The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-10-21 00:00:00

would be wrong to publish the evideuee. Where might be
dates and other matters which the individuall who furnished
them to the committee might, upon referring back, and taking
the mass of council proceedings from 1836 to the present
time, find inaccurate, or some resolutions which had never
come before the committee, and of the existence of which
they could have had no knowledge. It would, therefore, be
wrong to print the evidence, without taking more time for
consideration. _

Mr. SANDS.—That refers to Abbott's case?
Mr. LLOYD said there might be inaccuracies in the report,
and that might be one ; but he could point out to the council,
upon the evidence, that the committee could have come to
no other conclusion than they had. In moving the resolu-
tion which he had read, lie begged to say that he laid the
report before the council in the full confidence that its sug-
gestions, if adopted, would put the affairs of the corporation
in a much better business position than they were.
Mr. KILSHAW seconded the motion.

Mr. BOLTON said, he did not rise to oppose the mode of
proceeding which Mr. Lloyd had suggested, because very
likely it would be most convenient for the final settlement of
the question. But he must say, that in the report now sub
witted there was much, both in the manner and in the matter,
of which he disapproved. While it contained many sug-
gestions which, if carried, would, he had no doubt, be
beneficial to the corporate estate, the report being printed
and known not only to the members of the council, but to
the town, he felt himself called upon (particularly as he
might not have the opportunity of doing so when it was con-
sidered again) to make a few observation upon the report
itself. In the first place he objected to the expression in
page 2, that throughout the entire of the Town-clerk's de-
partment there was a total want of system. That was a very
sweeping assertion. He did not concur in the accuracy of
it, although to a certain extent it might be as there laid
down. The report just read he objected to, because it im-
plied a censure upon the Treasurer of the Borough Fund,
not intended, he believed, but certainly the words used
would seem to convey it. It was in fact the tone and tem-
per of the whole report that he objected to, because it con-
veyed censure upon officers who had not an opportunity of
replying to its assertions. Now from having had frequent
occasion to be in the Treasurer's office, he could say that
that office was conducted with as much regularity as any
public office in the kingdom, be the other wherever it
might.
Mr. KILSHAW called upon Mr. Bolton to confine himself
to the Town-clerk's department.
Mr. Nicol said it was irregular and premature at present
for Mr. Bolton to go into the discussion of the details. The
report must at present he considered exparte, as the officers
affected by it had not vet had an opportunity of sending in
their statements upon it. The discussion should take place
when both sides were before the council, and not till then.
Mr. EARLE professed his astonishment to hear Mr.
Nicol say that the report was ex parte. Was it correct that
Mr. Nicol had pronounced it an ex parte report ?
Mr. NicoL—Yes, certainly.
Mr. EARLE was really astonished. Why it was the report
of a committee which had been appointed to report nothing
but facts ; but here there was a fact stated which was not a
fact.

Mr. Nicol, said it was founded upon the evidence, he had
no doubt. _ _

Mr. BouroN repeated that the report• as now published
conveyed a censure upon the Treasurer which was not de-
served.

Mr. JAMES LAWRENCE said it conveyed no such censure
upon the Treasurer.
Mr. BOLTON said he was prepared to go into considerable
detail upon the report ; but he would throw up his memo-
randa, and speak from memory. "'here were two or three
parts which ought no longer to be kept from the public. He
would first refer to that part of the report which related to
the appointment of Mr. Okill's clerk. Mr. B. then went
on to speak of Mr. Abbott's printed explanation touching the
allegations in the report. With respect to the custody of
the muniments and leases, he said the law might have ope-
rated very well in other places, but with the great amount
of labour which devolved on the Town-clerk of Liverpool, the
law required too much duty from him. Mr. Okill should
be the custodian of those documents, and he merely held them
now as the confidential clerk of the Town-clerk. Mr. Bul-
ton proceeded to explain in what manner the appointment of
Mr. Roscoe, as sergeant-at-mace, took place. Mr. Parkin-
son stated that he was unable to find the security required
from him, and prayed for compensation, which was granted
to him. Mr. Bolton next entered into very lengthy explana-
tions of the reasons for the removal of Mr. Case, finding
fault with the term " removal " used in the report. He
said it was stated that officers had been dismissed. He was
not aware of any officer who performed his duty efficiently
having been dismissed. He challenged any one to name any
officer who had performed his duty efficiently who had been
dismissed.
