The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-07-10 00:00:00

DOCK COMNETTEE.

The proceedings of this committee included the report of the
parliamentary sub-committee on the Dock-bill, and on the
bill prosecuted by the Corporation for the purchase of the
Birkenhead Docks.
Mr, Brogwrrix asked whether the Dock Committee would
be bound by the bill to take the Birkenhead docks at the
price the Corporation was to give for them?
The Towst-Cxxiast, on being referred to', said by theclause
of the bill the Corporation were required to transfer the
Birkenhead docks to the Liverpool dock trustees so soon as
the latter body should be authorised by parliament to become
the purchaser, and the transfer was to be made either upon
the Corporation being repaid by the dock trustees the whole
of their outlay; with interest, or on such other terms as might
be mutally agreed upon, and approved by parliament.
Mr. WOODIRTInt wished to know whether the Corporation
was bound to sell upon the terms stated.
Mr. ALDERMAN' BENNETT also put a question, relative to
the subject, in answer to which the Town-Clerk said the Cor-
poration were required to sell the Birkenhead docks to the
dock trustees upon such, terms as might be mutually agreed
upon. The terms would come under the corisideratiou of the
council, and would require. to be sanctioned by parliament.
Mr. ALDERMAN ar,vm expressed his regret that Liverpool
should have laid itself open to-be charged by parliament with
not exercising its usual, caution at this peculiar juncture in
regard to the money market ;• in going for a bill, with the
prospect of an expensive war before them, to double thedoek
estate ; and which, disgaise• it as they might, would have
taken the timber trade out of LiVerpool to Bootle, to make- a
second dock estate for Lord Derby. He regarded the defeat
of this bill, for a defeat he considered it, with satisfaction, be-
cause it would have the effect of giving a check to that dispo-
sition to monopolise the whele • business of the docks which
had been evinced by the dock trustees. He had been told,;-
when he averred that the establishment of this monopoly,
would ruin the master tradesman, that, although destroyed as-
master tradesmen, these men would find employment as•
coopers, porters, and warehousemen in the warehouses of the-
Dock Committee, or in those to- be- erected ; but look at the-
difference in their position. They were now independent
men and masters; they would them become the serfs and
slaves of the Dock Committee; and Isolong as he had a seat in
the council, he would lift up his- voice- against the system
which tended to reduce them to such a condition. The Dock
Committee had a deal of evidence ; ;they had evidence to
prove that the timber trade could: only be carried on at
Bootle : they had evidence to prove -that there was a great
want of warehouse room in Liverpool; while at the very time,
he assured the-council upon his bonus as- a gentleman, one
half of the warehouses were unoccupied,- and not able to pay
the -parish taxes. The evidence of the-Dock Committee went
for . nothing-;. but, as was the case-with parliamentary com-
mittees,- they listened to parties in private-instead of in public,
and, this was-one- reason why the Deck-Committee were not
allowed -to perpetttatethis monopoly which was already begun,
and which he was, very glad to see was-nee to,be perpetuated.
Mr...1-11..eunko- said if the Dock Committee were allowed to
purchase the Birkenhead property at cost price-, including in-
terest, it was-quite right ; but if they had the- option of re-
ducing.the price by £200,000 or £300,000, he-thought it was
altogether a one-sided bargain. He thought something ought
to be done to compel the Dock Committee to take this property
from the Corporation without any loss whateverrthe time being
fixed at two, three, four or five years? .as--might be agreed
upon.

