The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-11-26 00:00:00

be a member of the police force." Well, so far as
regards the Orange part of the matter, it has
virtually been carried out. The Orange members
of the force have ceased to belong to the body; but,
we ask, has one step been. taken by the bench to
purge the force of Ribbonism ? Has even an in-
clination been shewn to do equal justice ? Has even
an inquiry been instituted ? Mr. Rushton has been
informed, on the best authority, that the societies
calling themselves " the Sons of St. Pattick " and
" Hibernian societies " are composed almost en-
tirely of Ribbonmen. Let him make the inquiry
how many of the present police force have deposited
with the Watch Committee certificates of member-
ship of these societies. If Mr. Rushton will not do
this, where is the impartiality of which he boasts ?

A few weeks ago we had to congratulate our fel-
low-townsmen upon the flattering condition of the
corporate property, under the able management of
the present Finance Committee ; and the grateful
duty now devolves upon us of remarking upon the
growing prosperity of our noble dock estate.
During the past four months such has been the in-
creased activity of the commerce and shipping of
our port, that the amount of dock rates has ex-
ceeded by twenty thousand pounds their amount in
the corresponding four months of last year; and,
when it is borne in mind that the nett surplus of
ordinary revenue over ordinary expenditure in that
year was seventy-six thousand pounds, we may
safely calculate the surplus this year at no less than
a hundred thousand pounds—a sum equal to the
total revenue of nine ports out of ten in the empire,
The question will of course suggest itself to most
men,—to what purpose is such surplus to be
applied ? Upon this subject we are not in a position
to speak authoritatively ; but we rely with implicit
confidence upon the ability and honesty of the gen-
tlemen composing the Dock Committee to direct it
for the best and permanent interests of the port,
and the augmentation and encouragement of its
vast commerce. The demand will, no doubt, he
made in some quarter, and those influential quar-
ters, for an immediate an dgeneral reduction of our
dock rates; and no long period, we feel assured,
will elapse before at least a revision, if not a great
reduction of such rates must take place. But with
the large works going on north and south of the
present estate, and the urgent necessity for in-
creased dock space, and money to provide it, we
cannot but question the prudence of giving up any
large portion of our revenue at present, whilst we
' are borrowing for the uses of the estate which
yields it. The surplus applied to the payment of
a portion of the cost of the new work 3 constructing
will materially decrease the amount necessary to
be taken up under the recent act of Parliament, thus
lessening one permanent bonded debt; and when
these are completed, and in profitable operation,
the Dock Trustees may, without feeling the sacri-
fice, make such reasonable concessions to the rate-
payers as their interests and those of the commerce
of the port demand.
In the mean time, it is gratifying to find that,
already and unprompted, a most valuable concession
has just been annour cad, and will shortly come
into operation, by which the British shipowner will
be materially benefited. Hitherto it has been
competent, from some oversight in our dock acts,
or the regulations of the committee, for vessels
entered inwards from American ports to take
outward cargoes for the East Indies, paying
only a tonnage of one and sixpence, and light
dues, whilst British ships were paying two and
threepence per ton, and light dues, thus holding
out a direct bonus for the employment of American
vessels, and standing directly in the way of British
ships coming from other ports to Liverpcol
for a cargo. This unjust difference is now done
away with, by the reduction of the dock dues on
British ships to eighteen-pence ; and, as the result,
we may look for a largely increased number of the
best class of British vessels being sent to Liverpool
for loading. This is one step, at least, in the right
direction ; and, we have no doubt, it will be gradually
and judiciously followed up until Liverpool is made
to rank as the best port, both in accommodation and
cheapness, in the British empire.

