The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-11-08 00:00:00

THE Lilitll43ooL STANDARD.

not allowed to carry on business. Ile has no fees or emolu-
ments. The beadle, Humphrey Lyon, has a salary of £6l 2s.
per annum. His chief duty is to summon juries on inquests,
&,.!. Ho is also a constable. The serjeant-at-mace has a cloak.
The beadle has the constables clothing. He gets a m
shilling
each inquest. Nathaniel Saul is the bellruan, or crier, His'
Salary is £l5 per annum, and fees upon crying. He is also
found. clothes. The water-bailiff, and superintendent of the
graving docks, is one and the same person, performing the dit-
ties of both offices. His name is John Askew. He has also
the appointment of harbour-master. He superintends the gra-
ving ducks of the dock estate, as well as that of the Corpora-
tion. its water-bailiff and superintendent of the three Corpo-
ration graving docks he receives £2OO a year. He is also paid
£3OO a year by the dock committee, or trustees. He is prohi-
bited
from following any trade. As water-bailiff he performs
the duties of harbour-master, the latter being the modern ap-
pellation. Mr. John Cummins was his predecessor, on whose
death, in 1816 or -1817. Mr. Askew was appointed.
James Ainsworth, one of the constables, is the deputy water
bailiff, and receives a salary of £2O per year. He executes the
processes. He is not a freeman. Mr. Neighbour, the governor
of the borough jail; receives a salary of £350 per year for that
office; he is not a freeman. He has four turnkeys and a watch-
man, paid by the Corporation. Two of the turnkeys have
£7O 4s. per year, and two have £6B 45.; the watchman has £52
per year. The superintendent of police, Mr. Win. Parlour,
receives £lOO per annum; the salary was raised a Week or two
ago from. £3o'o, by his giving up all perquisites attached to the.
office: The perquisites were fur executing warrants, rewart4,-,
and other matters. A county magistrate had complained of
some expenses attending the execution of a Warrant, and it was
determined by the magistrates nut to allow him any perquisites
in future, and they in consequence raised his salary. Mr. Par-
lour has a house to live in rent free.
Mr. RICHARD RADCLIFFE here got pup, and said that it was
suggested to him by several persons present to ask the Town-
Clerk if Mr. Askew complied with the conditions of not fol-
lowing any business.
" Mr. FOSTER replied that he believed he did. Mr. As-
kew should be sent for, and asked the question. It had
been said that he had some interest in steam-boats; but he
belie ved that it was nothing more than his having a mortgage
on some of them.
111 r. Askew was sent for.
• Mr. FOSTER resumed----The keeper of the Town-hall, Mr.
Solomon, has a salary of £75 10s. per year; he has a house to
live in rent free. The market officers -are appointed by the
Common Council.. The leave-looker, George Dixon, has a
salary of £lOO per annum.. The principal market-looker, Mr.
Graham, has £2OO per annum. At the south market, Henry
Lace has £l6O per year. The north market-looker, John
Riding, has £l4O per annum. On the-7th of Feb„ 1821, the
Finance Committee came to a resolution of appointing Mr.
Thomas Corrie, in place of Mr. Alderman Crosbie, as receiver
of the town-dues. MT. Currie is. a member of -the Common
Council; his predecessor was an alderman.
Mr. Askew eyamined.-1 do not carry on any business, nei-
ther have I any interest in any business; I have had an interest
in steam-bolts since I held the situation, but I undersiood the
prohibition applied to trailing vessels only. carrying cargoes. I
bad for a time an -interest in carrying passengers by steam-
boats, but I received positive orders from the dock committee
to get rid of them before September last, which I did. The
boats I was concerned with were merely river craft. I have
now ceased to have interest in any steam-boat whatever.
Mr. RAnctiFFE.—Therefore, the court inquire to whom Mr.
Askew transferred his business.

Mr. Askew• replied, that he transferred his business to his
nephew; and two steam-boats he sold to Mr. Stanley Garner.
Mr. RADCLIFFE asked whether-Mr. Askew had any mortgage
upon the vessels.
Mr. Askew replied, that he had, with the exception of one
vessel, (the Locket,) which he had received the money for.
Mr. RADCLIFFE stated to the court that the object of asking
Mr. Askew th3se questions was to show whether or not the
sale of the vessels was not a delusion, and that Mr. Askew was
still, in point of fact, the owner of the vessels, and he wished
to inquire from Mr. Askew if he did not hold for some of his
vessels the mortgage for the full amount?
Mr. ASKEW, in reply to the question said, that he certainly
did, for a good reason, viz. he could not get the money from
them. Orders for the vessels were not left at his (Mr. Askew's)
otlice at the present time, nor had been to his knowledge
since he sold the vessel to his nephew.
Mr. FOSTER resumed.—According to the resolutions of the
Dock Committee, the receiver of dues forgoes all other business
whatever. The receiver originally had a commission of three
percent. upon the amount collected, but a second resolution of
the Common Council reduced the commission to two and a half

