The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1851-05-13 00:00:00

THE FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY.

The proceedings of the Library and Museum Committee
comprised a recommendation to reconsider the alteration
made by the Council in the Liverpool Royal Institution
bill, now before parliament, by substituting a new clause
for clause 12, as printed.
Mr. PICTON rose to move the confirmation of the pro-
ceedings, and, at the same time, proposed, pursuant to
notice—

"To rescind or vary a resolution of the Council, passed at
the adjourned meeting of the Council, held on the 2nd of April
last, on consideration of a bill now before Parliament, intituled
The Liverpool Royal Institution Bill, transfer of Property,'
&c., by which resolution, clause 12 of that bill as printed, was
directed to be struck out, and a new clause substituted in lieu
thereof, and that such new clause be struck out, and a clause
inserted in strict conformity with the arrangement by which
the Committee of the Royal Institution agreed to transfer their
property to the Corporation, viz., that a sum not less than
.ilOOO per annum should be expended in the maintenance and
support of the existing departments of the institution, irrespec-
tive of the contemplatc: library."

In proposing this, Mr. Picton entered into a lengthy
review of all the circumstances connected with the for-
mation of the free library, and contended that clause 12 as it
now stood was in direct contravention of the treaty with
the proprietors of the Royal Institution. He was, he
said, in the position of a man who had built a house, and
was about to put the top stone on it when, by some inter-
ference with the foundation, the fabric came tumbling
down. If the clause stood as it was, it would he feared
destroy the project.
Mr. WOODRUFF seconded the motion.
A very lengthy discussion ensued.
Mr. FISHER moved as an amendment that the bill
should be altogether withdrawn for the present session.
Mr. W. K. TYRER seconded the motion.
The Council divided, when the amendment was carried
by rt majority of 21 to 18.

The following in an analysis of the division :
For : Councillors Thos. Chalmer, J. Thomson, John
Bigham, Jonathan Atkinson, J. Briscoe, T. Godfrey, 0.
Holden, J. Ferguson, John C. Fernihough, Algernon F.
Jones, J. Johnson, W. K. Tyrer, J. Nicholson, R. M.
Beckwith, A. Henderson, E. C. Hindley, W. Fisher,
Thomas Lloyd—Aldermen T. Dover, J. Parker, Thomas
Robinson. _ _ _

-Against :
Turner, H. HCoorunnbcyil,loTrs.
AJ.
Wagstaff, T. Fleming, J. A. Tobin, J. A. Picton, J. M.
dwrru.ffp,
.T
eLfireHyso,dTsohno,niCas.
J. Nelson Wood, J. Bramley-Moore, J. H. Turner, the
Mayor.
Wood, M. Gregson—Aldermen W. Bennett, W. Preston,
were next confirmed, Mr. Woodruff stating in answer to
viWsoono,
The proceedings of the Cars and Coaches Committee
Mr. Ferguson, that the half-mile sixpenny fare was now
legally in force.
PAID OFFICERS' COMMITTER AND THE MAGISTRATES.
The Report of the Paid Officer's Committee was read,
embracing a detail of the embroilment which had taken
place between themselves and the magistrates.
Mr. Godfrey, as Chairman of the Paid Officers' Com-
mittee, explained that they had 'acted with no wish
to interfere with the prerogative of the magistrates.
These gentlemen, he had since heard, were taking steps
to denude the Council of the privilege which the Com-
mittee had been instructed to assert.
Mr. FERNIBOLIGH moved the following resolution upon
this matter, with respect to which he trusted that the
Council would at length be driven to assert the dignity of
their position .

"That this Council approves of the resolution of the Paid.
Officers' Committee, adopted on the litit ofo.tpril last. caws

Nay lg, 1851.

sideration of the resolutions of the magistrates of the WI
of the 12th of that month, "that Mr. Wybergb be allorrelf,
attend the Paid Officers' Committee, it being clearly non,'
stood that the permission is granted as an act of courtesY qn„„ '0(
that, inasmuch as the power of fixing and the obligation
paying the salaries of tile clerks to the justices of the bo.roM.
is by law vested in this Council, and the amount of such siiiaiß
and also the whole cost of the establishment of the magistra
clerks, is a charge upon the borough fund, this Council inwi,
insist upon the right, by itself and any committee of the Cot. 0,
cil. to ingnire into the duties performed in respect of such 6e' of
lanes and payments that this Council, with this expression
opinion, instructs the Paid Officers' Committee to laKe_"...rt
steps as they may think necessary, for enabling them to repo
to the Council on the matters referred to them, so far
CO pi
spects the salaries of the clerks to the justices, and the o
their establishment."

