The Glamorgan Monmouth and Brecon Gazette and Merthyr Guardian

1 Meeting of the Hate-Payers of Cardiif. A numerously attended meeting of the rate-payers of the town was held on Friday, at the Town-hall, for the purpose as stated in the following requisition to the mayor — We, the undersigned inhabitants, rated for the relief of the poor for the parishes of St. John and St. Mary, in the town of Cardiff, being of opinion, that the last assessment for the relief of the poor, made on the fifi, day J October last, is mll'th too high in amount, and that great inequality^ and other objectionable matters appear on the face of the rate and also that certain omissions aifd other causes of objection exist, we are desirous of having a meeting convened, in order to canvass the opinion of tiie rate-payers of the town as to what steps should be taken to investigate the rime. We, therefore, respectfully request you to convene a public meeting of the rate-payers of the said parishes at an early day for that purpose. T. Griffin Phillpotts. I David Thomas. Edward Evans. Edmund Davies. Arthur Jane Gower. John Winstone. J. Brown. Alai-ks. W. P. Hiley. Benjamin Evans. Ivill. Stibbs. Win. Stanley. Wm. Rawles. Philip Bird. J. JL Hopkins. Geo. Watson. Clias. :1'(':11'(11\ Thos. Williams. Thos. Bedford. AViii. L-vis. • Samuel Hutchins. Samuel Beavington. Wm. Amott. J. Mitcnell. Solomon Marks. John Edmunds. John nun\, lUd¡es. Thos. Quelch. Richard Beynon. Elizabeth Brown. Wm. Lewis. John Davies. Thos. Sparry. John Thomas. John Thomas. D. Datics. William Edmun ls. Roger Davies. John Andrews. J. Ilees. David Davis. J. Jewry. Thos. Prouse. Thos. Mitchell. S. J. TIc-es. J. F. Arnold. John Palmer. W m. Mag-g. Gliffith "illiams." Thos. "Miles. The mayor, Henry Morgan, Esq., who presided, on open- ing the business of the day, said In obedience to the wishes of several of his townsmen, who state "they are of opinion that a poor's rate, made on the 6th of October last, is much too high in amount, and that great inequality and other objectionable matters appear on the face of the rate; and also that certain omissions and other causes of objection exist," he had convened this meeting, in order to canvass the opinion of the rate-payers of the town, as to what steps should be taken to investigate the same." Probably, both the requisionists and himself were somewhat out of order in meeting in that place, for the purpose alledged but feeling that his own interests upon the subject were inseparable from theirs, he had called them together. Before they en- tered upon the matters in question, he would take leave to impress upon them the importance of adhering to the matter before them, and of being guided by ascertained facts, in any resolution that may be there moved and also that the usual course upon occasions like that (and he spoke from profes- sional experience of some standing), would be, firstly, to be sure, from actual inspection of documents and other due examination, that grievances actually and undeniably existed, and then for such persons as may think themselves aggrieved, to appeal to the proper quarter for the proper remedy. Upon this point, the laws upon the subject will render it very easy to remedy anything that may possibly be wrong, as the statuteji hxrs provided, that four public appeals sta^Ct bs heW annually in their own town for the purpose. This statute was enacted to prevent the heavy expense of appeals to the general quarter sessions, and which always involves the appellant with costs, even when successful to his utmost wish. For the ensuing car, notice of the appeal days at Cardiff have been already published. He should be most happy to afford them all the information in his power on the subject before them that may be required of him—observing, howevei, that upon individual cases, he should abstain from any expression of opinion upon subjects that he may possibly, hereafter be calle 1 upon to adjudicate in his official character. Mr. Phillpotts said, that the present meeting was convened to give the rate-payers of the town an opportunity of hearing what could be said on the system of rating in the town of Cardiff, and whether that system was correct. After having heard what could be urged in the case, it would be for them to seek such redress as the exigencies of the case might demand. He would begin by going through the statistics of tiie rates, such as the books and other documents on the subject furnished. ST. f. s. d. Gross rateable value of property in St. Marv's parish 13,012 16 0 A rate of 2s. 6d. in the pound will produce 1 12 0 There are seventy-two vacant houses, the rate for which would amount to 106 10 0 Amount of rate collectable £ 1,520 0 0 ST. JOIIX. f. s. d. Oross r,,itc-,ible value ofl)r,,)I)ertv iii St. Jo!)Il,s 12,098 12 0 A rate of 2s. Gd. iu the pound will produce.. 