Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-03-05 00:00:00

able to stop lip this access to the increased dock com-
munication which we propose to make.
Cross-examined by Mr. Alexander : There will be a
great increase of traffic when the present dock works are
completed. Most of that traffic will be due to the Birken-
head railway, the only line which comes up ,to the docks.
There is a line of railway communicating throughout.the
whole length of the docks • there are no locomotives. By
the 21st section of the act of last session, the Mersey Board
were bound to lay down lines of rail Way throughout the
docks, and to the several quays and piers. At present
there is not a great deal of traffic across the portion of
Canning-street, which is proposed to be stopped up. That
traffic consists chiefly of cart traffic, coals, &c. He
understood that the land to be used as a reserve was to
be vested in the Mersey Board, and to be used by the
railway company.
To the committee : To get over the bridge
street from Canning-street, is seventeen feet.
Re-examined by '..11r. Burke : The crossing of Canning-
street is nearly level. There would' be a rise of the
number of feet which he had mentioned; by substituting
Taylor-street for the passage through Canning-street.
For all the purposes of public traffic, it is exceedingly
desirable that the .crossing should be on a level. The
Mersey Board were representing the public, and had no
other interest than to preserve the communication to and.
from the line of docks.
Mr. Newlands, examined by Mr. Burke : I am
engineer for the borough
_of Liverpool. I am well
acquainted with 'Canning-street. We have streets in
Liverpool analogous to the position of Canningstreet •
When the line of docks were complete, the
traffic would be considerably increased. It was of vital
importance that the passage of any street communicating
with the docks should be kept open, . and that it should
be legal and direct. It was most desirable that Canning
street should not be stopt up

,t Bridge-

Cross-examined by Mr. 'Webster
in Liverpool analogous to Cannin
a locomotive passes.

is no street

-street, across which

Mr. -Shuttfeworth examined by Mr. Hope Scott : I
am Town Clerk of Liverpool ; when the Birkenhead
estate was in the hands of the Corporation
they were under parliamentary obligations to carry
on certain works. Had communicated with the
Birkenhead Commissioners and the landowners in 1856,
about the stopping up of Canning-street, understanding
that the Birkenhead Railway Company intended to apply
to parliament for power to stop up that street. There
was a clause introduced in the Birkenhead Bill, of 1856,
for this purpose, but was afterwards struck out. The
Corporation are landowners on that side of the Mersey.
They are' owners f 1 fee of the land south of the pool,
and also of the land at Canning-street under leases.
Canning-street, originally called " Corporation Road,'l
was made by the .CorporatiOn. These were lessees for
portions of this property held under the Corporation.
These parties memorialised the Corporation about the
stopping up of Canning-street. The Corporation opposed
this bill in the Commons in 1847, on behalf of those
lessees, and were successful Railway , accommodation is
to be provided on the south reserve and a great increase
of traffic may be expected. It is most important that
the passage across Canning-street should remain open.

--
Mr. William Laird, examined by Mr. Hope. Scott :
I was at one time a trustee Under the Birkenhead Dock
Company. I am not a lessee under the Corporation.
I was an opponent of the bill in 1817, for
stopping up Canning-street. The bill was with-
drawn. It is impossible to say what the future traffic of
Birkenhead may be. Canning-street is a street of im-
mense thoroughfare for carts, and if the passage be
diverted, and parties have to go up an incline by Taylor-
street, and to cross over a bridge, it would destroy greatly
the value of the property.
Mr. Hope Scott asked the committee to deal with the
question of stopping up Canning-street as a separate and
distinct Itiestion . _

Mr. Alexander objected.
The committee having consulted, the Chairman inti-
mated that the committee were disinclined to depart from
the usual practice, which was to consider the different
questions at one time. _ _

Mr. Scott was then heard on behalf of the London and
North-Western Company ; and the committee adjourned
at four o'clock.

TRANMERE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT

Yesterday evening, a meeting of the ratepayers was
held in the Brittania Rooms, Lower Tranmere, for the
purpose of taking into consideration the adoption of the
Local Government Act. Dr. Gorst was called to the
chair.

