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IEUTHIN. I

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I EUTHIN. INDIGNATION MEETING. A public meeting of the ratepayers, convened by pla- cards aud by the voioe of the town crier, was held in tho Assembly Koom, Lion Hotel, on Tuesday evening, 31st nit., for the purpose of taking into consideration the subject of M'r.Adam:distnis<,aI from the office of Cierk to the llorouqh Justices. About loO gentlemen wera present, amongst whom were the following :—John Jen- kins, Esq., chairman; K. G. Ellis, K-<q., M. Smith, hsq., railway manager; Hev. E. L. Barnwell; L. ( hallen, Esq., Grammar School; Geo. Mousley, Esq., KSN\ J. ]) ivies, Messrs. E 1 wards, ironmonger; iiouw, chemist; Whitworth; J. Jones, Oaklands; S. Jonis; Maude, coiuVctioiJiT; Hugh Jones, Star Inn; J.). Jones; R. P. D^vies; 13 bavins; K. Koberts, Clwyd-street; E. El. wards, Heehivo; 11 ugh Morris, grocer; W. Ogden T. Jones, Chvyd-street; Crittiford John Joyce; Joyce, watchmaker; J Williams; John Jones, Ruthin Mill; John Lloyd, butcher; Thomas Jones, ditto; R. Ed- wards, ditto; R. Williams, ditto; E. Roberts, coal mer- chant; I). I. Jones, &c. The Chairman, in opening the meeting, a,,ii(i -(;(-n- tlemen I need 1 ardly tell you that I feel particularly glad in seeing this mating BO well attended. I am not at all surprised to witness so many of you here, because I know Mr. Adams is one of those men who must be re- spected by all their neighbours. (H ear.) I had been ac p. lain ted with Mr. Adams during the whole time he has been connected with this town, and 1 can testily that he has always commanded the best wisho3 of the rate- payers of this Borouih. (Cheers.) Hence the reason of this large assemblage to-night. Jam very much pleased to see your faces, and I hop? you will take such step* as will clearly mark your disapprobation of the conduct of the Corporation in dismissing Mr. Adams from the appointment, of Clerk to the-Horough Justices (Cheers ) Although damaged a little in a pecuniary sense, it must be a source of gratification to him that he has the strongest sympathy of the people in his favour. (Applause.) It is not my place, as chairman, to occupy the time of the meeting. You are all aware why and for what purpose we have met. We want to ascertain the feelings of the ratepayers in regard to the dismissal of Mr. Adams, and now shall be glad to hear anyone ex- prcsing himself on the subject. (Cheers.) R. G. ELLIS, Esq., then rose and spoke as follows:- Mr. Chairman aud Gentlemen,—I have been requested t, i submit to your notice z resolution which bears very much indeed upon the subject matter of our meeting. After the clear and able way in which the Chairman has introduced the question under our notice, it is unneces- sary for me to euter into its details; but, gentlemen, there ar» two or three ihinga of which I cannot help speaking. I do not wish to mince matters," and 1 am very like tba man of whom it is said that he was very fond of calling a spade a spade, and not an agricultural instrument." (Laughter.) I therefore say, unhesitat- ingly. that it was a most unjustifiable act to dismiss Mr. Adams. (Loud cheers.) What has been his conduct to warrant the disruissal ? To the mind of strangers, who are ignorant of the circumstances, it would appear that Mr. Adams had done something very wrong, or guilty of having committed some breach of confidence (Hear, hear.) What has he done ? He merely expressed his opinions and befriended us at a public meeting. (Cheers.) You have all seen the letter of Mr. Louis (the Mayor) to Mr. Adams, M well as Mr. Adams' observations at the public meeting already alluded to—both printed toge- ther, and distributed in the town. It it very well they stand in contrast, because I think the contrast is very mnch in lfr. Aiaiiis' favour. (Hear, hear.) It appeus there can be no doubt that Mr. Adams has suffered for supporting our opinions; and it is perfectly clear, from this large meeting, that much sympathy is felt with him upon the unjust treatment he has been subjected to at the hands of the Mayor. (Cheers.) Permit me to read the Mayor's letter to Mr Adams. Brynhyfryd, Nov. 29, 1864. Dear ir,At an »dj«urued council meeting held last evening, several members referred in terms of dis- approbation to your remarks at the meeting on Satur- day. It has been long felt that an unnecfssary burden is thrown upon the ratepayers in consequence of the Town Clerk not holding, as he of right ought to do, the appointment of Clerk to the Borough Justices." —Gentlemen, this is incorrect. The ratepayers have never paid Mr. Adami -therefore he could not be a burden upon them. He has always obtained his salary, not out of the rates, but from fees levied by law. (Cheers). Again, the letter states— And it is now felt that you will be glad to be re- lieved of an appointment under persons of whom you could speak