1,512 I 0 Forty-nine vacant houses, the rate for which would be 98 17 6 Amount of rate collectable £ 1,413 11 6 Gross value. Rateable value. Vacant houses. £ • s. d. £ s. Ù. £ s. d. St. Mary.. 13,012 16 0 1,026 12 0 103 10 0 St. John.. 12,033 12 0 1,512 2 0 9S 17 G £ 25,111 8 0 3,139 1 0 205 G 6 Deduct vacant houses 205 7 G Collectable in both parishes.. £ 2,933 13 6 It is ascertained that the only rateable value for which the parishes have a right to take credit, amounts to about £ 6,000. The last return of the number of parishes com- prised in the union is 54. Cardiff contributes about one- lifth of that sum. The last quarter's contribution to the union for Cardiff, was £ 500, so that the aggregate of the contribution of the town of Cardiff to the poor's rate, was about £2,000 annually. It then became their duty to ascer- tain in what way that sum was applied, because it was clear that the poor had not benefited by it, and if they had not, it was of consequence to know who did, and into whose pockets the surplus went. He was sure ho had a right to ask for information on that subject, and he was equally satis- fied of the right of those who could afford such information to give it. He wished to know, whether the balance was applied for the collection of a county rate, or for the support of a constabulary? All this they had a right to know, and until they received satisfactory information on the subject, they ought not and would not cease from their agitation. The next point he had to touch upon, was the poor-rate, for the mayor had said, that unless a case was made out and clearly established, the meeting ought to oppose.any resolu- tion of a condemnatory nature. It was of importance to the rate-payers to know what sum had been actually collected for the last rate. For his own part, he had been for a con- siderable time conversant in parochial matters, and he could not help saying, that he was astonished at the conduct of the magistrates in respect to the imposition of this rate. The Mayor said, that when imputations and insinuations affecting the character of himself and his brother magistrates Were made, it was time for him to interpose. He had been long an inhabitant of the town, and he defied the slightest imputation, either upon his public or private conduct. When he heard an impeachment of the conduct and charac- ter of the magistrates of the borough by a gentleman who was, comparatively, a stranger among them it was time for him to interpose and protest against such a line of proceeding. Perhaps he was in error in attributing any intention to Mr. Phillpotts ofa disposition to attack their character. Mr. Phillpotts disclaimed the slightest offence, collectively or individually, to the magistrates. While doing so, as allusion had been to his residence elsewhere, he was willing to afford any information on the subject; but offence of any kind, he entirely disclaimed. He spoke, in fact, of the very oppressive nature of the rate without any imputation on the magistrates who signed it. That was all he ever intended, because he was alluding to transactions that took place before the present mayor was a magistrate and, therefore, the more regretted the warmth evinced at expressions which could not fairlyattach to lum. Before the rate was signed, lie conceived the magistrates had a right to see that every shilling of the last rate was collected, In. saying that such. was the duty of magistrates, he never intended criminating the gen- tlemen who seemed to feel hurt at his imputations. He again disclaimed any offence towards them, but whilst he did so, he had a right to challenge the propriety of the ma- gistrates' conduct in their official capacity respecting the rate. He could not say, whether the last rate wa- fairly laid or not, or whether the entire of the rate of the Gth of October, was duly collected, that alone was confined to the breasts of the magistrates. The Mayor It is unfortunate that Mr. Phillpotts has not ^tmfuTted himself in his attack upon the ovty^eer to acts which would be compatible. Firstly, he .Tiargf-s them with the receipt of about L6000 poor's rate and accounting for only £ 2000, and then turns round and charges them with not having collected the rate, and haning left whole streets without ever application made for the rates. Now these charges being inconsistent one of them must fail, even upon first view. Mr. Phillpotts contended, that it was the intention of the legislature to give large parishes an opportunity of