The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-03-03 00:00:00

I MEETING OF RATEPAYERS OF BIRKENHEAD. NORTHERN CIRCUIT, LANCASTER

Yesterday evening, a public meeting of the ratepayers of
Birkenhead was held at the Town-hall, Birkenhead, " for
the purpose," as stated in the advertisement, " of consider-
ing the bills now before parliament relating to the establish-
ment of Cemetery and Park, and for other purposes therein
mentioned."
The attendance was very numerous, and include
of the most respectable of the proprietary and ratepayers
the township, and the places adjacent affected by the bills.
JOHN DEANE CASE, Esq., was called to the chair. lie
read the placard, and said that the Commissioners, in redemp-
tion of the pledge given by them, had given every possible
facility to the rate-payers to acquaint themselves with the se-
verai clauses of the bill, and to propose such alterations as
they might deem proper. The bills varied from those of
January last, inasmuch as some of the clauses had been
objected to. The Commissioners, willing to conciliate all
parties, and to meet the wishes of the ratepayers, now brought
the bills before the meeting, with those clauses expunged,
nd he trusted they would now meet with no further opposi-
tion. In his public capacity as chairman on the occasion, he
was not aware that he had any. further observations to make.
But he might, perhaps, as-a private individual, be permitted
to express an opiniod on the bills.—(Hear.) The two main
features involved were the purchase of the land, and its ap-
propriation, part for a cemetery, and part as a park, for the
health and recreation of the inhabitants. These were ob-
jects, be thought, of the highest importance to a growing
population as that of the township of Birkenhead. He
had taken the liberty of stating the urgent necessity for
some steps to be taken to secure the advantages proposed by
those bills at as early a period as possible. When he was
connected with the corporation of Liverpool, be and others
had frequenlly, in compliance with the wishes of a great part
of the population, stated how desirable it would be that a
park should be formed ; but it had been so long delayed that
land had risen to a great price, and the object was unfortu-
nately thereby defeated. He rejoiced to say that the oppor-
tunity was available in Birkenhead, which, by delay, had been
lost in Liverpool; and it was for the meeting to consider and
sanction the measures now proposed, to effect the objects in
view, while they could be advantageously attained. The
commissioners had devoted great time, and bestowed great
pains in preparing the several clauses of the bills; they had,
in fact, had but one interest in view, and that was the interest
of the inhabitants at large; and as they had done everything
that was possible to conciliate all parties who had previously
entertained objections to some of the clauses, they hoped
that the present bills would meet the wishes of the township
at large, and the approval of that meeting. The results that
had become manifest, from the commissioners getting a bill
to enable them to purchase the (Woodside) Ferry, were. he
trusted, sufficient to entitle them to the confidence of the
ratepayers ; and he had only now to hope that the bills would
receive their approval. (Hear, bear.)
Mr. KNAFPER requested that the clauses which had been
withdrawn might ha read.
Mr. MALLABY said they were the clauses from 117 to 122
inclusive, and related to one object—to cause the owners of
certain property to pay the assessments in place of the tenants.
The same gentleman then proceeded to read the marginal
notes of the two bills, as a means of affording a brief outline
of the object of each clause,—premising that he should read
the whole of any clause, or any one present requesting him
to do so. The measures sought for were in two distinctbills,
which was found desirable for convenience as well as economy.
The first comprised various improvements, in which Claugh-
ton-cum-Grange, and Oxton, were included with Birken-
head. Copies of the bills had been left with the overseers at
each place. Then bills would not interfere with the ecclesi-
astical position of the respective places, as they only sought
to unite them for mutual future improvement. Powers were
sought to raise separate rates for lighting and watching—
powers to purchase lands for the park—to sell and convey—
to borrow on mortgage—to fix the width of the streets, &c.,
including regulations for buildings. In reply to a question
from Mr. Knapper, he stated that in addition to the £150,000
which the commissioners were already empowered to borrow,
they sought powers to borrow 4300,000—the two sums
(XIi50,000,) howeuer, to include the present debt. He co -
sidered that the proceeds from the Ferry would meet all re-
quirements for the debt.
Mr. ARKLE here alluded to a memorial he had presented
some time ago from a number of rate-payers in his quarter
of the township, complaining of the nuisance of the smoke
from brick-kilns close at their doors. He thought it wrong
to lay out so much money (X 200,000 we understand) for a
park, with baths, &c., while such nuisances were suffered to
go on close to their dwellings.

