The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-02-05 00:00:00

PEtiltAftY 5, 1856.]

• Mr. Joshua Dixon and Mr. Thomas Sellar have been
elegy to fill the vacancies respectively.
e law with reference to gentlemen elected to fill vacan-
ei 4111e8 at the board occurring between the annual meeting had
been found by the council to operate prejudicially ; and they
mould, therefore, suggest that an alteration be made to the
effect that directors elected to fill vacancies whose period of
nee will expire under two years, shall be entitled to eon-
'Mae until the third annual meeting after their election.
~„:r h e directors retiring by rotation to-day are Mr. F. A.
Mr. Edward Higgin, Mr. Joseph Hubback, Mr.
''l4l'l€l3 Robertson, and Mr. W. J. Tomlinson, who are ineli-
pie for election during the present year. Five vacancies,
:erefore, occur, which must be filled up at the present
!'etillg- The usual return of the attendance of directors is
aid on the table.

BYLAWS FOR ARBITRATION.
,J,fllr council have found it necessary to make certain alte-
"'•
,tons in these laws for the purpose of expediting references ;
✓un they request the sanction of the Chamber thereto.
L A resolution, embodying this change and that recommended
reference to the term of office of directors elected to fill
a!ancies occurring between the annual meetings, will be
submitted for your adoption.
On closing this report, your council beg to repeat their cordial
thanks to the members of Parliament for the borough and
the southern division of the county, for the valuable services
Which they at all times rendered to the Chamber, and for the
Y assistance they have given to the various matters in
^iLich their aid had been required.
...the Treasurer, Mr. Joint Minx, read the Treasurer's
',atement, which showed that the total receipts during the
Year had been £839 Os. 2d., and that, after providing for the
eitPenditure, there remained a balance of £126 19s. 2d. The
msurer congratulated the Chairman on the increase in the
somber of members during the year. The members now
somber 680, the increase during the year having been 30.
The CHAIRMAN said, before asking the meeting to give its
sanction to the report which had just been read, he would
~,eaPass on their patience while he offered a few remarks on
Z,,e, or two subjects which appeared to be of great local inte-
,7". "rhe first he should touch on was that of Dock Erten-
enl but in doing so he had no intention of tiring the meet-
mit with a long or intricate statement of details. Still, as he
considered so important an appendage to the town as its noble
ns were not matters of ephemeral moment, but would last
'tag after the present generation, and many of its successors,
.4"4 Passed away, they were deserving of great and consider-
ne attention. The object of his remarks Was chiefly to di-
rect attention to the encroachments made by the sea on the
barth side of Wirral, which, it was well known, were consider-
; so mach so, indeed, as to cause serious apprehension in
the minds of scientific men, that those encroachments might
Wntinue so far and act so extensively as to involve the
allasey.pool. Such a state of matters demanded the
Post serious attention, and he trusted that ere long some
44earareS would be adopted with regard to the subject which
Would allay the public uneasiness. The next topic to which he
IrOuld refer was the post-office, concerning which much had
ueeu said and suggested; and he need not remind the meeting
that it had frequently engaged the attention of the Chamber
fld of the Council. He experienced much pleasure in saying
that every communication on the different matters connected
With the post-office, emanating from the Chamber, had met
I
With the most prompt and courteous attention. He should, in
the
first instance, allude to the new arrangement which had
taken place in the private box system. Since the proposed
Ziange in the rates for these bores he waslad to learn that
Je hundred of these boxes had been given up, to the great
benefit individuals and firms, who, besides the saving of cost,
experience an advantage in the more frequent as well as in the
earlier delivery of their letters. The growing requirements of the
hoSt-office in so great and so rapidly-rising a commercial town as
l'rferpool necessarily occasioned a great demand for additional
accommodation ; and that had been brought under the notice
of 'the Government, who expressed a desire to do all in their
Dow er to remove the causes of complaint. Notwithstanding
their
anxiety to afford this accommodation, it was found im-
,dossible to afford it without 'changing the site of the building.
