The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-05-10 00:00:00

COURTS OF LAW COMMITTEE

The procedings of the Courts of Law Committee, com-
prising the architect's report, were read. The architect
stated that le works were proceeding slowly but satisfacto-
rily, and that the only difficulty which had arisen was in
respect of tir foundation, occasioned by the flowing in of a
great quantir of water, which would incur considerable ex-
pense to ovecome, as the bottom of the shaft was lower
than the drai. The proceedings were confirmed.
DOCK COMMITTEE.
The procedings of the Dock Committee having been read,.
Mr. SAND moved their confirmation.

Mr. RotiiisoN asked whether TCwould not be a saving of
expense to tleestate if the material of the new dock were
removed by arts instead of by a tram way?
Mr. SANDi expressed himself sorry that the gentleman
did not seew:o understand the subject. It was quite enough
tor him to sa: that the expense of removing the excavations
by a railroad could be less than if they were removed by
either carts 01 water.

Mr. ROBISON said that carting would afford employment
to a great ma►y people. •
Mr. SAND: admitted that it would afford employment,
but said it %mild entail considerable expense. The saving,
by the adoptia of the present course, would amount to be-
tween £3OOO and £4OOO.

Mr. Aldernan EARLE said the streets were bad enough
already witbou having more carting over them.
The proceedings were then confirmed.
OFFICER'S SALARIES.
The M AYOt read a memorial from Mr. Tyson, of the
Town-Clerkisoffice, praying for an increase of salary. The
memorial stat3l that he had been in the service of the cor-
poration for soenteen years, during which time his conduct
had given complete satisfaction to the Town-Clerk. His
duties were dflicult and arduous, particularly during the
period of the registration, when he was frequently detained
until midnight—that he had not been more then a week dur-
ing the whole ,f the seventeen years absent from the office,
and that his saary was'only £l5O a-year. He prayed for an
increase of sahry, referred to the Town-Clerk for proof of
his ability, andpresented a bill for £l5O, for extra services
rendered sincelB4o.

Mr. LLOYD ;aid, the extra services of Mr. Tyson would
average at abort £9O a year. This application had been made
since the mewing of the council on Wednesday. As he
stated then, father applications would be made, and it was
on that accoutt he wished to have had a committee then
appointed,. to .ee what alterations or additions should be
made in the several departments. There were some depart-
ments, he coulc state positively, in which dissatisfaction had
arisen in the tovn and the public generally on account of the
performance of certain duties by some of the officers therein
engaged, in addtion to their duty to the corporation. He
would now MOT that Mr. Tyson's application be referred to
a special committee, to be composed of one member from
the Finance, Watch, Courts of Law, Borough Courts, and
Court of Requests Committees, and whose duty it should be
to enquire into he duties of the several offices of the corpo-
ration, what thei- respective salaries are, and report, generally,
the alterations cr additions to be made in any department.
He proposed th's, because it was unpleasant to say these
things without going into a committee where the truth of
them or not coull be ascertained ; therefore, he would make
no allusion to aty individual before going into committee;
and, at the sometime, he thought an independent committee
would be the best tribunal to go into this question. He
therefore beggel to move, that a special committee, consti-
tuted as above, be appointed.
Mr. G. H. LAWRENCE said, he did not rise to anticipate
the result of any investigation into the claim of Mr. Tyson,
who was a very treritorious servant of the corporation ; but
he had doubts about the necessity of appointing the com-
mittee. The Finance and the Watch Committees were per-
fectly competent to judge whether they received sufficient
services from the officers under their controul, and it would
be an interference with all the committees if the council were
to plunge headlong into an inquiry by which expectations on
the part of some of the officers would be needlessly raised.
Mr. Hooasoe could not agree with Mr. Lawrence. He
thought the circumstance of these repeated applications for
increased salaries, and of allowing private solicitation, justi-
fied the motion fcr the committee. He thought there was a
necessity of ascertaining whether they really were paying all
their servants amply, and that the course proposed by Mr.
Lloyd was an exceedingly good one. He thought that a con-
sideration of all the cases would put an end to the present
system of private solicitation, and prevent the council from
at any time beiugimproperly called upon to give a kind of
ex parte remuneration. _ - -