I many

recommended that they should
wages of 1840, but they
navigators present from
iiptohth said they were
Sidebottom, an auctioneer,
efroererc
yancdhhosF as the
hissedg to thehint mastersdown
; tahnedr e askw were
Go to the storese
the Sheffield and ManchesternlttiagiaohtlnwtYaio.
did
might
yn.'ot advise them so,
so butl when a
d
towatrdieY
simne
laN great.yeosr"e f diiTsetressasi
Stockport ues ta
greatpleasemtahne
m like
sel
v thees. Mayor y o
rushof
was then Stockport
made
said, eip
pro-
visionthem-
shop, but one of the navigators stopped's a
way, and a great noise was made, but none of the d
Witness saw a large crowd the same day a ththerne:
rail_
way,
were there. On the 14th I attended a meeting
e
on Mottram Moor, when Wild, Candiet, and Cartl d
were present. Wild recommended the meeting to be
for the Charter, and gave notice for two other ro,,
one for Wednesday, when they would go in procession t)
Manchester. Was at a meeting on Mnttram Moor, on tl (e
13th, when John Leech and Moorhouse were present. Leech
spoke, and alluded to the large sums of money which it took
to support the Queen,whiclohe said, came out of the pockets
of the poor, and requested them to remain true until the
Charter became the law of the land. Attended a meet-
ing at half-past seven o'clock the following evening. Saw
Booth and Moorhouse there. Booth spoke, and also read a
large placard, which spoke of the expense her Majesty was
to poor people, and what large quantities of wines and spirits
she drank, what large numbers of sheep, lambs, arid fat oven
she eat, and that she cost the poor people yearly £160,000.
Moorhonse gave notice of a meeting the following morning,
which I attended. Moorhouse was chairman, and Landlet,
John Leech, and Booth were present. An excavator got on
to the waggons, and said he wished them to turn out, and, in
five minutes , all the navigators would be out. A man, who
said he was a delegate from Manchester, next spoke, and said
he was sent to inform the people of Hyde that the delegates
assembled were 340 for the Charter and 18 against it, for the
scale of wages of 1840, and all the middle and higher classes
were for the Charter, except the steel-hearted manufacturers.
[The Queen's proclamation was then put in, which warned
the people from holding or attending illegal meetings.]
Witness continued.--He said Candlet next addressed the
meeting, and said he did not care a straw for the Queen's pro-
clamation which he read. In eight days' time bayonets
would be of no use, for delegates were going about turning
all out except the millers and reapers of corn, but, in fact,
they were all nearly out, then what would be the use of the
military or special constables. But as he must be in Man-
chester by nine o'clock, he must conclude by telling them
that, as he was in the hall last night, Mr. Beswick, superin-
tendent of police, came in, and said, in the present disturbed
state of the town, and that then magistrates came in and
gave them ten minutes to disperse, but in five minutes they
were all gone, and he exhorted them to continue true for the
battle was partly won. John Leech next addressed them,
and said be was a member of the Great National Conference,
but he had to meet M'Douall at eleven o'clock, and he would
bring him to Hyde, and in eight weeks' time they would have
a fixed rate of wages. and the charter would he the law of
the land. Attended a meeting on the 18th, at half-past
seven in the evening. Moorhouse was in the chair, and
John Leech was present. He railed against shopkeepers,
and told how much money had been spent by the spinner's
union, and not one penny for the charter. He said—does
not my friend from Glossop tell you that there are plenty of
persons well armed in Glossop-dale with bludgeons, and
what would the police and red-coated gentry do then ?
Nothing. He would continue to agitate, for the aristocracy
of this country was bad, and without alteration it would be
worse. During all this time the mills about Ashton and
Hyde were standing still. The placard, headed " from the
executive council," was posted from the 14th to the 19th
of August, and ordered it to be pulled down.
Cross-examined by Mr. F. O'Connor.-1 did not produce
the book at the time Moorhouse was before the magistrates.
The witness explained that the reason was, they were obliged
to remove the prisoners immediately from Hyde to Stock-
port, and the magistrates went over there and committed
them. Never heard of there being any distress in Ashton or
the neighbourhood. After Leech left the town on the 20th
there was no more disturbance. Leech said he was going to
Manchester as a delegate, and to see M`Douall, but he did
not say anything about what occurred at the meeting on the
18th. There was an interleneation in the book. respecting
the transactions on the 7th August. which witness stated he
had made on the day after the entry in the book. John
Leech lived at Hyde, and took an active part in all political
questions, hut witness did not know that Leech was a stren-
uous opponent of the Anti-Corn-Law League.
The witness was then cross-examined by Mr. DUNDAS at
i
some length respecting some alterations which had been made
the book, from which he read a report of the proceedings
at the meetings he had spoken of, but, with one exception, he
swore to having made the alterations either the same day or

the following morning.
The Court then adjourned at twenty minutes past five into
the Crown Court, where his lordship disposed of two or three

