The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-02-26 00:00:00

AT a PUBLIC MEETING of the Inhabitants of
the Borough of Liverpool, held at ST. GEORGE'S-HALL, on
FRIDAY, the 22d day of February, 1E56, convened by the Mayor,
in compliance pith a Requisition most numerously and respect-
ably signed, to protest against the principle of the " Local Dues
on Shipping Bill," to agree to a Petition to the Houses of Parlia-
ment against the proposed Bill, and to adopt such other measures
as may best tend to avert so monstrous and unjust an innovation,
JOHN STEWART, Esq., Mayor, in. the Chair,

Letters were read from Charles Turner, Esq., Hugh Hornby,
Esq., J. A. Tobin, Esq., William Earle, Esq., J. H. Turner. Esq.,
and Richard Brooke, Esq., regretting their unavoidable absence
from the Meeting.
It was moved by JOHN PEMSEETON HEYWOOD, Esq.,
seconded by GE° ROE 11OLT, Esq., and
Resolved unanimously,—That tdis Meeting has Parnt with asto-
nishment that a Bill has been introduced into Parliament by the
Vice-President of the Board of Trade, by which it is proposed to
deprive the Burgesses and Corporation of this, and many other
sea port towns in England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, of the
Revenues which they now :awfully derive from Ones on Goods
and Shipping.

II was moved by S. R. GRAVES, Esq., seconded by ROBERT
RANKIN, Esq., and
. .

Resolved tozanzm.ously,—That the Dues on Goods carried in
Ships and the Anchorage on Ships (the latter being the only
charge made on Ships by the Corporation, and only One Shilling
and Threepence per Ship, an amount too insignificant to notice,)
now received by the Corporation in the Port of Liverpool, have
existed for upwards of six hundred years; that they formed part
of the ancient rights of the Crown, and were sold by the Kings of
England, with the Assent of Parliament, to the parties from
whom they were purchased by the Burgesses and Corporation of
Liverpool, and have been deeared to be their lawful property,
after a full inquiry before the Lord Chief Justice of England and
a Special Jury.

It was moved by A AIBROSE LA CE, Esq., seconded by RALPH
BROCK LEBAN K, Esq., and
Resolved unanimously,—That the sum of one hundred and
forty-nine thousand pounds was levied by rates on property in
the Borough of Liverpool during the year )855, for sanatory and
other public purposes, independent of the sum of one hundred
and eighty-three thousand one hundred and forty-six pounds
levied in the same yef:r for the support of the poor, and that the
proposal contained in the bill now before Parliament to throw on
the burgesses of Liverpool a large amount of debt, contracted on
the faith of the continued enjoyment of their property, and also
to throw on them the expense of protecting, guarding, and facili-
tating the transport of upwards of a Hundred Millions worth of
property which passes through the port every year, is contrary to
every principle of law and justice.
It was moved by R. A. MACFIE, Esq., seconded by CHARLES
SAUNDERS Esq. and

Resolvedunaniniously,—That the trade and commerce of the king-
dom have been greatly benefited by the expenditure of the Revenue
derived from the Dues collected in Liverpool, of which more than
a Million Sterling has been expended in widening or forming new
lines of approach to, or communications amongst, the Docks,
which now extend five miles in length, and afford accommoda-
tion to four millions and a half tons of Shipping yearly, and from
which Docks the Corporation of Liverpool receive no Revenue
whatever. That more than Seventy Thousand Pounds has been
expended for purposes connected with the Conservancy and Im-
provement of the Port, and upwards of Thirty Thousand Pounds
m building a Lighthouse at the entrance to the River; whilst the
Corporation is under legal obligation to expend One Hundred and
Thirty Thousand Pounds in constructing a Landing Stage for the
use of Sea-going Steamers, and also to expend not less than Two
Millions Sterling to develope the commercial advantages of the
Docks of Birkenhead. That the Works, when completed, will
render Liverpool the most commodious Port in the world, hut
that such great and costly plans cannot be carried into execution
if the Corporation of Liverpool is deprived of Two-thirds of its
Income.

