The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-10-07 00:00:00

CHESTER SPECIAL COMMISSIONS.

(From our own Reporter.)

CHESTER, THURSDAY MORNING.
The special commissions for the trial of parties connected
with the late disturbances were opened yesterday afternoon.
The judges are Sir E. H. Alderson, Sir C. Cresswell, and
the Lord Chief Baron (Lord Abinger).
The most serious case is the attack on Mr. Shepley's mill,
at Brookfield, near Glossop, the prisoner being committed to
this gaol, although the offence was committed in the county
of 'Derby, it being within two hundred yards of the boundary
of the county.
About half-past eleven o'clock the learned judges returned
from the Cathedral, and took their seats in the Crown Court,
the Lord Chief Baron proceeded to deliver his charge.
His Lordship commenced by observing that they were
assembled at this unusual season to discharge a very pain-
ful, but a very important duty. He need barely re-
mind them that it was one of the evils to which states
deriving their prosperity from commerce and manufacture
were subject, that that prosperity should occasionally
suffer great reverses. It was in the nature of things
that when prosperity was at its highest pitch there would be
great production, even to an overflow, and whenever a check
took place, from whatever cause, the natural cause was stag-
nation—for a time, a diminutton in the price of produce; in
the wages of the labourer, and very often distress and misery
amongst the manufacturing classes. Could not view with-
out feelings of compassion the situation of those who, not
having sufficient knowledge of the nature of their position,
imagined they could dictate to their masters. Those men
had been called upon to imagine that they were the fittest
persons to govern the country. He was afraid the manufac-
turing classes had been the dupes of more designing men.
A strange country would this be if those who had no property
were to have the power of making all the laws for the protec-
tion of property. Why, the very object of civilised society
was the preservation of property. The very existence of
civilised society depended on the security of property.
His lordship proceeded to remark upon the consequences
which must follow the adoption of the mad schemes of the
chartists—that it would lead to despotism in the government
and end in the utter ruin of the country yet, be continued,
It appeared that persons had taken advantage of the depres-
sion of commerce and manufactures, and the starvation
which many were suffering, to induce them to refrain from
work, telling them that was the only means left of obtaining
the charter. Great pains had been taken to enforce those
doctrines, and to encourage the force they had obtained by
the multitudes towards that end. If they found, from the
evidence which came before them, any who entertained such
opinions, and who endeavoured to force them by popular
tumult and insurrection, such parties were guilty of a very
high offence. He thought, also, they would find it antis-
factorily proved that many had endeavoured to prevail upon
the people to refrain from their work until the charter
became the law of the land ; and he had no doubt they would
feel it due to the country, if such a case were proved in evi-
dence against any one of them, to send them before that
court for trial. There was another class of cases likely to
come before them, and that was where persons had assembled
together for the purpose of preventing others from following
their lawful employment. This tyranny was intolerable.
His Lordship then referred to those parties who would be
indicted for attending unlawful assemblies, and recommended
the Grand Jury to find bills against them, observing that if
they were present at such assemblies, the onus probandi
rested on them, to show that they were not present to en-
courage or take part in such assemblies. They would also
find some cases where pasties were charged with a riot, and
beginning to demolish, which, in the eye of the law, was
felony, and there were others charged with going along with
large bodies to demand money or provisions. If they had
by intimidation or threats obtained either, it was clearly a
robbery. After briefly describing the different classes of
offenders likely to come before the Grand Jury, his lordship
observed that should they require his advice or assistance,
which be did not suppose they would, he should be very
happy to render it. It was singular, he remarked, at a time
when trade was reviving, when the laws relating to commerce
had been placed on a more satisfactory footing, and were
more settled than previously—when a sort of salient point
had been established, from which prosperity was to take a
start—it was at this very moment that the outbreak had com-
menced, but he trusted it was not too late to return to a
more healthy state of things.
His Lordship then dismissed the Grand Jury tc their
duties.
The grand jury, after some time, returned into court with
a true bill against Wm. Moorhouse, Robert Wild, Jas. Wild,
Stephen Shirt, John Fairhust, and Samuel Lees, and they
were put upon their trial, charged with having cos.spired to-
gether, at Stockport, on the 26th July, with a number of
other parties, to prevent the carrying on of certain trades or
business whiah they carried on.
The Attorney-General, (Sir F. Pollock,) the Attorney-
General of the county, Mr. Jervis, Mr. Welaby, and Mr.
Pollock appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Yardley for
the defence. The defendant Lewis did not appear, and his
recognizances were estreated.
The Attorney-General spoke at great length for the prose-
cution, and two witnesses were called.

THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND'S MISSION TO THE JEWS.
—The Rev. Mr. Allan, from Pesth, in Hungary, (a mis-
sionary station of the Church of Scotland,) delivered an
address, on Monday evening last, in St. Andrew's Scotch
Church, Rodney-street, to the members of the Juvenile
Jewish Missionary Association connected with the church,
and to the congregation generally, on the present state of
the Jews and the cheering prospects of the mission. The
address of the rev. gentleman was full of most interesting
and instructive matter, and it was listened to with deep
attention.

PUBLIC-HOUSE REGULATION.—On Friday, at the Police-
court, a number of informations were heard against beer-
house keepers for having their houses opened past the legal
hour, and in the great majority of the cases conviction ensued,
and a penalty of 40s. inflicted. In one case, where a defence
founded on falsehood, was set up, the court marked their
sense of it by imposing a fine of 60s. There were also a few
informations against licensed victuallers, for selling liquors
during the prohibited hours on Sunday. Mr. Rushton, in
deciding on one case, said that the fact of a fine being imposed
on the keeper of a house, which was ordinarily so well con-
ducted, would show the public that the magistrates were de-
termined to enforce the new act rigidly ; for it was an act
which brought with it blessings to all parties. During the
month of September, 500 persons less had passed through
br;dewell than in the month of August, and all owing to the
operation of the act for closing public-houses on the Sunday.

