The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-02-24 00:00:00

remarks our naive dontemporary, " it is not usual to
admit reporters ; but as one of the cases was expected
to be publicly interesting, our own and another re-
porter applied for admission, and the appellant (Mr.
Cowgill) being anxious that they should be present, the
magistrates and churchwardens at once consented.
We, therefore, subjoin a report of the case."

Well, what does the reader imagine was the "pub-
licly interesting" character of the case in question ?
This Mr. Cowgill—a busy personage at vestry meet-
ings—was summoned for non-payment of his rates, in
respect to four different properties. Anything "pub.
licly interesting" upon the face of so ordinary a pro-
ceeding as that ? A keen customer must be the re-
porter for the Liverpool Times, to scent the fact that
the case of Mr. Cowgill was different from that of the
hundreds of Jones's and Smiths who are made to un-
dergo the same ordeal, and which cases " it is not
usual" for the keen individual in question to bother
his note-book about. Mr. Cowgill, however, we see,
" was anxious" that the public should look at his case

through the spectacles of our contemporary. Was he?
No. But he was anxious that his paltry defence, and
the paltry personal attack in which it consisted, should
be made as " publicly interesting" as " liberal" jour-
nalism could make it—that the grounds of a con-
temptible sneer of a contemptible paper (the Mercury)
should be placed before the world ; and hence the pa-
triotic ardour with which the reporter of the Times,
" and another reporter" hurried, pen and inkhorn in
hand, to the Sessions House, out' of the proceedings
there

" to point a moral and adorn a tale"

for all future parish-rate defaulters !
And what was this defence—this " publicly-inte-
resting" defence—of Mr. Cowgill ? We pass over the
pretended plea with respect to the item of £350 Os. lod.
That was a mere stuffed man set up for the occasion—
a " dummy," such as we see in some cigar shops, in
the shape of empty boxes, duly labelled with the
seductive brands " Habana," "Silviaros," "Principes,"
and other mystic words, but not intended to be sold.
That defence was not the commodity to be vended by
our contemporary, or his client Mr. Cowgill. There
was nothing " publicly interesting" in it. The inte-
resting matter for that portion of the public which
reads the paper in question was the paltry personal
attack sought to be made against an efficient and re-
spected servant of the parish—Mr. W. Birkett.

Mr. Cowgill, it appears, had made the amazing dis-
covery, that at the time the summons against him was
issued—at which time Mr. Birkett was sick, and had
as much to do with the issuing in question as the Lord
Mayor of Timbuctoo, with whom, as with all great
men, our contemporary is no doubt acquainted, and in
habits of correspondence—that gentleman was himself
owing to the parish a portion of his rates. To those
who know anything of the ordinary business of a
warehouse owner, and when it is' known that Mr.
W. Birkett and his partners .pay annually no less a 550
than three thousand pounds in parish rates, such a cir-
cumstance will not appear surprising. In many cases,
as was explained by Mr. Birkett's partner (Mr. Dover),
" they let parts of warehouses, and the tenants paY
the rates ;" and thus, although Messrs. Birkett appear
on the parish books as the parties owing money, the
tenants are the real defaulters. Moreover, we have
their course of business explained by Mr. W. Birkea
himself : " they regularly commence paying three
months after the rate is laid, and pay up to the end of
the year." There is surely nothing, therefore, Yell
startling in the fact that such a firm were, at the time
of the issuing of the summons against Mr. Cowgill,
less than one third part of their heavy rate in arrear---
if indeed it could under the circumstances be called
in arrear; and we can only put down the zeal of our
contemporary to proclaim the fact, to the wish of the
party, of whom he is the tool, to make a set at the cha
racter of the gentleman in question. Our wise bro-
ther, however, we venture to hint to him, has no power
to effect the object in view. The public can see.
through the manceuvres of himself and of his party
and an army of old apple-women might just as well`
attempt to take the Tower of London by escalade, s°
the Times, with his popgun, to force an entry for
mob of predatory whiglings into the confidence of the
ratepayers of Liverpool. Thank Heaven, we Wl°
the gentlemen !

