The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-12-14 00:00:00

THE DOCK BOARD.

The usual weekly meeting of this board was held
yesterday, at the Dock-offices. Mr. Rankin presided ;
the other members present were Messrs. Shand,
Bold, Boult, ird, Hubback, Littledale, Smith, Arnold,
Inman; Brocklebiank. Segakrorwood, Lockett, Darby-
shire, Langton, Itulchison, Andersdn? and Tobin.
COI4MITTEi.
Fiorn nroutes of AO committee it appeared that
the Mlaster ,ASTration,' having been Con.-
stilted as to the cOnstrqiion oft'lieqclie' Wall; of the new
Graving Docks, had suggested that at the bottoin bnge
hlockS„shoup. be laid upon rails; and this ha'd been'
referred for tie consideration of the engineer.=-3tr.
Myerp had, written, asking the terms for from
2,000 to 5,00 TY square yards of land on the north side of
the Great Float, for lhe Catkin of creosote-works.
Mr. LAIRD, in reference to the Cialirtg Ducks, pointed
out the advantage of having vertical walls, a frriirciple by
which they were enabled to accommodate more vesielf
than by having sloping sides and steps. One of his
docks, constructed on this principle, was 440 feet long,
Grid he
~could accommodate two vessels of 2,000 tons
each and aie of 1,200 tons, making 5,000 tons of
shipping. Now there' Was. ire/ similar lengths op the
Liverpool side which could aCionntrcedate such a number
of ships; and as both iron and steak' de is Were ins
creasing so rapidly, the objection raised to thdi 637gerri
,of docks before could not prevail. Mr. Laird nett
referred to the system of indemnity bonds exacted from
ships entering the Birkenhead docks. He had under-
stood that by this time the guarantee would be with-
drawn, as there would be a sufficient depth of water in
the nag:
Mr:
,Buockrxiiiarg. said it it was intended to con-
Aida the trew.graving docks on the same principle as
thOse on this side of the liter, and the matter was one
which had received great eonsidefation from the engi,-
neer. The plans had been sUbliiitte'd td the master--
shipwrights, who approved of the system With gOine
slight alteration : it was suggested that rails should be.
laid down at the bottom of the dock, so that bilge blocks
might be drawn under a vessel from one side to another.
The question would be before the Works Committee on'
Saturday, when Mr. Laird or any other gentleman might,
attend.

Mr. SMiTh said the only object which the board could
have was, that the graving docks should be completed
upon the most efficient priuciples possible. Mr. Laird
was himself a member of the Works Committee, but for
the first time at that board had come out with his sug-
gestion.
Mr. I3OIJD said the question of vertical walls was not
a new one it had frequently been before the committee
when they were altering the graving docks. He should
like to' see the principle tried in one of the docks, with
the iniproternent Or the American sirsteruf suggested by
Mr. Boult, for &toting etYt the shores.
Mr. INMAN said there was a diffetente in the work-
ing of such a dock by Mr. Laird, where all employed
were his own workmen, and a dock where antagonistie
ship carpenters would have to work side to side together.
Mr. LOCKETT said, some time ago Mr. Maclver and
others had complained of the enormous expense of hav-
ing vertical sides to the Huskisson lock, north and
south.

The CIWRMAN was sure that any suggestion offered
by Mr. Laird Wotild be fully considered by the committee.
Mr. BROCKLEIiANk thought the whole discussion
premature, as the plans Would hate to emcee before the
board for their consideration.

The proceedings were then confirmed.
The proceedings of the Warehouse Committee, which
comprised a recommendation to appoint four apprentices
whose term has expired, as landing clerks at Stanley
warehouse, at £BO per annum, were read and confirmed.

THE MARINE COMMITTEE.-LITERATURE FOR THE
LIGHT-SHIPS.