It was moved by WILLIAM RATHBONE, Esq., seconded by
FRANCIS A. HAMILTON, Esq., and
Resolved unanimously,—That this Meeting protests against
the proposal to transfer the Management of the Funds of this, and
other Ports, from parties resident on the spot, and deeply inter-
ested in, and thoroughly acquainted with, all local questions, to a
Government Board, not possessed either of knowledge of the
wants of the several Ports, or of any real interest in their prospe
rity, all experience having shown that Local Management is
generally superior to Management by Government Boards.
It was moved by HENRY DANSON, Esq., seconded by JOHN
SIDNEY, Esq., and
Reselved unanimously,—That the Petitions to both Houses of
Parliament now read, be adopted, and that his Worship the
Mayor do sign the same on behalf of this Meeting.
The Mayor having left the chair, it was moved by DAVID
Honosos, Esq., seconded by JoHN Totca, Esq., and
Resolved by acelanzation,—That the warmest thanks of this
Meeting be and are Lereby presented to his Worship the Mayor,
for calling the Meeting, and for his impartial conduct in the
chair.

To the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, in Parliament assembled.

The humble Petition of the Inhabitants of the Borough of Liver
pool, in Public Meeting assembled,

HUMBLY SH METH,
That your Petitioners have learnt with astonishment that a Bill
has been introduced into Parliament by the Vice-President of the
Board of Trade, by which it is proposed to deprive the Burgesses
and Corporation of this and many other sea-port towns in Eng-
land, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, of the Revenues which they
now lawfully derive from Dues on Goods and Shipping.
That the dues on goods carried in ships and the anchorage on
ships (the latter being the only charge made on ships by the
Corporation, and only ls. 3d. per ship, an amount too insignificant
to notice) now received by the Corporation in the port of Liver-
pool have existed for upwards of six hundred years; that they
formed part of the ancient Rights of the Crown, and were solo by
the Kings of England with the assent of Parliament, to the par-
ties from whom they were purchased by the Burgesses and Cor-
poration of Liverpool, and have been declared to be their lawful
property, after a full inquiry before the Lord Chief Justice of
England and a special jury.
That the Sum of £149,000 was levied by Rates on Property in
the Borough of Liverpool, during the year 1855, for Sanatory and
other Public purposes, independent of the sum of £183,146
levied in the same year for the Support of the Poor, and that the
proposal contained in the Bill now before Parliament to throw
on the Burgesses of Liverpool a large amount of debt contracted
on the faith of the continued enjoyment of their property, and
also to throw on them the expense of protecting, guarding, and
facilitating the transport of upwards of £100,000,000 worth of Pro-
perty, which passes through the port every year, is contrary to
every principle of law and justice.
That the trade and commerce of the kingdom have been greatly
benefited by the expenditure of the revenues derived from the
Dues collected in Liverpool, of which more than £1,000,000
sterling has been expended in widening or forming new lines of
approach to, or communication amongst the Docks, which now
extend five miles in length, and afford accommodation to four
millions and a-half tons of Shipping yearly, from which Docks
the Corporation of Liverpool derive no revenue-watitever.
That more than £70,060 have been expended i erpurposes con-
nected with the Conservancy and Improvement of the Port, and
upwards of £30,000 in building a Lighthouse at the entrance of the
river, whilst the Corporation is under legal obligation to expend
.e 130,000 in constructing a Landing-stage for the use of sea-going
Steamers, and also to expend net less than £2,000,000 sterling to
develope the commercial advantages of the Docks at Birkenhead,
that the works when completed will render Liverpool the most
commodious port in the world; but that such great and costly
plans cannot be carried into execution if the Corporation of Liver-
pool is deprived of two-thirds of its income.
That your Petitioners protest against the proposal to transfer
the management of the funds of this and other ports from parties
resident on the spot, and deeply interested in, and thoroughly
acquainted with, all local questions, to a Government Board, not
possessed either of knowledge of the wants of the several ports or of
any real interest in their prosperity, all experience having shown
that local management is greatly superior to management by
Government Boards.

Your petitioners, therefore, humbly pray that the said Bill may
not pass into a law, as its operation will be most prejudicial, not
only to the interests of your Petitioners, but subversive of toe rights
of property hitherto held sacred in this country, and most detri-
mental, as your Petitioners most humbly submit, to the interests
of the trade and commerce of the kingdom.
WM. SHUTTLEWORTH, Town-Clerk.