The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-05-23 00:00:00

BIRKENHEAD COMMISSIONERS.

IMPORTANT MEETING.

A special adjourned meeting Of this body ,s'as held
yesterday morning- at the btiatd-toorti iii itamilten-
sqiiare: -This, we believe, was alSco the last meeting
of the beard tre'irione to the eleCqon
so that the dada accounts were sitthnitted;
and the proceedings were, of a more than dsitailx
tent character. Mr. Jelin Laird, the chairman, pre-
sided; and the other members present were .Messrs.
AsPinall, Bayliss, Gough,.. Rae, Keightley, Bradley,
Walker, Peck, T)Tarrison,,Willpghby, and Whittle.
THE ANNUAL ACCOUNTS. . .
A statement was, first subitaticd Of. the receipt and
Aisttheineats of tiie township ?rdni .i.prii 23rci 1859,
to April 24th, 1860, of which we make the following
abstract :

Receipts :—To balance on band as per last account,
£18,851 Os. 10d.; improvement rate and rents account,
114,607 14s. 11a., these added to the balance making
£33,350 4s. -9d. Market account, £2,243 2s. 4d. ;
slaughtei-house establishment, 129,1,145, Bd. ; lighting
and watch. rate account, £61352 19s, 2d. ; sewesrage
rate it&oulit, 12,8 h lbs. 2d.; Matitig tka total
£45,100 14s. id.

Disbursements .--Highways and scavengers' account,
£4,215 10s, 64. ; park establishment, £606 lls. 10d.;
town-hall establishment, 4574 13s. 3d. ; treasurer's
establishment, £798 18s. 10(1. ; • surveyor's „establish-
ment, £5lB 75., Bd. ; law clerk's
.establishment,
£778 12s. sd. decolint, 01. Op. 19d. ;
inspection of logbigliidtiiess 6i6Oilrit, £ll2 14s. 4d.
1,01 £144 2s. 7d. ; sanitary account,
£76 2s. Bd. ; repairs of premises account, £lO5 18s. sd. ;
law and parliamentary charges, £937 95.4 d. ; sundries,
including £lO,lOB ls, 9d.; interest paid to bondholders,
£10,814 Bs. 10d. ; market establishment, £1,206 12s. ;
slaughter-house establishment, £303 16s. 10d. ; lighting
and watching account, £5,101 10s. ; north bridewell
account, £lB Is. ld, ; sewerage account, $537 12s. 6d. ;
balance in North and Boiith Wales tank, less deiltit of
imp'roveriieiiate ,abeciiint; ; interest
deserve I'unl in Mersey hocks and Harbour Board
batas, £B,soo—making the total £45,109 14s. Id.

LEDGER BALANCES, 24TH APRIL, 1860. -,
General Mortgage Debt
... ...
'
Francis 13...' Price ' 103,373 12 0
Birkenhead,' Lancashireo and
Chesh,tre Junction Reif-44,f
'...Cottloan4'
Woodsid. terry ' " 5108,104 8 2
Slaughter houses
Old Town-hall Buildings 4,000 0 0 •
Land for Town-hall
„ „ Bridewell 4,825 19 7
„ „ Market
91 ~ Slaughter house
Mr. F. Brownrin aid J. Laird t. - . . 112 19 11
Ilehester Road WEI/4 2,057 0 0
1.,/i. lkootlkfl
William Jackson
Commissioners of Woods and
-
Forests
IL Watson and A. Wood 5,000 0 0
Corporation of Liverpool 3.250 0 0
J. Laird : River Wall Account ... . . 206 4 4
Monks' Ferry 23 070 19 2
Interest Reserve Fund 8,500 0 0
Stephen Watson 212 1 4
New Lock-up ot 11 6
Park Refreshment Rooms ....' llO 10 4
William R,lmmer,. - 645 3 6
Hart. an Cemetery Land
enry Curry
Interest Due to Bondholders
Cemetery Account 2 0
North and South Wales Bank :
"Improvement Account"
North and South Wales Bank :
" Interest on 'Bond Debt,"
£10.681 1 A
Do : "Bond Reduce" 145 18 8 _

.
10.37 0 2
General Property Account 1D9,07 12 11
Etts:ll6 111 16 111
WILLIAM lIARDISTY, Treasurer.
THE FERRIES.

