Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-12-01 00:00:00

POSTAL AFFAIRS.

The Council have the pleasure of observing, in relation
fo the removal of the Post-office, that by the published
notices of the bill to.bo introduced into Parliament by the
Corpers ion powers are to be sought for constructing a
Post-office on the site proposed for the new public cfaces
in Dale-street ; and your directors trust that this intention
will be fully carrisd out.
its to the late deputation to Government relktive to the
postal arrangements with France and the Continent, to
which allusion was made in the half-yearly report, your
Council have received from the Postmaster-General a reply
to the representations made to his Grace cn that occasion.
This communication, which entered very carefully and
fully into the subject, evinces a strong desire on the part
of the Postmaster-General to meet the wishes of the
deputation ; and, although there would seem to be great
difficulties in the way, yet a suggestion is therein made by
which some adiantages may be obtained over the present
postal arrangements with the Continent; and your Council
Seel assured that the Postmaster-General will do all in his
power to meet, as far as possible, the wishes of the mer-
cantile body.

TILE MONETARY CEISIL

For some days prior to the recent suspension of the
Bank Act of 1844, your Vice-President (in the unavoida-
ble absence of the'President) had deemed it# part of his
duty to the chamber to keep himself in frequent communi-
cation with the leading mercantile and banking authorities
of the town, with a, view to such action, on the part of the
Council, as any emergency might seam to require ; and a
requisition having been received by him, asking him
to call a meeting of the C uncil, to take into
consideration the then pending commercial distress, a
special meeting was then called for that purpose, and held
on the l''th instant, the day on which the Bank Act WAS
suspended.
After giving the question the fullest consideration, the
Council appointed a deputation to proceed to London at
once, to confer with the directors of the Bank :ef England,
and also, if requisite, with her Majesty's Government, to
urge upon them the necessity of adopting a similar
measure of relief to that adopted in 1817, or such other
measure as might be requisite to afford relief to the com-
mercial community. But, immediately after the rising of
the Council, news was received that the Bank Act had
been bn.pen led, and thus any action by the deputation
was rendered unnecessary.

EXCHANGE BUILDINGS.

The decease of the late Mr. Wainwright, who held this
office for more than thirty years, has caused a vacancy
therein, and your committee, seeing the necessity of an
agent in London, to represent the various public and
commercial bodies, and other, the mercantile and trading
interests of Liverpool, have conferred with deputies from
the mercantile associations represented at thieboard, and
it is their opinion that the officer should be continued
They have also had interviews with the Dock Committee,
and the finance committee of the Town Council, the result
of which has led your council to hope that an arrangement
may be arrived at for the continuance of the office.
INCREAZ•E OF MEMBERS OF THE CHAMBER.
Seeing the growing influence of the chamber, and the
necessity that it should adequately represent the various
interests of the Wen, your council have appointed a
committee to consider what means should be adopted for
the purpose of rendering the chamber still more efficient
in its action, and of increasing the number of subscibere ;
as they feel in such an extended community as Liverpool a
much larger constituency might be expected, by which
means the utility of the institution would be greatly
increased.
