The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-09-13 00:00:00

ADJOURNMENT OF THE ASSIZES,

On Tuesday, in pursuance of public notice, a meeting was
held in the sessions-house, Chapel-street, to consider the pro-
priety of petitioning his Majesty to direct the assizes for the
nurtured of West Derby to be held in Liverpool.
At the hour appointed, the Mayor, Charles Horsfall, Esq.,
having taken the chair, proceeded to read the requisition, which
he stated had been received by him, numerously and respectably
signed, in compliance with which he had summoned the meet-
ing of that day. The subject, the Chairman continued, was not
new to them; it had been often before discussed, and petitions
had been sent up, but without effect. Such proceedings had,
however, shown nuequivneally the opinions of the town with re-
spect to the adjournment of the assizes, and never yet, as far
as his recollection went, had any solid objection been urged
against it. On the other hand the expense, the loss of time, the
inconveniences of distance, under which they now laboured,
formed irresistible arguments in its favour. Most cf them could
speak to this from their own experience, and he had been in-
convenienced himself in several respects, both as suitor, witness,
and juror. Previous to the passing of Mr. Justice Bayley's
act, or one which he forwarded, he had twice been detained
fourteen days, once sixteen, and frequently seven or eight days.
(Hear.) He was very happy to say, that the government had
the subject under its consideration, and he had to lay before the
meeting a letter which he had received a few days ago, wishing
to know whether the Corporation were disposed to defray the
expense of courts, and the extra costs which would attend the
visit of the high sheriff for the, purposes of the assizes. That
letter, as well as the resolution of the Common Council conse-
quent upon it, would now be laid before the meeting.
The Town Clerk then read the requisition to the Mayor, with
the signatures affixed to it, and afterwards the letter from the
government office, which was as follows
. • " :
Whitehall, August 30, 1833.
" SIR.—An act of parliament having conferred upon his Ma-
jesty in Council the power of making such new arrangement of
the placeS and manlier of holding the assizes for the counties of
England and Wales, as may be expedient for the public service ;
and it being not improbable that his Majesty in Council may be
pleased to direct that the assizes for the western division of the
county of Lancaster should be holden in the town of Liverpool,
I am directed by Viscount Melbourne to inquire whether for the
purpose of facilitating this arrangement, if it should seem good
to his Majesty in Council to direct it, the. Corporation of Liver-
pool would be prepared, at their own charge, to provide conve-
nient courts for holding such assizes, and suitable lodgings and
accommodation for tile Judges of assize ; and also to defray any
additional costs and charges to which the High. Sheriff may be
subjected in consequence of holding the said assizes at Liverpool
instead of at Lancaster as heretofore.—l have the honour to be,
Sir, your obedient servant,
(Signed) " G. LAMB."
" The Mayor if Liverpool."
The resolution adopted at the Council to which the above letter
was submitted, was then read :

