The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-12-23 00:00:00

111 IIVERPOOL STANDARD.

TOWN-COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS.

A special meeting of the Town Council was held on Tuesday
last, at eleven o'clock.
FIRE-POLICE RATE.
The MAYOR signified to the Council, that the first subject
which would demand their attention, was the institution of a

Fire-police rate.
The TOWN CLERK said that the 55th section of the act 7 Geo.
4, passed in 1826, gave power to establish a Fire-police in this
town, which was vested in the Commissioners of Watch, Scaven-
gers, and Lamps, who were empowered to levy an annual rate
for its support. This referred to the commissioners who had
subsequently- referred all their powers to that Council. There-
fore the Council were now the commissioners under the act re-
ferred to. The expenses had amounted last year to 1-1050,
which was raised by a rate of £lOOO. The latter had produced
£lO6l, leaving a balance in favour of the rate of Ell. The Fire-
police has received in contributions from the insurance offices
the sum of £290 which left a balance of £760 as to the expenses,
The £290 would not now be required in the shape of a contribu-
tion, but they would have power to call upon the insurance
offices to contribute to the support of the Fire-police establish-
ment, what would be equivalent to the money heretofore raised
by voluntary contribution. The sum to he thus procured would
be about equal. The probable sum required for expenses incur-
red for the act of parliament passed last session would be about
£5OO. If therefore, to the sum of £76.' they added this £5OO,
it would give £1260, which was the sum wanted. They were
empowered by the act to levy a rate, not to be greater than a
halfpenny in the pound, which-would give them £lh iO, the rate
being confined to the old borough, which would leave them a
deficiency of about £lOO. It was therefore proposed, that the
rate should be laid at one halfpenny in the pound.
Mr. J N HoLMES moved that the rate be laid at a half-penny
in the pound.
Mr. WA LMSLEY seconded the motion.
Mr. It amsnuN considered the Act of Parliament to be very
undqual in its provisions. Much larger contributions, in his
opinion, ought to be paid by the Fire Insurance offices, as it
was principally for their benefit that the • establishment was
maintained. The act operated much in favour of warehouse
property. Household property could be insured for 3s. per cent.
premium, whilst the charge on warehouse property was at least
12s. per cent.; and as the Fire offices were principally connected
with the warehouse property, they ought to take on themselves
the expense in that ratio. The Fire offices bad all the benefit
of the establishment, and yet they only contributed one-quarter
of the expense of its maintenance. He therefore, hoped some
other agreement would be made, so as they might be called upon
to pay at least three-fourths of the cost.
Mr. Cruitniu said they were now proceeding in compliance
with an act of parliament, which they were bound to obey. The
present rate was merely to cover the expenses of the establish-
ment. All extraordinary expenses that might be incurred at
fires, in cases of insured property, would have to be borne by the
insurance offices to the utmost farthing.
Mr. PLATT asked if the rate would not extend to 'l'oxteth-
park.
The TOWN-CLERK replied, that it was confined strictly to the
limits of the old borough.
Mr. GEORGE HOLT said, that but very few of the dwelling-
houses in the town, comparatively, were insured; scarcely any
but those which were under mortgage, so that the rate would
not fall so heavily on the dwelling-houses as might at first be