per cent. The reduction took place five or six years ago.
There is also a collecter of dues appointed at Runcorn, named
Richard Jones, and, by a resolution of the Common Council,
dated the sth of October, 1831, his salary was fixd at 30s.
per week, with the per centage of two and a half per cent.
The expenses of the offices of both collectors of dues was paid
by themselves out of their commission. The appointment of
collector at Runcorn is recent, as it is only within the last few
years, since the establishment of a port there, that vessels were
allowed to enter Runcorn. Jones finds security for the faith-
ful discharge of his duties iw the sum of £5OO. His business is
to receive all the dues and rates, and to pay them over, once a
month, to the treasurer, when his accounts are audited. There
is no other emolument attached to the situation of collector of
dues but what has been stated.

Mr. RADCLIFFE, the attorney, wished the Commissioners to
take upon their notes, the distance of Runcorn from Liverpool,
and to make a minute that it was in another county.
The Commissioner stated his intention of doing so.

Mr. FOSTER resumed :—Runcorn is about 18 or 20 miles

from Liverpool by water, and within the limits of th'e port.
There is £3OO per annum paid to' an auditor of the port dues
accounts. The auditor is M.r. Bridge, a Custom-house officer,
not a member of the Corporation. Four assistant clerks are
paid a salary of £5O per year each.
Mr.' Come, the collector of the dues, who had previously been
asked for by the commissioner, now entered the court, and ex-
.

,
plained that he had made an average of the amount he received
as per centage for 12 years, and that the amount had progressed
each year. The average amount of his claim was about £l,OBO
per year. .
Mr. -Bor.rox, of the firm of Bolton; Ogden and-Co., inquired
whether Mr. Corrie in his calculations bad taken in the £35,200

, .
lodged in the hands of Mr. 11,ywood, the banker, the disposal
of which awaited a decision in the Court of King's Bench.
Mr. Corrie replied, that he had credited himself with the
commission upon that amount, and•should be entitled to receive
it from those wham it was decided were entitled to it.
Mr. Bolton was satisfied.
Mr. FOSTER continued.—The mode by which persons became
free of the borough was by being bound by indenture of appren-
ticeship for seven years. to a freeman, or by being the son of a
freeman, horn within, the borough. The Common Council
occasionally nominate a freeman. The indenture of apprentice-
ship is enrolled in the Town-clerk's office, and the Town-clerk
receives a fee of 2s. Upon the expiration of seven years the
indentures are produced at the Freeman's Committee and exa-
mine,d. On examination they are passed or entered as the re-
sult of the inquiry may be determined. The committee reports
to the Common Council, who determine as to the admission of
the freemen. On birthright claims of admission, certificates
and identifications are necessary. On some occasions a midwife
gives evidence. (Read copy of the freeman's act.) The stamp
on admission of honorary freemen, who take the same oath, is a
three-pound one. The certificate of swearing in and enrolment
is signed the Town-clerk. The presentations of the freedom
of the town by the Mayor are not frequent, and are given only in
particular cases. The minutes of the Common Council giving
the freedom of the town to J. Nichol, Esq., M.P.,the 4th Sept.,
183.3, were read; as were those conferring the reedom on R.
Stephenson. Esq., C. W. Williams' Esq., and Jesse Hartley,
Esq. ; being the three preceding that of Mr. Nichol. On the
3d April, 1833. the freedom was given to Lieutenant-Colonel
Jordan, the minute of which was also read. Mention was then
made of other honorary freemen since the witness had com•
menced the duties of Town-clerk.
Mr. RossoN wished the commissioners to inquire if the Com-
mon Council elected honorary freemen without restriction.
The Commissioners.—The question has been already
put,
and answered affirmatively.

The Town Clerk.—ln 1792 there was a sale of the freedom
to a person named Wm. Lloyd. Fot eleven years previously
there had been no sale of the freedom. From 1774 to 1792,
there had been £526 9s. 10d. received for the sale of the free-

