The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-10-08 00:00:00

TOWN COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS.

On Wednesday, the usual monthly meeeting of the
Council was held:at the Town-hall.

FINANCE COMMITTEE.—THE CHESHIRE SALES.
From the proceedings of the Finance Committee it ap-
peared that that committee had resolved not to comply
with applications which had been made for longer leases
of the Cheshire property than 75 years.
Mr. G. H. LAWRENCE having moved the confirmation
of the proceedings,
Mr. EVANS begged to call the attention of the Council
to one point. He had not had any communication with
the interested parties, and knew nothing of it but what he
beard in the Council, which was this, as he apprehended
the case,
_thoaotivvhere they were to have the new docks at
Cu the 4ocpk_cr,laityswas also an object to have earehouses
Now, while the parties would have
Itaooss.ess:on of the docks, he believed the Council meant
egr thema more limited term on the quays.
;r* LACE.--011 no.
SY
U. LAWRENCE.—Not' EVANS.—lsn't it so?
ir. G. LAWRENCE.—Not exactly.
N
th Ir. yo,veeis believed that, on the quays of the docks,
e parties were to build warehouser, which warehouses,
as he apprehended, would revert at the end of 75 years to
the Corporation.
Mr. LACE.—Yes, certainly.
Mr.
EVANS said the quay was a most intimate part of
the dock, and that to make a separation between the two
would be a most anomalous thing. They might as well
mortgage the mast of a ship to one and the hull to
another.
Mr. LACE said that Mr. Evans was under a mistake,
and that it would be better to set him right at once, they
were arguing about matters that did not exist.
Mr. G. EL LAWRENCE said an application had been
made on the part of certain persons, the object of which
was, that the Corporation should alienate their interests
in their property. It was not an application confined to
the intended docks at Wallasey, but it had reference to
the whole of the Cheshire purchases; and he conceived that
they were perfectly justified in refusing such an applica-
tion. He believed that their present leasing system, which
bad worked so long and so well in Liverpool, would be
found equally beneficial in Cheshire ; and indeed they
should be infringing their duty, and violating their act of
parliament, were they to dispose of their freehold. If
they were to accede to such an application, right and left,
from parties in Cheshire, other pat ties in Liverpool would
then be applicants for the frerho:d. The Council had not
refused, where public purposes were concerned, such as
for railways or churches, to alienate their freehold under
the sanction of the Lords of the Treasury ; but he hoped
they would be careful how they listened to wholesale ap-
plications (Stile present sort.
Mr. Eve,ss said that, if it was a wholesale application,
be quite agreed with what had fallen from Mr. Lawrence.
lie would not give the purchasers one hour longer for
anything, except what formed part and parcel of the
4.Telts, which had obtained Parliamentary sanction ; but if
they were asking the freehold of any inland or other pro-
perty, which was not, as it were, connected intimately
with the docks, and could be really separated from them,
he should be, equally with Mr. Lawrence, against the
ltPPlication. But if the proceedings of the Finance Com-
mittee were confirmed in their present form, he hoped
hereafter that as much of the land as might be found ab-
solutely necessary for dock purposes might be excepted
out of the resolution which declined to glee a longer term.
Sir T. BRANCKER said the whole case was this :—Mr.
Potter applied to know whether the Fin ince Committee
toold grant a reversion of his pnrchase, and then Mr.
4'allabY made a similar application on behalf of other
purchasers. The Council knew nothing about the plans
of their warehouses on the other side; but the answer of
i_
committee was, that they could not recommend the
"fled to grant the applicae;on. The reason why the
Z'rornittee sold was,—because they knew, at the end of
years that the property would be increased in value,
'Tot that it would revert to the Corporation, and they
"Le old not part with the reversion : in fact, they could
not without the consent of the Treasury.
e;„,Mr• Lace said the case was not in a state in which the
ws entertained by Mr. Evans could be carried out,
doceakt:t.e nobody as yet knew the plans of the proposed
when the plans became known, then would be
the time
the eee for seeing whether it would be proper to make
_ e pant. But at prgarnt the application was for a re-
• neon of the ve WS of the purchases from individuals.
M
; re.
• •H. LAWRENCS said it was a wholesale appli-
71!'°,tt which ought not certainly to be complied with.
Veeislature would take care that if the property were
1!",1 red for public purpose. it should be granted out and
out; and it might be for the Council to consider the
.:31;le'vori when they sew that the plans of the gentlemen
_ °Birkenhead ware more full, matured. He hoped it
7 old not be understood that the Council were actuated
?/' anything like a feeling of hostility—(" oh ! no.")—
Zards the gentlemen on the other side of the water. It
3/4_ eertaiely his opinion that the plans of those gent's-
a'"'n brought before Parliament were crude and
tiellittedr and. guided by the opinions of competent persons,
At! ,‘ advantage, they offered cloy not eempen.ate kir
e, file bitsly to be run by the ing up of Wallasey
;)" ise believed the Liverpool euthoritie• would have
C;" extremely slameebla, if they bad not interfered end
ttftwd the neibility from their owe *boulders. He
14)Ped his (Sere end misgivings naight tarn out to be nevi-
and teat the projeete on the other side would be sue-
▪ ul• Lye alas hope‘ this feeling would animate the
ne,o
ctip and that, while they wieheel to see airs
• "011 lon-
oa the ether side of the Illetway, , they would take
—re of their own aide. There was no fear, if the Conn-
eil did its duty.—(l,lear.)
esio f oeinion that, in the &in it. aa AC Hotual was °
nes they were selling the Cheshire lon a for the purEt
no.-
e of affording feeilities to Mr Laird and others to
:trey °4 their hada in tit* lankier of bo and the
:struetion of vemeele. Bat, certainly, wilds the gala of
1,114 land was twit mentioned, iv never was coneamplated
the Ceueeil were selling it at the rate of IN. a yard
It the instill; of doche. Meer, bear.) Mr. G. H.
rwreuee, as a mason of selling had observed that they
"aught to eseonrege Hr. Laird and others Ca the carrying
• of their trade ; and it came upon there lases thunder-
bolt, when they wore afterwards told is the Crxineil that
the land had Willa p12T01114411, aid Set is a Vail open aptn-
ner either, fee tie purpose of mating docks. Ti. could
not see twat the isetivideee who made the purchases had
done so is tb• menace they ought as commissioners.
-Why should the Council,
et why should any of its eons-
mittem—eray the. Improvement Committees—if they con-
lernp:ate the eves:ion of *ay parlictlar striit's e d
purchase leta4 for their private hermit, which''
. L
had actu-
allyn been the ease with respect to the individuals on the
other side of the water. As to the reversiessry saleof the
property, be would not allow a single hour or day to pees
beyond the 75 years ; and he hoped the Council would
never unction any application of the kind. He deplored
the sale from., the drat. It was-almost like taking off the
h
artri arm of the Corporation when the Cheshire property
been parted with ; and if ever there was a measure
which showed the foresight of the old Corporation, it was
`nr,,Purchaee of that very property. (Hear.)
he MATOR said it was, doubtless, the duty of the
Council to protect the interests of the town.
Mr. Pautessasked whether, in the contracts for the
LLI-king of the landing stages, the Finance Committee
made any arraagements with respect to the running
°f boats from Birkenhead at all hours of the night?
✓ exr,r;• G. H. LAWRENCS replied that the subject of
billng boats during the night-time had never been
r°lit before the committee. The contract was made
Piee,etteY °loch as before, asd it was in the bands of parties
„"nota the fullest confidence might be reposed. The
elin-ale of working the stages, independent of the cost
w tercet was as follows :--the one at Seacombe-slip
"Id
Th be £4, and the other £525 per annum.
e proceedings were confirmed.

