The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1851-01-14 00:00:00

LOCAL MEETINGS

SELECT VESTRY.—The fortnightly meeting was held
on Tuesday, the Rev. Rector Campbell in the chair. The
proceedings of the Finance Committee contained a report
from the Sub-committee on assessments, in which they
state that they consider the present system, under which
the assessment is only partially revised annually, a vicious
one, and that, in justice to the parish, a correct and uni-
form valuation of property should be aimed at, year by
year. A duty of such great extent and importance as
Liverpool requires constant vigilance and attention, such
as can only be expected from an officer giving his whole
time to the duty. They therefore recommend the ap-
pointment of a professional valuer who shall devote his
whole time to the duty ; the salary to be fixed at £3OO per
annum. The report was ordered to stand over for con-
sideration ; copies in the mean time to be printed, and
one sent to each member. The Chairman moved a re-
solution, authorizing the Vestry-clerk and himself to place
themselves in communication with the other parishes in
the kingdom interested, in seeking their co. operation in
obtaining from Government some measure calculated to
regulate effectually the immigration of Irish paupers. It
was seconded and carried.

--
THEW LIVERPOOL MARINE SOCIETY.—The annual
meeting of the friendly society bearing this name, which
was established in 1789, for the benefit of masters
of vessels, their widows, wives, and children, was
held on Tuesday, in the Clarendon-rooms. It appeared
that there were four captains, twenty widows, and six
orphan children claimants upon the ‘book, and that the
subscriptions of members for the year had yielded, to be
divided amongst these, £463. Last year the captains re-
ceived an annuity of £23, widows £lB, and an orphan
child £9 ; but the directors recommended that these
sums should this year be slightly graduated ; that, when
mare than one child was left in a family, there should be
a small reduction according to the number; and that cap-
tains and widows under sixty years of age should receive
a little less than those who were above sixty, as the latter
require more care and comfort. Mr. H. G. Sutton, one
of the directors, showed the justice and expediency of the
proposed change. Captain Boult objected to it, and
thought it would be better to keep the annuities uniform,
irrespective of age. On a division, the recommendations
of the board were adopted, officers for the ensuing year
were chosen, and the meeting adjourned.
BIRKENHEAD COMMISSIONERS.—The usual meeting
was held on Tuesday evening. The minutes of the Light-
ing and Watch Committee showed that a resolution had
been unanimously passed, conveying the thanks of the
committee to Mr. James M`Harg, the superintendent of
the police, for his excellent conduct during the late riots,
and expressive of the entire confidence of the committee
in him as head of the police. Mr. Bailiff moved that
such part of the minutes of the committee as related to
placing an extra lamp in Clifton-crescent be referred
back. Mr. Watson seconded the motion, which was car-
ried, the rest of the proceedings being confirmed. On
the reading of the minutes of the Health Committee, Mr.
Pike drew attention to the number of pigsties and depo-
sits of manure on the open ground in various parts of the
township. He named several localities where such nui-
sances existed, and said, unless some steps were taken to
abate the evil, Birkenhead, from being one of the clean-
est towns in the country, would soon become one of the
dirtiest. The matter was referred to the committee.—
The proceedings of the Improvement Committee relating
to an alteration of the plans of buildings to be erected on
land in the park belonging to Mr. Boothby, led to some
discussion, and it was ultimately referred back.—The
ferry receipts during the month of December, 1850, were
£1,469 18s. 9d. ; during the corresponding month of
1849, £1,185 ss. ld. ; ditto from 23d April to 31st Dec.
in 1849, £13,457 9s. 7d. ; and for 1850, £15,484 Bs. 2d.
The total expenditure during the latter-mentioned period,
was £13,381 Is. ld. The half-year's interest clue to the
trustees of F. R. Price, Esq., on the lease of the ferry,
bed been paid.