Cloinoi the town, in sums of from 12 guineas to 100. William
Lloyd paid 100 guineas for the freedom. There was no rule as
to the amount. His (the town clerk's grandfather) paid 5 gni_
neas. The next on the list gave 12, and the following one 15
guineas. Mr. Alderman Bourne's father ,(rave 50 guineas.
There had been no sale of freedom since 1792. On the Ist
Nov. 1815, the freedom of the borough was given to the Duke
of Wellington, to Lieut. Chas. Dawson, of the 52d Regiment,
a native of Liverpool, to Lieut. Nippon, of the 52d Regiment,
a native, and to other officers military and naval, natives of the
town, of which the town clerk read the minutes. In January
1816, honorary freemen were similarly made. None of these
presentations of the freedom were made for electioneering pur-
poses. Nothing appeared on the records of the corporalien
to warrant a supposition that there had ever been any
makings of freemen in batches for electioneering purposes.
In Oct. 1812, there were a great. number of freemen admitted,
who were entitled to admission by birth-right or servitude. In
1827, at another contest, there was a similar admission of free-
men. All these claims were previously examined. In 1830,
also, at the contest bet Ween Mr. Denison and Mr. Ewart, there
was a large admission of freemen. At that period the Witness
was one of the bailiffs. Freemen, and freemen alone, are sum-
moned on juries. They serve on the grand and petty juries, and
on traverse juries at the court of passages, upon-the summons
of the bailiff. They attend the monthly court of passages on
undefended cases. And they attend as jurors on coroner's in-
quests. They alone are eligible as common councilmen, and
they have the election of Mayor and bailiffs. The greatest pri-
vilege of the freemen is the exemption from the payment of
town dues. Mitigation is now going on to determine whether
the freemen can claim a right to be exempted front serving on
county juries. They claim that exemption, but the case being
still pending, they are compelled to fulfil the duties of county
jurors. At present, in summoning these juries, some consi-
deration appears to be had for the resident Liverpool freemen.
The litigation has been going on for four or five years. For a
long time the freemen were exempted under a supposition that
they had a right of exemption.
One of the freemen's committee books was handed, by the
witness, to the commissioners, and after some examination re-
turned.

The Town-Clerk.—The freemen of Liverpool are exempted
from town dues at Waterford, Wexford, and Bristol, upon their
own goods, as arc the resident freemen of those places exempt
from town dues in Liverpool. lie knows of no other advan-
tage or emolument the freemen enjoy. The Corporation pos-
sesses no charity money, but has charity monies on loan. The
Common Council have erected two large schools, but he does
not know that the freemen have any claim. Some old alms'
houses having been removed for the imp ovement of the town,
new ones have been erected by the Corporation, in which the
representatives of the founders of the original alms' houses en-
joy the right of nomination. The number of registered free-
men for this year is 3733. On the hooks about 5O() appear,
but sonic of these may be non-resident or afloat. Some may be
deceased. The Council is the governing body, and in case of
vacancies fill them up themselves. In 1791 there was a meet-
ing of the burgesses, and at that meeting a gentleman was
elected to a vacancv in the Common Council, and he was
sworn in before the Mayor and Bailiffs in the usual manner.
He believed it was the late Mr. Walker. Proceedings were taken
upon this, and Mr. Walker defended his claim. on the grounds
of the previous custom of the borough. Issue being joined,
the case was decided at Lancaster, by the jury deciding against
the claim of Mr. Walker. In the following year, a similar
case occurred, in which Mr. Joseph Birch was elected to the
Common Council. Proceedings, as before, were had hereupon,
and the trial came on before another judge and jury, wbo de-
cided against the election of Mr. Birch. No subsequent case
has occurred, nor can the witness find that any previous one
had occurred since the granting of the charter by William 111.
There are instances on record of a party being sworn in Mayor
and Common Councilman on the same day. Since the witness
has been a member of the Common Council, no application had
been made by freemen to the Mayor to call a common-hall.
Mr. Alderman Lawrence being sworn, stated, that during
his mayoralty In 1823-24, application was made in writing. by
certain burgesses to call a common hall generally, to take into
consideration tire affairs of the Corporation? or freemen. Mr.

Win. Earle: ar.d dlr. Wallace Currie were the bailiffs at that
time, and concurred in declining to call a common hall.

