The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-04-25 00:00:00

THE FINANCIAL REFORM ASSOCIATION

We last week furnished a brief notice of the preliminary
meeting of this association and its objects, and from its
importance in a national point of view we now revert to
the proceedings more fully, and append a sketch of the
further progress of the society. About 100 influential
gentlemen were present at the meeting on Wednesday.
and Mr. Robertson Gladstone was called to the chair.

The CHAIRMAN said it was premature to enter into de-
tails as to the manner in which the association should be
carried out ; but it was intended in the first place to apply
to the Mayor to call a public meeting for the purpose of
giving effect to the great cause they had undertaken, and
he trusted they would meet with general support. It was
not money they wanted so much as moral power, and they
considered, as the times were so stringent, that the ad-
mission fee of members should be from ss. to £l. per
member, which it was deemed would be sufficient. He
urged the objects of the association in a very sensible and
forcible address, in the course of which he said :—" It
had been stated by some persons, who perfectly concurred
in the necessity of a change in the present system of taxa-
tion, that it was not desirable to urge it in the present
state of excitement at home and on the continent. He
(the chairman) did not say they ought to act rashly or
prematurely, but he thought they would neglect their
duty to themselves and to the country if they failed to
profit by what they witnessed in other countries at the
present time. They had at all times a great difficulty in
forcing upon the attention of government and of parlia-
ment reforms which were just and fair towards the mass
of the people, and it was therefore only right they should
seize the present occasion, as a fitting one, respectfully
but firmly to explain to the government and to parliament
what it was the country required; and if they only met
with cordial support, and particularly if their claims went
before parliament marked by moderation, sound sense,
and straightforward argument, be had no doubt but they
would soon succeed in their object." (Applause.) There
was, he continued, another association in the town, having
nearly similar objects, and with that they would gladly
co-operate without a feeling approaching to jealousy.
The association proposed would be confined to a modifica-
tion of national taxation alone. The other association
embraced in their views not only national, but especially
local taxation.

Mr. Joni.; FINCH thought the association absolutely
necessary, and trusted it would be supported by all par-
ties. The object could speedily he brought about, and
without difficulty, if the people would unite. There was
less necessity in this country than in any other for resort-
ing to physical force, for such reforms as were required.
They had the government at their finger ends. They
could stop them in three months by refraining from the
use of exciscable articles.
Mr. R. V. YATES thought government would do no.
thing without being compelled. He complained of the
heavy sum of £lOO,OOO a year paid to the Queen Dowager,
while some of our own countrymen had actually perished
of starvation. Instead of additional taxes being laid on,
the expenditure of the country should be curtailed, and
all taxes that press upon the industry of the country
removed.

Mr. WYLIE moved that the association be formed, and
that a number of gentlemen (of whose names he gave a
list) should the council. Amongst the names proposed
were gentlemen of various politics.
Mr. BROWN thought the object would be better accom-
plished by their joining the National Confederation.
Mr. SHIEL said there was no disposition or wish to
form an association in opposition to the one alluded to by
Mr. Brown, but there were those who thought it would
be enough for one association to do if they directed their
attention exclusively to obtaining an adjustment of na-
tional taxation. The other might direct its attention to
the adjustment of local taxation, and that would be enough
for them to do for some time to come. (Hear, hear.) _

Mr. MULLENEUX had had frequent conversations with
members of the other association, and they were most
anxious the present association should be formed.
A few of the gentlemen present were in favour of an
amalgamation of the two societies.
Mr. JOHN SMITH said he was a member of both asso-
ciations, and thought they would both be useful in their
respective efforts.

Mr. BRODRIBB moved "That the council appointed by
this meeting should be empowered to draw up rules and
regulations for the government of the institution, and
should propose a scheme to be submitted for adoption,
with regard to a general retrenchment of national expen-
diture, in accordance with the propositions which form
the basis of the association."
Mr. HOLLAND seconded the motion. The resolution
was passed, and the meeting adjourned.

WEST DERBY GUARDIANS.—The usual weekly meet-
ing was held on Wednesday. Mr. John Sheppard was
unanimously elected chairman for the ensuing year. Mr.
Roberts and Mr. Roskell were appointed vice-chairmen.
The clerk was requested to write to the Poor-law Board,
to ascertain their opinion as to the enlargement of the
Workhouse, which now contained a hundred more per-
sons than it was calculated to accommodate. It was re-
solved that Mr. Arrowsmith, of the Crosby, &c. district,
should be called before the board, to give some explana-
tion as to the collection of rates, complaints having been
made that after the payment of the amounts, a second
demand had been made upon the ratepayers for them.
A long conversation then took place on the letter which
appeared in the Mercury of the Friday previous, in an-
swer to the statements made as to the accuracy of a re-
port of the proceedings at a previous meeting of the board.
The Chairman and Mr. Peers maintained strongly that
the report originally complained of was essentially correct,
but the letter was considered very offensive, and on the
motion of Mr. Sydney, seconded by Mr. Shaw, it was
resolved, by a majority of 11 to 4, that the writer should
not be again permitted to enter the board-room. During
the discussion, the Chairman bore testimony to the accu-
racy of the reports which have appeared in the Mercury.
WESLEYAN METHODIST FOREIGN MISSIONS.—OR
Tuesday the annual meeting of the Liverpool Auxiliary
Society in Aid of these Missions, tooli place at the Bruns-
wick Chapel, Moss-street. John Cropper, Esq., occupied
the chair. From the report, which gave a satisfactory
account of the various missions, it appeared that under
the care of this society there are-294 central or principal
stations, called circuits ; 2597 chapels and other preach-
ing places ; 417 missionaries and assistant ditto, including
8 supernumeraries ; 771 paid agents, (catechists, interpre-
ters, day-school teachers ; ) 7074 unpaid agents, (Sabbath-
school teachers, &c. ; ) 102,230 full and accredited church
members ; 4115 on trial for church membership ' • 72,00
scholars, deducting for those who attend both the day and
Sabbath schools ; 8 printing establishments. The follow-
ing is the financial statement for the past year :
The total amount of income received for 1847, s. (1,
from all sources, has been.
Balance in hand from 1846 4,994 9 4

