The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-05-02 00:00:00

DOCK COMMITTEE.-YESTERDAY

The usual weekly meeting of this committee was held
at one o'clock, yesterday, Mr. Charles Turner in the
chair. The other members present, were Messrs. Shand,
Robinson, Brocklebank, Gladstone, Holden, Anderson,
Hubback, Barber, Rankin, Smith, Mondell, James
Holmes, Lockett, and Evans.
The Committee of Works recommended that the slip
on the south-west side of the Queen's dock, should be
filled up to the level of the adjoining quay.
The Warehouse Sub-committee reported a continued
deficient supply of water for the hydraulic hoist at the
Albert warehouses.

The Chairman thought the only way to meet this
deficiency was, that an apparatus, the same as that
employed at the Stanley docks, should be procured for
pumping up the water, so that it could be used over
again.

Mr. Holden said it was a pity the water committee
would not attend to the wants of the town, instead of
supplying the water three miles out on the Aigburth-
road.

Mr. Holme said he feared that the water committee,
in trying to please everybody, would please nobody.
Mr. Robinson thought there was no prospect of relief,
until the committee got the water from Rivington, which
would not be for some time.

The Chairman thought they were entitled to get the
water at the ducks before it was given as far out as the
Aigburth-road. It began before Mr. Brocklebank's
house, and went on to Garston.
Mr. Holme said if they did not supply Aigburth, the
whole district would be in arms. There was scarcely a
,Fell there that had not run dry.
Mr. Gladstone said the town never made a greater
mistake, than when they refused to entertain the propo-
sition of Mr. Ashlin, many years ago, to pump salt water
up to an eminence, and to have it for the purpose of
watering the streets ; and the warehouses could have
been supplied in the same way. It was a great mistake,
because in the present day, with such a dearth of water,
it appeared to be so extravagant to put river water to the
uses of the streets and roads.

Mr. Shand :
where shops are.

They cannot use salt water in streets

Mr. Gladstone : Oh, I beg your pardon ; I think I can
answer that question satisfactorily. When the proposal
was made, the shopkeepers, (particularly the iron-
mongers,) stated that their goods would be soiled by the
salt water, but they were not then informed that, for

twelve years previously, nothing but salt water had been
used. •

Mr. Holden said last week the water was used upon
the roads at Aigburth, as far out as the hotel.
Mr. Holmes said the committee might depend upon
it, the water was used very thinly. The men were sav-
ing it as much as possible.
Mr. Evans: They should use it as thin as gold beaters'
leaf. (Laughter.)
Mr. Holme We are only veneering with it. (Laughter.)
The subject then dropped.
The Warehouse Subcommittee reported a very large
and satisfactory sale of wool.
Mr. Holme said he believed the wool trade generally,
were not aware that such ample accommodation was
provided for them in tkvo warehouses.

The Harbour-master committee reported, that the
Queen's Graving Docks would be ready for use on or
about the 10th instant.

Mr. Gladstone asked in regard to the Queen's Dock,
whether, when the improvements and alterations were
completed, there would be the same amount of super-
ficial space as formerly.
Mr. Hartley replied in the negative. It would be
reduced about nine feet in width.
Mr. Gladstone: That is owing, I fancy, to the pro-

jection of the new wall beyond the old ? -
Mr. Hanky : It is. In reply to further questions,
Mr. Hartley explained the nature of the stone work
used, and its durable character.

