expense was going
on in altering the magazines, which he suggested should be put
a stop to till-some further information on the subject bad been
obtained. There were at present 500 people within a quarter of
a mile of the place, and if an explosion were to occcur, it would
not do for them to !say " whose fault is it ? if we could
have foreseen this accident we would have prevented it." It
was their duty to see that the magazines were placed in a differ-
ent situation to what they at present were. He would therefore
move that this part of the report be refe,Fed back to a com-
mittee.

Mr. Councillor E. Siairit 'said he understood that objections
had been raised to the removal of the depot to Ililbre Island,
owing to its difficulty of access. He could not understand in
what way. Ile believed there was 26 feet of water close in
' shore at one side of the island. Owing to these magazines the
property in the neighbourhood was very much deteriorated. A
prop.osition had been made some time ago for converting the
building now used as the Liscarti Hotel into a school, but it
was found impracticable, owing to the obections of the parents
to send their children into the neighbourhood of the magazines.
The finance committee thought that fire proof ceilings would
lessen the danger. He thought there were great objections to
going to any expense whatever on the present building, because
he was convinced that in a very short time they must remove it
when the population became very dense. Every day it was in-
creasing, and therefore the would only have to undo what
they were at present doing. 'lt was not in the buildingitself
that the danger was so great, but in the transfer of powder.
The powder was carried within a very few yards past the hotel
door and on the public road; and there was a danger which
they could not guard against, and that was lightning. He hail
been at the trouble some ime ago to ascertain the effect of
various explosions which ha taken place in the country, and he
had found that in' many i tances they had originated from
lightning. Some time ago the Liscard *Hotel had taken fire.
and .it was important to remark, that several sailors who were
there—rough fellows—were so alarmed at the danger that they
ran away. There were 20 houses now where there was one at
that time, and in a,short time there would be a hundred where
there was now one, and the danger of fire would be consequently
much greater, and if ever one did occur, all would run away to
.save themselves. He knew that during a storm of lightning,
the greatest dismay existed amongsyhe inhabitants there. He
Was entirely of Mr. Rathbone's opt*. that they should pause.
Councillor Dr. CARSON agreed wiTh Mr. Rathbone with re-
apect to the report of the engineer, that it was exceedingly de-
fective. Explanations were given of the effects to be expected
(firom omthe impulse given to the surrounding atmosphere, but the
a nger to be apprehended from that was not so great as the con.
.t,r:li.ction of the :itraoqphere which would follow, which was,not
would
uld scatteredn ot be i
sna
feel! il,
, l.irled.to at all if any Of these magazines *ere to explode,
ilrie; ti
conceivedo n li k e
that can canon Particularly as they wctre confined, the materials around would
iayse rt po oboe)
apprehended, not only to the•rel:tllls' dangera 'l4w
slapping, but to Liverpco

The council hekl its quarterly meetit4,, on Wolnesday.
The Di purr TowN-CLERK read over the minutes of the lase
me_etit4r ; after which,

The lifavoitsaid.ii had occurre I to the town-elerk and him-
' self that before reading over the committee reports the general
business should be gut through.
The first was an application- from Mr. MattlieW,Tavlor, ap-
plying for some situation in the Court of Requests.—Referred
to the (kind of Requests' Committee.
A letter was read from the Rev. Rector Campbell, acknow-
ledging an application fur the money in the Savings' Bank
belonging the corporation schools, that it should be paid over to
the treasurer. The letter went on to state that it should be so
paid as soon as they could get it out of the bank, and should
have been paid, as a matter of course, after the application of
the Mayor, now that the connexion of the rectors with the'
.schools was dissolved.

The MAYOR announced that it would be paid on Friday (this
day.)
__

An application was made from the minister, wardens, and
congregation of Great George-street Chapel, praying that the
rooms under the chapel might be allowed to be appropriated to
the purposes of a school, to educate children of all denominations.
Mr, Alderman 'BROWN begged to move that the petition be
granted. It had been opposed on the ground that it would be
an injury to the property in the neighbourhood. He did not
think it would be of the slightest injury.
Mr. Alderman But.LEY seconded the motion. He also had
property there, and did not think it would he injured by it.
Mr. MORECROFT and Mr. I3ouroN made similar remarks.—
Granted.

• The Mayon said the next was a letter firom Mr. Wm. Lassei,
, jun., on a very important subject---the establishment of an
observatory. The letter was then read by the deputy town-
clerk. The letter commented on the propriety of erecting an
observatory in Liverpool, which had been generally acknow-
ledged. It bad been thought that it would require a-very large
sum of money, but which would not be the case. Having An
observatory would be tne means of enabling mariners to correct
their timepieces and chronometers, which was very important to
. them. This might be dune without much expense, by erecting
a ball five minutes before mid-day, and letting it fall at the mo-
ment of mid-day. Chronometers might be sent to the observa-
tory for correction, the charge to go to the support of the obser-
vatory. An outline of the plan of the building was then given.
The total expense of the instruments necessary for it would not
exceed £169. A small annual expense would be incurred in
keeping the building in repair, in addition to the salary of the
astronomer. The greatest desideratum would be to obtain a
clever and rather enthusiastic person to place in it, as much
might be-done.by such a person, even with indifferent instru-
ments. (Applause.)
Mr. Councillor HOPE felt much pleasure in bearing his testi,
trimly to the abilities and talents of Mr. Lassel to his:gerieral
good sense, as well as to his high astronomical attaininints,:and
his full competency to give en tion on the subjeet.., Mr.
Horsfall was aware that he (Mr. Hype) had taken some trouble
in introducing the subject to the preceding council, and' he was
gratified in stating that it had met with theirapprobation. No-
thing had however been done ; and bethought it was a discredit
to the port, soluiportant a one as it was, to be without an obser-
vatory. :lie presumed there would be no.difference at all in the
opinion of the propriety of establishing one if they had funds.
The funds Were shown by Mr. Lassel'S remarks to be by no
means so large as it was thought would be required. He should
be extremely glad if a committee should be appointed to see if
the object could not be attained by a support from their own
funds. He would move that it be referred to a special committee.
Councillor Dr. CARSON seconded the motion. lie bore testi-
mony to the high qualifications of Mr. Lassel to give an opinion
upon the subject. The Literary and Philosophical Society
would be very happy to co-operate and assist in its erection, and
also to contribute towards the funds for the object.
The MAYOR said he believed there was no difference of
opinion on the propriety of having such an establishment if it
could be done. With respect tP., its being kept up when once it
was established, he-imagined the charge of regulating chrono-
meters would defray it. He had, on a previous occasion, ob-
served that there was not-an observatory between Greenwich
and Glasgow. A memorial, numerously signed, had gone from
the merchants of the town to parliament, begging a clause to
be introduced into the dock bill on the subject. That bill had,
however, been-lost.