The Sun.
London, England, 1841-02-22 00:00:00

"-SOUTHAMPTON DOCKS.

" The soy er.th half-yearly meeting of the Directors
and Proprietors of the Southampton Dock Company
took place yesterday at the Company's offices, Bishops-
gate-street.

" The SECRETARY having read the requisition conven-
ing the meeting.

The CHAIRMAN (Joseph Liggins, Esq.) said it was
often the practice on such occasions to commence by
roading the minutes of the last meeting, but as there
happened to he a great deal of business before them,
it might be as well, perhaps, if that were now dis-
pensed with.

" The resolutions of the last meeting ware, however,
ultimately read."
Alter some preliminary observations from the Chair-
man, with which it is unnecessary for me to trouble
you, the Report of the Directors was read, along with
that of the engineers, as follows :

" REPORT.
Prof
Direct, rs have the pleasure of presenting to the
f'rietors a Report, no longer confined to the announce-
ment of what they would wish to effect, or have hopes of
effecting, but of what bas already bzen done, and is actually
now doing, in prosecution of the important undertaking
in which they a:e engaged.
" From the period of the last half-yearly General Meeting,
the works have been steadily advancing; and although
.the
unusually tempestuous and trying weather during the
autumn and winter has necessarily retarded the Contrac-
tor,' opr rations, the result of their labours is decidedly en-
couraging, whilst the present condition of the wr rks affords
satisfactory evidence of their solidity.
" The works are, in fact, already in such a state of ad-,
vancenaent, as to have enabled Mr. Giles, the Company's
Engineer, to make a substantive Report on the subject ;
and the Directors present it to the Proprietors, assured
that they will find it acceptable.
" Mr. GII,Es'S Report is as fellows :---
" Beaufort Buildings, 2.0t11 Fan:: ry, 1840.
" TO THE DIRECTORS Or' THE SOUTH-
AMPTON DOCKS.
" Gentlemen,--I bcg to report to you that the dock-
works have been carried on by the Contractors through
the last autumn, and up to this time, with great energy.
" It baying been deemed advisable to complete and open
one portion of those docks at as early a period as possible
for the reception of the largest class of steam-vessels, and
sailing vessels up to 600 or 700 tons burthen, my atten-
tion has been particularly directed to this object, and to
make the Tidal Dock in the first instance ; lan accord-
ingly constructing the pile foundations necessary for the
a,l%s
quay walls on buil sides of the entrance, and
southern (or sea- ofward)siedeemb:l
lednetesLforli‘nhcislopsiinlnigngttbhiees
in Erlenatmfoariwsoarfdonrmesisn.g.
the
ground of the Close Dock front the tideway,
side of which is completed. Its southern eastern em-
bankments are also in ful prog:rcss, and likely to be
finished in the course of the ensuiiig spring;
and the con-
struction of the remainder of the Tidal Dock and of the
Clcsc. Dock will be carried c
" Thu number of me _ nin due progress.
11 hitherto employed on the works

/7 /

has averaged 250; but there arc now about 300 on the
ground.
" The extent of work performed to this time consists of
about 1,000 feet length of pile-driving for the hiundations
of the quay•walls, upon which upwards of twenty engines
are at this moment in full operation; and of excavations
amounticg to newly 70,000 cubic yards. The soil pro-
duced by the latter is advantageously applied to the forma-
tion of the embankment for the Close Dock ; it is very
adhesive and impervious, qualities particularly favourable
for sea embankments, and for making and maintaining the
Decks ; and this the late storms have sufficiently tested,
no dam,,ge having been done the.eby to the embankment
nor to the piling.
" The °thorn° Quarry, the property of the Company,
has also been opened by the contractors, and preparations
arc made for conveying its stone to the docks. The con-
tractors licve also made arrangements for obtaining other
stone from Gurnet Bay, Portland, and Swatinge ; and
have deposited a large quantity of blue lies limestone, and
of timber in store upon the Company's ground.
Means ale likewise in pr,pvratlon fir cc:r,voying
thither the soil purchased from Mr. Buchan at Walston

