The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-01-07 00:00:00

kEETINO OP THE POLICE CO
OF BIRKENHEAD

for the despatch of busines
Esq., took the chair. Only about ado

head was held on Tnesday,
John Deane(

ers were present

CONFIRMATION CF PROCEEDINGS

f reading t

the mar

confirmation of

the commissioners

then co

THE PARISH CLOCK

meeting

the clock

missioners
Knox.

enquired wl

and he must say that

Handy " is

IMIESIONEAS

of the commissioners under

,
of the township of Birker

Mr. MALLADY, the law-clerk, read the proceedings of the
;t monthly meeting, held on the 7th ult., and also the pro-
edings of adjourned meetings on the 21st and 28th. It
peared that on the 21st an improvement rate of 9d in the
und, and a lighting and watching rate of 8d in the pound

at a mortgage of -XlOOO upon the im prove-
nen by Mr. Craven. The Law-clerk, in

proceedings, stated that it would
~.ary to secure the sum of Xl5O about to be borrowed
Mr. J. S. Jackson on the sewerage rate, as there would

left of it to secure Min after the execution
_sage to Mr. Craven. Mr. Jackson was agreeable
to accept this security, and all that was required was the

.oceedings were

Mr. LAYCOCK said, that before the commissioners pro-
ceeded to any other business he had a question to ask with
the parish clock. He understood that an annual
£4 was made for attending to it, 'which the last
reed to pay for the last three years ; he wanted to
er it was intended that that annual charge should

be continued'
The CHAIRMAN apprehended that it would. In Liverpool
a regular charge was made for winding up and regulating the
public clocks, and that charge was defrayed by the corpora-

tion.
Mr. GREEN said the circumstances of the Corporation of
Liverpool were very different from those of the Commission-
ers of Birkenhead. He understood that many parishioners
had expressed their determination to oppose the payment of
any money for this purpose, on the ground that it was illegal.
He had been told that when the charge was first brought be-
fore the commissioners they rejected it; but when it was
carried the other evening it was upon the understanding from
Mr. Mallaby that it bad been promised to be paid by the

commissioners.
Mr. NI ALLABY explained that he then stated that the
clock was put up at the instance of a section of the commis-
sioners, Mr. Russell and others.
Mr. GREEN.-But not of the board.
Mr. MALLABY thought there had been no order regularly
made for it, and he had stated that there was no minute of it
in the books

Jar. GREEN repeated what he had heard, that when the
aroposition was before them in the first instance the com-

•
mresioners rejected it.
Mr. LAYCOCx said the proposal was at that time made
that the charge should be made upon the parishioners, but it

formally brought before the. commissioners,
himself well recollected that Mr. Russell de-

termined not to press it. The matter consequently dropped.
He now asked the question—and his object was not so much
to undo what had been done as to have the matter thoroughly
understood—whether that board would sanction Mr. Knox,
or Mr. anybody else spending £4 a-year upon a clock, or
upon anything else, without the commissioners having some
cognizance over the clock ? He would suggest that the re-
pairs of the clock, and the duty of attending to it, be assigned
to some committee who probably might get done whatever
was wanted for less than £4, in which case there would be a

r nag.
Mr. MALtABY said it was upon the express condition of
being considered public property that the corn-
ed to pay the bill submitted to them by Mr.

Mr. LAYCOCE observed that if some committee were re-
quested to direct their attention to it, they would see that
there was only a proper expenditure on behalf of the clock.
Mr. GREEN enquired whether the clock had been ascer-
tained to be public property?
Mr. MALLABY replied in the affirmative.
Mr. GREEN said he had been told that some parties con-
nected with the church objected to the clock being considered
Public property.
Mr. MALLABY.—Then if they do I should object to the
yment of the money.
A COMMISSIONER mentioned that the money had not yet
paid, and expressed an opinion that the parties world
allow the clock to be considered public property. He
ther they could not remove it if they thought

proper .
Mr. MALLABY considered that they had no right to take
it down any more than they had to take down the church.
Although the pew rents were the property of Mr. Price, and
he had a right to them as a remuneration for his expenditure,
the church itself was the property of the parish. and the
clock and the bells were as much the property of the parish
as anything else.
Mr. LAYCOCK suggested that if the committee to whom
the business of the clock might be apportioned, were to put
themselves into communication with the authorities of the
church, all might go on harmoniously.
Mr. MALLABY said that Mr. Robinson had been directed
to forward a copy of the resolution of the last monthly meet-
ing on this subject to Mr. Knox.
Mr. GREEN repeated that he had been told some parties
intended to oppose the rate on the ground of the illegality of
this charge. He wanted to know whether the commissioners
could lay a rate, and whether such a charge would be legal?
Upon the poors' rate it would be illegal.
Mr. MALLABY said it would be illegal on the poors' rate.
Mr. GREEN enquired then what right the commissioners
had to make this payment ?
Mr. MALLABY replied that whatever the commissioners
might tnink was for the public good, whether in the erection
of buildings, or the maintainance of clocks, that they were
allowed by law to do. If they choose to set up a clock in
the market-place they could do it.
Mr. GREEN observed that that case would be different
from the present, inasmuch as the clock would be upon their
own premises, and for the public benefft.
A COMMISSIONER expressed his opinion that the clock
was the property of the parish because the, church was the
parish church.
Mr. GREEN thou
the parish church.
Mr. MALLABY said the act of parliament expressly pro-
vided that it should be considered the parish church. Every
man bad a right to be buried there—not that he chose for
himself (laughter), but his succecsors might bury him there;
s were less in their parish than
' fees. including all

ht the church was not, strictly speaking,