The Sun.
London, England, 1850-01-18 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE.

LIVE1:1'0011 J&'v. 1 7.—This day an influential and
numerously attended meeting of the merchants,
bankers, and tradesmen (-f Liverpool was held in the
Town-hall, for the purpose of receiving the report of
the committee appointed to draw up the rules t;nd
regulations for the Government of the new Chamber
of Commerce.

The 'worshipful the Mayor presided; and amongst
those present were Messrs. Lawrence Ileyworth,
M.P , Alderman Hon- fall, 11. Hornby, C. Holland,
A 11. Wylie, R. Shell, G. Holt, C. Robertson, V.
Higgins, C. E. Rawlins, jun., F. Boult, &c.
The report of the committee was read by Mr.
Thomas Heath, one of the joint secretaries.
Mr. HUGII HORMSY then rose to propose the first
resolutior. He said he was happy to have the oppor-
tunity of expressing his warm concurrence in the
observations contained in the report of the desirable-
ness of esteblishing a Chamber of Commerce i❑
Liverpool. Ile had long thought that the interests
of this great commercial community—second to reale
in existence, or he might, perhaps, be allowed to say,
second to none that had ever existed in the history of
the world—had tottered very n.uch by not having an
association by which commercial views on general
subjects might be ascertained. The speaker then
referred to the great use which the association would
be of to the town council in arranging local matters
connected with commerce, more particularly as re-
garded the docks. He was aware that they would
have many difficulties to overcome, bat if they came
to the subject with a determination to carry it out,
he was sure that the Liverpool Chamber of Com-
merce would tend to promote the permanent pros-
perity of the town at large. Mr. Hornby then re-
ferred to the necessity of the chamber being consti-
tuted on equitable principles, and the importance of
its including all classes of merchants and tradesmen
interested in the prosperity of the town. Unless that
principle was carefully carried out it would be
powerless in promoting the ends in view. If the
executive body was to consist of a few merchants,
however high their standing and character might be,
the chamber would fail to exercise that influence on
the Government of the country which the important
interests involved in it demanded. His own wish
was to promote the establishment of an association
which should increase the prosperity of the town and
the commerce of Liverpool. lie moved—

"Ti at the repot t of tt e committee comprehended in the
laws and re4ulations cf the Liverpool Chamber of Com-
merce, now submitted and just read, be approved of and
adopted by the meeting."
Mr. Alderman IIoasFALL seconded the motion.
He said he did not entertain a doubt of the desirable-
ness, or, what was more, of the absolute necessity of
some such chamber as this being at once established
to watch over the commercial interests of this town.
After adverting to the various commercial associa-
tions in the town, and admitting their value, he dwelt
for some time on the importance of the association as
one of a general commercial character. He then
alluded to the beneficial effects which might be ex-
pected from the establishment of the association,
both local and national. The commercial treaties
made by Government day by day with foreign
countries, and in which Liverpool was most
deeply interested, proved the necessity of such an
association as a Chamber of Commerce. In illustra-
tion of this view of the case he alluded to the blunders
made by G rvernment in arranging their commercial
treaties with foreign countries in consequence of
their ignorance of many of the details of commercial
affairs. He expressed an opinion that it would not
be derogatory, even to a Minister of the Crown, if
he consulted the mercantile body before he entered
into commercial treaties with other countries. In
proof of this portion the speaker cited the case of
the new Republic of Liberia, with which country a
commercial treaty had been made by the Government
of this country, the effect of which was that, whilst
the produce of that country was allowed to come
to England free of duty, there was a duty imposed
on our exports to that country of thirty per cent.,
which amounted to a positive prohibition. If the G,;-
uernment had consulted the mercantile body before
entering into this treaty such a blunder would in all
probability never have been committed, for he must
suppose that it had been entered into in igno-
rance on the part of our Government of
the duties imposed by the Government of
Liberia. The speaker next condemned, in the
most severe terms, the present unequal operation
of the income-tax, as it applied respectively to realised
satnrdonguensrtealied income.
lansguaget Afterheinguisit
denouncinginquisitorial
loharaoter in the
of
the
tax, he said that as a member of the Council of the
Chamber of Commerce he should take the earliest
opportunity of bringing it before them with the view
of effecting an alteration in the tax.

The resolution was passed unanimously, as also
several other resolutions, which were proposed and
seconded reopectively by Messrs. G. Holt, Diston,
Johnson, Cross, Charles Robertson, and
Mr. .1.4 4.ITRENCE HEYWORTH, M.P., who, after
speaking in the highest terms of commendation of
the establishment of a Chamber of Commerce in the
town, said he regarded this day as a-gritat epoch in
the commercial history of Liverpool.
The rules and regulations were read over and
considered seriatim, and having been gone through,
and the Chamber having been duly established, the
meeting separated after a vote of thanks to the Mayor
and the committee appointed to draw up the ruler.