The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1861-01-04 00:00:00

APPOINTMENT OF dOMMITTEES.

Mr. BROCIELEBANK moved that the Committee of Works
should consist of the following gentlemen ;—Messrs.
Bold, Bushell, Evans, Holme, Laird, Rankin, Shand,
Smith, Tobin, and himself (Mr. Brocklebank).
Mr. BOULT was sorry to be always in opposition, but
he felt that they were falling in the same practice as
they had last year of having three nominee members of
the board upon the committee. There was one gentle-
man, in particular, who should not be upon that com-
mittee. They were bringing their works to a conclusion
at Birkenhead : they had land to buy and to let there.
Now, Mr. Laird was a landowner there, and he was one
of their greatest competitors. He did not think it
right that he should be placed in a position to get
priority of intelligence as to their movements. He
proposed that Mr. Anderson be put in Mr. Laird's
place.

The CRAIRMIN thought it would be more advisable
to place the names seriatim, leaving Mr. Boult to object
at the proper time to Mr. Laird if he thought fit.
Mr. LAIRD said if these sort of remarks were to be
allowed to pass he might go into the question as to
what interest Mr. Boult and other gentlemen had' to
oppose his re-election. It was usual when a member of
that board attributed motives to others that he was

license from thee ,
chairman, which, he was always ready
to exercise. As to the property at Birkenhead, he (Mr.
Laird) had property there, bat it was a carious circum-
stance that whenever the case of letting laud arose, he
bad always advocated .a small price, while Mr. Boult,
totally inconsistent with his views of the' value of land
at Birkenhead, had advocated a high price. He did not
think it necessary to rebut the other statements which
Mr. Bonk had made from time to time, but he thought
the gentleman would do justice to all parties, and pre-
vent a scene of perfect wrangling, sure tO result. :from
-such observations as he :had just made, if he had
abstained from a repetition of his language.
—The CHAIRMAN said the reason be did not—stop Mr.
Boult was, that,he understood him to say that Mr. Laird
was a landowner at Birkenhead; but he did not under-
stand him to impute any motives to Mr. Laird at all.
Mr: ANDERSON was sorry that Mr, Boult should have
placed hini in such an invidious position. He did not
at all desire to be placed on the Works Committee ; and
'be thought that Mr. Laird had a deal mornexperience
u to the value of land on both sides of the water, and
was more fit than himself to sit upon that committee.
,The CHAIRMAN then proceeded to put the names,
seriatim, and Mr. Laird's name being proposed,
Mr. BOULT said he thought it right to persevere in
the resolution. With respect to the remarks which had
fallen from Mr. Laird, he had simply to say this : that
if gentlemen chose to accept positions- in-.which their

prf;ato interests might probably be Plae.d at issue with
7-their public &dies, they might expect it to .be pointed
out to them, and he, for his part, would point it
with reference to any parties atlthe board, if te knew
of it. Mr. Laird had said that he could point out his
(ar. Bogie.) motives. He invited him to do so.
The CHAIRMAN—Keep to the facts. Ido not think.
that you-should impute motives to-any one. As to Mr.
Laird being a land-ovinerut, Birkenhead, you have a
fair right to state it yon think fit. •
Mr. Bourr did notthink that he had imputed motives,
liuwas merely defending himself from an imputation. of
motives ; and he might observe • that this was not the
first time in which Mr. Laird had cast a similar imputa-
tion upon other members of the ,board. He had said
that there were other 'Members of the board who had
personal interests opposed to those of the board.
The CHAIRMAN—Let us confine ourselves to the facts.
Mr. &I:LT—Then, I say I persevere, in my motion to
nominate Mr. Anderson in lieu of Mr. Laird.
Mr. Eyaxs-1 will second it, sir.
Mr. -kxnEusox declined the honour; but
The CHAIRMAN said that he could only be excused
with permission of the board.
Mr Bohn said that every member of the Committee
of Works would agree with him that Mr. Laird was a
most.sr_u_eueful member, and cases arose as to the value of
LP !-ty at Birkenhead, of which he had complete
knowledge, end
of
which the other members of the
board were in complete ignorance, and there Mr. Laird's
w
assistance
most needed and opportune. lie was sure
every member would bear testimony to the fairness and
openness with which Mr. Laird
always offered his
opinions. There was one strong instance of this which
had come before
the
Committee of Works ; it was in
reference to graving docks. There Mr. Laird might
in
be considered,
certain instances, as a competitor
for the
occasion hi
hering out of
hadgraving docks ; but on that
given to the dock estate most valu-
able information •_ information which he was quite
prepared to expect would cause a largely increased
Laird
revenue to the estate. If Mr.
he would
considered his
own private interests, he thoughtt
docks
have con-
trived to burke out the graving
the t rather t
rt
ahra3n.,
promote the building of others; but on
he had been the greatest promoter of t h
en foni
ai
the
first. He (Mr. Bold) should be glad it the chairman
the Works Committee had risen rather than himself to
have said this much, but still he had great pleasure in
supporting Mr. Laird's name. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. RANKIN observed that the chairman of the Com-
mittee of Works, in proposing Mr. Laird's name, might
have known his ability and fitness. All of them might
have been cognizant of the value of his exertions in
forming the Birkenhead docks.
Mr. EvAss—Now, if we arc to hear laudations of
any body, we have also a right to allude to the melan-
choly cramped condition of Liverpool, on this side of the
river, for want of accommodation. If I understand it
rightly, we are mainly indebted to Mr". Laird for the
fact that the Liverpool side has been completely sacri-
ficed to urging on the works at Birkenhead, in an
unnatural, unreasonable, and disproportionate manner.
Mr. LAIRD—I will only make this remark in reply
to what Mr. Evans says. The urging on of Birkenhead
and all that was done there was the deliberate act of the
board by agreement with Parliament and various other
parties, and therefore I must not suppose that Mr.
Evans or any gentleman will attempt to evade the
engagements entered into. lam sure this 104 rd will