Mr. PRESTON seconded the resolution. d
Mr. C. TURNER was present at the meeting, an
say that a portion of the magistrates were of the 013.1,
that the resolution of the committee was not courtert.
in summoning the attendance of one of their clerks o'4o
out consulting themselves. He believed that the "'A!
of the magistrates were disposed to give every inforaustlo r
through their clerks, to the committee. iniotl
Mr. J. H. TURNER bore out the opinion of the prevl.olll
speaker.
Mr. DOVER thought that it was a mere question of 10
which they now wished to have decided. Had the co;al
cil, or not, the power of summoning before them
officers for whose services they nay ?
Mr. J. BRAMLEY-MOORE contended that it did °St
follow that, because they paid officers, they were entitlt;
to call those gentlemen before them. They Paid: pr
Stipendiary Magistrate and the Conservator of the 113/4
for instance ; but they could call neither of these officeo
bbeefboroernteheitml
m.
inHd ethwaats
thpeamrtaicguislatrralyteasn,
cxlieoruks, tAhlart. it Ow°
wybett;
should not be censured ; for the blame, if any, was to
borne bythe magistrates.
he
Mr. BIGHAM contended strongly in favour of t • 5
course taken by the committee, which he showed wet
justifiable in accordance with the opinion of an etnin,-
re,,,ilj
is
counsel in London, which had been taken. If the Y...•
acted discourteously in addressing their summons tog
Wyberg directly: instead of through the magistrates,tat
could only say that the Town Clerk had told them
that was their course. f

Mr. H. HORNBY, expressed his opinion that the Infigiol
trates bad given to this subject a very undue amount Id
importance. It was reasonable that the Council silo"
enquire into the amount of business transacted by ,
men they paid. The Magistrates Clerks were ready „,
explain all these things when they came before the Cow.
cil to ask for an increase in the number of clerks em
plo3yier. d ,ToorßainN
wished additionmr. to their salaries.
a,laries.
fed
question to be angwe—teg
whether they had the legal right to call the magistril
before them.
The resolution of Mr. FERNIHOUGH was passed will°
out a division.
St
The Mayor's communications were then read, amon„g„,
which was an application from the Petty Jurors attentig
the Sessions for refreshments to be allowed them, "'jai
was referred to the Finance Committee; and a roetnor_,,
from parties relative to tobacco injured in the Tobscs
Warehouses, in the course of a discussion upon whichra.
was ascertained that there were not twenty-fourplea
hers present, the Council was therefore again our":
out, at a few minutes before five, having sat for Dear
six hours.

MEETING OF THE SHAREHOLDERS OF rrgt
.--

LYCEUM NEWS-ROOM.

ito
The annual meeting of the proprietors of the LYe,,e,be
News-room took place last evening, in the library of n"c.
institution. The president, Hugh Molyneux, Esq.+ "its
cupied the chair, and the attendance of members
e
very numerous. From the report, it appears that di.
affairs of the institution are in a very prosperous 01.1 no
tion—the funds showing an increase over the Previiigl
year of .E 166 13s. The following gentlemen were elec.,,
on the committee, in lieu of the same number retirLlig'o,
Messrs. John Turner, S. Thornely, H. Steele, F..,,veb,,
G. J. Jackson, Imlach, M.D., J. G. Sandie,
Messrs. T. Owen, John Downey, and Duguid-
Mr. J. ROBINSON, solicitor, having made some obSent
vations relative to the unsatisfactory state of the Ares,
laws respecting the shares of deceased members, /(s
cannot be made available to the heirs of such merob_Ae',,tbs
certain cases, and are a loss to the institution, move'
following resolution to meet the case : sier
" That the committee shall have power to direct the trapool
of any share in the institution in any case where theY Df
think it advisable, on having the request to transfer sign? en
the next of kin of any deceased member, the owner of ,00
share, where no probate of will or letters of administri
have been granted, and are not likely to be granted in reap""
of the deceased's estate and effects."
The resolution was carried.
of thei
r. R o wHLeANnst
commencedh e then ro
bs eyt
showing,
h omovewing, theth resolution
during
evening.li
dente in Liverpool of forty years, he had with sot:;01)
observed t'ie fearful amount of Sabbath desecration
had takes place, and which was still going on.
to I,,tuoso
_e
hoved them, in his opinion, to set an example
below them in the scale of society, by entirely closing th
reading-room on Sunday.
Mr. PILCREI seconded the motion. 30'
Mr. CHESNEY dissented from the views taken by

Rowlands, and proposed to negativetileWoii;:
Mr. OWEN, in a long speech, seconded the preywo
speaker. He complained of the system of carrying °llitf
institution, which had been found to work well for J-1,0
years, being altered, and drew attention to the fact tn,e
on a recent occasion the members had consented to "a
room being partially closed on the Sunday, on the ground
of humanity to the officers. This had been freely 6),"‘
ceded, but he dissented from any further concession be"
made.

---
Mr. TOOMBS, Mr. DOWNEY, and another gent/o°l°4
spoke in opposition to the motion. are
Dr. MACINTYRE followed in the same direction, ,r,"
opposed the motion on policy, as he was sure if it F.;5,
carried the list of subscribers would be reduced ; the
lanes of the officers must also undergo a reductions "
the price of shares would be increased.
Mr. RALPH HESS took a similar view. held
On being put to the vote, forty-four hands Were
er•
up for the motion; the majority aga:est it was not n,se're•
tained, but it was considerable. The motion was, 0
fore, of course, lost. 101
Dr. MACINTYRE then proposed that one of the 105.
which has undergone some modification during W'ilich
eighteen months be restored to its original state, by sretao
notice will have to be given of the intention of any 133, the
ber before he can bring forward a motion to alte`otioo
time of keeping open the room, and that such ni,tiof
must be carried by a majority of two-thirds of the ole'rrie'"
Mr. TOMBS seconded the motion, which was ee, bee°
ian the meeting closed after a vote of thanks had
gi. 'n to the chairman. 00.
he TOWN-CLERK reiterated the opinion that the c
mittee bad acted correctly.