The Sun.
London, England, 1856-04-23 00:00:00

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This committee met on Monday in room No. 11;
Lowe in the chair.
The examination of Mr. Heron, town_elerk_of _Maal•
chaster, was resumed. After detailing the various
articles enumerated on the brass plate which was exhis
bited at the Custom-house, Liverpool, prior to 1800,
witness proceeded to say that, with regard to the dock
estate, the corporation, op to 1785, possessed the -( z•
elusive right of making the docks, but by'the statute of
George 111. they were for the first time obliged to pina
chase land at a price to be fixed by a jury_; And by the
6th of George IV. a body of audit conithissieners were
appointed for the sole purpose of auditing the accoun'ss,
a power of veto, however, being given to the town.
council, which neutralised the effect of the enactments
This power— was not merely nominal,- for-in-one-case,
in which the dock trustees had passed a resolution
whereby a certain piece of land at Toxteth-park was
vested in the trustees, and not in the corporation, the
resolution was annulled by the corporation. This
decision was afteiwards reversed by counsel. Another
. case had also occurred more recently, when an oppe.
, sitionswas' made to rating the, docks. The bill was pro-
' moted.by the vestry of Liverpool, and the dock trustees
opposed it; but the petition was not sent to Parliament
in time to comply with the standing orders. Mr. Bram-
ley Moore, who was for a long time the chairman of
the dock estate, -in his eildence before a committee of
the House of Commons, had declared that the first grant
of land to the dock estate had been made in the reign of
Queen Anne. Latterly the corporation had been m, rely
Sellers of land to the dock trustees. The sum of 221,8511.
'was paid in 1840 for the present site of the Albert Dock.
Witness proceeded to say, with reference to the alleged
benefit deviveil ..bv,...tin shipping from funds- furnished
~.,. ,
Ihuhnodulde exbpeeildti _loitisihmopwrotrheanat
"thtes
u...x..---urs.i-itnn.essAiii:ha' kle_nostattes:hrea.terns.o4aTdheacarpobotraaitui :1:
however, could give most. satisfactory evidence on this
the information. . There. had been a- laFge outlay in
the erection, of the landing-stage at liverpeol (about _
The:,
150,00014, iihinh_was said 414 hava been paid out of the
Jawnseltnss ; but, in witness's opinion, this was a very
• unwise expenditure., because, if the bill for the Birken-
head improvement- were passed this session, the larger
ocean steamers would be able to come up to the pool, and
consequently the lAnding7stagemould merely be required..
Toriba accommodation of passengers. Wiz ess was pro-
';i3eeding to read the evidence given before-aeommittee of
`t he house, when Mr. Watigui; 4,joelikl, And the arm
~-4-
as cleared: :' • '
On the public being re-admitted,
The Chairman requested Mr. Heron to read the pets- '
'tion froin the merchants of Liverpool to the Nouse of
Commons.
By the Chairman—The town dues of Liverpool were
Charged with a debt of 1,000,0001., which was due to
various persons in sums ranging from 1001. to 100,0001.
He had been unable to get any information under what
acts the debt was incurred, but the corporation could -
supply this ; 122,3211. had been expended on churches,
and 180,1601. on the improvement of Bow•street, which
was a considerable distance from the docks, and could not
be said to have anything to do with the shipping. About
206 acres of land had also been purchased at Birkenhead,
&c, for 280,264/. 12s. 4d., which had since, to a eon-
eiderable extent, been resold by the corporation, at prices
averaging upwards of 3,5011. an acre, owing to the
speculation inland consequent upon the erection of the •
docks. A large proportion of the debt of one million
might be said to have been repaid by this means, and
there was no justice in charging any portion of that
debt upon the shipping dues, as the corporation assumed
the position that nothing could be legally required of
thorn in return for such dues.
By Mr. Horsfall—He did not at all complain of dock
dues or town dues to any extent required, if such were
applied for the benefit of the shipping. At present this
was being done, and all he asked was that this should be
Continued in perpetuity. The stat'ments' he had msee
to:the committee were not of course wholly derived from
his own experience, but he had made none for which he
had not produced his authority. The corporation of
Liverpool would give direct evidence with regard to all
the facts he had attempted to lay before the committee,
and if he had been in any degree inaccurate they had a
ready means of, correcting him.
By Mr. Hardy—The Liverpool corporation claimed
and exercised the right of taxing everything and every-
body, and in return there was no legal obligation int.
posed upon them.