calling vestry meetings to compel landlords to pay assessments on small tenements. In this parish, he thought, a vestry meet- ing should have been held, to ascertain if the landlords were fairly assessed. He knew that there were many houses fairly rated but he also knew, that many had not been called upon, and had not paid Is. to the poor. He had looked carefully over the last rate, and it did occur to him, that in the laying on of that rate, the magistrates had exer- cised all improper discretion. Mr. Phillpotts then proceeded to define the duty of magistrates in the laying of a rate, and the grounds on which parties could be excused from the pay- ment of the rate. He now proceeded to the principal ground of his conipl 'ai ii t-iileq u alit.), of rating. They all knew that the Gas Company was liable to be assessed, particularly if in their operations they had broken up a part of the surface of a parish. Now, the Gas Company had premises in the parish of St. Mary and St. John, through much of which their pipes ran. He had looked over the rates of St. John, and lie did not find that that Company was assessed in that parish. If that was so, he contended, that on the score of inequality, there was ample ground for appeal against that rate. The Company now levies £ 500 a year for rates—it is assessed at jE273 rental; rateable value £ 205. Now, he would ask, would the Gas Company let their premises for E300 a year, or £400, or £ 500 ? He imagined not; if so, and that property were worth 700 a year, to the full amount of that sum the Com- pany ought to be rated. But here there was not only an entire omission of fair rating, but the outer premises—the gasometer alone was rated; and of that inequality he and those who thought with him had a right to complain. For, surely, they would agree with him that C273 was sufficient for the estimated value. He now came to the Bute Docks, and he found that they were set down at the estimated value of £ 1300 a year, and rated at 4 1000. It was an ascertained fact, that at the making of the rate a negotiation was opened with the Marquess of Bute (whom, by the bye, he entirely acquitted of any collusion in this case,) when £7,000 a year was refused from the Railway Company. Now, he would ask, where was the proportion between ;E7,000 a year, and the sum to which the docks were at present assesed ? The meeting would agree with him, that a sum of £ 1,300 was not exactly the sum to which that property should be assessed. The harbour dues of the town, he imagined, should also be rated—yet he found nothing set down for them. The overseer maintains that the corporation is liable, and, he would say, the absence of assessment in this particu- lar serves as a ground of appeal. All ships registered to this port were liable to be rated, and yet he found not a single vessel so rated. Tho»e omissions, lie apprehended, formed a ground for a successful appeal to the quarter sessions, with a view to quash the rate. As an instance of disproportion ia-«rtnrg7~ he "Wtrnld beg to addUCe' the <>ta.Trior!ran Bank. That was rated at £ llr5. The Angel Hotel, he thought, was a much superior establishment, and possessing more commo- dious premises, and yet it was set down at only £ 87. Cardiff Castle was another instance, with all its fine accommoda- tions, the rental was set down at £ 200, whilst it was rated at but £ 150. The estimated rental of the Cardiir Arms Hotel was £ 137, whilst the rate was about £ 100. He adduced these as instances of unfair valuation, to show that there existed a ground for a modification. Would it be believed that the Cardiff Arms was worth but £ 16 over the Glamor- gan Bai' -? He could show other instances of this inequality, and he would name Mr. Jenkins, who pays E 30, while his estimated rental is but £ 40. Let every person, he would say, be fairly rated,—let this inequality of rating be done away with, otherwise that good feeling which ought to exist in the town, and which has been disturbed by these anomalies, will no longer exist. If it was an object to cultivate such a feeling, he would suggest, that the present rate be quashed that a meeting forthwith be called for the purpose of a more amicable arrangement. Let there be a new valuation of property, without this they ought not, and assuredly would not rest satisfied. In Newport, although the population is greater, yet such a thing as a half-crown rate was never heard of. He was at a loss to know, why a half-crown is rendered necessary to collect a sum of £ 0000, a third of which only goes to the poor, leaving, according to his calculation, a sum of E4000 unaccounted for. After some further observations, condemnatory of