The CHAIRMAN said, in Mr. Three unavoidable absence,
it was his duty to preside over the meeting, and he moved
the adoption of the report. The report treated upon many
interesting subjects, as they had heard, but since the last
half-yearly meeting of the Chamber, Parliament had not
been sitting, and, therefore, action could not be taken for
the present upon many of the subjects of which the report
treated. The Commercial Law Committee had had under
its consideration some important subjects, and especially
those relating to the laws of bankruptcy. Perhaps there
were no laws affecting the commerce of the country of
greater importance than the bankruptcy laws. Although
they had a most complicated and expensive machinery ,with
a view, of course. to facilitate the receipts of the assets of
insolvent estates, and justly to distribute them among the
creditors, yet, for some reason or other, either in relation
to the complication of the machinery, or the expense
attending the working of it, those laws had been compa-
ratively but little availed of. It then became perfectly
clear that either the Court of Bankruptcy must be
abolished altogether, or such alterations must be
made in the laws affecting it, as wou'd render
it of some substantial use to the commercial
community. With this object, a meeting was
held in London, in the early part of the year, by the Law
Amendment Society, to which the Council sent a deputa-
tion, when that subject, among many others of deep
interest, was fully discussed. Since that, at one of the
depar-ments of the Birmingham Conference, the subject
was again discussed, and depu ies were sent from that
Chamber to lend their aid to those measures which should
be deemed necessary, for the preparation of any bill which
might give confidence and might induce success in the
working of the bankruptcy laws. He trusted that the
thing was now in such a course that they should see, ere
long, such a revision of the bankruptcy laws, and such
facilities given in the Bankrupt Court, which had hitherto
not been given, for winding np bantrupt and insolvent
estates ; for it was proposed to consolidate the two courts
into one—that the bankruptcy machinery might really
become effective in its woking, and might give that which
it had never done before ensured confidence to the mer-
cantile community. The United Kingdom Writs Bill and
the Judgments Executive Bill were bills to be introduced
in the coming session, which would deal with an
anomaly at present existing, by which writs issued
in Scotland, England, and Ireland were not avail-
able in each country, a writ issued in Dublin not being
available in Liverpool, a writ issue I in Liverpool not being
available in Dublin, a writ issued in either towns not
available in Edinburgh. These writs should be made
current, and the judgment current throughout the whole of
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. With
regard to the New Dock Trust they were all aware that
under recent legislation the Mersey Docks and Harbour
Board was to be re-organised and re-framed. The Council
had given to that subject their most anxious consideration.
They desire I to act in relation to it, not in any dictatorial
spirit, but rather to step in as mediators, to ensure, as far
as possible, the organisation and composition of the Board,
such as might result in giving general confidence. lie
trusted that the steps which had been taken, and which
were not yet complete, by the committee of the Council,
to whom the matter had been entrusted, would be such as
would lead to a favourable result, but should such be not
the case, at all events they should have done this, they
should have put forth what they conceived to he right and
just in spirit in relation to the composition of the Board,
and, should they fail in their efforts, they must
only have deeply to regret it. He did believe, however,
that there would be a disposition to act upon the sugges-
tions which had been given, not, perhaps. in all their
details, but in the spirit in which the Council had put them
forth, and that they should have a new Board in existence
on the let of January next, which would have the general
confidence not only of Liverpool alone, but of the mercan-
tile communities of the whole world. (Hear, and cheers.)
Another subject of deep importance was that of dock
extension and accommodation ; and it had been thought—
justly thought—that, however desirous they might be, in
the spirit of strict justice, to carry out that which the
Legislature had told them they should carry out, the
accomplishment of the dock works at Birkenhead, yet that
there was en undue restriction imposed upon Liverpool if
she was not in the meantime, while rigidly adhering to the
dictation of Parliament, and completing the docks at the
other side, permitted, should she see fit, to carry on
a dock extension at this side of the Mersey also
(Hear, hear.) Another subject of great interest was
the question, how far the present dock space—whatever
they might think of the necessity for future
docks—might be made more available than it
was. They thought— at least some of them thought—
that the mechanical agencies which had of late years been
introduced into the country and the great advance in the
skill of their mechanical engineers, might, perhaps, have
led them to hope that they should have had greater faci-
lities of that kind in connection with their docks. Some-
thing had been done in the right direction, as the Albeit
and other docks showed, but they thought that with the
more general application of mechanical skill which might
be applied to the Liverpool docks, they could make the
present dock space do a great deal more work than it at
Present accomplished. (Hear, hear.) If this could be
done, it must be evident to all that they might save the
making of a new dock for the present, which would
involve the outlay of a large sum of money, and therefore
the incubus of a great amount of interest. Therefore, the
more they could work their present docks with advan-
tage, the more rapidly they could turn out the ships which
now lay too long by the dock quays, the more would
they be able to reduce their dock rates, and to facilitate
the greatly increasing commerce of the port. (hear, hear.)
