Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 2.djvu/629

Rh LIVEEPOOL. 621 LIVERPOOL. the Grecian style, and ia surmounted by a dome 106 feet in height. The tablets between the capitals of the columns are decorated with bas-reliefs, but the pediment of the portico is plain. The interior arrangements are as follows : The ground floor is occupied by committee rooms, rooms for magistrates and juries, for the general sessions, rotation office, and the offices for the town surveyor, treasurer, &c. The grand staircase, which is lighted by the dome, leads to a suite of apartments used by the mayor for receptions, balls, &c., and which con- sist of a saloon, 30 feet by 26 ; a drawing-room, 33 feet by 26 ; two ball-rooms, one 90 feet by 42, the other 66 feet by 30 ; a card-room, 33 feet by 26 ; a tea-room, 33 feet by 22 ; and a refreshment-room, 50 feet by 30. The decorations are in Scagliola marble, and the ceilings are richly panelled. The saloon contains the portraits of George III., by Lawrence, George IV., by Hoppner, f and tho Duke of Clarence. On the first landing of the staircase there is a statue of Canning, by Chantrey, and a colossal figure of Britannia crowns tho dome. Tho custom-house, which includes offices for the postal ser- vice, -the excise, and the docks, is situated in Canning- place, on the site of the old dock. Tho site, -worth 90,000, was given by the corporation, who erected the present buildings at a total cost of 300,000. An arrangement was made to hand over the buildings to government in twenty years, on payment of tho sum of 150,000 by annual instalments of 25,000. The ground plan is in tho shape of the letter I, tho E. end being occupied by the post-office, the W. by the custom-house, while the centre is occupied by the offices for the collec- tion of other branches of the revenue. The "long room," which occupies the centre of the building, is 146 feet in length by 70 in width, and 45 in height. The style of architecture is the Ionic. A dome stands in the centre. The total size of the building is 467 feet by 95. Tho foundation stone was laid in 1828. The exchange buildings were erected in 1803, and form three sides of a square, which is completed by the N. side of the town- hall. The quadrangular area thus enclosed is 197 feet by 178, and is used by merchants as an exchange. A bronze statue of Nelson, by Westmacott, stands in tho centre. The E. wing contains a newsroom, 95 feet by 51, where telegrams relating to shipping are exhibited. Above this is the underwriters' room. Tho N. and W. rides are occupied by countinghouses and warehouses, and by the offices of tho Liverpool and American Chambers of Commerce. The corn exchange is a plain Grecian building in Brunswick-street similar to that in Mark-lane. Its size is 116 feet by 60. Other public buildings are the county court, Ranelagh-street ; the leasions-house, Rumford-street ; the police court, Hatton- gardcn ; the parish offices, Brownlow-hill ; the bank- ruptcy court, South John-street ; and tho prison at Kirkdule. There is an astronomical observatory on the Marine-parade, where chronometers are rated. In addi- tion to the statutes already mentioned, there is one by 'macott of George III. in tho London-road, and a nument to Huskisson in St. James's cemetery. Water I gas are supplied to tho town by several companies, former is brought from a lake called Rivington distance of several miles. According to tho i of the Municipal Corporation Act, Liverpool of 16 wards, the names of which are as fol- Votland, Vauxhall, St. Paul's, Exchange, Castle- it. Peter's, Pitt-street, Great George's, Rodney, Vbercromby, Lime-street, St. Anne's, Everton, West liTby, and North and South Toxteth. The last four wards, beyond the parish, included by the . commissioners in 1835. The borough has two members to tho House of Commons since he reign of Edward I. Tho corporation consists of a naynr, 16 aldermen, and 48 town councillors, elected by ht above wards. The mayor is by virtue of his office tho peace during his term of office and tho rig year. Tho recorder, appointed by the crown, judge at the general quarter sessions for the There are also a stipendiary magistrate, who ittends daily at the police court, a town clerk, coroner VOL. II. and other officers. The corporation regulates the lighting and