with so much disrespect, and whom you at- tempted to hold up to publio contempt and ridi- cule." Gentlemen, there is nothing, I maintain, in Mr. Adams' observations but what any honest, independent man had a right to say at a. public meeting. (Cheers.) After serving us faithfully for a series of years, we cannot but reirret the course adopted by the Mayor in the dismissal of Mr. Adams. (Applause.) No public officer, I am sure, was more courteous and obliging in his duties than Mr. Adams. Having myself had the honour of being Mayor of this Borough for two successive years, I can speak of him as a gentleman in whom I had perfect eon- fident'e—I never hesitated to act according to his expo- sition of the law he invariably gave sound advice on legal points, wishing, however, that I should, as a magis- trate, always leau to mercy if I possibly could, and never would he recommend a heavy penalty only in extreme cases. (Applause.) From the Mayor's letter, it seems that he endeavours to fasten Mr. Adam's dismissal upon the Town Council. My own opinion is, that the Mayor only could have the power to turn him out; and I hope the members of the Council will declare their disappro- bation of the dismissal. (Hear, hear.' Now, I beg to propose the resolution. If it is couched in strong lan- guage, I am sorry but I think the circumstances of the case call for it :—" That this meeting considers the dis- missal of Mr. Adams from the office of Clerk to the Borough Justices a most unjustifiable proceeding, and expresse-3 its strong disapprobation of the conduct of the Mayor." (Cheers.) Mr. EDWARDS, ironmonger— I beg to second that reso- lution. Carried unanimously. Mr. BARNWELL—Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen,—Mr. Ellis has drawn your attention to what may be called a very extraordinary and very clever letter, namely, the letter of Mr. Louis to Mr. Adams. Mr. Louis either in- sinuates or wishes us to understand that the dismissal of Mr. Adams was the act of the Council, whereas we have already been informed that the Council had no voice in it. Not only had the Council no power to dismiss Mr. Adams, but they were not even asked their opinion on the matter—in fact, the greater part of the members were entirely ignorant of the business, and when they heard of it they at once expressed their disapprobation. There was a misapprehension in the minds of a few regarding this unjustifiable (aud this is a very mild term) act—some said Mr. Louis could not do it alone, without the sanction of Mr. Bancroft, ex-Mayor; and others said he could. But we are now in a position to say that Mr. Louis is solely responsible for it. (Hear, hear.) I have the lutppinOds h inform you that Mr. Bancroft told me that he entirely disapproved of it, and consequently be has determined to decline taking any part in the magisterial affairs of the Borough as long as Mr. Louis sits on the Bench. (Cheers.) Now, I think Mr. Bancroft has done his duty in the same way as you are prepared to do so this evening. (Cheers.) And I also think it is necessary to give all tho members of the Corporation an opportunity of clearing themsel ves from being associated with Mr. Louis in this nefarious act. ( Applause.) Mr. Bancroft has kindly promised to offer a resolution from this meeting to the next council meet- ing—unless prevented by absence iu London, where he intends going for the purpose of buying a certain appa- ratus—however, we can wait until lie returns, as it is desirable we should avail ourselves of his services on this occasion. The tJwtion I have to propose iathia:- That Mr. Bancroft be requested to take charge of the following resolution :-That the letter addressed by the Mavor Oil the 2i)th of November last to Mr. Adams, dis- missing him from his offico as Clerk of the Borough Justices is not approved of by the Council. (Loud cheers.) Mr. RT. WILLIAMS — I have much pleasure ia second- ing that resolution. The CHAIRMAN—Is there any amennment f A Voice -Nopawb" in favour of the resolution. (Lond laughter.) A ReLeraI show of hands and a burst of applause sig- nified that the resolution was unanimously carried. Mr. It WILLIAMS proposed, and Mr. MAUDH second- ed, That a Bubsoription be entered into for the pur- pose of presenting M r. Adams with a purse of money, as an expression of sympathy on the part his fellow townsmen, and to compensate him for any loss which he may have Buffered by being dismissed from the office of Clerk to the Borough Ma&traim." Mr. MABXIN SMITH supported the resolution, and spoke to the following effect -I ought to explain, per- haps, that if this were a mere local squabble-or any- thing of a chamcter with which tlia Hailway Company was not concerned-I should feel not justified in coming here this evening. I have neither time, right, nor incli- nation to interfere in your local affairs. But remember- ing as I do that the cause of this meeting