The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-01-18 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL BOTANIC GARDENS

The annual meeting of the shareholders in and subscribers
to the Botanic Gardens was held in the Clarendon-rooms,
South John-street, yesterday. In addition to the business
issued
by to be transacted at annual meetings, the circular
by the committee stated that a resolution would be proposed
to empower the committee to open a negotiation for the sale
of the gardens to the town council of the borough, at a price
not less than would cover the present debt, and upon condi-
tion that the gardens be kept open for the promotion of bo-
tanical science, Notwithstanding this intimation the attend-
ance of proprietors and shareholders was very slender, not
more than from fifteen to twenty gentlemen being present.
On the motion of Mr. lsxAc HADWEN, jun., Dr. Free-
kleton, vice-president, was called to the chair, in the una-
voidable absence of Mr. Charles Horsfall, the president.
The treasurer's accounts were read. There appeared that on
the last account there was a balance remaining due to the
bank of £3051 13s. 7d., and that the current expences of the
year had been £667 14s. sd. The receipts from subscriptions,
admission money, and fees on transfer of shares were £774
12s. 6d., the proceeds of the grand floral and horticultural
exhibition £275 ls. 10d., sale of plants £ll4 2s. 6d., do-
nations towards liquidating the debt £2O 10s. 6d., and that
on the whole account there remained due to the ibank £2764
10s. 11d.

The report of the committee was next read. It was very
short, being merely a summary, of the transactions of the
year, and a description of the Unpromising state of the
finances.

Mr. GEORGE HOLT enquired whether the total debt on
the gardens, mortgage and otherwise, did not exceed the
sum mentioned in the treasurer's accounts ? It was there
stated to be £276-1 10s.
The CHAIRMAN replied in the affirmative.
Mr. G. Hour asked whether subscriptions had not been
received to the amount of £l2OO, which reduced the debt
to £2764.

The CHAIRMAN : Yes.
Mr. G. HOLT begged to ask further whether the amount
received for the sale of plants was not larger than usual?
The CHAIRMAN said it was.
Mfr. U. HOLT observed that that was then a source of
income upon which the committee could not calculate upon
another year, and that what they could rely upon was not
nearly so much as they had received this year.
The CHAIRMAN said the committee had received £lOO
from the Duke of Devonshire, for plants and other items,
making altogether £4OO which they had no right to calculate
tm a
on nother ar. The owed £2700 to the bank, an
about £l2OO to those gentlemen who had subscribed that amount towards bringing the gardens out of debt. In case
the gardens were disposed of this £3200 would have to be
repaid.
Mr. MATHER. enquired how many real proprietors there
were. A number of shares, he knew, had been created, in
order to vote for a particular measure. The subscriptions
for
many of the shares ten creatd hd not, he believed,
been since paid. If thath were thee ca sea
the committee would
be puttine upon the list shares that ought to be forfeited.
Hovv many subsrcibers were there upon whom the com-
mittee could calculate ?
The CHAIRMAN said the actual subscriptions received
amounted to £650.
Mr. MATHER asked how many subscribers the committee
could calculate upon ?
Mr. HADWEN thought no more than 420.
Mr. MATHER next asked what power the committee had
to inforce payment of the subscriptions ?
The CHAIRMAN, in answer, said none but that of for-
feiting the shares.
Mr. MATHER asked after the expiration of what period
could the shares be forfeited ?
The CHAIRMAN said in a month after the subscription
had ceased to be paid.
Mr. Alderman BARCLAY : The point is, that if any
suhbscription for the last year is unpaid, you may forfeit
tat share now
The CHAIRMAN : Yes.
descrMr. Alderman BARCLAY : How many are there of that
The iption ?
_
AN evei
"AhAIRMwEN : 'I here are forty-nine.
inf.. Alderman BARCLAY said they ought to be forfeited.
Iv Mr. G. HOLT observed that as far as he could sec there
would be no profit in forfeiting them.
_ Mr. Alderman BARCLAY, in reply, said that might depend
upon what would happen before they quitted that room. He
noticed in the circular that a motion would be made for offer-
twnigiathe gardens to the town-council ; now he wanted to know
take thelpnext the
would not
nteaxktetistep would be if the corporation refused to
thein He rather apprehended that the corporation
Wr. MATHER said there was a stipulation in the circular
"'co, he rather thought, would prevent the town-council
fromti accepting this offer. The stipulation was that the gar-
ens should be kept open for an indefinite length of time for
botanical purpose.
Mr. Alderman BARCLAY again said it was unlikely that
the corporation would buy the gardens. If that was not done,
the next step was to close the concern altogether.
The CHAIRMAN said this subject had better come regu-
larly before the meeting.
On the motion of Mr. G. llnvr, seconded by Mr. Al-
derman BARCLAY, the report and the treasurer's accounts
were passed, and ordered to be printed.
Dr. FRECRLETON was then elected president of the in-
stitution for the ensuing year.
Motions were then passed appointing the usual officers,
thanking them for their services, and also the donors of
plants, &c.
_ _