An Abstract of the Receipts and Exnenditu, e of the 'Woodside
and Monks' Ferries, commencing 25th April, 1859, and end-
ing 24th April, 1860.
Dr.
Receipts. £ s. fl
_ _.

Daily Receipts, Woodside 02,297 9 11
• Contracts, Ditto 2,387 3 9
Fre.ght, Ditto
Rent, Ditto 14 0 0
Daily Receipts, Monks' Ferry 3,169 13 11
Contracts, Ditto l9O 15 0
Postoffice Contract, Ditto
Interest on Rank Account
Atrionnt received for atles of Old materials ll 15 4
-Ditto ditto coMpensation 1.7 15 2
Amount received fur Relief Pond Siibscriptituil .i ..83 17 3
Balance in.hand 24th April,,. 1850 i with I.lle Nefth.
and, South Wales Rank, viz.:— i - •,.
General Account
Relief Fpnd ' lO 0 . 0
NOW Boats' Fund Account 5,514 9 6
Sinking Filnd'Account
dolltingent Fund Account 903 7 10
7,292 2 5
. .
• . In the hands of the Treasurer 47 13 8

months more. It was for work done to the river wall
at Monk's Ferry. The £212 opposite the name of
Stephen Watson, was for some land which he had bought
from the township, and for which he had eight per cent.
df the 0(114196-dim:ley ; he would have to build on the
land within tvicr years frcini ii certiiin date: The £655
owing by Mi. Itinimer was tot land, kit there *ere
clainis en the Other Side. Mr. Rae also gielieed
brietlY di the e'ther.itenii.,
BAliLis supposed that the thole Of the improve-
ment • late, (L 1,400) might hale- • &1-41 o'dt of
the.£B,soo interest reserve finicl if they had thought
desirable.
Mr., RAE replied in, the affirmative ; and the general
accounts were thenipassect,
The netoilnis of the Ipublicitibrary .showed that
there had been a fiafa'itcd. on hasM of £332 13s. 10d.,
and the rates collected with interest, fiord cittfotintektp
£521 Bs. 4d., making a total of £854. The working
expenses had been £427 195., furnishing £27 ;
books, £135 3s. 4d..; and there was a balance in bank
or in hand of £263 Bs. 10d. The accounts were passed,
as were those also of the Ferry Committee. The gas
and water accounts it appeared had not been audited,
and their consideration was, therefore, postponed till the
next meeting. .
Mr. GOUGH : I was going tcihoPe, that, With d gtirtfltit
of two years, we should haVe htid the price of water

reduced: -;
The, seal was axed to some new bonds, which
cnpitilised interest in exchange of old bonds.
HORSE TtAfLTiOADS IN, BWKp9Ig4).—FINAL ADOPTION
Oil TAE itdElkfE.

The CHAIRMAN produced the agreement It hitlf had
been made between the Commissioners and Mr. George
Francis Train, for laying down the proposed horse rail-
road. Mr. Train, in addition to the plant and rails,
had £3,000 security, with which the committee to whom
the question had been referred, consisting of Mr.
Harrison, Mr. Heightley, and himself, were perfectly
satisfied.