Mr. JOHN AYLOH, who had suggested the examination on
this point, said there were other instances. There was one iu
the mayoralty of Mr. Leyland.
Mr. Commissioner Wiemssor; suggested that Mr. Taylor
had better postpone the subject until the examination of the
Corporation officers was concluded.
The Town Clerk's examination resumed.—Of the 20s. paid
above the stamp, on the swearing in and enrollment of a free-
man, 2s. went to the sergeant at mace, Is. to the deputy water
bailiff, and the remaining 17s. to the witness for his trouble in
ascertaining the claim of the freeman, and otherwise. The
stamp duty of £3 for honorary freemen, is usually paid by
the Corporation.
The court adjourned at a few minutes past three; the
commmissioners determining, that, as the Council would have
to assemble at eleven o'clock on the following morning, they
would come down to the Session-house at ten, according to the
advertisement issued,.and adjourn the inquiry from that 1
to one o'clock.
THIRD DAY.
This morning (Wednesday), th,;,..esettimissioners of the Cor-
poration Inquiry resumed thesieWestigation, at least they met at
ersei 10 o'clock, pro iSe,..neeiirdin,,e to advertisement; but, in con.
sequericesolsasyierting of the Court of Common Council then in
debatesitekive to some part of the proceedings of the commis-
siofiare's'and the town-clerk being then in his capacity of coun-
-eirman and town-clerk in attendance at the council, the court
was adjourned until one o'clock. Shortly after that hour the
commissioners took their seats upon the bench, but the Coin-
mon Council not having risen, and the town-clerk not being pre-
sent, there appeared no person anxious to furnish information
present; the court, however, was crowded. In a short time Mr.
Foster entered the court, and explained, that in consequence of
the meeting of the Council he was unable to furnish the commis-
sioners with some information they requested him to procure on
the previous day, but by the next (lay he should be able to lay it
before them. Before they proceeded any further in the inquiry,
he wished the commissioners to have the kindness to inform
him of the mode and kind of inquiry they intended-to prosecute
respecting the Dock Committee. He asked the question in
consequence of some _examining questions having been put
yesterday to a corporate officer, who also filled a situation
under the Dock—Committee, and he wished to be informed of
the nature of the investigation regarding the Dock Estate, for
his own guidance. The Dock Estate and that of the Corpo-
ration were double trusts of a portion of the Common Council.
The trust of the Dock Estate was created in the reign of Queen
Anne, the management of which, by the act of Parliament then
passed, was invested, not in the Corporation, but a select body
of the Common Council were by that act empowered with the
control over certain dues and rates paid by ships entering the
dock. By the provision of that act of Parliament, the committee
emanating from the council were entitled to collect the dues arid
rates; and it was provided in the act, that the committee were
to have the control over the disbursements of the dues and rates
raised, which were to be disbursed for such purposes directed in
the act of Parliament, and none other. In the act of Queen
Anne there WIS a )provision for building the docks, and keeping
them in repair. Several other acts had since passed, and in
them the Common Council were continued to execute the trusts.
By an act passed in 1821 an alteration took place Its to the
expenditure of the funds; and a certain portion of the Common
Council were created a committee for the expenditure of the
money raised upon the docks, and the disbursement of it. No
alteration took place respecting the trustees, but the commit-
tee had the maintenance and direction of the Dock Estate,
and they had also the power to annul any previous act of the trus-
tees prior to the passing of the act, by a special meeting called
within a month of the time; but the vete against the act of the pre-
vious committee could only be received by two thirds of the trustees
of the committee of forty-one appointed from the Common Coun-
cil according to the Act. The committee of 41, as constituted by
that Act of Parliament were nominated by the merchant rate-
payers. He, Mr. Foster, wished to know how far they, the
commissioners, intended to go into the investigation of the dock
committee. The Act of Parliament passed in 1825 solely in-
vested the power and management of the docks in that com-
mittee, and he, Mr. Foster, and the Common Council, were
perfectly willing to furnish every information respecting the
dock committee up to the period of the act of investment to the
present trustees passing.
Mr. Duncan, the solicitor to the committee of rate pavers of
the docks, said that he appeared for that body :Mr. Foster had
been so far correct as to state that the governing part of the
committee were a part of the Common Council. The Act of
1825 left only 13 members of the Common Council governors
of the Corporation estate, and the rest were still trustees.of the
dock estate, thus having the supreme control over both estates.
The question respecting the Corporation control over both
estates had been discussed in the House of Commons, and a
petition presented by the dock rate-payers to take ie trust
of the docks out of the hands of the Corporation, as it had been
seen that the interests of the Corporation, and the dock rate
payers was frequently conflicting. An argument on the ques-
tion had arisen in the House of -Commons, and the subject had
been referred to the committee of municipal corporations.
Mr. M. D. Hill had also presented a petition to the House of
Commons from Hull, when it was argued that it was a question .
of a trading company, and ought not to be referred to the
municipal corporation committee; but it ultimately was so, and
although he did not mean to say that they (the commissioners)
were to be controled by the House of Commons,
yet he did
think that it was a portion of the inquiry which their com-
mission contemplated; for, as they were probably gathering
information for the purposes of legislation, a thorough inquiry
into the nature of the dock trust was necessary. A portion
of the Common Council being trustees for both bodies, their
report might be the means of changing the system of voting,
and otherwise alter the interests of the Corporannn, and without
such information, he (Mr. D.) thought that the House of Com-
mons would be legislating in the dark. If they (the comnaiss
sinners) erred at all in the inquiry, he thought that they had
better err upon the side of taking too much information than
too little ; he should, therefore, submit that a full inquiry into
the Dock Estate should take place.
Mr. Foster rose and said, that in stating what he had he did
not for a moment presume to dictate to the commissioners the
line of conduct they ought to pursue, but he merely wished
for information to guide him in what he had toll°. However,
it was a question embracing interests of considerable importance,
and be thought it would be better if they, the commissioners,
gave it due consideration before they came to a decision. He
would wish them carefully to examine the acts of parliament,
and then to give their opinion as to the way they should act.
Mr. Duncan here said, that the Corporation, in their double
capacity, had sold to themselves, as trustees of the docks, land
and property to the amount of £300,000, and if inquiries into
such matters were not prosecuted, the object of the commission
would be lost. He thought that the whole of the proceedings
of the Corporation should come before them, and however they
might decide, there ought, at least, inquiries to be made as to
the sums of money paid for the sales alluded to.