He had no doubt, that many of the gentlemen
around him were present when Dr. Livingstone gave his
most interesting lecture in the Cotton Sales' Rooms, a few
weeks ago. In consequence of the interesting details Dr.
Livingstone then gave, and in consequence of what was
laid before them, and what they were led to anticipate
from his discoveries, in regard to communication with
Central Africa, the Council felt it its duty, in connection
with the African Association, to memorialise the Govern-
ment, and to point out that that was a time when they
could isot afford—either in relation to commerce or civili-
sation—to let any part of the world which could be made
product's-a for commerce, and c vilised for itself, remain
any longer as it was, unproductive and uncivilised. A
memorial was, therefore, sent to Lord Clarendon, pointing
out to him the duty and the necessity of the case, which
received a very favourable reply, ant he (the Chairman)
believed he might tell them without doubt, that the Go
vernment had already sent, or if they had not actually
sent, would send out steam vessels, with scientific
engineers and surveyors, to report to the Govern-
ment how far the river Zambesi might be
made navigable. Navigable it was at present for, he
believed, 300 miles, at which point there was a great
rapid, and the Government required to know how far this
rapid offered a physical impediment, and if it were an im-
pediment, to what extent, and by what means it could be
removed. With regard to their postal communication, for
some time back, he believed, they were aware that the
Post-office authorities admitted, although they had not
been quite willing to confess it, that the present Post-
office would, ere long, be utterly inadequate to carry on the
postal arrangements of that port and of the country in
general. The attention of the Council had therefore been
directed to the removal of the Post-office, seeing that they
c, uld not have any alterations made in the present site
which would improve the space sufficiently to allow the
business to be carried on The Council conceived that a
fitting site had been found in Dale-street, end he was
happy to find that the Corporation had sough for power
in their present bill to purchase Ihe land suffi-
cient for the site. Another important topic was
the subject of the Continental mails. It had
been a source of great annoyance to many merchants
trading with the Continent, and particularly with the north
of Ge-many, that the letters which they sent to London
from Liverpool at night were kept lying in London from
the morning on which they arrived until the departure of
the evening mail. It was thought that although the
number of letters sent to Hamburg, to Bremen, and to
Berlin and other districts might not be very great, yet
the great amount of business which they represented,
something like an export trade of ten millions, would
demand that every facility which could possibly be given
for the despach of the Continental letters should be given

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—(hear, hear)—conseqnently, a deputation from the
Chamber waited, in conjunction wi'h other Chambers,
upon the Postmaster-General, and laid before him the
whole facts of the case, making the general suggestion that,
not only in relation to that, but to other postal arrange-
ments, it would be exceedingly desirable that the railway
trains, which were now sent without mails or letter bags,
should be made to supplement the general postal regula-
tions. They suggested, for instance, that certain trains
leaving Leeds, Birmingham, Sheffield, and Liverpool,
should be made the means of conveying letter
bags to London, to meet the difficulty he had laid
before the meeting. From Mr. Rowland Hill they received
certainly a most elaborate and painstaking report, in which
he showed that railway companies were not disposed to
concur in the views the Chamber took of the subject, but
would wish, that whenever a mail bag was sent by any
train, they should be paid for it as if it were a regular mail
train Now he thought a little more liberality on the part
of railway companies which were really in connection with
the Post-office, seeing that if merely supplementary bags
were sent, they woult not interfere with the regular traffic
