The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-04-04 00:00:00

BIRKENHEAD COMMISSIONERS.

Thp usual monthly meeting of the 'Birkenhead Com-
missiouers was held in the board-room, Hamilton-
square, yesterday morning. Mr. Hind presided, and
the other members preseot were Messrs. Gough, Walker,
M'Gill, Barnett, Bradley, Whittle, Keightly, Peck, Wil-
loughby, Rae, and Baylis.
WATCH COMMITTEE.

From the proceedings of this committee it appeared
that Mr. Bearley had resigned the office of chairman,
that the resignation had been accepted with regret, and
that Mr. Walker WI tmeu appointed chairman. The
proceedings were confirmed.
MARKETS COMMITTEE.

Mr. Hardisty, the treasurer, had made several sugges-`
tions to the committee for improving the mode of keep-
ing and checking the market accounts, and the sugges-
tions were ordered to be carried out. On the motion of
Mr. Barnett the proceedings were confirmed.
HEALTH COMMITTEE.

From the proceedings of this committee it appeared
that the committee had considered the complaint of the
congregation worshipping at the Unitarian Chapel,
Grange-lane, and had directed that for the future only
one car should be allowed on the stand near the chapel,
'and that the others should be removed to the lower end
of the street. Some cars had been licensed for twelve
months, and it was explained by Mr. Bradley, the chair-
main of the committee, that after that period it was
very questionable whether the cars referred to would be
fit for use by the public. The license would be for a
period not exceeding one) year, and the proprietors
would be arqpnahle to, the law to the same extent that
they would be if they had an unlimited license. The
proceedings were confirmed.
ROAD AND IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE.
. _ _