DOox Commtrres,—The usual weekly meeting of the
committee was held on Thursday, Mr. Thomas Littledale
in the chair. A. new foot-way to George's Pier, seven
yards wide, paved with small stones, at the estimated cost
of £450, was ordered to be constructed.—A sum of 15s.
per week, for three months, was ordered to be paid to
Margaret Whittle, whose husband had died from injuries
sustained whilst in the employ of the Dock Committee.—
The old light-ship Comet, now dismantled, was ordered
to be sold by public auction.—A memorial was read from
the care-takers in the transit sheds, remonstrating rela-
tive to the reduction of their wages by the committee
from 255. weekly to 21s. Mr. Tobin thought those men
onght to be properly paid ; and to reduce them from 255.
to 21s. was too much. He would move that their wages
should be again 255. per week. Mr. Fisher seconded the
motion, which was put, and negatived by a majority of II
to 5.

ACHILL MISSION.—On Tuesday evening the annual
meeting of the friends of the Protestant Home mission,
established on the Island of Achill, was held in the Music
hall, Bold-street. The Rev. Dr. M'Neile presided, and
the proceedings of the meeting were opened with prayer.
The Rev, J. R. Conor stated that the subscription had
amounted to £35 175., against £l3 19s. in the previous
year. The Rev. Mr. Rogers, curate of Achill, then pro-
ceeded to state that in Achill, sixteen years ago, there was
not a single Protestant ;. there was, he need not add,
no place of Protestant worship, no schools of any kind ;
few or none could read in the island ; and one New
Testament in any language was all that could be found in
the island after the most diligent search. Now after the
settlement of the colony what was the fact ? There were
at present six places of Protestant worship—(applause)—
there were four ordained clergymen of the united Church
of England ; there were six Scripture readers ; there were
thirty Scriptural schools,besides those falsely called national,
and which only set up in antagonism to the others ; a
refuge for orphans, a dispensary fo. the poor, a hospital for
the sick, and last, but not least,. there was a printing press
upon the island. (Lond applause.) Out of a population
of 5000,1000 were now Protestant. (Loud applause.) The
Rev. Mr. Nangle, Mr. S. Holme, and the chairman sub.
sequently addressed the meeting, after which it separated.

ARCHITECTURAL AND ARCHEOLOGICAL SOCIETY.—
The usual fortnightly meeting of this society was held on
Wednesday evening, Mr. J. Picton, the president, in the
chair. Mr. F. Horner, solicitor, was appointed to suc-
ceed Mr. Laker as treasurer. Mr. Charles Reed pro-
duced the plans and designs- of an hotel, to be called the
Britannia Hotel, which he has been deputed to construct
in the immediate vicinity of the Menai Straits, and, in
fact, overlooking them, ana commanding a view of the
tubular bridge. Mr. Reed explained the plans and de-
signs, and intimated that the hotel would contain nearly
five hundred beds ; and some notion of its extent may be
judged of by the fact, that the front alone will be no less
than 521 feet long. Mr. Paxton will be employed to lay
out the grounds, and M. Soyer was consulted as to the
kitchen department. The remarkable feature in the de-
sign is its connexion with the railway, to be accomplished
by means of a glass avenue. The hotel will be one of the
most magnificent in this country, or any other country,
being, it is understood, much larger than that of Astor-
house, New York. Mr. Reed next read a paper supposed
to have been written by Hickman, the celebrated Gothic
architect, which had been forwarded by Mr. W. Mason,
on the subject of Chester Cathedral. Mr. Picton offered
some remarks on the architectural remains, &c., of the
Winchester, Canterbury, and Salisbury Cathedrals. A
short discussion ensued, in which Messrs. Frank Howard,
H. P. Horner, R. Brown, and J. Boult, took part.
HEALTH COMMITTEE.—The usual weekly meeting of
this committee was held on Thursday,—Alderman J.
Parker in the_ chair. It appeared that the collection of
rates had improved by more than five per cent., or £4876.
The annual report of the Inspector of Nuisances and of
the medical officer were then read. The substance of
both will be found in another column. The Chairman
said the report was a very able one, and gentlemen who
were opposed to them should read it.—Mr. Willoughby,
proprietor of the Tranmere Ferry, was introduced to the
committee. He stated that two of his men were at pre-
sent in custody, at the instance of the committee, for the
non-payment of fines imposed upon them for smoke
nuisances, and another man, who had been thirty years
in his employ, and in the employ of his predecessor, was
Oliged to abscond to avoid the same consequences.
None of these men were conscious of having violated any
enactment, or being instrumental in doing so. The
greatest proof of the impossibility under which they
laboured in endeavouring to destroy the smoke was
shown by the boats of the Corporation, built after the
passing of this enactment, which still cor, tinned, and were
at that moment letting out large fumes of smoke. If
they provided a law to punish steam-boat proprietors for
not burning smoke, they ought to provide the means of
destroying it, otherwise it was a strange anomaly. He
(Mr. Willoughby) had called in Mr. Grantham, and the
foreman of Mr. Williams, the patentee for the smoke
consumers, and they had endeavoured to cause the smoke
to be consumed ; bu: it was a total failure, and he had
nearly lost one of his boats through it. The Nimrod,
Cork steamer, was nearly lost from the same cause ; and
it was really too bad to carry out a scheme which not
alone injured the boats, but endangered the navigation.
The Chairman suggested that Mr. Willoughby should
memorialise the Council on the subject, and it would
receive the best consideration. Mr. Willoughby stated
that he would do so.

COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS,

The adjourned meeting of the Council was held on Wednes-
day.
The proceedings of the Dock Committee having been read, -

Mr. LITTLED;LE rose to move their confirmation. He said
there was nothing of moment connected with the estate with
the exception of the new dock bill, a copy of which had been
sent to every trustee. It appeared that the American Cham-
ber of Commerce bad some remarks to make upon the bill,
but were not prepared. He suggested, therefore that they
should postpone the discussion. A special meeting would
probably have to be held in reference to the new sanatory bill,
and the dock bill might be considered then.
Mr. LANOSDALE seconded the motion.

Mr. S. HoLmE should reserve what he had to say on the
important subject in the Dock Committee proceedings till it
came formally before the Council ; but as there was upon those
proceedings a memorial from the timber merchants relative to
the abstraction of a large quantity of land from the Harring-
ton Dock, and as it was a question in which the interest of
many of the innabitants, as well as of the Corporation, were
concerned, he trusted thati the Dock Committee would take
care that a copy of the plans which were to be lithographed
should be sent to each member of the Council, that they might
know what they were called upon to sanction.
Mr. LITTLE DALE said that instructions to that effect had
already been given.
The minutes of the Town-hall Committee contained some
correspondence from Mr. Westcott, who had been requested
to examine the Hilton picture of the " Crucifixion," on the
staircase of the Town-hall. It was not now suffering, the artist
said, from too much sun and light ; nor did he think that, in
its present position, it was likely to do so, as the frosting on
the windows diffused the sun's rays, and prevented them from
striking with too much force upon the canvas. The picture
did require, however, several cracks to be filled. Mr. Westcott
was directed to take the necessary steps for the repair of the
painting.
Some discussion took place on an application from the Free-
masons for the use of the Town-hall rooms for a charity ball.
The application was opposed on the ground that only that part
of the public who were masonic brethren would be admitted.
An amendment by Mr. THoMsoN, seconded by Mr. Hour,
that the rooms be allowed as usual, was negatived by a majo-
rity of 25 to 14. _ . .

fhe proceedings of the Health Committee contained a re-
commendation to appoint Mr. Clarke superintendent of the
new baths and washhouses in Cornwallis-street.