of the mails, might be exorcised without any isjury to their
own interests. However, after the very elaborate report
which was presented, indicating a great deal of research
and anxious attention to the subject, Mr Rowland Hill
summed up by pointing out certain trains which, although
they might not fully meet the wishes of the memorialists
and the deputation, might, in some degree, be made avail-
able. Liverpool, for instance had a train leaving
at 10.30 every morning, which would enable a mer-
chant who was early at his counting-house to
write his letters in the morning, which would be
despatched by the night mail from London to the Conti-
nent. Now, he considered even this a great privilege and
a great boon to those who had much business with the
Continent, because when the letters from the Continent
came in at five o'clock in the evening, instead of having to
stay in their counting-houses, and endeavour to get the
answer written in time for the night train, which would
only convey them up to London to lie there until the f )1-
lowing night, they could now take them home and either
answer them at home or early in the morning. He rate
now to a somewhat difficult and rather painful subject,
namely, the observation made in the Council's report up el
the monetary crisis. He had been urged, not by Liverpool
alone, but by persons who were exceedingly nervous as to
the state of things, and also from London, to take some
action a week before any other action was taken. He felt
that that was a responsibility he had no right to take upon
himself. Not daring to put the communications into his
pocket as if he hal never received them, he was impelled
by their receipt to put himself into communication
with the le -Kling bankers and merchants of the
town, to ask them what they considered it
was his duty to do under the circumstances, and
they one and all advised him not to touch it. They said
he might meet with nervous people whose fears carried
them beyond their judgment, whose discretion was not
sound, seeing that their fears were great; but it would be a
very unwise thing for Liverpool, strong as she was, having
no element of weakness in her, to indicate a weakness by
such a course. He, therefore, resisted the urgencies,
although they came upon him day by day. But on the
morning of the day when the restrictive clause of the
Bank Act was removed by the Government, he did feel that
the time had come when somethirg should be done, and
he again put liimself into communication with the gentle-
men of whom he had spoken. They then raid, now that
London had moved, he might move with safety. It could
not be charged upon Liverpool that she had taken the
initiative in the matter, and it was the duty of Liverpool to
give strength to the London movement, seeing that it had
originated in the very centre. A requisition having
been received by him, he called a meeting of the
Council together, the result of which they all knew. The
chairman then said : A few words more upon this subject.
We are constantly charged with a desire to hush up what
are termed commercial delinquencies. Now, although
the late monetary crisis may be considered both a difficult
and a delicate subject to touch upon, we are not aware
that the merchants of Liverpool, as a body, have ought in
relation to it, deeply as they have suffered by it, to be
either ashamed or afraid of ; so far from it, considering
the intimate commercial relationship between Liverpool
and New York, where this panic originated, and the fear-
ful decline in every description of produee consequent
upon it, we have the greatest reason not to boast, but to
be thankful, that up to this time so few of oar merchants'
houses have fallen. Whatever charge of reckless trading
may be justly brought against some in every commercial
community, the fact of so much stability under such a
crushing pressure must, in fairness, be taken as an evidence
of the prudence and legitimate trading of the majority.
But while we feel and say this, let as not shut our eyes
to the fact, that these oft-recurring crisis, through which
in our own day commerce has passed, are evidences,
true as cause and effect, that there is something wrong
in our system, some disturbing cause in the commercial
body which periodically breaks out into these fearful.
