The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-09-12 00:00:00

TOWN COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS.

On Wednesday the usual monthly meeting of the Town
Council was held at the Town-hall.

The MAYOR said there was one subject, of which notice
of motion had been given by Mr. Bramley-Moore, that
in his opinion ought to take precedence of all other busi-
ness. He alluded to the burning of the Ocean Monarch,
and this was a subject which he should himself have
brought before the notice of the Council if he had not
seen a copy of Mr. Moore's notice, particularly as two
members of the Council had behaved most nobly in res-
cuing the sufferers from impending danger.
Mr. MoottE said, that in bringing under the considera-
tion of the Council the motion of which he had given
notice, he would best consult the feelings of those on
whose behalf this motion was submitted, as well as the
feelings of those who had suffered by the recent calamity,
by being as brief as possible ; and, indeed, the subject
was so exceedingly painful; and the facts so generally
known to the public, that he might be excused from fur-
ther allusion to it. Fortunately these calamities were not
very frequent, for though we often heard of vessels being
lost at sea, yet as regarded cases of fire at sea, they were
not numerous. There was not any calamity which had
excited so much interest as that of the Ocean Monarch
since the loss of the Queen Charlotte with 700 lives, and
the Ajax with 300 lives. He believed the last calamity of
the kind on record was the Kent. In calling attention to
those who had rendered efficient aid to the persons whose
lives were so much jeopardized by the calamitous occur-
rence on board the Ocean Monarch, he begged to direct
particular notice to the zeal and activity of the Prince de
Joinville and the Duc d'Aumale (hear, hear); and it cer-
tainly was a most gratifying circumstance to see a man
like the Prince de Joinville aiding and assisting in saving
the lives of Englishmen. (Applause.) The Prince had
not only rendered valuable assistance, hut with great li-
berality he gave all the money he had about him on the
occasion for the assistance of the sufferers. (Hear, hear.)
The conduct of his Excellency Le Commandeur Joze
Marques Lisboa was well known : he was a gentleman
whose nobleness of character, if it were known here as it
was in Brazil, would require no further eulogy, because
his humanity, liberality, and good sense in Brazil were
proverbial. (Hear.) He had next to call attention to
the conduct of a gentleman who was esteemed by all who
knew him—he alluded to his honourable and gallant
friend, Admiral Grenfell (hear. hear); and a braver or a
more humane man than the admiral did not exist. (Ap-
plause.) The admiral had been ably supported by all the
officers on board the Brazilian frigate Affonso : in fact,
every officer vied with each other in rendering assistance ;
and not only so, but the crew, to a man, rendered the
greatest assistance. But there was a trait about the
conduct of the crew worthy of especial mention—and
that was, that not only did they give the use of their
powerful arms to save life, but they most liberally volun-
teered at once to give up £lOO to the sufferers, which
£lOO had been awarded to themselves for their noble ex-
ertions. (Loud applause.) Then, two members of the
Council had greatly distinguished themselves—be alluded
to Mr. Littledale, who was the first to render assistance
to the sufferers, and Mr. Aspinall Tobin, who was on
board the commodore's yacht, and rendered essential
service. (Hear.) There was one other person, whose
name he would mention—he referred to the noble con-
duct of the sailor Jerome. (Loud applause.) The con-
duct of that man stood unrivalled, except perhaps they
might find something of a parallel case to it in the loss of
the Forfarshire, where that distinguished woman, Grace
Darling, saved fifteen lives. (Hear.) He was happy to
say that the response made by Liverpool, on the late
trying occasion, was most noble: the inhabitants had
subscribed between three and four thousand pounds. On
this occasion, as on all occasions, our most gracious Sove-
reign had not been unmindful of this most distressing
occurrence. (Applause.) Mr. Moore then alluded to
the noble conduct displayed by the Princess on board
the Affonso ; to the excellent conduct of Mr. Froes, the
Brazilian Vice-consul, and Mr. and Mrs. Lynn, of the
Waterloo Hotel ; and he concluded by moving the thanks
of the Council to the various persons whom he had al-
ready named.
Mr. G. H. LAWRENCE seconded the motion. and said
it was not now, as formerly,- legal for municipal bodies to
vote away the public money in aid of distress.
Mr. HARBORD expressed a hope that care would be
taken in future, when rummages were being made on
board vessels for concealed persons, in order that a simi-
lar calamity from fire might not nem,
The MAYOR said that, at his request, the inquest be-
fore the Borough Coroner had been attended by Mr.
Peter Wright, clerk of the peace ; Captain Evans, Con-
servator of the river Mersey, and Lieut. Lord, all of
whom had rendered signal service during the itquiry ;
and the verdict was now before the country.
Mr. Moore's resolution was carried by acclamation,
and amid general clapping of hands.