Mr. HODGSON.—Mr. Case.
Mr. BOLTON.--I have already explained that.
Mr. J. LAWRENCE.—Yes, to your own satisfaction, but
not to ours.
Mr. EARLE.—Mr. Case would give precisely the same
explanation himself.
Mr. BOLTON proceeded to observe further on the tone and
feeling of the report, which, be said, should have resembled
the charge of a judge to a jury. In his view of the case, the
Town Clerk had great reason to complain of the tone used
as regarded his department. The onerous and laborious
duties of the Town Clerk ought to have been taken into con-
sideration, and the incessant interruptions which he expe-
rienced from every member of the council who might happen
to have a crotchet in his head. The Town Clerk ought to
have an opportunity of repelling those charges, and he hoped
it would be afforded to him. Another thing ; he never
wished to deal with motives—only with facts. The council
at which the report of the Paid Officers' Committee was read
was held on the Wednesday. That report was published in
the Standard of Friday, a copy of which he had before him ;
and he now wished to know by whose authority that report
was published, and for what object it had been published ?
Mr. BUSHELL.—Reporters are here, Mr. Bolton.
Mr. BOLTON asked whether any man would tell him that
any reporter could take down an intricate document divided
and subdivided into three or four heads? No reporter could
have taken even the figures down.
Mr. BUSHELL.—If the report was not intended to be
published, the reporters should have been ordered to retire.
(Hear, hear.)
Mr. BOLTON defied any reporter to have taken down such
a document, when there was so much minute subdivision
and arrangement, so accurately as it had been printed in the
Standard. It was out of the power of human nature. He
complained, therefore, that the report had been either stolen
by some one who had no right to the possession of it, or
that it had been furnished by some person to the Standard
most improperly. (Much confusion.) That report, when
tphl sec
ee
edeiene
itlh;e
alahadn
nods
holfunt the co
beingnc ihl , became i
gthhte t
op rmo pe ekret y of
use
se
of it but those to whom it belonged. (Renewed confusion.)
Mr. PROCTER, as a member of the Paid Officers' Com-
mittee,
wordttee
,hoy.
stolen."edth Before at Mr. Bolton
he onwo:,enldtoneimmediatelystep
er
fwtihrtehd, raw
the he
nust withdraw that word. It would not be the first time he
had been compelled to withdraw his assertions. (Hear,
hear, hear.)
Mr. BovroN said be put it in this way. He must either
have stolen it or have had it given to him in some manner
which he (Mr. Bolton) wanted to have explained. (Uproar,
and cries of " Withdraw.")
Mr. PROCTER put it to the council whether it was courte-
ous towards the members of the committee which had acted
with Mr. Bolton, for him to use the word " stolen." He
ought to be compelled to withdraw it. (Cheers.)
Mr. BOLTON left the matter to the common sense of the
council to pass their own judgment upon the way in which
the report had been obtained by the Standard. It must
have been either stolen or furnished, he did not say which.
(Great confusion.)
Mr. LLOYD said he would prevent all further trouble upon
the subject by avowing that the reporters, being admitted
into that room for the liberal purpose of telling the public all
that transpired there, had applied for a copy of the report,
and that he had furnished them with a draught of it, which
was his own property. (Loud cheers.)
Mr. BOLTON withdrew the word " stolen," but wished to
know what was the intention of publishing that report.
There was a ward meeting on the night of the council, and
he saw by the Standard that Mr. J. B. Lloyd " seconded
the motion, and referred to the able report" which had been
read in the council. (A laugh.)—lt was immediately ex-
plained that the words quoted were those of the reporter and
not of Mr. Lloyd.
Sir THOS. BRANCKER said he thought the council ought
to confine themselves to the terms of the motion, and not to
enter upon details.
Mr. JAMES LAWRENCE, with regard to the alleged seve-
rity of the report, begged that Mr. Bolton's questions to the
Town-clerk might be read from the evidence, and it would
soon be seen what his feelings were with respect to the
Town-clerk.
Mr. BOLTON protested against any single extract being
read from the evidence, as the council could not judge of the
animus therefrom. He had no objection to the whole being
read.
Mr. BIRKETT moved that the evidence be read, but was
ultimately induced to withdraw his motion.