Mr. Gladstone said he had inspected the work, and,
so far as his knowledge went, he never saw anything
more beautiful. He was only astonished that those who
resided in the neighbourhood of Liverpool did not take
a leaf out of Mr. Hartley's book with regard to the
building of villas. Mr. Gladstone said he had another
remark to make, which he brought forward not out of
any feeling of offended dignity, for, whatever his faults,
he had no feelings of that kind. On his entering the
north end of the dock, the man at the gate followed him
No doubt the man was fulfilling his orders in keeping
persons out, for, of course, it would be impossible to go
on with the work,l if every one were allowed in ; but the
man had certainly one of the hardest sticks he (Mr.
Gladstone) ever felt upon his back in all his life.
(Laughter). He gave him such a tap on his back with
it, as he was going in, as made him at once look behind.
(Laughter). Of course the man was not to know that
he (Mr. Gladstone) was a member of the dock committee,
and he did not blame him, but he thought that portion
of the process might be dispensed with in future.
(Laughter).
Mr. Hartley said no man had any orders to do anything
of the kind.
The Chairman : It was quite wrong.
Mr. Gladstone : My dignity was not at all offended. I
do not blame the man at all, and should be very sorry if
he suffered for it.
The Chairman : For the sake of others, in future, let
him be told to speak in the first instance.
Mr. Gladstone : Of course lam quite aware it would
be impossible to go on with the work if everhody had
the privilege of entering, and the man was only to a
certain extent doing his duty.
The Chairman observed, with reference to the first
question asked by Mr. Gladstone, that what was lost in
the water space of the dock by the alterations was gained
on the quays.
Mr. Evans asked whether the foundations of the new
new quay walls were built with a view to sup2ort w are-
houses ?

Mr. Hartley : Yes, if you wish to put warehouses on
them hereafter, you can do so.
Mr. Holme thought it a great pity the committee had
not gone on with that portion of the bill which referred
to warehouses.

The Chairman : I think Mr. Gladstone will answer,
for it, that he and I were anxious to go on with it.
Mr. Gladstone : It was the fault of the council. It
was not the fault of any member of the committee.
Mr. Barber asked if it was to be understood that the
council had impeded in any way the improvements
contemplated.
The Chairman explained that the council had a bill
before the House of Commons at the time, with refer-
ence to the widening of Bath•street, and removing the
Goree warehouses, which they abandoned, and which
prevented the committee from proceeding with that
portion of their bill. He did not, however, mean to
say that the council had not exercised a wise discretion
in the conrse they took.
Mr. Smith said it was the intention, in taking the
property in question, and carrying out the line from
Sefton-street to the new station at Wapping. to have
warehouses upon the east side of the dock. That was
an improvement which, if not done speedily, would be
certainly much more difficult to carry out. He thought
such members of that board as were also members of
the council should bear this in mind.
Mr. Mondell asked if the alterations on the east side
would not destroy the sheds ?
Mr. Hartley : No, sir; there will be a little altera-
tion, but not much.
The conversation then ceased, and the general business
conclude I.

KIRKDALE SESSIONS.-THE GRAND JURY

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES

Sir,—ln reference to your report of the sessions at
Kirkdale, in your Saturday's issue, you will excuse me
offering a few remarks relative to the extraordinary pro-
ceedings of the grand juryman to whom you refer, This
individual, after performing sundry eccentric feats, bath
in the juryroom and in court, to the infinite amusement of
some, and the intense disgust of the remainder of his

..
colleagues—.such as putting silly and irrelevant
questions to witnesses, ; and usurping the special func-
tions of , the foreman—wound up by producing a
formidable looking document of some twelve or fourteen
folio pages, with several voluminous tables of figures, and
coolly requesting the forman to read them, with the view
of inducing the grand jury to attach their names, and
present it to the court as an embodiment of their views
and conclusions ! This precious production, which was
badly spelt, and most miserably composed, was gone
through with considerable difficulty and great patienc e
by the foreman, who, at the conclusion, said that he could
not for a moment think of signing it, because it contained
assertions which were absolutely false, and embraced mat-
ters of a political nature, with which we, as a jury, had
no right to interfere.

These remarks were, of course, cordially approved af,
and the document in question unanimously rejected. After
all this, and in defiance of the indignant remonstrances of
23 jurymen, the author of this absurd and incoherent pro-
duction had the audacity to walk into court, in the wake
of the foreman, and place it in the hands of the Ilecorder I
—an act which elicited a general burst of laughter, and
subsequently, cone severe sarcastic remarks from Mr.
symonds, the barrister. I mention these particulars in
order to dispel any impression that tho individual in
question was in any degree countenanced by the genAls-t
men composing the grand jury.
With regard to the subject-matter of the document
itself, I need only say that, in addition to the items
enumerated in your report, it consisted of a jumbling
reiteration of all the absurdities contained in the extraor-
dinary lucubrations of its author's " Philanthropic "
abortion since its untimely birth. Apologising for tres-
passing on your valuable space.—Yours, &c.,
ONE OF THE GRAND JURYMEN,
Ormskirk, April 26, leos.