Total
The expenditure for 1847 has been

108,613 11 1
114,606 17 6

Leaving a deficiency for 1847, to be provided
for, of 5,993 6 5
The meeting was addressed by the Rev. Thos. Williams,
of Stockport; the Rev. J. Cordeaux, of St Silas's; the
Rev. George Steward, of Hull • the Rev. G. G. Jessors,
of Runcorn ; the Rev. Mr. West, of Manchester ; and
the Rev. R. S. Hardy, missionary from Ceylon. The
collection amounted to £lB2 ss. sd. On Wednesday
evening tho adjourned meeting was held at Pitt-street
Chapel.
DOCK Commirran.—THE DOCK BILL.—At the Dock
Committee meeting, on Thursday, the Chairman said he
had the pleasure to inform the committee that the dock
bill now before parliament had, substantially, passed the
committee as it left that board. The only alteration that
had been made was with regard to the enabling power to
sell for freight. The bill went from the Dock Committee
with 90 days in it. The Council altered the time to 30
days. To this the Parliamentary Committee took excep-
tion, and substituted 90 days, as in the original bill ;
with a condition, also, that ten days' notice must be given
before selling for freight. There was no alteration but
this, and the bill would have passed altogether, but for
the insertion of the rating clause,—the enabling clause to
pay the local rates. He might say that the feeling of the
committee was decidedly in favour of the rating clause,
and they consented, as a matter of course, to an adjourn-
ment till after the recess, in order that measures might
be taken, backed by the opinion of the committee, for
getting over the difficulty as to the standing orders, with
the view of obtaining the insertion of the rating clause
itself. A petition was presented to the house on Tuesday
night, to overcome the difficulty ; and he (the Chairman)
could entertain no doubt whatever that the town would
feel perfectly satisfied 'on that subject. There was every
reasonable hope that the rating clause would be in, but
should it not be in, the proviso, which was equally satis-
factory and protective of the ratepayers, would be in. So
that it would be in, either in one shape or the other. No
difficulty would arise as to the rating clause. The money
clauses were passed—the warehouse opposition was un-
successful—and the clauses tenderA by the warehouse
owners, to give them privileges similar to those at the
Albert warehouses, were rejected by the committee. The
opposition from Birkenhead had been of a very bitter
character. With regard to the warehouse matter, an
anonymous paper was sent to the committee, with a good
many arguments in favour of warehouses. He (the chair-
man) instructed the counsel to state to the committee,
that neither he, as chairman, nor any of those associated
with him, had any knowledge of the paper being sent,
but, from some cause or other, it was forgotten. The
next day this paper was mentioned whilst he was under
examination, and he took the opportunity of stating to
the committee that he was anxious to disclaim all know-
ledge of this anonymous paper, which had, with so much
impropriety, been sent to the committee ; but as it con-
tained so many personal attacks on himself, he thought
that was unnecessary. The paper was sent to the com-
mittee individually, and not as a sitting committee. He
might state generally, that, in opposition, the Birkenhead
people wanted to show that they could supply the accom-
modation and requirements of the trade of the Mersey
better and cheaper than the Liverpool dock trustees, but
they were thwarted in every stage till the decision on the
preamble was taken. The committee were of opinion the
dock trustees were entitled to their bill.—After a few
observations from Messrs. Henderson, Robinson, Shand,
and Mann, the committee proceeded to financial matters.
BIRKENHEAD DOCK COMMISSIONERS.—On Thursday
last a special meeting was held on the subject of the
Dock Bills now before Parliament—Joseph Mallaby, Esq.
in the chair. Mr. Hicklin said that from what he bad
heard he thought it was absolutely necessary to adopt some
decisive resolution, investing some gentlemen on the
board with full powers to proceed to London for the pur-
pose of taking the necessary means for securing the pass-
ing of the dock bills, in their full integrity, upon the basis
of the arrangement entered into between the Commis-
sioners of Woods and Forests and the Birkenhead Com-
missioners. Some misgivings bad arisen on the subject,
hut they were now partly removed. Lord Morpeth sent
down ;;I: ci inept eni,-ineer to inspect the works and tot