the Poor-law, Mr. Phillpotts concluded by moving the following resolution, and seconded by Mr. Arthur Whiteing, the mayor, first observing that he did not consider himself a party to the resolutions about to be put to the meeting. That it is the opinion of this meeting, that the assess- ments made on the 6th day of January last, for the relief of the poor of the parishes of St. John and St. Maty, Cardiff, are much too high in amount, and that great inequalities, omissions, and other objections appear on the face of the same and that it is expedient such rate should be appealed against and quashed, and a fair valuation made of the rate- able property in both parishes." C. C. Williams, Esq., said on entering the hall, he had no intention to address the meeting. He attended merely as a rate-payer, and, if in his power, to afford any explanation that could be expected from him. It would be in the recol- lection of Mr. Winstone, who called on him for his sub scription, and wlfich he was under the necessity of refusing, that he said, "Show me how I can lower the rate, and I am willing to do so." He never met them with greater pleasure than at the present time. He challenged inquiry into his public character and for his private acts he was accountable only to his God. He was aware of the arduous duty of a magistrate. There were many of which, perhaps, he was ignorant, but he was not aware that he came into that hall to be informed on that particular subject. Mr. Phillpotts said it was the duty of a magistrate, before he signed a rate, to look narrowly at the last rate. Mr. P. knew, or he ought to know, that as regards the signing of a given rate, the duty of a magistrate is purely ministerial that, in fact, he has no discretion in the business and that, if he refuses, he may be compelled to sign by a writ of mandamus, issued out of the Court of Queen's Bench. Mr. Phillpotts had stated the manner in which the rate had been made, leaving it to be inferred that they were made by the overseers, for the benefit of the few and the oppression of the many. He said there were many vacant houses in the town, and if he had resided long among them, he could not but be aware of the effect of these on the poor-rates. Had he taken the trouble to inquire, and not been to hasty in his assumptions, he would have learned the effect of a cessation of employment oil a large scale, and the consequent destitu- tion that followed, and the necessity that existed of some kind of relief to the th jusands who were then out of employ. He had frequently attended the meetings of the guardians at the Union Workhouse, and it made his blood run cold to see the number of able-bodied men driven there, and obliged, from the necessity of their situation, to submit to their helpless lot. The greater portion of them were not inhabi- tants of Cardiff. It is a wise and humane provision of the law that the poor man should not starve and it may be reasonably inferred, that within the last few years the rates have been swallowed up. The magistrates have invariably endeavoured to lessen the rates by forwarding the paupers to their respective parishes. This could only be effected by orders of removal, and these were in general the cause of j additional outlay. It must be known to Mr. Phillpotts that when the rate is made and signed it is then audited, and there is nowhere a more correct person than their auditor. The first charge which the auditor is to allow is jEoOO for the Union the next is for collecting, and then the expenses of orders of removal, properly ascertained before the magistrates there were many, also, who were too poor to pay, and he for one could not consent to take the bed from under the poor man, who was, perhaps, at the time an object of relief himself. (Cheers.) With respect to the whole amount of the rate collected, he had not a shadow of doubt but that the auditor had done his duty correctly. That was his answer to the charge of the misapplication of the rate. The peculiarity of his situation as a magistrate, and the possibility of an appeal coming before him, must prevent him from speaking as to the alleged inequality of the rating. He could not help ex- pressing his surprise at the want of candour on the part of those who gave Mr. Phillpotts the information; they should have told both sides of the story. What could Mr. P. know of the value of the docks! With respect to the rating of vessels, he had an impression on his mind that they were not liable, for by a recent act, if he recollected right, aU personal property was exempt. The Poor-law had been the subject of much needless declamation. With some excep- tionable and reprehensible