Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-12-30 00:00:00

MERSEY DOCKS AND HARBOUR BOARD.

Mr. Brocklebank presided nt the usual weekly meet-
ing of the Dock Board yesterday, and the other members
Mpresent were Messrs. .Arnold, Smith, Boult, Holme,
ondel, Hubback, Rankin' Tobin, Farnworth, Sear,Sear,Laird, Inman, Lockett, Maclver, Moss, Forwood,
Langton, and Rounthwaite.

WORKS COMMITTEE

The proceedings of this cominitte included the follow-
ing resolutions: -- To accept the tender of Messrs. J.
Wilson and Son, to supply tallow candles ; to confirm
the purchase of 12,194 square yards of land in Regent-
road; to alter the designation of the Landing-stages—
the north stage in future to be called the "Prince's-stage,"
and the tooth stage the' george's-stage." Thee purchase
of land above referred to' was recommended on the re-
port- of Mr. John Stew-art. The property is in the
hands of the trustees of the late Mr. Molyneux, and the
purchase-money proposed to be paid by the board is
£20,000.

Mr. RANXIN moved the confirmation of the pro-
ceedings, and stated that the land in Regent-road was
very valuable, and necessary to the welfare 'of the
estate.

Mr. BO= again-asked what would be the ;probable
cost of making good the walls in front of the Ilirken-
head warehouses. He went on Monday last, and
waited about for'an hour or more in the mud ;tnd mire
in that slough •of despond laughter)—and lin found
there two oilingmachines ander-the wall, front which he
I inferred th.atthe wall, like the scheme, had been built with-
out any fonntlation—(laughter)—and was 'consequently
coming clown. Perhaps the engineer might have made
up his mind 'what he would do in the :m tear, a.ncl'whe't
would be :the probable expense df %nompleting 'the
repairs. ,Re was sorry to set also that a piece 'of
land en `the north side of the Tloat was 'being
cut away, and turned into water. wow, they dad
too mub Water at ' Birkenhead dlready,' and as'
land was'worth something, uncle' any circumstances the
board should rather increase their land than their water
space sit-Birkenhead. Along the south side of the Great
'Float he saw that the earth 'was 'cut • away fronaehind
the wharf walls, and that 4argeniesses. of masonry were
beinginut behind to keep them lip. lie would what
wonld'be the probable cost •of thellviece of 'work ?
The CHAIRMAN said that 'notice of these Questions
ought to have been given, but probably' the Engineer
courd reply to them now.
The ENGINEER said the cost of repairing'the walls
near the Birkenhead-warehouses—they regarded to be
at.;feeed---would be about X 15,4300. With respect to
making some land on the Pool into water-space, that
'was part of the Parliamentary plan and must be carried
.out ; and as regarded the strengthening• of 'the wall on
the south side of the Float, there had been- spent already
£24,000 ; and about £6,000 more in addition to the
.M 6,000 for the walls near 'the warehouses would be
Inquired to complete those 'works.
Mr. Maclvan asked did any name 'given by the board
'to the landing-stages weaken or lessen many degree the
luses or purposes for 'Which those stages"were set apart
p.l act of Parliament.

The SOLlClTOR—Cortaisily' not.
The proceedings were 'then confirmed, as were also
those of the Warehouse Committee,, which were devoid
of public interest.

MARINI: COMMITTEE.

The Marine Surveyor had 'been .directed by the com-
mittee to communicate .with the head constable, and
arrange the necessary Signals for summoning the police
on board ships in the river in cases of necessity.
A letter from Mr. Wain,.law-Rerk, to the Birkenhead
Commissioners, seeking an interview with the board,
and referred by it to the Marine Committee, was read,
and referred to the Pilot Committee.

The question of a cable to Birkenhead having been
considered, it was directed that a telegraphic cable be
laid from the St. George's Pier to Woodside, and thence
to the Birkenhead Warehouses; and that an arrange-
ment be made with the British and Irish Magnetic
Telegraph Company for working- the line.
• Air. MoNnEL, in moving the confirmation of • the
proceedings said the :resolution in reference to the
Birkenhead cable was passed under an authority already
given to the Marine Committee. Subsequently it-was
intended to join the wire -running to the warehouses
with that to Holyhead, above ',Wallasey-pool. dt,was
also intended that the cable from the North Stage to
the North Reserve at Birkenhead should be. laid so that,
having two cables, in case of amaccident happening to
one of them, the other would enable them to maintain
an uninterrupted communication with Holyhead.
Mr. LANGTON seconded the motion.

