The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-01-29 00:00:00

JANUARY 29, 1856.]

LIVERPOOL EXCHANGE BUILDINGS.

TILE annual meeting of the proprietors of the Liverpool
Exchange was held yesterday, in the Cotton Sales-room, the
chair being occupied by Mr. Robert Gill. There was only a
limited number of members in attendance.

The Crwamla said the chief business of the meeting was
to receive the annual statement of accounts, which presented
few features of difference from those of last year. In some
particulars there had no doubt been a little variation, but not
to an extent of any importance. The differences, he might
state, were chiefly that there had been a little increase in the
amount paid for property-tax, and a slight deduction in the
amount realised by the sale of newspapers. There had like-
wise been an increase in the expenditure, by furnishing the
newsroom with handsome plate-glass windows ; and in making
alterations on the entrances, for increasing the facilities of
access, by widening the area gates, and giving a superior en-
trance to the area. Notwithstanding these increased items of
expenditure, the committee felt that they could safely recom-
mend that the same dividend as in former years be declared,
namely, £B. 17s. per share, together with £3. 3s. per share in
lien of the right of nomination to the newsroom. He con-
cluded by calling on the secretary to read the accounts.
Mr. YOUNGHCEIBA.ND, the secretary, then read a state-
ment of accounts :
Dr. £ s. d.

To Dividend for 1854 on 800 shares, at £8 17s.
per share
To amount paid in lieu of the Right of Nomina-
tion to the Newsroom for 1855 on 800 shares,

at 23 3s. per share 2.520 0 0
To disbursements on account of the Newsroom,

£ s. d.

viz. :-

Newspapers and other Publica-
tions
Telegraphic Intelligence 2OO 0 0
Coals and Gas ..........
Rates and Taxes .... ... ..... 436 310

Salaries and Contingent Dis-
bursements

4,141 3 2

To amount paid on account of the
Building, viz. :
Joiners' Work and Iron Work 430 13 6
Masons', Slaters' and Brick Work l2O 13 6
Plumbers', Glaziers' and Painters'
Work
Insurance from Fire, Taxes, and
Lay Charges 339 17. 9
Property Tax
Salaries and Incidental Expenses 453 9 2
2,455 2 9
To 13alaice

£24,497 7 10

Or.
Ity 13alunce of Account for 1854
By amount of Subscriptions to Newsroom, &c
Annual, 2,733 at £3 3s 8,608 19 0
Quarterly
Sale of Newspapers, &c. 178 16 4
9,057 12 4
-By Rental of the Building, from 31st December,
1854, to 31st December, 1855.
Received this date £4,862 17 6
To be Received...... 2,116 5 0
6,979 2 6
Bank Interest
--- 7,140 15 6

£24,497 7 10
By Balance brought down £8,301 1 11
Deduct Amount bo be transferred
to the Contingent Fund......... 1,221 111

Disposable Balance...-. 7,080 0 0
Audited 2.3 rd Jan., 1856. CHARLES BOULT,
JAMES H. MACRAE.

Errors excepted.
Liverpool, 31st December, 1855.
JOHN H. YOUNGHUSBAND, Sec. and Treasurer.
CONTINGENT FUND.
Invested in the 2tew Three.per Cents. £4,992 7 6
In the Bank of A. Heywood, Sons, and Co 559 1 7

£5,551 9 1

The CHAIRMAN moved that the statement of accounts be
approved, .printed, and circulated among the shareholders.
The motion was, seconded, and unanimously adopted.
Mr. HAEMOOD BANNER moved that the sum of £1,221
Is. 11d.be carried to the contingent fund, as recommended
by the committee. In doing so, he said it was greatly to the
credit of fhe committee that, notwithstanding the increased
expenditure on the year, they were still able to pay the usual
dividend, and lay aside so considerable a sum to the con-
tngent fund.
Mr. BA.TESON seconded the motion, which was carried.
Captain ALEXANDER moved that the dividend be payable
-on and after the 4th of February, which was also carried.
Mr. tdelley and Mr. Henderson were appointed auditors
for the ensuing year. The following gentlemen were ap-
pointed directors in • the room of those retiring by rotation,
'viz, :—Messrs. J. H. McCrae, James Howell, Frederick Engel,
'Thomas Bolton, and Henry Robson.
The CHAIRMAN said the next business to be brought under
the notice of the meeting was a report made by the committee
who' had mentioned the matter to Mr. Stewart, the Mayor,
in reference to the subject of enlarging the News-room. The
subject, he stated, had received the most minute attention
and the-most careful consideration of the committee, anttalso
of Mr. Stewart. He then called on
Mr. YOUNG-HUSBAND, who read the following

