The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-12-06 00:00:00

COMMON COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS.

The monthly meeting of the Common Council was held on
Wednesday last. The proceedings of the previous Council, and
those of the Dock and Cominon Council Committees having
been read by the Town-clerk, the subject of the purchase of the
piece of land in Great Charlotte-street, belonging to the execu-
tors of the late Mi. Shaw, was discussed with a view to erecting
a building, and thereby affording additional space for the va-
rious descriptions of articles offered for sale in St. John's Mar-
ket. It was contended by Mr. Alderman Leyland and Mr.
Alderman Thonipson that this purchase, if so applied, would
tend materially to injure the business of the north and south
markets, and that it was not at present desirable to afford fur-
ther facilities to St. John's Market. These objections, how-
ever, were replied to by various members of the Council, who
considered that no injury was likely to arise from such a course,
and that the growth of the town in the neighbourhood of the
other markets would be quite sufficient to make them indepen-
dent of the effects Itrising from any addition being made to St.
John's Market.

It was stated by the Mayor, that the country people were in
the habit, on market da'vs, of paying two or three tolls, and
passing from one market to another for the disposal of their
property, so that they could not be sufferers by the change.
Ihe question was then put as to the purchase, and the votes
taken, there being thirty-two members present. There appeared
for the purchase, Messrs. Pownall, Gladstone, Aspinalt, Hol-
linshead, Houghton, Moss, Ripley, Leigh, J. 1). Case, W. W.
Currie, T. Corrie, Foster, Cockshott, Ciosbie, Horsfall, Sand-
bach, Sir T. Brancker, Robinson, Littledale, P. Bourne, Law-
rence, Sir J. Tobin, T. Case, Staniforth, J. Bourne, T. Moly-
neux, P. W. Brancker, and the Mayor. Against the purchase,
Messrs. Ashton, Thompson, Sir G. Drinkwater, and Leyland.
Mr. Alderman Horsfall rose to propose Mr. Higginson as
the new Common Councilman, to fill the vacancy occasioned by
the death of Mr. Porter.

After expressing his conviction of the fitness and respecta-
bility of Mr. Higginson, Mr. Alderman Staniforth seconded
the nomination, which was carried unanimously.
Mr. Alderman Horsfall and Mr. J. J: Leigh were then ad-
ded to the town dues committee, in the room of Mr. Porter and
the present Town-clerk, who vacated on his receiving his pre-
sent appointment.
The Mayor communicated that, in conformity to the resolu-
tion passed at the special council, regarding. the inquiry of his
Majesty's commissioners into municipal corporations, every
information had been rendered, and the different officers had
been in attendance to offer their evidence. He congratulated
the council in having experienced, in the services of the Town-
clerk, the most unwearied ability and unrelenting perseverance
in the discharge of the arduous and important duty which had
devolved upon him; indeed, Mr. Commissioner Wilkinson had
himself stated, that he had received the greatest courtesy, and
observed the most unreserved alacrity on the part of the Town-
clerk during the whole of their proceedings.
Several members rose to express their high sense of gratifica-
tion afforded by the zeal and distinguished ability displayed by
the Town-clerk during the late inquiry.
The Mayor then proposed a resolution, which was carried
unanimously, expressive of the high opinion of the Common
Council, of the talent and unwearied perseverance which had
been evinced by the Town-clerk.
During the remarks made by the Mayor and other members,
the most enthusiastic applause was shown throughout the
council-room.