Mr. BARCLAY stated his objections to the report, and
contended that it was at variance with the resolution ap-
pointing the committee.
Mr. BRAZOLEY-MOORE did not wish to interfere in the
present question between theichairman of the Paid Officers'
Committee and Mr. Bolton ; but Mr. Bolton had asserted
that the report displayed a bad feeling. That was the asser-
tion of Mr. Bolton. Now be, (Mr. Moore,) upon his part,
would undertake to say that, so far from there being any
asperity in the report, it was rather more than borne out by
the evidence upon the table. (Hear.) There was, then, his
assertion against Mr. Bolton. (Hear.) The evidence was
there ; and, if ever it came to be printed, the council might
judge for themselves.
The MAYOR said the proper time to allude to the evidence
was when it had been printed, and not till then. The ques-
tion now was, whether the council would go into the general
subject or not.
Mr. BRAMLEY-MOORE.—Mr. Bolton has—
The MAYOR.—Transgressed, 1 should say.
Mr. BRAMLEY-MOORE said that Mr. Bolton, in his
speech, had made observations about the letter of Mr. Ab-
bott. As that letter had had free circulation, he (Mr. Bram-
ley-Moore) thought it only right,in justification of the Com-
mittee, to claim the privilege of making a few observations
upon it. It had been said that Mr. Abbott had triumph-
antly answered the only two charges contained in the report.
Now Mr. Abbott, contrary to the course of all the paid officers,
had been the first to take time by the forelock, and publish a re-
port of his own, justifying his conduct, and charging the report
with making statements which were not borne out by the
proceedings of the council, instead of waiting to communicate,
as the other officers were to do, through the committee. This
was the question which he (Mr. Moore) should more parti-
cularly deal with now. Mr. Bolton had made reference to
certain proceedings of the council, with reference to Mr.
Okill and his clerk, and he (Mr. Moore) would just recapi-
tulate what had taken place upon that business. By the re-
port of the Paid Officers' Committee, on the 2d March, 1836,
they recommended Mr. Okill to have a clerk, and neither of
them to do business privately on their own account. This
report was ordered to be printed, and taken into considera-
tion on the Friday next. Let the council take notice of the
dates. A special council was held on the 4th March, two
days afterwards, when it was resolved that the report should
be again considered on the 16th of March, and a special
council called for that purpose. On that occasion the town-
clerk and the deputy town-clerk were appointed, and after
the report of the Paid Officers' Committee had been con-
sidered, it was " resolved that the appointment of surveyor
be approved; that the report under the head of Clerk
of Committees' he approved, but referred.back to the com-
mittee to ascertain whether a system of check of the gene-
ral accounts of the corporation can not be effected, in which
the services of Mr. Okill and his clerk can not be used with
advantage." Now, in searching, the present committee
could not find that this report had ever been made : it
was never reported upon. It might be that they were
unable to find it. Then, upon the 22d of April, the
Finance Committee brought a report before the council ;
and they resolved, that the clerk of committees having
recommended the appointment of James Abbott to be his
clerk, at a salary of £l5O, the same be allowed, and
that he be allowed to carry on the business of a law-sta-
tioner, and so on. This was a resolution of the Finance
Committee, which was brought before the council and con-
firmed by them, without any observation whatever, upon the
4th of May; thus stultifying the proceedings of the 2d, 4th,
and 16th of March. (Hear.) Now, it could excite no won-
der that this resolution of the Finance Committee should
have been overlooked by the Paid Officers' Committee, see.
ing, too, that Mr. Bolton himself had been a member of the
committee of 1836. It had escaped even his observation
along with the rest of the other members of the present com-
mittee. Mr. Bolton actually was a member of the commit-
tee of 1836, and it had escaped his lynx eye ; therefore how

could it he expected that the present committee, net hands
as they were, should find out such a resolution ? But it was
necessary here to show that when the council passed the re-
solution saying that Mr. Abbott should have £l5O a-year and
not transact business, the Finance Committee not only per-
mittted him to have private business, but increased his salary
to £2so,—still allowed him to transact private business.