clauses, it worked, as a whole, well, and brought medical relief to the door of the poor man, who, under the old system, had little or none. In conclusion, he would say that he came there quite unpre- pared, but when an attack had been made on his conduct as a magistrate, he thought he might be allowed to offer that explanation. J as. Lewis, Esq., bore testimony to the care and anxiety evinced by Mr. Williams, not only in relieving the poor of the town, but also in keeping down the rates. Perhaps the opinion of a Poor-law Commissioner would have some weight with the meeting as respected the care taken of the poor. In a recent visit of one of those functionaries to the Union, he recorded in the books of the establishment his approbation of the manner in which the comforts of the poor had been attended to. The mayor, previous to putting the resolution, begged to say, that until to-day, he did not apprehend the increase in the rates was so great as this appeared to be, but that he conceived much was attributable to the expenses incurred in building the Union Poor-house increase of county rates and other causes over which the local authorities could have no control, and after asking Mr. Phillpotts if he had any extract of the overseers' account, he reminded him that three days before the meeting, he (the mayor) had suggested to him a strict examination of the accounts of expenditure by by the overseers,— that their accounts were always open to and ready f ir public inspection, and that he (Mr. Phillpotts) ought to come to the meeting armed with a full extract therefrom, so that if any biame existed upon that poini, it should rest upon the proper party. The resolution was then put and carried. The next resolution was proposed by Mr. Jenkins, and seconded by Mr. Jacobs, and also carried. That it is the opinion of this meeting, that a committee be appointed to make inquiries, whether the parishes, in the town of Cardiff, do not pay more than a fair proportion to the union, in respect to the sums paid by the other parishes in such union, and that such committee do consist of George Insole, Esq. Mr. Owen Hughes. John Edmunds, Esq. Mr. John Winstone. T. Griffin Phillpotts, Esq. Mr. Rees Lewis. T. Griffin Phillpotts, Esq. Mr. Rees Lewis. ith power to add to their number." (Signed on behalf of the meeting) HENRY MORGAN, Chairman. The thanks of the meeting were then awarded by accla- mation to the mayor, for his courtesy in calling the meeting, and for his urbane and impartial conduct in the chair. The mayor briefly acknowledged the compliment, and the meeting separated. [The above will be found a condensed report of the pro- ceedings of this meeting, which, it must be observed, was not entirely composed of the rate-payers of the town. Its tone and character, particularly towards one gentleman who attempted to address the meeting, was such as to have pre- vented that explanation which it was the object of the meet- ing to elicit. It is not surprising, therefore, that neither the assessor nor overseers who attended, addressed the meeting.]

THE CHILD QUEE-N.-The constitutional monarchy of Spain is in an edifying predicament. M. Olozaga has been dismissed, and his Cabinet broken up. The Queen, the courtiers, and General Narvaez, assert that this has been done because M. Olozaga endeavoured by violence and inti- midation to force the Queen to sign a decree for the dissolu- tion of the Cortes. This rh..rgp M. Olozaga solemnly ck-mu* i and maintains that the courtiers have trumped up the story, and persuaded the Queen to repeat it, as a pretext for his dismissal, which was in reality the consequence of a Court intrigue. On the one hand, the late Prime Minister is accused of unmanly violence to a girl, and leso mages- tad;" on the other, the Queen is accused of lying. This comes of declaring a child of 13 major, and capable of ruling a kingdom. Either version of the story establishes this point. Let us assume that Her Majesty has been coaxed to utter the falsehood coined by her ladies and gentlemen of the bedchamber what better could be looked for from a child invested with sovereign power before its reasoning faculties are matured or its characted formed 1 Let us as- sume that Olozaga was somewhat over-peremptory with her little Majesty who can blame him 1 Is it to be imagined that a veteran state'man, responsible for the destinies of a nation, could tamely submit to see his policy thwarted by an ignorant and it may be a petulant child 1 The wisdom which warns against trusting fules and bairns" with edge- tools was never better illustrated. The Spanish transforma- tion of a child into a Queen is not unlike the mythological