The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-09-21 00:00:00

MERSEY DOCK AND HARBOUR BOARD.

The usual weekly meeting of this body was held
yesterday, in the Board-room, at the bock-office. Mr.
Charles Turner presided ; and the other members pre-
sent were—Messrs. Rankin, Langton. Boult, Darhyshire,
Laird, Brocklebank, Shand, Farrtworth, Hubbaek, Tobin,
Moss, Arnold, Monde', Bushell, and Holme.

THE WORKS CO:VIMITTEE.-A CRANE FOR BIRKENHEAD

-APPOINTMENT OF MR. J. B. HARTLEY AS DOC:

ENGINEER.
From the proceedings of this committee, as read, it
appeared that an application from Mr. 14. Samuels, to
take on lease 100 square yards of 'land on the east
side of Great Howard-street and opposite the Stanley
Dock, for the purpose of a retail coal-yard, had
been declined.—The suggestion made by Mr. Graces,
at the last meeting, for completing the pasiage between
the Brunswick and Coburg Docks having been taken ,
into consideration, it had been resolved that the com-
mittee could not recommend the work to be undertaken
at present. Several of the cranes at the Canada Dock,
let to the Bridgewater Trustees, having been broken by.
parties in the employ of the trustees, who refuse to
repair-them, the matter had been referred to the solici-
tor.—ln reference to the application of Messrs. W.
Dawbarn & Co., read at the last meeting, it was re-
commended that 550 square yards' of laud near the
Ptince's Basin be let to them, for a slate and iron yard,
at the rent of £llO per annum, subject to six months'
notice.—The foundations for a sixty ton crane at Birken-
head being now in course of completion, it was recom-
mended that the erection of such crane be now pro-
ceeded with, at a cost of about £3,soo.—The com-
mittee having proceeded to consider the resolu-
tion of the board on the 30th ult., by which it
was referred to them to arrange with Mr. John Ber-
nard Hartley for the_ continuance of his aervices as Dock
Engineer of the board, reported, recommending that he
be appointed at a salary of £3,00 per annum, with the.
understanding that he should have efficient assistance in
the performance df the duties of his office.
BROCKLEBANK moved the confirmation of the
proceedings. There were two rather important points
to which he should wish to call attention. The first
was the erection of the crane at the Birkenhegd docks,
.The question was brought before the hoard some time
ago. It was then decided by the board that .it should
not he Rpeeeded with—that the foundations should be
put iu, but that the crane should not be erected without
further consideration. It was thought desirable by the
committee that they should now have the crane, and
they had recommended accordingly. He believed there
was at present considerable applicution for crane accom-
modation at Bithentread, which the board could not
supply. This wag one of the, grounds on which they
recommended its erection at present. In erecting syh
a crane as that, it Would be applicable to many pur-
poles,—not only for pitting beAns in steamers (and
they hoped for a gonaiderable amount of business of
that kind, by the way) but likewise for roasting vessels.
They had no means at present of doing so. It seemed
a crane of very great power ; but what a twenty-ton
crane would do, a sixty-ton crane would do, EtTv.i, it could
do what a twenty-ton crane (191 d, riot do. (gear, hear.),
The next point was the, appointment of )\.cr. Hartley as
engiyeT. of the board ; and he must say that no resolution
*Nell he had ever asked them to confirm gave him more
pleasure than the one he. had now to propose. (Hear,
hear.) Mr. Hartley'S merits as an engineer, and his
many other merits, were well known .to the board and
the public: therefore it was quite unnecessary for hint
to enlarge upon them. It was of great iniEurtc.,nce to
that board that they should have a gentleman who had
4 thorough hnowledge of every part of the works, and
4et only of' the works, but of every part of the dock
Mate. This thorough knowledge Mr. Hartley possesses.
He trusted that this would he a permanent engagement,
and he hoped, that his health would be so far re-esta,
blished, by. relaxation from the ardupos dikties which
he had to perform, that he would be able at

Tice, oil his return, to take tbern up--. Many subjects
had been pressed. upon him which, really hiirdly came
with the province of the engineer ; and the Committee
of Works considered it desirable that he should have an
efficient gentleman, under him to attend to many 'ol tbe
details which had generally, perhaps improperly, been
put upon the engineer, They must be prepared, when
the proper time arrived, to find such a man, and to retain

him at such a salary as would secure the services Oa
really efficient gentleman. He moved tie ?onnfirroation
of to proCeedV!

. . .
Ra.rimx had great pleasure in seconding the
motion. With regard to the crane at Birkenhead, it
was exceedingly desirable that every facility should be

given to draw vessels to that quarter, and withovt such
appliances they could not expect vessels to frequent it.
With respect to Mr. Hartley, no one at the board could
too highly appreciate his services, which were snore

almost than Mortal man could accomplish ; and he
trusted he would endeavour to find some person to assist

him, to be mqeh like what he was himself when his

name was assooiate4 with that of bis respected father.
The eHAIRKA:s; rose to say that he cordially concurred
in the observations made by the chairman of the 'Works

Oaninittee and Nr. Rankin with Tefiarenoe tnthe ger-

vices of 34T. 4aTtley, and he hoped the recommepdation
would he adopted unanimously ; he was sure it was for

the best interests of the board that it should ba so, and

he might state that it was with reluctance that Mr.
Hartley accepted the offer which the Works Committee

had thought proper •to make. The labours of Mr.
Hartley were, so severe that he had seriously impaired
. . .