Mr. Commissioner Wilkinson said that the question was un-
doubtedly one of great importance, and previous to giving a
decision, they would take an opportunity of examining the acts
of Parliament. Notwithstanding which, it was his opinion that
an investigation of the affairs of the Dock Estate came within
the meaning of the present commission of inquiry,
and he
thought that the Town-Clerk being the officer of the Corpora-
tion, should furnish the information required.
Mr. Foster said the observations of the learned commissioner
was an answer to his question, and he begged leave to state that
the officer of the Corporation could not give the information.
If they deemed tit to prosecute the inquiry into the Dock Estate
beyond that information which he was able to give, they (the
commissioners) must order the Dock officers • before them to
give evidence.
Mr. Commissioner Wilkinson.—Very well, we will consider
the question, and give our opinion in the morning.
Mr. Foster expressed his willingness and that of the Corpo-
ration to furnish every facility to the object the commissioners
hard-in view.

The Commissioner.--We will now go on with the inquiry.
Are there any corporate trades in Liverpool, Mr. Foster?
Mr. Foster.—There are not, sir.

, -
Mr. Foster's examination resumed.—Mr. Topham, the clerk
to the magistrates, is a corporate officer. He exercises no other
office than that of clerk to the magistrates. His appointment
had previously been handed in. Although Mr. Tophain might
be considered as being appointed by the Common Council, the
magistrates retained their right of appointing their own clerk
ad libitum. Mr. Topham had for several years been in the em-
ploy of the late clerk previous to his appointment.

Mr. John Topham sworn.—Had been 38 years townelerk.
Has •no fixed salary as clerk to the magistrates, but derives
his remuneration from fees of the court, as allowed by the sta-
tute. The fees have been the same ever since he knew the
°face. The estimate of the value of the situation, after paying
all expenses, is from 000 to 1:1000 per annum. Has two
clerks to pay out of the fees, and by increasing business may have
occasion for a third. The fees to a certain extent increase with
the business,. but there was a deal of business done to which
no fees were attached. Considers himself as clerk to the
magistrates, and to hold his office during their pleasure.
There are no additional fees than those allowed by the statute.
'lucre are matters of prosecution, but does not receive them as
a right, but is employed the same as another attorney. The
Town-Clerk does not receive prosecutions; as clerk of tile peace
he would be liable to a penalty. The prosecution's are open
to every attorney; but persons very frequently employ him to
prosecute from the situation he holds, rather than take them
to another person.
-• Mr. Foster's examination resumed—The criminal court for
the borough is held four times in the year. The duties of the
court leet have emerged into the quarter sessions, excepting
the presentment of the grand jury. The grand jury book will
be produced. Does not know any thing at resent of the exer-
cise of the, laws of the ancient court leet. Ihe borough magis-
trates sit on the bench at the sessions, and the Mayor presides,
assisted by the Recorder. -The county magistrates occasionally
sit on the bench; but are not recorded as magistrates attending
the sessions.

Mr. Foster then described the process of the Quarter Ses-
sions, commencing with the summoning of the juries. He
produced the. Grand Jury Book, and the table of fees and costs,
being a copy of that approved on the 25th March, 1815, at Lan-
caster, by the judges. At the last session, a question was
raised as to the expences of a solicitor attending the court from
Manchester ; the court decided that his allowance should be
determined by the table produced. He also produced an ac-
count of the number of prisoners tried in the borough during
the last seven years, being 4,136, and stated that the average
cost of each prosecution was £7 155., paid by the county, and
then handed in a list of fees received 13V himself, as clerk in
criminal cases, agreeing with that allowed_ by the Duchy. The
employment of council to prosecute criminals is of fifteen years'
standing. There is no other criminal court besides, excepting
the daily sittings of magistrates in the Sessions-house and at
the Dock Police-office. There are cases in which the coroner's
attention is required, independent of the inquests. The duty of
a coroner is almost daily. The duties are generally thrown
upon the two bailiffs, the Maor of the preceding year being
put in less requisition. There 'is no appointment ot a medical
man to attend inquests. It is seldom that the service of a.
surgeon is dispensed with, and oniy in case of an obvious acci-
dental death.