" Resolved,—That this Council is anxiously impressed with the
great advantage to be derived by the inhabitants of this town
from the removal of the assizes to Liverpool, as suggested in the
letter from Mr. Lamb, and is most ready to afford to his Majes-
ty's Government all the assistance in its power to carry this
object into effect. For this purpose the Council readily places
the present courts in Liverpool at the service of the Judges and
the Bar attending this circuit, and will have pleasure in provid-
ing suitable accommodation for the Judges; but owing to the
litigation commenced regarding the right of the Corporation to
receive town dues, which town dues comprise nearly one-half of
the annual income of the corporate estate, this Council regrets
that it is thereby prevented, from a sense of justice to the bond
and other creditors of the Corporation estate, froni undertaking
any greater outlay at present."
The CHAIRMAN, in continuation, said they had reason to
.hope, that on the receipt of that resolution, and those which
might be expected to follow it, his Majesty's government would
have no difhculty iu making up their minds. (Cheers..) As
for the expenses of the judges and sheriffs, he did not appre-
hend they would be very great. Some gentlemen present,
however, might be prepared with observations on the subject,.
and the meeting, he had no doubt, would be happy to hear them.
W. W niur said, Mier what had just fallen from:
their worthy chairman, and the decision corning front the Com-
mon. Council of Liverpool, in answer to the letter which had
been communicated to the meeting, he should not have thought
it necessary to allude to that part of the subject, if it had not
been to notice, iti passing, the manner in which the account of
that proceeding .of the (Common Council had been taken up,
in his opinion not quite fairly, by the press. One said that that,
reply was tine enough; another, that government would
laugh us to scorn,-,he believed that was the very expression.
Now it-was but right ..to .observe that -the motives which influ-
enced the Council in coming, to that qualified resolution were,
first; that they were in an uncertainty as to the total expense •
.n
es that there as the present court which might be
applied to the purpose; and lastly, because the Council were
ignorant whether it might hot be required by government to
build a separate Muse and apartments suited to the reception
and dignity of the judges,.and ignorant, also, as to. the extent
of the charges which might be corehended under the terms
of " sheriff's extra • expenses." lie did not uoubt that the
preshtt buildings would answer the purpose, and an appropriate
residence would- readily be found for the judges, where they
might be shown all the respect and honour due to their high
station. He thought
.that in the absence of plans, views, esti-
mates, and other necessary information, and without knowing
how the new system would work, they would not have been
justified in committing themselves indiscriminately, and with-
out qualification, to the preposals intimated by government.
They knew nothing of the amount of liability to winch it
might have carried them ; and if they had known it, he could
not tell how it was to be defrayed.—(Hear.) They had before
their eyes the fact, that having for a century accommodated
the judges in a private house at Lancaster, at a late hour, cer-
tainly, it had been thought highly desirable to go to an expense
of seven or eight thousand pounds to build them a house; at
least there was an act of .parliament for the purpose. They
could not be certain that this would not be the case with Liver-
pool also. (Hear.) He thought this would remove from the
minds of the people of Liverpool, as well as from those of his
Majesty's Government, all idea that the Corporation or any
portion of the inhabitants were anything but extremely anxious
for the accomplishment of the great object they had in view.—
(Loud cheers.) This was not the first, second, or third time
they had assembled in public to petition for that desirable ob-
ject; and without wishing to say one word which could occa-
sion a single unpleasant feeling, but only stating that which he
would not scruple to affirm in the presence of his greatest
enemy; he did think they were greatly indebted to Mr. Sw-
art for his perseverance in this object. (Much applause.) It
would be in their recollection that he had given notice of a bill
for removing the assizes to Liverpool and Manchester. That
bill had been read .a first and a second time, and only at last
witbdraWn because the Solicitor-General, struck with the jus-
tice—the indisputable necessity of the case, thought an act of
parliathent, to apply to the kingdom at.large would be prefer-
able. He could have had nothing so strongly, in view as the
county •of Lancaster,—(cheers)—for let them .take the map of
England; pore over it, and they would find none which presented
so forcible, so extraordivary a claim as that county. (Cheers.)
When they considered the immense.population concentrated in
the southern division; 'the distance they had to be dragged to
attend the assizes, and
.the. consecrent.inconvenience and ex-
pense, little was necessary to be said in recommendation of their
design; and though-with-his friends of antiquarian predilections
~and feelings, he might regret the days of faded splendour which
might be expected to await the town of Lancaster, yet he trusted
the pod sense, the ijustice of‘llre.people of Lancaster, would
convince them that their town was only undergoing those
effects to which every place was subject in common with them-
selves, the effects of the mutability of human affairs. (Cheers.)
At one time, probably, it had been the most important place in
the county : others had now sprung up, and the concession
which they now sought of having the legal business of the dis-
trict transacted amongst those who were most extensively con-
cerned in it, appeared so reasonable that it seemed to be con-
sidered quite unnecessary to attempt to show it. . (Cheers.)
Indeed he did not knoW any subject that could come before the
town upon which so little need be said. In looking to the future
the prospect of a vast accession to the commerce and business
of the port urged them 'strongly in favour of their object.
When he reflected what, during his comparatively short life,
Liverpool had been, when he looked at what she was, and when
he contemplated what at no great distance of time she was
likely to become, in consequence of recent measures, calculated
to exert a prodigious influence over the welfare, the prospects,
and the population of the town, he thought it would be well for
us to be prepared beforehand for that increase of business which
would flow into the courts of the assizes, in connection with it.
It was right for them to avail themselves of the opportunity,
when the attention of the legislature was directed to it; and he
looked forward to the month of March next with the confident
expectation of hailing the judges at this place with all that ar-
dour, respect, and joy, which every man who had felt the incon-
venience so feelingly alluded to by the Mayor, would experience
at so welcome and beneficial a change. (Cheers.) Such was
the justice of the case, and such the motives which appeared to
have swayed the Solicitor-General, that he fully anticipated the
next assizes would be held• here. The resolution he had the
honour to propose was one in which he was convinced he should
have the cordial concurrence of the meeting. Mr. Currie then
proposed the first resolution, which, with the rest of the pro-
ceedings, will be found detailed in the advertisement.
The motion was seconded by Mr. T.B BARCLAY,and carried
unanimously.
Mr. A. HoneSON, in proposing the next resolution, said, the
object of the meeting and its great importance was a subject so
familiar to all present, and the favourable opportunity now be-.
fore them, had been so fully explained by their excellent chair-
man and Mr. Currie, that he would not detain the meeting a
moment. The resolution he had to move had only reference to
the mode of carrying their object into'effect.
Mr. Hodgson having moved the second resolution, an amend-
meat was proposed by Mr. Brooke, seconded by Mr. John San-
ders, to substitute tor the words "in such manner as his Ma-
jesty may be pleased to see best," the expression as it now
stands in the resolution; "from Lancaster to Liverpool, in the
spring and autumn of each. year." If this was not specified,
great inconvenience might be the result.
The resolution, as amended, was then passed unanimously, a
committee appointed to carry the reAolutions into effect, and
thanks having been voted to the cliairmad, the meeting &Tit-
. rated..