THU WATCH COMMITTEE.—A SCENE
the proceedings
proceedings of the Watch Committee, comprising
cle,:ppoiritment of Assessors or the Lighting and
of th s,"ig Rates for 1844-5 ; the appointing of Collectors
PerBo,4ll6og, Cleansing, and Fire-police Rates in the
Coil" of Liverpool for 1844-5 ; and the appointment of
nee ors of the Lighting and Fire-police Rates in the
Pant Of the borough for 1844,5, having been read,
INere• ASPINALL said that, before those proceedings
mor.forifirincl, he wished to ask the Mayor by what au-
to (14Y he had gi, en up the opinions of counsel, (relative
lir„;angemen in the police, and the dispute between the
for h Committee and the magistrates,) to Mr. Whitty
tho. publication in the Journal of Saturday last, before
teiCteto;Pinions had ever been laid before the Watch Com-
The a.
not MAYOR said that he was unaware that they had
aphi•ueen before the Watch Comnaitcee. He had been
aer"tled to by one of the magistrates to have a copy. in-
Aire in the Mercury; but he found, on inquiry, that
con ginntleworth, who had the documents in hispos3CL.
gong home, and the next day he gave them
m bitty.
r• Councillor Asararnee rose and said, that if the
%Vol' had paid to the Watch Committee that courtesy
of other Mayors had done, and attended the meetings
he '`)e Watch Committee, which be had never done yet,ti:°old bare found that the chairman and deputy-chair-
°l. that committee were appointed to confer with the
Wafni-lolerk with respect to the case and opinions... The
a fri,
~Committee had shown every disposition to act in
tier manner ; neither an angry word had escaped,
they-a' any angry feeling been manifested by them ;
con-,,eYoislied to proceed amicably; to assert what they.
lightsived to he their rights; and if they were. not their
Ref() , willingly to surrender them. On referring to the
of them Act, he found that, according to the constitution
trtsrej WHtch Commitee, in clause 16, the Alayor was
Oleo Tember of that body—that he was neither chair-
orit "ePoty-chairman ; and therefore he had. no au-
tion. YZhktever to make use of the documents in ques-
t° )6esides, there was another thing of which he had
.414-7.14111 in ; for he found according to the Mercury and
with t,l that the magistrates had nothing whatever to do
tract f"ese documents. Mr. Aspinall here read an e.x-
trates I.°T the Mercury, in which, he said the magis-
Coon_l3!selaimed all connexion with the opinions
lof
they ' and after such a disclaimer, he knew not w
after 8"llid seek for the opinions. Ile wanted to know,
them," a" Uh, a paragraph, what business they had with
tietra, as the mayor had been the partisan of the ma-
show `B2' he thought common courtesy had not been
to him (Isfi• Aspieall) in particular, as puty-
Ala of the Waich 'Committee. tie thoughts t was
TLerTitemeat ocion the rights of the committee.
Mr ort.--I am awry you think so.
air! • ASetNALL (with warmth).—Don't interrupt me
arik. _r_*.Nlcor..—Chair, chair. I am quite sure that if
07wheat individual had been attacked in this manner, it
t 1441. b* the duty of the Mayor to call Mr. Aspinall to
t° Prote (Hear-) And I think it the duty of the Council
tiailytbct the chair, whether Mr. Aspinall's charges be
e case or not. (Hear, hear.) I cannot help feel-
hit tlf h
he CeitJae attack on the gentleman who fills the chair,
Ihs 411Ittad notice of it, is certainly —, (the word bare
was not supplied by the speaker); and I call on
‘-enocil to protect the Mayor.