criminal cases

THURSDAY.
This morning, at nine o'clock, Mr. Baron ROLFE took his
seat on the bench ; and, shortly afterwards, the Right Hon.
Sir James Graham, who is subpcened by Mr. O'Connor as
a witness, entered court and took his seat on the bench.
Mr. O'Connor renewed his application for all the witnesses
to be out of court except the one under examination, as many
had that morning arrived, and were not aware of the order
made the previous day; he, however, dtcl not wish this to
extend to the Right Hon. Secretary for the Home Depart-

went.
The examination of the witnesses was then resumed by
the ATTORNEY-GENERAL, who called
Joseph Saddler, police-officer at Stockport, who spoke to
the facts which occurred in that town on the 11th of August ;
and the Governor of the 'Workhouse spoke to the attack on
that building on the same day, when some food and money
were stolen, and the windows and doors were shattered.
William Morris, stated, that, at the meeting in Stockport,
on the day mentioned, Dr. Doyle and John Leech were an-
nounced as speakers. Resolutions were put to the people
whether they would cease working until they got an advance
of wages or until the Charter was carried, and the latter was

adopled.
James Carrington said he was present at the meeting at
Marple, on the 15th August, and saw Doyle present. A per-
son named Taylor was in the chair. Doyle spoke, and per-
son-
vised the people not to work until they got the Charter.
After the meeting the mob mooed on, end witness deposed to
several outrages committed by them on the way. He was
cross-examined by Mr. Connor, and st: tel that great com-
plaints were made about the reduction of wages.
Abraham LOngSOD, one of the Stockport police, was pre-
sent at a meeting in Waterloo-road, on the 15th August, and
the witness deposed to much violent language used by the
defendant Pilling, and several other speakers, with reference
to wages and the Charter. Joseph Hanson and Wright
was present, the latter was elected a delegate. Witness
then read his notes of a speech made by Wright, at a meet-
ing of the 17th, complaining that he could not find the de-
legates in Manchester for some timencluded , because therir
the wa meetings
were dangerous. The meeting was co
other foges
osed to
and the Charter. The witness dep smaller
meetings, and the speeches of different defendants.
On cross-examination, witness said be wrote his notes
from memory, and could carry a speech of three-quarters of
an hour long in his head.
John Robinson Scott, another constable, deposed to violent
language made use of by defendants, A. F. Taylor, Ratcliffe'
at different meetings, Taylor was appointed a delegate. The
, armed witlei
meetings were in favor of going for the Charter, and nothing
outt the hands.
but the Charter. Hoyle, at another meeting, said there
was
a majority of the delegates of 200 to 50, who were resolved
to go for the Charter, and not alone on the wages question.
Witness read at great length his notes of various speeches.
mills,th e 12thand otfurAnuagdus Silvester Faraday, another police-officer, saw 2,000 peopl
enter
ti
a hs
,B awchuop
sot no Thursday,
They called on them to come out in a menacing Way, and
brandished their sticks. The mob then went about the iown
demanding provisions. Saw the executive address posted on
endurstteYi
the walls on Saturday, 20th August.
Wm. Bently, police-constable, Rochdale, saw the executive
turned
address posted there on the 17th. The hands
out on
the 11th. and the Queen's proclamation was issued on the
15th. The hands returned to work on the 20th.
James Buckley, of Stalybridge, deposed to various par-
ticulars of the meeting on Mottram-moor on the7tho
August, already given in evidence. Moorhouse, the chair-
man, read a resolution to thde h people should
I give over work till they a got effect that the
a fair day's wages air
fora f
day's work, also till the Charter was the law
e of the land
John Leach, John Crossley, and Wm. tStevensonon spoke
, of
favour of the resolution. Robert Wild, of
in
Mottram,was
of various
there. The witness then described the stopping
mills at Stalybridge, but, except at Messrs. Lee's, no vio-
vence was used t and there they broke open he gates. The
mob went to Dukenfield and Ashton, and on their waY
stopped all the mills. They created alarm
place to place, shouting and brandishing by running from
their sticks. Ait-
kin, Crossley, and Pilling addressed a meeting held after-
wards. Aitkin black guarded the people for doing as they
had done. Witness then described other
mob in stopping mills. Crossley interfere
proceedings of the
lads breaking down the door of a factory. to prevent some
The trial was proceeding when our parcel left Lancaster.

ORDINATION AT CHESTER ON SUNDAY.

DEACONS
Oxford.

Charles Kilsbaw Dean, B.A
John Rio, B.A
Charles Wilson Heaton, B.A,

Queen's College

New Inn Hall
Jesus College.

Cambridge,