Mr, HOLT, as chairman of the Water Committee, moved the
confirmation of its proceedings. He said he was not aware that
there was anything in them calling for observation, except the
contract for a new engine for the Green-lane works. They had
contracted with Messrs. Forrester and Co. for .e 5,750, and that
comprised an engine capable of raising a million gallons of
water per day, with engine-house, &c.
Mr. WOODRUFF seconded the motion.
. .

Considerable discussion took place, in the course of which
the TOWN-CLERK stated, in answer to Mr. Alderman PARKER,
that an award had been given against the Corporation in favour
of Mr. Chippendale for works near Horwich, in connection
with the ltivington waterworks.

After some discussion on general subjects, the proceedings
were confirmed.

The proceedings of the Church Expenditure Committee con-
tained, it appeared, a report of forty pages in length.
Mr. FERGUSON moved that it be not read, as it had been
ordered to be printed, and a copy sent to the members. At the
next monthly meeting the committee would he prepaikd to
move such resolutions founded upon the report as were neces-
sary. _ . .

Mr. PARKER hoped that that voluminous report embraced
the ecclesiastical discipl'ne of the churches. (Loud cries of
" Hear, bear.")
Mr. FEROUSON.—It is a complete history from beginning to
end.

It was agreed that the subject should be postponed.
Mr. WOODRUFF formally moved the confirmation of the
new by-laws affecting the cars and hackney-coaches; but as
there did not appear to be two-thirds of the Council present,
they w re postponed.
The next subject upon the Council-paper was Mr. PARKER'S
motion, " That the sum of 41,700 be granted for the purpose
of establishing a reformatory for juvenile offenders, as an ex-
periment; and that some portion of the new gaol be appropri-
ated for the above purpose, or the land adjoining be used as
the site thereof."
This gave rise to a very protracted discussion, and half-a.
dozen different amendments were proposed. Mr. PARKER
agreed to withdraw his motion, on finding that the resolution,
as worded, would give the committee 41,700 in addition to the
41,700 already voted.
Mr. HENDERSON said they were bound by act of parliament
to apply their surplus revenue to certain purposes— to the re-
duction of rates, improvement of the town, and other public
benefits. He was prepared to move an amendment, that an
application be made to parliament for a grant to carry out the
intention of the promoters of the scheme. In London they
had the impudence to ask for 4300,000 to make a park.
Mr. BENNETT seconded this, but it was displaced by still
further amendments.
Mr. WOODRUFF succeeded in carrying a motion, by a majo-
rity of one, that the reformatory should be on the Wall-hill
estate ,• but ultimately the Council agreed, on the motion of
Mr. W. K. TYRER, that it should be erected on some land be-
longing to the Corporation near the new gaol at Walton, but
on the opposite side of the railway.
Mr. PARKER moved, " That out of the surplus fund for the
present year, a sum of 42,000 be appropriated for the purpose
of building twenty almshouses for poor and aged burgesses,
such houses to be erected either on the Wall-hill or some other
eligible portion of the corporate estate."
Mr. THOMSON seconded the motion, and said that he should
be happy to give 4100 out of his own pocket towardsthescheme.
Mr. JAMES HOLME supported the motion, which was opposed
by Mr. HOLT, on the ground that municipal grants should not
be devoted to such a purpose. It was doing no real service to
the people.
After some remarks from Mr. BENNETT, in support of the
resolution,
Mr. FISHER opposed the grant. He could see no practical
good in it ; even when the twenty burgesses were provided for,
what was to become of the two thousand poor burgesses who
could not be reached?
After some other conversation, the motion was put for or
against. It was lost by 9to 22.
Mr. HENDERSON moved the appointment of a committee to
take into consideration the best means of reducing the expenses
attendant upon any future application to parliament. The
motion being seconded, Mr. THOMSON, enumerated the
items of expenditure incurred during the past sixteen years for
bills and other applications. The motion was carried.
Mr. HENDERSON also moved, "That a specific return be
made of the particular items comprehended in the sum of
42,430 19s 7d., under the head of " Expenaes of Inquiry before
Mr. Stephenson."' Carried.