The Town-clerk rose to acknowledge this distinguished mark
of the kindness of the council towards him. He appeared to
feel very deeply the expression of favour that had been mani-
fested, arising from his conduct during the inquiry.
A letter from Mr. W. Ripley was read, requesting the use of
the rooms in the Town-hall for the Charity Ball, to be lighted
at the expense of the Corporation.—Granted.
A. memorial from the minister, trustees, and seat-holders of
Di. liaffies's Chapel was read, praying that the clause in their
lease, which forbid a school being held on the premises, might
be withdrawn. The memorial stated that there was sufficient
accommodation under the chapel for a school, and that there
was a great anxiety to establish one. A counter memorial,
most respectably signed by the inhabitants of Great George's-
street was read, praying that permission should not be granted,
as the memorialists considered acceding to the request would be
adding another nuisance to the neighbourhood, there being al-
ready several schools, which are found to be most troublesome.
In opposing the measure, they stated, at the same time, their
desire to see education and useful knowledge promoted.—Re-
ferred to the Select Finance Committee to report.
A communication was read from Mr. Porter, the Chairman
of the Pilots' Committee, asking for pecuniary assistance for
the families of the Pilots, who were lost in No. l, Pilot-boat, in
the late gale. It appeared thirteen were drowned, leaving six
widows and thirteen children. Referred to the Select Finance
Committee, to inquire, in the first instance, what provision would
be made for them from the funds of the Pilots' Committee.
The Mayor then brought before the notice of council the
very praiseworthy conduct of Mr. Sumner, the surgeon, at
Formby, who had swam, at the risk of his life, to the pilot boat
with a bottle of rum attached to his neck, which he succeeded in
reaching, and administering the spit it, had saved the lives of
many who otherwise must have perished. The council voted
f.:50 to be presented to Mr. Sumner. An application was read
by the Mayor from the shipwrights of Liverpool, praying for a
shed to be erected at the end of each graving dock, to shelter
them in bad weather, and also to afford a lock up place for their
tools. Referred to the Select Finance Committee, with full
powers.
A letter was read from the Mayor of Lancaster,_ claiming
exemption for the freemen from the town dues. Referred to
the Town Dues Committee.
Au application from the Rev. John Smith, minister of St.
James's, was laid before the council, praying for pecuniary aid
for St. James's School, the funds of which are at a very low

ea.—Referred to the Select Finance Committee to repori.
A letter from the Rev. T. Moss, chairman of the Leeds Canal
Company, was read, wishing to know whether it was the inten-
tion of the council to grant an exclusive permission and mono-
poly of the proposed railway along the dock quays, as their
property would thereby be much injured. The town-clerk was
instructed to inform Mr. Moss that the council would not grant
any exclusive privilege.
The evidence given before the commissioners was ordered
to be printed.
The Town-clerk proposed, and Mr. T. Case seconded, that
the instances of oppression in the town dues, which had been
stated before the commissioners by Mr. Myers and Mr. San-
dars, should be brought before the town dues committee fur
their consideration. _

Thc Town-clerk stated that no representation on this subject
had ever been made to the council which bad not met with
immediate redress. In order to facilitate the business of the
session it was agreed an assessor should be appointed, to sit
with another magistrate, so as to carry on the business of both
courts at the same time. No other business came before the
council.

The ship Jessie, James Troop, commander, sailed from this
port on Monday, the 25th instant, for New South Wales and
Van Diemen's Land, with a fair wind, and a number of pas-
sengers on board; but ere she reached the Skerry Lights, the
wind died away and early on Tuesday a strong breeze sprung
up from the which compelled us to stand for the Irish
coast; the wind hourly increased, • and shifted from point to
point, and with considerable difficulty the captain was enabled
to keep a mid-channel course up to Wednesday, when the wind
shifted so rapidly, blowing a tremendous gale, with a clouded
and dense atmosphere, that all calculation as to our course was
almost out of the question. Now our situation became truly
awful, the wind having risen to a perfect hurricane, which pre-
cluded the possibility of chewing scarcely a stitch of canvas.
This tremendous hurricane, accompanied with an impenetrable
mist, which seemed as if forced from the foaming sea, and
mingling with the winds, raged with unabated fury from Wed-
nesday to Friday night, threatening us with momentary destruc-
tion. Under these trying circumstances, we had nothing to de-
pend on but the mercy of God; and the experience of our captain :
and it is but justice to Captain Troop to say, that no man could
have shown more judgment, activity, and zeal in the discharge
of his duty as a seaman, nor was he wanting in kind and con-
solatory attention to his passengers, so acceptable to persons
placed in a state of almost hopeless despair,—which has been
deeply felt by them, and communicated to the owners. To add
to the appalling scene, on the morning of Friday the second
mate fell from the rigging, and was washed overboard, (it is ap-
prehended a steerage passenger gave him some spirits,) and
sunk to rise no more. The whole scene presented a most truly
awful sight, such as had not been witnessed by the oldest seaman
on board. The judgment and cool seamanlike conduct of Cap-
tain Troop, and his perfect knowledge' of the channel, having,
by the result, proved he well judged throughout of his varied
situations, cannot be too much praised, and not less his mode of
issuing his commands to his crew unaccompanied by those hor-
rible imprecations too frequently indulged in by seafaring men.
With the aid of Providence, an experienced captain, a good
skip, and an able and willing crew, we arrived here on Saturday
last, without a pilot. It is due to the highly respectable owners
of the Jessie, Wm. Smith and Son, to add there was never a
vessel sent out of any port in better trim, better found, or better
appointed in every respect. She proved herself an excelleno
sea boat, having weathered this dreadful hurricane without tha
loss of a spar or rope, or making water, and is ready to go to set •
with the first fair wind.—From a Correspondent.
At the anniversary feast of the corporation of Leicester, Mr.
Halford, one of the county members, describing the proceed-
ings of his Majesty's Corporation Commissioners, said, "They
have seen the gentlemen invested with the authority of that
commission acting as if with the design to inflame a prejudice
against the constituted authorities. They had seen them fa-
miliarly associated with the declared enemies of the corporate
body, and inviting the populace to drink in with greedy ears all
the tales the gathered malice of those enemies could supply, as
if with the object of holding up the magistracy, to whose care
the peace and safety of this large and populous town had been
committed, to obloquy and hatred. He would ask if this were
not an offence against every principle of orderly government,
and against the sacred cause of peace and good order, such as
to demand an earnest remonstrance from every man attached
to that cause, and more especially from those who had long wit-
nessed the perfect efficacy of the municipal administration
which had been called in question by so rude and partial an in-
quisition." "

