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

extension Act of last year !

elf-evident that

he interest of the mone,
Birkenhead Docks int,

t in putting

condition Inns

be taken

Mr. HORNB

do not hesitate

to assert

return

ibsence of an authorised schedule

nd pr

tie extent, toge

er with th

he borough estate,'tai` tt

corporat

ad in 1854

1 that there is certain indica

icipal income whiich

have to make gogd by a borough

on for sanctioning the expenditure of 800,0001.
within the next two years ! It is quite true that
the Corporation are bound to go to Parliament this
session for an act to transfer the dock estate and its
management to them. But they are not compelled

not been

re to seek powers to raise sc

ection, ex,

coney on

lans whicl

are as dif

lifted to the public for
the office of the Clerk

situate in Cheshire,

where

Ecult of access to shipowners anc

tierehants as it is possible-to render them

The money is not to be laid out on the plans
already sanctioned by Parliament, but in accord-
ance with a rival design emanating from Mr.

i ARTLEY,

_, who has taken as many days only as
other
.dock engineers would require months to
digest and consider it scientifically. Mr. HARTLEY
deals with tidal areas—with the capacity and

7 -
ith the accumulation of mud
banks, and other obstacles to navigation—with
excavations and the deposit of the clay, sand, or
stone, raised'from them—with the narrowing and
deepening of natural inlets, through which flows a
sufficient quantity of tidal water to secure and
preserve the navigation of rivers, and their ap-
proaches, as though he was the most gifted of
scientific men, and had proved the most unerring
of all engineers. We will not say Mr. HARTLEY is
reckless when he is thrown upon his reputation,
but we cannot give him credit for plaCing
sufficient value on time in considering such
stupendous works; and WO are opposed entirely
. . _
to the

functions of rivers—

prinCiple of allowing engineers
to obtain Acts of Parliament for plans, which are
to be altered and amended in the course of con-

struction

There are fixed and recognized laws to be
observed in all such undertakings, and they
cannot be provided for by a hasty glance at a large
tract of land laid apart for docks. It may be very
easy to sit down and set out on a sheet of paper a
series of lines 'representing something like
docks, with spaces for entrances; but calcu-
lating the loss of tidal power, and the
innumerable evils which follow in its wake,
is a far different matter, and should not be
suffered to be undertaken on any man's bare ipsi
dixit. The proposed plans have, in fact, been
prepared with indecent haste, and probably the
Council will find that Parliament will take this view
)f them when they come before a committee of

he House of Commor

and the public, for dis-

noble river has

igation of the estuary of our
, certainly, gained nothing by the
already constructed ; and it remains
those interested in the maritime great-
ness of the Mersey to see that no further
mischief is done by hurrying forward crude and
immatured dock schemes. The population and

locks

commerce of Liverpool

and the latter in ti

Increase in a well ascer
If

r doubles it

n fifty

We have, there

iple time to devote to examining such

-
projects in all their ramifications. Haste has done
much towards bringing the Birkenhead estate into
its present position. The great natural advantages
of Wallasey pool were first destroyed by the costly
operation and intolorable folly of bringing earth
from Bidston hill to fill up its mouth, which had
been designed by nature for docks ; and, according
to Mr. HARTLEY'S plan, a large portion of the space
thus filled up has now to be excavated; and it is
proposed to place this same earth on a spot from
which it has again to be removed, as a prelude to
further excavations of its kindred soil ! There are
rumours also afloat with regard to the depth amd
width of the entrances to the new docks to which
the Council ought to give some attention ; and
the Conservator of
the 11Tersey ought to look closely
to the effect these new
docks will have on the bars
at the mouth of the river
; and to the navigation
of the Mersey generally.