Now. it would not excite any surprise that the committee
should not have found the resolution of the Finance Com-
mittee. Therefore, giving Mr. Abbott all the advantage of
that, what did it amount to ? All she resolutions of the
council on the 2d, 14th, and 16th of March had been burked,
—smothered,—the whole of them. (Hear, hear.) To show
how difficult it was to arrive at real information when it was
required, and to show the manner in which the corporation
business had been conducted, he would mention a curious
circumstance. He had wanted to refer to certain proceedings
at the period when the municipal act came into operation, in
January, 1836. He found the Borough Court and Court of
Requests Committee book, and when he opened it to read the
proceedings, he found that there had been nothing done until
the 17th of November, 1836! (Hear, hear.) Were the com-
n.ittee ashamed to record their proceedings from January to
November. (Cheers.) They must have been so, because
there were forty-eight blank pages left to enter the proceed-
ings to this very day. There was the book! (producing it)
Mr. HODGSON—What never entered?
Mr. BRAMLEY-MOORE—No, never entered, sir ! And
this was a matter which came before him casually ; and, for
anything that he knew, there might he fifty more in the same
way. Now, with such a state of things, how was it possible
to arrive at anything like correct information ? Forty_ -eight
pages left blank to this very day; and to take a leaf out of
Mr. Earle's book, he would say to the gentlemen of the
press, " Take care to make that known to the public !"
(Hear.) The proceedings of this committee were not regis-
tered from January to November—not one word of them !
Mr. EARLE—I am sorry I cannot pay you the compliment
of taking a leaf out of your book. Charity thinketh no ill.
Mr. BRAMLEY-MOORS—Here it is, sir! Here is the
book ; it speaks for itself! (Cheers)
Mr. EARLE—Charity thinketh no ill; but you think the
worst.
Mr. Baaateßv-MOORS.—What has become of the pro-
ceedings? (Renewed applause.)
Mr. EARLE.—I cannot say ; but they are somewhere.
Mr. BRIGHT said there was no business to enter.
Mr. BRAMLEY-MOORE.—Then why not put that in ? Why
the blank leaves ?
Mr. AIKIrs said on the very first page there was the ap-
pointment of a chairman of the committee, which was their
first act. (Great confusion.) He claimed the right to ex-
plain how this had happened.
The MAYOR said that Mr. Moore was in possession.
Mr. BRAMLEY-MOORE said that since Mr. Aikin was in-
clined to touch upon the matter, he would acquaint the council
that the committee was appointed upon the 4th of February.
Now, was it to be supposed that
Mr. Jas. LAWRENCE.—Their appointment is not here.
Mr. BRAMLEY-MOORS.—Their appointment was not
there. That appointment was for the 17th of November,
1836, after the election for the second year. The blank
leaves referred to the first year only; consequently for the
first year there was actually no entry at all! (Cheers.) Now
was it to be supposed that a committee, named on the 4th of
February, would not meet till the 17th of November ? (Hear.)
He thought that Mr. Aikin's explanation would rather
plunge him deeper into the mire. (Hear.)
Mr. AIKIN said he had not been allowed to make it. Was
he allowed to speak in explanation?
The MAYOR said Mr. Aikin was entitled to that.
Mr. AIKIN.—WiII you allow me to make my explanation ?
Mr. BRAMLEY-MOORS.—Yes, certainly, when I have
done.
Mr. EARLE said that Mr. Aikin ought to have the oppor-
tunity of explaining before Mr. Moore proceeded. Why did
he wish to stop the truth from going forth ?
Mr. BitaarLEy-MoonE.—Let the facts go forth; and let
Mr. Aikin contradict them, if he can. The blank leaves are
there ! You cannot get over that ! (Cheers.)
Mr. EARLE.—Oh, they are all clap-traps—nothing else.
Mr. BRAMLEY-MOORE repeated that the blank leaves
were there. He was not going into the general question ;
but the evidence having been taken down, it was evident that
the report must be founded upon that. As to Mr. Case's
case, he thought that Mr. Bolton had most satisfactorily
proved that Mr. Case had been dismissed for the efficient
manner in which he had discharged his duties. (Loud cries
of " No, no," and " Yes, yes.") That question was there-
fore disposed of. There was another point which he had to
bring before the council. Mr. Abbott, to show that he was
allowed to do business as a law stationer, used some remark-
able words. He held Mr. Abbott's letter in his hand,
containing the resolution of the Finance Committee, which
stated that the office hours were to be from nine to five
and later, whenever the work of the office might require it.