The form of proceedings of the Civil Borough Court were then
read by the clerk. It is entitled the Court of Passage, anciently
Paysage nr Pays-sage. The Mayor and Bailiffs preside, one or
other of the Bailiffs being constantly in court with the Mayor.
The cause of action must arise within the borough. The court
cannot try ejectments. It is intended to apply for that power in
the next session of Parliament. The total number of cases en-
tered for trial in the Borough Court, for the last seven years, is
1603—the number actually tried 498. He produced the cause
list of the last court. There is no limitation of amount, but if
it be for under £5 the cause cannot be removed by certiorari.—
If under £2O, may be removed by giving -bail for debt
and costs. _ The court sits every Thursday ; every month
for inquiries of damages, and every quarter for the trial
of causes. The clerk explained the process, and handed in the
usual forms ; as also a set of rules of the court, and a table of
fees agreed to by the Mayor and Bailiffs. to govern the practice
of the court from and after the 16th instant; the rules being
remodelled to agree with the altered practice of the courts
above. The average of costs to the plaintiff, in a common
case, is now £lO 3s. 10d. ; costs on judgment by default,
1:4 Os. 2d. ; and on a serviceable writ, if the debt be paid withih
four days of service, £1 55.; for a bailable process £1 15s,
besides the officer's fee of 10s. 6d. for each defendant. At,
action of account had been tried in the court for £5OO. At
present it. is netewry for the Mayor and Bailiffs to go up to

London when any bill of exceptions is tendered and writ of er-
ror brought, to acknowledge their seal to the record of the pro-
ceedings. It might be of advantage that the court for trial
should be held more frequently than quarterly. The Corpora-
tion finds all the accommodations of the court. The Judges

have Iren offered tie- use of the Court of Sessions-house, and
ample accommodations of residence, to hold the county as-
sizes. The insolvent debtors' commissioners sit also in the Ses-
sions-house three times a year, for three or four days each sit•
ting. There is a Court of Requests held in the borough for the
recovery of debts under forty shillings.

Mr. John Topham gave evidence.—He sat as clerk in the
Court of Requests for several years. The calla is held under
the act of the .25th Geo. 11. cap. 43. Commissioners preside,
who are appointed by the Common Council, and are the Re-
corder, two Aldermen, four Common Councilmen, and ten
housejtolders. The court is occasionally visited by the Mayor.
Was merely the clerk to record the proceedings. It is always
'necessary to have (any) three Commissioners present. The
clerk is appointed by the Common Council. There are two
clerks appointed under the provisions of the act The pre-
sent clerks are Mr. Edward Parr and Mr. William Statham.
Witness described the process. The appointments of the clerks
are for life, or during ability and good behaviour. The clerk
has the power of examining the parties giving evidence. The
commissioners are the jury, a majority of whom decide, and
either dismiss the complaint or order the debt to be paid
instanter or by instalments. Execution may follow against
the goods or body. The general practice is to take the body.
The summons' days are Wednesdays, and the order days Mon-
days. The greater number of cases determined by the court
are made payable by instalments. Imprisonments are twenty
days for sums under twenty shillings, and forty days for sums
between that and forty shillings.
The Town Clerk.—Those are all the sitting courts. He then
handed in the copies of the appointments and duties of the clerk
to committees of the treasurer, of the receiver of the town dues
at Liverpool, of the receiver at Runcorn, and copies of the
bye-laws for the admission of freemen, and other copies and
documents ordered previously by the commissioners. He also
read a list of the sums received for sale of the freedom, referred
to previously:-
7th December, 1773, John Foster, 12 guineas.
Ist August, 1775, Cornelius Bourne, 50 guineas.
Bth
:30th 1775, Henry Walsall Lake, 20 guineas.
7th March, 1776, Thomas Manly, 70 guineas.
Bth April, 1776, Charles Mathews, 10 guineas.
Ist Feb., 1780, John Beckwith, 12 guineas.
John Fazakerley, 30 guineas.
11th Sept., 1780, William Dixon, 20 guineas.
29th ,• George Boden, 15 guineas.
Executors of William Gregson, town clerk, £2lB Its. 101
6th Sept., 1792, William Lloyd, 100 guineas.
Making a total of £626 9s. 10d.
Mr. Foster said he had discovered, by reading a publication
of the late Mr. Roscoe, that the abrogated charter of Charles
the Second contained a clause by which the self-election of the
Common Council was sanctioned, as did that of James the First,
which also gave to the King the power of removing, and which
power was exercised by him in the case of a deputy mayor and
others ; the chatter orrames the First was also abrogated. The
juries for quarter sessions are selected by the bailiffs from a list
of respectable burgesses, and as additional freemen are admit-
ted, they are added to that book. It is so contrived that the
duties of grand jurors fall on the parties selected about once in
two years. The foreman of the grand jury is sometimes a Com-
mon Councilman, and sometimes not. On reference to the
minutes book it was found that in general the foreman was one
of the Common Council. The rigfit was claimed by the grand
jury of electing their own foreman, and conceded to them.
Sir. Wm. Rathbone, who had suggested the question relative
to the appointment of the foreman of the grand jury, declined
further questioning, as he was satisfied that it had been shown
the practice was to appoint a Common Councilman, with few
exceptions.
The Town-clerk, in continuation.—The petty jury is selected
from the body of freemen, due regard tieing had to their respect-
ability. Never heard other than the most unqualified approba-
tion, from gentlemen of the bar, of the intelligence and patience
of the petty juries. It is the practice always to select the grand
and petty juries from the burgesses. Persons who are not free-
men sometimes sit on sheriffs' juries. Special juries are some-
times selected from merchants and other gentlemen about
'Change, for coroner's inquests. Some old burgesses are gene-
' rally looking out for inquests, as much as the beadle is on the
loot:-out for the jury. The coroner, in extraordinary cases, has
a select jury; but in ordinary cases the burgesses are called
upon. There are about two hundred inquests in a year. The
surgeon is pail his fee by an order on the treasurer, signed by
the coroner. Besides these juries there is only the sheriffs' jury,
for taking the value of property under the improvement act.
Lieutenant Morrison, R.N., presented a letter on the sub-
ject of the docks. _ .