[PRICE 4D.

STAMPiD:S

THE "DEEATS" ON THE TREATY O.
PEACE.

The
,Debqts contains an article whiCh presents us,
with many details respecting the deliberations of
the Congress.and the treaty of peace :
"The treaty Of peace of the 30th March has been re-
ceived in all the capitals of Europe in the same manner
that it was hailed by the population of Paris. Every
where, in London, Turin, Vienna,. Berlin, St. Peters-
burg. Constantinople, rejoicings were trade at" the happy
issue of the negotiations aed for the re-establishment of
peace. The cabinets hastened to ratify this, treaty. How-
ever, the diploMatic formalities have not yet been ac-
complished ;. the ratifications have not" yet been ex-
changed, and will not be exchanged before the end of
the month, betehey admit of no doubt, which is all-im-
portant. Immediately after the exchange of the ratifica-
tions the treaty will be published. The discussions and
acts of the Congress will likewise be made public, as
also the protocols, if such exist—in fact, every document
which may recall what was said and performed in the
body of the Conference ; consequently, also, _the papers
in which the Conference established its . resoltitio-
After this publication, we shall be no longer ignoran—
the details of the negotiations, and we shall have a cer-
tain knowledge of the stipulations of the treaty, of its
formalities and annexes, with which we have had as yet
only an imperfect knowledge, founded on information
more or less approximative, and on statements which
may not be exempt from error. We distinguish the for%
Of t) e treaty from its stipulations and-annexei. It
-appears that certaittpointerbave been regulated by private
conventions, and that these conventions have been added
to the treaty, of which they form the consequences.. In
thus acting, the plenipotentiaries assembled at. Paris
have conformed to diplomatic customs. It is thus that
' at the Congress of Vienna, in etke geeseral act of the 9th
Tune, 1815, are included 39 -at:laments with the title
of annexes, of which several belonged to the yeari 1816,
1817, 1818, and 1819. These are special treaties, private
conventions, declarations, protocols, and regulations,
which assure the application of the general- principles,
consecrated in the fundamental act. It would appear that
the treaty of Paris has only two annexes - namely,
the convention relative to the interdiction' to fortify
the isles of Aland and to reconstruct the fortifications
of Bomarsund, and the convention made by Russia and
Turkey to regulate the measures of security, of protec-
tion, rendered necessary by the neutralisation of the Black
Sea. Art. 3 of the conditions of Vienna says, in fact, that
this convention shall be concluded separately, that it will
form part of the general treaty in the shape of an annex,
after having been approved of by the contracting Powers;
and that it cannot be annulled and modified•witb.out the
consent of the subscribers to the treaty. It is this con-
vention which will determine the, number and the strength
of the light vessels to be maintained by the two coasting
powers of the Black Sea in its water. Later other acts
will doubtless follow, the treaty of peace—such for exam-
ple, as the regulations respecting the organisation of the
Danubian Principalities and the navigation- of the Danube
with the arrangements concerning the new frontiers of
Bessarabia. Who can tell even if the imperial decrees, by
which the Sultan has guaranteed the' privileges of the
Christian subjects, will not be considered in the light of
annexes of the treaty? The stipulations of ; the treaty
form, as we have said, 34 articles.- With -respect to the
form of the treaty, it is assured that. the 34 articles of
which it is composed are preceded by a preamble, which
recognises the spirit of union that governed the Powers,
and the aim which they proposed. It is-probably in this
preamble that has been inserted, on the proposition of
Lord Clarendon, the declaration which pays homage to
France, to her disinterestedness, loyalty, and spirit of eon-
ciliation, and also the declaration which recognises the-
high esteem entertained for Piedmont by Europe. It is
F aid that the belligerent Powers figure alone with Austria
as contracting Powers in the enunciations of the pre-
amble and of the treaty; the belligerent Powers be-
cause they put a stop to the war, and treated en the
conditions of peace ; Austria, notwithstanding that she
took no direct or immediate part in the war, because
1 she dealt a severe blow to Russia by the indirect
assistance which she gave to Turkey.; because
she never ceased to be present in the diplo-
antic Conferences 'of Vienna ; and, finally be-
Cause she weighed on Russia in a manner 'which
reduced her to accept the base of the treaty of peace. It
is not thus with-Prussia. That Power has taken no part
in the war ; she :has given no assistance to the allies
which might directly or indirectly have seconded their
,military operations ; she withdrew voluntarily from the
Conference of Vienna ; and, with the exception of the
advice which she gave at the last moment to the Impe-
rial Court of St. Petersburg, she has not made, at least
publicly, one active and decisive step in the interest of
peace. In consequence of this, it was right that Prus-
sia should have separate place- in the treaty—we will
not say a secondary place—and it would appear that
she only participated in order to give in her adhesion to
the document, which was already written and signed,
that nothing might be wanting in the treaty to give the
necessary authority to an act destined to modify the
public right of Europe. The Conference commenced by
discussing and solving, in the absence of Prussia, points
on which the acts of war were destined to hare a deci-
,,.ive influence ; we allude to the abolition of the exclu-
sive Russian protectorate exercised in Moldavia and
Wallachia, the freedom of the navigation of the Black
Sea, the neutralisation of that sea, and the right of pro-
tection of the Christian subjects of the Porte. These
discussions and deliberations occupied the first six sit-
tings of the Conference ; and, itnm diately after the
accomplishment of that labour Prussia was invited to
be present."