The Radical portion of the community, and of
the press, who abet the stipendiary magistrate and
the bench in their recent attacks upon the power
and influence of the Watch Committee over the
borough police force, would . fain arrogate for the
former the exclusive possession of the decorum,
courtesy, and manliness of conduct fitted for their
high authority. Thus, a contemporary of yesterday,
after eulogizing the proceedings of the magistrates,
proceeds to represent those of the Watch Committee
on Saturday last in terms which, if warranted by
the facts, would be utterly disgraceful to that body.
" Unlike the magistrates," remarks the Albion,
" who threw open the doors of the Session-house,
and admitted the reporters for the press to record
the whole of their proceedings, the accusations as
well as the defence, if there was any, the Watch
Committee went to work in their usual hole and
corner way, and absolutely refused admission to the
reporter of a tory paper, when he respectfully re-
quested it;" and, in the absence of any authorita-
tive information, he proceeds to tell his gullible
readers "what had been permitted to ooze out as
part and parcel of these proceedings." " Mr. Rush-
ton and Mr. D.Avling," he says, " were the two
principal gentlemen se!ected for invective." The
former was "soundly rated for the castigation he
inflicted on Mr. David Hodgson, and sundry ex-
pressions were used about `want of dignity,' over-
heated language,' and so on ;" whilst, with respect
to Mr. Dowling, the prevailing opinion appeared to
be that he " should not have proceeded to read the
resolution adopted by the magistrates to the police
force, without submitting it first for the considera-
tion and approval of the Watch Committee," with
other stuff of the same flippant description.
We need scarcely intimate to any sensible reader
that the whole of this cunningly dovetailed story is
the raving of some penny-a-liner, as ignorant of
what really did occur in the committee as his own
ink-bottle. It served, hoWever, the purpose of our
contemporary. The assertion that the Watch Com-
mittee wished for any hole and corner work is
utterly without foundation. On the contrary, they
were desirous that their proceedings should be as
public as those of the magistrates; and, but for the
mistake of a clerk in the office, who consulted Mr.
Dowling instead of the committee, with respect to
his admission, our own reporter would have been
present. The rest of our contemporary's inventions
will best be contradicted by the actual proceedings,
which we shall briefly lay before our readers.
.After a patient investigation of the whole facts of
the case between themselves and the magistrates,
the following resolutions, which we copy at length,
were unanimously agreed to :—viz.--
The attention of this Committee having been directed
to the following resolution of the Magistrates, adopted at
a Meeting of the Magistrates, holden on Monday, the
18th Nov., transmitted by the Magistrates' Clerks direct
to the Commisfioners of Police.

" Resolved—That if any individual whatever shall
directly or indirectly interfere with any Superintendent,
Inspe3tor, or Other officer of the police force, in the
execution of his di ty, every such officer shall communi-
cate the fact of such interference to the Commissioner of
Police, who shall liy the- same immediately befo:e the
Worshipful the Mayor, and that any officer of police who
shall be interfered with, and who shall neglect to com-
municate the fact of such interference as aforesaid, shall
be dismissed the force : and further, that the Commis-
sioner of Police cause a copy of the minutes of this
meeting, and the foregoing resolution, to be entered in
the general order book of the police-force."
" Resolved—That in the opinion of this Committee,
the above resolution amounts to a regulation of the police-
force of the borough, and can only as such legally
emanate from this Committee. _

"That this Committee express their anxiety at all
times to co-operate with the Magistrates, in maintaining
the due efficiency of the police-force.
"That this Committee, being of opinion that any im-
proper interference with the police in the discharge of
their duty, is deserving of the strongest reprehension, do
hen by pass the following regulation :
" That if any individual whatever shall so interfere
with any Superintendent, Inspector, or other officer of
the police-force, in the execution of his duty, every such
officer shall immediately cominunicate the fact of such
interference to the Head Constable, who shall lay the
same before this Committee. _

" That the above regulation be communicated to the
police force by the Head-constable.
" Resolv.ed—That the Chairman be requested to
transmit a copy of these proceedings to the Mayor, for
the information of the magistrates.
" Resolved further—That the Chairman be requested
to obtain from the Mayor copies of the examinations of
the officers, taken before the said meeting of magistrates,
in reference to the case of Mr. James Parker, for the use
of this Committee; and that the same be taken into con-
sideration on Saturday next."
Now, we ask of our readers—we ask of the en-
tire Radical community—whether any proceedings
could be more courteous, and yet firm, more digni-
fied and manly than those of the Watch Committee,
or any proceedings much more opposite in character
—more insulting and overbearing—than those of

the magistrates. The latter, without a word of in-
timation to the Watch Committee, summon a meet-
ing, and upon evidence collected by themselves,
proceed, by the censure of one of its members, for
acts done in his private capacity as a burgess, to
throw discredit upon that body. They go on to
take the authority, with which the law has vested
them, out of the hands of its members. They direct
that their officer, without the common courtesy of
first acquainting the Watch Committee of his in-
structions, shall proclaim to the whole police force
their magisterial usurpation of authority ; and they
conclude, as the climax of insult, that he shall record
that usurpation, in all its insult of manner and
language, in "the general order-book of the police
force,"—the record exclusively of the orders of the
Watch Committee, and kept entirely in their own
custody ! Surely, a more unparalleled case of
studied insolence was never devised than this last
requirement.