Mr. Commissioner Wilkinson promised attention to the sub-
ject, and desired Mr. Morrison to attend at the conclusion
of the examination of the corporate officers, which he promised
to do.

The court was then adjourned to the following morning at
:en o'clock.

FOUIITH DAY.

This morning (Thursday), the commissioners resumed their
sittings, and the chief commissioner (Mr. Wilkinson,) address•
ing the to:en-clerk, stated that he and his colleague had ma-
turely taken into consideration the subject respecting the
inquiry into the Dock Estate, and the result was, that they
were clearly of opinion the matter came within the scope and
meaning of the Commission of Inquiry, consequently. they
should proceed with all the usual means of obtaining the infor-
mation required, which would be by examining the trustees and
officers connected with the Dock Estate. Probably they would
take that part of the inquiry on Monday morning, when the
whole routine would be gone through.
Mr. Ratcliffe, the solicitor, remarked, that there was one gen-
tleman to be examined on the Dock Question (Mr. R.
Gladstone), who would probably be out of town next week, and
it would be a convenience if the commissionns took his evi-
dence some day in the present week. The commissioners re-
plied, that if the gentleman could not attend on Monday they
would hear him on Saturday, and Lieutenant Morrison at the
same time.

Mr. Foster, in continuation of the subject of freemen alluded
to yesterday, said, that from the year 1746 to 1747 the sum of
£322 18s. 4d. was received for fines, but from 1717 to 1718 only
£l5 of fines appeared to have been received.

Mr. Bolton, the gentleman at issue with the Corporation on
the subject of the Town Dues, interrupted Mr. Foster, by say-
ing the diminution of receipts of the Corporation at that time
was in consequence of the fines inflicted on persons opening
shops in the borough being done away with, from the result of
a trial between the Corporation and a Mr. Fazakerley.
Mr. Sudlow, the treasurer's chief clerk, had made a search fora
document from the treasurer's office alluded to yesterday, which
he handed in. Mr. Foster put in a copy of the names of the
commissioners of the Court of Requests, and said that with
respect to the Court of Requests, there bad been repeated ap.
plications to the Common Council for the purpose of increas-
ing the power of that court, so as they could recover to the
amount of £5. Some years ago the Common Council intro-
duced a bill into the House of Commons, for the purpose of
effecting this object. It passed through t heHouse of Commons;
but in consequence of some misunderstanding in the House of
Lords, Lord Eldon being opposed to it, it was withdrawn with
an understanding that Lord Eldon would have introduced
another bill equally as effective. There was also another bill
introduced into the House of Commons, to extend the powers
of the Borough Court without the limits of the New Borough,
and Mr. Ewart, the present member, was 'anxious to effect that
change in the Court of Passage.
Mr. Peter Hope, the president of the Guardian Society, here
handed a paper from that body, calling the attention of the
commissioners to the state of the present Courts of Passage and.
Req,uests. It stated that the Court of Passage had not juris-
diction over Toxteth-park, Edgt-hill, and other populous places,
and that the society wished such a remodelling of the court,
as to allow them to decide causes under £5O, and so to do away
with the projected county court. They also wished for an ex-.
tension of the powers of the Court of Requests, and that an al-
teration should take place so as to allow suitors to obtain debts
of £5. instead of the present limits of 405., and that it should
extend without the limits of the borough. They were also
anxious for a sitting barrister at the court, to be assisted by three
tradesmen iu lieu of the present commissioners. The document
stated, that such was the plan upon which the Manchester Court
of Requests was conducted, and it was found to answer every
expectation.
The commissioners took the memorial, and placed it upon
their notes.