Prom the proceedings of the Marine Committee, it
appears that tenders had been invited for a supply of
coal for one yeat to the lighthouses and landing-stages.
There was an entry that, by requisition on the Seamen's
Afloat Society, religious books had been supplied to the
lightships, within the value of ad. Mr, Gisborne re-
ported continual interruptions to the telegraph between
Voel Nant and Birkenhead. The water baliff hating
reported on the obstruction caused in the river by a
sewer out at the Dingle, the attention of the Conservators
of the Mersey had been called to the matter.
Mr. DARBICSHIRE, in moving the confirmation of the
proceedings, stated that there was some reason to suspect
that the interruption to the telegraph had been wilfully
caused, and an inquiry was in progress into the matter.
Mr. BOULT, in reference to the small purchase of
books referred to, said he should like to know whether
they-undertook the religious instruction of all their men,
and if they did, what church they were to patronise
particularly. He observed a vote of X. 5 for religious
books, for the people on hoard the light-ships. If they
had to find such things for the light-ships, they might
be asked to do the same thing for the dock gatemen,
and next for all the navvies working upon their works.
He thought it was a wrong principle. Besides, how
did they know the religious books they chose to send
would be acceptable ? They might send some high
evangelical, and find the men were Catholics; and would
not have them. They might send Puseyite works, and
find they were Calvinists, who would as- soon touch
pitch as look into one of those works. (Laughter.)
He thought it most objectionable, and moved that it be
referred back.
Mr. BOLD said it was at the request of the men them-
selves that this grant was made. The dock-gatemen
and all their other servants differed very materially from
the men on the light-ships: There they were obliged
to be afloat one-half of their time, and had no oppor-
tunity of attending public worship. He, therefore,
could not agree with Mr. Boult as to stopping the
grant altogether ; but under the inspection of the com-
mittee they need not be afraid of injudicious books being
placed in the hands of the men.
Mr. DARBYSIIIIIE was not aware of there being any
sectarian books amongst them. There were three boxes,
which cost only £1 ss. each.
Mr. SMITH thought there was a principle involved in
the matter, and to a great extent he agreed with what
Mr. Boult had said. He could readily suppose that the
position of the men in the light-ship was a lonely and
solitary one, and it might be desirable that that board
should furnish a small library for the purpose of afford-
ing those men books that should give them moral
instruction, and in reference to their profession; but if
they were to be merely religious books, he thought Mr.
Boult was right.
Mr. INmAN said the Marine-Surveyor had been called
upon by the committee to explain the case, and he stated
that they were books of religion, history, travels, and
that kind of thing.
Mr. S3flTH—Then they are not religious books—it is
all right then.
Mr. BOULT said he had no objection so far as history
and travels were concerned, and books of a useful
character ; but he was afraid of introducing theology.
He had no objection to religion, but he looked upon
theology with the utmost dread.
The subject then dropped, and the proceedings were
confirmed.

THE PILOTAGE COMMITTEE.
The proceedings of this committee showed that the
owners of the present No. 9 pilot-boat had asked the
privilege to build a new schooner pilot-boat instead of
the present sloop.-4 letter had also been received from
Mr. Thomas Court, Secretary to the Underwriters,
calling attention to the fact that some of the pilots were
shareholders in the United Steam-Tug Company
(Limited).
Mr. SHAND, in moving the confirmation of the pro-
ceedings, said as to the pilots holding shares in steam
vessels, that was absolutely precluded so far as the
Pilotage Committee have power ; but they bad not full
Power till a certain bye-law be passed, which is in course,
of preparation for that purpose.
The proceedings were confirmed.
THE DOCKS AND QUAYS COMMITTEE..
The proceedings of the committee for the management
of the docks and quays comprised recommendations to
superannuate a dock gateman; to appoint three dock
gatemen ; to fix a slide in the centre of the shed on the
south side Clarence Dock; and to permit the placing of
a moveable corn bin on the quay of Wellington Dock,
at the berth occupied by Messrs. Allan Brothers and Co.
It also appeared from the minutes that Messrs. Gibbs,
Bright and Co. had applied for the withdrawal of the
indemnity required from ships entering the Morpeth
Dock at Birkenhead; but the application had been
refused.
Mr. Lociarr, in ,moving the confirmation of the pro-
ceedings, said the indemnity was still required, and
would be till a new entrance had been opened. lie saw,
that within the last few days several guano ships had
come here. _ _ _

