The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-21 00:00:00

Chamber, which contain, among a mass of other
matter, an elaborate, and, I don't doubt, to those
practically interested, a very valuable sum n r ry of the
industrial situation of the country. Th !y have been
transplanted to Australia, and only th'.l other day I

saw it mentioned in the newspapers that, in a guar-
rd now going on in one of the Australian colonies

between different branches of the Legislature a me-

morial of the local Chamber of Commerce was

quoted as a document which ought to influence

opinion. (Cheers.) Now, I think we must admit

that they have in general thriven better on foreign
than on English soil. Those of England date only

from the beginning of this century, and of 48 or 49

now existing only few have occupied a really pro-
minent position. It is only justice to a community
to which some of us in this town look as a rival to

say that the Chamber of Commerce of Manchester
is, of all, that which has been most active and which
has exercised the greatest influence. Ours in Liver-
pool dates only from a period of 15 years back, and
it is, perhaps, as yet too early to boast of its past
history, but 1 think I am not mistaken 'in saying
that it is the main object of our meeting here to call

attention to the importanee of an institution of this
kind in our town, and to express an earnest hope
that it may be more actively and continuously sup-
ported than has hitherto been the case by those
who take a leading part in our local affairs. (Ap-
plause.) Now, the question may be asked, what are
the Chambers of Commerce intended to do ? My
answer is, they serve as authoritative exponents of
commercial opinion. It is not always easy either

for the Board of Trade or for the House of Com-

mons to pick out the best individual opinions on

mercantile matters. It is the misfortune of men

engaged in public life that we are apt to hear
only those opinions which are most noisily ex-

pressed, and which, I need not tell you, are not
always either the most influential or the wisest.

Their discussions, their debates, serve to form local
opinion. If any measure is proposed hostile to the

interests of commerce their protecting power may

be valuable ; they can do many things which every-
bodyin trade wants done, butwhich it is not exactly

any one's business to do in his individual capa-
city. I will take a single instance : a commission
is now sitting to inquire into the railway system
generally, of which your friend, Mr. Horsfall, and
I are both members. Many complaints are made
before us of the management of the railway com-
panies. It is not my business here to say whether
those complaints are in every respect well founded

or the reverse, but undoubtedly they are so numer-

ous and so grave that they deserve a full investiga-
tion. Nov, in a matter of that kind individuals are

not very willing to put themselves forward. The
position of an accuser is an invidious one ; a man
who takes it up makes enemies. There is a loss of
time, and many men don't like to have it asked,

when they bring forward a complaint, " Who is this
person, and by what right does he speak as the re-
presentative of a trade ?" Now, the very best evi-
dence we have had on this question—evidence on
one side, I mean—has been that which has been
brought by individuals representing and delegated

from the local chambers of commerce. I cite tha

simply as one instance among many that what has
been done in the case of railway management may
be done also in the case of any other matter equally
affecting the commercial or manufacturing interests.
You are aware that many of the chambers of the
smaller towns, and indeed some among the larger,
have formed themselves into an association, and
hold what may be called a little parliament of their
own yearly in London. I think in that they have
acted wisely. I think that it would be desirable
that that association should be joined by all the
chambers of commerce now existing, and it may in-

deedbe a question whether an association so formed
might not extend beyond the limits of this country,
and invite at least expressions of opinion from the
representatives of great commercial centres in other
parts of the world. There is another question on
which I have not now time to touch—l mean that
proposition which has been often made to create tri-
bunals of commerce, special courts for the trial of
commercial questions in connection with these cham-
bers. You are, of course, aware that such tribunals
exist on the continent, and are said to work very
well in France, at least they possess large powers,

they are generally resorted to, and it is asserted the
number of appeals from them is fewer than from
the ordinary civil courts. I don't, however, wish
to be understood as giving a positive expression of

opinion upon that question ; it has never been fairly
analysed either as far as I have seen in print or
Parliamentary discussion. I know that there are
great obstacles to the establishment of such tri-
bunals, and I believe it would be fair to put the
matter in this way : that the preponderance of mer-
cantile opinion is in favour of their establishment,
and the preponderance of legal opinion is against it.
This much is certain, that Judges on the Bench
have complained of the difficulty of settling trade
disputes from the special knoAledge which they re-
quire, and that anything in the nature of a more
extended or authoritative system of arbitration
would by many persons engaged in business be con-
sidered a great boon. I repeat it, I don't go fur-
ther than that I feel this is a question ripe for con-
sideration, hardly ripe for action ; but I don't
forget, and I hope you will remember, that it is one
of those questions which were specially named at
the foundation of the Liverpool Chamber of Com-
merce, 15 years ago, as questions which that body
ought to consider, and with regard to which it ought,
if possible, to take some action.
The CHAIRMAN then proposed " The Members
for the Borough."
Mr. R. S. GRAVES, M.P., in reply, then said—
Since I have had the honour of being elected one of
your borough members my labours have been, com-
paratively speaking, so light that I feel I can lay
but little claim to share in the compliment you have
paid them. Happily, however, the period of Par-
liamentary inactivity is drawing rapidly to a close,
and members of the new House of Commons will
soon have an opportunity afforded them for enter-
ing on the more active discharge of their duties.
Speaking for myself, I look forward with pleasure
to sharing with my valued colleague the work
which I know well must be inseparable from the
faithful representation of such a community as
ours. (Applause.) It is true, I have been a
member of the Chamber of Commerce since its
formation, but I am nevertheless indebted to the
president for his official introduction this evening,
and I can assure the council and the representa-
tives of the commercial associations of the
town whom I see assembled here that it will afford
me very sincere gratification to help in promoting
their views whenever my services can be of the
slightest use to them in their corporate or individual
capacity. (Cheers)* It was but a few days since I
.took up by accident a newspaper published in one
ofa r tehve i
elleading
of
th
e proceedings cities
f itsit e
Chamber
Com-
merce, which summed up by an announcement that
its mission was to " lubricate the wheels of crea-
tion." (Laughter and cheers.) We all know
the deep interest which the president has taken in
the affairs of the Chamber during his year of office,
and how earnestly he has endeavoured to extend its
usefulness ; but I venture to think that he never
aimed at so universal a sphere of action as the term
suggests. (Renewed laughter.) If, however, we
substitute " commerce" for " creation," we shall
have a most apt and happy illustration of the bene-
fits which such institutions confer on trade, in pre-
venting friction and removing obstructions ; and
we must all appreciate the desire manifested by our
Chamber in at all times seeking to remove impedi-
ments which fettered the free current of the com-
merce of our port. (Applause.) Union is strength,
and I congratulate the president on the proof he has
afforded us to-night of his desire to bring into
closer harmony our commercial associations, and I
venture to hope that this social meeting may be at-
tended with beneficial results in strengthening and
consolidating the Chamber of Commerce. (Loud

cheers.)
Mr. Horsfall, M.P., and Mr. Laird, M.P. for
Birkenhead, also responded.
Mr. T. G. Livingstone proposed " The Town
and Trade of Liverpool," which was acknowledged
by the Mayor, and by Mr. Ralph Brocklebank.
Sir CHARLES BRIGHT, M.P., then proposed "The
Chambers of Commerce of the United Kingdom,"