The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-05-16 00:00:00

SPECIAL MEETING OF THE RATEPAYERS OF
WEST DERBY LAST NIGHT.

Yesterday evening a special meeting of the ratepayers
of West Derby was held in the Everton National School,
Mill-lane, for the purpose of receiving a report from the
committee appointed in March last to investigate the alle-
gations respecting certain paid officers of the township.
The meeting was numerously attended, and throughout
much local party feeling was exhibited. Mr. Joseph King
was moved to the chair.

The proceedings having been opened, a long communi-
cation (in the shape of a declaration made in Lancaster
Castle before a Master in Chancery) was read from the
late collector. Griffiths, containing a detail of his transac-
tions, and of his charges of complicity against Mr. Shaw ;
and a similar statement by Mr. Shaw of the proceedings
during Griffiths' service as collector under him, and giv-
ing a very different version of the transactions in question.
A correspondence between Mr. Griffith and Mr. Shaw was
afterwards read, from which nothing very material could
be elicited ; and subsequently a report of the committee,
appointed to investigate the accounts, which condemned
Mr. Shaw for having continued in office the man Griffith
for years after he knew that he was behindhand in his
payments of Government taxes received, for which be had
given no security ; and fixing upon Mr. Shaw a large por-
tion of the responsibility of Griffith's defalcations.
Mr. Owen, solicitor, appeared for Mr. Shaw, and the
township solicitor was also present. Mr. Strawn, clerk
to Mr. Shaw, was called forward and examined, especially
as regarded a payment of 0150, by Mr. Shaw to Griffith.,
and entered in the books, but, as appeared by the reoort,
originally put down as a balance due of the mutual ac-
counts between them ; but it appeared, as stated in the
report, that the word due had been erased, and the word
paid substituted. Mr. Strewn (Mr. Shaw's clerk), to
questions put on this point said, that the sum when put
down in the balance sheet was due, but was not paid
until subsequently, when he saw it paid in notes and
gold ; and though he did not recollect the exact
amount or the precise date, he was sure it was the sum
stated in the account which was in his own hand-
writing.—The meeting was rather stormy at times,
and Mr. Owen had for some time difficulty in being heard.
Amongst other matters, which had been referred to in
the report, it appeared that those who drew it up were at
a great loss on account of a government assessed tax-
book having disappeared. Mr. Strawn admitted that a
number of these books of an old date had been burnt in
presence or by the privity of Mr. Shaw, being considered
useless, as they were merely duplicates of those retained
by the government ; and the committee complained of
the conduct of Mr. Shaw in doing so, as they were
deprived of the book in particular, (alluded to)
which had left them in the dark as to that item in the
enquiry. Mr. Eyre Evans strongly protested against the
burning "of such documents. Another declaration was
read from Mr. Griffith, to the effect that he had left the
documents in question in the possession of Mr. Shaw at
his office.—Mr. Walker proposed that the report be re-
ceived.—Mr. Ledger said perhaps the business would be
shortened by his stating that a letter had been received
that morning from the Poor Law Commissioners to the
effect that they would send down in the beginning of
June a commissioner to investigate the whole charge as
affecting the parish.—There was a general feeling ex-
pressed by the speakers they they had nothing to do with
the government rates.—Mr. Owen made a long speech in
behalf of Mr. Shaw, contending that the committee in
drawing up the report had taken erroneous views of the
case ; and that Mr. Shaw had done nothing that was
wrong. He deprecated adopting the report, to be pub-
lished if adopted throughout the country, to the dis-
paragement of the character of a gentlemsn who had
become gray in their service, and thought Mr. Shaw
should have every opportunity of explaining himself on
the transactions in question. Mr. Owen was heard with
much impatience, and frequent calls were made upon Mr.
Shaw himself.

After a desultory conversation, with respect to some
payments•of government taxes, received by Griffiths and
others, and said to have been paid over to Mr. Shaw, that
gentleman was permitted to go into an explanation of the
whole matter. _ . .

