The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-01-15 00:00:00

MOORING OF VESSELS IN THE RIVER.

The following bye-law for the regulation of vessels
mooring in the river was read.
BOROUGH Or LIVERPOOL To WIT.
The Mayor, Aldermen, and Burgesses of the Borough of
Liverpool, by virtue and in exercise of the powers in that
behalf contained in the " Liverpool Improvement Act,
1856," do make the following Bye-law:--
1. No person shall moor any vessel in the River Mersey so
that the same mav, or shall, at any time of tide, swing into or
lie in that part of the said river to the northward of a straight
line drawn from a point in the Borough of Liverpool, in the
county of Lancaster, defined by a past painted white and placed
in the ground on the north side of the entrance to the Canning
half tide dock (and on which post a green light will be exhi-
bited between sunset and sunrise), and extending in a west
south westerly direction across the said river to a point defined
by another post, painted white, and erected on land now
on lease to Messrs. Clayton and MlCeverigan, to Birken-
head, in the county of Chester (and on which last mentioned
post a green light will be exhibited between sunset and sunrise ;
or to the southward of another straight line drawn from a point
defined by another post, painted white, and placed on the
ground at the south end of the pier of the Princa's Dock, an
the said borough (and on which last mentioned post a green
light will also be exhibited between sunset and sunrise), and
extending in a west south westwardly direction, to a point
defined by anotber white post, placed on the southernmost
extremity of the wall of the Birkenhead Docks, adjoining the
entrance of the Morpath Dock, in Birkenhead aforesaid, and
on which last mentioned post a green light will also be exhibited
between sunset and sunrise, such last mentioned line being five
hundred yards or thereabouts to the northward of the line first
described.

And any person who shall offend against this bye law shall
incur and forfeit a penalty of forty shillings ; but the Justice
before whom any penalty is sought to be recovered may order
the whole or part of such penalty to be paid, or may remit the
whole penalty.
Mr. Bold suggested that the memorial from the
Wallasey Local Board of Health upon the same subject
be read.

To the Mayor, Aldermen, and Burgesses of the Borough of
Liverpool, in Common Council assembled.
The Memorial of the Local Board of Health for the District of

Wallasey, in the County of Chester,

Showeth,—That your memorialists understand that upon a
representation from the commissioners and ratepayers of
Birkenhead, of the great danger to steamers plying between
Woodside Ferry and the Landing Stage at Liverpool,
particularly in thick and foggy weather, from collision with
vessels at anchor in the river Mersey, your worshipful body
are about to make a bye law or regulation to prevent vessels
from anchoring within a space of five hundred yards or there-
abouts, extending from the south side of the Canning halftido
dock and of Woodside Ferry slip northward to the proposed
new entrance to the Morpeth Dock, and to the south end of
the Prince's pier.
Your memorialists beg respectfully to represent that while
provision is being made by your worshipful body for the safety
and convenience of the people of Birkenhead and its neigh-
bourhood, the inhabitants of Wallasey are fairly entitled to
receive at your hands equal protection for themselves, which
protection, they conceive, may be afforded by extending the
proposed north lino of prohibition to Seacombe Point on the
ono side, and about midway along the Prince's Pier on the
other, thereby ensuring a clear space at all times between
Seacembe Ferry and the Landing Stage.
That in the event of the north line at present contemplated
being adhered to, the danger to steamers plying between the
ferries in the parish of Wallasey and Liverpool will be much
increased, from the greater number of vessels which will then,
doubtless, ancho, northward of such line, and in the direct
course of such steamers.

That your memorialist have been informed that a penalty not
exceeding forty shillings, is intended to be imposed for a
breach of such bye-law or regulation, xvhich penalty your
memorialists consider wholly inadequate to secure the objects
thereby contemplved; more especially in cases where vessels
are intended to discharge in any of the docks centrally situate.
Your memorialists, therefore, pray that the proposed line of
prohibition against the anchoring of vessels in the river Mersey,
may be extended to a point northward of Seacombe Ferry, and
to another point about midway along the Prince's Pier,
accompanied by liability to a penalty of sufficient amount to
secure, in all cases, the absolute observance of the bye-law or
regulation above referred to.
Mr. Bold moved that the bye-law be adopted. He
said he could scaruly have had to make any remarks
except for the memorial which been just read. It was a
great gratification to know that although that bye-law
had been before the public for the last six weeks, there
was no complaint made from any other body, either the
shipowner's association or the pilot committee. The
gentlemen of Wallasey asked for an enlargement of the
space which the committee had thought desirable to
ask the council to sanction. The committee conceived
that if they did anything to the extent which was asked.
it would take up too much of the anchorage of the river,
and thereby inconvenience the shipping interest very
materially, The committee were considering the neces-
sity of taking even further steps to prevent the danger of
collisions in the river. It would almost appear well if they
could prevent more than one ferry from being worked
during a fog. The greatest danger of collision arose
in consequence of the boats crossing each other
during fog. He understood that the Woodside
boats might be said to be almost the only boats
on the river which worked during fog, and they
invariably waited at each side until the boat crossing
had arrived within sight, so that there could not be the
slightest danger of collision occurring. It was thought
desirable even that the other ferries should not have

power to run at such times. He understood from gen—
tlemen living there, that many persons near Rock Ferry,
Seacombe, or Egremont, were in the habit of going to