I al

11'

I

V

THE MAGAZINES.

TIIF. MONTHLY.

The December number of this ancient publication,
low, perhaps, better known as the Old Monthly, is the
first that has found its way to the LIVERPOOL STANDARD
Office, and we hail its appearance there, as we should do
that of an old friend who has seen better days and is
labouring under those capricious visitations of the fickle
goddess, to which both men and magazines are alike liable.
There is something about its sombre coloured wrapper,
ornamented with a head and fac similie autograph of old
John Milton, that appeals with such an irresistible force
to our kindly sympathies, that we cannot, in spite of its
radical propensities, feel otherwise than pleased with the
opportunity of introducing it into the company of its
more juvenile competitors. The word company reminds
us of " Strange Companie," the third article in the
present number, which we take leave to present to our
readers :

A little child, a little child,
Upon its mother's knee,
With dimpled cheek, and laughing eye,
A holy sight to see.

A thoughtless boy, a thoughtless boy.
A truant from the school,
Urging his tiny wooden sloop
On through the glassy pool.

A musing youth, a musing youth,
With eyes fixed on a book,
Where he but sees his mistress'face
In her last farewell look.

A gay gallant, a gay gallant,
Hero of club and ball ;
His father's pride, his mother's joy,
Admired and loved of all.

A traveller, a traveller,
Returned from foreign strand,
With store of wisdom, culled with care,
For use hi his own land.

A happy man, a happy man,
With wife and children round ;
And smiling friends, arid cheerful home,
Where all pure joys abound:

A patriot, apatriot,
Intent on public good;
Who, in a court's ordeal tried,
Corruption's bait withstood.

A man of woe a man of woe.
Bankrupt in heart and wealth:—
Wife, children, hopes, all in the grave,
A bankrupt, too, In health.

"A misanthrope, a misanthrope,
DiSgusted with mankind ;
Deserted by deceitful friends,
Whom favours could not bind.
A lunatic, a lunatic,

In melancholy mood,
Shrinking from every living thing—
Sighing in solitude.

A burial, a Curial,
With none of kin to weep,
And lay the old man 'neath the sod,
To take his last long sleep.

Strange Companie, strange CoMpanie,
Are thew to meet, I ween !
Alas ! they are but life's changes,
That in ova MAN are seen !

FRASER'S.