The committee had granted permis'sion for a grand
review of volunteers in, the Birkenhead Park, on the
28th inst., on the occasion of the preientetion of a Silver
bugle -to the Ist Cheshire (Birkenhead) Volunteers.
Mr, G. P, Train having attended the committee.on the
question of the introduction of horse railways into the
thoroughfares at Birkenhead, the committee resolved
that the project be recommended to the consideration of
the board.
The CHAIRMAN said, since the interview, Mr. Train
had sent in a modified proposal, which was as follows :-
5, Temple-place, Liverpool, 29th March, 1860.
Sir,—Referring to my application of the 9th instant,7for
rinis3inn tq lay dgwri korse railways
,in Birkenhead? and to
t e I.1:1:1^4i;k4 and explana.aoh3 idatie be tore your comnuttee this
• &nine I notv beg iiiniegiat 'to- modify my proposal, so as
to meet the views of your law.:clerk and surveyor.
AS it appearS the Commissioners have not the power to grant
me tidy eiclusive-right or privilege connected vfith the t'al,ls
when laid, I 3kitixdraw this st:putation, and invite all vehicles
tg 4Ae thein, trnsti4 that I sticill be Protected from all
unnecesscpw obstructions,
The routes desired are, from Woodside Ferry up Hamilton-
street and Grange-lane, to Oxtail and Claughton, returning
by way of Claughton-road, Argyle-street, and so on; and also
from Hamilton-square to Birkenhead-park, with leaVe to
extend them toward Bidston when desirable. But I shall be
quite disposed to adopt any more preferable routes that may
be indicated by your surveyor.
I undertake to keep the track in good order, free of expense
to the town.
Should the Commissioners, after six inonths! trial, tiesire the
"}ii rer4wei 41'fe tVie them nOttiti Tests:lie' the roads
to good' or4e At months" notice being Previously given.
And I will consent to auy'equitable arrangement. whereby the
Cornthissieriers may 'beCome 'possessed of the rails and stock,
should they so wish.---ram, sir, your most obedient servant,
GEORGE FRANCIS TRAIN..
To the Chairman of the Road and Improveinent -
Committee, Birkenhead.
The Gtpr.trisjsit in ipoviu# the confirmation of the
Oroceedings, said. the eminuittee .had reconsidered the
alteration proposed in the mode of making channels in
the streets, referred back to them from the last general
board, and such alterations were now made as would
meet the objections then made. In paved and macada-
mised sheets of a certain width, the channels would be
of,blocks of Penmaenniawr granite, and in other streets
it would be left to tke surveyor tq decide wlkether
'Cheaper 'moue of Chkeelitig norlinAyei the
purpose. The 'object ef the committee was not to
make the conditions too stringent, or, on the other hand,
to make the roads too expensive. The next matter to
which he: would call attention was, that applications
had been made fromthe proprietors of two private schools,
for plots of laud in the park for cricket grounds. .For a
long time past one private tutor had bad a plot in a cor-
ner or toe park, but the committes could not aocommodate
Vilb 'other educational cstablislnnents in the township,
WithOutinaking thb'park dangeroits fer women, ladiei, and
children to walk in. It had been suggested that a plot
should 'be set apart Rr the' use of all the schools, and
the committee had considered that proposal, but round
that if it has adopo4 it would 91y, leo to squabbling,
and would notanewer.the piirpoge of my c%e
they' ad .declined interfere at tlie.tatiei.`. He
had to mention that the COMmittee had received a own.
muuication from Mr. Henry' Denson in rp.fnreaae to the
sewerage of 9 ton, qq4 he had replied to that gentle-
man that the cagy way of settling the question would
be to refer it to some competent surveyor to say what
would be the value to the Oxtonious of the privilege of
draining into the Birkenhead sewers. The next matter
to which be should refer was a very inwevtont one—a
letter from Mr. G. F. Treinx bringing 'tinder the notice
of the hoard 'wt at,' th'it' country of least, wets en
entirely Jae* mode of locomotion. It had been in use
in the United States for many years, and 'particularly in
the large towns and cities there with great success.
He found that about the year 1852 these horse railways
were introduced to some extent in the principal cities
in the Union, and were now in operation, in *lv
York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Bpston, Cincinnati,
New Orleans, and Are,olclyn. In litve 'Wrk 60 mites
were stow in operation, !Intl, 44 Miles of new trarriroad
ids teing' ; i3oston there were 56 miles
miles in operatien; and is Pnilacielphia 90 miles in work,
and 70 miles more being laid clown, This; tholtre,
although a novelty in this counts, Iffv 110 hew theory, it
haying been
.prackiarail. iifOreu in America that the
• —y
using worked well. He dared say many elcirniaers
of the board had read Mr. Train's pamphlet, in
which there was a._ great deal ot• useful information

The great feature of the proposal was the size of the
'bus vfhich Mr. Train iirOulsa` be able to run, on the, tram-
roads. the length, and breaath, and height made them
a much more commodious arid agreeable vehicle than
those into which the public wete at present crushed,
The piiiposed 'fiuses would he 16 feet long, 7 feet, in the
clear, and 12 feet from the rails to the top of the roof.
The spaoe between the seats in the interior was 4 feet,
so that instead of a few inches between the knees of pas-
sengers 'there would be ample room for all, and no
crushing of the crinoline, as worn by ladies at present,
when getting into or leaving the 'buses now on the road.
He (the chairman) was sure, that prominent amongst the
advocates of Mr. Train's proposal would be the ladies.
(Laughter). Indeed, there would not be ii mother, or
daughter, in Eirkeahead, who wished for comfort and
convenience who would not be supporters of this scheme.
Now, the proposal of Mr. Train seemed to be a most
liberal one, inasmuch as he offered to put down the rails
and repair the road at his own cost, but at the same
time he did not want any exclusive privilege'. Indeed,
it should be mentioned that the commisgoilerz had it
not in their poAer to grant iitur 54424 exeliAsive; privilege,
and, therefore, gr.. Train &anply relied upon the support
of the public. thers might put buses on the road if
they liked, and ITELit! would take his change with
them,