. .
In reply to Mr. Watson witness said he did not ap-
pear b,:fore the committee fur the purpose of raising the
question of the title of the corporation of Liverpool to
levy the dues, but to complain of their improper applica-
tion. From. the definition given by Blackstone of the
nature of " town dues," and also from the admit•sion of
the corporation in 1691 and 1695, he (Mr. Heron)
thought it clear that they were to be applied to the
purpose of keeping up the port and for the purposes of
the shipping. The market tolls in Manchester amounted
to 15,0001., and, although he admitted that nothing
like this sum was spent upon the market, - this was
not an analogous cnse to that of the town dues of
Liverpool. The toils were fixed and certain, and were
3nly levied on those who used the market, and there
was more than au quivalent given in the aezommodatiou
provided.

By Mr. Hardy—He considered the town dues injuri-
-01 to Lir-el:mot, as tending to drive away commerce
froth the Mersey, and his complaint was that the money
had been spent in districts remote from the docks, and
not for the benefit of the shipping.
By Mr. Cardwell—The policy pursued by the corpo-
ration of the city of Bristol in regard to the docks had
been most beneficial in its results. Owing to the com-
petition with Liverpool trade was falling off. The cor-
poration became possessed of the docks (which had pre-
viously been in the hands of a private company), and re-
duced the town does nearly one-half, and they came to
Parliament for an act to anchorite them to tax the town
of Bristol, including Clifton, with a rate of 4d. in the
round, which was to be expended entirely for the par-
of the shipping ; and if this rate, together with the
dues, produced more than was required, the dues
were to be redccetl, but the rate was t► continue ; so
that eventually the tax upon the shipping would be alto-
gether abolished. This course could not be followed by
Liverpool without a similar application to Parliament, as
the corporation would bo prevented by .a -clause in the
Municipal Reform Act.

