The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-03-12 00:00:00

THE TOWN VERSUS THE DOCKS.

There is a pretty little difference at present existing
between the Corporation and the Dock Board, in-refe-r
rence to the proposal of the latter body to construct
what is admitted on all hands to be very desirable works,
the objeCt of which is to afford improved facilities for
the carriage of loaded carts and carriages across the
river at all times of the tide, and to levy tolls to pay the
interest on the outlay, the works being estimated to cost
L 50,000.

The question is, "Who is to pay the "
Augustus ambitioned grandeur in the streets of R!4ne,
and private enterprise seconded the imperial vanity. :To
look for private aid in this case were futile, and the
question then suggests itself whether the public, in its
collective capacity, should not step in and supply the
means for carrying out that which will be a great con-
venience, and is at present a recognised necessity, for
the scheme has been advocated by his worship the
Mayor, Mr. Rankin, Mr. Bushell,' Mr. Forwood, Mr.
Tobin, Mr. Maciver, Mr. Charles Turner, and several
other eminent commercial men.

The case is a somewhat complicated one so, far as
concerns the determining of the interests to be bene-
fited -by the proposed -works, and the- proportion- of
capital to be severally contributed by them. The-whfe
question was raised in April- last by the Birkenhead
Commissioners, whose ferry-manager made the following
communication to the Dock Board :—"'l am instructed
by the ferry committee_to inforni you that, in order to_
facilitate the carriage of loaded carts and carriages
across the river at all times of the tide, the l3irkenh7ad
Commissioners have under their consideration the con-
struction of steam vessels -on the American principle
but as they • cannot effectually carry 'out this system
unless the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board are pre-
pared to constrnct the landing-stage at Woodside with
this object, and also to alter one of the landing-stko
on the Liverpool side- for this purpose, the ferry com-
mittee will be glad to learn the views -of the Mersey'
Board in reference to this important object. The ferry
committee ne-ed scarce/5, call attentio'n toile' giCat
advent-4es a perfect system of transport across the rirer
will ensure to the property of the trust on both sides,
and to the public generally." •
The matter was referred to the Works Committee ;
and the well,matured judgment of Mr. John Hartley
having been called into requisition, plans were made for
carrying out the wishes of the Birkenhead Commissioners,
and the least expensive but nevertheless useful design
accepted. The Commissioners and the Dock Board
were willing to contribtite what they conceived could be
justly required of them in the shape of money; but the
Corporation, through their Finance Committee, did not
see their way clearly to vote a grant out of the public
purse. It is not the felicity of our times to have the
corporate exchequer sufficiently full to enable our local
legislature to engage in many great undertakings; yet
it must be allowed that in the past they acted with princely
munificence, and have perpetuated their name by; deed.'
'which in ages to come will reflect glory on the municipal
body. It is possible that some misapprehension may
exist as to the relative position of the Corporation to the
trade of the port. , Macaulay states that into the Custom-,
house of Liverpool has been repeatedly paid iu one year,.
a sum more than thrice as great as the whole income et
the English crown in 1685. The receipts of her-Post:
offiee;*even since the great reduetion of the duty, exeee°,
the sum which the postage of the whole kingdom yieldedc
to the Duke of York. Her endless docks, guar, alla
warellOuses are among the wonders of the world ;
Yet those conveniences hardly suffice for the giglbe
trade of the Mersey. In the time of Charles-T.(lod
shipping, we are told, was about fourteen .
st-
tons—less than the tonnage of a single moderll4 only
class ship ; and the seamen' belonging to. the; Is?'
r ie.ns
numbered about two hundred. But a gree'i Dock
was given to trade by the construction of the Old
day,
the
towards which the Cdrporation gave, in that
large sum of £5OO, the town dues for the Year being
only £360. Since then the -Corporationthat
trade, spending money and giving
land the Year
purpose, until we find that tip tenock Estates
1857, when the Liverpool and Birkenhead
hhe Town-dues,
were:consolidated, and, together-
for
rstered
Iciantd Harbour Board,
and three-quarters
handed over to the Mersey plon
the enormous' sum of °nde bnly them upon almost every
with the shipping and coin-
sterling had been expead
possible object connected
That the Corporation have given
coerce of the port.of
the deep interest that they feel in
tangible evidence
probable that had there been an
tiltreisport of Liverpool no one will venture
ca:cifius to the credit ofthe b borough fund, the
to
oh:47:i:ear;
arp
comic would have made a handsome grant towards
effecting the improVement which is now under the con-
sideration of Parliament. It is but bare juatiCe'ta the
Corporation that these facts should be borne in mind,
and the . digression on our part may, therefore, be
excused.

