The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-07-11 00:00:00

MERCANTILE MARINE SERVICE

ASSOCIATION.

A monthly meeting of the members of the Liverpool
Mercantile Marine Service Association was held yester-
day at the offices, 20, Water-street ; Captain Sproule,
chairman of the association, occupied the chair, and
among the gentlemen present were :—Captains H. R.
Cumming, Josh: Cornferth, George Roche, H. J. Ward
(deputy-chairman), H. Ponsonby, W. Paton, John Olive,
Chas. Semple, Donald Taylor, Thos. M'Millan, Brooks,
Wm. L. Morrish, Thos. Johnston, Black, and Findlay ;
R. Lamont, Esq., Thomas Clarke, jun., Esq., Rev. J.
Lewis Jones, and Mr. Galloway, civil engineer.
Mr. B. J. THOMsoN, the Secretary, read the fol-
lowing report :
No meeting of members having been held since the general
meeting in April hist, the council then appointed has now to
report that it has selected for the offices of chairman, deputy-
chairman, treasurer, and secretary, for the current year, the
gentlemen who performed those duties last year, viz., Captain
Benjamin Sproule, chairman; Captain H. J. Ward, deputy-
chairman; Captain Walter Paton, treasurer; and Mr. B. J.
Thomson, secretary and solicitor. The finance committee has
also been appointed, and Capt. Henry Ponsonby again elected
chairman of it. The council has already reported its proceed-
ings with reference to the evidence given before the select
committee of the House of Commons on merchant shipping,
and it has since urged its views, and the wishes of the service
upon the departments of the government likely to come into
contact with that committee. The committee has concluded
the evidence it will receive, and its report will be shortly pre-
sented to the House of Commons. From the advanced period
of the session no bill can, of course, be expected to be intro-
duced this year ; but the Board of Trade will, no doubt, during
the recess fri.nle a bill for introduction into Parliament next
session. The council will continue to take every opportunity
of again advocating the interests of the association, and of
offering such suggestions as may be required to render the bill
a complete measure, and one which will do full justice to the
position and claims of the British merchant service.
In May last the Council asked the committee for managing
the affairs of the Liverpool Underwriters on what terms a copy
of the arrivals and departures, received by them, of ships at
and from Liverpool, could be obtained for the ti,e of the rooms
of the association. The council has much pleasure in report-
ing that the committee has kindly offered the desired informa-
tion gaatuitously. The committee has also intimated to the
council that they have an office on the Prince's Landing-stage
fqr the convenience of receiving reports from ships frequenting
Liverpool, and adi that the more complete and efficient these
reports are made, the more valuable they will be found to the
mercantile underwriting community. Tha council need
scarcely point out the truth of this, but it would earnestly
urge all members, in return for the kindness and recognition
shown by the Liverpool Underwriters' Association towards
this association, to make their reports as ample and explicit
as practicable, and to forward them at all times, and with the
least possible delay, to the office of the Underwriter's, on the
Prince's Landing-stage.
Mr. Maitland has presented to the rooms a copy of his
" Chart for determining the difference of time in longitude in
pactsall of the world by a bearing of the sun or other heavenly
bodies.',

The first year of the School Frigate Conway terminated on
.he 30th of June. The report of the Committee of Manage-
ment has not yet been made; but it will be laid before the next
general meeting of the members and associates.
The association still continues to receive a steady increase,
the number of new members entered in April being 17, in May
19, and in June 11. The financial position of the association is
also healthy, the receipts in April, from donaticns and sub-
scriptions, being £l3O 45., in May £O3 16s. 6d., and in June
£39 7s. 6d.
While, however, the general position of the association is
thus satisfactory, the council has to urge upon the mornhers
and associates who have already joined, and many of whom
supported the association at its commencement, the necessity
which exists for their uniform and constant support, in
order to form it into a permanent institution, and to enable
the council to do the greatest possible amount of benefit to the
service in carrying out the various objects for which it was
formed. No doubt from absence, and-the other incidents common
to the active life of a sailor, many members have overlooked
their subscriptions ; but when they leard, as the fact is, that
the subscriptions in arrear amount to nearly £l,OOO, they
must feel how very much the resources of the council have
been crippled. Of the advantage which the association has
been, and is to the service, and of the necessity for its perma-
nent existence in this port, the council is satisfied no doubt
can be entertained; and it relies with confidence upon the
arrears which have accumulated being shortly and largely
reduced, and upon receiving, in all respects, the unanimous,
warm, and continuous support of the commanders anti officers
of the merchant service of the great part of Liverpool.
20, Water-street, Liverpool, 10th July, 1860.
The CHArum.ks, in moving the adoption of the report,
expressed regret that the subscriptions in arrear amounted
to £l,OOO, and said it was very hard indeed that those
who had been the means of founding the association and
who still did so much for it, should be crippled in their
efforts to promote the success of the association, by the
subscriptions being withheld. He could only attribute
the large amount of arrears to the fact that many of the
subscribers were out of port, and hoped that when they
returned they would hand in their subscriptions. Per-
haps the fact was owing in some measure to a feeling
that the association was doing nothing; but, if it were
doing, nothing, how was it that they had been put for-
ward as an example to all the other ports of the king-
dom, and had brought down upon them the eyes of the
whole world ? He expressed a hope that the members
present would use their efforts to obtain an accession of
new members, and to induce the old ones to pay up their
subscriptions, and concluded by moving the adoption of
the report.
Captain PATON seconded the motion, and said that he
thought the reason that the association was not more gene-
rally supported was because those who ought to take au
interest in the association did not make themselves ac-
quainted with what the association was doing. If the
members individually exerted themselves, and if the
merchant service would combine in the way they ought
to do, there would be no better body in the community.
Captain WARD remarked that one of the great objects
which had been held in view by the council was the
raising of a fund for distressed or wornout seamen. This
could never be thoroughly made an institution without
the sanction of the Government, which had been applied
for. The memorial of the association was before the
Board of Trade; and it only required a little time to
have the matter settled in such a way as to confer upon
the association advantages too numerous to mention.
He thought that parties in the hurry of business forgot
to pay their subscriptions, and that if some one were
appointed to ask for them they would be forthcoming.
The CITAIIyMAN said they had appointed a collector,
who was also to canvass for new menibers ; and no doubt,
in a short time the whole of the money would be ob-
tained. He then put the motion, which was carried
unanimously.