Compare with the above the proceedings of the
Watch Committee, as given in the resolutions which
we have quoted. The Watch Committee repudiate
the existence of any power in the magistrates to
make "regulations of the police force"; but they
nevertheless, do not factiously set their faces against
the necessity of some such regulations being made.
On the untrary, they proceed to pass a resolution,
on all foffrs with that of the magistrates, as they
would have done, without prompting, had the whole
facts of case been originally brought before them,
instead of being brought before Mr. Rushton.
But there are one or two little circumstances con-
nected with the progress of the affair which deserve
to Le chronicled. Mr. Edward Rushton was in his
magnificent vein when he dictated the fiat, which
was to extinguish the Watch Committee, and to
immortalize himself. The spirit of Pharaoh or
Cheops, or Nebuchadnezzer, stood in his boots
when he commanded his decrees to be written in
the books of the Watch Committee • hut, like the
latter monarch Mr. Rushton was pulled down next
day from his towering altitude and compelled to
"eat dirt". A hint was whispered him by the
Town-clerk that he could not legally consum-
mate the insult meditated. He could not :be per-
mitted to record his edicts or those of the bench
amongst the orders of the Watch Committee. And
accordingly the chopfallen stipendiary backed out,
and issued his instructions--his instructions—to
override an express order of the assembled bench !
that Mr. Dowling was to omit that portion of the
resolution. Nay, he was even compelled to convey,
by way of apology for the insolence of the resolution
in question, an intimation to the committee, through
Mr. Hugh Hornby, that the whole had been written
by him very hastily and under circumstances of
great excitement. Alas ! to what humiliations do
mingled vanity and passion sometimes hurry us !
Before we leave this subject, we must say that the
time has now arrived when the question, as to the
conflicting authority of the Watch Committee and
the bench over the police, must be settled. The
repetition of such proceedings as those of the last
week cannot but weaken the influence of both
bodies, and are calculated seriously to impair the
efficiency of the force about whose regulation they
contending. The sooner we have a formal decision
of the matter, by a court of law, the better for all
parties and for the interests of the town. We may
add, in conclusion, that the Town-clerk agrees un-
hesitatingly with the able authorities already con-
sulted, that the proceedings of the magistrates are
illegal, and that the bench are usurping powers of
which neither according to common sense nor the
provisions of the law are they in possession.

We beg to direct the attention of our readers to
an advertisement which appears in our columns
this day, announcing that the annual sermon in aid
o' the Southern and Toxteth Hospital, will be
preached on Sunday morning next, at St. Barnabas
Church, Parliament-street, by the Rev. Thos. Nolan,
incumbent. We know of no institution which has
greater claims upon the public for support than the
one in question; and we, in common with others,'
cannot but admire the manner in which the com-
mittee have hitherto managed it, under the able pre-
sidency of Jos. Brooks Yates, Esq. All parties
seem working together for good, and it must he ap-
parent to every one who has paid a visit to the insti-
tution, that great benefit must inevitably flow from
such a charity, so admirably conducted. We are
therefore pleased to find that our worthy chief ma-
gistrate (following in the steps of his predecessor,
who established the precedent) has in this particu-
lar instance in the kindest manner consented to be
present, and sure are we that he could not give his
sanction and presence to a better or more useful
institution ; and when we consider by whom the
appeal is to be made, there cannot be a doubt in the
first place of a crowded church, and in the second
that the response will be in every way worthy of a
cause so noble.

THE FUNDS.—SATURDAY NIGHT.—The Funds have
been firmly supported to-day, without particular feature,
and Consols for money and the account left off 1001 to
Bank Stock closed 205 to 206 ; India Stock, 286 to 288 ;
Three per cents. Reduced, 991 to ; Three-and -a-Quarter
per Cents. 102* to 4.; Long Annuities, II 13-16 ; India
Bonds, 81s. to 83s. premium. In the foreign market very
little has been done. The speculative stocks are rather
firmer, which is the only alteration to notice. Spanish
Five Per Cents. were finally quoted 241 to ; the Three
per Cents., 351 to ; Russian, 118* to 1191 ; Peruvian,
241 to 251 ; Portuguese, 541 to 551 ; Dutch Five per
Cents, 99 to * ; the Two-and-a-Half per Cents., 624 to 63 ;
Danish, 89 to 90 ; Colombian, 131 to 14 ; Chilian, 100
to 102 ; Buer-os Ayres, 36 to 37 ; Brazilian, 88 to 89 ;
Mexican, 36 to 4- ; and the Deferred, 16 to 1.