°efore this can be effected, great caution must necessarily be
exercised, and a considerable time must elapse. Still it would
be of importance for the Chamber and the public to bear the
platter steadily in mind. Another subject, which had been
referred to at some length in the report, had refer-
:nee to the. operation of the Bank Charter Act, under
such circumstances as thOse which had lately pressed
Would
and disturbed the money market. On that subject it
Odd be borne in mind that a committee of members of
'.O Chamber had been appointed to consider the matter,
and to report to the council. They had done so, and it
Was proper he should state that the terms applied to that
subject in the report were not those of the Council, but of the
ecanmittee which had been appointed to attend to that parti-
cular matter. The clauses of the act, he might observe, con-
fer upon the Bank of. England certain privileges over other
establishments which desire to carry on the business of bank-
log. It also gave the Bank of England a preference in trans-
actingthe businessof Government, which,by many people, was
considered invidious, and such as to give that establishment
an undue advantage in regulating or interfering with the
monetary affairs of the country. This matter, which, as he
ad already said, had been submitted to the attention of a
committee, was of such deep importance as to demand, and it
!10 doubt would receive, the utmost deliberation ; but, from its
eery magnitude and importance, the committee would do well
4._Y
lo be cautious in not pronouncing a judgment too hastily. The
"eXt point on which he should remark was the gratification it
'norded him, in being able to congratulate the Chamber,
an the increase of its members, and on the comparatively
flourishing state of the finances. To effect this latter object
Bleat attention and economy had been necessary on the part
of the Council ; but they had carefully attended to that im-
Portant branch of their duty, and the result had been so far
satisfactory. Yet another topic remained to him for remark
on, and that was one he might refrain from alluding to when he
coserved that it had been entirely omitted in the Queen's
'''Peech. (Hear, hear.) But when he reflected on the inti-
mate commercial and personal and friendly relations existing
hetweenihis country and America, and when he still farther
remembered that more than half of the trade of this large
and populous district was dependent on our connexion with
America, he felt assured that every man in Liverpool must he
aware that to go to war with that country would be an act of
suicidal insanity. (Hear, hear.) The Americans were of the
same family as ourselves ; they spoke the same language, and
‘lrere at one time part of ourselves—altbough there may have
been some heat and irritation at the time of their separation from
na, that feeling was happily passing away. At the present time
„
14kis country was so completely armed in all ways, as to be able,
Without prejudice to our standing with other nations, to make
concessions which less powerful and 'less fully prepared states
could not do. (Hear, hear.) The present seemed to him a
time peculiarly suited for making such concessions in a grace-
ful
spirit. Central America seemed so much more a matter
Pertinent to the feelings of the Americans than to us that we
flight give it up without any seeming sacrifice. To them it
Was so.very near, to us it was so very distant. The other
matters in debate seemed so much affairs merely of etiquette,
untt on them also we could afford to make the concessions of
a strong man, who willingly gives up what is of no real value,
4._
Prevent misapprehension and anger on the part of his more
feeble brother. In conclusion, he begged to move that the
report be adopted and printed, and circulated among the
members.
Mr. MACPIE said he felt great pleasure in seconding the
Motion, which pleasure he considered to be the greater as he
Was fully aware of the onerous duties the Council had to perform,
and when he reflected how wellthoseduties had been performed.
The small attendance in the room he looked upon as an evidence
of the implicit confidence reposed in the Council by the
members of the Chamber, for if they had not been per-
fectly aware that there was nothing in the management of
the Chamber with which they could find fault, instead of the
Mull attendance of to-day there would have been such a
lunnber present as would have far more than filled the
!tom. (Hear and laughter.) As had been well stated
In the report, there seemed little reason to doubt that
more would be done in the present session of Por-
tia, ment than in the last in reference to the law of partnership ;
!t Would, therefore, impose a serious duty on the Council
watch over that measure. He for one trembled
ft the bare idea of such a subject being dealt
With by a government not conversant with the principles
4.11.1 details of 'commercial matters. (Hear.) He felt regret
to think that so little respect had been paid to this
e hamber by the Dock Committee, and regretted that so little
intercourse with them had been sought by that committee.
