Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-09-02 00:00:00

BIRKENR.EAD COMMISSIONERS.

The "usual monthly meeting of this Board of Commis-
sioners was held last evening at the Public Office s,
Hamilton.sq rare, Birkenhead. The members present
were Messr.,. Bell, Goulborn, Willoughby, Baylis, Meken,
Park, M•Whirter, Rae, Harrison, Bradley, Keightley,
Aspinal.
Mr. J. Laird, the presldent, occupied the chair.
The Clerk read the minutes of the last meetings which
were confirmed and adopted,

THE ittAILIAM VITA Elr COMMITTEE.
The Clerk read the report of the committee held at a
special meeting on that day. It was as follows

REPOBT;

Adverting to the last report of the sub-parliamentary committee
upon the several bitla then before parliament, relating to Birkenhead..
your committee have now to report upotr the result of the Birken;
head, Lancashire, an! Cheshire Junction fleilway Bill, end the
several bills relating to the Birkenhead Docks,

1 With ragard to the Birkenheal, Lancashire, and Cheshire
Junctiot Ita47/ay Bill.

This bill Jawing been altered in committee, in conformity with the
arrangement mad 3 between the directors and the commissioners,
passed the House of Commons, and was intr dnced into the House of
Lo ds. But the select committee of the Lords rejected the clause
authorising the company to stop up part of Canning-street. The
promoters, after several days consideration, determined not to take
the bid without the clause in co.stion, and declined to proceed
further, consequently, the bill was not read a third time.
The bill nof having ptsse i into an ac', the arrangement between
the directors and commissioners falls through.

' DOCKS.
The several bills sleeting Birkenhead Docks were—the Birken-
head Docks (Construction) Bit, and the Birkenhead D..clts ( danage-
ment) Bi 1 both promoted by the Liverpool Corporation ; the Mersey
Conservancy and Docks Bill, the Liverpool and Birkenhead Docks
Bill, and the Liverpool Dick Committee aad Birk head Docks Bill,
promoted by the COmmissioners, and Wallasey Commissioners. The
last-mentioned bill was with 4.rawn Mira the se-niad reading in an •
cordance with the arrangement made with the Corporation, set out
in aforesaid report, dated sth May last, and approv.d by the toard.
The other bills were referred to the .same select committee, and
clauses were settled to b 3 introduced into the Birkenhead 'Docks
Consttroctlon and Management Bills, securing to Vim Commissioners
the landiog•stage, graving-docks, and canal dock, rt Woodside, in
campensat'on for the ; roposel enclosure of the Woodside basin and
landing-steps, and the appropriation of the public parade. Also,
for pr.dect'oa of the Commissioner's ferry rights, and for saving the
raVaqliiy of the docks whiet in possession of the Corporation. •
' The Mersey Conservancy 811 was first considered; and upon the
preamble Laing dsehred to be proved, the corporation withdrew their
two bills. Your committee then pressed, through counsel, for au
amendment of clause 3 5 of the Conservancy Bill, in order to enforce

Immediate prosecution and earlyiraplet on of the Bit kenheAl docks,
and to restrict the board from expending money en the Liverpool
side of the river, Until the completion of the Birkenhead dock works ;
but, not being supported by the promoters of the bill, did not succeed,
and the bi I passed the Commons, leaving it optional with the Lew
board to proceed with them or not, as they might decl'e, aed without
any defined plan. The commissioners having petitioned against the
bill la the Lords, your committee at ended the select committee of
the House of Lords, with a view to obtain such modification of the
bill as would be sati,factory to the commissioners, and as far as
possiile, secure the interests of Birkenhead. After proposing several
amendments, a general agreement was come to, as to the plans Upon
which the docks shou'd be competed; these secured the Landing-
stage, Graving Dock, Canal Dock, at Woodside, and we.e signed by
Mr. Brunel and Mr. Hart 4 y, on behalf of the promoters of the bill and
of the corporation, and, by the chairman of the committee, on the 7th
of August. Yonr committee, however, regret to say th,t this arringe-
ment was broken off, owing to an 'nnex,:ected c'aim to an inter. E. in
the south reserve b2iog made by the London and North Western
Railway Company, under an agreement made by the corporation with
the London and North Western Railway Company when they pur-
chased the north reserve from Mr. 3. A. Smith. Your committee
lso, by counsel, pres,ed for a clause to prectude all doubt as to the
Birkenhead docks bong 1i tole to poor-rates and commissioners' rates
when transferred to the new board. The clause was not granted, as
the committee considered it unnecessary; and its ineertien would
have been a breach of the privilege of the Commons.

Several important modifications of the bill were, however, cbtained.
By clause 51 th,, new board Is required to proce..A immediately with
the construct'on of the out won s, and by clause 52 the Corporation
are to preeeed with the works until the neviboard comes in o office.
By the 57 section he beer wing powers cf tae board are limited to
moneys required for the completion of the Birkenhead' Docks, or for
the special purposes of the act; so that new dock works cannot be
proceeded wt h elsewhere without a special applicaf on to parliament.
The ' Liverpool and Birkenhead Dock Bill for exempthig Vessels
using Docks in Chasbire from Payment of Dues to the Liverpool
Do .k Trustees," was rejected on the ground that the object of it would
be obtained by the Mersey Conservancy Bill ; and that bill having
passed into an act, vessels discharging part of their cargoes in the river,
and then enter.ng Birkenhead Dooks, will no lon.ger be liable to
payment of Liverpool dock dues, in alditien to Birkenheal dock
dues.