REPORT.
The proprietors having referred to your consideration.the
best means of enlarging the present Exchange-room, or other-
wise providing additional accommodation of that description.
Counsel's opinion being that streets, piazzas, &c., which
bound the extremes of the present room could not be inter-
rupted, at once disposed of the question of enlarging the area
of the present room : consequently, however inconvenient,' the
only way in which the additional accommodation could be
obtained was limited to • providing a new additional room as
contiguous as possible to -the present room, or otherwise to
make use of a room on the one pair floor to be constructed out
of the present Underwriters-room and the offices on that floor.
Your sub-committee were of opinion that the least incon-
venient way would be to provide an additional room, and, as
the most convenient in contiguity to the present room, a por-
tion of the northern stack of. the present offices naturally pre-
sented itself.
I propose, therefore, said Mr. Stewart, in his report to the
sub-committee, to bring before you such information as occurs
to me as needful to be considered, should this suggestion be
adopted.
This northern stack of offices is the narrowest, being only
37 feet 6 inches in width on the ground floor, whilst your-pre-
sent room is 51 feet wide, and your western offices a little
more than that ; the width of the northern stack is ample for
private offices, but narrow for a public room, and its limited
width must limit its length ; it follows that the area to be
• obtained on this site for a public room cannot be very great.
I propose to clear away Nos. 14, 15, 16, and 17, which will
give a length of about 93 feet inside, from which, if a stair-
case and a master's room be taken, there will be left a room
of 81 feet clear in length by 37 feet 6 inches in width, a great
length for a room of that width.
Your present room, clear of the Mbar, is 111 feet long and 51
.feet wide.
The height of the proposed new room would take two
'present stories, and would be equal to the side parts of the
present room,' but the width of the new room would not allow
of the division by columns into a centre and two sides, the
consequence of which would be to make the want of height
more apparent, -
I think the cost of carrying out the alteration would be from
£6,000 to £7,000. A year's rent would be lost on all the
buildings interfered with, and about two-thirds of the rent
thereof permanently sacrificed, in substitution for which there
would be the nett return of additional subscriptions, after
deducting the expense of the additional staff of officers.
Simply as a question of finance, it is doubtful whether it
would succeed, and how far it would promote the convenience
of parties frequenting the Exchange, is a question which your
committee are better able to decide thann I am.
(Signed) OHN STEWART.
Some discussion arose as to the practicability of something
being done immediately to increase the News-room accommo-
dation ; in the course of which,
Mr. M'CRAE remarked that, having been previously a mem-
ber of the committee, he had urged this matter upon their
consideration; but experience taught him that it was very
difficult to get the committee to move on the subject. He
impressed on the meeting the paramount importance of some
steps being taken immediately.
After a few words from Mr. Bolton, the chairman, and Mr.
Melly, the committee was instructed, on the motion of the
last-named gentleman, seconded by Mr. Bolton, to obtain
plans for the most efficient means of improving the whole of
the buildings, so as to afford the most advantageous arrange-
ment of them for the general purposes .of an Exchange.
Thanks were then voted to the chairman, and the meeting
separated.

LIVIIRPOOL P3IILHARDIONIC SOCIETY.—The annual meet;
ing of the proprietors of the Liverpool Philharmonic Society
was held on Thursday, in the Cotton Salesroom, Mr. Marriott
Presiding. The report was unanimously adopted. The regular
receipts of the season have about balanced the regular expen-
diture. Two concerts, however, given this year with Madame
Goldschmidt, and which do not appear in the accounts, have
resulted in the handsome profit of £1,700; and, when this is
taken into account, the present total debt of the society may
be stated at about £7,400. There was very little discussion ;
various recommendations in the report were agreed to, and
after the election of some new members of committee the
meeting terminated.
Tim STEAm-Sarr PnisrcE PA.Turcx.—This fine vessel,
lately built by Messrs. Vernon and Sons, of this town, for the
North Lancashire Steam Navigation Company, running be-
tween Fleetwood and Belfast, made her trial trip on Saturday
last. She proceeded from the Prince's Pier about noon, and
the trial-was in all respects highly satisfactory. A sumptuous
banquet was provided on board, prepared by Mr. Morrish, of
the Merchants' Dining-rooms, Tithebarn-street, which did
ample credit to the culinary taste and resources of that gentle-
man's establishment. About thirty gentlemen were present,
and participated in the good things as well as in admiration
of the fine vessel

AT the Society of Arts' weekly meeting on Wednesday last,
Mr. G. F. Wilson read a most interesting paper relative to the
Manufacture of candles at the famous Vauxhall Works. He
Commenced by describing the constituents of candles, both
tallow and composite ; the main difference between the two
being that the first were made from fatty matter in its crude
form, while from the latter an ingredient called glycerine was
extracted. The presence of this substance in fatty matter
caused tallow candles to require a wick three times the size
used in stearine candles, and hence the greater illuminating
Power of the latter. Mr. Wilson then proceeded to trace the
steps by which composite candles had been brought to their
Present perfection, and, in conclusion, alluded to the various
experiments made by his firm (Price and Co.) in the produc-
tion of vegetable oils, observing that the Russian war had put
the screw on oil discoverers all over the world. So far from
the material being exhausted, he believed that they were only
at the commencement of their discoveries, and that oil would
be obtained from many matters which were now looked upon
01117 as refuse.