Fraser opens this month with Jupiter Ammon, and
closes with Lord Durham—begins with the sublime, and
ends with the ridiculous ! The number, upon the whole,
is excellent ; but we confine our extracts on the present
occasion to some capital pickings from the sayings and
doings of cooks and kitchen maids, and various other
rogues who live either in the attics or under ground.
The writer is the only respectable schoolmaster that we
knoW who is not abroad--Fraser's own pedagogue, whom
he keeps constatitly'under lock and key in his back par-
lour, for the exclusive benefit of the nation.
As servants move out of the employ of tradesmen, and enter
into the service of the more wealthy, their opportunities of gain
increase, and in consequence their plans of operation become
more systematic. Observation, should they not at first be in-
structed by the other servants of the family into which they first
enter, is quite enough to instruct each what is to be done to aug-
ment their little saeing—the mild term they all apply to the
making money by peculation in each of their departments, from
the scullery-maid, who plays off her many tricks on the cook, to
the steward, who does business on a larger scale. Although a
suite of servants is never in a state of harmony, being jealous
of each other's ,gains, yet they never fail to agree in adhering to
each other in all questions against the family interest, if it will
gut put one penny into their own pockets; the only censidera-
tion with the whole is, who is the party they have to attack ?
Sometimes it is the master or mistress themselves; in other
cases they have a battle to fight against a house-steward, or a
major-donso ; in smaller families it is a butler, or a housekeeper
of capacious rotundity, whose integer is destroyed if the bunch
of keys be not suspended from her ample zone. The body of
servants, however, in every case, hold this doctrine—that if their
master manage his own afrairs he is rich, and can afford it ; if
another does it for him, they say, we know that all he gets from
us he puts into his own pocket, so that master will be none the
better for our honesty. As Susan says in Fielding's Grub-street
opera —" Fie upon it, William; what have you to do with mas-
ter's losses? He is r,ich, and can afford it; don't let us quarrel
among ourselves—let us stand by one another; for let me tell
you, if matters were to be too nicely examined into, I am afraid
it would go hard with us all. Wise servants always stick close
to one another, like plums in. a pudding that's over-wetted, says
Susan the cook.
Every servant should be sauce to his fellow-servant; as sauce
disguises the faults of a dish, so should he theirs. 0, William,
were we all to have our deserts, we should be finely roasted in-
deed !"

It is said, that fear only keeps men honest and women virtu-
ous; and, without doubt, the law and shame have their effect
on man and womankind much more than the pure love of virtue
for itself. This observation is applicable to all ranks in thepre-
sent day ; but in the whole body of servants neither fear nor
'shame restrains them ; they plunder systematically every hour
in the day, and in such ways that it is almost impossible, as the
law now stands, to bring them under its punishment. In a lodg-
ino--house, where there were seven gentlemen who took break-
fast and tea at home, having engagements in the city during the
day, one female servant waited on them all. Each lodger kept
his tea-caddy, having a lock and key. One of the young men,
when at home among his friends, was, in conversation, asked
by his sister bow much tea and sugar he consumed. When he
,named the quantity, he was severely reprimanded for his extra-
vagance. Subsequently, reflecting on the subject, he was con-
vinced something was wrong, and he determined to make an
experiment. He commenced by counting every day the num-
ber of knobs of sugar he left in the glass basin when he locked
it up; he also put into the caddy a certain quantity of tea, which
balanced to a nicety, keeping a weight by him for the purpose.
Pursuing this plan regularly, he found, that between every in-
terval of locking his caddy and again opening it, precisely four
knobs of sugar were abstracted, and about one large teaspoonful
of tea. lie now communicated his discovery to his fellow-lodg-
ers, who all adopted the same plan, and the same results occur-
red in every case. So that, supposing each caddy to be opened
for use twice a-day, the aggregate daily•loss would be fifty-six
knobs of sugar and fourteen spoonsful of tea. This case strik-
ingly shews the pilfering, calculating system of servants; for if
the caddy were not opened (as would often happen) at tea-time
in the afternoon, there was not a second depredation made that
slay, lest it should lead to a discovery; but if one or more visit-
ors came to partake of the beverage, the caddy was always, on
the succeeding visitation, heavily fined, calculating that the loss
would of course be attributed to the consumption for the com-
pany. The girl must have had a master-key for the caddies,
one of which, I believe, can be obtained for sixpence. Extend-
ing their discoveries further, it was soon made evident that those
who kept a liquor-frame were robbed in the same careful man-
ner, little by little; even to sheets of writing-paper, which were-
taken one at a time.

