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

Mr. ASPINALL.—If Mr. Nicol will point out what I
said of an offensive nature, I am the last man—
The MAYOR.—I was very unwilling to interrupt Mr.
Aspinall. I wished him to say all, and then I would have
replied. All I said, when I interrupted him, was—" I
am sorry you think so." He is the last gentleman to
whom I should be discourteous.
Mr. ASPINALL.—If I said anything offensive, I would
make an apology. lam the last man, if wrong, to per-
severe in my error. I would be most unwilling to do so.
Mr. NrcoL.—l am sure you would not say anything
personally offensive; but when you called imperiously on
the Mayor not to interrupt you I thought it right to in-
terf're. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. ASPINALL.—I shall go on. If any mischief has
arisen in this instance, it is in consequence of the Mayor's
interference ; and if committees are to take documents
into consideration, it is highly improper that, before ever
the committees see them, they should be published and
commented upon in the public press. I am willing the
press should have every facility, and that the public should
have every document ; but I don't think it right that the
documents should be give❑ b.,fore we see them. There is
not a single inernly,T of the Watch Committee who had
the documents placed before him ; and it is extremely
wrong that they should be commented upon and discussed
by the newspapers before they come regularly to the com-
mittee.

The MAYOR.—I can assure Mr. Aspinall that this is
the first time I heard of the papers in question not hav-
ing been before the Watch Committee. Thev appeared
to be public property, and their contents known to a
number of individuals in the town, both councillors and
magistrates. A magistrate, having heard of them, called
o❑ me to show him the opinions of Mr. Williams and
:Jr. Jervis. I accordingly sent for them; and I thought
it was only right that the town at large should knew the
opinions of those gentlemen—not only those of Mr.
Williams and Mr. Jervis, but of the others also. If there
was anything improper in giving them, I am responsible
for that impropriety; but as to showing discourtesy to
the Watch Committee I would be the last in the world to
treat any person otherwise than in the most civil way
possible. ,
Mr. A SPINA LL.-With due deference, the opinions of
Messrs, Kelly, Cowling, and Cardwell, were laid before
the Watch Committee, but what I complain of is, that
the opinions of Messrs. Earle, Crompton, and Williams
are given to the press.

The MAYOR.—i. never interfered with the opinions
of Earle and Crompton. I know nothing of these.
Mr. ASPIN ALL.— The newspapers say they are in-
debted to you for them. If you like, I shall read the
papers—(Loud cries of " No," and laughter.) The
opinions are all copied. Mr. Crompton's is fully copied,
so also are the opinions of Williams and Jervis. If the
Mayor says he did not give them, I have nothing more to
o bserve.
The MAYOR.—Those of Jervis and Williams are the
only opinions I know anything about.
Mr. G. H. LAWRENCE presumed the Mayor was sorry
for what he had done, as the opinions had not been be-
fore the Watch Committee, and were not the property of
either his Worship or the magistrates.
Mr. HODGSON expressed a hope that Mr. Aspinall did
not wish to inculpate the chief magistrate for doing any-
thing intentionally improper. Ile (Mr.Hodgson) thought
the Mayor had been guilty of an act of indiscretion ; and
he hoped the discussion would convey a salutary hint
that, in future, papers were not to be surrendered before
the proper time.
Mr. ASPINALL expressed himself satisfied with the ex-
planations.
The MAvon. said that, if he had had the slightest idea the
opinions bad not been before the Watch Committee, he
should not have allowed anybody to see them.
Mr. J. LAWRENCE thought the Mayor's explanation
must be satisfactory, and moved that the proceedings be
confirmed.

The motion was unanimously adopted.
DOCK COMMITTEE.-INCREASE OF THE PORT.

The proceedings of the Dock Committee having been
read,
Mr. BRAMLEY-MOORE moved their confirmation, and,
in doing so, said that, as an erroneous impression was
abroad that the receipts of the docks had been diminishing
while the town-dues bad been increasing i❑ a large ratio,
he wished to avail hio•self of the orportunity to state
that, from the 24th of last June (the clots of the official
year) to the 240 i of September there had been an increase
of 57,349 tors, and an increase of receipts to the ansoent
of £lO,lll 108 3d. over the corresponding period of last
year. (Hear. hear.) Last year, the dock estate had a
surplus of £76,000: thrs year the surplus would be much
greater. (hear, hear.)
Ir. G. H. LAWRENCE said the receipts of the town-
duns were going on pari passti with the receipts of the
docks. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. HonGeoN asked whether there was any intention
on the part of the Dock "I rust to surround the docks with
a line of railway running from north to south, and thus
to annihilate the distance from one end of the town to the
ether?

_
Mr. Mooka expressed his belief that a railroad would
ha foreeed from the extreme north to the SK trouts south
of the docks. at the expense of the dock truss.
The proctedings were confirmed.
EDUCATION COMMITTEE. a

From the proceedings of the laduceion Committee it
appeared that the average attendance at the Corporation
lichaols for the past month tied 1141/11 950 chiblren.
* memorial from certain parte, praying for c,mpensa-
tips' under the Improvement Act was referred to the im-
prominent Committee.
Is reply ty) a queatiok from Mr. Turner,
Tee ilaYoa stated that he had melrerializsd the
Lords of the Treasury a fortn'tht ago, to permit the
ststtte of Air. I-lustily:on to be placed in a certain position
at the Custom,kouse, selected fur it by Mr. Gibson, but
Ito haii not ail yet racsived a reply.
The Council adjourned at 25 minutes to two o'clock‘