The Dublin Mail states that if the Conservatives of that
city will rally to the register the party will not suffer any
loss of votes.

THE WEATHER.—After a continuance of wet, damp,
and very foggy weather, we have for the last three days
enjoyed a clearer, drier, and colder, but much more sea-
sonable atmosphere.

The Marquis of Clanricarde has commenced nineteen
actions in the Common Pleas, Ireland, to recover the
presentation to so many church livings, in the diocese of
Clonfert. —Dublin Post.

FATHER MATIIEW.—At a meeting, yesterday, at the
Clarendon rooms, to raise money for this apostle of tem-
perance, a letter was read from Lord Sefton, inclosing
his contribution, wishing the object every success.
Amongst those present were Messrs. Lawrence Hey_
worth, Thomas Avison, R. Shiel, T. Harvey, C. Rawden,
M. O'Connell, Sir A. Knight, R. All'son, and W.
Brown.

AFFECTING EVENT.—We have received intelligence of
the almost sudden demise of Mr. William Hetherington,
a fine promising young gentleman of 18 years of age,
son of the late W. Hetherington, Esq., of Birkenhead,
and recently appointed a second Lieutenant in the 60th
Rifles. Last summer he had been engaged in a rowing
match, and, from the exertion at the oar, his hands be-
coming blistered, he incautiously, whilst in a state of
perspiration, dipped them into the cold water. Eruption
and gathering ensued, causing much pain and annoyance,
and this continuing for a considerable time, he went to
London, and it is apprehended took unskilful advice, by
which, though he appeared to be cured, the disease was
probably thrown into the system, by the too rapid drying
up of the sores. He returned home to his family appa-
rently quite recovered, and, after remaining a short time,
resolved to return to the military college at Brussels,
where be had before studied, to make the best use of his
time in professional acquirements. On his arrival there
he was congratulated by his former companions, to whom
he was much endeared ; but, alas ! on Wednesday week,
when he sat down to dinner with them, he suddenly re-
marked that he felt extraordinary sensations, and could
eat nothing. Being observed to be ill and afterwards to
faint he was immediately carried to bed, and received
every possible attention, but to the grief of all around
him, he expired early the following morning. We need
scarcely say that his relatives in this country are plunged
into the deepest affliction by the mournful intelligence.
IMPORTANT TO PAWNBROKERS.—At the Worship-
street police-office, on Thursday last, Air. Attenborough,
the pawnbroker of Crown-street, Finsbury, attended
before Mr. Bingham to show cause why he refused to de-
liver up a coat, of the value of 205., which had been
pledged at his shop, and the principal and legal interest
cn which had been duly tendered. Anne Barrett, a poor
Irishwoman, proved pledging the article on the 4th inst.,
and that on going to redeem it, the defendant refused to
restore it, on the ground that he had already delivered it
over to another person. The defendant produced the
usual printed form of " declaration," filled up in the
name of William Barrett, which is that of the woman's
husband, deposing to his having lost the duplicate, and
said that the pledge had been delivered to the person pre-
senting it. He maintained that he had thus exonerated
himself from all liability. The complainant declared that
neither she nor her husband had either made the declara-
tion themselves, nor authorized any person to make it for
them. She had pledged the coat herself, her name was
upon the duplicate, and all the defendant's shopmen
knew her intimately, for her being constantly obliged to
pledge articles there. Mr. Bingham said, he MS strongly
inclined to think that the defendant was answerable for
the property or its value, and that he was in a correlative
position to that of a banker and his customer. The de-
fendant pointed out the extreme hardship of such a lia-
bility upon pawnbrokers, as it would place them entirely
at the mercy of any unprincipled person who thought fit
to commit a fraud upon them. They were imperatively
required by the act of Parliament to give the necessary
forms of declaration to be filled up, not merely to the ow-
ner of the property pledged, but even to any one repre-
senting himself as the owner. In compliance with Mr.
Bingham's suggestions, the pawnbroker said be would
obtain further professional advice with the view of having
the matter more fully discussed iu a fortnight.