commenced in November last, at a public meeting to discuss most im- portant subjects affecting the town and the Railway Company, I felt I should be neglecting a duty if I did not attend this meeting to express my sympathy with Mr. Adams, and to declare, in so far as it lies in our power, we will make every amends for the gross insult offered to him by Ii To Louis. (Cheers.) At the Novem- ber meeting, we had to refer to Acts of Parliament, and then it was necessary to make some rather lengthened remarks; but now I need only say a very few words, for I alll perfectly satisfied, from the way in which the pre- vious resolutions have been passed, and from the fact of so many respectable ratepayers having assembled toge- ther on a wet, cold evening, that the resolution at pre- sent under our notice. as well as the others, is a fair in. dex of the general feeling of the town. (Cheers.) I have no doubt what is said here to-night is the unanimous opinion of the Borough. The dismissal of Mr. Adams, 1 venture to say, is an act without precedent, without justification, and, in fact, it violates everything that ought to rule between one gentleman and another. (Cheers ) I have very little doubt myself that one of the principal objects of this dismissal ?v,,Ii to injure M.\ Adam, in a pocket view; and I wa-? very much struck in reading in the Carnarvun //er«?< that p"rt of the fee' received by Mr. Adams as Borough Justices Clerk was actually conveyed to a former holder of that office, now in a declining state of health. 1 cannot tell whether the Mayor knew of that fact. A VOICK— Oh, yes, very well. Mr. ,iin sorry to hear that. If the Mayor was aware that a portion of hii. A(laiii,,i' f,ie,.i was voluntarily and kindly handed over to poor .Mr. Cole, it makes his conduct in dismissing him doubly atrocious. (Hear, Wliit, tlieii, ouglit we to do ? This re- solution tells us. There must be no money loss and certainly there has been no loss of reputation—it is sim- ply ridiculous to think for" mmnent that anythiug done by the Mayor could injure his reputation. (Laughter and cheers.) Ljt us present him with a sum of money that will enable him to continue his accustomed act of charity towards Mr. Cole without touching his private purse. (Cheers.) I was at that meeLing at the County Hall, and I can testify that .Mr. Adam, said nothing that ought to olTend anyone—even in private life. It is strange to hear of public men complaining of being ridi- culed. Why, I have often been called "a fool," and an idiot," and I cannot recollect what (laughter); but as ltm tlS I do my duty, it is of no consequeuee to me by what names I am called. Tho feeling shewn by the Mayor rather "lets tile cat out of the bag." (Laughter.) You were becoming lawyer-ridden in Ruthin two law- yers were anxious to get a new Act of Parliament (and a perfectly useless one, too), in adllition to those you have already, to govern the Borough but Mr. Adams stood in the way of getting that Act, and you see how his honest, conscientious conduct created an outburst of tremendous anger on the part of the Mayor, who, on being defeated, gave Mr. Adams a nasty kick. (Laughter and cheers.) I have not got tho sack" yet from him (renewed laughter), ati(I I am not in botlily fear of his Worship but if a man, holding business connections, is not to express his opinions in a respectful way, what is to become of public opinion ? (Hear, hear.) The dis- missal of Mr. Adams opens a very important question in Ruthin, and if he is allowed to be kicked, snubbed, and injured, it would shock every town in the country. (Cheers.) It is the right and duty of every man to express his opinions openly and independently; and we say to Mr. Adams—"No, you shall not be knocked down we will hold you up, and stand by you (Loud cheers.) In suppoting the resolution, I beg to say that I shall have great pleasure in putting my name down for a subscription. (Applause). The resolution was then carried with great acclama- tion. Mr. lOAN DAvns, in a fiery Welsh speech, which af- forded much amusement, wished the Mayor to know that he was a servant, and not a lord of the people. Mr. IIOBIRTS, coal merchant, proposed that a subscrip- tion list be opened in the room, as it was desirable to strike the iron while it was hot." After a short conversation, it was agreed to defer the matter for a week or fortnight, in order to limit the subscriptions to a certain figure the Ratepayers' Com- mittee, in the meantime, to fix upon a plan to canvasa the town thoroughly—not to exclude even the ha'pennies and pennies of the poor. A very complimentary vote of thanks having been proposed to the Chairman, by Mr. Ellis, and carried amidst loud applause, three cheers were given for Mr. Adams, and the meeting terminated.

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BIRMINGHAM CATTLE MARKET—TUESDAY.

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