The Corporation, then, not being in a position "to vote
the public money away for the purpose sought, negotta-
tions were carried on between the Birkenhead Commis-
sioners and the Dock Board, Which resulted in an
application to Parliament by the latter body, for the
purpose of constructing the works on their own behalf,
and the contribution towards the expense of the improve-
ment, as far as the Birkenhead Commissioners are con-
cerned is, by the 14th clause of the bill, to be thus
regulated :
"The board and the Birkenhead Improvement Com-
missioners, being the owners or lessees of the Woodside
Ferry, may from time to time, if they
_shall deem it
expedient so to do, and upon such terms as they shall
mutually think fit, agree upon the annual or other suT,
or sums of money which the said commissioners Sala."'
pay by way of composition for all or any of the tolls
which would otherwise have to be paid to the board In
respect of the carriages, waggons, and other vehicles,
goods, cattle and other animals carried by the ferrytf
boats:belonging. to the said commissioners, and brough ,
carried, or driven over any part of the floating bridges,
piers, or jetties by this act authorised to be eenstructen
every such sum to be paid by such instalments as may
be mutually agreed upon, and out of any moneys belong-
ing to or under the control of the commissioners."
The Dock Board hold that as the convenience is a public
convenience, the public should pay certain tolls on usi
the works in question, and the bill seeks power for the_
board to " erect toll-gates and toll-bars upon the several
floating bridges, piers, and jetties authorised by this act,

or the. respective entrances or :appreaches thereto, and
may demand and take at such gates or bars such tolls as
they shill from time to time appoint for or in respect of
all carriages, carts, and other vehicles, goods, cattle,,
and other animals passing through the same." A max-,
imum rate of tolls is contained in the' schedule attached
to the bill, and this is done with a view to enable the
board to, compound with the other ferries on the Mersey,
either- existing, or hereafter to be established, for the
tolls payable by them in respect of the accommodation
afforded • theni by the. .new works, . the' plans , of which
show that the Seacombe Basin, hitherto used by the
pnblit free of rharge, for conducting - the _ferry goods
traffic, will be interfered with as to render it practically
useless fot that purpose hereafter. kresults that the
Whole of the goods traffic 'of the ferries between Liver-
ikkd and Cheshire will have to pass over the new works
for' the George's stake is to be devoted solely to pas-
senger traffic—and will become subject to a • toll that has
not hitherto been laid upon it. • •
Mr. Charles Turner, in his very able speech in the
Town Council, 'on Wednesday last, stated that this
improvement was not primarily made for the benefit of
the docks ; lint it is- argued, in reply, that the. Dock
board viiinid not make it at all for the benefit.of the
public crossing the ferries;' that seeing,the dock estate
is divided by the - River Mersey, there will be required
by and bye, no doubt, "steamer:flats" for carrying goods
from,the docks or warehouses on this side of the water
to the docks and warehouses at Birkenhead, or that goods
imported on this 'side may require to be -exported from
the Other;-and that; therefore, what the Dock Board are
propoging this scheme for is, and very-properly so, to
give additional facilities between the two sides of the
river; which will bepractically bringing the docks nearer
together. It is said by some gentlemen that, as that, is
so, and the. public are to be deprived of the Seacombe
slip, the Dock Board should surely give, the public an
equivalent forthat which they take away without charge,
but that should it be shown- they are giving more than
they are taking away, the Council would, no doubt, meet
theni in a fair and liberal spirit ;—that the Finance
Comniittee would entertain any proposition based in
equity,=that 'appears to them requiring a contribution
from the funds of the Corporation, and that if
they were to- bring up a report to the Council
recommending a contribution of a few thousands of
pounds, rather than a toll should be levied on. traffic
passing= into 'the, Great .Landing-stage, the Council
would willingly' contribute the necessary sum. On the
othet hand, adVocates of the bill declare that the Council
rejeeted- the- invitation to contribute, and that conse-
quently there was no other course open to the Dock
board than to proceed-with their bill, but that as the
town clerk went up to Lehdon.bn. Friday, no doubt the
matter will be arranged to the satisfaction of all con-
cerned.