Mr. BoULT said, it appeared to him the committee
had coramittpl the board to the expense of laying two
cables instead of one, us they had intended. One of
these cables it appeared would notbe for the convenience
of the dock estate, but for the aecommodation,of the
inhabitants of Birkenhead who wished to send messages
across the river. They had had such strange demands
from Birkenhead, that he should not wonder if a mes-
sage came from the Birkenhead .Oommissiontro,saying
that they should charge a ferry toll on all messages sent
:to Birkenhead. (Roars eflaughter.) Ile had heard of
:things quite as preposterous asithat, and itreallyeeemed
go him that that board might just as -well pave the
~roads, clean the streets, or empty the middens of the
houses at Birkenhead. (Renewed laughter,)
Mr LAIRD asked that the telegraph engineer's .report
,cto the committee might be read.
The CHAIRMAN said he thought that report would
explain the whole matter.
Mr. MASON then read the following report :
Dock-yard, Liverpool,:Decomber 24th, 18450.
Jeha B. Hartley, Esq.
Sir,—The following is an estimate of the cost of erecting*
branch line of Telegraph (one wire), from the North Reserve
to the warehouses at Birkenhead :--One wire, £44. hup-
poving there to be two wires, the cost would_be about £5O.

If the line were taken froni Wallasey Bridge
to the wax©-
hoacs, instead of from the North Reserve, the cost would be
about the same, as there is little difference in the distance.
ttseilviosziroi
Reserve
that accident occur to cable between
Landing-stage, which would
of course stop all communication, not only with Birkenhead,
but also with Holyhead, and intermediate stations, I would
respectfully suggest the advisability of laying two cables, the
second one being from the South Landing-stage to Woodside
slip, at a cost of say 1.:85.
If this were done I could arrange the wires so, that if either
cable was damaged, yet 'through the remaining one there
should Ze communication with Birkenhead by one oi the wires,
and with Holyhead, and intermediate stations, by the other,
whereas, if there be only one cable, the moment that is broken,
our messages for all stations are stopped. I am, sir, your
obedient servant, lone S. aissoaNr. •
Mr. Ratuart approved of two cables- but, he thought,
that one of them should be kept on the landing-stage
ready to be laid at fifteen minutes' notice, in case of the
first cable fleeing damaged, which was sure to be the case
before long.
Mr. Tonut said if Mr. Boult regretted that this ex-
pense was being incurred, he was about the only indivi-
dual in the community who did so. He believed that,
sooner or later, an accident would befall the cable that
was already aaid, and pointed out the injary and
annoyance that would ensue from a stoppage of the
communication 'with Holyhead—a stoppage that proba-
bly would not oedur if two cables were laid.
Mr. LAIRD said he had asked that the report of the
engineer might be read because he felt that it would
completely answer Mr. Boult's assertion that the board
were laying down the cable for the benefit of Birken-
head. In addition to that, however, he begged leave to
repeat the offer that he made to the Works Committee
on Saturday,—that if the board would give permission
to the Birkenhead Commissioners, they would lay down
a cable and work it themselves. (Hear, hear.) The
cost of the cable that had been laid was small, and he
believed it would be a most profitable part of the tele-
graphic system adopted by the board. He wished to
' ask why the letter from the Birkenhead Commissioners,
referred by the board to the Marine Committee, had
been by that body referred to the Pilot Committee ?
Did the Marine Committee wish to leave the considera-
tion of the question of a clear track being kept for the
Woodside boats to the decision entirely of the Pilot
Committee; or had they made up their minds that
they would not re-consider the question ?—one which
had come before the public in a stronger way within
the last few days than it had ever done before.
Mr. MONDEL replied that the letter had been referred
lointly to the Marine and Pilot Committees, and that the
etter had been sent to Mr. Shand, the chairman of the
latter committee,. as senior member of the Board, he be-
lieved, so that a joint meeting might be called.
Mr. BOULT did not see that there was any cause for
all this clamour against the Dock Board.
Mr. INUAN said, on the day when the ferry service
was stopped, private boats ran across the river when the
Woodside boats were not allowed to go.
Mr. MACIVER would make the track as clear as
possible, but thought too much was made of the fog.
The Board should not make too much of a fog on the
river, if Liverpool was to be a business port at all.
The proceedings were subsequently confirmed.
Hun COMMITTEE.

A memorial from persons styling themselves Channel
,Pilots) for the countenance anti assistance of the
Ward; in organism :w cia6.ollt channel pilotage