the accuracy of Mr. Rendel's estimates, and they had been
found quite correct. He drew the attention of the com-
missioners to the necessity of the bills being passed in
their integrity, and thus prevent the mid that ' must
result to the shopkeepers if the matter was further de-
layed. In conclusion, he moved, " That it is the opinion
of this board that no proposition should be entertained
in reference to the bills now before parliament affecting
the Birkenhead docks, which may tend to delay or defeat
the carrying out of the arrangements already agreed upon
with the Commissioners of Woods and Forests; and the
chairman be authorised and requested to proceed to Lon-
don for the purpose of watching the progress of the bills,
and supporting the views of the commissioners, subject,
however, to any modifications of detail which may not
interfere with the essential conditions of the arrangement
referred to."—(Applause.) Mr. Pike seconded the
motion, and referred to a document which had been
signed by some of the commissioners, and which was in-
consistent with the previous arrangements made with
the Government. Mr. Potter explained, that the docu-
ment referred to was merely an expression of opinion that
some amalgamation was desirable. It had been signed,
in a very short time, by 150 individuals interested in the
place. The document was then read. It was signed by,
amongst others, eight of the commissioners, and was to
the purport that an amalgamation of the dock system of
Liverpool with the Birkenhead docks, would be beneficial
for the latter. Mr. Potter had signed it, but he said that
all he wished was, that the Liverpool Dock Trustees
might not be precluded from entering into an arrange-
ment for working the docks. Two or three other com-
missioners stated that there was a growing desire that the
docks should be under one management. Mr. Nicholls
said that he had the authority of three of the commis-
sioners who had signed the document, under misconcep-
tion, to withdraw their names, and read a paper to that
effect, concluding with these words :—" Having been this
day informed of the contents and object of the movement,
we most earnestly protest against the same, believing such
a measure as it advocates to be contrary to the interests
of the town and neighbourhood." It was signed by
Messrs. Watson, Horner, and Barlow. A long and some-
what animated discussion then ensued, in the course of
which the Chairman protested against anything being
done which might impede the passing of the bills, as the
docks were a national affair. Mr. Hicklin replied, ex-
pressing a hope that the Government would make the
neighbourhood the station for vessels of war. The
motion then passed unanimously, it being understood that
if the Liverpool Corporation thought proper to open a
negotiation for the docks, after they were completed, they
should not be debarred from doing so.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

ROBBERY OF BANK CHECKS.—A young man, named
John Ireland, was last week charged with stealing two
checks for the sum of £7O, from Mrs. Reeve, fruiterer,
Great Charlotte-street. He was committed for trial.

NOVEL ROBBERY.—On Thursday, a man named Henry
Boyce was sent to prison for three months, for stealing all
the locks from an unoccupied house, possession of which
he had obtained under a pretence of looking at it, as it was
to be let. Several other houses have been robbed in a
similar manner.

ATTEMPTED MURDER.—On Tuesday, a female, who
gave her name Mary Ann Scott, was brought before Mr.
Rushton, on a charge of having made three several at-
tempts to cut the throat of her daughter, a child five years
of age, with a razor. The principal witnesses against the
prisoner were her husband and her eldest daughter, Mary.
The evidence of the latter was to the effect that on that
morning her mother rushed down stairs in a state of
frenzy, and declared that the deed was done. Witness
immediately rushed up stairs, and beheld her sister bleed.
ing from wounds in the throat, inflicted evidently from
some sharp instrument ; and a cry of " murder !" having
been raised, the police were attracted to the spot, and the
prisoner was immediately taken into custody. Dr. Lay-
cock said the razor had been drawn across the most dan-
gerous part of the throat, but as none of the arteries had
been incised, the child's life might still be saved. The
prisoner was remanded, and as there were some reasons for
believing that she was insane, two surgeons were directed
to examine into the state of her mind.
CHARGE OF MANSLAUGHTER AGAINST A MATE.—On
Thursday, a young man, named Edward Long,. was
placed at the bar on the serious charge of causing the
death of a boy on board the vessel by striking him with a
broom. The prisoner was first mate of the schooner
Freak, of London (his brother being captain), lately ar-
rived at this port from Patras, and the deceased, who was
only known by the name of James, and who had been
shipped at Malta, was a youth on board. William Jones
and David Wilson, two of the seamen on board, stated
that on the 29th of March, when the vessel was somewhat
oft Lisbon, the boy was struck by the mate with a broom
upon the head, for having been slow in coming up, when
called from the forecastle. The boy bled from the nose
and the mouth, and, in about ten minutes afterwards, was
found dead on the lee scuppers. A boy, named Alfred
Ruffell, stated that he saw deceased fall from the hutch
upon a chain cable, striking his temple by the fall. An
entry to this effect was entered in the log, and signed by
the crew, the present witnesses making no mention of the
boy having been struck by the mate. nor had they done so,
it appeared, till a week after, when they felt dissatisfied
about some changes made in the watch. The prisoner
was discharged.