epidemics. Now, it cannot be denied that the natural in-
&nation is to seek for the cause in some legislative
enactment which we think interfer©s with the sanitory
action of trade ; well, let us by all means inquire into
such enactments immediately and without delay, and to
bring alike upon the principles and details involved in
them a wise and just and temperate consideration ; but
let us not stop here, but let us also inquire whether there
is anything within the commercial system to which we
may, in some degree, if not altogether, trace these great
calamities. The financial and commercial credit of
Great Britain is, urquestiouably, one of our greatest
elements of national prosperity ; so far as that credit is
based upon our wealth, industry, and prudence, it is a
great blessing ; but credit, like other good things, may be
used or abused ; •it is lee'itimately and profitably used when
it is, as we have said, based upon our capital, our industry,
and our prudence ; it is shamefully abused when it has no
other foundation than a bold and reckless daring
which, regardless of all consequence; deals with
hundreds of thousands as though they were grains of
sand, upon the principle of heads I win, tails you lose,
and unfortunately too, when too often the condemnation
or applause attending it depend too much upon
the measure of failure or success which may result. It is
well known that such a system of credit, so deeply to be
condemned, not less on moral han on commercial grounds,
has of late years too much prevailed, not in Great Britain
or America alone, but throughout the commerce of the
world ; that it has raised up and fostered a daring and
speculative spirit, which has rendered even the legiti-
mate and prudent operations of commerce, as carried
n by the fair trader, both difficult and dangerous, and
which has in so small degree tended to produce those
periodical convulsions which involve whole communities
in almost one common ruin. Now, seeing that the
credit system of commerce is carried on chiefly by
means of bills of excharg 3—seeing that there must
be three parties to each bill, a drawer, an acceptor,
and last, not least, a discounter, it seems reasonable
that capitalists, our money lenders, discount
brokers and bankers, should regard the character and means
of those who make those bills, more than the mere magni-
tude of their transactions. They do hold the check-strings
in their own hands, and have, individually and collectively,
the power at once and henceforth to remedy one great
cause of these oft recurring evils, and to restore prudence
and safety, in a great degree, to the future operations of
commerce. It is perfectly clear that by some means a
larger superstructure of credit has been raised upon the
capital employed in commerce than the foundation, how-
! ever strong, has been able to bear, and the superincumbent
weight has caused the whole fabric to totter, and hes
brought no small portion of it to the ground. This
structure of credit has now to be rebuilt. Let
us all earnestly inquire how and to what
extent it can best be rebuilt to insure to the
utmost extent stability and safety. (Hear, hear.)
Gentleman, I may seem bold in having made these ob-
servations I have made them after grave censidera ion,
because I feel that it ought not to be charged upon b:dies
of this kind, as it has been made a charge, that they are
influenced by a determination to hush up and to keep
silent upon such questions. Let us all honestly speak forth
our opinions with a feeling of duty and a sense of right,
and we have nothing to fear. (Hear, hear.) The Chairman
then referred to the question of appointing a London
agency in the vacancy caused by the death of Mr. Wain-
wright, by whose advanced age, he observed, that the
services of the office had been, of late, somewhat im-
paired. The Council being impressed with the great
necessity of continuing the office, had been engaged in
preparing a scheme of the duties to be carried on, and had
received, from the va,ious commercial associations,
intimations that they would be ready to render them
pecuniary support. He urged the necessity of endeavouring
to obtain from the public a greater measure of support for
that Chamber. He directed attention to the great results
which the silent labours of its committee had produced, and
mentioned a number of important questions on which they
had taken action with advantage since 1850—the Mer-
cantile Marine Bill, the customs' regulations, the
transit trade, the remodelling of the bonding system,
the Absconding rebtors' Act, the abolition of the duty on
soap, postal arrangements, dock arrangements, the Con-
solidation Act, the laws of partnership, the Bills of Lading
Act, and many others. The influence of the Chamber
was growing more and more every day, especially in
London, where their deputations • and communications
received
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support—not, as was too much the case, to be contented
with receiving advantages from its labours without giving
it any aid or support in return. The chairman then con-
cluded, by moving that the report just read be received
and adopted by the Chamber.
