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

FEBRUARY J, 1856.1

21'068. Mr. Joshua Dixon and Mr. ThomasbSellar have been
elected to fill the vacancies respectively.
The law with reference to gentlemen elected to fill vacan-
!les at the board occurring between the annual meeting had
been found by the council to operate prejudicially ; and they
Would, therefore, suggest that an alteration be made to the
effect that directors elected to fill vacancies whose period of
ice will expire under two years, shall be entitled to con-
'Rune until the third annual meeting after their election.
The directors retiring by. rotation to-day are Mr. F. A.
‘4114, Mr. Edward Higgin, Mr. Joseph Hubback, Mr.
Charles Robertson, and Mr. W. J. Tomlinson, who are ineli-
gible for election during the present year. Five vacancies,
therefore, occur, which must be filled up at the present
cI
rueeton the The usual return of the attendance of directors is
1 "
altable.

BYLAWS FOB, ARBITRATION.
Your council have found it necessary to make certain alte-
rations in these laws for the purpose of expediting references ;
and they request the sanction of the Chamber thereto.
A resolution, embodying this change and that recommended
al reference to the term of office of directors elected to fill
vacancies occurring between the annual meetings, will be
submitted for your adoption.
111 closing this report, your council beg to repeat their cordial
L'assaks 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
tea Sly assistance they have give
Which their aid had been required.n to the various matters in
The Treasurer, Mr. JOHN AMIN, read the Treasurer's
statement, which showed that the total receipts during the
Year bad been £839 Os. 2d., and that, after providing for the
expenditure, there remained a balance of £126 19s. 2d. The
Treasurer congratulated the Chairman on the increase in the
number of members during the year. The members now
cumber 580, the increase during the year having been 30.
The Cuesinailar said, before asking the meeting to give its
Unction to the report which had just been read, he would
trespass on their patience while be offered a few remarks on
one or two subjects which appeared to be of great local inte-
rest. The first he should touch on was that of Dock Exten-
sion ; but in doing so he had no intention of tiring the meet-
Log with a long or intricate statement of details. Still, as he
considered so important an appendage to the town as its noble
docks were not matters of ephemeral moment, but would last
411 g after the present generation, and many of its successors,
had passed away, they were deserving of great and consider-
ate attention. The object of his remarks was chiefly to di-
rect attention to the encroachments made by the sea on the
north side of Wirral, which, it was well known, were consider-
able ; so much so, indeed, as to cause serious apprehension in
the minds of scientific men, that those encroachments might
rontinue_ so far and act so extensively as to involve the
Wallasey-pool. Such a state of matters demanded the
most serious attention, and he trusted that ere long some
measures would be adopted with regard to the subject 'which
would allay the public uneasiness. The next topic to which he
ssould refer was the post-office, concerning which much had
been said and suggested; and he need not remind the meeting
that it had frequently engaged the attention of the Chamber
and 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
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
change in the 'rates for these boxes, he was glad to learn that
five hundred of these boxes bad been given up, to the great
benefit of 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
Post-office in so great and so rapidly-rising u commercial town as
Liverpool 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
Power to remove the causes of complaint. Notwithstanding
their anxiety to afford this accommodation, it was found im-
Possible to afford it without changing the site of the building.
Beforethis 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
matter steadily in mind. Another -subject, which had been
referred to at some length in 'the report, had refer-
ence to the operation of the 'Bank Charter Act, under
'such circumstances as those 'which had lately pressed
`upon and disturbed the money enerket. On that subject it
'Would be borne in mind that a committee of members of
the Chamber had been uppointed to consider the matter,
'and to report to the council. They had done so, and
'was proper he should state that the terms applied to that
'subject in the report were not those of the Council, but of the
`Committee which had been appointed to attend to that parti-
`Mier matter. The clansesorthe 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-
ing. It also gave the Bank of England a preference in trans-
actingthe businessofGovernment, 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 thecountry. This matter, which, as he
bad already said, had been submitted to the attention of a
committee, was of such deep importance as to demand; and it