Mr.
PEcx-,T.Oan Mr. Evans put a 'bus on the line
and Mr, Train not make any charge ?
The CHAIRMAN—He cannot make a charge, and the
commissioners cannot authorise Min or any other person
to make a charge. If the road is laid down it will be
entirely free for all the public, and will be used for the
public either for omnibuses or other cars. Mr. Train
perfectly understands that, and he is willing to take his
chance and trust simply to the support of the public.
If Mr. Train can succeed in getting a patent for any
particular form of car, of course the patent vii,ll nwtect
him P 9 far, but any other ear or, omnibus proprietor is
eqtally liberty 'to .ot' .patent for an, other forth' of
'bilk 'the chailinan tlre)i went on to show that the streets
of Birkenhead were wide enough to. admit 9f the adop-
tion of Mr. Train's scheme, because tramways were laid
in the'streets it} AlAtficiaa c,ertf4rit not greater
Width Old streets Ojt,iiirenlittid,' also quoted
frau a'rbifoll'of fhp surveyor of Montreal, who stated
that after• having seen the horse railways in operation
in the United States, he was opinion that the introduc-
tion of the system into Montreal would be beneficial in
in a variety of ways. The chairman then proceeded to .
say that the surveyor to the Birkenhead Commissioners,
Mr. Edward Mills, had given his attention to the
matter and thought that there was 149 ci,b*tion at all to
tl4O 4hemo, Nt-l4ic4 he believed Iyeuld he a Very etoellent
aid that itits *rail% of"tt 'at' Birkenhead' would
Abe equally 'beneficial as' it tied been•foundi to be in
the. United States. Now the Matter: wag one that
called for the serious consideration of the hoard, rind
the committee did 401 briq it.beNe tip boaid'accom-
paßied by any fOrnial rdi.OlutiOn;'lPstili rather that the
question should 'be ventilated in the hoard, and some
resolution came to by them RI that the oommittee might
merely have to act upon the board's instructions.
Mr, M`Gar.---The matter wants a great deal further
consideration, I think,
The LAw-atidt had a letter from Mr. Thomas
Evans, of Woodside, omnibus proprietor, asking that,
the question might be referred to a corninittev favfurther;
eonsidgration, and tliqt those who. felt. aggrieved, b' 'the!
proposal of M. tram nukht be heard on the question.
M. liitiramt eipi'esSed hithself Strongly in favour of
the adoption of 'the scheme; adding 'that they all knew
the common '.buses were a great public :nuisance, lAnt-
withal a necessary evil, and contended that with the
facts now ' before the board, they cd,uld feNse a
Toevest SQ. 1i4AG,414 4.s 1,44 whit.]; Mr. Train' bad,
pTeferred.
Iv'fr. l'Ecx.—,But Mr. Evans cannot put a car upon the
rails that Mr. Train will lay down.
The CHAIRMAN—We can give no exclusive rights or
privileges to any one ; and any car, omnibus, or cart can
use that railway as freely as they now use the ordinary
road.

Mr. Gouou said this was a very large subject, and
should not be dealt with prematurely. They did not
know.who Mr. Train was, or whether he weqld he able
to carry out his scheme.
Mr. WHITTLE said he bad been at the trouble of
making inquiries respecting Mr. Train, whom' he had
found to be a man of the highest respectability. Of
course before the board allowed any of the work to be
commenced, they would reqiiire adequate security for the
due fulfilment of the contract.
'The CHAIRMAN said he believed that as Birkenhead
was a small place, Mr. Train had .chosen it to 'demon-
strata •
strate to the public the desirability of Wing dOwn horse
railways in our town and cities.
Dr. BAYLIS was in &void of the scheme, and urged
that by permitting. its adoption the 44fird would secure
for Birkenheici the position o WO
district; frdni liewo Petry to FTeW Brighton, whose
inhali4n'ts*Ntoidd tie incli;ited,' T4O? doubt; if there wore
adequate givent OM, to take the horse railway
'buses down to Woodside, and cross there, in preference
to waiting for half hour boats at the upper ferries. He
would like to have the question referred to the Road