The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1806-11-19 00:00:00

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... the Reign hilkie.this town last Maeda. y; re-
mote,
' she lisititelftalsett of NeWhaven Webber,
' emathee being vet* bad, few attended, ikcipt
*the Commissioners fOr the Piers at Newhaven' re-
sident in this neighbourhood. Lord Chichester was
requested to take the chair, and Lord Sheffield open.
ed the business, by observing. that the improve-
ment of the Harbour of Newhaven, considered as a
national concern, and as peculiarly advantageous to
this part of the country, was so obviously important,
that it was unnecessary to dwell upon that point.
Many captures and many wrecks on the coast, prove
the great want of a port for our eruizers, and for
the shipping-which frequent the Brisish Channel ;
and undoubtedly there is no place between Spithead
and the Downs, so fit as Newhaven. The necessity
of forming inch an harbour has been admitted by
the Admiralty and our merchants ; the pradicability
of the measure has been repeatedly examined, and
the most competent persons have made very en.
couroging reports in respell to it. Lord Chichester
and he had presented memorials from the Com-
missoners of the Piers, and had conferred repeatedly
with the Lords of the Admiralty. A naval engineer,
Mr. Murray, was in cwasequence appointed to sur-
vey the coast of Sussex, and the harbour of New-
haven. His report was very favourable to the un-
dertaking; and, together with the plan of the
harbour and coast, wore referred to the Trinity
House. The Brethren repotted, n that ander all
the circumstances, it will not be etpedient to re*
commend to Parliament, the appropriiting a sum of
money to the improvement of the harbour." The
present means for improving the harbour ate so
obviously inadequate, and the memorials from the
i Commissioners having proved unsuccessful, no better
step occurred than that of enlarging the mode of ap•
placation, by .calling a general Meeting of the No-
blensea, Gentlemen, 3htp-owners, Merchants, and
others who are interested in its improvement, to
consider of the best means of attaining that objet,
which he conceived would be to apply to govern.
meet to promote the measere in any way they
should think most proper. His Lordship observed,
that he bad no sanguine erpedatiort that govern.
mint would, at this time, appropriate any new fund
for the purpo.e proposed ; but possibly, they might
assist the measure by making some ere angetnent of
tonnage dud*, putting the whole, in some respcts,
under the controul of the Trinity House. The du-
ties payable to ltaresgate, amount to much more
than is required
.for that harbour; they are aecao
mutating. and, as he uadenteod, a very consider*
ble sum is placed out at interest.. The Itamsgatie
duty is twopence per tan on vessels passing , fleaeb,
Head ; one half/many per ton allotted to Newhaven.
would amply suffice for the proposed improvement t
even a farthing per ton might be scfficient. His'
Lordship then rerlied, that there have been so.
vend other surveys, all of them admitting the
pradicabdity of mums p good harbour : and he
read the made by Mr. Murray, whose plan,
he r,isby no means so extensive as the
siansrma ' *III adasin It certainly wouldamsverf
ems to *Mind- the piers to inuellintems
look a y that means Mt and sixth =MS
adriitted ; but at the end of 700 feet 10041••
suet piers, there is as immediate fall into doer wow
of in feet at common Ipelog tides, sad three-memat
ram Whig tides; it is even preeicable to carry oat
the piers to 21. Act deep at low-water, furnishing at
all times a station for our cruisers, and a refuge lea
our shippiag bras the enemy. and from bad we*
thtr. He remarked the superior capability of the
coast about Newhaven over the opposite covet .-
from Dieppi to Ostend i tad mentioned severalo
great artificial harbours, some of which had misted
storms and exceeding heavy seas, to:wads of 3:004:V
yearn He Mominended the simplicity of the bar.
boon of Alexandria foe imitation, on account ofdte
cheapness of the materials; and of the execution ;
and obeervid that, fortunately, our coast furnishes.
the requisite materials ; but even if it were neces-
sary to go Co Purbeck or, Portland. it would answer
moth better, and be infinitely mere cheap than tim-
ber work. His Lordship added, that whatever may
be dem,* should be upon a scale and plan that 60
br encoded, sod rendered of more geaerallinalk .1
than can perhaps be at this time attempted. Eliwi
Lordship then mail the four reit:simian which Mpi.
t till : 1 st. That tvhaletaat had :bee loci .
:5 di one , end
hamvianngy a
pa, e
in
ships lost m
;elm
I they
mi *eh 'On from an enemy, or from
eteethtr. t . That Newhaven is capable of
readirill eah and competent harbour f
lent/filename, ars d'fbr diips of cottaidtra
Idly, That application be made to GbbM
vlell
and to the Admiralty, for assistance and so
4thly. That those who have seats in either Houte of
Pasilantroto-be• requested to conduft rod manse
the said application. The Commissioners for the
Peen, who. fanned the greater part of those present.
expressed treat -diasatirfadiou, on the supposition
that the .intention was to take the managemeerof
thoharbottr out of their hands, and that the creditors
might be defrauded; they contandid, that the bu-
siness of the harbour had always been ably con.
dated, that the piera were as firm as a rock, that
theo means were suffiCient.for the improver of the
harbour, that they had paid off a part of the money
borrowed, and that they saw nothing different in
Mr. Murray's plan frora that which they proposed
to execute, except forming a dock in Sleeper's-hole.
Lord Sheffield replied, that he was astonished at
the supposition that any change could be made in the
commission founded in an At of Parliament, without
satisfying the consmis.ioners and the creditors; that
his objet was to pursue such plan as government
should suggest, without whom nothing essential
could be done; he did not pretend to say, whe-
ther government would desire to incorporate with
the present commissice, or to make any material al-
teration as to the management of the harbour ; but
it .5 very certain, that the commissioners and cre-
ditors must be satisfied ; he denied that the present
means were sufficient to make the improvements in
. Noe barlsnur which are so necessary, and observed,
that t e commissioners had repeatedly asserted the
same. His Lordship concluded by saying, that he
had never spared himself ; that be bad taken his full
• share is all public matters between 30 and 40 years,
that he had of late d-termined to decline certain
business, and that he should not have promoted the
present meeting, if he did not know there was an in-