no doubt would receive, the utmost deliberation ; but, from its
very magnitude and importance, the committee would do well
to be cautions in not pronouncing a judgment too hastily. The
next point on which he should remark was the gratification it
afforded him, in being able to congratulate the Chamber,
on the increase of its members, and on the comparatively
flourishing state of the finances. To effect this latter object
great 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
observed that it had been entirely omitted in the. Queen's
Speech. (Hear, hear.) But when he reflected on the inti-
mate commercial and personal and friendly relations existing
between this 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 ueburetltlutt every Mau iu Liverpool must be
aware that to go to war with that country would be an net of
suicidal insanity. (Heart hear.) The Americans were-of the
same family as ourselves; they spoke the same language, and
were at one time part oteurselves—although there may have
been some heat and irritation at the time of theirseparation from
us, that feeling was happily passing away. At the present time
this country was so completely armed in all ways, asto 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 formaking 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
might 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 mach affairs merely of etiquette,
that on them also we couldiefferd to make the concessions of
a strong man, who willingly gives up what is of no real value,
to 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. MAME said he felt great pleasure in seconding the
motion, which pleasure he considered to be the greater as he
'was fully aware of the onerousduties the Council had to perform,
. and when he reflected howwellthose duties 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
small attendance of to-day there would have been such a
number present as would have far more than filled the
room. (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 Par-
liament than in the last iu reference to the law of partnership ;
it would, therefore, impose a serious duty on. the Council
to watch over that measure. He for one trembled
.at the bare idea of such a subject being dealt
with by a government not conversant with the principles
and details of commercial matters. (Hear.) He felt regret
to think that so little respect had been paid to this
Chamber 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.
(Hear.) In reference to removing the Post-office, he consi-
dered 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
series of buildings some*here there, in which all public busi-
ness might be transacted. In respect to the expressions used
by the chairman in connection with the disputes between this
country and America, he concurred in the sentiments con-
veyed, with the exception of one word. He would suggest
that the word " conciliation" should be substituted for
concession." Having made these observations, he should
conclude by cordially seconding the motion.
Mr. C. &mural, begged to offer a word in deprecation of
the 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
in 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
for 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 farther to complicate a subject already sufficiently diffi-
cult.
Theßaesinsaa.N explained that the language and the alma-
' sions he bad 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. BOULT differed from the opinion that such matters
were best left to the decision of Her Majesty's Ministers. In
his 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
some of the bye-laws, was moved by the CHAIRMAN, seconded
by Mr. ROBERTSON, and unanimously adopted.
Mr. BOULT, Mr. MACFIE, and Mr. Burnam, were appointed
to scrutinize the votes tendered for the new directors.
Mr. T. BAINES directed attention to the law which pre-
vented the re-election of retiring directors, as one detrimental
to the interests and working of the Chamber's business.
Mr. Boner, after a few remarks on the Sound Dues, moved
a resolution approving of the construction of a line of Mag-
netic Telegraph communication between Liverpool and
Holyhead ; and that the resolution be communicated to the
Dock Committee.
Mr. LAMONT seconded the motion, which was unanimously
carried.
, Mr. Mamas read the annexed communication on the sub-
lect of the postal arrangements, and moved that the matter
he remitted to the Council:—
The snails to and from Scotland are still in an unsatisfactory
state. There are two mails northward ; for the one, letters
must be posted before 1.20 p.m., which is a most inconveniently
hour ; for the other, letters may be posted about 8 p.m.,
but then they are not delivered even in Edinburgh and Glas-
gow till about eleven or twelve next forenoon, which is incon-
le
a niently late, Dundee, course, not till hours still later in
isley, Greenock, &c. The only thorough remedy is
!I,oneashire mail for the North. At present the very im-
I'vrtant correspondence of Liverpool and Manchester is either