Mr. T. B. HORSFALL, M.P., seconded the motion. He
said that it was only since he entered the building that he
became aware he would be called upon to second the
adoption of the report which had just been read. He
regretted that he had not had the opportunity of looking at
at that report before, because there were in it many impor-
tant questions proposed for their consideration, bat upon
which he was sure they would not expect him to give, in
the present position of affairs, any very decided or
unqualified opinion. He rejoiced to find that the attention
of the Chamber had been directed to the reform of com-
mercial law, the registration of partnerships, and the
reform of the law of bankruptcy, as well as to a measure
which had been already once or twice before the House
of Commons—he alluded to the Judgments' Execution
Bill, With reference to that bill, he thought the Chamber
had already expressed a very decided opinion, and it was
perhap right that he should state to the Chamber why, in
his opinion, that measure was not now the law of the
land. There was a general acknowledgment in the house
that some such measure was desirable, but unfortunately
Mr. Crawford, who had charge of it, was (he said it with
respect), a lather obstinate member, and was very
unwilling to give way upon some minor details, which,
if he had sanctioned, would have promoted the
passing of the bill. His (Mr. Horsfall's) impres-
sion WAS that the bill would never pass, as
proposed by Mr. Crawford, but if Mr. Crawford had rested
his case simply upon the principles which the most emi-
nent lawyers in the House of Commons considered
essential, he had no doubt whatever that a very proper and
efficient bill would have been adopted the first time the
question was submitted, in 1852. Unless based upon
these principles, he feared they would never get a Judg-
ment's „Execution Bill. The president had made some
very proper observations with regard to the Mersey Dock
and Conservancy Bill, and he (Mr Horsfall) quite con-
curred in what he had said on the great importance of
proceeding with docks on this side of the Mersey. He
could not conceive why any jealousy should exist on the
part of Birkenhead. There was no disposition on the
part of Liverpool to do injustice to Birkenhead--(hear,
hear)—and why they should alttempt to prevent the
construction of docks on the Liverpool side of the Mersey,
he was at a loss to conceive; (Hear, hear.) During the
last session of Parliament, when the Mersey Conservancy
Bill was pending, his honourable colleague and himself had
frequent interviews with the President of the Board of
Trade, Lord Stanley of Alderly, on this very subject, and
at the very time that the Board was pressing for the
completion of the docks at Birkenhead. Its President was
applied to to know why the docks on the Liverpool side of
the Mersey should not be allowed to be proceeded with
at the same time. (Hear, hear.) It was only justice to
Lord Stanley to say that he did not wish to stop the
docks on the Lancashire side of the Mersey being
proceeded with, and that all he wanted was
the observance of perfect good faith towards Birken-
head. He (Mr. Horsfall) was quite sure that Liverpool
was perfectly willing that that good faith should be kept
with Birkenhead, but at the same time they would not
have an act of justice to Birkenhead accompanied by an
act of injustice to Liverpool. (Hear, hear). He could
not conceive, looking at the commerce of Liverpool, and
looking at the manner in which it had extended during
the past half century—he could not conceive why docks at
Birkenhead and Liverpool should not progress together.
(Rear, hear). He should state it then as his humble
opinion, having witnessed the trade of Liverpool for the
last thirty years, and hiving witnessed the progress of the
Liverpool Docks during that time, that if the New Dock
Committee proceeded with the construction of docks in
Liverpool and at Birkenhead, at the same time as rapidly
as they could, they could not keep pace with the require-
ments of the port. (Hear, hear). Everyone, knowing
anything of the port, knew that its trade had doubled every
ten years, and never within his recollection had the dock
accommodation been adequate to the wants of the port.
(Rear, hear). At the very time even when this question
was being argued before the Board of Trade, it was his
duty to draw attention to the fact that there were then
not fewer than 150 vessels with large and valuable
cargoes lying at great risk in the river Mersey, from
want of proper accommodation, and that if all the docks
at Birkenhead were then completed, there would not be
sufficient dock space for the trade of the port. He was
glad the Chamber had expressed a decided opinion on that
subject, and he hoped it would be pressed on the Board of
Trade, until justice was done to the commerce of the port.
(Hear, hear.) Reference had been made to the pro-
ceedings of the Chamber in connection with the African
Association, relative to the survey of the Zambesi River.
He thrnight thar was n must important subject, not merely
in connection with the African trade, which was now
carried on with Liverpool, but that it was an important
subject, as opening up an entirely new trade, which would
be most valuable if it could be carried on. The chairman
had said, that the duty of the government in the matter
had been clearly pointed out to Lord Clarendon, and he
(Mr. Horsfall) thought it right to say that Dr. Livingstone
had told him that he had had repeated opportunities of
seeing Lord Clarendon, and that Lord Clarendon had
promised to do everything in the power of the govern-
ment, to promote the views which the commercial in-
terests of the country might entertain in regard to it.
