The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-07-10 00:00:00

THE COIIURG DOCK

A letter from the South Harbour Master was read,
requesting permission for the Coburg Dock to run dry, for
the purpose of its being deepened. Connected with this
letter there were a number of reports from the Harbour
Master, Mr. Hartley, and Mr. Hartley, jun., stating in sub-
stance that the ground of the application was the fact that
the President steam-ship, (now lying in the river) had when
leaving the dock on the 7th instant, touched the ground. and
that serious damage might be the consequence if the dock
were not deepened. The report of Mr. Hartley, jun. stated
that he had sounded the dock at the request of his father,
and found that the bottom of it was two feet higher than the
sill, and that there was one inch space between the ground
and the President's keel. He suggested, however, that
whete the President touched might have been a ridge caused
by_the operations of the dredging machine.

Mr. IIoRSFALL said this was a very serious matter, and
he should wish to hear the surveyor upon it. This dock had
been run dry about twelve months (as we understood) at
considerable expense, yet, when it came to be used it was
found there was not sufficient water in it, and that it wanted
something to be done at the bottom. He was very much
annoyed at this occurrence. Tkere must be blame some-
where. The committee had gone to the expense of :C35,000
in placing gates to this dock, yet they now found it could not
contain water to float the President in safety. He repeated
that he was greatly annoyed that this should have happened.
The CHAIRMAN said the committee ought to say where
blame rested.

Mr. GLADSTONE said it was upon the surveyor's depart-
ment.

HORSFALL said Mr. Hartley was the man. Mr.
John Hartley reported that the President had just an inch of
water to spare! This was mere trifling.

Mr. GLADSTONE remarked that it was just part of that lax
system which had caused the accident to the ship Tweed.
The surveyor had not been called to account for that,
although he was quite to blame.
Mr. HORSFALL begged to correct Mr. Gladstone. The
surveyor had been called to account for the accident to the
ship Tweed, and he had admitted the blame to have been
entirely his own. The man who had actually committed the
mistake had been dismissed.

Mr. GLADSTONE was not aware of that; but he would
repeat that the necessity which had now arisen was part of
the lax system now prevailing, and which ought to be
corrected.

Mr. LIORSFALL could not avoid again expressing how
much he felt annoyed that this circumstance should have
taken place. The harbour-master would be the best judge
of the time when the dock should be run dry, and a sufficient
force should be put on in order to accomplish the object in
the shortest possible time.
Mr. YATES presumed that when Mr. Hartley returned he
would be called in to explain.
The CHAIRMAN intimated that he would; and asked Mr.
Horsfall whether he had any further remarks to make ?

Mr. HORSFALL said he-had not, as ill. liTtrileywas not
present to defend himself.

- The subject of the application was then referred to the
harbour-master.
- DAMAGE TO TIIE QUEEN LIGHT-SHIP.
..... . _

•
The SECRETARY read a letter from the owners of the New
York ship, relating to the damage done to the Queen light-
ship, by the collision on the 23d-May last. The letter in-
closed a copy of a resolution of the Pilots' Committee,
which stated, that after mature investigation, the committee
found that the collision was purely accidental, and that to
blame attached to the pilot, who was in charge of the New
York. Under these circumstances, the owners trusted that
the Dock Committee would release them from any liability
they might be to pay the damage.

Mr. YATES said the resolulion of the Pilots' Committee
could not remove the blame from the owners of the New
York.

Mr. GLADSTONE—The responsibility you mean.
Mr. HORSFALL said this case involved the question how
far the owners of a vessel were responsible for damage done
to the dock estate, when a pilot was on board. It wrs a
point of law, which had not, he believed, been determi9ed
yet.

Mr. GLADSTONE did not know what the law was, but the
practice was to call upon the owners to pay the damage. He
mentioned a case of one of his own vessels which had a pilot
on board running down a small coaster near George's Dock,
and they paid the loss. _

After a-few further remarks from Mr. Horsfall, the matter
was referred to the dock Solicitor.
THE NEW FLOATING LIGHT slim
The MARINE SURVEYOR submitted a letter from Messrs.
Clialloner and Co. recommending rock salt to be put between
the timbers of the new floating light ship, and five or six air
pipes in order to prevent dry rot or mildew. The Marine
Surveyor added that he approved of the suggestion as to the
use of rock salt.

Mr. YATES said he had had air pipes in five or six of his
ships for some years, and 'he found them an excellent pro-
tection against the dry rot.
COMMUNICATION FROM THE CHAIRMAN.
The SECRETARY read a letter from the Chairman of the
committee, dated, London, July Bth, on the subject of the
new dock bill. The letter stated that the parliamentary
committee had been occupied for some days in hearing the
evidence of the witnesses of the opponents of the bill, all of
whom were hostile to the building of warehouses. They,
(the deputation) however, flattered themselves that the wit-
nesses had not made any impression of consequence on the
mind of the committee. The opponents of the bill said,
they had nine or ten important additional witnesses to pro-
duce to-morrow. On Friday it was probable the counsel of
the opponents of the bill would sum up, and the counsel for
the bill reply ; and then, or on Saturday, the committee
would decide some points which would settle the fate of
the bill.

The Chairman then intimated to the reporters, that this
was all the business to be transacted in their presence, and
they retired leaving the committee in deliberation.

TRANSMISSION OF LETTERS FROM AMERICA.—We un-
derstand that serious inconvenience has been experienced of
late by parties in the American trade, and others connected
with that country, in consequence of the non-arrival of their
letters, as formerly, by the New York packets. The fault is
said to rest with the New York post-office, which, from
some unexplained cause, has recently contracted a habit of
sending letters for England by transient vessels, instead of
the regular liners, and the consequence is, a serious loss of
time in their receipt. The post-office is certanily bound to
forward the letters by the most expeditious conveyance, and,
as the packets are the most regular and expeditious vessels,
next to the steamers, the departure from a principle so just
and so long acted upon, is not only inconvenient, but unfiir.
Some of the transient vessels are unquestionably excellent
sailers, and a few of them successfully compete with the
packets, but this remark does not apply to all. The safestway would he, in every case where a steamer is not sailing
so as to be likely to anticipate a packet, to send all letters by
the packet, unless a particular vessel is named. A system of
collusion. it has been hinted to us, exists between the post-
office authorities at New York and some of the transient
ships ; but this we can hardly credit. If such be the case,
which we do not believe, a representation from the consul
here to the government at Washington, would effectually put
a stop to it.

THE CROPS.—A gentleman who has arrived here from the
neighbourhood of Bedale, in Yorkshire, states, that the grass,
wheat, and other crops promise an abundant harvest ; they
are much superior. to those in Lancashire, which, in many
places, look
Chron i thin, and have an unhealthy appearance._
Preston cle.