The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-11-20 00:00:00

BIRKENHEAD DOCKS.

THE Corporation of Liverpool has so far proved the
sincerity of its intention to carry out the agreement
made last session, by giving notice of a Bill to sanction
the proposed alteration, and unite the property at
Birkenhead, purchased by the Corporation, with the
estate of the Liverpool Dock Trustees. It is un-
necessary to argue on the necessity of this valuable
addition to the Dock accommodation of the port—for
this point has already been admitted, and proof of it
is also afforded by the increasing number of large
vessels.

The Bill proposes to authorise the alterations sug-
gested in the report of Mr. JOHN HARTLEY, with
certain modifications, in order to render the Great
Float available for ships of the largest class, and also
to take in part of Canning-street and Freeman-street,
Birkenhead, for dock purposes.
It also proposes to place the Birkenhead Docks,
when completed, under the management of the Liver-
pool Dock Trustees, subject to the existing Acts of
Parliament for the regulation of the Liverpool Docks,
so that the whole shall constitute one property, and,
at the same time, to equalise the rates and tolls, and
apportion them in respect of vessels using the docks
on both sides of the Mersey.
Another provision is to enable the Corporation of
Liverpool to borrow money from time to time for the
purpose of effecting the proposed alterations, and to
confer upon the Corporation full powers over that
portion of the property which will become vested in
the said Corporation.
It will thus be seen that the necessary preliminary
steps are being taken to give full effect to the agree-
ment which was entered into when Parliamentary
sanction was given to the purchase of the Birkenhead
Dock property.

MURDER ON BOARD AN
AMERICAN SHIP.

AN adjourned inquest was held yesterday, before P. F. Curry,
Esq., the borough coroner, on the body of Andrew Ritchie, a
seaman on board the American ship Assyria. From the evi-
dence it appeared that the deceased shipped on board the Assyria
in New Orleans, on or about the Ist of Oct. last, as an able-
bodied seaman. On the voyage from New Orleans to Liver-
pool, be was very severely beaten and kicked by William Wil-
son, the second mate, and the boatswain, John Hanson. Im-
mediately after the vesssel arrived here, the deceased was
taken to the Northern Hospital. This was on the 12th Nov.,
but, notwithstanding. every care bestowed on him, he died on
Saturday last.
Mr. John Hodgson Waterhouse, surgeon at the Northern
Hospital, said the deceased was brought to that Hospital suf-
fering under very great debility. He was severely bruised all
over the body, including two abscesses, one do each side of his
head. He had a compound fracture on the bridge of the nose,
and had also a fracture of the inner bone of the right fore arm.
Besides the injuries referred to, he had also an abscess on the
right ankle joint. Mr. Waterhouse had since made a post mor-
tals examination of the body, and found five ribs broken on
the right side. The causes of death were the injuries which
be received, and which were proved to have been sustained on
board the Assyria.
In the course of the inquiry it was shown that the deceased,
who had been shipped as an able seaman, but who was not,
had been most barbarously treated on the voyage by the
second mate and the boatswain, and that cruel treatment had
been inflicted on other members of the ship's crew during the
voyage.
The Jury returned a verdict of wilful murder against Wil-
liam Wilson, the second mate, and John Hanson, the boat-
swain.
Immediately on the arrival of the vessel in Liverpool, the
second mate and boatswain left the ship, and they have not
been seen or heard of since, notwithstanding the vigilant
search of the police, who have exerted themselves to the ut-
most to secure their arrest.