The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-04-05 00:00:00

TOWN COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS.

The usual monthly meeting of the Town Council was held
on Wednesday at eleven o'clock, in the Council Chamber,
Town-hall. When the proceedings commenced there were
only twenty-five members present, including the Mayor.

CONSERVANCY OF THE RIVER.
The report of the Finance Committee included a memorial
to the Lords of the Admiralty on the subject of the conser-
vancy of the river. This memorial described the state of the
river from the accumulation of mud in different positions,
and the injuries that were threatened to the navigation in
consequence of embankments at various places. The corpo-
ration had gone to great expense in surveys from time to
time, since the year 1818, and had received various reports,
showing the necessity of active superintendence for the pre-
servation of the navigation. The memorial reminded their
lordships of a bill which had been brought forward for
making a bridge over the river at Fiddler's Ferry, which bill
the Corporation had successfully opposed. The report fur-
ther embodied a resolution of the committee to lay before the
Lords Commissioners the report of Lieut. Lord, R.N., the
marine surveyor of the port, on- the subject. Lieutenant
Lord described the fluctuations which had recently taken
place in the banks, the great increase of Pluckington and
other banks, the changes in the Half-tide Swashway and the
New Channel. Taylor's Bank had spread greatly to the
north-west ; and several changes had occurred which greatly
diminished the backwater and scouring force of the river.
The memorialists felt convinced that if some effectual mea-
sures were not taken the port would in time be as much
choked up as those of Lancaster and Chester were. The me-
morialists concluded by urging tfpon their lordships the ne-
cessity of some effectual measures being taken to check the
progress of the mischief. At a subsequent meeting of the
committee, it appeared, resolutions had been passed expres-
sive of the opinions of the Finance Committee as to what
sort of conservancy would be best. It was submitted that a
public bill should be brought in by government ; that the go-
vernment should appoint three commissioners and the corpo-
ration one resident surveyor; all the right of the crown to be
vested in the three commissioners; all notices of works to be
given to the surveyor and commissioners ; a conservancy
fund to be raised on a plan approved by the government, the
Council being willing to levy a charge on the Borough Fund
to a certain extent, under restrictions ; the commissioners to
have the power to direct the manner of erecting works of ex-
traordinary public benefit. The committee recommended to
the Council that the Mayor should forward the memorial to
the Admiralty. and take measures for having the proposed
public bill brought forward.

WATCH COMMITTEE.
The TOWN-CLERK having laid before the Watch Commit-
tee drafts of the bills on the subject of the New Police re-
gulations, the Special Committee on the subject of rewards
to police officers were appointed to watch the progress of
such bills. It was resolved that all proper measures should
be adopted to oppose the bills. Copies of the correspondence
with Lord John Russell on the subject were read. His lord-
ship assured the chairman of the committee (Mr. Walmsley)
that he approved of the privileges reserved in the municipal,
and that he did not conceive the clauses in the new bills,
which appeared inimical to their privileges, at all material.
On the subject of rewards to police officers, a letter from
the Home Secretary was read, which has already appeared
in the public prints. .In reply to - the letter the committee
forwarded a resolution, which they had passed and acted upon
in June, 1837, showing that the rewards since that period
had never been dependant on conviction.
PREVENTION OF FIRES IN WAREHOUSES.

Mr. GEORGE HOLT wished it to be impressed strongly
upon the officers of the fire department, that they should
exert themselves as much as possible to prevent men from
smoking in or near warehouses. A summary conviction might
easily be obtained before a magistrate for every such offence,
and one or two examples would probably stop the practice.
Mr. WALMSLEY said the council would as once see that
the officers had no power to prevent smoking in warehouses.
They could not enter warehouses.
Mr. SMITH said the officers could not take men up for
smoking. If an officer saw a man in the street with a pipe,
he could not take it from him ; if he did he would be liable
to an action.

Mr. EARLE said the most effectual way of checking the
evil would be for every merchant to turn away his head ware-
houseman whenever he saw a man smoking in the warehouse.
(Hear, hear.)