The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-05-18 00:00:00

MERSEY DOCKS AND HARBOUR BOARD

At the usual weekly meeting of this board yesterday,
Mr. Charles Turner presided; and the other members
present were—Messrs. Holine, Brocklebank, Evans,
Forwood, Monde 1, Farnworth, Boult, Littledale, Seger
Derbyshire, Rankin, Hubback, Bushell, Langton,
Inman, Lockett, Rounthwaite, and Hutchison.

THE WORKS COMMITTEE.

The proceedings of this committee comprised a
recommendation to accept the tenders of Messrs. Jones
and Jump, for the construction of slides for the Wel-
lington Dock North Shed ; of Messrs. John Matthews
and Co. for a supply of linseed oil ; of T. H. Briscoll
and Co. for a supply of white lead ; and Messrs. Walker,
Parker, and Co. for a supply of red lead. It was also
recommended that, in consequence of the retirement of
Mr. Gilbert Cummings, principal clerk in the engineers'
department, Mr. John Ellacott should be appointed
principal assistant and. head of the office under the
engineer, at a salary of £350 per annum ; and that Mr.
Creighton remain head bookkeeper, with salary advanced
from £3. 10s. to £4. 4s. and a free residence in the
house occupied by Mr. Cummings. Likewise recom-
mended, that the board should let for the purposes of
the copper and silver ore trade 14,000 square yards of
land on the north side of the Great Float, at
Birkenhead.

Mr. Brocklebank having moved, and Mr. Rankin
seconded the confirmation of the proceedings,
The CHAIRMAN, in reply to a question from Mr.
Boult, said the question of letting the 14,000 yards of
land, as mentioned above, formed part properly of the
finance business, and its discussion, therefore, would be
deferred till the other business had been gone through.
Mr. BouLT then said he should like to know who Mr.
Ellacott was, and something likewise as to the salary ;
were they paying him the same as Mr. Cummings had—
less, or more ?

Mr. BROCKLEBANK replied that Mr. Ellacott had
been for twenty-seven years, he believed, in the employ
of the trust ; he wd an old and efficient servant, bat
they were not paying him so much, by £6O, as the gen-
tleman who had previously occupied the situation. It

was not the engineer's intention at present to take any
additional assistance.

THE W.A.REHOTJSE COMMITTEE.-EXTRAORDINARY IMPORT

OF COTTON INTO LIVERPOOL.

The proceedings of this committee included the
appointment of three apprentices at the Albert Dock
warehouses; and it was recommended that Friday next,
the anniversary of the Queen's birthday, shOuld be kept
as a holiday by those on the permanent establishment at
all the dock warehouses.
Mr. Hnbback having moved, and Mr. Segar seconded,
the confirmation of the proceedings,
Mr. ForToop said it would be well for them to con-
sider if they could not giVe storage room for some of
the immense quantities of cotton to arrive, by making
the transit sheds on the west side of the Prince's Dock
available for the purpose. Many of them, it was under-
stood, were now doing nothing. It was stated that the
difficulty of finding storage room for cotton was very
great, and a quantity of it had had to be stowed in open
yards in the interior of the town. There was, besides,
so much to arrive that it was of importance that every
available place Should he made use of, not only to
obtain rent for the h oard, but to meet as far as possible
the exigencies of the trade. There was an impression
among merchants that a large number of cotton ware-
houses would have been built on the dock quays, and
that impression appeared to have led to the non-erection
of private warehouses. The cost of storage was not less
than from id to and lid per bale per week, and
really even on these terms these was no suitab.le place

M. If usEAcx said the subject mentioned by Mr.
Forwood was one of great importance, and the com-
mittee would consider it at their next meeting. The
transit sheds had hitherto been managed under special
clauses, and whether there were difficulties in the way
of applying those sheds for the purpose of permanent
storage, be could not pretend to say.
The OttAut),TAII—YOU cannot use them tor permanent
storage and use them as transit sheds. You might use
part for permanent storage, but only by altering your
bye-laws altogether. As to what Mr. Forwood had
alluded to, a more than usual quantity of produce of all
kinds had arrived, but the present state qf thing 4 was
quite exceptional. He supposed that there-were about
.; million bales of cotton in port, and the stock of all
kinds of produce was beyond all precedent ; so that they
must expect inconvenience, whilst meeting the demand
as far as they could.

Mr. HOLME said the question was whether it would
be prudent to allow cotton to be stored in the sheds,
when they looked at the value of the shipping in the
Prince's Dock. Any temporary inconvenience should
be incurred rftther. than endanger the Shipping in th 4
dock. The sheds were not fire-proof.
Mr. FORWOOD protested against Mr. Holme's remarks.
There was no record to show that cotton was more
liable to fire than any other articles.
Mr. HOLME—The sheds have wooden roofs.