Mr. EVANS said that if fifty committees were appointed,
the system of private solicitation would still be, practised.
About six years To, he had been upon a committee of the
sort now desired. It was called the " Paid Officers' Com-
mittee," and at that time all the offices, officers and their
salaries were reviewed. He could not conceive that there
had been any alteration, or that any circumstances had since
arisen which woald require a committee of the kind to be
again appointed. To what would it lead ? He had a kind of
instinctive horror at going into any thing which would be
prejudicial to the finances of the corporation ; but, under the
proposed arrangement, it would turn out what might be called
in vulgar boyish language, " It's heads the corporation loses,
and tails it loses too ;" because, where was the committee
who would pull down a single income, or do anything but ad-
vance salaries ? In all likelihood, the corporation would lose
several hundreds a-year if the committee were appointed.
Mr. BOLTON bore testimony to the constant attendance
and arduous duty performed by Mr. Tyson, and expressed
himself in favourable terms of the motion.
Mr. BUSHELL felt quite satisfied of the necessity and im-
portance of some such motion. The fact of an inquiry
having been made six years ago, was quite sufficient to justify
the present course. He differed from the sentiments ex-
pressed by Mr. Evans. The council wished to do justice,
because if a man was under-paid, his salary should be in-
creased, and if over-paid, it should be lowered, or the man
dismissed. The argument of Mr. Evans, therefore, went for
nothing. He was satisfied that Mr. Tyson's salary ought to
be increased, and that he had too long worked for too little.
A great change bad taken place in the composition of the
council, and the town demanded that the conservatives, who
now had the power, should institute full inquiry into the effi-
ciency of their servants.
Mr. Ancni thought that separate committees were better
judges of the willingness, ability, and fitness of the respective
officers than any special committee which might be appointed.
After some further discussion, in which Mr. Sands, Mr.
Bramley-Moore, Mr. Barclay, Mr. Procter, and Mr. Bright
took part, the standing orders were suspended in order to
admit the motion, which was adopted, after having undergone
revision, to the following- effect :—" That a committee be
appointed, consisting of one from each of the following com-
mittees—Finance, Improvement, -Watch, - Courts of Law,
Markets', Town-hall, and Borough Court, to inquire into the
present duties of the officers and servants of the corporation,
with their respective salaries, and report generally on an,
alteration or addition being made in any of the departments."
It was then ordered that Mr. Tyson's application, as well
as that of the surveyor, made upon Wednesday, for additional
assistance in his office, shofild be referred to the new com-
mittee. . _

—__,....
The MAYOR acknowledged the receipt of a memorial from
Mr. Richard Radcliffe, jun., praying for an increase in his
salary of £250.

It was referred to the Committee of Inquiry

NUISANCES.
The MAYOR acknowledged the receipt of a memorial from
the inhabitants of Vauxhall-road, complaining of mountebank
shows and continual drumming in the neighbourhood every
evening until midnight, by reason of which the shopkeepers
were kept awake. The memorialists prayed for the abolition
of the nuisance.

Mr. JORDAN complained that, a few days since, Knight-
street was rendered impassable by a " Punch-and-Judy" kind
of exhibition, and he was told that there was no power to re-
move them.

Mr. EVANS conceived that those exhibitions were all inno-

cent amusements, and that they ought not to be put down,
but tolerated, even at the expense of considerable inconve-
nience to other people.
The memorial was referred to the deputy town-clerk.
THE HAYMARKETS.

The MAYOR acknowledged the receipt of a lengthy peti-
tion on the subject of the proposed hay market. The peti-
tioners adverted to the inconvenience of the present haymar-
kets, expressed the pleasure they felt at seeing a market in
London-road about to be established with a view to a general
one, and hoped the proceedings of the council of the 6th of
April on the subject would be carried into effect.

Mr. J. LAWRENCE said the petition was signed by 4000 in-
dividuals.

The MAYOR. acknowledged the receipt of another nume-
rously signed memorial on the subject. It was from livery-
stable keepers, cow-keepers, and others, who said they con-
sidered it their duty to represent the most desirable course to
be pursued. They thought two markets would never an-
swer, and that a central one ought to be established. The
market in London-road would not, in their opinion, be of any
permanent advantage, and if tried as an experiment, would
prove nothing. They concluded by saying that preference
should be given to the buyer. It bore some hundreds of sig-
natures. The Mayor also read a short petition from coach-
proprietors and others, praying that the haymarket in Great
Homer-street might be continued, as it was well adapted for
all parties. He presented another petition, signed by about
thirty individuals, praying the council to confirm the resolu-

tion for establishini a IlaimarkeiTii-LOiidOTillo;d:-Ife—aiio
presented a petition from the inhabitants of London-road to

the same effect.
These several petitions were referred, pro forma, to the
Markets Committee.

APPRENTICES

The MAYOR acknowledged the receipt of a memorial from
Charles Fagin, asking whether thecouncil insisted on cancell-
ing his son's indentures, and if so, what compensation they
would allow him for the injury done to his prospects in life.
_ _

Upon the motion of Mr: SANDBACII, this memorial was
referred to the Education Committee.

