The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-01-02 00:00:00

COMMISSIONERS FOR BIRKENHEAD.

The MAYOR announced that the first business on the
paper was the appointment of three commissioners under
the local act of 1 and 2 Victoria, c. 33, for amending an
act of 3 William IV. for paving, lighting, watching,
cleansing, and otherwise improving the township or cha-
pelry of Birkenhead, and for regulating the police thereof.
The DEPUTY TOWN-CLERK stated, that the commis-
sioners last year were Messrs. North. Parker, and Wood.
Mr: LACE presumed that there was no objection to the
re-appointment of these gentlemen ?
The MAYOR replied—None whatever, so far as be was
aware.
Mr. LACE then moved their re-appointment.
Mr. TURNER seconded the motion. •
Mr. ISAAC HOLMES said he was extremely sorry to
find that Mr. North had only attended the meetings of
the Birkenhead commissioners once during the past year ;
and the Council must be well aware that punctual and
constant attendance had now become essentially necessary,
the more particularly as a bill was being passed by the
commissioners of Birkenhead, in which the interests of
Liverpool were most materially concerned. For his own
part, he firmly believed, that the whole of the conduct of
the Council with respect to Birkenhead was the most
unfortunate which could have been adopt id. With re-
gard, for instance, to the Birkenhead gas and water bill,
the Council had acted in the most unfortunate manner

possible ; for, in that case, they had allowed a bill to pass
which was .actually causing the inhabitants of Birkenhead
to pay 25 per cent more f r their gas and water than
even the monopolists of Liverpool were at present in the
habit of charging. It was true that the Town•clerk had
told the Council, at the "time, that, notwithstanding the
bill, another company might be formed to keep down the
rates ; but they all knew very well, that, when once a
monopoly succeeded in getting the management of any-
thing, it was one of the most difficult matters imaginable
to break it down. (Hear.) He wished it to be dis-
tinctly understood, that no one could entertain a higher
opinion of Mr. North than he did; but he believed the
gentleman resided at Seacornbe—
A MEMBER.—At New Brighton.

Mr. HOLMES.—Then the case is still worse. and much
more inconvenient for him to attend. The only way in
which he could attend at Birkenhead, with the least in-
convenience to himself, would be by coming to Seacombe,
taking the boat for Liverpool, and then going over by
another boat to Woodside.

Mr. MOORE.— fhere is a new bridge across, and there
is also an omnibus.
Mr. HOLMES.—At what time does the omnibus leave
Seacombe?

Mr. MooßE.—At nine o'clock in the morning.
Mr. HOLMES.—But the meetings always take place
at seven o'clock at night at Birkenhead.
Mr. Moons.—Well, there is an omnibus at night from
Seacombe, and also from Woodside.

Mr. H OLMES.—At what hour does it leave Woodside?
Mr. M oonE.—At nine o'clock.
Mr. HOLMES.—Then he would be just in time to be
too late f,r that (a laugh), because the meetings of the
Birkenhead Commissioners seldom break up before half-
past ten ; and if he left before the breaking up, the proba-
bility is that the business affectinc, the interests of Liver-
pool would come on after his departure. If, then, he
accepts the appointments, it will require the prompt
attendance of a►l three commissioners to see that nothing
inimical or injurious to the town► of Liverpool takes place,
for matters of vast importance are about to come under
the cognizance of the Birkenhead meetings.
Mr. LACE.---1 shall be most happy to propose 111. r.
Isaac Holmes, if he will attend.
Mr. HOLMES.—W ben I was a commissioner before, I
gave it up, knowing that I could not attend to do my
duty ; and I should be extremely sorry to take upon me
any situation or appointment unless I could do my duty.
All the meetings, committee meetings included, of the
Commissioners of Birkenhead, are at seven o'clock at
night, and gentlemen could scarcely expect that my
attendance would be constant there, particularly if I had
to walk four miles after my dinner to reach the place of
meeting. I must, however, say, in consequence of some-
thing which ha fallen from Mr. Wood, that they not
only placed me upon committees, but that they came and
asked me on what committees I wished to be appointed.
(Hear.) I was placed on the Finance Committee, and on
any other Committee for which I felt the least desire. It
is only justice to the Birkenhead Commissioners, to say
that during the time I attended their meetings, I was
invariably treated with the greatest cordiality, (Hear,
hear.)
Mr. LACE pressed his motion, in consequence of Mr.
Holmes's refusal to attend.

Messrs. North, Parker, and Wood were then unani-
mously re-appointed.

MRS. MOLYNRUX'S CFPARITIES..

The MAYOR announced that the second matter on the
paper was the appointment of a trustee under a local act
of 9 George IV. for enabling the trustees of Mrs. Ann
Molyneux's Charities, in Liverpool, to grant building-
leases, and for better vesting the estates in them, for con-
firming exchanges, and other purposes, for the benefit of
the charities.
tuhniiscicpaar bitlirreMquaiyreodr
waTshteheTpoawrtNy-tCoLn7
some member of the council to be appointed eo en indi-
vidual.the The usual course, however, was to appoint the
Mayor.
Sir T. BRANCKER moved the appointment of the
Mayor.
Mr. WOOD seconded the motion.

Mr. LACE sale he had been recently called on to survey
the part of this property which had been already built
upon, and that, in his opinion, there gas not so disgraceful
a piece of building in Liverpool as was exhibited on the
land there dedicated to the use of the poor. In one in-
stance, he found a marl, his wife, and five or six. children
living in a smolt place. where the rain came in through the
roof, and wbeie- there were a number of pigs about* the
door. The whole of the buildings were disgraceful. The
foundations were on blasted rocks from the water works,
than which nothing could be worse. He hoped the
Mayor would pay attention to the subject.
The MAYOE, (who was appointed) promised to comply
with the request. and said reports had been sent in which.
agreed with the statement Mr. Lace had just made.---