The Express.
London, England, 1857-07-21 00:00:00

TSB

nothing unwisely economical in the Neap, of the
English people. Mr. Mensal.' has already ita-
nounoed that in any motioa en India which the
Opposition may propose in Parliament, their object
will be to support the QUEEN'S Government in an
emergency before the gravity of which all party dif-
ferences disappear, and which excites to the noblest
point the patriotism of all Englishmen. This an-
nouncement, which is creditable to the leaders of the
Opposition, increases the responsibility of the
Government. Part of the defence of India is
obviously the recruitment of the army with prompti-
tude end rigour. We invite, therefore, the War-
cake to set about the augmentation of the Army at
hams without a day's delay, and with a determine-
tioa to succeed in at once restoring it to the effective
strength at which Parliament fixed it.

TIM Second Reading of" The Mersey Conservancy
and Decks Bill" WU carried lart night in the House

of Lords, by a large majority. It was quite natural
to find Lord DERBY, with that mischievous love of
oratory which too often leads him to act ill rather
than not speak well, raising his voice against this
moat useful and sensible measure.

Though the Bill is a private one, it involves
interests of vast importance to the commerce of the
country : nor need we demand further proof of

this than the fact that its most anxious promoters

are the people of Manchester. The case is
@lapis enough. At present the port of Liverpool
is in the hands of the Corporation—a local body
which attends only to local interests. The Bill in
question proceeds upon the principle that the Public
Harbour and the Docks on either side of the River
Mersey

4 are public property and ought to be held as
a public trust. It is needless now to go into the
history of the power of the Corporation over the
Harbour of Liverpool ; but one or two facts will be
auftcient to show that the Corporation is not a body
fit to be trusted with a property so enormous. For
many years the Corporation has claimed the right of
levying what are called Town Dues. These consist
of a fixed charge on ships, termed " anchorage," and,
of charges on goods exported or imported. They
are levied, cot only at Liverpool, but over a district
including the whole estuary of the Mersey. In I
1854 these Dues amounted to 123,5741., and
in 1855 to 110,6711. The point is this: These
Dees, although levied on the shipping, are
Mrlnto the Borough Fund, and arc applied to de-
Mr seek expenses as are commonly defrayed out
at a borough fund. It is known that out of the
of this Ship Tax the new Law Courts and
(;serge's Hall have been built. In fact, Liver-
poole apart from these Dues, has no borough
Ilsmi Now, it is obvious that this power of taxi-
es is a power which ought not to be vested in a
boilysasit as the Corporation of Liverpool. Interested
• lb members are in that town they are of course
deloliy interested in relieving their fellow-eitizens
Baal taxation. That portion of the maritime com-
mie of the empire which is brought into the
y is far too considerable and too important to
be Seaga by any Town Corporation for its own local
yosposea To tax all the shipping that enters
Liverpool harbour in order to form a borough fund
fee Liverpool Town, is obviously preposterous
and unjust. The practice cannot even be supported
on any plea of prescription, for it is of onsgera-
tively modern date. We are told that prior to '
paring of the first Dock Act in 1700 such doss
mos mainly, if not altogether, expended for port
earl harbour purposes ; and in legal proceedings
mil& took place in 1691 and 1695, the Corporation
ad beik the heavy charges which they had to taw
k meintilining the harbour and providing mewl
ariedae for shipping, in return for which they
alleged the Dues were claimed. Not only did the
Corporation at first admit the principle that time
Dues mate to be applied for shipping mem. bet
dry elm orb gratuitous grants of load and 00111.
telhstiraa la may for the purposes of the docks.
Mem them ell timer extensive docks have been con-
demned, tab bee largely increased, and so have
the Town Dues sweet heless, the Corporation repu-
diate all obligation to apply any portion of the Does
he the benefit of slipping, and have for many yeses
maialy appropriated them in supplying the place Olt
• borough fund.
Ike is this the only way in which the Corporatinel
dLiverpool have managed to derive a benefit out of
them Town Dues. Under certain old grants they
Imo entitled to the waste lands in the borough,
imioding the strand or foreshore, which were most
anulable for dock purposes. At first they acted
liberally. But from the close of the last century,
whoa it became clear that the trade of Lancashire
must find its outlet into the Mersey, they altered
their mum. The body called the Dock Trustees
was mode distinct from the Corporation, though the
members of both bodies were identical. The plan
was that the Corporation should sell this land
for doaka to the Dock Trustees—in other words, the
Corporation sold to themselves. The money paid
was obtained by charging the dock rates. The land
Mudd was converted into docks, and the soil dug
oat went to form artificial land. This artificial or
made land was noon required for docks also, and
the Corporation then sold it to the Dock Trustees.
By this means an additional sum was added to the
Corporation funds. The result of these transactions
Is not explicitly stated, but the probability is that it
amounted to something like 1,000,0001. It clearly
appears, therefore, from the history of the Town
Dues and the Docks, that the Corporation of Liver-
pool is not a body fit to be trusted with such exten-
sive powers of taxation and management.
The Bill, therefore, which has already passed the
House of Commons after being approved by a Com-
mittee over which Sir JAMEY GRAHAM presided, and
which has now passed the second reading in the
House of Lords, proposes that all dues obtained from
shipping shall be expended, as was the case in the
early history of the port, for shipping purposes only,
and that the whole harbour of Liverpool—its docks
and works—shall be seated " in a public trust elated
by a popular constituency and in a great measure
responsible to public opinion and the public." The
principle adopted in settling the specific character of
this public body is that with which the country is
familiar—that taxation and representation shell go
together. Those who pay directly towards the
expenses of the trust—the Dock and Harbour rate-
payers—are to be elected Trustees. This is the
only true principle. The history of Liverpool itself
skews that local bodim who have selfish interests to
serve eased be tended ; and management by the
Central Government to Ispossikie. We agree with
the Board of Trade b Illiadar that the principle
of rept oseetatioa mal le serried far enough when
it is sattendled. no 11100 present Bill extends it,
to all meeibente, meneflientrers, or dealers, who pay
rates ea isakerea Alpe, to a certain given amount,
systially as key can vote by proxy.
The jaedee fad propriety of this Bill are obvious.
'Asp ine pdseiple that our great harbours should
he umbras, public control and should be managed
Ida referommis the general interests of the empire,
arreet be alerted. The elected body proposed to
be treolmi by the Bill seems to answer every pur-
-1 pas lionise be required. The necessity of so re-
ithistiog km power of taxing shipping as to
appropriate the proceeds of the tax to ship-