The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1849-01-23 00:00:00

TOWN COrNCIL PROCEEDINGS,

On Wednesday, a special meeting of the Council was
held at the Town-hall, for the purpose of considering and
determining upon the resignations of Messrs. Nicol
Tinne, Danson, Hornby, James Holme, Morris, and
Cooper, as members of the Water Committee. The
Mayor took the chair at eleven o'clock.

Mr.. SAMUEL HOLME requested, as a matter of privi-
lege,. to refer to a report of a speech made by Josias
Booker in the Council at its last meeting. He (Mr.
Holme) was ill and confined'to his bed when the meeting
in question had been held but he confessed that he felt
exceedingly pained on reading the speech. The passage
of which he particularly complained was the following :
" Common sense, watching their action, pronounces them
both (Mr. Hawksley and Mr. Samuel Holme) wheelers,
alleging that Mr. Hawksley saw £lO,OOO coming in the
Rivingtbn scheme, and nothing in keeping in the old
course. Mr. Holme's wheeling propensity was involved
in mystery, but it is rumoured that he first began to jibe
when looking over his shoulderin the Victoria Tunnel."
He threw back with scorn and indignation the insinuation
here conveyed, and he called on Mr. Booker to prove the
charge, or to explain his meaning.
Mr. BOOKER said he felt unconscious of having used
any language that would bear the construction attempted
to be put upon it—that he had imputed unworthy motives
to Mr. Helme. He had accused that gentleman of
" wheeling propensities ;" but he stated at the time that
Mr. Holme-was an honourable man, and he repeated the
same now, in the best possible sense—(hear, hear.)
A discussion followed—Eventually, in reply to the
Mayor,

Mr. BOOKER again denied that it was his intention to
impute any unworthy motives to Mr. Holme.

A very long communication was read from Mr. Hawks-
ley in reply to certain mis-statements im the last Council,
and personal 'reflections upon his professional character.
—This communication was referred to- the Water Com-
mittee.

The Council were of opinion that the retiring members
of the committee should state their reasons for sending
in their resignations, and the retiring members acordingly
did so
Mr.

IstzcoL said it was impossible for him to serve on
the committee •after the deliberate opinion given by the
Town-clerk, at the last Council, that personal responsi-
bilities would attach to those who took: steps contrary to
the carrying out of the Water Act. He had gone to
Glasgow to see that the contracts for the making of the
pipes was carried out faithfully : but after • the decision of
the last Council, he felt, as a merchant of Liverpool and
a man of integrity, that his character was now somewhat
involved.

The other retiring members of the committee assigned
similar reasons for resigning.
The TOWN-CLERK stated, that if a mandamus issued, a
majority of the Council who should be guilty of contempt
towards the Court of Queen's Bench in not carrying out
the Act of Parliament, would be liable to pay the fines
and incur the imprisonment.
The resignations were accepted by a majority of 18
to 17.

The following-gentlemen were then appointed upon the
committee in the room of those who had resigned ; Messrs.
Procter, J. Booker, Beckwith, Bent, Wagstaff, Langs-
dale, and Hudson.

Mr. S. HOLM E was proposed, but he declined to act,
and was not consequently elected.
In reply to Mr. Harbord,

The TOWN-CLERK stated that ha was informed that a
professional gentleman had been instructed to take pro-
ceedings against the Council, in consequence of the
motion adopted at the last meeting.