A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the pro.
ceedings.

SELECT VESTRY.-YESTERDAY.

The fortnightly rueegng of the Select Vestry was held
yesterday morning, in the Parish-offices, Brownlow-hill.
The Rev. Rector Campbell occupied the chair. The
other members present were Messrs. Churchwardens
Cropper and Smith ; Owen, Scott, Peck, A. Byford,
Denton, Satchell, Hand, Williams, Whitty, Turner,
Bairstow, and Syrod.

IygRKEIOT.TikE COMMITTEE.
This committee recommended that the day-room and
old men's ward should be boarded. The committee
had witnessed experiments showing the pressure of
water which might be brought to bear at a fire in the
Workhouse.

The confirmation of the proceedings was proposed
by Mr. Churchwarden Cropper;
Mr. DENTON introduced the subject of extinguishing
fires at the Workhouse, referring to the experiments
witnessed by the committee, which he regretted to say
had turned out a complete failure. He should not
remain quiet until the house was supplied with an
efficient amount of water to extinguish fires, cost what
it may. Did a fire occur at the present time he could
not imagine the consequences. Tt was the fluty of the
committee to provide against all accidents, and he
sincerely trusted that immediate steps would be taken
to introduce a sufficient supply of water into the house.
Mr. WILLIAMS inquired what he intended to do ?
Mr. DEN-roN replied that it was the duty of the
Workhouse Committee to devise some plan for alleviating
the evil; and whether it was by a tank or something
else he should leave the committee to decide.

Mr. PECK suggested another Pike scheme, as the
present one was not sufficient. (Laughter.)
_ _ _ - - -

Mr. CROPPER remarked that Major Greig and Super-
intendent Hewitt had promised to submit a report at
the next meeting of the committee, until which time he
thought it advisable to wait, when, if a report from
these gentlemen were not forthcoming, it would be for
the committee to devise some plan for themselves.

The Ci!AIRMAN stated that the evil was not so greo
as had been stated by Mr. Denton. The supply of
water was quite sufficient, but the pressure was too
weak ; that defect the committee were taking steps to
remedy.
Mr. Scon asserted that Mr. Duncan, the water
engineer, was satisfied that he could bring a sufficient
pressure to bear upon the Workhouse iu case of pre.
Mr. DENTON—Yes, at our epense.

The matter then dropped.
Mr. DENTON complained that they were paying higher
rates for beef than other institutiuus, instancing the
Toxteth-park Workhouse,
Mr. TURNER remarked that the beef supplied to the
Workhouse was not dear considering the state of the
market, and he contended that the plan adopted by the
committee in purchasing beef was the most judicious.
The proceedings of the committee were then unani-
mously confirmed.

INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS.

The committee reported that the Rev. Dr. CoAcso4,
Mr. John Yates, and Mr. John Lomax, acting as a
deputation from the koman Catholics, had again drawn
their attention to cases where Catholic children had
been placed in Protestant families, who had compelled
them to attend Protestant places of worship. The de-
putation intimated that a committee had been formed to
find situations for the Catholic children in the institu-
tion, and expressed a wish that the children who were
then in service in Protestant families should be released
from their pugagemeuts and be allowed to enter Roman
Catholic families. • •
The Committee recommended that whenever
any Roman Catholic itanates are ready fur service,
a list of their names be given to the Rev. H. Gibson,
the clergyman attending the Catholic schc4s; that
applications frau Romani Catholics be dealt with in the
usual way ; and that no more Catholic children be
placed in protestatif fainilresi‘ With respect to the
second part of the application, vix., the releaie of attic,-