THE MARKET IN LONDON'-ROAD

The MAYOR said the next subject on the paper was the
consideration of the following resolution of the council of the
18th of April. via. That the consideration of the appro-
priation of London-road. above and below the monument,
for a market for the sale of hay. straw, and other fodder for
cattle ; and also for potatoes and other roots and vegetables,
the food of man ; and also for coal; and for the purposes
aforesaid all requisite orders and by-laws be postponed until
the next monthly council, on the 4th of May next;" and the
following motion, of which notice had been given by Mr.
Bushell :—" That the resolutions of the council of the Gth of
April, approving of the proceedings of the Markets' Com-
mittee, be rescinded, so far as such resolutions relate to the
recommendation by that committee to the council to autho-
rise the sale of hay and straw, by farmers, in London-road."
Mr. BUSHELL proposed his motion in a speech of some
length. He wished the question to be thoroughly understood
by the council and town at large. One of the markets was
at present a dead letter; no buyers or sellers resorted to it ;
and it was only the mere shadow of a market. He thought
the recommendation of the committee for establishing a mar-
ket in London-road had been carried without due considers-
tton at a former meeting, and that time should have been
given for memorials from parties__ interested in the matter and
expressive of their opinions. Ile had himself no property in
the town, neither had he any friends whose interests he
wished to serve, any property, and therefore his motives,
on the present occasion, could not be questioned by anybody.
He wished to know, in
the event of the success of the expe-
riment in London-road, what was the object of the Markets
Committee, and, supposing it to fail, in what way their posi-
tion would be bettered? Birchfield would not not answer.
He thought, if they wished to accommodate the town, that
the proper place to try an experiment would be, not in Lon-
don-road, but at the junction of Great George's and St.
James's-streets.
Mr. TURNER seconded the motion.
the recommendation of the Mar-
Mr. COOPER supported
kets Committee, for
giving a trial to the space in London-road.
Mr. Alderman EARLE spoke in favour of the recommen-
dation of the committee.
Mr. PARKER protested against any such experiment being
tried in London .road.
Mr. HoDGSON said he would leave the matter entirely in
the hands of the committee.
Mr. ItoniNsoN objected to the experiment being tried in
London-road, and said the most convenient place for a south
haymarket would be under St. James's Mount.
Mr. THoRNHILL stated that upwards of £16,500 had
already been expended in the hayroarkets, and yet it was now
intended to buy Birchfield, at a cost of £25,000, whereby
they would receive no more income than they did now.
After some explanations from Mr. HOUGHTON, as to the
terms on which he had sold his land, forming a portion of
the north haymarket, from which it appeared that there were
no conditions of its being for ever maintained as a market,
Mr. G. H. LAWRENCE expressed his opinion that the
present inconvenience of having two markets, which was the
cause of all this discussion, bad been created by two markets
having been decided upon without consultation between the
Finance Committee and the Markets Committee.

Mr. HENRY HOLMES said there had been consultation
between them.

Mr. G. H. LAWRENCE said he had not been able to dis-
cover that there had been any, and be had referred back to
that Mirror of the Town Council Proceedings, the Liver-
pool Standard. It was a great mistake to have two mar-
kets. It might be a question whether they would not have
to retrace their steps, and have a central market: and as to
a central market he did not think the expense would be so
great as Mr. Thornhill thought.
Some further discussion took place, after which the coun-
cil divided, when there appeared—

For the motion
Against it

Majority l7
The motion was consequently declared to have been car-
ried. lhe following members voted in the division:—
For the motion.—Councillors—Messrs. Shaw, Shand,
Hodgson, Houghton, Thornhill, Preston, Sandbach, Ed-
wards, Blundell, Henry Holmes Sands, Bolton, Bright,
Yates, Robinson, H. Lawrence, Gladstone, Bushell, Parker,
Jones, jun., Brassey, Trotman, Jordan, Platt, A. Smith,
jun., Mather, Harbord.—.Aldermen—Messrs. Holt, Nicol,
Houghton, Turner, and the Mayor.

Against it—Councillors.—Meisis. Copeland, Aikin, Toul-
min, J. Lawrence, Cooper, Lloyd, Uigby, Kilshaw, J. Smith,
G. H. Lawrence.—Aldermen—Messrs. Bulley, Freme, Bar-
clay, Evans, Earle.
Mr. BOLTON moved " that, as the south haymarket is not
resorted to by the public, the whole question of the haymar-
kets be referred to the Finance and Market Committees for
their consideration and report."
Mr. BUSHELL seconded this motion, which was agreed to
without any discussion.
The council then separated.