Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-08-14 00:00:00

THE CONSERVANCY BILL

The following letter and report were read :
London, Wednesday, 12 August, 10'
My dear —I have It irdly a man ant left for the (I'L
business (upon clauses) beliwe the committee, but which, I
sorty tasty, has Lam adverse, to us throughout the daYrwi:,
clulin,-; the rigitt of proxy eating. Th m'e remain the corP°J„it'
tion clauses, princip illy directed to the securing of 0,
£1,509,000, and the provisions are stringent,
but I fear
have no chance of making heal aga'nst them, and they fietey
also to charge us with all the parliam mtary expenses of ,0
corporation in and since 1855, aad (of co•ars) of the proto"
this session.
el/
lam very glad, indeed, that Mr. Monde] is hare as a ,
II
on behalf of the shipowners, that all that men can do oPiti
the objectionable clauses of the bill is done.
At the desire of the chairm an, I sand you a copy of our
solutions hero of.3lst, ultimo, for the use of the commit
wanted.—You,s very truly, jonN
D. Mason, Esq."

otr
Memorandum of sub3tance of the proceedings of tlic dcP ji
tioa of tha Dick Committee, at No. 6, Parliament-str74;
Westminster, oa Feld ty af ernom, 31st of July, 1857.
sent—Mr. Turner, chair man ; Mr. Elolme, Mr. Palmer,
Brocklebank, Mr. Hubback, Mr. Rounthwaite, Mr. Mondo!
Having regard to the present position of the bill is Ai
House of Lords, and to tho full powers conferred on 'l,l
deputation yesterday by the Dock Committee, the mernllol,
now present of that deputation unanimously resolve as

lows :-
1. That the Dock Committee, considering themsolveig 01
under present circumstances trustees for protecting the traaeo
the port, are willing that £1,500,000 in lieu of the £600,v 1
proposed by the 35th section of the bill, but inclusive of 0
cost to the Corporation of the landing-stage (when completei
and observatory shell be charged to the dock estate, in fall
of the Corporation, but subj eet to this proviso, that by
present bill or by some lunar° bill (if the present be withdr,.o.s'
or defeated) the town dues shall be effectually transferred (1;4,
from incumbrances or question) to the new trust, in consitlfro,
then of such £1,500,000, which transfer, as the deputation
advised, will not be eff.cted by the present bill.
2. Tho deputation object to the new trust belay,. fette
by any stipulation, direct or indirect, for carrying 6ut,,ot
Birkenhead the plans of the late Mr. Rendeq, at pres",to
authorised by Parliament. The desire of the Dock Conalliit:th
is, that in conformity with the 19:11 section of the act of 1034
the docks at Birken'oe id shall constructed and comPle;b6
in such a manner as to render then most available for
tt
commercial purposes of the pert of Liverpool, in connects
with the Liverpool docks; and believing, as !hey do, in pelf
unison with the commercial community both at Liverpool attei
Birkenhead, that Mr. Ilartley's plans are better calenlato
than those of &fr. B,endel to effect such objects, they canito
assent to the new trust being fettered by any stipulation in t"
bill giving a preference to one p'an over the other,
3. They also object to any sanction being given, directliro
indirectly, by this bill to the claim of the Great Nested
Company to a lease in perpetuity of 40,000 yards of land di
the south reserve. They believe that cuds el lino, if co-nee%
would most prejadiclally affect the application of the
head dock estate to dock purposes, anl that the claim its:di
having regard to the circumstances in which it originaLeii;
cannot be supported at law or is equi`y, and that the Wag%
tion of it in any form would be a breach of the duty wltlget,
the Deck Committee owe to their successors in that 10'0
Bet they are quite willing that in the present bill, if it
pass, there shall be inserted a clause providing (as was provider
by the Birkenhead Docks Acts of 1853,1854, and 1855) titg
.
present legislation shall not prejudice the rights of either pale
or the existing shit in chancery for determining such rights. ,f
the same time the deputation think it right to record thee
free consent that all proper and ample means of access to, att
for carrying on business at the Birkenhead docks, shall be cot''
ceded to the Great Western in common with all other raileiN
companies.
4. The deputation object, in the strongest terms, 10 51'1
clause being inserted in the present, or any ()Thee bill, restril
?, tiv of the dock works on the Liv rpoel side of the river,
the Birkenh tad docks shall he completed. They believe,
the contrary, that further dock accommedation on the Liver
is now much mnre
F iniperatiVely demanded, than ca,
has been since the existence O. the
part, and cannot be de
,e'
layed without very set ions injury to mercantile interests th
The. deputation reservesfull po-ver of objection to 11,
clauses generally of the present 101, inasmuch as the Dlo
Committee were not heard in objection to the clauses in t"
House of Commons. But, in justice to the creditors of Imo
deck estate, the deputation mo-e especially object to the 4lrd
and 49:h clauses, conferring upon the new 10_,
unlimited powers of increasing and lot:tering rates and borroahe
ing money ; and still more especially to that portion of ,te
latter clause which, by in orporating into the hocks' Acts
effect of the " Commi,s'onerAl Clauses Act, 1847," would
effect confer upon all new dock directors a security prefere,!;
tial to and of higher character than that which is now held vi
creditors to the extent of upwards of £6,000,1100 sterling. to
The deputation will reje'ce if the bill, so altered as 0
remove their objections above mentioned or referred to, s
et
be passed during the present session ; but if, as they bellel
that is impossible, they have no alternative but to recto
their opinion that it ought to be s'renuously opposed in all 15,
sages with a view to another bill being introduced next oe
sion upon an agreed plan.

•
(Signed) CHARLES TURNER, Chairman'
The report wal ordered to be recorded on the minute',
The Sub Committees were re-appointed.
This concluded the general business.