The rejoinder gives rise to a delicate question. The
opponents of the bill say', seeing that the corporate
funds provided' the Great Landing-stage' entirely, at a
cost of £130,000, before the two estates were transferred
to the present trust, the Liverpool ratepayers should be
congidered as haVing contributed their full quota, not-
withstanding'any alteration which the new arrangements
of the dock trust may find to be necessary. It is asked;
supposing these approaChes that were provided by the
Corporation were proved'to be insufficient for the pur-
poses of the public and the dock estate licith; and sup-i.
Dosing the cost of then/. therefore to be entirely thrown
away, would any one dispute but that the. Corporate
funds had Contributed at least £lOO,OOO towards the
erection of this landing-stake ? - And, again, we hear it
suggested, that had the Corporation continued to receive
the town dues, and the 'dock estate had required the
contemplated alteration, it* is quite possible, the sng-
gestion being made to the Corporation that the amount
Of that revenue would have made this alteration, and
that.without charge to the dock estate; but as the dock
estate'are now the recipients of that fund, and avowedly
having paid no more thadlOs in the pound of its value,
by ')4tr. Tobin's estimate; the 1)Ock Board are pressing
too severely on the inhabitants of Liverpool when they
require either a large contribution toward this expendi-
ture, or an impost to levied upon everybody for its
use. These would appear to be strong arguments; but
there are two sides to the picture, it is said,- and,
gentle Men take exception to the statement that the
pec;ple of Liverpool have paid for the Great Landing-
stage. For proof one's attention is directed to the
Act of Parliament, and it is there enacted that the
Mersey Board shall pay to the Liverpool Corporation
the sum of £1,590,000 as compensation for the Town-
dues, the• Observatory, and the "Great Landing,stage.
As_to the second point, attention is drawn to the fact'
that up to the transfer of the docks the Corporation of
Liverpool ' received, in the shape of Town-dues
£3,295,000 ; that it expended' n thell port
same period £1,702,000 that it • dnring the':
to make such sacrifices in ftiturew'i' not be called updii
,d and that that being
the ease, 10s.. in the poun , without any obli ation 'to
spend any pOrtion of it on the, clocks, amountedg to the
same thing' as having 20S. in the
pound, and a moral
,
duty y attaching to diSburSe one-half at at least, in the fong
run, in giving facilitio to tiailc.
Thus, whilst one side can see dearlythat theeentern
platedlmpost will, practically, he a prohibition for very
much of the present intercourse between the two sides of
the river, theuther are as certainly convinced that the
town is getting the best 'of the bargain; and that trade
between Liverpool and the Cheshire side will beivonder"7
fully augmented by the new systein'of conducting ferry
traffic. Both sides are agreed upon one point,
.however,
and that is that nothiiig should be permitted to be intro-
duced but what will facilitate,, and certainly not preju-
di mutual exchanges of trade.
, 0,
The question, in its entirety, is a deeply-inteteSting
one ; and, having placed before, our readers a few of the
more cogent arguMents adduced by public men, in 64.7
Pc;rt of; Or'in -opposition to, the hill, we must leave the
whole matter in their iandl, well assured that their
penetration and discernment will result, in the end,. in a
decision that shall be for the public weal, and that shall,
not be
am
''heard in v the local councils, of the good
old town" and port of Liverpool.

TITE LATEST NEWS.

ti BY BRITISH AND IRISH MAGNETIC TELEGRAPHI

FRANCE.

PARIS, March 10.
The
ConStitutionnel has a semi-official article
against the too general adoption of universal
mirage as applied to the doctrine of national
sovereignty. A fakie extension of the principle
flag become an incessant source of trouble and
danger to Europe. Such an extension is about
t° take place in Italy in'opposition to the Imperial
11011e3", and to the counsel given by France.
The Paris correspondent of the Times says it
_stated. that the bulls of excommunication against
vrletor Emmanuel are ready to be launched the
rilanient the appropriation of the Central Italian
States is decreed.
The Opinione asserts that the Governments
°f CEalnlierY, Anery, and Nice are about to pub-
lish a proclamation, in accordUnce with the views
contained in Count Cavour's note of March 2nd.

PARIS, March 11.
The reply of the Holy See to the last proposals
of France
has arrived here. The Pope declares
the proposition to
political compass a confine within an exclusive
question which, it it concerns
the integrity of the patrimony of St. Peter, is
intimately bound up with the independence of
the church, although decidedly
rejecting the pro-
position to create a vicariate of the Romagna in
favour of a foreign sovereign. His Holiness
.chews himself disposed to enter into the path of
reform, on condition that the integrity of the
States of the Church is guaranteed.
The Moniteur publishes the Treaty of Com-
merce concluded between France and England.
The publication is preceded by a long, report,
Riving a historical• outline of the •neo•o t, tiations
Which preceded the signing the Treaty.

44n10-.
,THE FRENCH FUNDS.
PARIS, March 10.
. 3.5 P.M.—The market continues dull, but prices
hare• improved. Rentes 67f. 90c., ors higher
than yesterday.

~PItIJSSIA

' .1t(!(,)*"Ii) r.'ff! BERLIN, March 10.
It is stated, that althoUgh declaring an inten-
tion maintain a passive attitude if the Emperor
-44;01e0n persists in the realisation of his wish
for the annexation of Savoy, Austria has never-
theless notified to our Government that she has
...already informed the Court of the Tuileries that
if'ever the Rhine frontiers should be menaced,
Ilhe Would immediately unite with Prussia for the
ProteCtion of the territorial integrity of the Ger-
an-io Confederation..
It 4 stated that the English Government will
hOt protest against the annexation of Savoy and
.'l\] ice to France', but will support Switzerland in
her claims Concerning the neutralisated districts
°I Savoy. - - -