The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-01-29 00:00:00

TOWN COUNCIL.

A special meeting of the Town Council was held :in
the Town Hall, at eleven o'clock yesterday, for the
purpose of taking into consideration and determining
upoi the following bill prepared by the Birkenhead
Docks Committee under the instructions of the council :

—Birkenhead Docks (Construction) : " A Bill for car
Tying into effect certain provisions of The Birkenhead
Docks Act, 1855,' in relation to the construction and
completion of the Birkenhead Docks ; for authorising
Alterat'ons therein, and New Works; and for other
Purposes.' " Birkenhead Docks (Management) : " A
Bill for carrying into effect certain provisions of ' The
Birkenhead Docks Act, 1855,' relating to the Management
of the Birkenhead Docks ; and for other purposes.' "

The Mayor, Francis Shand, Esq., presided.

Mr. *oodruff, before the business commenced, asked
why all the members of the council had not been furnished
with copies of the bills.
The Town Clerk stated that, owing to some mistake,
the bills which were to have been delivered here from
London on Saturday, did not arrive until past twelve
o'clock on Monday.

Mr. Alderman Holme said the committee was actually
sitting whenthe bills arrived.

The council then went into committee on the bills.
BIRKENHEAD DOCKS CONSTRUCTION BILL.

The preamble of this bill was then read. It was as
follows

Whereas, by " The Birkenhead Docks Act, 1855," the
respective undertakings and properties of the Birkenhead dock
trustees and of the Birkenhead dock company were transferred
to and vested in the mayor, aldermen, and burgesses of the
borough of Liverpool, in that act and herein called " the cor-
poration," upon the several trusts and conditions, and to and
for the several uses and purposes upon, to, and for which the
trustees and the company respectively were theretofore seised,
or possessed of, or entitled to the same respectively, and subject
to the several liabilities created by any of the Acts of Parlia-

ment relating to those trustees and to that company respect-
ively, and were declared to be one undertaking, to be con-
structed and completed by the corporation with as little delay

as possible, in such manner as might render them most avail-
able for the commercial purposes of the port of Liverpool in
connection with the Liverpool docks; and the corporation
were thereby required, unless Parliament should otherwise
determine, wholly to complete the said docks and works in
accordance with the plans sanctioned by the then subsisting
provisions of the Birkenhead Dock Acts respectively, before
the first day of September, one thousand eight hundred and
fifty eight :
And whereas the Birkenhead docks may be rendered most
available for the commercial purposes of the port of Liverpool
in connection with the Liverpool docks, by the alteration of
certain parts of the works which, by "the Birkenhead docks

act, 1855," were directed to be constructed and completed, and
by the construction of certain new and substituted works ; and
it is expedient that the corporation be empowered to make such
alterations and such new and substituted works ; and for that
and the other purposes of the said undertaking vested in them by
" the Birkenhead docks act, 1855," to borrow further and
other sums of money, to acquire land, and to obtain an exten-
sion of the time limited for the completion of the said Bir-

kenhead docks; but the several objects aforesaid cannot be
effected without the aid of Parliament : &c., &c.
_ ..

