The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-10-01 00:00:00

how far documents belonging to them have been,
in this instance, legitimately used and prOceed to
offer a few remarks upon the opinions themselves.
In the first place, we cannot discover in any one of
these opinions sufficient to lead us to entertain a
serious doubt of the correctness of those previously
taken. Mr. Erie's opinion is point blank in favor
of the position taken by the Watch Committee ; and
it is even strengthened by the replies to the subse-
quent queries put to him, and for the first time
communicated to the Watch Committee through
the columns of the Journal. The opinion of Mr.
Crompton, with all its evident balancing and hesi-
tation, is not conclusively in favor of the point
really at issue between the two bodies, the most
material part of which was :—whether or not the
Magistrates were correct in the course which they
took, or would h-ve been legally justified in dismis-
sing upon the mere refusal of the Policemen to leave
the ()rang order. Mr. Crompton says that "the
Justices, acting in the regular course and in due
form, might have lawfully proceeded to adjudicate
that the Constables in question were unfit for the
duty of Constables by reason of their belonging to
the societies in question ;" and again—" I think
that the clause (77) gives a jurisdiction to be exer-
cised by two Justices sitting in the case of alledged
unfitness, and inquiring into such case in a legal
manner/' But was this course pursued, or is this
the right contended for, by the Justices, or their ad-
vocates ? No ; to constitute a legal adjudication
there must be an information on oath, an inquiry
in a strict and legal form substantiated by evidence of
unfitness; whereas, Mr. Rushton and his colleagues
contend for, the right to dismiss on their caprice.
The same remarks will apply to the opinions of
Messrs. Jervis and Williams—(by what strange
test, by the bye, the Town-clerk arrived at the de-
termination of consulting these gentlemen, we can-
not make out)—the former of whose opinion our
contemporary the Journal, somewhat unfairly, cuts
into two disjointed fragments, omitting 'the most
material portion, to strengthen his view of the case.
It is urged that if Mr. Rushton's view of the in-
terpretation of the 77th clause (in opposition to that of
better lawyers, who construe it in conjunction with
the 80th, by which the powers of the magistrates are
strictly confined to "conviction" of " any neglect of
duty or of any disobedience of any lawful order") be
not correct—if their power to dismiss be not a ca-
pricious power—the power of the Watch Committee
must be equally restricted. Fortunately, however,
it occurs that the Watch Committee claim no such
unreasonable power, as conferred by the Act of
Parliament; but take it under a portion of Article
No. 12 of the " Conditions of Service," signed by
every policeman on entering the force, which is as
follows:
" Each police constable is liable to immediate dismis-
sal for unfitness, negligence, or misconduct, without any
cause being assigned.',

Here is the Watch Committee's position. They
lose no useful power by the strictly legal and con-
stitutional interpretation of the act of Parliament.

We trust we are now done with this question.
In whatever way, or before whatever tribunal it
may be decided, we are content to leave it to the
ordinary and only proper course of abjudication.

The Albion of yesterday contains an article upon
proceedings alleged to have been taken by Mr.
Parker, in order to secure his election for St.
Anne's Ward, which, coming from a liberal journal-
ist, is really a gem in its way. It seems that it has
been thought right by the conservative party in the
ward to object to some twenty or thirty (the exact
number is not stated) of the liberal Burgesses; and
our very pure journalist, wiping out from his me-
mory the proceedings of his league and anti-mono-
poly friends, who are at this moment objecting to
nine tenths of the Conservative Electors of the
county, and a preponderating majority of the Con-
servative Burgesses of the town, holds up his hands
in reprobation of this very improper practice when
pursued, in self-defence, by an opponent party.
Shocking of conservatives to do that upon good
grounds, which a liberal may do with impunity
upon no grounds at all!
Upon one or two points of this astounding charge
against Mr. Parker, a little more care on the part
of our contemporary in ascertaining facts, would
have saved him from the perpetration of some need-
less impertinences. So far from Mr. Parker being
so vastly anxious, as he is represented, to retain the
dignity of a councillor, it was only after consider-
able urging that he consented again to offer him-
self, and then only upon the assurance that he was
to be freed from all expence in the contest. Neither
has Mr. Parker had anything to do personally with
the objections, as is also stated by our contem-
porary, that gentleman having only returned to
Liverpool on Saturday, from a fortnight's visit to
the country. So much, therefore, for the veracity
of the Albion's prompters on this occasion.
We are confidently informed that Mr. Parker has
not interfered in any manner with the proceedings
preparatory to the election; he has not canvassed an
_elector, and, if re-elected, will be returned by as
independent a constituency as any represented in
the council chamber; and he certainly has done his
duty to that constituency by sedulously watching
over their interests, both in committees and at the
meetings of the council.