his health. He trusted. tinit a little relaxation would

restore that health, moving as they did how able he
was to perform those services, and haying experience of
tile way in which he had performed them during the
life of his lamented father, in whose latter years Mr.
l'ohn Hartley had been really and truly the engineer of
the estate. (Applause.)
Mr. B„enur was sure there would be no difference at

the beard as to the recommendation to appoint Mr.
Hartley,eand no feeling but one of gratification that he
had consented to take the office. He should not trouble
them any more upon that point ; but, with respect to
the crane at Birkenhead, he n.Anqt confess he was rather
taken by stirprise at the subject being brought forward
Wilt so soon. Itt was not many weeks since the board,
after full discussion, had come to the conclusion that
there was no necessity for such a crane at Birk.enhead—
that the cranes at Liverpool were more than sufficient
for the trade of the port; that they were net fully em-
ployed ; that they qid not pay a percentage on their
outlay.; end that, therefore, the erection of this crane at
Birkenhead should be postponed for a season, till they eve
whether it would be used if erected, and that there was
some probability of their getting a return for. the money
which it would cost. Now the chairman of the Works
Committee had stetted nothing more than a vague
inipeession, that this might be, or should be at a future
time, II necessity—that after a time they might mast
ships there,-or put in boilers, which, for anything they
had heard, had never been made; and
.he :had not
heard of a single specific application for crane accom-
modation. He should be ready to vote for that crane,
or any other facility, when he saw that trade was there
requiring accommodation ; but he protested against
this or. any other outlay on speculation, on the
chance of business which might never pule, and
which they had no reare to think would come.
If 'ply gentleman 'there could state specifically
that- he knew of steamers wanting to be fitted at
Birkenhead, or who knew of vessels ready to go into
Birkenhead docks to be masted, then he should he
ready to sustain the recommendation ; but till then
must still oppose the erection of the crane. He moved
that, that part of the proceedings be not confirmed.
No one seconded the amendment.
Mr. LAIRD said the two subjects were of considerable
importance : one more so than the other,—he ellu,ded to
the appointment of Mr. Hartley. Noone.more c.ordially
agreed than himself with the eulogiurns, and he spoke from
considerable eTperience. He considered that from the
time Hartley's father had come there., na trust had
been so efticiently served, or so economically, as that trust
had been. He believed they had nearly used up Mr.
John Hartley in their service, and he only hoped that
he would go away, and that he could recommend to
them some assistant to relieve him of duties which
might still be performed under his direction. Now, as
to the crane. Mr. Boult had said that if he heard of
one application, be might change his mind. He (Mr.
Laird) had had several—he had one from a firm largely
engaged in trade to the East Indies. Fe laelieved the
crane would pay well ; and as a proof, had practised
what he was saying. He had at his awn cost, in, his
own small cloA, put up a crane which cast £.1009.i and
he forma, with the'limited business which he did, that
it was paying him well. Now, nothing would do more
to induce +rade; and the eepeiriug of vessels, than that
would do there. At thets meeting last week, Mr.
Hartley had stated that he could net permit steamers
to be tried in the docks on the Liverpool side, bi\t, that
they might he in the Birkenhead Float. law, he did
not see that vessels could go to lse repaired there, or to
pi their engines, unless they had this crane. Of course
his guarantee wood he worth nothing; bid he should
like n 9 better than to take seven years' lease of it,. at
five per cent., and he should make a good thing of it.
The recommendation of the Works Committee was
unanimous. The decision of the board before was not
that the crane was not wanted, and Mr. 13,ontt admitted
the necessity of the foundations being put W.' As they
were about to open the Float, he trusted that The board
would carry out the, ifsUoßimendation which the com-
mittee had unanimously
made at a very large meeting.
Mr. Mcilep,net,., said they proposed that Mr. Hartley
should succeed his father as engineer of the Dock Board,
He should like to know whether it was the intention of
the hoard to name any portion of the docks or towers
With, the name of Jesse Hartley. (Hear, hear.) Some
monument -to his memory, and of respect for the serviceseot
which he had rendered since he first began, was
.du
to the man ; and he should like to refer it to the F
Committee to consider the question. If permitted, he
e
should move that it be taken into consideration by the
Finance Committee, to see if they could not hit upon
ia
s_n c
sense of-the
a man tn.
swoomred,aapnpdroaprfiaaitthe
fimilosdcer;:n.tshoofw4ittn..ge
decease Jesse Hartley-
13%rdYfor a number
of years.
thought it desirable that notice should
1.'120 ciswiset,A„sta, k
n-. thpyeeirr, kppeaito the
be
d All the bard knew
given of a motion of r
th
opinion of Mr. Hattley at the
that he had the higliest°P veeklent., and, he thoskOt
Same time, this /night be a
timePfor consideration,
. they should take proP
bereerved that Ur, Hartley had refused
Mrsoiaaet. E-.-f-sitErrl., gel; in lifetime; and it was
of exist Hartley's services in the highest
Trjhiocuhamllelnr.t
whllaietb,leyohlitcpt-
betould venture to suggest to Mr. Mon-
Isecartilhr4et
(Rear.) But, of course, if Mr. Mondel
of such a motion, he w-. 5 sure it would.
gave notice
con-
structed cwt ehdetwheerre
receive every considerationcea
A.Q.DI the hoard:
r MOND.Ek arosoun that he sbOtael give notice of
sibly be raised.
ntet tloerbkesstw.