The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-02-19 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

LIVERPOOL TOWN COUNCIL.

AN adjourned meeting of the Council was held on Wedni-
day ; John Stewart, Esq., the Mayor, presidiuk.
The MAYOR, in reference to the question otthe Town-dus
-Bill, said he had received communications front the Town-clek
and from Mr. Horsfall, intimating that the bill would not pe
in the hands:of members before next day (Thursday), and sg-
gested that any discussion would be premature, and oughtto
be forborne. , The suggestion was concu7ed in, and he
.Council proceeded to the ordinary business.

VPATTsIi F Aild-LEZA:gt iitkiironl, FILLED

WITH WATER.

The report of the Water Committee stated that an extenson
of time-to the - 21st of. this month had been given to Mesrs.
Miller and Lawton, one of the contractors at the Rivingon
Works; mid it alsO comprised a- report from Mesers. Dalian
and Statham, engineer and clerk of the works, stating that;he
Anglezark and Rivington reservoirs were now being rapdly
filled:

Mr. HOLT moved the adoption of the proceedings, and in
doing so confirmed the statement as to the filling ofthe
Anglezark Reservoir, which he said was filled to within anew
inches of the top; and that there was a much larger bod• of
water in the lower reservoir at Rivington, in which, atthe
last report, there was water to the depth of 17 feet atthe
lower end, and it might now have a depth of 20 feet. It
was particularly gratifying to learn that every part ofthe
works seemed so far tight and good.
Mr. HODSON seconded the motion. _ _

Mr. 'HORNBY, in answer to a question from Mr. R. Cad-
stone, said he had no doubt that water from the Rivioton
works would be delivered in Liverpool by midsummer.
Mr. HOLT, in answer to a question from Mr. Aldernan
Bennett said, the engines for the Green-lane works were failt,
and the boilers were nearly ready ; the boring would be om-
menced immediately; that at Windsor, he observed, had seen
very successful, the yield being 140,000 gallons per lay.
After this, the proceedings were confirmed.

LIBRARY AND MUSEUM : THE PROPOSED NEW BEILDSG:
DONATIONS FROM PRINCE ALBERT AND THE BART OF

DERBY.

The proceedings of the Library and Museum Committe in-
cluded a recommendation to authorise the borrowing of alum
of £20,000, for the purpose of purchasing a site on Slues-
brow, for a building for the Library and Museum, at Ight
angles with St. George's-hall, and fronting the south (de;
that plans and specifications be advertised for, a premink of
150 guineas being given to the successful competitor, andloo
guineas to the second best plans; the Council, however, /IQ to
bind themselves to take the plans of the successful arhitet ;
that the architect, whose plans are chosen, receive fiveper
cent. upon the cost of the building, in addition to theire-
mium, such per-centage to include travelling expenses,
that the final adjudication upon the plans be made by he
Town Council, with what architectural assistance they mkht
deem necessary to obtain ; that any person divulging his mine
before the final selection, be struck off the list of competitos ;
and that designs, &c., be sent in before the Ist of June.
Mr. PicToix moved that the proceedings be confirmed, aid,
in doing so, intimated that during the month the commitee
had received, as a present from Prince Albert, the receuly
published book descriptive of Balmoral, by Dr. Macgillivrty,
as well as a donation of some valuable works on natural hs-
tory, from the Earl of Derby. He stated the mode of
carrying out the plans, and said the interest of the moiy
borrowe should be defrayed by the Library and Muse=
Committee; without bringing any charge whatever upoh tae
corporate fund. (Hear, hear.) Of the additional £20,00
proposed to be raised for the erection of the building, thy
had £lO,OOO in hand, 'and £6,000 was promised by Nl'.
Brown, M.P. ; while the sale of the building in Duke-streit,
now occupied as a library and museum, was expected to realie
the difference.

Mr.
.Woonßum? seconded the proposition, which was car-
ried ; as also a special vote of thanks to the Earl of Derby ilr
his valuable donations.

A Library and Museum rate of id. in the pound, to pay tie
interest of the £20,000 to be borrowed for the site of tie
building, was confirmed.
The report of the Hackney Carriage Committee was co-
firmed, and a copy of proposed new bye•laws was referred kr
further consideration.