Gotoi* said the arreement should be read over
that the report* Might hedt it, dnd that it Alight go
forth to the public.
Nr. hai thelie to dri'iiith it ?
iptr. thought the lOW:Cleit
he,thoight
„. • •, , „., ,
kr. GOvOn-,—Are the names ofthesecurities given ?
The Clia.rumaif said yes ; the names had been given,
and they
,were most, satisfactory sntetiet.. He did not
think it would be
.fair ,to read over,the details of ,the
agreement. He thought they had snide the best
arrangettient with Mr. 'rain which they possibly could.
The general features of the arrangement were that Mr.
Train, at his own risk and cost, was to lay from their
ferry up to the park, and in other directions, a tram-
way, whieh other carriages besides his own might
use. They believed that it would be of great
advantage to that town; that it would save the
wear and tear of the. teads;
,and, be a rticans
of developing , tbe ,piopertt Of the to rich p J
1U the ratk, and of their land in that district. The
committee, considering these circumstances, and believ-
ing this arrangement was likely to prove not only
beneficial in regard to the wear and tear of the streets,
but beneficial in regard to the increased traffic to the
ferry and the sale of their property, felt that they would
not be justified in refusing the liberal terms which Mr.
Train had offered. Mr. Train had made terms with the
township which he had reftised .to ccntede to other
parties, reason ,was that. Birkenhead ,was well
adapted for iii 6 irititidtiCtieii of the system, being laid
out like the streets in America, with . wide streets built
at right angles; seeing this, and that it, was so near
Liverpool Ind Manchester, he had thought it a good
place to exhibit the advantages of his plan. Since he
(the chairman) had attended the board last, he had had
an opportunity, both in Liverpool and London, of
talking with gentlemen who had been in America,
and who all declared, hearing of what was being
done that no greater advantage and improvement could
be conferred on Birkenhead than by the introduction
of this plan. Now, what was their position ? Mr.
Train took np the street, laid down the tramway; he
harided bier 16 theni the roils And Allan its d security
for the, satisfactory performance of the work, and in
addition, had given them the security of two responsible
parties to'the extent of £3,000. The plant alone Mr.
Mills, their surveyor, considered would more than cover
any loss which the township could sustain if they bad to
take up the rails. By those means they were perfectly
secure in allowing the laying down of a means of com-
munication not hitherto adopted in this country, but
calculated to prove of incalculable value, and which
would, do more to improve the property in the outskirts
which the township possesses than any other means
which could be adopted. He thought it would be
iirifaii to Mt, 'train to read and let the know all
the details of the arrat*errierit, of which he hadstated
the general. heads. He should, theiefoie, move the
confirmation of the agreeMent as approved of by the
committee. Any Commissioner could see it.
Mr. HARRISON should be most happy to second the
motion. He was quite convinced Mr. Train had offered
terms to them which their really hot have ex-
pected. 'Mi. arrison's) own impression was.that
he had done great injustice to himself, and when he was
acquainted with it he could not but wonder at his sign-
ing such an agreement. However, be had some other
object in view, and they were to have the advantage
of it.

Mr. GOUGH—I am not at all objecting to the scheme,
but I thought that I was doing my duty in desiring
that the public should know the details. You said you
know the sureties. Here am I called upon to approve of
sureties I do ilot know.

The CHAIRMAN—You were present yesterday. and
voted that the matter should be left in the hands of Mr.
Harrison, Mr. Keightley, and myself.

Mr. GouGx—To report.

The CHAIRMAN said Mr. Gough or any commissioner
might know the names of the sureties ; but he had
mentioned before that it was not prudent or usual to
make such things public.
Dr. BAvids said the chairman had omitted the men-
tion of one thing. If these railways succeeded they
should be connected with the districts north and south
along the margin of the river, and Birkenhead would
be made really the metropolis of the whole of the
peninsula. There was one part of the subject which
should have great attention, and that was the course
laid down. He wished the chairman would state the
streets in which it was proposed to place the railway.
The CitamotArr said the first line to be taken would
be from Woodside Ferry along the shore to Argyle-street
and Conway-street to the Park-entrance.
Dr. BAYLIS—That is to be a double line ?

The CnAiructs—A double line.

Dr. BAYLIS said it was at first proposed to go up
Argyle-street and to have a return line down Hamilton-
street, to connect all that district with the market. He
asked the committee to reconsider the question, because
a lino through Hamilton-street would be in the centre
of the most populous district.
The CHAIRMAN said.it had been stated at the former
meeting that therewas a strong oppositien out of doors,
but he produced a strong requisition begging that the
line might go up Hamilton-street. Mr. Trait wished
to have permission to lay down rails in that and other
streets. If it answered to Grange-lane they should
have petitions begging Mr. Train to lay rails in other
portions of the town. The committee, however, did
not wish to force the project upon the town, but to go
on quietly. Re was sure Mr. Train would be anxious
to go on further if it answered. It was, however,
important that this memorial should come in from
Hamilton-street, and he had little doubt that they
should shortly have a line in Hamilton-street as well.
Mr. HARRISON said there was no objection to Hamil-
ton-street; the difficulty lay at the corner of Bridge-
street and the ferry. Ordinary carriages could hardly

turn there.
Mr. A‘,SI'INALL believed the time was not distant
when they should have to go to Parliament, and 4ould
see the property occupied by Mr. Gough one great horse
railway terminus. (A laugh.)
It was then agreed that the seal should be affixed to
the agreement.