Woodside at such times, even although there might be
a chance of a boat starting from these places, so that the
inconvenience would not be so very great as the Walla-
sey Board of {lealth described it. He agreed with the
memorial that the penalty was so small as to be nearly
inoperative, but if the law clerk looked into the act of
parliament, he would see that it was the utmost extent to
which they could go. The committee proposed to give
a four oared boat to the water bailiff, for the purpose of
enabling him to see that the regulations were carried
out. By this means too they hoped to be able to afford
some protection to emigrants, for which purpose they
contemplated framing some byelaws. (Hear, hear.)
He believed no persons were more imposed upon than
that class by the exhorbitant charges of boatmen. (Hear,
hear ) It was staled that the boatmen were frequently
in the habit of getting the emigrants into the middle of
the river, and then sayirg they would go no further
unless they were paid a large sum. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. S. : Quite true.

Mr. Bold said the committee hoped to be able to
license the boats, as was done in Bristol and some other
places.
Mr Clint seconded the motion.
Mr. Tobin remarked that although the penalty was
very small, still if a pilot moored a vessel contrary to the
bye-laws, he could be made amenable to the pilot corn.
mittee.

Mr. Woodruff asked what the expense of the boat
would be.

Mr. Bold said about £250 a year; but it was not for
the purpose of carrying out one bye law alone ; it was
for the better regulation of the anchoring of ships in the
river; in fact, a kind of river police.
Mr. Woodruff hoped they would succeed in protecting
the emigrants.
The motion was carried.
CORONER'S ACCOUNTS.

Mr. Alderman Holme moved that the Coroner's
account, amounting to £5O 12s. 6d., be passed, and in
doing so, took occasion to advert to the remarks recently
made by the Coroner upon his (Ald. Holme's) comment
on the large amount charged for car hire for jurors.
He said he had read with some surprise and, as coming
from an old and intimate friend, some regret, the remarks
made by the Coroner upon that occasion. He should
deem it his duty upon all occasions, as long as he
held a seat in the council, to direct the attention
of the council to any payment which he thought
excessive ; and he thought it would have been much better
taste of the Coroner, to say the least of it, if, instead
of making what he (Ald. H.) could not help thinking
a somewhat injudicious speech, he had at once made an
explanation to this council. Any explanation he had to
make would have been received by the council, and the
members of the finance committee with all the respect
and attention due to so high an authority. It was now
for the council to deal with the question, he having
directed their attention to it, as he should unquestionably
do, if necessary, from month to month.
Mr. Alderman Parker supported the remarks of Mr.
Hoinie, and contended that the coroner was bound in
each case to summon a jury from the immediate vicinity
of the place where the death occurred.
Mr. Fernihough urged that it would be extremely
hard to put jurors to the inconvenience
.of walking long
distances, as well as the loss of time. The class from
whom the coroner's juries were usually summoned, were
those who, if not actually in want, yet required the
employment of all their time to keep above it. The

inconvenience did not touch merchants on 'Change.
The whole expense was about £lOO a year. There were
about five hundrel inquests in the coursa of a year, and
if a jury were summoned in the immediate vicinity in
each case, the coroner must have a room in a public
house, for which he must remunerate the landlord ; and
taking this at the moderate charge of lOs each, it would
amount to over £lOO a year. (Hear, hear.) He thought
that a suggestion which had been made to contract with
an omnibus proprietor, for an omnibus to convey tha
jurors, was well wo'thy of consideration. (Hear. hear.)
Mr, Hodson agreed with Mr. Fernihough, and urged
that it would not be worth while now depriving coroner's
juries of this privilege, when it was very probable that
at no distant day the whole coroner's system would be
abolished.

Mr. J. R. Ilfery thought juries who were called upon
to give up so much of their time to such disagreeable
duty ought not to be grudged a conveyance when they
had to go long distances. He had been summoned on a
jury, as being one of the class to whom Mr. Fernihough
alluded, just above the reach of want—(laughter)—and
he had to go from one extreme end of the town to
another. He hoped the coroner would take notice of the
observation made that the inconvenience did not apply
to gentlemen on 'change, for he believed every house-
holder was liable to be summoned. (I-I,,ar, hear.) He
regretted that members of the council were exempt, as
otherwise, they might have personal experienes of it.
Mr. Stitt assured the council that merchants on
'Change were not exempr, for he had to serve, and
had felt the inconvenience of the distance to be tra-
versed.

The matter then dropped, and the accounts were
passed.
A circular was laid on the table, bearing Lord
Brougham's signature, inviting the council to send a
representative to the Mercantile Law Conference for
1857. No motion was made upon the subject.
The council then adjourned.