(Hear, hear.) Dr. Livingstone was now gone on a mission
to Portugal, under the sanction of the government, with
the view of having the Zambesi River —the mouths of
which were claimed by Portugal—thrown open to the
trade of this country, and if successful, Lord Clarendon
would not be backward in discharging his duty
to the commerce of the country, by taking
every step in his power to have the river surveyed. (Hear,
hear.) Reference had been made to the Bank Charter
Act, and without venturing to go at length into that
question, he could only say that he concurred mainly, if
not altogether, in what had fallen from the chairman on
that subject. He entirely approved of the course which
was recently taken by the Government. The Bank Charter
Act—the act of 1844—was acknowledged to have failed in
the great object which it was intended to accomplish. Its
most strenuous supporters admitted that it had not been
altogether successful ; and, he remembered Mr. Huskisson
to have said, with reference to any bank charter act, that
there never could be one wh ch would be perfectly satis-
factory, but that it should be an act the responsibility of
suspending which should rest with her Majesty's govern-
ment ; and he. (Mr. Horsfall) did not believe, so long as
there was reckless trading, (and, to some extent, he thought
they should all agree there was such)—ho did not believe,
so long as there was reckless trading, that any bank charter
act, however perfect, would ever be the msans of prevent-
ing those consequent panics which had periodically taken
place in this country. He remembered the panic of 1825
he remembered that of 1837, and also of 1847, and they
all knew perfectly well what was taking place in the
present year. He did not think that the panic of 1837, or
1847 equalled that which he hoped had now passed
by, but from which they should expect some depression,
and he hoped that all the efforu of the Legislature would
now be directed to make the Bank Charter Act as perfect
as it could he made. (Hear, hear) He would not ven-
ture, in the presence of so many practical gentlemen. who
understood the subject better than he did himself, to give
a very decided opinion on it ; but he would be most happy
to give every consideration to any measure which the
Government might bring forward for the amendment of the
Act, and would avail, with thanks, of any suggestions
which the Chamber might afford him in so important a
question. (Hear, hear.) There was another question to
which he would just venture to allude, which, he thought,
was not referred to in the report, because not having been
brought under the consideration of the Council, and that
was the state of India. There was no question that some
material change should take place eith regard to the
government of that country. (Hear, hear.) He saw it
mentioned in the papers—whether by authority or not, he
did not mom to say—but he saw it mentioned that there
was to be a complete change in the government of that
country, that the East India Company's charter was to be
abrogated, and that for the future they were to have a
Queen of Hindostan. He had no doubt that, in many
respects, that would be a very great improvement, but they
should bear in mind that any any such change would place
an immense degree of patronage in the hands
of the Government—(hear, hear) —and the question was
whether that patronage had not been better appropriated
by those who hitherto had the management of it, than it
would be in the hands of any Government. He was
merely throwing out that suggestion, as being well worthy
the consideration of the Chamber, taken in connection
with any reform or any plan which might be proposed with
reference to the East India Company's charter. In
reference to ihe subject of the Liverpool office, the
chairman had observe I, that, owing to the increased
infirmities of Mr. Wainwright, the office had not been so
efficient of late as in former years He (the chairman)
felt it due to the memory of his respected friend Mr.
Wainwright, to say that there never was a man who had
the interests of Liverpool more thoroughly and devotedly
at heart than Mr. Wainwright. (Rear, hear.) He
remembered that in the days of Canning, and Huskisson,
and Lord Harrowby, and others who preceded his humble
self and co'league, the successive testimony of all who ever
had an opportunity of knowing him, had ever been, that
no individual could have been selected who would have
devoted his time and attention, and even sacrificed his
health, if needs be, so readily for the interests of Liverpool,
as Mr. Wainwright. (Hear, hear.) In reference to the

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