Mr. SHAW said that had he known that the statement
which had been read from him were intended to have been
read, he would have entered more into details. He pro-
ceeded to explain the circumstances of the transactions
between himself and Griffiths. He had himself been for
the last thirteen years merely an honorary collector,
which had led him into his present difficulty. He would
have been better able to have combated the allegations of
the report had he been permitted previously to see that
document. Not only had he been deprived of such an
opportunity, but every book and voucher had been re-
moved out of his reach. Upon this point a difference of
statements took place between Mr. Ledger and Mr. Shaw.
Mr. Joni WALKER moved that this report be
received and approved, and copies of accounts and all
documents forwarded to the Commissioners of Stampsand
Taxes, which was seconded by a ratepayer.
Mr. WALKER, Custom House officer, moved an amend-
ment, on the ground that fair play ought to be the cha-
racteristic of every meeting of Englishmen ; and remarked
that thismeeting had throughout showed an evident dis-
position to prejudge the question before it. Mr. Shaw
bad not had any opportunity of preparing a defence. It
was unfair to send a gentleman to the trial, which he
would have to meet on the first of June "aefore a govern-
ment commissioner, with the stigma upon his character
which would be attached by the adoption, by the meeting.
of the resolution before them. (in attempt was made to
stop Mr. Walker, by the Chairman and another gentle-
man asking him whether he was a ratepayer, which was
satisfactorily answered.)
The word "approved" in the original motion was then
agreed to be withdrawn.
Mr. CARSON would not have voted for the motion pro-
posed if the word " approves" had remained. He had a
great respect for Mr. Shaw, from his high character for
integrity ; but he thought that the friends of Mr. Shaw
would act injudiciously if they opposed a full investigation
of matters, which certainly appeared to have been con-
ducted with some degree of irregularity.
Mr. SHAW, son of Mr. W. Shaw, brought before the
meeting the fact, that one of the resolutionsin the mi-
nute-book had been entered in different terms from the
original resolution passed; and also shewed the circumL
stances under which one of the witnesses, Strachan, had
been appointed ratebook clerk, on the recommendation
of Mr. Ledger and the overseers. Mr. Shaw went on to
name several facts, showing a bias on the part of the
committee which had entered into an investigation on
this subject.
The CHAIRMAN was proceeding to put the amend-
ment, when
Mr. OWEN begged to save the meeting the trouble of
dividing; Mr. Shaw had nothing to conceal, and he should
advise him to follow the course pointed out by Mr. Carson,
now that the condemnatory portion of the resolution had
been withdrawn..

On the same grounds Mr. WALXER withdrew the
amendment he had moved. The original motion, as
amended, was then passed unanimously.

RATING OF THE DOCK ESTATE.-PUBLIC
MEETING OF THE RATEPAYERS OF TOX-

TETH-PARK.

Last evening a public meeting of the ratepayers of the
above township was held in the Parish-office, for the
purpop of taking into consideration the propriety of
making the Dock Estate chargeable to the parochial and
other rates. The meeting was convened by placard,
signed by the overseers of the township. There was a
numerous attendance. John Sheppard, Esq., was called
to the chair.
The CHAIRMAN, in his opening address, strongly ad-
vocated the rating of the entire Dock Estate, the principle
having been conceded in the rating of the Albert Dock
warehouses.
Mr. JOHN FISHER moved, and Mr. OWEN WILLIAMS
seconded the following resolution, arguing at some length
in reply to the objections urged against rating the Dock
Estate :—" That inasmuch as it is our conviction that
the time has arrived when dock property should become
chargeable to the support of those local burthens which
now press exclusively and injuriously on individuals, this
meeting pledges itself to the adoption of means necessary
to render the dock estate rateable to its just proportion
of the poor and other rates."
The resolution, after having been warmly supported by
several speakers, was carried unanimously.
Mr. JOHN SMITH rose to propose the appointment of
a committee to co-operate with the committee already
appointed for the promotion of the same object in the
parish of Liverpool.
Mr. Councillor HAISBORD seconded the motion, and in
the course of his observations, said, that it had been ad-
mitted within the last few days by the chairman of the
Dock Committee, that the sum of £1,400,000 had been
saved to dock ratepayers by recent reductions, and he
therefore thought that those magnates should contribute
something out of such a saving to the parochial rates.
The resolution was then passed, after considerable dis-
cussion, and a committee having been appointed, the
meeting broke up.

ROBBERY. -Yesterday, at the Police court, a woman,
named Catherine Poole, was charged by a seaman With
robbing him of his handkerchief and other articles. She
had before been in gaol, and latterly for three months,
for robberies. She was sentenced to three months' im-
prisonment.
BODY OF A CHILD FOUND.—On Saturday last, as a
female was passing some vacant ground near Blackstone-
street, she observed a bundle, and on opening it, found it
contained the body of a full-grown female child. It was
wrapped in an old sheet. Mr. Woods, surgeon, decided
that it had been still-born.

We have a pleasure in referring to Mr. Bennett's ad-
vertisement, whose numerous testimonials of ability we
have carefully revised. The study he has devoted to the
removal of deafness is fully demonstrated by the many
cures he has already made in this locality—
many of which
had previously defied the ordinary practitioner.
THEFT OF PLATE.—At the Police-court, yesterday, a
boy, named James Murphy, was charged by a female
servant of a family, living in Grove-street, with having
entered the house, and stolen several articles of plate,
bottle-holders, &c. He was observed soon after loitering
about in the neighbourhood, and a police-officer found
one of the pieces of plate in an ash-pit, into which he had
dropped it. He was an old offender, and was sent for
trial at the sessions.

STEALING A WATCH, &c.—A young woman, named
Elizabeth Kinsley, was charged before Mr. Rushton with
having stolen from a captain of a ship his watch, and a
purse, with which she made off. Complainant and she
had on Saturday night gone into the Queen's Legs eating
house, in Whitechapel, to get some refreshment, which
was served to them. The captain fell asleep, and on
awaking missed his property. The prisoner had gone out
on pretence of buying some ale, as none was sold in the
house. She returned, but afterwards left again. The
watch was offered by her in pledge to a pawnbroker, for
505., and he suspecting all not right had her apprehended.
She was committed for trial at the sessions.