Mr. LAIRD said he had raised this question before ;
and the board were then told that when -the Morpeth
Dock was laid dry, the sill would • be examined, and
things made right. Now evidently some blame attached
for not putting these gates and that sill right; and if
this were to go on, and that indemnity-was to be kept in
force. he should say it was better for the board to order
vessels out, and have the work put right at onee,—for
he need not tell them that with the delay in the con-
struction of the low water basin, for the next eighteen
months that indemnity would hang over those docks,
and prevent vessels of a large draught of water going
there. The chairman had said, on a former occasion,
that the same indemnity was required from any vessel
entering the half-tide docks on this side of the river;
but what he (Mr. Laird) complained of was, that the
board were not informed before that this at Birkenhead
was to be a permanent indemnity, that they were not to
get rid of it till the northern entrance was opened.
There was very little wrong with the sill ; at all events,
-they should have been informed what was required,
when the water had been let out.
Mr. BOULT said, with reference to the Morpeth Dock,
be thought those who built it should have taken greater
care to make their work so that it would stand. He
believed Mr. Laird was chairman of the old company,
and they were answerable for it, and all other defects.
Mr. Ellicot had told them yesterday that he had patched
up that sill as well as he could. It had stood so long,
but be did not wish the board to take responsibility in
the matter. • Knowing how that- board was always
treated when they went to law, how the scale was always
turned against them, Mr. Boult thought they should
be acting unwisely in taking such a risk. He then
added, with reference to some remarks he had made at
the last meeting, that he was now satisfied that the
chains of the buoys in the Great Float were sufficiently
strong for the purposes to which they were at present
applied. •
Mr. ARNOLD thought Mr. Laird's question had not
been answered, which was why the work bad not been
done before the water was let into the Great Float. It
was never understood that this indemnity was to be a
permanent indemnity ; on the contraryi it was under-
stood that it would terminate in the beginning of De-
cember. He did not think they had had a satisfactory
explanation of why the work had been postponed.
Mr. SMITH said there appeared to be a little misap-
prehension on the subject. It was not a question as to
the gates themselves, at the outer entrance of the Mor-
peth Dock into the river, but it was the stonework con-
nected with those gates; so that if they went into the
repair of them, the work could not have been done in
three or four weeks ; but it would take three months, '
dUring which the entire working of those docks would
have to be stopped. Now, under the circumstances, the
probability was the danger was not so great as to say
you must close the docks and make the repairs—the
probability was that no danger would arise to any vessel
using the docks ; but after the experience of what the
board had had to pay for what was said to be wrong
about their sills, it became a duty to protect themselves
against the possibility of such claims as had already
been made. Now, as it would take three months
to make it perfectly safe, it was a question
whether they were not promoting the interests
of Birkenhead by simply leaving it to the shipowners to

• take .the responsibility, the risk not being great, as the
head engineer th'ought. He thought, under all the cir-
cuiligtaucsit; more trade would be done at Birkenhead
by the compreiVoit Of the ficw entrance, keeping-up the
indemnity, than by -goir.lt, ei with the absolute repairs
required in removing the inder,ll_l:v althgether.
After some further discussion,
Mr. Laird moved that the question of the ii'clerrinitv
required from shipowners, for ships entering the Birkerr:
head Docks, in the present state of Morpeth Dock gate
and sill, be referred to the Docks and Quays Committee,
to Cen'sdit tith the Works Committee, and to report to
the board.
Mr. Arnold seconded the motion, which was put and
The piroeegdiugs,yiere therr.confi'rnied,- an were those
also of the Master Porterage Committee:
• ealtiNthtickriol4Bl '
The Chairman (Mr. 'Mince); vihlo'had lust preN'ionSly
read over the various minutes relating fottioiiespoptlence
with the War Department, with the view of di yvfing
tbjt ,the site of the Saliibury Pier had been.definitely'
oerM td gorernment for the erection of a battery a few
years ago.
.4., iv
A letter was reaa froirt. litessrs. Taylor, Tipper, and
Co., the agents of a line of shiph. to' Poston, asking for a
permanent loading berth in the BranireP:Moure Doek. •

THE CORN TRADE,

Two communications were then submitted, which lied
been received from the Corn Trade Association. One of
th'ese cons steel in a copy of the minutes passed at the
late riveging of the' trade, in which objections were
raised to the sY'sfeint on vrbicir dock fines are imposed on
produce not removed' 314hin. torry.-eight, hours from the
dock quays, and suggesting us suMtitute a filed rent
charge, the details to be arranged tt a' trafte m'an'ager.The second document consisted of the trieirii ial, which
had been passed, based upon the resolutions mired 'at
by the meeting, and which has already been published`:
It should be stated that, in the former communication,
an intimation was conveyed that a deputation from the
asseeiation were desirous of waiting upon the Dock
Board on the subject,
The drinn,itxx, in reference to this latter point, said
that the old dock b'on'fd Were in the habit of receiving
deputations, but since tile' Metsey Pocks and Harbour
Board had been called into existence' only one.deputa-
tion had been received, which was fi deputation
from the Council at the request of the Mayor: It
was a question whether they should receive such
deputations.
Mr. ARNOLD stated that in 1858 they received a
deputation about an emigrant's home, which it was
proposed to establish on some part of their estate, when
they were entertained with a speech from 'Mr. Jeffery
which lasted three-quarters of an hour.
Mr. LAIRD thought the matter should be referred to
some committee: the memorial was of great importance.

