The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-02-22 00:00:00

UNIrEILVITY INTELLIGENCE.

OXFORD, FEB. 19.
On Saturday cat the following Gentlemen were admitted to
Degrees :
Dogma IN MSDICINE.—Francis Bisset Hawkins, Exeter
College.
BACHRLOR IN DIVINITY.—Herbert Oakley, (hie/ College,
Grand Compounder.
MASTRIIII or Airs—Robert Perfect, Queen's; Rev. Thomas
Hatton Wilkinson, Exeter College: James Hardwicke Dyer,
Trinity College; Bev. William Hest Everard, Balliol College.
Bacoctoas eu Aaron—Robert Sheraon, Si. Mary Hall;
Thomas Archer Prises, William Polwhele, Exeter College; Eger-
ton Venable* 14111041, Student of Christ Church ; Francis Bassett,
Trinity College; Brook George Bridges, Oriel College; Edward
Harbin, Ifradhan Collage.
On IVednesdiy hot Mr. Anthony Grant was admitted Scholar
of New Colleg:.
On Thursdry last the Act of the last City Council, acknowledg-
ing the ming, of the instrument releasing the Mayor, Bailiffs, and
o:ba citizens from the observance of the accustomed ceremony on
St. Scholastic's Day. was read in Convocation.
Oa the ame day Mr. James Pc Saumarez, Scholar of Pem-
broke Colley:, was admitted to .he Degree of Bachelor of Arts.

„imports ,ore
period when the London and West India Docks were in contem-
plation ; wherein it will be scen, that the building of detached
warehouses, ” encompassed by walls," was the indispenaible con-
dition of the admission of the London Dock Company to that poi.
vilege ; and, accordingly, they have expended no less than 65.0001.
(which, with simple interest to, the present time, amounts to up-
wards of 1211.500:.) in the construction of such wails ; and basing
done so, their Act of Incorporation empowers them " to build or
cane to be built, from time to time, qUa}s and wharfs adjoining
to the said docks ate' basins, convenient and sufficient Cr the trade
eelbasaseskidaktaocks •:4,1 the leading at:ll42r
Ing, isdflef; surffifillvt'VW fonds wares, or
that may or shall, at airy time or times, 1:c legally landed or ship-
ped at the said quays or wharfs ; and, for the greater accommoda-
tion of the trade of the port of London, the said quays and wharfs
shall be deemed and taken, and are hereby declared to be deemed
and taken, to all intents and purposes whatsoever, to be legal quays
and a harfs, for the landing, re-landing, arid discharging, landing
and shipping of any goods, waree, and merchandise whatsoever,
within the port of London.
With a view to any future increase in the foreign trade of the
port, the Landon Docks were originally formed on an extensive
scale, and at the same time, upon plans which admit of, and faci-
litate the construction of additional works within the premises of the
Company, as occasion should arise; and the Company have, accord.
ingly, front time to time, provided every further accommodation
which the trade has required ; and they have, for a length of time
been, and are now ready to appropriate thirteen additional acres of
ground, about seven of them for docks, and six of them foe legal
quays and warehouses, without any increased charge to the re.
venue, whenever the same shall be wanted by the commerce or
shipping of the port.
These thirteen acres of ground have been in the possession of the
London Dock Company upwards of twenty years, and during that
period, have afforded them no revenue; it having been reserved for
the express purpose of supplying such further accommodation as
might in process of time be required.
In support of the Company's further allegation, that additional
docks (which would so seriously injure their property, anti add to
the charge of the revenue) would benefit neither merchant nn
ship-owner, the Company desire to state, that if, in addition to the
capitail of 3.200,0001. invested in the London Docks, • further
sum or 1,352.752/. (the estimated cost of the proposed St. Katha-
rine's Dock) were to be invested in further docks, with all the
daily expenses necessary to the proper conduct of the business
thereof, either the trade and shipping of the port must be burthened
with rates and charges higher than those existing ; or both esta-
blishment', in a struggle rather for existence titan profit, moat be
reduced to a diminished scale, and great portions of the works be
suffered to fall to decay.
The Company desire, in this place, to submit, for consideration,
whether the sanctioning an investinent of a large capital in the
construction of an unnecessary number of Dock Establishments is
any port, would not be acting in direct opposition to the fundamen-
tal principle of the bonding and warehousing system ; the great
object of which was, to set free the large capitals, which, therefore
it had been the practice of the merchants to lock up in duties, which
were payable upon the landing of their goods.
In support of the opinion herein expressed, that the Port of
London has not yet derived any important accession of trade front
the legislative measures above alluded to, for extending the general
commerce of the empire, the Company desire to state, that at the
time of the passing of the %Warehousing Act (4th Geo. IV. cap.
24.) they, on tire invitation of the Board of Customs, set apart and
fitted up, at a considerable expense, an extensive floor, for the ex-
press purpose of securing, in the most approved manner, to
the amount of upwards of NO tons of such additional articles of
merchandize, as it was expected might be deposited under the new
provisions of that law ; it; that the whole of the said articles
which have entered the London Dock, from the passing of the
said Act, on the 12th May, 1823, to the present time, amount only
to about 1100 tons ; and that the quantity remaining in the ware.
houses, on the 31st December last, was only about 240 tons; so
that, by far the greater portion of the space which has been so
specially provided (at an expense, in a clerk and attendants, of
500/. to the Company, and of upwards of GOO/. per annum to
Government, in officers and others) has remained unoccupied.
In support of the further opinion herein expressed, that no such
increase in the trade of the Port of London is likely to result
from the operation of the legislative measures before alluded to,
ea. to call for additional " Legal Quay" room, beyond tali
which the existing docks can afford, the Company would retrial*,
that the liberal measure of the legislature, in allowing the 'a/ethia
dons of the British Colonies in America and the West lathes to
be exported direct from thence to any part of the world, and (in
like manner) of permitting the private East India trade to be
earned on direct with the pnneipal outports ; and the no
less liberal acts of his Majesty's Government, in emendieg
to tweeds of fifty outports, including nine ports of Ireland,
the privileges of the warehousing laws, (to 'which tire thriving
state of the general trade of the kingdom may be greatly
attributed) have a powerful tendency (and which will naturally in-
crease) to divert from the Port of London, a considerable portion
of the trade which it previously enjoyed : sod, with respect to any
increase in the general foreign trade of the port which may have
taken place in the last year, the Company are satisfied, that, when
the official Accounts thereof "hall be laid upon the table of the
Honourable House, it will be seen that there has been little or no
increase in the trade with countries in Europe, except in corn (of
which there was imported, in the last year, a quantity equal to
86,000 tons), and timber, which importations have io no degree
increased the badness of the " Legal Quays," air vessels Lam
with timber or corn, either discharge their cargoes in docks which
have the privilege of " sufferance" only, or in the River Thanes.l
With regard to the allegation of the petitionen for the gains
Katharbte's Dock, that " the Commerce of the Port of London
will not receive its full share of the advantages of the %Warehousing
Act, unless the heavy rates and charges upon the landine, housiog2i
bondiog, and shipping of goods, with which it is hardened, shall
undergo material and permantet reductien." the Company desire