Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-10-14 00:00:00

THE PILOTAGE COMNIITTEE,

It appeared groin tke proceedings of this' committee
that the manager of the Woodside -Ferry had.submitted
a list of vessels said to have been moored in the track of
the ferry steamers frOm" the 23rd of
.September. The
attention of the pilots had been called to it, with an
,
instruction not to moor vessels there, especially as the
foggy weather was approaching.
Mr. • SHAND moved the • confirmation of the pro-
ceedings, and then said :—The proceedings of the bo9.rd
upon our last meeting have caused a considerable amount
of difficulty at , the Pilots' Committee; especially among
those not members of the board. The proceedings of the
Pilotage Committee were returned to that committee as
confirmed, 'sat it was apparent from the proceedings, as
reported, that only a portion of the proceedings had
practically been confirmed, as the last resolution in
reference to licensing masters and mates of coasting
steamers had been virtually repudiated. Of course it
appeared to those gentlemen who bad taken a particular
interest in that-portion of the business,. that really the
virtue •of their presence was annulled ; and they said
that if the proceedings were to go there, and be con-
firmed only to them, but practically repudiated to the
. world, it was useless for them to sit upon that committee.
It was their disposition to pass a resolution which Was not
so agreeable to those who .were members of the board,
and it was at last determined that I should mention the
subject, upon the principle that anything objected to in,
the .proceeding should be referred back, or that they
should be allowed themselves to take a course by which.
their proceedings should be made effective. On this
occasion, they state their particular desire that the Boaid
of Trade should be furnished with that resolution ; and if
it has not been conveyed to the Board of Trade in the
shape it passed the committee themselves, that they should
have the power of communicating with the Board of
Trade upon the subject,—that is, transmit a copy
in full of the resolutions arrived at ; .and that in future
certainly nothing that may be objectionable to this
board should be passed. sus silentio, or by a kind
of formality, which really defeats the very object
desired ; but that it should be referred back to . the
Pilotage-Committee. I should ask, therefore, ,whether
the board would have any objection to the Pilotage
Conunittee transmitting a copy of their resolutions as
they were orioinally .passed„ and as they really stand
I upon their books, because the very gist of what they feel
is embodied in the last resolution ?

The CHAIRMAN' said the Pilots' Committee, though
consisting of one-third who were not members .of
that board, was by act of Parliament a committee
of that board, and he understood ' the feeling
of the board to be, that they did not consider, that
second resolution might to go to the Board of Trade,
and, their proceedings were guided- with reference to
that special object. If a committee of the board dis-
agreed with the board, the committee' must necessarily.
give way ; but the board thought at the same time it
was rigat there should be a record upon the books of
the committee of its feeling upon the subject. The
communication with the Board of Trade was, however,
a communication from the Dock Board, and it would
be out of order for the Pilots' Committee to -communi-
cate with them. Delicacy to the feelings of the com-
mittee had guided the course which the board had
adopted,
Mr. MAclvEr. asked Mr. Shand whether the Pilots'
Committee intended to strike ? (A laugh.)
Mr. SHAND—I believe the members from this board
are not inclined to strike, but the other gentleme4 have
expressed themselves strongly upon the subject.
The CHAIRMAN hoped they would understand that
there had been no want of courtesy or consideration for
them ; but the-board had a responsibility in the matter.
Mr. Moran', said the question had been well con-
sidered by the members of the Pilots' Committee ; but
gentlemen came to that board who had given it no con-
sideration, and hence they had hasty legislation. .
Mr. BUSHELL said Mr. Evans vas not there, who
moved the amendment. Tie (Mr. Bushell) had seconded
it ; and he was happy to s:iy that the feeling. which the
Chairman had expressed, was that which animated both
the mover and seconder. That the board in its collec-
tive capacity shOuld stultify itself by. sending up such a
resolution, was a thing which he hoped/the board would
never do. As to Mr. Mondel's remark, he might say
that there were questions which flashed upon a man's
mind upon which he could give instant judgment; and
there was an absurdity in the resolntilns (not to give
offence to Mr. Mendel) ; they first rt:;,):,imended a thing

TIMES.

to be done, and then said you have made us do it against
our conviction.
Mr. liouLT—The board has done many things arr°aine,
its convictions. If I was -a membermemberof the rfloteCom-
mittee, I should -send the document up with my own
name to it.
The CumnarANL--Well, we have nothing to do with
that.
The proceedings were then confirmed. ~
DOCKS AND QUAYS' ce,..imirrEE.
The proceedings of this committee included a recom-
mendation to prepare ;articles of agreement with the
Health Committee, for 'sweeping the streets contiguous
to the docks; and that notice be given to the imica-
shire and Yorkshire Railway Company that a charge of
threepence per ion will "be made, upon_ all coal brought
upon the high-level railway for sea-going vessels.
On the motion of Mr: Lockett, the proceedings were
confirmed.
THE MASTER PORTEHS' COMMITTEE.
' The proceedings of this committee having been read,
Mr. ARNOLD said the committee hadirranged to meet
on Wednesdays rather than ThursdaysiAn order that,
their pfoceedings might come before the board at their
Thursday's meeting,' instead of being left till the follow-
ing week.' 1
A desultory and resnl:less conversation ensued, -.based
on the discussion of last week, -as tathe-master porterage_
.of steam vessels. The whole question,'it was admitted,
was surrounded with difficulties. .

MISCELLANEOUS.
A letterwasread from Mr. W, G. Stewart, Comptroller
of the Customs, stating that that board approved of a
shed on the east quay of lluskisson Dock for transit
purposes.
An application from Messrs. Allan Brothers, to in-
troduce gas into two huts on the west side of Wellington
Dock, was referred to the Works' Committee.
An application for the me of a room on the-North.
Landing-stage, for the use of an inspector of badge-
porters, was referred; as was alsO• an application from a
poor man at Poulton, who complained of his garden
fence being broken down, and other injuries which he
had sustained by the execution of the dOck works in
that neighbourhood.
This was the whole of the. public .business.