Since the rejection of the Birkenhead Gas and Water Bill, a case
has been submitted for the option of the Attorney-Ganeral and Mr.
Jolliffe.

Upon the r3onsamenrlAtlon 0! the Attn,ner_aonaro, o arnft has
been prepared of an inforoaati as and bill in ega.ty, to ascertain the
amount that would now be standin t• to th- credit of the contingent
Xandof £5,000 if the provitho of this act hai b3cti ullserva4, cod
to have that sorts made good by the olginal shareholders, Mr. J. S.
Jackson, Mr. W. Jackson, and the estate of the late Mr. J. Mal laby :
for an account of receipts and payments from the commencement of
the company, and to restrain the company from chargin; a higher
rate for gas and water than will enable them to pays dividend of- 10
per cent. on the paid up capital.
Your commi,tee are of opinion that this information and bill ought
to be filed.
The President, Mr. Laird, said, as chairman of the
committee, and as they had been pleased to intrust to him
great powers, by a resolution of the board, as such, he
proposed to detail to them at length what had taken
place with regard to these bills. After he had been ap-
pointed, Mr. Ksightley soon after joined him, and,
therefore, he would detail to them what had taken place.
The railway bills passed through the House of Commons
after much trouble and discussion about the stopping up
of Canning-street and other matters, but those clauses
were struck out, and it went to the House of Lords, as
they all wished it should pass, and so matters stand.
With regard to the Mersey:Conservancy Bill, it would be
recollected that in the month of November they made an
arrangement with the Corporation of Liverpool, and he
was sent to watch the proceedings in London. It was
decided that all'the bills should be taken before the com-
mittee, and it was also decided that :the Conservancy
Bill should be the first that should be considered. That
bill was passed, and it got into the House of Lords.
There it was opposed. He (Mr. Laird) was requested to
go to London, and support the deputation from the Cor-
poration, and assist them in opposing that measure. He
did so, and he gave his assistance cn the sole ground,
as he believed it was the wish of those who sent
hitreithat the;early completion of the works at Birkenhead.
After making that a special agreement, he attended a.
meeting at Lord Stanley's and Mr. Ewart's, as a deputa-
tion from the Corporation of Liverpool. There they had
a great many difficulties to contend with, as there were a
great number of misrepresentations in many points,
and they had great difficulty in explaining the
matter. That meeting did not result in anything.
Lord Stanley suggested that :Mr. Hartley and Mr.
Brunell should come to some arrangements about the
plans. Hero he would remark that he had seen it in a
Liverpool papa' that Lord Stanley had treated the
deputation with disrespect on the occasion -of their visit ;
that he must deny. But such might be the statement of
some gentleman opposed to bringing about any arrange-
ment, and who might not wish that Birkenhead should
become any integral part of Liverpool. All he could say
that Lord Stanley treated them all with the greatest
respect—the greatest courtesy. ITo suit the convenience
of the deputation he had the meeting at It's own house
instead of at the Board of Trade, and it was his Lordship
who had suggested that Mr. Brunell and Mr. Hartley
should meet. Ho could not see anyedisresp-ct on the part
of his Lordship, and he wished to correct that error. Mr.
Hartley and Mr. Brunch did mset, but at that time-
no result occurred. Mr. Laird then minutely detailed all
the interviews he had had with the various gentlemen
from Liverpool, until they had agreed to such terms as
had been suggested, intimating that some of the members
of the Dock Committee had objected to the arrangements,
but for what reason he could not see, as it must have a
most beneficial result to the town of Liverpool.
They had thought the matter was settled, and
that the bill would have passed, as the arrange-
ment had been confirmed :by Mr, Hartley and Mr.
Brunel!, on their part, and by Mr. Lloyd, the barrister,
on the part of the railway company. That was on the
lath of August. Such, however, was not the case, for it
appeared that when the corporation had sold the North
Western Railway Company some land on the south
reserve, giving them a certain lien upon the lauds. This
came to all engaged in the matter like a thunder-bolt, at
the last moment, and the result was, that the corporation
were compelled, or did, submit to its alteration, different
to the agreement that had been come to, and the spirit of
the bill was mach modified, but he hoped in such a form
that the works would be immediately proceeded with.
There was a difficulty about the ,money clauses, but that
was settled. Ho thought that if they got their 150 acres
of docks finished on that side of the river, that
Parliament would refuse to sanction any further eaten-
sions that might injure the works on this side of the
water. He next alluded to the fact, that from the
want of acoemmodation at the docks, a great deal of the
mahogany trade, the established trade of the place. was
leaving. Mr. Carmichael, and Messrs. Slater and Cror,ke
was taking it to Garston, which, of course, was as& Sect
much to be regretted. He then alluded to the neev dock
trustees who, would. be elected under the n'ew Act,
and he had heard it said by Liverpool, ty,ank God
we have got rid of Birkenhead but, as far as Birkenhead
was concerned, he might say, think God wee have got rid
of the dock committee. He then went or, to say that he
did not apprehend any difficulty arisirr,g to the new trus-
tees in carrying out the works wi':h the money they