Tho Debats next proceeds to an analysis of the
policy of Prussia ; and thus replies to a prevalent
opinion to the effect that Prussia had forgotten her
dignity to sit in au assembly of European Plonipo-
tentiaries who had invited her to deliberate after
having adopted all the decisions of importance :

By Air. Vance—lie could imagine that Milford Haven
might eventually become a very formidable competitor
with Liverpool were the dues to have the effect of driv-
ing commerce to seek some other port. The carriage of
goods from Manchester to Milford Haven might be much
heavier than the town dues would amount to, but they
must be taken in connection with all other charges.
There was no pzinciple whatever in fixing these dues;
it s.-2enied to be, " Get what you can."
By Mr. Cardwell—He was not aware of a correspond-
ence having taken place with regard to the railway
charges between Leaden and Manchester, but he knew
that a trade to a large extent bad sprung up between
Manchester and London, which formerly found its way
to Liverpoil, and persons had undertaken to forward
goods from Manchester to Calcutta and elsewhere, rid
London, at a less amount than they could be sent by
Liverpool. _ _

" We are not of this opinion ; we believe Prussia has
done well to respond purely and simply to the appeal of
the Conference. Prussia has acted as if idle were volun-
tarily delayed, and if she consented to occupy in the
council of Europe the place which belongs to her by the
same title as the places occupied by the other Powers.
Prussia had condemned herself to isolation in order not
to render ;hor policy subordinate to that of Austria;
in order not to be entanglol in a war against Russia ; in
order not to disturb her excellent financial position ; that
she might not break up her alliances with the secondary
German States ; finally, that she might not quit that
neutrality agreeable to the traditions of her policy and
eminently advantageous to the commerce and industry
of the inhabitants of the north of Germany. Prussia
had adopted a pacific and enterprising role—she believed
it at least to be such ; she could not refuse, therefore,
her adhesion to the treaty which re-er.tablished peace.
A refusal on her part would have implied mistrust with
respect to her sincerity. Moreover, that which remained
to be effected in the Conference was not unworthy of the
co-operation of Prussia. If we are not mistaken, the
Prussian Plenipotentiaries sat for the first time on Tues-
day, Ist March, consequently 12 days previous to the
signing of the treaty of peace. These 12 days were em-
ployed in useful discussion, in which Prussia took part
with the rest; and we believe that, with reference to
the operations of the Conference, there has not been, for
a length of time, any appreciable difference beween Prus-
sia and the other Powers."

By-Mr. Horsfall—lt was beyond question that no
port in the world had gone on increasing in importance
to the same extent as Liverpool had of late years.
In reply to a question from Mr. Watson as to what
there was in the Municipal Reform Act to prevent the
expenditure of the borough funds upon the port of Liver-
pool, witness said the act required that the fund should
be applied for the benefit of the inhabitants of the bo-
rough at large, and the port was certainly not part of
the municipal borough of Liverpool. The corporation
of Liverpool claimed to be conservators of the river, but
this had been contested, and in a report of the Board of
Trade it was stated there was no actual conservancy
existing.

Mr. -Milner Gibson—The dues were received in the
Custom-house by a collector, or under his direction,
who was appointed by the corporation, and it had been
made a matter of complaint before the Shipping Dues
Commissioners that persons could not get their goods
cleiired without producing their receipt for the town
dues. It was
,urged this was a most improper interfer-
ence. He believed they had no legal authority to
detain the goods, but the practice referred to had
existed.

Our contemporary, notwithstanding the above
apologetical, though only slightly plausible, de-
fence of the policy of Prussia, destroys the whole
effects of its arguments by contrasting the attitude
of France in 1841, and of Prussia in 1856. It thus
expresses itself :

"France refused obstinately in 1840 to take part in
the arrangements between the Sultan and the Pacha of
Egypt; she declared that she would take no part in this
affair, and that she would leave to the four Powers,
which had signed the convention of the 15th July, 1840,
the task of escaping from the difficulty they had crewed,
as likewise the responsibility of the solution. The treaty
of the 13th July, 1841, establishes that France had acted
as she had desired. But what the treaty did not esta-
blish was, that it was discussed inch by inch by France—
that France made her conditions, which the four Powers
accepted. Prussia could not hold, and did not hold, in
1856 a conduct as firm, as constant, as that which suc-
ceeded so well for France in 1841. This is not the fault
of Prussia ; the circumstances are not the same ; and—
why shall we not say it ?—Prussia is not France. The
isolation of Prussia does not offer to Europe embarrass-
ments similar to those which would be created by the
isolation of France, and Europe would not perform,
in
order to put an end to the isolation of Prussia, that
which she has done, and would again do, in order to ter
minate the isolation of France."