Chairman: Gentlemen, I thank you for the honour
you have conferred upon me in electing me to preside
over this meeting, and I hope. you will. support
me in the office which you have placed me. The meet-
ings at Tranmere have become notorious for being
stormy, but I hope the present one will not be such. I
have to propose that this township adopt the local
government act of 1858, and I hope that the proposition
will meet with that consideration which it deserves.
I will not detain you longer, but merely call upon Mr.
Lloyd to read the appointment.
Mr. Gill : I beg to enter a protest against the legality
of the meeting. It was called for all to attend, and not
the ratepayers, and on that ground I beg to enter a
protest. .

Mr. Lloyd : I shall advise the chairman not to accept
your protest, you must state your grounds in writing, in
any terms you like. (A voice, that is very weak.)
Some time elapsed in Mr. Gill making out the protest,
when Mr. Guy remarked, that he thought the meeting
should not be kept that long for the protest. (A voice,
its another six and eight-pence.)
Mr. Lloyd : We have consented to receive the pro-
test, if given in writing, and I think we must wait for
i t.

The protest was handed in in a short time afterwards.
Mr. Blaylock said, he wished to state that there was
no neglect on the part of the overseers
in not calling the meeting. He wanted the rate-
payers to understand that they were not
at fault in calling the meeting. (Interruption.) They
Were prepared to call the meeting, notices were read
for calling the meeting, but. they had not funds. (Gam-
mon.) The Secretary of State has the power to call the
meeting, he could be refunded all expenses, but they had
no funds. (You had funds to call another meeting.)
Mr. Lloyd : The word " neglect " is the Secretary of
State's own languam°e.l
A steam engine here came In front of the building in
which the meeting was assembled, and kept hissing away
far a long time, during which all manner of remarks as
to whether the opposition party had sent it there were
passed.
Mr. Lloyd said, he hoped that would be all of that kind
of noise they would have. He wished Mr. Blaycock to
understand that the language was that of the Secretary
of State. He would read the facts.

He then read a letter from the Secretary of State,
empowering them to call the,moeting.
Mr. Blaycock : You stated to the meeting that you did
not use the word "`neglect."

Mr. Lloyd : We submit the fact.
Mr. Blaycock : What ; you say you never
remainder was lost amid hissesj.

—[The

Some further stormy talk tool place with regard to the
matter, when

The'Chairman said they must come to the platter for
which the meeting was called—the Local Government
Aceof 1858---which he had moved should be adopted;
and he thought that was what ought to be done.

A person -called out that they aid not want the chair-
man to tell them what must be done, and a scene of
confusion ensued that it would be impossible to describe.
Some called for the bill to be read, or they would not
pass it; others tried to explain that they did not want
them to pass a bill, but to adopt an act of parliament.
This continued for some time, when

Mr. Landbrush mounted the table, and commenced,
amid cheers and groans, to say, that he came there to
second the proposition of the chairman. The local act
was the very thing that was necessary for the township
of Trantnere, and the only thing that would remove the
odium that rested upon it as a sanitary township. lie
was sure that many present had taken a part with
myself to remedy the evil that existed in the town-
ship, by improving its sanitary condition. Only a
a few years ago they were called upon to adopt a nuisance
removal act, but the committee found the obstacles that
presented themselves insurmountable, and they did not
possess the power to carry out the provisions of that act.
Under the circumstances, he felt confident that they
would adopt the local government act. (Read it.) He
felt that all should have made themselves
acquainted with the act before coming there.
It was not long since they had a meeting in that
room, and the overseers were present who refused to call
the meeting that was now assembled (say why put him
'ar and had
gots
a
out, put a wisp in the calf's mouth, &c.)
The meeting
had been called without the overseers. The
overseers
hish had
answer,written
and to
MI
he wished
Mir. Roberts
thaton the
lletter
t matter, tttol
e produced,
Mr. Roberts was the auditor of the poor law accounts for
the township.
fter(llhisesye6lld refused to
33.firr..
LBalanydcborcaksh: Tcahaattiaisunedot:faiAr.
call the meeting they were obliged 'to apply to the Se-
pseecdt
itnoth act. It was not like
1848, for it was as good
for the tenant as for the owner of
property. The act had
e
cretary of State, with respect
also
the health of town act,
would
water. The water would not e supplied
d ea
at
a as s uephpelayp oaf
a sanitary object, and
rate by any private company, as they could do it
dward made
themmrs.ellNyTos.
o
a speech, and put an amendment,