" Considerable preparation of machinery for carrying
on these works has likewise been made by the contrac-
tors. Indepeneently of the pile eaginee, already at
work, a powerful etieg eagiee, Waog en!,
am., are also ineking, end Leer completion. I- hate
therefore, reason to expect that the entrance and southern
side cf the Tidal Deck will be ready for the reception of
trade by the end of the present year.
" I remain, Gentlemea, your very (stied:car, feitlifal
serva..ti " FRANCIS GILES."
Now there could be no doubt of the truth and accuracy
of the statements made by the engineer, because they
were made in the presence of many persons who were
deeply interested in them, and hundreds present at the
meeting might have contradicted them had they been
incorrect. Now was it not important that the public
should know all these facts, and if so, what better plan
could be devised for such a purpose than publishing
theta to ail the world in the columns of a newspaper ?
Now, geet: men, after the proceedings of the meeting'
appear to have gone on a considerable way, Mr. Ri-
chards, the plaint if, is represented to have risen and
made a speech reflecting very strongly upon the concern
altogether, upon the conduct of the Da eatorr, of the en-
giseer, ani in fact of all connected vs:th it ; and in an-
swer to this, Mr. Liggins, the Cueirinan upon the
occasion, i 3 represented to have made the observations
which are now complained off. But, gentlemen, ob-
serve, if there had been any intention to calumniate Mr.
Richards, the offensive remarks would have been put
in large characters, or in some singular type, or by
directions in another part of the paper the attertson of
the public would have been directed to the part con-
taining the libel in a long and voluminous report, so long
that, with all due deference to my client, I think that
long before the publie could come to the paragraph
compleined of they would he heartily tired of the
whole subject, unless, indeed the reader was one of
those persons who speech was reported, or or e of those
very deeply interested in the undertakine. Can you,
gentlemen, believe for one moment that Mr. Young,
or the Directors, for although 1 ant not here for one
individual of the Directorship, I may be le-
mitted to say, tees it possible tii t tire Directors, in
employing a reporter to attend t; e meeting, could have
the slightest intention of reflecting upon the eharac!er
of Mr. Richards, who, they could not be sure, would
attend the meeting ? Was it not realer that the putlic
should have seine ilea •of what was going on with re-
spect to a greet national undertaking, and how far they
had reasoo to expect a beneficial result ? Now, eenthe-
men, 1 will calf upon you to look te the report, and
you will find that Mr. Richards hes his fair sleire of
the c learns. if y, u we:e to fled that this Was a gar-
bled report—if 'tbere was given merely those speeches
corn eying a strong censure upon the plaintiff, you might
hate said it was as unfair and partial report ; but when
you find that everything that Mr. Richards said eves et
the same tine communicated to the public, with what
was said against hiat—that Mr.R:chards's answer to the
charge was inserted, as well as the charge—when you
find that, as you will do on looking to the report, I ant
sure that I am only wasting my br e ith, as well as your
time, in saying noel that there was no intention
to offer offence, or any design that something
should be inserted, calculated to iefiect in the
slightest degree upon the chaiet •ter of the plaintiff.
For, gent:eater, a: the repel t say s in Mr. Liggiu's speech,
Mr. Richards was a party to the application to Parliament
for the Act of Incorporation, and it was to he presumed
(het he was well ecquaintea %vita ell that ha I taken
place. And give are feat e to say, gentleinee, that the
Auto ney-Generel admitted that Le was one of the ori-
aired undertakers, end that his mono: was ieserted in the
Act (.1 Parliament, and, teei-efore, gentlemen, it was
impossible but that Mr. Richards, if his nerne
was inserted in the Act of Parliament, must
have been one of the original promoters of the concern
and we find that Mr. Richards has ectuttly Lad actions
brought against him for calls which his discreet attorney
of the present day has thought proper to settle, although
he male some show of,resistaince, gen.ing costs to a
certain extent, and then chopping the actions. More-
over, gentlemen, if this had ht en a " bubble'' Company ;
it it had been established in fraud, as is now insinuated.
by the Attorney-General, so instructed by Mr. Ri-
chards. I am quite sure his Lordship will tell you that
Mr. Richards might, have successfully defended himself
against arty claim for calls, because when a Company is
fraudulently constituted the Directors can make no
claim for calls upon the shareholders, and therefore five
actions, at least, in the time of Mr. Lowless, having
been commenced against Mr. Richards, and he having
paid those cads, it is quite evident he must have