The debate in the Town Council, at their spec
meeting on Wednesday week, in consequence, probably'
of its being short, does not seem to have hitherto at-
tracted so much attention as the importance of the
subject under consideration deserves. This town hag
suffered so much from fires, even in the remembrance
of the present generation, that almost any project for
the prevention of future visitations, speculative 13r
practical, drands investigation ; and it is on this
ground that we accord our sanction to the proposition
of the Council for asking any requisite powers froal
Parliament.

There was in the debate the appearance without the
reality of a difference of opinion upon the propriety 49,
going to Parliament this session. One gentleman.
urged delay on the somewhat original ground that Oe.r
people of London were tired of hearing so much of
Liverpool affairs; just as if because Liverpool had ob'
tamed her Improvement and Health of Town Acts
the last session she therefore needs nothing more.
this novel principle we might as well consent at 00'
to place the borough in schedule A, and part comPauf
with Lord Sandon and Sir Howard Douglas, for there
would be very little use in sending representatives to
an assembly unwilling to be moved with our cause'
The dehate, however, as it progressed, gradually worked
a change in the sentiments of the gentleman referee,
,
to, and the practical details furnished by Mr. Sam;
Holme effected his entire conversion. One or Is
other members objected to proceeding on ground
equally untenable, but as in the case of Mr. G. o
Lawrence, they proved themselves open to convieti°o;
and, eventually, the motion that a bill be applied
was agreed to unanimously.
LIP
The report of the Special Committee was drawl'
in general terms ; and, consequently, it laid bare veriis
little beyond the principle on which the measitee,
proposed to be founded. Under existing cire°,oo6
stances it appears to be requisite that two distinct bill
should be applied for, one by the Council and the otiliv
by the Commissioners for Paving and Sewering• ifi,
general bill on the part of either would involve an re,
terference with each others power s, which, in the Pa
sent case, it is extremely desirable to avoid, not °iv
on account of the expense, but for the sake of the P re
lic welfare. We assume then that the grounds a
of
valid and sufficient which have led to the prosPectr
two bills to accomplish a common object ; and we e
too
sume, too, that the execution of the two acts—if
..00
acts there should be—will be co-operative and hoc'
nious.

In his speech the Town-Clerk furnished some
tails of the bill to be solicited on the part of the Clog
cil ; from which it is evident that all the precautcise
which human ingenuity and forethought
can dei. or
to prevent devastations by fire, are to be adopted' prto
instance, iron is to be used where wood has hitll-010
prevailed ; protective walls are to be built on the lett
between warehouse and warehouse ; a space of six
re.
yards is to be preserved in the front of any new Wthe
house; certain restrictions are to be placed eller
warehousing of goods of a dangerous nature ;
ed
ous trades are to be prohibited from being ibil°rgoirl
within a given distance from warehouses, under eeor
exceptions; all warehouses are to be registered;
srol
ters therein are to be licensed, who, it is proposed'opl
be deemed guilty of misdemeanour, if any oat
ful act" or "negligent omission" is proved 40510
them. These, we understand, are the chief feat° late
the bill to be recommended by the Council. Cod'
will certainly be part of the bill suggested by the e be
missioners ; it will be of trifling amount, (1d- vibe de'
lieve,) hut we forbear discussing any part of t tiler
tails of their measure until they have been, es

soon must he, submitted to public consideration. st•
In a general point of view we have no objeeti°lbthe•
present, to any of the foregoing details, except t° arias
registration of warehouses, the licensing of porterrsn're
the power to bring men of that occupation beTlesit;
criminal tribunal for any "wilful act" or " °egg 0,1 Or:
omission." We disapprove of the registration ("' orildJ
houses because in the event of any casualitY It 'oool'
throw some degree of responsibility upon the "
appir
A certificate of the security of the building, we'ucerti:
hend, would follow from the registration, svilic'o,ioo,
ficate would not be given until it had been el 2
by the surveyor, or some other competent office "
tiles
his opinion would, to some extent at least, Pledge