The proceedings of the Baths Committee were confirmed.
CLEARANCE OP WRECKS.

A report was submitted from the Water-bailiff, detailnga
correspondence which had passed between him, the Reteiver
of Droits of the Admiralty, and the Board of Trade. It
seemed that after the wreck of the Glide, sunk off the :North-
west Lightship, had been raised, and removed by the Vater-
bailiff, a passenger applied to the Receiver of Drota, to
know whether any clothes had been saved ? This w►s the
first intimation that gentleman had received that these had
been such a wreck, and, thinking that its clearance was ttneh-
ing upon his duties, he wrote to the Water-bailiff, who replied
to the effect, that the Receiver of Drafts had nothingto do
with wrecks occurring within the jurisdiction of the conser-
vators of the river. In subsequent correspondence, the
Receiver of Droits drew the attention of the Water-baiiff to
certain powers vested in the Crown by the Mercantile
Shipping Act, of 1854. On behalf of the Water-bailiff, ii had
been replied that that act did not affect a previous att, of
George 111., by which power to remove wrecks withit the
jurisdiction of the Conservators of the river was given to the
Water-bailiff. The question was next referred to the Board of
Trade, who ruled that, as a matter of law, the Receivor of
Droits was right in his interpretations ; but it was recom-
mended that in future all such wrecks should be reportel to
the Conservator, who should raise the wreck, and hand over
whatever surplus there might be to the Receiver of Droits,
and suggesting also that the Town Council should give the
Receiver of Droits an indemnity against any parties who
might proceed against him for property wrongly appropriated.

&r. ilonNr.y, in moving that the recomiiiendiiion of the
Board of Trade be agreed to, expressed his belief that in no
single instance since the passing of the Conservatory Bill bad
the expenses incurred in raising wrecks been counterbaltinied
by the proceeds ; and in very few instances had the Council
been able to-recover any deficiency from the owners.
Mr. Alderman J. HOLMB seconded the proposition, which
waS carried. •

TUB GAS QUESTION:

REPLY OF THE GAS COMPANY TO THE PROPOSITION OF THE

COIINCIL.

The proceedings of the special committee on the supply of
gas included the following communications from the Gas
Company :

" Gas-office, Newington, 29th January, 185 E.

" Dear Sir,—We have laid before the directors of the Liter-
pool United Gaslight Company your letter of the 21st instant,
and the copy of the resolutions- of the council, adopted at their
meeting on the 9th instant, transmitted therewith.
" The directors having considered your letter and the rase-
lutions, have instructed us to reply as follows :

" With regard to the first resolution of the council, pro-
posing ' that the share property of the company should be
converted into bonds of the company, bearing a fair and equi-
table rate of interest, and that the undertaking should be
managed by a board of nine directors, three of whom- should
be appointed by the council, three by the consumers• of gas,
and three by the bondholders,' the directors consider the pro-
posal to be so extravagant and unreasonable, and so devoid of
every fair and just element of security to the shareholders, as
respects their preperty and income, that they decline•to enter-
tain it.

