The Sun.
London, England, 1844-10-25 00:00:00

THE BIRKENHEAD DOCKS.
The ceremonial of laying the :foundation-stone of
this great undertaking took place on Tuesday, and
was rendered as imposing as the vast importance of
the occasion justified. The day proved one of the
most brilliant of autumnal days, and was a general
holiday to all classes. Business was laid aside. The
hundreds of labourers and mechanics employed in the
various departments of the harbour and docks, and
also of the private buildings, were not merely per-
mitted to cease from toil, but were paid for their day's
time ; arrangements were also male for enabling
them to partake of the general hilarity.
The dawn of morning was hailed by the firing of
cannon and the ringing of bells. Flags were seen
hoisted on every point. Liverpool and its environs,
on the Lancashire side, and every city, town, and vil-
lage on the Cheshire side of the Mersey, poured forth
their gladdened population to witness the inspiring
scene, and to partake of the widely-spread means of
enjoyment. The poor inhabitants were supplied,
from a fund subscribed, with bread and meat of ex-
cellent quality, and in large proportions—the bread
in loaves, and the meat in pieces of from four to eight
Founds, according to the number of their families.
rom an early hour in the morning the Liverpool
and Birkenhead steamers, decorated with streamers,
were employed in conveying the anxiously-expectant
multitudes to the scene of hilarity; the railway trains
also, at reduced fares, contributed to swell the con-
stantly-increasing masses. It was computed that not
fewer than sixty thousand visitants were congregated
on the occasion. These spread themselves in every
direction, and imparted to the scene a liveliness and
variety of extreme interest.

At half-past eleven the procession started from the
Town-hall—an insignificant building, which is about
to be deprived of its municipal character, and to be
succeeded by another, more suited to the magnificent
town, which is rapidly rising into existence.
having performed the appointed circuit of peram-
bulation, the procession arrived at the site of the new
harbour. The arrangements made for this, the most
impressive part of the ceremony, were distinguished
by great taste and considerable regard for the conve-
nience of the gentlemen to whom platform-tickets
had been issued. Platforms were erected round the
site, on the shore, a short distance to the northward
of the upper side of the Woodside Ferryslip, and on
a scale which accommodated, without inconvenient
pressure, the invited guests, and those who took part
in the ceremonial. At about two o'clock the proces-
sion reached the site of the new harbour. On pre-
senting the trowel, a very chaste and classic implement,
to Sir Philip Egerton, M.P. for the southern division
of Cheshire, who had undertaken to, officiate on the
occasion, Mr. Randell, the engineer, delivered a short
but appropriate address to Sir Philip Egerton. The
Hon. Baronet descended from the platform, and
having completed the process of laying the stone, and
prayer having been offered by the Rev. Mr. Gardner,
Sir Philip Egerton addressed the Company in an elo-
quent speech, which was in several parts loudly cheered.
Having made some appropriate introductory observa-
tions, the Hon. Baronet took a rapid but very inte-
resting retrospect of the history of Birkenhead. In
the time of his venerated grandfather, and only fifty
years since, it did not contain more than three
houses ; in 1801 these had increased only to seven ;
and at intervals of ten years, until 1831, its progress
was scarcely perceptible. In 1841 it began to give
some signs of decided progress ; and now it presented
the scene they then witnessed. The town having lines
of streets, amounting to thirty miles in extent ; a har-
bour and docks in course of formation which would
far exceed, in their means of accommodation, any now
in existence in any part of the kingdom ; and these so
aided by the remarkable facilities which nature has
afforded, that the amount of outlay, though large,
would be comparatively small. The Hon. Baronet
then proceeded to indulge in predictions of Birken-
head's future greatness, and presented a sketch which
not merely derived probability, but became certainty,
from the knowledge of what had been already realised.
The Hon. Baronet concluded a very interesting ad-
dress by a fervent wish, which was responded to by
the cheers of the assembled thousands of spectators,
that the most sanguine hopes of the projectors might
be realised.

Thus terminated this interesting and impressive
ceremonial. The workmen were subsequently re-
galed with substantial fare ; their wives and children
were also provided with abundant means of suitable
enjoyment at the expense of their employers. The
dinner to the company, for which extraordinary pre-
parations had been made, and for the ball and supper
afterwards, will bear comparison with anything ever
exhibited on any public occasion.
Accommodation had been made for 550 gentlemen,
of whom nearly 200 were specially invited guests;
the latter were seated at semicircular tables in imme-
diate proximity to the chairman (Mr. Laird) and to
the deputy-chairman (Mr. W. Jackson). Over the
head of the chairman was placed a splendid portrait
of his son, painted by Illidge, and a most impressive
likeness. On no occasion could the splendid picture
have been exhibited with greater effect than on a day
which was commemorative of the successful exertions
of Mr. Laird, jun. By him the stupendous under-
taking was projected; and to him, in conjunction
with the Messrs. Jackson, and two or three other
gentlemen, the success of the plan may be mainly
attributed.

Among the noblemen and gentlemen who accepted
invitations for the dinner, and some of whom were at
the ceremony of laying the foundation-stone, were the
following :—Sir Philip Egerton, M.P., Tatton Eger-
ton, Esq., M.P.;. J. J. Tollemache, Esq., M.P., and
Cornwall Legh, Esq., M.P., the four county Mem-
bers ; L.ird Bateman, the Hon. E. J. Stanley, Sir
William Massey Stanley Bart., of Hooton Hall, and
party ; John Stanley, Esq., of Hooton ; the Hon.
Lloyd Kenyon ; J. Bailey, Esq., M.P. for Hereford..
shire; William Ewart, &q., M.P. ; Thomas Thornely,
Esq., M.P.; W. H. Collett, Esq., M.P.; William En-
twisle, Esq., M.P.; Jos. Brotherton, Esq., M.P.; Peter
Greenall, Esq., M.P.; Thos. Grimsditch, Esq., M.P. ;
Sir Edward Cust, Bart.
The dining-room and ball-room were most taste-
fully fitted up and arranged. They were formed of
the railway carriage booths, but had been enclosed,
floored, and hung with the most graceful ornaments.
The dining-room was about 140 feet in length by 40
in width, and of ample height. The coup d'wil on
entering was extremely imposing. The walls were
' covered with crimson, yellow, and blue drapery. The
recesses were decorated with evergreens and large
ornamental flowers, and the whole of the principals
and framework of the roof were similarly adorned, so
as to resemble a shrubbery that had taken leave of its
parent earth, and mounted into mid-air. From the
beams were suspended handsome richly-gilt gas chan-
deliers, as central lights. There were four rows of
tables, the two outer ones united at top and bottom
by being continued in the form of a semi circle.
The ball-room was about the same size, but much
more richly embellished. The reception-room and
:f,tiring-room were decorated in a style which created
wonder that, in such a place, so much could have been
accomplished. The Countess of Essex, Lady Grey
Egerton, Lady Amelia Cecil, the Hon. Mrs. E. J.
Stanley, and many other ladies of high rank, were
among the ladies patronesses of the ball. A supper
and ball afterwards took place at the Town-hall,
given by Mr. W. Jackson to the clerks and other
official gentlemen in the employ of the Commissioners,
who, with their friends, thus participated in the
hilarity of the evening, as they had previously done
in the preceding enjoyment of the day.