The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-10-03 00:00:00

Till LIVIIPOOII STANDARD.

PROPOSAL TO CLOSE TIIE LIVERPOOL POST-

OFFICE ON SUNDAYS.

We are gratified to find that at length an effort is
making to relieve this great mercantile community from
the stigma of not being able to spare one whole day in the
week from their ordinary business pursuits and avocations ;
and that a movement is to be made to urge the public
bodies and the inhabitants to dispense with the opening
of the Post-office on Sundays. A meeting was held yes-
terday (Monday) on the subject at the Clarendon-rooms,
over which his worship the Mayor presided, the proceed-
ings at which will be found briefly stated in another
column; and we believe the object will not be very diffi-
cult of achievement, the authorities of the General Post-
office being willing to accede to a general expression of
the wishes of the public bodies here. It is a well-known
fact that few of our most respectable merchants and
taders avail themselves at present of the facilities which
are offered them, at the expense of depriving a consider-
able number of Post-office clerks and other officials of the
opportunity of attending divine service, and spending a
reasonable portion of their day of rest in the bosom of
their families ; and the vast increase in the speed by which
epistolary correspondence is now circulated by the means
of railways, has long ago taken away all necessity for the
continuance of the present system.

THE MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

MEETING OF THE ELECTORS OF WEST DERBY

LAST NIGHT.

A meeting of the Electors of this Ward was held last
night, for the purpose of choosing a Candidate for the
representation of this Ward in Council, in the place of
Mr. James Plumpton, who does not again come forward.
The meeting was held in the Edge-hill Coffee-house.
Mr. RICHD. SANDARS was moved to the Chair, who
briefly stated that, having found it necessary to get rid of
their late member, Mr. Plumpton, the committee of the
ward had, in the first instance, turned their attention to
Mr. H. C. Chapman, and had applied to him to come
forward as a candidate. Mr. Chapman, however, had
declined, ou the ground that his business avocations
would not allow of his devoting the necessary time to
public affairs. Ile was, however, ready to do every thing
in his power to protect the Dock Estate anC the property
of the burgesses from getting into the hands of lawyers,
engineers, and jobbers. Mr. Sanders concluded by call-
ing upon Mr. James Gaskell to propose the first reso-
lution, which was to the effect that the constituency of
the ward were impressed with the necessity of making the
Dock Estate and the property of the Corporation con-
tribute to the support of the public burthens.
Mr. WHATHAM seconded the report in as argumenta-
tive speech, in which he went into an able exposition of
the facts of the question involved in the resclution.
Mr. JOHN TURNER moved that Mr. James B. Bourne
be requested to permit himself to be put in nomination,
and in a neat speech dwelt upon his fitness for the office.
Mr. BETTELEY, having first inquired whether Mr.
Bourne was favourable to the rating of the Corporate and
Dock estate ; and being answered in the affirmative by
the Chairman, cordially seconded the motion.
Mr. H. C. Chapman rose, and stated that he should
have been wanting in respect to them if he had not taken
this opportunity of responding to the honour which the
burgesses had conferred upon him, by inviting him to offer
himself as their representative. He regretted that he had
not the time necessary at his disposal. He felt the ur-
gency of the case, as all must feel who resided in Liver-
pool. He had recently been induced for the first time to
look into his tax bills, and he saw in them full reason for
inducing men to direct their attention to the subject
before them ; and if in any other capacity than
as their representative he could do them service, he
should be very happy. He was opposed to the practice
of gentlemen soliciting to represent the constituencies by
issuing placards on the wall, detailing their principles.
He always considered that a man thus offering himself
had some private job of his own to gain. Mr. Bourne
would not resort to this practice. (Hear, hear.) He
had seen him, along with the chairman, and they
found. him most decidedly in favour of rating both
the Corporate and Dock Estate. Mr. Bourne had been
accosted by Mr. George Hall Lawrence with the remark,
" Surely you are not in favour of rating the Corporate
and Dock Estate !" And his answer was, " Ain't I in-
deed ?" Then said Mr. Lawrence, " I'll go out of your
company." The speaker went on to complain of the past
inertness of the electors as the cause of their present po-
sition ; and after a few words condemnatory of the Con-
federation Society, and in vindication of his remarks ad-
dressed to Mr. Ferguson's claims on St. Peter's Ward,
and a condemnation of the Pike scheme, concluded a
very humourou■ speech, by predicting that if they once
permitted a lawyer and an engineer to get hold of the
burgesses property, they would carry it away in their blue
bags.
Mr. HARDY asked if Mr. Bourne had consented to
stand, and made a rambling speech against merchant re-
presentatives in general. He was set right by the chair-
man as to Mr. Bourne objecting to stand, and the motion
having been put to the meeting, was carried with one
dissentient vote—his own.

A letter was read from Mr. Josias Booker, apologising
for his absence through indisposition, and highly eulo-
gising Mr. Bourne as a fit candidate for the ward. Ano-
ther letter was read from Mr. George Hall Lawrence, de-
clining to attend, and stating that if he had been present
he should have gloried in sharing in the honour of the
vote by which his friend Mr. Plumpton bad lost their
favour. He eulogised highly Mr. Bourne, whom he
should be glad to have as his colleague during his short
remaining stewardship.
A committee was then nominated, on the motion of
Mr. SHERWOOD, seconded by Mr. JOHN JONES, to con-
duct the business of the election ; and the meeting, a
most unanimous one, terminated shortly afterwards. •
It was stated previously to the meeting that Mr. Beck-
with, the candidate whom Mr. Hardy was understood to
have in view, had declared his intention not to contest
the ward if Mr. Bourne consented to come forward, and
was approved of by the electors.