- Mr. Ilubback proposed that the Works Committee
shmild receive the deputation.
This was agreed to, it being understood that an inter-
SieW Wmild be granted on Saturday next.
Mr. Bo'ilLt said he had entertained a hope, with
refelenee to cargobs of grain coinirig here, that the corn
trade wmiid take leates of the tarehottses at Birkenhead,
with a view to the h'effet dispatch of their business.
They knew, he presumecif foltheirdepities at that board
must have informed them that they. were at present
entirely tied up as to the expenditure iri Liverpool',
while they had unlimited means as to liirkenhead;
and granaries upon the best possible plan could
there be constructed. If they openly declared that
Birkenhead would not suit them, then that would
iffloife the going to Parliament by the board for the
n'etessary powers; bat they should have a distinct
eipression of opinion from the corn trade on the subject.
Because they kneW that ally expenditure on the Liver-
pool side would be opposed, "tooth and nail" and•that
they should only obtain perinission from their lords and
masters
,the Board of Trade on a direct declaratiort
from the parties interested, that Birkenhead Would not
suit them, and that they would not go there'.
The CHAIRMAN said,there was a long,staternetit froM
Mr. Gilks, an old servant of the board, upon the subject
of the working of the dock quays, which, perhaps,
might lie on the table for consideration.
Several members stated that they had received,a copy
of it, and the chairman said they might then study it
for themselves. _

The matter then dropped.
MISCELLANEOIig.

A report from the head constable was submitted, on
the subject of fires. This stated that the amount of
property at the Canada Dock gave him great anxiety,
as anything like a fire occurring there in the timber
yards the loss would be most serious. It was referred
to the Docks and Quays Committee.
A letter from Samuel Jones was read, asking leave to
occupy 100 yards of ground on the east side of Regent-
road, for the purpose of carrying on the trade or busi-
ness of a lath-dealer, subject to the terms and stipula--
tions which the board might direct, was referred to the
Works Committee.
The next business upon the paper consisted of a notice
of motion, which had been given by Mr.
Iluoback, to
the following effect :—" That the Canada Dock be, for
the present, appropriated to the sole use of the timber
trade, and that the Harbour-master be instructed to
exclude all other vessels therefrom, except such as shall
seek shelter, and not be discharged in the Canada
Dock."

- Mr. HUIIIIACK stated that, with the leave of the
board, he would withdraw the !notion. He sand' that
the vessels which had gone into that dock laden with
corn had been hauled into other docks, the owners
finding that if they were unloaded there they would be
held responsible for damage.

RATES OF CHARGE FOR GRAVING DOCKS, ETC.
• Mr. BOULT then brought forward the following
motion, of which he had given notice:—" That powers
be sought, under the clause to charge Graving. Dock
Rates, per longitudinal foot occupied, or prevented from
from being otherwise used, and time employed; and at
such rates as the board may deem fit ;" also, " To alter
the rate allowed to be charged for ships lying up in the
docks of this Trust, under the clause of the Mersey
Dock Acts Consolidation Act, 1858, from twopence ~per
ton per month, to twopence per ton per week ; with
power to the board to make such reduction as they may
see fit upon vessels laid up in any of the Birkenhead
docks." He said his intention was that ships should be
charged in proportion to the time they were in the deck,
and in proportion to the longitudinal space which they
filled in the graving dock ; and supposing that they had
a length of 300 feet, and a ship of 250 feet came in the
remaining 50 feet thereby being made useless, his ideawas that the 250 feet ship should pay for the 50 feet
which she preVented from being occupied. That part
of the resolution, however, he should not press ; and,
with reference to the remainder, he did not think it
necessary to occupy the board many minutes. It was
very well understood by all parties that the present
system of charging graving dock rates led to the greatest
practical inequality and injustice.
The CHAIRMAN said, as he understood Mr. Boult's
motion, it was that powers be sought under a clause to
charge rates by the longitudinal space occupied, instead
of per registered tonnage, as at present. The chairman
added, that of course that would alter materially the
Graving Dock dues in favour of some vessels and to
the prejudice of others. He did not know which was
better—per foot or per ton.
Mr. Forwood seconded Mr. Boult's motion.

