The Sun.
London, England, 1850-09-18 00:00:00

BIRKENHEAD DOCKS.

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The greatest possible activity pervades the whole
of this important undertaking, and tenders are now
invited for building up the line of the river-wall from
Seacombe to Woodside, under the agreement lately
made between the trustees and her Majesty's Com-
missioners of Woods. From the terminus of the
present Morpeth and Egerton Decks, which may
be called mere passage docks, up to Wallasey-
bridge, a distance of nearly two miles, the ground
is like a bee-hive, covered with human bees, at
work in building walls, excavating, &c. The first
work we meet with is the railway company's wall,
forming a sort of basin, where they will at all times
have deep-water access for their traffic, and where
the largest ship can discharge her cargo on to rail-
way trucks. Next comes the dock company's
wall, opposite their warehouse, where vaults,
sheds, and every possible convenience for trade are
in process of erection. This wall joins the
Victoria Wharf wall, a public wharf forming the
north side of what is called the Eighteenacre Dock.
Then the dock company's wall continues up the pool,
in a straight line, for about eight hundred yards, ter-
minated by another public wharf, called Duke-street
Wharf; and this forms the boundary of that portion
of the great float which is on the eve of being opened,
comprising some forty or fifty acres of dock space,
bounded by walls, quays, &c., which are also building
on the north or Seacombe side. Above Duke-street
Wharf a temporary dam is thrown across the pool
while the upper walls are building. This forms
a new contract, and the work is proceeding
rapidly; whilst Mr. Bailey and Mr. Tyrer are
building their walls to complete the whole extent
from Woodside-basin to Wallasey-bridge, a line of
wharf walls upwards of two miles in extent ; and,
simultaneously with these works, private landowners
on the north or eastern side of the pool are about to
build walls; so that it would appear the long-
talked-of great float of a hundred and fifty acres
is soon to become a matter of fact. With deep
water for a ship up to Wallasey-bridge, whilst the
margin of the dock or pool offers unequalled sites
for ship-builders, manufacturers and trades of all
kinds—Paulton will, ere long, become quite a sea port,
with the largest merchant ships moored alongside the
quays; and there is an unlimited extent of land be-
yond the bridge for timber floats or yards. During
the present week the Morpeth and Egerton Docks
have been run dry, in order to put in the 70-feet
passage gates, preparatory to penning up the water
in the great float. These gates are prodigious
things, each half weighing some eighty tons.
The process of launching these gates into the
dock, previous to shipping them, was rather a
novel one, and such as, we believe, has never been
attempted on this side. Each gate was launched
and shipped in about forty minutes—one during the
night—and the process attracted a good deal of at-
tention. The great characteristic of these works is
their solidity—built to endure for ages, and paving
the way for commerdial facilities worthy of an em-
porium of trade like the Mersey. The rivalship
which these increased facilities cannot fail to excite
must inevitably benefit the trade of Liverpool ; and
we cannot but think that the spirited undertakers
will eventually meet with encouragement, and an
adequate return for the great outlay incurred.—
Liverpool Journal.

PUBLIC CONVEYANCES AND TURN-
PIKE GATES.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

Sir,—Knowing your Usual readiness to expose and
put an end to any grievance that comes under your
observation, I have ventured to intrude upon your
valuable time to make the following statement, trust-
ing that even coming from so humble an individual
as myself it may have some effect in putting a stop
to a system that is now so rapidly spreading. Within
the last few days three turnpikes have been put up in
Peckham, thereby doing great injury to the omnibus
proprietors of that place. If I am rightly informed,
turnpikes are put up to defray the expenses of
forming the various roads, and that the parish in
which the roads are situated keeps them in repair
from funds arising out of the highway rate. If so,
by whose authority aro there turnpikes raised upon
a road the expenses of forming which must have been
defrayed long since ? In these days of cheapness,
when the cry of anti-monopoly is sounded on every
side, it is hard that the public should be called upon
to pay such gross impositions as these. The Kent-
road and Peckham omnibuses have to pay 9s. 6d. per
diem for turnpikes, and 6s. for duty, without
reckoning expenses—driver, conductor, stabling,
horses' keep, &c.; they must therefore carry upwards
of 100 passengers at 3d. before they pay their ex-
penses. Every one knows that since cheap fares
have been in existence they have earned but a scanty
living—how much worse will their condition be now,
since the new turnpikes take away the sum of 791. per
annum from their earnings! The inhabitants of Peck-
ham cannot go to London in any vehicle but an omnibus
without paying about 10d. for turnpikes. The same sys-
has been adopted on the other roads under the pretence
of granting a boon to the public. Newington-gate
was removed; at the same time the toll was raised at
Kennington-gate, and omnibuses that used to pay
7d. for the two gates now pay 101. for one. The con•
sequence is, the fare has been raised from 3d. to 4d.,
and such must be the case in all places where the toll
is so heavy. Cheap fares are, without doubt, a great
boon to the public ; it is therefore our duty to protect
from injustice and oppression those parties whose con-
veyances furnish the boon, so as to enable them to
continue it. If we fail to do so, we cannot expect
them to ruin themselves for public convenience.
I enclose my car,l, and trusting that you will ex-
cuse this long intrusion on your valuable time,
I am, Sir, yours obediently,
FAIB, PLAY.

SKITTLING.—A. prominent official having rendered
skittles a popular game in Southampton, we record, for the
information of those interested in the amusement, that Mr.
Ireland, a tradesman of Southampton, played skittles for
twelve hours incessantly on Thursday last, at Mr. Woolver-
ston's brewery in St. Mary-street. The conditions were
that the play was to commence at ten in the morning, and
last till ten at night, clarityg which time, as fast as the pins
could be set up, Ir. Ireland was to throw at them tilt he
got them down ; for every time he knocked them down at
twice ho was to pay sixpence. Five minutes only were al-
lowed for refreshment. The pins were set up by two men
in a twinkling of time, and for twelve mortal hours Mr. Ire-
land kept up his. play, throwing a ball of above ten pounds
weight incessantly during the time, generally getting the
pius down in what, in the language of the " alley," is termed
a " twicer." At the close of the play Mr. Ireland was a
winner of 141. and upwards. He ate a Sandwich during his
five minutes' rest, but drank nothing. Our informant
describes the eenalianT present M iomease.".-gainpshire
Advertiser.