PAID OFFICERS OF THE CORPORATION
OF LIVERPOOL.

FIRST REPORT OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE,
appointed by the Council, en the 6th May, 1842, to inquire
into the present duties of the Officers and Servants of the
Corporation, with their respective Salaries, and report
generally on any alteration or addition being made in any
of the departments.
In compliance with the resolution of the council, the se-
veral committees who were directed to appoint one of their
members to form the special committee, proceeded to the
selection, and the following gentlemen were appointed :
Mr. Thomas Bolton, from the Finance Committee.
James Lawrence, ~ Improvement „
James Proctor, PI Watch
John Bramley Moore, „ Courts of Law„
John Kilshaw, „ Markets ~
Thomas Brockhurst Barclay, „ Town-hall „
John Buck Lloyd, „ Borough Court „
The committee, at their first meeting, on the 16th May,
appointed Mr. John Buck Lloyd the chairman, and on the
19th May proceeded to inquire into the present duties of those
officers and servants who are not under the immediate direc-
tion of any committee of the council.
The committee believe that they are in possession of mate-
rials sufficient to enable them to make a full report on the
following officers and departments :

Tile RECORDER.
James Clarke, Esq. was, previous to the passing of the
Municipal Corporations' Act, and is at present, the recorder ;
and by the provisions of the above act, he is the sole judge
of the Court of Quarter Sessions. His salary is £525 per
annum. There have been six sessions held in each year since
1836.
It is contemplated to increase the number of sessions to
seven or eight, in consequence of which the recorder hag
applied for an addition to his present salary, and the council
has passed a resolution to allow .£5O to him for each session
beyond four, that may be held during the year. The com-
mittee consider that the duties the recorder is called upon to
perform, even if there were eight sessions in the year, are
sufficiently remunerated at the annual salary of £525 ; but as
the council have already agreed to make the allowance of £5O
for each extra session, as above mentioned, the committee
recommend that in future the sessions should be put upon
the same footing as the assizes, and that the extraordinary
requests of the recorder, in being furnished, previous to each
session, with a copy of the depositions, which upon an ave-
rage, including the binding, cost the corporation £6 a session,
and of having a clerk from the town-clerk's department pro-
vided for him, be disallowed.
There is also another annual charge on the borough fund,
which is incurred in providing refreshments at the sessions.
When the mayor, with the regalia, presided in the courts,
there was some ground for incurring this expense, but as the
Municipal Corporations' Act made an entire change, the
mayor no longer presiding there, the committee recommend
that all refreshments at the Sessions-house be discontinued.
The committee believe, if the council confirms the above
recommendations, the borough fund will be relieved of an
annual charge of, at least, £l2O.

THE ASSESSOR OF THE BOROUGH COURT.
Charles Crompton, Esq. fills this situation at a salary of
per annum. lie succeeded the late Henry Roscoe,
-nscl., in 1836. From the known high professional character
of the assessor, and his standing at the bar, the business of
the court has greatly increased, as appears in a subsequent
part of this report.
The assessor holds four courts in the year.
TllEdward Rushton,E s STIPENDIARY
DhlotiltsrtflirplSpllAt'mrEent. He suc-
ceeded Thomas James Hall, Esq., in 1839, and has a salary
of £1,300 per annum.
This is a new office since the Ist
January, 1836.
he stipendiarywhich magistrate presides in the Police-court,
THE TOWN-CLERK'S DEPARTMENT, EMBRACING THE
OFFICES OF THE TOWN-CLERK, CLERK OF THE PEACE,
REGISTRAR OF THE BOROUGH CO,
SOLICITOR. CLERK OF RT, PROSECUTING
COMMITTEES, CRIER OF THE
COURT OF QUARTER SESSIONS, SIJR.BAILIFFS AND THE
CLERKS AND OTHERS EMPLOYED By THEM.
It may appear to the outriiscsil,frrocr,n the above list of offices,
that the committee have cled n re persons together under
tnight have been
this head than is necessary, and that seveTl
mitrteoernfind that they
considered as in distdmcdt
tdieepsartthmeecnots..,
the confused
mixture of offices an—
anud are obliged to consider the above
cannot separate them,
offices in one department.
Throughout the entire of this department the committee
much regret that they have to report the total want of sys
ternand arrrngement, and that no check has been kept -
ti-
the Treasurer of the Borough Fund on any of the fees re_
ceived.
To arrange and digest into a concise form so large a mass
of evidence, which the committee has been obliged to take,
comprising so many different beads of information, has been
a work of no ordinary labour to them.
The committee beg to ca 'll the serious attention of the
council to the various topics that are embraced under this
head of their report, as it is evident that no committee that
has been formed, since the passing of the Municipal Corpo-
rations Act, to report on this
department, have considered
the duties which each officer has had to perform. but have
or
allowed the report of the officer himself on his oWD duties,..
of the head of the particular office to which he was attached,
to be the substance of their report; and in cases where the
salaries of officers and servants in this department have been
increased since 1b36, they have been made on the value
Which the officer or servant has put upon himself, without
considering the duties he was called upon to discharge, nor
inquiring how efficiently those duties could have been per-
formed by a person at a less salary than the parties applying
for an increase, then had.
The committee arrive at the above conclusion, observing
that at the present time some of the provisions of the Muni-
cipal Corporations Act have not been carried out, and in
the appointments made under the act, the respectisa offices,
with the duties, have not previously been sufficiently consi-
dered and defined.
The Committee consider the following persons to be con-
nected with this department