The Commissioner inquired if there was any accumulation of
runts in the hands of the Court of Requests.
Mr. Case, the Corporation Treasurer, said that he received
the money in the name of the Corporation, in trust, for the
suitors of the court. The interest allowed was 22 per cent.-.--
The gift of appointment of clerks lay with the Corporation,
afreeablv to the act of Parliament. There are two clerks, Mr.
Edward 'Parr, solicitor, and Mr. William Statham. Mr. Parr,
jun., frequently acted for his father. The amount received,
now in hand, as the funds of the Court of Requests, is £BlB 10s.
Mr. Foster resunitcd.—Mr. Statham, the cierk to the court of
Bequests, is son of the late Town-clerk. At the Council on the
3d of October, 1832, a resolution was passed, that all money of
the said Court of Requests should be deposited in the hands of
the treasurer'of the Corporation. The funds to he deposited
every mouth with the treasurer. A copy of the resolution was
rend, and given to the commissioners.
The examination into the state of the Borough Police then
went on, and
Mr. Foster stated that the. Borough Police is under the ma-
nagement of the magistrates. There is a Nightly Watch of
v,hich all the aldermen and eighteen householders are com-
missioners. The appointment of commissioners was according
to an act of Parliament, 21st Geo. 11., chap. 24; there was
also an amended act of Parliament, 28th Geo. 111., for in-

creasing the powers of the former act. Under those acts of
Parliament the watchmen, officers, and local police were
appointed.
Mr. \Vales sworn.—ls a printer and stationer.
_llas been a

commissioner of the watch about ten years. Has attended
every meeting nearly in each year. During the ten years he
had been a commissioner, he had only,seen a couple of alder-
men on two occasions; one time was on the formation in May
last of the present commissioners, for introducing the fire po-
lice into the borough. The other occasion was in the year
1830, when two aldermen attended. The act of Parliairient
for forming a fire police was passed the sth day of May,
1826, being part of the provisions of the improvement
act. Mr. Peter Woods, the law clerk, attends to note the
proceedings of the commissioners every meeting. His fixed
salary is 7u guineas, but he has other perquisites by the service
of summonses and warrants for poors' rates. He also conducted
the prosecutions arising from the trust, which were paid by
the county. There was a force of about 140. The watchmen
and officer 4 are paid by a rate of 81c1 in the pound, and Id. for
the Fire Police. The rate is limited to Is. by act of Parliament.
The act of Parliament giving the above mentioned power wasthen
read by the clerk. There is a superintendent who has the control
of the whole establishment. His salary at present is 200 guineas.
There are also sixteen captains of the watch, appointed for the six-
teen districts of the town ; the salary of each captain is 28s.
per week. They are appointed by the commissioners at the
recommendation of the inhabitants. The watchmen have 18s.
per week, of which ls. is deducted for the payment of cloth-
ing found them by the commissioners. There is a treasurer
appointed by the commissioners, but he is paid no salary.
He has a clerk who receives a salary of 4,140 per annum.
The treasurer's clerk's assistant receives £6O per annum,- the
amount raised by the rate is £20,000. It is for lighting,
watching, and cleansing the town. The balance last year in
the hands of the treasurer was £785 13s. 7d. The treasurer's
clerk gives security in the amount of 1.:1000, and he, in fact, is,
bona fide, the treasurer. The security is given to the Board of
Commissioners.
Mr. Wales then handed an account, published at the close of
every year, of the statement of the receipts and disbursements.
Mr. Foster resumed.—The total number of officers of police
appointed by the Corporation is fifty-three. There are nine
head constables. _ _ _ . . .

The Town-Clerk put in the list of the salaries received by the
constables. The respective ages would be added. The average
expense, for the last seven years, of the police is £5826 per
annum in wages, clothing, and expenses, the expenses of the
Bridewell included. The cost of the Bridewell was £3588 3s. Id.
The cost of the Police-offices for the constables was £4824.
There is a Pollee establishment for the Docks, under the 51st