imagined.
Mr. HOR NnY said, the Town-clerk had stated that, last year,
the expenees were £1,050. Now, £1,061 had, he said, been.pro-
duced by the rate, in addition to £290 received from the insua
ance offices ; from this it would appear, that there must be a
clear balance of £3OO in their favour.
Mr. J. Hormes said, there had been a previous balance
against the rate, which the Town-clerk had omitted to mention,
of £290.
The TOWN-CLERK said, that of this £230 had been paid into
the bank, leaving the actual balance about £7O.
The Tow N-c LE roc read over the forth of the rate, and the mo-
tion of Mr. Holmes was agreed to.
TABLE OF FEES.
Mr. WAr sist-ey, as Chairman of the Borough Court and
Court of Requests Committee, presented the report of the latter
respecting the table of fees to be taken by the officers of the local
courts, stating that they had proceeded in the business under the
guidance of their legal adviser, the Town-clerk.
The Tows-CLERK read the report as follows:
At a meeting of the Borough Court and Court of Requests
Committee, to which the table of fees to be settled under the
mnuicipal act were referred, on the 20th December, 1836, the
following letter from the Home Secretary was read :
" Sir,—Lord John Russel directs me to inform you, that, hav-
ing received from the councils of boroughs for his confirmation
and allowance, tables of fees proposed to be taken in pursuance
of the 121 th section of the municipal act, and having perceived
in them great disparity, and want of due proportion in the
amounts of the fees, his lordship has considered it would be con-
venient and advisable, that a revised and uniform table should
be prepared for the consideration of the Borough Council and
of the i espective officers. The enclosed tables of fees have been
prepared with this view, after a careful revision and comparison
of the seve:at tables transmitted by the Councils. I am directed
to desire you to lay a copy of each table before the Council for
their consideration, and to request that those copies may be re-
turned, with any observations which they may deem it necessary
to make thereon. The other enclosed copies are sent for the
officers to whom they are respectively addressed, to be returned
with their respective observations in like manner.
" In making observations on the enclosed tables, it will be
convenient that the observations should refer to the letter at the
head of the table, and to the number of the fee in the margin.-
1 am, sir, (Signed) S. M. Putwes.
" To the Town-clerk of Liverpool."
The table of fees referred to in this letter was retaken into
consideration, and,
First, the table of fees for the clerk of the peace for the
borough, with which were considered the courts' table and the
table heretofore used in this borough, the former being higher
than the latter, and both higher than the table transmitted, to
the Home-office.
Resolved—That the table transmitted to the Home-office, of
the same may be finally settled by his Majesty's Secretary of
State, be proposed to the Council for adoption.
Secondly, the table of fees for the registrar of the Borough
Court.
Resolved—That the same, subject to alteration for adopting
it to the practice of the court, as the same is now under revisiou,
and to the costs of the attorneys, now submitted to the Asses-
sor and to he laid before the Vice-Chancellor, and two of the
Judges, for confirmation, be adopted; such alterations not on
the whole increasing the fees to the registrar according to this
gYarate, ct'eltit's?.v of State.
- 'f' h i rd, it
lietali for'll' m a
Resolved—That the same affords, on the whole, a sufficient
allowance, but that the fees fall heavily in many cases where
they cannot be well borne, and lightly in others where more
may be amended without the allowance being on the whole ex-
tended. And that it is, therefore, expedient to re-construct
this table, and to submit the same, as re-contructed, to his Ma-
jesty's Secretary of State, not, however, increasing the yearly
amount.
Resolved—That the Town-clerk he directed to communicate
these resolutions to the Ilmne-office, and be authorised to carry
the same into effect by the necessary alterations, revisions, and
corrections.
Resolved—That the chairman be requested to report to the
council.
Mr. ROBINSON, seconded by Mr. Hornby,-inoved the adop-
tion of the report, which was agreed to.
HOISTING SACKS OF FLOUR INTO WAREHOUSES.
The MAYOR stated, that he had received a petition from the
flour-dealers in Liverpool, numerously and respectably signed,
complaining of a clause in the new code of by-laws which they
said would put them to considerable loss and inconvenience. It
was agreed to refer the subject to the by-law committee.
The TOWN-CLERK stated that the by-laws referred to, were
before the Secretary of State for his approbation; it would be
therefore desirable not to take any steps for their alteration at
present.
Mr. It ATiiiioNE said he believed the by-law referred to, was,
that individuals were not to raise flour by means of horses only
where such a mode would prove inconvenient or obstructive to
the public.
The Towe-ceeRK referred to the by-law in question, and it
was found that Mi. Rathbone's view of the subject was correct.
Mr. RATHBONE explained that be did not wish to take the
subject out of the hands of the by-law committee, but merely
that the true meaning might go abroad and allay apprehension.
WATCH COMMITTEE.
Mr. WA I.MSLEY said a report having gone abroad that lotus
error had been committed in laying the watch rate, he wished to
ask the 'Town-cletk if the precept had been strictly correct.
The TOWN-C LERK said it was correct, and that the proceeding
had been governed by the opinions of the most eminent counsel.
He (the Town-clerk ) had heard of such a saying, and it appeared
to him that the individual who had made use of it, had read only
the first part of the 84th section, which declared, after certain
notices and appointments hail been complied with, the old pro-
visions in local acts as to watching, assessment or collection of
rates to provide for the expenses and payment of watchmen,
&c., should cease and determine. The proviso at the conclusion
of the 92d section of the act must have escaped the notice of the
person alluded to. It was as follows, " provided that in every
case in which before the passing of this act any rate might be
levied in any borough, or in any parish or place made part of
any borough under the provisions of this act, for the purpose of
watching solely, by day or by night, conjointly with any other
purpose, it shall he lawful for the council of such borough, to
levy a watch rate sufficient to raise any sum not greater than
the average yearly stun which during the last seven years, shall
have been expended in the maintenance and establishment
.of
watchmen, constables, patrol or policemen, within the district
where such rate was levied, and for that. purpose the council
shall have all the powers hereinbefore given to the council in
the matter of the borough rate, where any part of any borough
shall not at the time of the passing of this act be within the
provisions of this act authorising the levy of such rate for watch-
ing as aforesaid, it shall he lawful for the council from time to
time to order that such part or so much thereof as to the council
shall seem fit, shall be rated to the watch rate in like manner as
other parts of the borough to be specified in such order, and
such watch rate thereupon shall be levied within the part men-
tioned in such order in iike manner as the other part of the
borough so specified; and all such sums so levied in pursuance
of such watch rate shall be paid over to the account of the bo-
rough fund." It would therefore be seen, the Town-clerk said,
that the power to levy the watch rate rested in the provisions of
the sr.unicipal act itself, and not in any of the old acts. The
reference in the 92d section as a proviso was only made for the
' purpose of giving the maximum which they were empowered to
1
levy, which was, that it should not exceed the annual amount of
expenditure on an average of the last seven years.
'rhe MAYOR announced that the business was concluded, and
the council separated.

