The Express.
London, England, 1851-04-22 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL DOCK BILL

IMPOIiTANT DECISION.
Yeatertlay a special meeting of the Liverpool Town
Council was held, iu (entice to the bill now before
parlia-
=nit, promotial by the American Chamber of Commerce,
for tran.ferring the control of the Dock Trust from the
council to a committee chosen equally by the ratepayers
and the e..uneil. *lhe question has attracted considerable
istercra among all classes in the town, and the attendance
at councillors was consequently unpreeedentedly full, there
being only six iihsentees out of the entire number of 64.
&fore the commencement of business a suggestion was
Imatle by Mr. Thompson to adjourn the proceedings for
three or four days, in order to obtain the opinion of a town's
meeting on the subject ; but the suggestion was not
adopted.
Kt. 11. 1101tNItY, in a speech of great length, urged
the council to proceed no further with their opposition, the
promoters of the bill having rigsially failed in their object,
which was to wrest the veto fr the council, but which
die eorninittee of the House of Commons had rejected. lie
noosed a relation to the effect, that the council having
sioswidered the slight practical alteration which the bill, as
it now stood, made in the management of the Dock Trust,
sad the council possessing by the veto essentially the same
eestrel over the Dock t'ommittee as at present, it is not
advisable to offer any further opposition to the measure,
but that the finance committee be instructed to watch over
the bill, in order that no alterations prejudicial to the
council or the town of Liverpool should be made in its

future stages.
Mr. Ald. J. HOLMES seconded the motion.
Mr. FIIEME moved, as an iimenalinent, that a petition
be presented to the house of Commons awainst the third
reading of the bill, and that a committee be appointed to
oppose it in all its future stages.
Mr. FERN I HOUG H seeondeil the amendment.
?dr. Ald. ROBINSON saw no harm in the admission of
three or (our additional ratepayers upon the duck com-
mittee ; and as the parliamentary committee had made such
alterations in the measure as they thought would silence
opposition to it, he would support the motion of Mr.
llornby.
Mr. B. HALL advocated the same views.
Mr. Algernon Junes, Messrs. Fisher, Bennett, and Alder-
man J. Ferguson strongly advocated continued opposition to
the bill, which was characterised as one of pains and penal-
ties, implying that the council had been guilty of malvena-
lion of their trust.
Mr. THOMPSON charged the deputation appointed to
orumse the bill before the parliamentary committee with
having betrayed their trust, although on the 2nd inst. they
said they would nail the colours of the opposition to the
mast.
Mr. GREGSON reminded the council that the joint debt
of the Liverpool and Birkenhead hock estate was 7,300,0001.,
to meet which. in expenses and interest, a clause ought to
be inserted in the hill for setting aside a sum yearly to liqui-
date the prineimil even if 40,0001. a year were devoted
to that purpose it would take nearly two centuries to effect
that object.
Mr. S. HOLME said the opinion of the most able
counsel who had been consulted on the subject was that if
they carried the matter any further they wenld fare worseall
Mr. AVISON suggested that they should abandon
further opposition in the Commons, if they meant to up-
pose with all their power in the House of Lords.
Hr. J. A. TOBlNwent through the history of the dock
waste, and showed that in the years 1836 and 1840 the same
re measu, substantially, la dist saw before parliament, in re-
ference to the equality of rombem of ratepayers with those
appointed by the ecoutail en tea Asa sommittm, had been
sanctioned by meantime et dm Teem of Commons, and
affirmed bv ate Limped less semi It was else the
opinion of the bee Is. Ihriaiss fist the sombre
sleet
be equal, and be emalimell Me Appel le lambs MA
adopted etomprsilast ememe. miss ea Os Melee et
the four very Ale menneutis Os emesseehe they boa ens-
iite He asset ibemsiesei mm* mme Wore
they involved the townie OD armee a eastem
Mr. Alderman PARKER leek mime *oh miming
ft eta sew trial mists M tam&
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bi IL Tbe Wilma aides me Iles Mosel.
ma doe eagmbsted, No far me the sand! b riessemsL
appidiesr tbe WS of the Americas Climber et 01111.
sere wily b_earts= of 2,000 i. a week Andes lb
poisties beam