THE FUNDS : SATURDAY NIGHT.—The public secu-
rities were good to-day at advancing prices, Consols for
money reaching 100-k to 4, and for the account, 1001 to t.
A purchase of £150,000 stock for the account by a leading
broker gave much impulse to business. Bank stock left
off 2081 to 2091; Exchequer-bills 745. to 765. pm. ; and
India stock 289 to 290. In the foreign market the deal-
ings were limited, but prices were nevertheless very firm.
Spanish Five per Cents. closed 231 to 24k; the Three
per Cents. 35 to 8 ; Portuguese 471 to 481 ; Peruvian 251
to 263; Mexican, 37i too; the Deferred 151 to 4; Dutch
Two-and-a-Half per Cents., 624 to 3; the Five per Cents.
100.1 to 101 ; Danish 89 to 90; Chilia❑ 104 to 106; Co-
lumbian 141,- to 4 ; Buenos Ayres 361 to 374 ; Brazilian
891 to 901 ; and Belgian 1033 to 1041.

STRANGE AND OPPRESSIVE PRACTICE OF A " DE-
TECTIVE POLICE" FORCE.—That your " Liberal" or
Radical in politics is almost invariably tyrannical when
invested with power, we have had opportunities of ob-
serving in our own locality ; but we never remembered a
case more strongly evincing the rigid character of Radical
despotism, than has just been attempted to be perpe-
trated by the Radical and Popish authorities of Dublin.
At the usual meeting of the North Dublin Poor-law
Union, a wretched looking man was introduced to solicit
admission into the Workhouse as a pauper. From his
own statement, corroborated by two of the a teetive "
police, who were in attendance, he had been two years ago
convicted of a felony, and had been four times since im-
prisoned for being /ound out after sunset I This body of
detective police, it transpired, have the orders of their
worthy and liberal masters, to meet and watch offenders
on their coming out of prison at the expiration of their
sentences; and if they find them out after sunset, they
are to arrest them, upon which a month's imprisonment
is awarded. Thus the poor fellow in question, who
stated that iris brothers, who were respectable, were wil-
ling to do for him, had been so constantly dogged by the
police, that be dared not disgrace them by
_approaching
their door. He was, he said, the first of his family who
had been an outcast ; and, " gentlemen," he continued,
piteously, "is it not cruel that an unfortunate man who
once commits a crime should be thus hunted down like a
wild beast ?" The Board censured strongly the system
pursued; and the man was admitted into the Workhouse
as the only asylum left him save a felon's cell, the New
Poor-law thus proving more humane than a Radical
Municipal Corporation!
THANKSGIVING FOR THE LATE ABUNDANT HAD..
VEST.—On Thursday next, as may be seen from an ad-
vertisement, the Rev. J. H. Stewart will have a special
service at St. Bride's Church, for the purpose of return-
ing thanks to Almighty God for the late abundant har-
vest, after which, a collection «ill be made for the Female
Orphan Asylum. The reverend gentleman has issued a
very interesting address on the subject, in which, after
noticing that during the Levitical dispensation, the feast
of the ingathering of the harvest was to be observed every
year, he says, "although these Levitical feasts were, as to
their form, abolished, with the other parts of the legal ce-
remonies, their spirit is preserved in the Gospel." The
New Testament deslares that the Lord "Lett not himself
without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain
from Heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with
food and gladness." There also, we are directed by Him,
that is, by our Lord Jesus Christ, "to offer up the sacrifice
of praise to. God, continually giving thanks to his name."
In the northern part of our island, and in some other
Christian countries a day of thanksgiving is kept at the
close of every harvest. Similar acknowledgments have
been frequently made in our land. At this time such a
day of public thanksgiving appears peculiarly approptiate.
It will be in your remembrance, that during the spring
season there was an unusually long period of dry weather,
a period, indeed, so long, that a drought, and a conse-
quent failure of our crops was apprehended. But, the
Lord in his tender mercy sent a gracious rain, softening
the furrows, and blessing the springing corn; then follow-
ing these grateful showers with balmy zephyrs and "clear
sunshine after rain," thus making "the earth blossom and
bud," " filling our barns with plenty," and " crowning
the year with his goodness." Nor has the Lord's boun-
teous hand stopped here. But whilst he has favoured us
with an abundant harvest, he has in his gracious provi-
dence caused so happy a change in our commercial affairs ;
that instead of that depression in trade, will* not long
since threw out of employment such numbers of our ope-
ratives ; now, our ports are crowded-with ships and ves-
sels, our manufactories are in full work, and our industri-
ous poor find for the most part a ready demand for their
labor."

THE LIVERPOOL SFANDARD.