THE FIRST GEORGE—LADY WORTLEY'S CHARACTER OV
nisi.—The King's character may be comprised in very few
words. In private life he would have been called an honest
blockhead ; and fortune, that made him a King, added nothing
to his happiness, only prejudiced his honesty, and shortened his
days. No man was ever more free from ambition ; he loved
money, but loved to keep his own, without being rapacious of
other men's. He would have grown rich by saving, but was
incapable of laying schemes for getting; he was more properly
dull than lazy, and would have been so well contented to have
remained in his little town of Hanover, that if the ambition of
those about him had not been greater than his own, we should
never have seen him in England : and the natural honesty of
his temper, joined with the narrow notions of a low education,
made him look upon his acceptance of the crown as an act of
usurpation, which was always uneasy to him. But he was car-
ried by time stream of the people about him in that, as in very
action of his life. Ile could speak no English, and was past the
age for learning it. Our customs and laws were all mysteries
to him, which he neither tried to understand, nor was capable of
understanding if he had endeavoured it. He was passively good-
natured, and wished all mankind enjoyed quiet, it' they would
let him do se The mistress that followed him hither was so
much of his Own temper, that I do not wonder at the engage-
ment between them. She was duller than himSclf, and conse-
quently.did not find out that he was so; and had lived in that
figure at Hanover almost-10 rears (for she caine hither at three-
score,) without meddling in any affairs of the Electorat6, cOn'-
tent with the small pension he allowed her, and the Inmettilof
his visits when he had nothinr, else. to do,' which hai,pened very
rord Wit ar 111:1' 1.4.4