The steward or butler, when they enter upon their offices,
ascertain through report, or by actual observation and experi-
ment on their masters, how far they may venture to proceed in
raising the price of the commodities consumed in the house; in
other words, with what degree of vigilance or carelessness the
domestic concerns are scanned by their employers. Hence
there are situations which among themselves they speak of as
five per cent up to twenty per cent places. A man having one
or two thouand pounds to lay out in the purchase of a business,
does not exhibit more circumspection and acumen in inquiry as
to the returns and profits of the concern he is negotiating for,
than servants do into the gaits to be got out of the wealthy fa-
milies of England. Custom has so brazed the whole fraternity
to these nefarious practices, that among themselves they un-
blushingly boast to each other of the robberies they have com-
mitted in their several situations ;—as with the common robbers,
use has hardened them against all sense of shame and com-
punctions of conscience. Each class of servants form com-
pacts among themselves, meeting at public-houses, where they
discuss the degree of pliancy to which the different tradesmen
fall into their views, and the extent to which their masters and
mistresses may be plundered. Every morning during the sea-
son, at the west end of the town, at certain and well-known
public-houses, from five to ten, or more, butlers and stewards
hold regular meetings, to partake of a luncheon, and commu-
nicate with each other, iterating their schemes and tricks for
the general improvement of them all, having a settled deter-
mination to oust all tradesmen who will not fall into their views
of robbing those who unwittingly place any confidence in them.
A few months since, the house-steward of a large family had
some differences about discount with the brewer who served the
house with beer. The brewer's bill had been standing rather
longer than usual, and he thought this a good reason why he
should not pay so heavily for the custom. When he told the
steward of his determination to deviate from their original bar-
gain, the steward went to another brewer, who advanced the sum
to pay the bill due, which enabled him to stop the per tentage,
and set the other brewer at defiance; at the same time removing
the custom of the family to the one who had accommodated
him. Stewards and butlers are so much on the alert, that they
do not allow a single bottle of can de Cologne or a pot of poma-
turn to be brought into the family without laying an impost on
it. Among tradesmen and servants the understanding has be-
come so general, that in most articles of consumption in a gen-
tleman's house few words are used between them on the subject ;
they now imagine that the practice is legalised by custom, as
some mercantile laws have been made by the custom and usage
of merchants.
One of the most honest, respectable, and independent-
spirited retired tradesmen which this metropolis can boast of,
relates, among many similar anecdotes, the following. A cue_
tomer stepping out of his carriage one morning, with a newly-
made coat on his arm, throwing it on the counter violently, com-
plained that it was made of such coarse cloth that it was a
disgrace to the shop. The tailor very coolly took down the
piece from which it had been made, and spewed his customer
that the cloth was made of the very 'first-rate superfine Saxon
wool. "Well," saulAthe gentleman, "the cloth and the coat
are unlike." "Yes," rejoined the tailor "because your ser-
vant, now standing behind the carriage' has taken a shoe-
brush and laboured with all his might to raise up the wool the
contrary way of the cloth, like quills upon the fretful porcu-
pine ; ' and if you will call him in, I will make the rascal con-
fess his guilt:" continuing, `‘le.t week he wanted me to make
a coat for' himself, and lay it on your account; -he then de-
manded two guineas, and subsequently one ; all of which I

refused to comply with, telling him I never joined in any spe-
cies of robbery. ' The gentleman, however, declined any exa-
mination of his servant ; and, although the tailor carried his
forbearance so far as to make another coat instead of the one
spoilt, the gentleman removed his future orders to another shop.
Such is the encouragement given to honesty !
Many butlers and stewards, in large families, have adopted
the plan of becoming tradesmen themselves. As their avoca-
cations will not admit of managing a business entirely them-
selves, they join in partnership with other individuals, and force
a trade by calling on all persons with whom their masters deal
to return the favour of buying goods of them. The better to
accomplish this object, they generally trade in articles of cora-
-1 mon use, by dealing in wines and spirits,_ or coals, &c. So that,
while they are in servitude, they have the tact to prepare a re-
treat, should their practices at any time occasion them loss of
place, and also that of character, by which they may be excluded '
from other situations. The writer of this article can at this '
moment point out many firms at the west end of the town so
constituted; capital having been advanced by servants to carry
on the trade, and which capitals have.been obtained in the way
above described. Most servants are ambitious of embarking in
business as soon as they can collect together enough money to
enable them to do so. This desire is probably much increased,
under a notion they have that the profits of tradesmen are
enormous, from the allOwances made to them; and that if they
push their business more vigorously, and allow greater dis-
counts, they shall monopolise the trade. One man who resides
in the neighbourhood of Piccadilly, after making some money
in his situation of butler, went into business, but failed. Ho
again procured a situation in a family, made money, and once
more commenced tradesman, and again failed. He was, how-
ever, fortunate enough a third time to procure a place in a large
family, where in a very few years he saved money sufficient to
enable him to open his present shop, where lie is now said to be
doing well. Many similar instances might be adduced, exam-
plifying'the great facilities some servants in large families have
of making money. Now, what a state df society is this, wherein
every man having property, and requiring a suite of servants,
must necessarily harbour a set of rogues in his house, and that
the holiest tradesman, as we were wont to style our shopkeepers,
should so very generally consent to become partners in crime !
If matters arc allowed to progress in the manner they are now
going on, there will in a short time be no virtue extant. It is
a national and a humiliating reflection, that, more or less, some
species of delinquency pervades almost every class of society in
the present day. But shall no effort be made to cleanse and
purge this perilous stuff out of the common bosom ?