Mr_ EYAN4 thought 41.tai di3cLo3iva inaioated the very
great and gross omission of that board. -When they
were arranging for other things, the erecting of more
dock warehouses was always overlooked: "it was burked.
He had urged it over and over again upon the considera-
tion of the committee;—but no, everything else was
preferred ; they were for the accommodatickn of the
timber trade Ra nothing eke, keeping land idle that
was exactly adapted for dock warehouses.

The CHAlR:icor—We have power to build any num-
ber of warehouses we please; the thing was the money.
Mr. EvAss—But you would not make that appro-
priation of money when you had the power.
The proceedings were then confirmed.
THE. MARINE COMMITTEE.

The proceedings of this committee included a recom-
mendation to remove, by blasting, the wreck of a vessel
on Taylor's Bank; and to rent from.the Corporation eja
office on the George's Pier, for the convenience of the
Water Bailiff. It appeared from the minutes that some
difficulty had been experienced, from the opposition of
one of the landowners, in laying down the telegraph
poles and wire along a portion of the island of Anglesey.
Mr. MormiL, in moving the confirmation of the pro-
ceedings, said the wreck alluded to on Taylor's Bank
had been there for two or three years ; and it had been
thought prudent that it should be removed, as an acci-
dent from it might occur to some small vessel in cross-
ing. the bank. The cost of its removal wouhi he only
£5 ; and he was sere the Board would cheerfully vote
that, if it saved only a single life.
The proceedings were confirmed.
THE PILOTAGE COMMITTEE.
It appeared that this committee, having had under its
consideration the communication from the Secretary to
the Underwriters, read at the last meeting, recom-
mended the adoption of a resolution— That if any pilot
be convicted of holding an interest, direct or indirect, in
any steam-tug, he shall have his license cancelled."
Mr. MONDEL moved the confirmation of the proceed-
ings ; and said the resolution would be submitted to te
solicitor for wording, to see that it was not contrary to
the Act of Parliament.

Mr. Bout,T seconded the motion, which was agreed to,
kcANAPPPI,f7 OF. DOCKS AND QUAYS CONINIMUR.
The proceedings of this committee comprised a recom-
mendation to let to Mr, id. A. Johns, for the temporary
storage Of coal, 000 square yards of land at the south-
west corner of the Harrington Basin, at a rental of ld
per yard per week ; to appoint Owen Parry a dock
gateman ; and to grant a donation of .£lli to the widow
of the late pier-master, Queen's Dock.

Mr. LOCKETT moved the conflrraation of, t:ao pro-
ceedings.

Mr. EVANS—I think that a, ridiculous rent, sir.
The CHAIRMAN—It is for a temporary purpose.
Mr. Ev!iNs—And perhaps more valuable to the indi-
vidual on that account. I think if you got is a yard
it would not be too much.

Mr. LOCRETT—You are thinking of a year's rent. The
ld is per Week. That is 4s 4d per annum. (Laughter.)
The proceedings were then confirmed.
MASTER PORTERS COMMITTEE.
The proceedings a this committee, which contained
nothing special, were read and confirmed ; and Thomas
Williams was appointed an office boy in the department
of weighing materials.

NOTICE OP MOTION.

Mr. Mosul., gave notice that next week he should
move that a resolution be recorded on the books of the
board, " That no work, the estimated cost of which
exceeds £lO,OOO, shall be contracted for, or commenced
upon, without the approval of two-thirds of the members
of the board present when such contract or work is
recommended."
This was the whole of the public business.

LORD DERBY AND HIS IRISH TENANTRY.—A corre-
spondent of the Tipperary Free Press writes :—" Lord
Derby is about to build a house and offices for the parish
priest of Solohead, the Rev. Thomas Mahony, which is
to revert to each successive pastor of that parish. To
the house will be attached twelve acres of land, at merely
a nominal rent. His lordship is also about to give about
an acre of ground for a chapel and yard, together with
the use of a splendid quarry and sand for the building,
gratis ; and I shall not be surprised if he should give a
handsome donation likewise to that object. lamin no
way connected with the Derby estates i and a love of
justice alone compels me to record those acts of kind-
ness."

Tha DOG-APE.—A tine specimen of the ape family
called cynocephales, or dog-headed, has been presented
to the zoological gardens of Marseilles by a z.4.;ipper.
Tie animal is said to be prodigiously strong, and eqtially
savage.. He made desperate eTorts to seize some of the
sailors t 9 whom he had a dislike, and a very strong iron
chain Was necessary to restrain him. They were even
obliged to saw off some of his canine teeth. His
appearance is very odd, the head beieg exceedingly
long, the muzzle occuping tvN-t,hircis of the whole, the
eyelids ilesh-colotired, the limbs elongated and slender,
and the tail the same dimensions as the body. He. is
beginning to behave himself respectably now, 131!,t at
trot hc was qtrgnely ficrcc 1144 GAY,