When it was considered how extensive were the interests re-
Presented by this Chamber, he thought more might have been
communicated to them, and that more intercourse might have
advantageously taken place between the Dock Committee and
them ; and, if so, he thought it would have been better.
(Bear.) In reference to removing the Post-office, he consi-
%red it so obvious that business of all kinds was being cen-
tered round the Exchange, and in its neighbourhood, that he
Should suggest means ought to be taken for the erection of a
aeries of buildings somewhere there, in which all public busi-
,,ness might be transacted. In rspect to the expressions used
'7 the chairman in connection with the disputes between this
country and America, he concurred in the sentiments con-
Yfted with the exception of one word. He would suggest
,nat the word " conciliation" should be substituted for
concession." Having made these observations, he should
-conclude by cordially seconding the motion.
Air. C. BUSHELL begged to offer a word in deprecation of
'Le remarks which had been made by the chairman in refer-
ence to our disputes with America. (Hear.) He, for one,
considered the discussion of such subjects by a body like the
Present as excessively inconvenient. They ought to be left
a the hands of the government. It was, in his opinion, im-
Possible to estimate the difficulties which might arise out of
the publicity which might be given to very simple and well-
intentioned words uttered by a gentleman occupying so im-
portant a position as the chairman of this meeting. Although
at his own part concurring with the sentiment expressed,. he.
hesitated to accept even so mild a term as conciliation, seeing
that the utterance of any such expressions had a tendency
still further to complicate a subject already sufficiently diffi-
•ctdt.
The CHAIRMAN explained that the language and the allu-
sions he had made to the subject were entirely his own, and
Were used by him as an individual, without any intention
of committing the council or the chamber.
Mr. F. Boma differed from the opinion that such matters
Were beat left to the decision of Her Majesty's Ministers. In
44 Opinion too much of that sort of feeling had been already
acted on. The whole misunderstanding he considered to be
merely a diplomatic quarrel, which would be best settled by
the withdrawal of the diplomatists.
The motion was then put from the chair, and unanimously
adopted.
The second resolution, which had reference to alterations in
Zunie of the be-laws, was moved by the CHAIRMA.N, seconded
ROBERTSON,, and unanimously adopted.
4._ Mr. BOULT, Mr. MAUVE, and Mr. BUSHELL were appointed
. 'als.Crutinize the votes tendered for the new directors.
P. T. BAINES directed attention to the law which pre-
4!nted the re-election of retiring directors, as one detrimental
'0 the interests and working of the Chamber's business.
kr. BOULT, after a few remarks on the Sound Dues, moved
I:v.lc:solution approving of the construction of a line of Mag-
netic Telegraph communication between Liverpool and
; and that the resolution be communicated to the
'cir Committee.
Mr. LAMONT seconded the motion, which was unanimously
"Tied.
it 4,r• MAME read the annexed communicati
that the matter
on the sub-
'. of the postal arrangements, and moved
remitted to the Council:—
• e mails to and from Scotland are still in an unsatisfactory
must There are two mails northward ; for the one, letters
eati6 be posted before 1.20 p.m., which is a most inconveniently
▪ Y hour ; for the other letters may be posted about 8p m.
zn...unt then they are not delivered even in Edinburgh and Glas-,
I'd about eleven or twelve next forenoon, which is incon-
aeieapnta 3' late, and, of course, not till hours still later in
reY, Greenock, Dundee, &c. The only thorough remedy is
po'lneashire. mail for the North. At present the very im-
'Ant correspondence of Liverpool and Manchester is either