Mr. Swan. understood that the management- of the Birken-
head Docks was to be placed immediately in the hands
of the Dock Committee. (" Yes.") Well, then, the
Corporation .were bound in the next session. of Parliament,
or at some future day, to go and get -permission to sell
this property tothe Dock Trustees, and :the Dock Trustees
were also,to get permission to purchase-on .such, terms as both
sides might mutualty agree upon. These provisiena appeared
to be objecticrnable, for this reason. TIM Corporation were
putting the management of their property into the hands of a
body whose feelings, were• not likely to be in .favonr of working
it to the best, advantage. He would nct do it in his own case,
and therefore he would not do it in the case of those who had
entrusted their interests to his charge. He thought the Cor-
poration ought to manage the Birkenhead Docks themselves.
The TOWLY.CLERN, in answer to questicals- from Mr. Brad-
ley, said the Dock Committee had no power to, take the pro-
perty except upon suck terms as the Couneil'chose to agree to.
If they refused.to take- it on those terms, the Corporation must
apply to Parliament for an act to repeal the. clause, which, as
a matter of course,. would in that case be repealed, and the Cor-
poration could then manage that estate,‘
Mr. Alderman &HOLDER, in a speechof considerable length,
deprecated a, continuance of discussion upon the general
question, or doing- anything which might indicate a division of
feeling and opinion upon the subject, more particularly as it was
known there were-gentlemen in Manthesterready to take ad-
vantage of any incautious expression whichanight be dropped
in that. room. (Hear, hear.) No one would say that the
amalgamation of the Liverpool and Birkenhead Docks was
not desirable. It would remove a hostile trade• which, though
it never did any good by itself, was opposed tothena every time.
they went to Parliament. This Corporation were the occu-
piers of seven acres of land to the west side of the Queen's.
Dock, a large• proportion of which waa.covered by ship build—
ing, which could be removed to the: -Wallasey estate ; and
question might arise whether upon that six, or seven acres of
land a dcek.and warehouses could be erected ; and gentlemen
would see that there were a variety of questions which wora,
have to come before the Council before they went to Parlia-
ment.- With reference to the question of management, he
would observe-that the Council had n.veto upon the proceed-
ings of the Dock Committee; and,:, if the Dock Committee
should aome to a resolution which would be injurious to the
Council, they would be prepared to exercise that veto. But he
was not afraid of the Dock Committee ~ the two bodies were
one—(hear, hear,)—long might they. remain so.
Hoaitur said that in the agrangensents the Corporation
were running the risk of some ultimateloss, but he did not think
there would be any loss eventually,, because he was perfectly
satisfied that the Birkenhead property would increase ie value
exceedingly within the next few‘ years, and that any loss they
might incur would be amply compensated for by the benefit to
the -trade and port of Liverpool., He agreed with Mr. Dover
that it was for the benefit of Ifiverpool that the dock 3a-tension
scheme bad been considerably, curtailed, but he must differ
from Mr. Dover as to the opinion. expressed with regard to its
bating the duty of the Couneitto moult only the interests of
the tradesmen of Liverpool,, and not the benefit of the port
itself.

Mr. JAMES HOLME expressed his regret that Parlia-
ment had not sanctioned the•proposal for going on with the
whole scheme. One object of that scheme was to provide for
those important branches.of trade, which had been sent to the
Thames, the Clyde, the .Tyne, and the Humber. (Hear, hear.)
The timber trade could not exist much longer in the position.
in which it was, and it- only existed now by the sacrifice of
£12,000 a year upoa the Harrington Dock, estate, and this,
would continue until.soine provision was made either at Bir-
kenhead or the north end of the town. It was literally impos..
sible to go on much longer without a great sacrifice, and this.
could only be avoided by the north-end scheme being carried
out. He defended the scheme generally on the ground of its
absolute cheapness and comparative advantages ; in proof of
these averments, he went into a calculation showing- the
effects of it in various ways. He also dwelt on the
advantages offered by the scheme, as one which could
be carried into effect gradually ; and in conclusion he, main-
tained, the more the scheme was considered and understood
the more- it would meet with general approbation. (Hear,
hear)

After a few observations from Mr. Holt and Mr.
Woodruff—Mr. C. TURNER remarked that it waspremature to
discuss. the terms on which the Birkenhead estate was to be
taken by the dock trustees. He combatted the opinions ex-
pressed by Mr. Sheil, and expressed himself as unable to com-
prehend the source from which they sprung. The members
of the Dock Committee were elected by the Town Council and
the dock-ratepayers, and it comprised several of the principal
merchants, and others interested in the trade of the port.
Gentlemen who had no private interests. in the matter, but
whose chief object was to see the affairs of the trust adminis-
tered for the public benefit. He expressed entire concurrence
in the views so clearly laid before the meeting by Mr. James
Holme, whose able statement he should not weaken by any
attempts to illustrate it, but should content himself with
moving that the proceedings of the committee be confirmed,
which was unanimously carried.
The proceedings of the Law Courts, St. George's Hall,
and Education Committee were read and confirmed.—
The proceedings of the Health Committee having been
read and confirmed, the vacancy in the committee, oc-
casioned by the retirement of Mr. Bigham, was filled up by
the appointment of Mr. Sheil.—On the proceedings of the
Water Committee being read, a short discussion arose as to
the present water supply, the probability of receiving an early
supply from Rivington, and the propriety of putting down a
third pumping engine at Green-lane. The proceedings were
confirmed.—The minutes of the Library and Museum Com-
mittee were also read and confirmed, the name of Mr. Sheil
being added to the committee.—On the proceedings of the
Hackney Carriage Committee being read, condemnatory re-
marks were made by several members as to the way in which
omnibuses were overloaded, after which the discussion dropped,
and the proceedings were confirmed.—Some further routine
business was then disposed of. Mr. Henderson withdrew a
motion of which he had given notice relative to the making a,.
road through the Newsham House Estate, and the Council
adjourned.

A RETURN', published last week, gives a list of officers who
have applied for compensation for losses of horses, mules, and
baggage, during the campaign. The total amount granted
was £8,846 13s. 11d. The greater portion of the claims are
for chargers killed in action, lost at sea, &c.
IT is understood that a portion of the Foreign Legion, now
being organised and drilled at Shorncliff, will be in such an
advanced state of discipline as to be ready for embarkation
about the 20th instant. The destination of part of these
troops is the Baltic, and the remainder the Crimea.