Mark those words. Now, in looking over the treasurer s
accounts, he (Mr. Moore) found a little item paid to Mr.
Abbot for extra work in Mr. Okill's office, of £33 12s. 3d.,
although the resolution distinctly stated that the office hours
should be from nine to five, and later whenever the work of
the office required it. (Hear,'hear.) He would say no more
upon that subject, but pass on to the poll clerks. He had
heard it stated, both in and out of doors, that Mr. Abbott's
letter was a triumphant refutatio❑ of the committee's report.
Now, so far from that being the case, he (Mr. Moore) should
not let Mr. Abbott off so easily. What was the second pro-
position which he brought forward ? It was, that he ap-
pointed poll clerks as a law stationer, and not as clerk to Mr.
Okill ; and he (Mr. Moore) would soon show the council
what degree of credit was to be placed upon that statement.
It had been satisfactorily shown, and could be proved by the
evidence, that Mr. Abbott had appointed poll clerks, and
divided the fees with them. The corporation allowed a guinea
for each poll clerk ; and it could be satisfactorily shown, from
Mr. Abbott's own evidence, that he divided the fees with
them ; that he put one half-guinea into his own pocket,
and generously gave the poor starving poll-clerks the other
half-guinea. This fact rested entirely upon his own admis-
sion ; therefore there could be no dispute about it. He said
he did this as a law-stationer, and that he employed his own
clerks. Now, if Mr. Abbott had done this, and his own
clerks had acted as poll-clerks, he had, in that case, no busi-
ness to give them the half-guinea. If they were his own
servants, he ought to have put the whole guinea into his own
pocket ; and his position on this point was, therefore, mate-
rially worse than he supposed. It was quite clear that if he
(Mr. Moore) sent one of his clerks, whom he paid by the
week or the year, anywhere, that clerk was in the discharge
of his service, and whatever he' might earn on that occasion,
he (Mr. Moore), as the employer, was entitled to the whole
of it. (Hear, hear.) So much for that part of Mr. Abbott's
letter. He said he sent the clerks out of his own office ; but
it was in evidence that he actually picked up one poor fellow
in the streets, during the mayoralty of Mr. Bolton, which
Mr. Bolton himself would be able to bear out. (Hear.)
Mr. BOLTON.—I have explained that.
Mr. BRAMLEY-MOORE wished to finish what he had to
say without being interrupted. That poor man had gone to
Mr. Bolton, the mayor, at the Town-hall, in a state of dis-
tress ; he told the mayor that he had not had a breakfast
that morning, and Mr. Bolton furnished him with the means
of procuring a breakfast for himse:f and his family. That
poor man had been deprived of his half-guinea by Mr. Ab-
bott. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Abbott said the Town-clerk ap-
plied to him to get poll-clerks—see question 2236; but the
Town-clerk, in reply to question 2334, said, " My course is
to leave it to Tyson, with instructions to attend to no re-
commendations." Let the council put these two statements
together, and say who was right. (Hear, hear.) To ques-
tion 2239, Mr. Abbott said, that if the Town-clerk gave a
poll-clerk a guinea, he (Mr. Abbott) got half : they divided.
The Town-clerk was asked if he had any knowledge of this,
and he said, " No, I have not." Now, upon referring to
Mr. Tyson's evidence, he (Mr. Moore) found that in answer
to question 2347, there was quite an opposition ; for while
Mr. Abbott said the Town-clerk left the poll-clerks to him,
Mr. Tyson said it was left to him, and that he applied to
Mr. Abbott, or to attorneys' offices, to people out of em-
ployment, or to merchants' offices, for them. In his state-
ment, Mr. Abbott said he did not keep, although the infe-
rence was drawn from his own evidence, 12 or 14 clerks,
from which he wished it to be inferred that the report was
incorrect. He said his statement that he did keep 12 or 14
clerks referred only to an emergency in 1835, from which he
would wish it to be implied that he did no such thing; but,
on referring to his evidence, at question 2225, he (Mr.