known that it was a mere pretence to say that
it was not a it al bona fide Company, established
for a beneficial public purpose ; because if Mr.
Richards was convinced that he was right in the in-
structions he has given to his counsel, lib might have
resisted the payment of those cabs, and resisted bllC-
cesEfully. Then here is a gentleman who was an ori-
ginal undertaker, paying those cullsomeording to the state-
ment cultic by the Chairman (which statement, of course,
was made, for it cannot be denied, and Mr. !Richards
has not ettempted to deny that a faithful report is given
of what passed,) and Mr. Richards, not very deeply ef-
fected by the charge made against him, applies to may
Learned Friend to crenate a mock interest in his favour,
and to suggest that it operated so much upon his mind,
that lie was so afiected, so overwhelmed by it, as to be
compelled to come into a Court of Justice to vindicate
his churacten and that it might not he left under such
a stigma.—(Tire Hon. Gentlemen then read the el-
leae I heel ) That is what the Chairman says—Mr.
Richards cannot deny that it is a faithful report—and
what does Mr. Richards sa)? Why, deeply affected at this
charge against hint, Mr. Richards said that " if he had
made any stateineet of that sort the Chairman would
have been the first to stop him.' There is indignation
for you ! The Chdrman says, " You, who knew every
thing, who was a party tj the Act of Parliament—who
was perfect y acqueiuted v.-ith toe whole concern—you
stetA tied. it was a butille Company, whilst you must
have kite en that it was not a bubble Company. You
have, therefore, stated what you know cannot be
true." This, says my Learned Friend, is a de-
liberate charge of perjury. Then Mr. Richards says—
" If I made any stateineut of that sort the Chairman
would hate been the first to stop inc." Now I would
rather that Mr. Richards should state his feelings on
this subject than have them stated by the Attorney-
Geueral, and here we have his feelings exhibited by
Mr. Richards, or rather we have no feeling, a perfect
indifference to the charge-, or at all everiti we have the
statement of Mr. Richards, and what does he ray ?
That "if be had made any staterm et of that sort the
Chairman would have been the first to stop Lim. It
was stated there that he Lelieved there was fraud—
that he admitted te a strong term, hut he did not
wish to be personal in the slightest degree." That was
rether an odd mode of procedure in Mr. Richards. He
andj.
io in_yhi:at:buy lieile:lr'al:ae:sue:tan'dldtblavea'a3leptrnf;lnlarllaitiocaphulnarli(tet.itr3ui,.zi.ilie),nit,fraudulent
sitprospects,
haves ofl charge
this undertaking,
you, t e D
beingrs a iri (alb originalfisrohaoeurdduilienbruo.utnialbenirtde-
deceitful set of persons; who
Company to delude the p
attracted by your
,prospectes .
personally but geaerell "
have been induced te
arneenoirierillitohfi'nngorte•arisuonn.
n'ea' but I d"'t weannslits of individuels, as • )•
Now, as a ecnlPanYfraudulent ; arel.as'a Carlip%°,.mi;
Ipannuytiilselfotcainr:loi,tadbucalfsraidlus'aniciatto,di, it is.
are fraudulent ; an alc
sfrisiaanul-vd::e‘i‘nildon-t
is
Richards urn>t
nally
alsoptrl.le.yDtoireaelltothre;
ionrhis
.:
withoutete
be
he he
Inn iue,atie Then,
d°"'uliteYffioed7trac'odit ersa:v.antwiiitrYninrlnr:i aritfign litett't:ePhngduate. together
,tPtsiheobi \eanruirsta.rtol. lie
bra
deity." Now, Gentlemen, observe the fairness here
the Chairman stiffs that Ire was an original undertaker,
that he Irma hate known all that had taken place, and
that he had stated that it was a btiLli:e Company,
whereas he must have known the coet-arya Now, sup-
pose it had been the intention tiltt the ric4•spaper re-
pert should injure the character of Mr. Rtaltard'—
what would have beim the course: They evould have
suppressed the, auswer which he neve, they .would not
have reported thet at all, but merely the itatemente
made by the Chairman, which, unansweredee would
have been taken to be admitted by M:. Richards. In-
stead of this they have introduced the stithbent of
Mr. Richards, that " It was stated that he wa'a privy
to all tho introductory arrangements, .but That he
must be; leave to deny ; he was merely asked in
the street to become a subscriber. Now, Gentlemen,
I have endeavoured to show you that my Learned
cmonld
lieve than Friend has really, I think unfairly—l don't wish to
be-
tetnnnetdh
im-
hen
re w
make strong
strornegproebsesenrived atiotuhsiTcbaustelttnb)i.nolus
Id
unfairlybcaing nd
opeansed i n t this
cast-, you t
t weirthe of opinion
denied into the newspaper than the report of Mr. Lig-
eieas speech against the plaintiff, and that Mr. Young
at tin-ie nt y Learned
Iraq lent himself to tie intentional rneYgnity of the I
Directors, by publishing that end that only to the world.iii
Of course if this were proved it would be a strong case'
against Mr: Yeting, that he had desired to contribufd.l'
to the neiliguity of tire Directors against Mr. Richards,
he plieutiff. Bat you mutt take the newspaper into