In answer to a question by Mr. Hardy witness entered
into some explanations with regard to the gas and water-
works at Mancl:ester, and the committee then adjourned
until Thursday, at 12 o'clock.

CRYSTAL PALACE.—ONE SHILLING DAY, APRIL 22.
—Admissions on payment, 2,212 ; ditto by eeasoa
tickets, 445 ; total visitors, 2,657.
RESPITE OF THE CONVICTS UNDER SENTENCE OF
DEATH IN NEWGATE.—Yesterday afternoon the Sheriffs
received information from the Secretary of State for
the Home Department that her Majesty has been gra•
ciously pleased to grant a respite during royal pleasure
to the two wretched women, Mary Ann Harris and
Celestine Sommer, who were both found guilty—one for
wilfully murdering two of her illegitimate children near
Uxbridge, by drowning them, and the other for killing
her own daughter in the parish of Islington. It is stated
that a great number of petitions have been sent to the
Queen, praying for a commutation of the sentence of
death, which induced the Sovereign to respite these two
moat guilty women.
METROPOLITAN RATE FOR lIAMPSTEAD-HEATH.—A
stated in The SIM, of yesterday, at a meeting of the in-
habitants of St. John's Wood, tbo expediency of having
a metropolitan rate to secure Hampstead-heath for the
public was discussed, and, since then, another meeting
has been held at Camden town on the subject of pre-
serving the heath for the public, and other meetings are
to follow, so that the question of " compromise" with
Sir Thomas M. Wilson is likely to be considered. By
one of the clauses in the Metropolis Local Manage.
ment Act, " open spaces" are to be purchased when
necessary by the Metropolitan Board, and it has been
stated that the provision had direct reference
to Hampstead-heath. In the Hampstead memorial
the sum of 100,000/. was mentioned, which would
require a rate of 2d. in the pound, and the question
raised is whether the other metropolitan parishes
would contribute towards securing the heath for
the public generally. Sir Thomas M. Wilson's bill
in the Commons has been postponed, and in the
interval meetings will be held to ascertain the feeling of
the metropolitan parishes on this subject. Hitherto the
meetings have been confined to the adjoining districts of
the Heath, but it has been urged that the metropolis
generally is concerned in preventing the enclosure of the
place ; and further it has been urged that the expense of
a " compromise" should not fall on one or two parishes,
but that a metropolitan rate should be made to obtain
the boon now asked for the benefit of the public gene.
rally.

CRICKET HAMPSTEAD ALBION CLUB,--This club
played their opening match of the season on Monday, on
Hampstead heath, when sides were chosen by Messrs.
Stonehouse and Humphreys, and, although the latter
had 12 on his side, the former proved victorious. The
play on both sides was very creditable, considering
the short practice and early period of the season. Dur-
ing the day, by the kind permission of Col. Wood, the
band of the Royal East Middlesex Militia enlivened the
ground with several popular airs.

- -
PRICE OF GOLD.—The quotation of gold at Paris is
about 5 per mille premium (according to the last tariff),
which, at the English Mint price of 3/. 17s. 101 d. per
oz. for standard gold, gives an exchange of 25.29,i ; and,
the exchange at Paris on London at short being 25.371,
it follows that gold is about 0.32 per cent. dearer in Lon-
don than in Paris. By advices from Hamburg the price
of gold is 4261 per mark, which, at the English Mint
price of 3/. 17s. 101 d. per oz. for standard gold, gives an
exchange of 13.51 ; and, the exchange at Hamburg on
London at short being 13.7 f, it follows that gold is 0 75
per cent, dearer in London than in Hamburg. The
course of exchange at New York on London for bills at
60 days' sight is 1091 per cent., and, the par of exchange
between England and America being 109 23.40 per cent.,
it follows that the exchange is nominally 0.08 per cent.
against England ; but, after making allowance for
charges of transport and difference of interest, the pre-
sent rate leaves no profit on the importatiox of gold
either way between the two countries.