Moore) found that he there said, in his flippant, bombastic
style, that he employed twelve or fourteen clerks, or, said
he, "as many as I can find seats for." (Hear.) Further,
on looking over the accounts, he (Mr. Moore) found, that out
of 16 poll clerks employed, Mr. Abbott had furnished eight,
and, of course, he pocketed eight half guineas by that trans.'
action. (Hear. bear.) Then Mr. Abbott enjoyed a great
many privileges. He had the advantage of having even his
own clerks to work in the Town-hall : his clerks went there,
and wrote, and earned money for him, which the corporation
had to pay ; and he (Mr. Moore) found, on perusing the evi-
dence, that the corporation was an excellent paymaster to
Mr. Abbott; for he sent in his bill on the Thursday, and it
was paid on the Saturday. (Hear, hear.) That was for
work done within the building. He (Mr. Moore) wished to
call attention to another matter, since Mr. Abbott had
brought himself so prominently before the public, and wished
to throw discredit upon the report of the committee. He
had been in the habit of taking stationery from the Town-
ball to his own office. Now that did not rest on his (Mr.
Moore's) assertion; for if the council would refer to ques-
tions 2232 and 2233, they would there find it recorded upon
his own evidence. At question 2312 the Town-clerk was
asked if he had any knowledge of this, and he said no. And
Mr. Abbott was in the habit of charging for paper too.
Mr. BOLTON said his impression was that when the paper
was found there was a less charge made for the sheet.
Mr. LLOYD said it was thus. Mr. Abbott had stated, that
for the last eighteen months he had been in the habit of di-
recting his clerks to go to the Town-hall for stationery when
it was wanted for the Town-clerk's business; but on looking
over some of his bills they were found to contradict him, for
stationery was charged for by him. The Town-clerk told the
committee lie did not know that stationery was taken from
the office ; but that if the work was done in the office sta-
tionery was supplied. Now Mr. Abbott, in his evidence, told
the committee that he charged a penny a sheet for paper.
The committee observed upon so much paper being charged
for, and that the Council was paying almost as much for a
sheet as for a quire, and on calling the Town-clerk in he knew
nothing of it. It was then that they ascertained that Mr.
Abbott took down stationery to his own office.
Mr. TURNER.—Do you mean that he took it for his own
purposes?
Mr. LLOYD.—He charges for stationery; and we cannot
distinguish which is which.
Mr. BRAMLEY.MOORE resumed.—He had now disposed,
and he hoped satisfactorily, of the two grand arguments of
Mr. Abbott ; but, if the council thought he had not, he was
prepared to go further into them. He had shown the council
that a great deal of Mr. Abbott's own evidence was contra-
dicted by the evidence of the Town-clerk and Mr. Tyson ;
and, therefore, he (Mr. Moore) thought that that report was
not only fair, but that it was mild—that the chairman had
drawn it up exceedingly mild—
Mr. EARLE.—Oh, sweet, indeed !
Mr. BRAMLEY-MOORE continued—lf the subject were fol-
lowed up, as it would be upon a future occasion, it would
then be shewn that the report had been drawn up, not in
the feeling which had been hinted at, but with a great dealof
mildness. (Hear, hear.) When they found such things
going on as these, that the corporate estate was managed in
such a mode as this, that the fees received in the office were
put into a bowl, that the bowl was placed upon a table, that
the fees were put into the bowl without being entered in any
book or a check kept—(hear, hear)—that at night the mo-
ney was counted, and the corporation got credit for what
was found there—lie would ask the council whether this was
a state of things to be allowed any longer? If a merchant
were to have his business transacted in such a manner as
that, where would he be? Why he would very soon be in
the Gazette, and remain to the last day of his life an uncer-
tificated bankrupt. (Great applause.)
Mr. BRIGHT deemed it expedient to enter into some ex-
planations with regard to the work of the Borough Court
and Court of Requests' Committee. In the early part of
1836, he moved that an application be made to parliament
for an act to improve the working of the Borough Court,
and the proceedings ceased till an act was obtained. The
act came into force in August, and the committee had nothing
to do in the interim. The appointment of the treasurer was
reported.
Mr. BRAMLEY-MOORE.—How did you spend your time
between February and November ?
Mr. BRIGHT.—We had nothing to do.
Mr. BitamLEY-Moon.B.—Then it ought to have been re-
gistered here.
Mr. AIKIN, after expressing his dissatisfaction with the
report, confirmed what Mr. Bright had stated with regard to
the Borough Court and Court of Requests' Committee hav-
ing had nothing to do till the act passed. After the act
passed, the committee met and proceeded to the election of
a chairman, which was the first thing recorded in the book.