The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1835-05-12 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD,

SIR,--The report of the proceedings at the parish meeting at
West Derby on Iriday last, which appears in the Journal, must
either have been dictated by a total ignorance of the real merits
of the question, or by a wilful inisrepresentaticiti. The facts of
' the case are simply as follows:—At the annual meeting (which
was nothing more than a packed one,) the refOrmers; as they
choose to style themselves, having secured a Majority by the
culpable Supineness of.the parishidners, proceeded to vote away
'' the public money to the officers kir their " valuable services.'
These valuable services, in the eyes of the proposers of the in-
crease of salaries and the granters Of the gratuities, were con-
fined to two individuals, whose. " valuable services" did not
consist so. much in the increased attention to their respective
offices as in haiing made their official capacities subservient to
certain petty purposes, and, in particular, to cipposini, the pay-
ment ofthe'church rates. In short, instead of dischargin'r their
duties with impartiality, they are nothing more than the no-
minees of a few individuals, and Messrs. Lawrence Heyworth,
Fretne, and Co., can perhaps tell who I mean.
But what occasion was there to increase the salaries of men
who were notoriously well paid, considering their station ih
so-
ciety ? The gratuities voted to the other officers Were merely a
subterfuge to give the transaction a plausible appearance.
The movers of this affair, however, (who areal! "honourable
men," as Antony says,) -must needs attempt to remove Mr.
Winward from the situation of town-clerk, because, forsooth,
he is a schoolmaster and surgeon ! But, perchance, Mr. L.
Heyworth can recollect that at the last vestry meeting but One
at West Derby chapel he put down Mr. Winward, (who was
making some observation connected with his office,) and threat.
ened to strike him off. This threat can now be understood, but
it was hardly fair of Mr. L. Heyworth to make a motion to re-
move the oldest bfficer in the township, and one too Who had
given every satisfaction in the discharge of his duties, especially •
as the object was not to save the salary but to leave it to apply
to the reinunetation.of Mr. Dolling, he being no doubt a snore
congenial spirit than Mr. Winward. Verity, Mr. Heyworth
has a retentive memory, and is not very forgetful of what he
imagines to be injuries, notwithstanding all— his ostensible
sanctity. ..

; • . •
It is stated by the editor of-the Join-nal in his remark s
on the meeting iu questionO.hat it' was a trial of strength be-
tween the whits and teaks, and that the latterweCe beaten upiui
• all points... This I dent; for it .was4ecidedly a:question. oCnx.-.
pendithre; but it may als6Amstatecilhat it was likewise 4 9nea..
:tints svhdther a few •factioualusliv4auals were to -exercise
despotic coutroul over the•alfairs of.the township in,upposition
`•to-the sense of the parishioners:. ,As to the ories (if we adopt
the name for distinction) hating been defeated, if by that it is
meant that they did not succeed to extent they intended, it
own for bea,Valtee - tia4l2.: W at
orpowor, as there were three to one in votes in their favdur at
the meeting. The ottier. party were defeated clearly, else why
be obliged to enter into any treaty with the tories. - If we con,:
trast the conduct of the leaders of the tory party with the other
we shall find which of them wpre actuated by most love•of fair 1
play, for afteilMr. L. Deyworth had compromised and agreed
with the fortnerlo 'annurthe gratuities on condition that Mr.
Dolling's increase of salary should reniaimuntouched, the con-
sent of the meeting was no sooner obtained thatpoint than
he 'rose to effect tbe.perManent increase of £() to Mr. l'enneles
salary, but which unfair course met with the reception it de-
served.

In conclusion, I have only to obierve, that the allusion to Mr.
Brassey is a mean attempt to distort the question by coupling
it with the political feelings and prejudices of. the public, fur it
was with the utmost reluctance, and not until repeated applica-
tion ware made, that this gentleman consented to. sanction ano-
ther meeting. So much fur what the lowinal calls the "Brassey
key" to the affair; but I should not lay any particular stress on
this, as the whole transaction is an illustration, among the many
like instances, of the conduct of those pretended liberals and
economists, by garbled and partial statements, to carry favour
with the public to attain their unworthy ends.—l. am, &c., •
West Der4y, May 11. A RATE PAYER.