_
Mr. E. D. FAULKNER said the committee greatly regret-
ted that they were not better supported by the subscribers at
large. lie held in his hand a list of 300 names, who were
defaulters. There were 240 names, or thereabouts, who were
in arrears for 1810 and previously. Now these names ought
to be struck out and forfeited, as there was much inconve-
nience arising from keeping them upon the books. He
moved that the names of all those in arrears for 18-10, or pre-
viously, be struck out'and have their shares forfeited.
Major AXFORD seconded the motion. After some desul-
tory conversation, in which the CHAIRMAN, Mr. G. HOLT,
Mr. Alderman BARCLAY, and others took part, the motion
was carried unanimously.
The CHAIRMAN then introduced the recommendation of
the committee, to offer the gardens to the common council.
It had not been carried unanimously in the committee, but
still it was thought better to submit it to the annual meeting
of subscribers.
A very long irregular discussion followed, in the course of
which nothing new was advanced, in addition to what had
been said before on the subject. Mr. Alderman BARCLAY
again expressed an opinion that the council would not give
5000 for the gardens, upon the conditions named. Even-
tually Mr. G. Hour moved and Mr. W. HOUGHTON se-
conded a resolution, to the effect that the gardens be offered
to the council. It was carried unanimously.
Mr. Alderman BARCLAY said he should make another
motion, which was, " that in case the council should de-
cline to purchase the gardens upon the terms proposed. the
dcommittee be directed to take the earliest opportunity to
ispose of the same, and after discharging the obligations
Pon the gardens, to divide the surplus among the share-
holders who have paid their subscriptions for the past year."
Mr. MATHER thought this motion premature. It might
be brought forward at the next meeting but not at this.
Mr. Alderman BARCLAY withdrew his motion.
Eventually a suggestion of Mr. Mathers was adopted,
which was, that the shareholders should be summoned to
a special general meeting as soon as the answer of the
council to the proposal had been received. The meeting
then separated.

AFFLICTING OCCURRENCE.—On Sunday forenoon last,
James Butler, a boy of thirteen years of age, son of Mr.
Isaac Butler, farmer, and yarn dresser, of Hollinwood, was
crossing the canal reservoir, at that place, when he thought-
lessly broke the ice in his play, and whilst doing so he acci-
dentally fell on the frozen sheet; the weight of his fall cut
through the ice, and he was plunged into the water; he made
repeated attemps to escape, and an alarm being given, his
brother tried to save him, but in vain ; he was not rescued for
nearly two hours, and was then beyond recovery.-111anches-
ler Courier.
FATAL ACCIDENT FROM DRUNKENNESS.—It iS our
painful task to record another instance of the awful evils of
Fintemperance, terminating in the loss of human life. On
riday, the 7th instant, T. Caldwell, Esq., coroner, held an
quest at the Elephant and Castle public-house, Halton,
over the body of John Barton, a labouring man. From the
evidence adduced before the coroner, it appeared that the
deceased, some days preceding his death, had, iu a state of
intoxication, fallen headlong into the opening of a cellar in
Runcorn, and fractured his skull so dreadfully, that he
died in consequence.