" With regard to the proposal ' a' of the second resolution,
" That an immediate reduction be made in the price of gas,
"The directors beg to observe that, on the Ist- Jamiary,
1855, they reduced the price within the borough from 4s. 6d.
to 4s. per 1,000 cubic feet. The full effect of that reduction
on the income of the company has not as yet been ascertained,
and the directors consider the request of the Council for a
further reduction, at so early a period, as unreasonable. The
directors hope that they may be enabled from time to time to
make reductions in the price of gas, in conformity with the
provisions of the Company's. Act of Parliament. Those pro-
visions were for the benefit of the consumer on the one hand,
and the protection of the shareholder on the other ; and the
directors deem it their duty to observe them. faithfully, as re-
spects both parties.
" With regard to proposal ' b,'
" That the Borough Engineer for the time being shall have
access to all departments of the company's works, with every
„facility for testing the quality of the gas, and ascertaining the
pressure at which it is supplied:-
" The directors are responsible for the management of the
undertaking, and the appointment of competent officers and
'servants in all departments of the company's works, and they
consider that, were they to permit an officer of the Corpora-
tion to have access to all departments of the works, it would
tend to weaken that feeling of accountability to the directors
solely with which all their officers and servants should be im-.
pressed, and the interference of such officer of the Corporation
(which would probably result from his admission) would, in-
the opinion of the directors, lead to differences and collisions
between him and the officers and servants of the company.
The directors, therefore, decline to grant such access to the-
Borough Engineer.
" As regards the testing of the gas, the directors would re-.
mind the Council that an apparatus, on the most approved
principle, was some time ago fitted up by Mr. King, in.the
Borough Engineer's office, for the-purpose of enabling him to
test the gas at all times.
" With regard to proposal `c-,'
" `That the company consent to the appointment of officers,
responsible to the Council, to test, examine, and adjust the
meters on behalf of the consumers,'
" The directors have already signified their willingness that
a public inspector of meters should be appointed; and, if the
Council have matured any plan, having this object in view, the
directors are prepared to give it their best consideration.
" With regard to proposal `d,'
"`That the powers of the auditor be extended so as to
enable him to have access to all documents and accounts
which he may think necessary to enable him to report fully
on the financial position of the company, and to ascertain.
that all moneys are paid out of and carried to the credit of the
proper accounts,"
" The duties of the auditor, or accountant, are defined by a
general act, having reference to all gas companies, and the
directors do not consider that they have auy power to extend
such duties, and they would observe that on no occasion has
any complaint been made by the gentlemen appointed to
examine the filed accounts of the company, that any informa-
tion was withheld which was necessary to enable them to dis-
charge their duties fully and satisfactory, according to the act
of parliament—We are, dear Sir, yours, very truly,
" THOMAS CARSON,
"JOHN B. LLOYD, Secretaries.
" Wm. Shuttleworth, Esq., Town-clerk."

The report was accompanied by a bill against the Corpora•
tion, for £34 19s. 7d., for the attendance of officials during the
inquiry and during the examination of meters.
Mr. KITCHEN, as Chairman of the Special Committee of
Inquiry, moved a resolution to the effect that the whole sub-
ject be referred back for the consideration of the committee,
explaining that that course was considered advisable in conse-
quence of the comparatively recent period at which they had
received the Gas Company's reply.
Mr. BRADLEY seconded the proposition.
Mr. Alderman BENNETT considered the whole justice of the
case would be met by the appointment of a meter inspector, and
moved, as an amendment, the following :—" That the Council
sanction the appointment of an inspector of meters, and also
that the borough engineer attend to the testing of gas ; and
that the present Gas Committee confer with the Directors of
the Cas Company, with respect to the terms and conditions
under which such appointment of inspector should take place,
and also as to the duties to be performed by such officer."
Mr. ROBERTSON seconded, and Mr. HORNET supported, the
amendment.

A protracted and somewhat acrimonious discussion ensued,
in the course of which the gas company was defended at
great length by Mr. Alderman S. Holme ; and the proceedings

of the committee were vindicated by Messrs. J. C. Stewart,
Sheil, and Robertson Gladstone ; after; which, Mr. Bennett's
amendment was put and carried, by a majority of 25 to 13.
For the Amendment:—Messrs. Holden, .M‘Guilie, Holt,
Livingston, Fernihough, Jeffreys, A. Shan4Wagstaff, Law-
rence, Brancker, Johnson, Picton, Hodson, Aikin, Robertson,
Farnworth, Gregson, Halhead, Ald. Langsdale, Bennett, Pres-
ton, Parker, F. Shand, S. Holme, and the Mayor.
Against :—Messrs. Crosthwaite, Woodruff, Stewart, Sheil,
Nichols n, Bradley, Haydock, Godfrey, Hornby, R. Gladstone,
Kitchen, Clint, and Beckwith.
The following gentlemen, being gas shareholders, did not
vote :—Mr. tanner, Mr. Earle, Mr. J. B. Lloyd,. and Mr.
Alderman Cooper.
Mr. Alderman _Bennett's amendment now became the ori-
ginal motion.
Mr. SIIEIL proposed, as an amendment, thatthe subject be
referred to a special committee ; but on a division it was ne-
gatived, and Mr. Bennett's motion for the appointment of
meter inspector was carried.

A report from the special committee as to the purchase of
the Birkenhead Docks, recommending a lease of land at Bir-
kenhead to Messrs. W. Laird and Co., at is. a-yard, as a coal
export station, was unanimously adopted.