Mr. LOCKETT said there was a larger tonnage in
short ships, when in reality they did not take up more
room. He then, in general terms, supported -Mr.
Bouit's motion.

Mr. Lot/Ix said the steam trade were always willing
to pay rates on the principle which Mr. Boult proposed;
but in reference to the expression in their resolution,
"at such rates as the hoard may deem fit ;" he wanted
to know if that was subject to the Board of Trade.
The CHAIRMAN said No. They had certain maximum
rates, within which they might charge at their discretion.
Mr. INMAN—This would have to be a certain rent,
variable at the pleasure of the board.
Mr. SMITH—The board would have to go to Parlia-
ment fixing maximum rates.
Mr. BROCKLEBANK said it would at times operate very
prejudicially to charge all vessels longitudinally. They
would really charge the smaller vessels, which could
least afford to pay, the same per foot as, they were going
to charge a vessel of 1,500 or 1,600 tons.
Mr. SMITH supported Mr. Boult's motion.

The CHAIRMAN said it had just been suggested to
him by the solicitor, that the Docks qnd Quays Com-
mittee, or some others, should apply themselves imme-
diately to fixing the scale, provided the resolution were
carried, as the bill must be lodged by the 22nd.
Mr. BROCKLEBANK complained that they would be
overloading the committee at such a time as the pres9nt,
and wished that Mr. Boult would withdraw the motion.

Mr. RArnurt said they were asking- to take powers
which would meet opposition from every quarter ;
whereas, if a proper scheme were submitted to the par-
ties, it might meet approval. He would therefore
suggest to Mr. Boult that the matter should not be
pressed this session, or they might be foiled and injured
in other points which they were seeking from Par-
liament.
Mr. BOULT hoped the board would pass the resolution
as it stood.
Mr. SMITH thought there was too little time to give
the subject due consideration ; and after some further
discussion upon it, Mr. Boult at length consented to
withdraw his motion for the present.
This was the whole of the public business.

y:r fromoF A
Messrs. CLIPPER S e
hairi
of
np
ei.—, THhaerrte w ,
anads launched
s
y e sl L
eArY ce
a
yard, a clipper ship for the China trade, of about 890
tons burthon, and 700 tons register measurement, for
the owner of the late celebrated clipper, the Fiery Cross,
lost in the China Sea in March last. The new ship
was only contracted for in the middle of June, and was
to be afloat by the 30th December. She has, therefore,
been completed considerably within the stipulated time.
She has been pronounced by all competent judges to be
faultleis in model, and unsurpassed in materials and
workmanship. Miss Tinne, of Brierley, conferred on the
ship the same name which her predecessor rendered
famous; and when the vessel glided down, and floated
on the bosom of the Mersey, she was greeted with shouti
of admirlition by the. spectators. We venture to predict
• uthnaritvsahleledas they
will notonmlyereer
of her
ebrunt
namesake.
THE performances,
THE HISTORIC SOCIETY.—A meeting of the literary
section of the above society was .held last evening, in
in the • Grand Jury-room at St. George's-hall. Mr.
M'Quie occupied the _chair. Donations : from the
society, the seventeenth volume of the second part of the
Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society ; Transactions of
the Royal Society of Literature, sixth vol., third part
(from the society). Mr. Harrison exhibited a beauti-
fully- illuminated volume of a Latin history of the
Saviour. It also contained an almanack. The date of
the almanack, as well as that of the publication, was
torn away. It was highly admired. Mr. Buxton, master
of the deaf and dumb school, made some remarks upon a
paragraph which appeared in a contemporary yesterday,
containing statistics bearing upon the deaf and dumb
population of the kingdom. Ile said the paragraph
tended to lead persons into error, and he therefore read
a number of figures, compiled from the general census
of 1851.—Mr. A. Craig Gibson read a paper explana-,
tonatory of parchment deed, presented to the society by
Mr. H. W. Harrison, containing a list of appeals made
before certain commissioners in the hundred of West
Derby, against assessments laid' upon the property of
Roman Catholics, under an act passed in the ninth, year
of George the First, the object of the assessments being
; to repay the expenses incurred in putting down " the
L recent conspiracies."—Mr. W. G. Smith read a paper
; called " Notices of the less common Thanerogaineotis
• plants of the Liverpool district.".