The clauses then followed.
Mr. John Stewart explained the effect of the bill. He
remarked that it was somewhat difficult in words to explain
precisely the alterations proposed by the plans: and the
only way in which an intelligible notion could be con—
veyed to the council was by reference to the plans
themselves. It was intended to construct a low water
basis, containing 12 acres, and from that low wa er
basin there would be a communication direct into the
great float. This would, he believed, be among the first
of the works to be undertaken, but it would be carried
on simultaneously with the very extensive alterations
proposed in what was at present the Morpeth dock.—
These alterations would necessitate some very extensive
attune lune ie t'ee cnclo3uro .f what waa at prceerzt callrd
the coasting basin. It was intended to be walled
in, in consequenee of which it would be rendered
necessary to provide, in lieu of the present pier at the
Woodside ferry, a landing stage. He believed it was
intended to have a toll upon the landing stage, by which
some remuneration would be obtained for the great
outlay. If gentlemen looked at the plans, they would
find that the alterations in the Morpeth dock would
create great additional convenience, and, in the mean-
time, while the works on the great float, or low
water basin, were proceeding, the entrance to
the great float, in order that it might be available, should
remain as at present, but ultimately the Morpeth dock
would be enlarged to nearly eleven acres, affording very
great facilities, and very extensive accommodation
indeed. The corporation would, by the expense which
would be incurred in enclosing the low water basin,' and
making the landing stage as a substitute for the present
pier, gain a very large portion of land there which would
be the best possible position for affording accommoda-
to the railway traffic, which they anticipated would be of
very considerable extent indeed. There were some
further extensions of the works shewn there to the
northward, which were to follow as trade increased. On
reference to the old plans, Mr. Rendall's plans, it would
be seen that the land belonging to the corporation was
appropriated to much larger and ntore extensive dock
accommodation than before. He, therefore, hoped par-
liament would see that it was the desire of the corpora-
tion to give the docks and works facilities never
contemplated in the plans heretofore proposed. The
works would be very extensive and costly, no doubt, but
it appeared to the committee a most judicious
plan. It had been well considered by the com-
mittee, and by gentlemen more practically acquainted
with the working of the docks than he was; and it was
gcknowledged upon all hands, to be an excellent plan,
and very likely to promote the interests which they all
desired .to promote. (Hear, hear.) The committee had
had the' assistance and the advice of gentlemen very
largely interested in shipping. Some of the largest
shipowners in Liverpool hafl given them the benefit of
their assistance and advice. They had also the advantage
of the attendance of two members of the Dock Committee,
conversant with the subject ; and the result of their de-
liberation was, the production of the plans now on the
table, by Mr John Hartley, which they had every reason
to believe, were as well adapted to their purposes as any
plans could be ; and were judiciously and well disposed.
(Hear, hear.) He only hoped that the corporation would
be enabled to carry them oat ; and that they would be
attended with the success which the committeee anti
mated.
A. Councillor asked what the railway companies said
to the proposal.
Mr. Stewart said : The committee endeavoured to meet
the wishes of the railway companies; but he was not
prepared to say that all the companies would concur
thoroughly. If, however, gentlemen were disposed to
say that the committee must concur with all the views of
the companies, then they must make docks for the
accommodation of the railways alone; and not for
general purposes. (Hear, hear.) It was quite clear,
and he had always advocated it, that they must not
ignore the existence of railway companies. They
format' a very important body to be considered ' • and the
committee had endeavoured to lay out their plans so as
to treat them as an important part of the commercial
community, and afford them every facility consistent
with the general working of the docks, and public pur-
poses. They were not, however, to make docks merely
for dividend paying companies : but to promote the
general trade of the Mersey ; and they had endeavoured
to do so ; paying, at the same time, every respect to the
great amount of business which they expected from
these companies ; and they had provided means, so far
as they possibly could, consistently with their public
ditties, to enable the companies to have all the facilities
which theY ought really to require. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. Steains remarked that he was sorry to hear the
word " tolls" in reference to the proposed landing stage.
Mr. Stewart said the tolls were only intended to apply
to a portion of the landing stage. The commissioners
of Birkenhead had the right of ferry, and the corporation
could not take any trill of them. There was a provision
made for them in the act
by
their passengers upinwhich they had the right to
the landing. stage, which
every person would admit,
s' b from experience of the
Liverpool landing tage► to e superior for the purpose
to any pier whatever. But whee
optko be devote e of tolls d
he
was speaking of a portion of the stan heg o t
to that purpose. The toll they proposed to levy would
probably be upon sea going steamers. For the purpose
of giving accommodation to the railway companies, the
committee had laid down an alteration of. the road
called the Shore road. They gave the railway a slip of
ground to enable it to run along the whole, clear of the
public traffic, and a communication across the whole
works from the southern side to the northern side of the
reserve. Every attention had been paid to the subject
of giving facilities to the railways, because be beleved
that by giving every reasonable facility to them the
committee were promoting the interests of the public at
large. (Hear, bear.)
Mr. Alderman Bold moved that the council confirm
the preamble of the hill.
Mr- Charles Turner seconded the motion.
The preamble was accordingly confirmed.
The clauses were then read seriatim. The first clauses