The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1852-02-03 00:00:00

bound to deal with it with caution, to avoid any false step
being taken. Not only had there been a report of a com-
mittee appointed to deal with the subject of pleading, with
retard to common law, but it would be noticed that there
was every probability that that Augean stable, the Court
of Chancery, would be subjected to a similar process of
investigation during the ensuing session. There were
other subjects, which be would not now dwell upon, of a
local character; in reference to these generally, he
trusted the chamber would devote its best energies.
There had been a special committee appointed for sug-
gesting to the D,ck Committee any means by which
facilities for the export and import trade might be expe-
dited. Any gentleman who would go to the Cheshire side
of the river, and observe the preparations there made,
and the many appliances of machinery for the discharging
of vessels, &c., would come to the conclusion that the
very primitive modes now in use on the dock quays on
this side should be much improved on and increased.
He would conclude by congratulating them upon the posi-
tion which the Chamber of Commerce enjoyed both with
regard to our own community and the country generally.
Liverpool was bidding fair to become the emporium of
Great Britain ; and, by a union of all the commercial in-
terests of this great town, they should continue to increase
in influence and importance, and bring them to bear upon
every commercial interest throughout the country. He
begged to move the adoption of the report and accounts.
(Applause.)
Mr. CHARLES ROBERTSON seconded the resolution.
Although but two years old, the Chamber of Commerce
might already he considered full grown. It was unneces-
sary to say anything in favour of their association, as it
had already commended itself to the support of the com-
mercial community, and he had no doubt but that it would
meet with a still larger measure of patronage; and,
instead of having, as at present, some 413 or 500 members,
there would shortly not be a single commercial house in
Liverpool who would not become enrolled.
The resolution was carried unanimously.
Mr. BOUGH moved the second resolution :—.41 That, as
there is reason to believe that the Government will not
oppose the re-appointment of the Parliamentary Customs'
Committee, this Chamber strongly urges upon its members
the importance of furnishing such evidence as may lead
to an amelioration of the Customs' laws and regulations,
the better to adapt them to the commerce of the country."
Mr. Bouch then, in a discursive speech of considerable
length, took a review of the origin of the inquiry with
regard to Customs' reform, and instanced a variety of
cases strongly illustrating the great evils resulting from
the want of such reform and the necessity there existed
for a thorough revision of our Custom-house regulations.
He thought they ought to he able to pursue this question
without giving rise toany acrimonious feeling beingcreated.
If the Board of Customs was to be changed, no doubt it
would involve a serious question as to those who now filled
so important a position as Commissioners of Customs; but
what they had to do here was, to solicit the aid of the
chamber, and the commercial community generally, to be
furnished with evidence with which to go the House of
Commons.

Mr. Jour; As KIN seconded the resolution. Credit, he
said. had been given to Mr. Sherlock for the assistance
which lie was said to have rendered in the cause of Cus-
toms' Reform. fie (Mr. Aikin) did not deny that err dit
might be due to that gentleman ; but he felt satisfied that
if they intended to effect any great measure of reform, they
must not look to the assistance and co-operation of Cus-
tom-house authorities, or to gentlemen connected with
the technical difficulties of this reform. Mr. Aikin then
iterated some of the arguments which he had heard at the
town's meeting, and referred to several instances which he
then gave in illustration of the position taken by him on
that occasion with regard more particularly to the evils
arising to the transit trade.

Mr. FoawooD, in a speech of considerable length,
argumentatively showed, from instances cited, the great
evils needing reform in connexion with the Customs and
our general commercial regulations.

Mr. CASEY, at the request of the Chairman (Mr.
Holland, who bad undertaken to act for Mr. Hornby,
that gentleman having to leave town for London) offered
some lengthy remarks on the evils resulting to commerce
arisinz out of the excise duties, and gave many pertinent
instances in the soap trade, with which he is connected,
showing the imperative necessity there existed for a total
reformation in the excise laws. If more freedom of
action was afforded to their operations, soap could be
manufactured much cheaper than at present, and it was
but fair to expect that our home consumption would
greatly increase. He re quested of the council to appoint
a special commission to go fully into the matter of excise
grievances, with the view to some ulterior proceedings being
taken.

Mr. M'FIE then addressed the meeting on the subject
of postal regulations. With regard to the mail.station at
Holyhead, he had the privilege of being present at the
Greenock Chamber of Commerce, and he there learned
that, after searching inquiry being made, that its
position was not calculated. Mr. M'Fie then, at great
length, entered into the subject of the necessity of a
great alteration being made in postal regulations, more
especially as regarded the communication with the
north of Scotland. He was glad to say that there
was a prospect of having this department reformed, and
for this they were very much indebted to Mr. Levi, the
energetic founder of that association.
Mr. EDWARD HIGGIN said he trusted that the attention
of the Chamber would be drawn during the coming year
to the important subject of the dock and town dues, a
subject which ought to occupy its attention, inasmuch as
the late discoveries had indicated a regular system of
evasion, which injured the dock and town estates, and
was ruining the honest man and fair trader. For pur-
poses of statistics, his firm had long since found that
the entries passed to the States and elsewhere were not
more than from a half to two thirds of what really
went forward. As agents they were continually exposed
to demands, as regarded the charges they made, which
indicated clearly to them that a system prevailed of ship-
ping goods without paying the dues on them. Indeed his
partner, when in the States, had been told, when summing
up the amount of charges that would be incurred, that
"therewas no reason to pay the dues here,"and "that other
houses did not do so," thus effectually preventing those who
would wish to act honestly from obtaining business.

Whilst he would deprecate any regulations which would
impede the shipment of goods already unnecessarily ham-
pered, he thought a system might be pursued of the
simplest character, which would entirely prevent fraud
and facilitate the trade. Let every broker or agent load-
ing a vessel be obliged to pay the dues when clearing the
vessel, and let him recover the amount so paid by debiting
the amount of dues when rendering a freight note.
Mr. Iliggin then entered into lengthy statistical state-
ments, illustrative of his arguments, and having done so,
The CHAIRMAN thanked him for the valuable informa-
tion regarding the export trade, and hoped that he would
bring the statistics in such a form before the public as
would call the attention of the town most strongly to it.
After a vote of thanks to the council of the chamber,
and to the chairman of the meeting, the proceedings
terminated.