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

service

The above points must be settled by the council before the
committee can recommend what change should be made with
respect to the summoning of jurors.
The other duties, stated to be performed by M'Combe and
Chalmers as sub-bailiffs, are in procuring carts, at the regu-
lation prices, for soldiers on march through the town. The
committee find, on further inquiry, that these duties are at-
tached to the office of constable. _

The committee, on referring to the table of fees for the
clerk of the peace, observe, that the fees which a crier gene-
rally claims, such as, " For every witness sworn to give evi-
dence to the grand jury" are payable to the clerk of the peace.
The council, therefore, will have to consider whether, by
the change made by the municipal corporations' act, the office
of crier was done away with. In this case the borough fund
has been paying twice for the one fee.
It would have been satisfactory to this committee, if they
had been able to state in this report what has been the ex-
pense of this department since the passing of the municipal
corporations act. Owing to the mode in which the trea-
surer's accounts are kept, it would require a considerable
time to select the charges, and place them to their proper
accounts.

Beyond the sum of £5,609 Ss. 10d. which the committee
have ascertained was paid to the parties connected with the
whole of this department in the municipal year, 1841, (which
does not include the sum of £314 4s. paid as above men-
tioned,) it would be requisite toy ascertain how much of
£l,BOl 14s. 2i1., stated in the treasurer's account, to be for
"stamps and general disbursements on professional busi-
ness ;" also, how much of the sum of 2,012115. 11d. for par-
liamentary and " miscellaneous business," and of the sum of
£9ll 15s. 2d. for printing and stationery, ought to be placed
to the debit of this department. The committee have con-
sidered the bill for extra work presented to the council by
Mr. Tyson, amounting to £165 2s. 4d., which they recon
mend to be paid, on the ground that the other clerks hate
been already paid for extra work, and the town-clerk had di-
rected Mr. Tyson to keep an account of similar work done
by him, which the town-clerk promised, from time to time,
to lay before the finance committee. _ _ _

If the council adopt the committee's recommended altera-
tions in this department, the public will have their business
attended to in a much more satisfactory manner, the town-
clerk and borough solicitor will have most efficient assistance
in conducting that business, and there will be a saving to the
borough fund of, at least, £5OO per annum.

SERGEANT-AT-MACE AND HIS BAILIFFS, CRIER OF THE
BOROUGH COURT, AND MACE BEARER.

Mr. 'William Stanley Roscoe is the present sergeant-at-
mace. He succeeded Mr. Timothy Parkinson, who was in
office on the Ist January, 1836. Mr. Roscoe's appointment
is dated the 12th August, 1836, anticipating by a few days
the passing of the act of parliament (6 and 7 Wm. IV. chap.
35) for amending the proceedings and practice of the Borough
Court and Court of Requests, which act received the royal
assent on the 20th August, 1836. It appears that the sixth
section of this act is the one which authorises the council to
make the appointment to this office, and one of the recitals
in that section states, " that the duties of the sergeant-at-
mace should be defined and made analagous to the office of
sheriff in counties." The sergeant-at-mace has, by the same
section, the patronage of appointing and taking security from
the bailiffs and officers who are to execute the process of the
court. He also has the appointment of " proper and fi
persons for carrying the mace, and for acting as crier in th
court, and for performing other the duties heretofore per
formed by the said sergeant-at-mace." He is responsible fo
all parties delivering process to him, or his bailiffs or officers
and by the seventh section of the act he is required to ente
into a bond with the corporation, with two or more sureties
for securing to the suitors in the court the due execution o
his office, by himself, his bailiffs, and officers. By another
section of this act, (19,) the council have the power of paying
the town-clerk, and the other officers of the Borough Court,
(excr pt the bailiffs of the sergeant-at-mace,) by fixed salaries,
in lieu of fees, but requires the officers to receive the fees,
and pay them over to the treasurer of the borough fund.
The bond given by Mr. Roscoe and his two sureties to the
corporation, is, himself in £4OOO, and his sureties, jointly
and separately, in £2OOO.
Mr. Roscoe has appointed three bailiffs, namely, Messrs
Kirby, Lawton, and Hilton, taking bonds from them re
spectively, with sureties, the amount being, themselves in
£2OOO, and their sureties in £lOOO.
The following, as far as the committee can ascertai]
account of the original warrants which have passed t
geant's seal in 1841

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