cleansing of the town, the police, hackney coach- men, &c. Their income is about 370,000. The polico force was formerly divided into 16 districts, each with its captain, but since the Municipal Act the whole force has been united, and is under the control of the watch committee, which consists of a body of aldermen. The fire brigade is noted for its efficiency. The total annual cost of the whole body, including the fire and dock police, is 40,000. Liverpool possesses a court of record, called the " Court of Passage," for civil cases. This was established by prescription, but has been regulated by several Acts in the present and the last reigns. The officers are as follows : The assistant barrister, who acts as assessor, with a salary of 500 ; a chairman ; a regis- trar, with 2,000, as town clerk, clerk of the peace, and parliamentary solicitor; a sergeant-at-mace, 350 ; with a clerk, a crier, a water bailiff, who is also harbour master to the port, a deputy water bailiff, and two sub-bailiffs. The water bailiff has no salary, and the inferior officers receive from 20 to 25. The mayor acts as judge, but the assistant barrister holds the courts for trial of issues and hearing motions for new trials and special arguments. The registrar transacts other business. The court has jurisdiction in all personal actions and in some actions of ejectment between landlord and tenant, and it extends over the borough, and the Mersey from Warrington and Frodsham bridges to a certain distance at sea beyond the mouth of the river. The proceedings are in the same form as those in the superior courts at Westminster. The Court of Requests has jurisdiction over the whole borough in actions of debt not exceeding 5. It was established in the year 2 George II. Tho officers are the assistant barrister, with a salary of 700 ; two clerks, 700 each ; a treasurer, 200 ; two assistant clerks, a summons clerk, two execution, two assistant, and four summons officers. Tho recorder, the stipendiary magis- trate, the assessor of tho Court of Passage, and the town clerk, are also commissioners, but only act in the absence of tho assistant barrister. Petty sessions are held daily by the borough magistrates, and quarter sessions are also held. The justices number 30, 15 being members of tho council. The assizes for West Derby hundred now meet at Liverpool instead of at Lancaster as formerly. The popu- lation of tho borough in 1851 was 375,955, and in 1861, 443,938. The 2nd Royal Lancashire militia have their headquarters here. Liverpool gives -the title of earl to the family of the Jenkinsons, whose peerage dates from the E;ar 1796. Before the dissolution of tho monasteries iverpool was a chapelry to Walton, comprising four chantries; but in 1699 the town and borough were con- stituted a distinct parish, the living to be a rectory in two medieties, in the diocese and archdeaconry of Chester, and the patronage to bo vested in the mayor and corpo- ration. The old chapel-of-ease, dedicated to St. Nicho- las, was then constituted the parish church, and another church, dedicated to St. Peter, was built in what is now Church-street it was commenced in 1699, and conse- crated in 1704. The annual value of each of these churches is 615. St. Nicholas was first built in 1361, and rebuilt 1774, in the Gothic style. The tower and spire fell on the llth February, 1810, during the ringing of the bells, killing twenty-eight persons, and destroying the organ, the western gallery, and much of the pewing in the body of the church. The present tower is about 40 yards in height, and supports an open lantern of 20 yards, which was subsequently added. The following porpet. curs, were in the patron, of the corporation pre- vious to 1835 : St. George's, val. 250, built in 1732 on tho site of the castle, and subsequently rebuilt by Foster this church is used by the corporation ; St. Thomas's, in Park-lane, val. 138, in the patron, of trustees, built 1760, with a steeple 80 yards high ; St. Paul's, near the Exchange railway station, two curs., val. 220 and 180 the church was built in 1769 ; St. Anne's, at the end of St. Anne-street, val. 99 ; St. John's, behind St. George's Hall, val. 270 ; St. Michael's, Cornwallis- street, two curs., val. 260 each this church has a steeple 201 feet high, and cost 45,267 ; St. Luke'sj at 4 K