transformation of a cat into a woman at the fi;st tempta- tion the lady relapses into her kittenish character. But Senor Olozaga, nevertheless, deserves no compassion. He has been caught like a woodcock in his own springe." He obtained office as being party to a military insurrection, or, at least, an accessary after the fact. He endeavours to seenre himself iu effiee by inducing the Cortes to declare that a girl of thirteen years was of mature age-to enact a legal lie, in order to preclude Espartero from resuming under any circumstances the office of Regent. What right has he to complain that the lawless men with whom he leagued to attain power have stripped him of it by the use of his own legal fiicti011 What right has he to complain of uncon- stitutional attempts to gag him who came into office through a violation of the constitution? The fate of Olozaga is what historians, in the bits of sermon with which they love to wind up their chapters,-term "a great moral lesson." It is a pity, however, that these lessons should commonly fall with greater severity on the innocent than the guilty, Olozaga suffers, but the Spanish nation and its Queen will suffer far more. Their future does indeed appear hopeless. If Narvaez retain the asendency,, a military despotism must prevail. Olozaga, even, were that desirable, can scarcely be lestored to office; for his restoration would brand the Queen with falsehood. Espartero can never resume the Regency; and as Minister, he must be subject to the girlish fancies of the Queen, influenced by her female attendants. Between the Queen, her mother, and Don Carlos, or his son, there seems to be little difference. A wise and energetic monarch is, for the time, unattainable. The most enthusi- astic Liberal can scarcely dream of Spain being ripe for a republic; and yet the breach between Olozaga and the Court can scearcely fail to reader monarchy unpopular. The question is personal between him and the Queen. His line of defence in the Cortes was, that a knot of intriguers found his dismissal necessary to enable them to bring about a marriage between the Queen and the son of Don Carlos, and to this end invented the story of his violence to the Queen. His statement implies that the Queen had so far lent herself to the intrigue as to utter a falsehood to screen them; and this assault on Royal honour was loudly applauded by the galleries. -Spectator. THE BURIED TREASURE.—The Centinela de Galicia" contains the following particulars relative to the treasure buried by Marshal Ney's orders near Santiago:—" It is now beyond doubt, that in 1811, several barrels containing a sum of ls,000,000f, in gold, were buried in the district of Larrano, near Santiago. Two hundred French soldiers retreating from Vigo, and being afraid to enter Santiago, encamped in the neighbourhood of the city, where sixty of them, having dug a trench ten feet deep, deposited in it the barrels, by order of their commander. During the operation one of the barrels were broken, and it was then the soldiers perceived what they were burying, instead of ammunition, as they had been told. Military discipline, however, pre- vented them from satisfying their secret desires, and they were unable to do so later, as they stiortly returned to France, and were marched to Russia. It is positively known that only three of them survived that campaign. One of the survivors died a short time since; another expired three years ago, and the fact above alluded to is affiimed in his will. The only one now living, having waited for the time after which no claim is legal in France to expire, left for Spain, and having explored the spot where he supposed the treasure to lay buried, he repaired to Madrid, where, through the medium of the French Embassy, he signed with the Minister of Finance, M. Calatrava, a treaty b\ which he bound himself to share the sum with the Spanish Govern rnent, on condition that the latter should afford him the ne- cessary protection during the operation. The events of TnnI last paralyzed his endeavours but the same treSy ha "| been signed by M. Ayllon, another search was made without success, oiviliz,, rio doubt, to an error resPectinS the position of the ground." b BANKRUPTS, Friday.-Francis Thompson, Southampton, tailor-Henry Southgate, Fleet-street, auctioneer-Owen n-ynn Thomas, Clement's-court, and Milk-street, silk ware- housema- ,y m. Read, King-street, Co vent-garden, en- graver r lomas Gore, Broadstairs, Kent, baker-Rayner Ciraves, Edward-street, Portman-square, saddler— George ullock, Derby, tobacconist— John Kidd, Kendal, grocer— > m. llubbuck, South Shields, pawnbroker-John Smith, fctoke-upoa-'JCreut, concealer.