The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-05-01 00:00:00

BROUGHAM INSTITUTE,
LAWTON-STREET..

(11111 E ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL, with which will be
incorporated a MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT. will
he held in the Institute, (entrance to the Arcade from Bold=
street.) on,THousnAy.evening.next, the llMay.
-Refreshments on the Table at Si x", precisely.
Tickets Is. each, to be had every evening at the Institute.
On SALE, Examiner, and Londou Times daily, at half-price:
To be LET, cheap, a ROOM fora Workshop.
(One concern.)

TUESDAY 11901:1V1.1VG. MAY 1, 1838.

The Publication or the STANDARD commenced this pawn-
ing at 5 o'clock.

KINGSTON, JAMAICA.—We have received Kingston
papers arrived in Liverpool this day, per Charlotte from
Jamaica, up to the 12th March, inclusive. They du not
contain any matters of importance orinterest.

PoSTOFFICE REFORM.—We have .in another column
riven a brief report of the meeting held on Friday last
in favour of Postoffice Reform. As we expected, we find
that men of all shades of political opinion cordially con-
cur% in their views on this important subject. Against
yrch a general concurrence of public;' opinion it will be
imivain for Government or the Postoffice authorities to
contend much longer. A sweeping reform of the whole
system must speedily take place, and we do not suppose
that 'much difficulty will be found in providing a scheme
which, while it is of equal benefit to the revenue, will be
productive of incalculable good to the community at
large.

Among the greatest of the evils which an equalization
of the rates of postage will contribute to remove is, un-
doubtedly, the flagrant and almost universal evasion of
the impost to which the present high rates of postage
have given Ilse. We eonfe.ss that we have been. not a
little astonished at the extent to which evasion has been
carried. From the evidence produced before the Post-
oflice Committee we learn that it is a general practice to
send letters by the various carriers between one town
and another, as well as by the steam-packets which ply
between one part of the kingdom and another, and that
ru numbe►:s far exceeding those conveyed by the

•
d. A 1 •

Of course, the motive in el cry ease is cheapness. One
t,itness stated that he knew tueicantile and manufactur-,
ing houses which sent cirt olars in a clandestine manner
to the number of 30, 40, and 50 daily throughout the
year. From this it must be obv ions that the revenue
suffers an incalculable loss by the habitual evasion of the
postage.
,It is equally evident that, if the' rate of post-
age were reduced to one penny, no temptation would
offer to induce parties to avoid the impost. It'would be
impossible to procure the delivery of letters for less than
a penny, whilit the greater certainty of safe delivery by
the Postotlice would cause every one to.give preference
to that medjutn, rather than trust a common carrier

, With respect to the plan for carrying on the:business
of the Postoffice under an improved system it i:trot ne-
cessary for us to say much. The public are already in
possession of Mr. Rowland Hill's plan, which appears to
us, under certain mgdifications, to be the most feasible
that has been yet suggested. Its simplicity is its chief
recommendation. According to his plan all letters will
be, in fact, post. paid before they are put into the Post,
office at all. The distinctive mark upon the paper will
frank it to any distance. The tedious proceSs of stamp-
ing and marking letters %yin be avoided, arid the thne oc-
cupied in delivery *sill be considerably abridged, as the
carriers will not be under the necessity of waiting for
payment, as they do at present, in nine cases out of ten.
As, however, the present revenue from the Postoffice
can only be sustained by an increase to the extent of
six or seven times the present number of letters, it
must follow that a proportionate augmentation of clerks,
sorters, &c. must take place in the various departments
of the Postoffice. Nor must we forget that the convey-
ance of the mails will be somewhat more expensive than'
at present. But the increased expenditure, we are cony
fident, will be found to be much less than might, at first
sight, be apprehended. Much time is at present con-
sumed in stamping the letters, as well as in marking,the
postage. The saving which Mr. Rowland Hill's plan
would effect in the time of the Postoffice clerks would
alrhost of itself suffice for the extra labour of sorting.
Then as to the increased cost of conveyance, it is a well
known fact that by far the larger share of expense is at,
present caused by the great number of newspapers which
pass through the Postoffice, and that the proportion in-
curred on account of the unfranked letters is, in reality,
little more than a tenth of the whole. It is, therefore,
obvious that an immense increase in the number of let-
ters would cause very little difference in the expence of
transit:

The question of Postoffice Reform is one
.of urgent
necessity. There cannot, therefore, be any cause why
the Chancellor of the Exchequer should hesitate about
the introduction of Mr. Rowland Hill's plan, not as s
temporary experiment, but as a practical and permanent
substitute for the present system. We think that the
evidence brought before the committee proves to demon-
stration the fuility of apprehending any decrease in the
revenue, especially as that evidence is so distinctly cor-
roborated by the eminent mercantile men who have at
variousiublic meetings given utterance to their opinions
on the Mbject.

We are glad to find that the press generally advocates
this important reform. It is much better; surely, to deat
with such practical grievances, with a view to their re-
moval, than to be tinkering our unrivalled constitution"
And deluding the public, as our radical contemporaries
are wont to do, with profitless ventilations on universal
suffrage and vote by ballot.

NEWSPAPER' STAMPS.—A parliamentary return has
just been published,. showing the numbel of newspaper
stamps issued during the year.,prior to the reduction Of
the stamp duty, and for the year and six month since the
reduction took place. The return (which we subjoin)
also gives the number of newspapers published and •the
amount of duty paid for stamps, in the years ending Sep-
tember 15, 1836 and 1837, and the half-year ending
March 15, 1838, distinguishing the .number of stamps
issued to, and the amount of duty paid by, the London,
English provincial, Irish, and Scottish newspapers re-
spectively. The following are the details :

YEAH. ENDING SEPT. 15, 1836. "'":"1 -
London Newspapers. 19,241,640 256,556 0' 0'
pNeros"..o.f.i:ew7slpapers. Suops.issd. _Anal:. ti,eio4y:
3:5
English Provincial ditto 194 8,5 ,396 113,804 16 0
Scotch ditto 54 '2,654,438 35,392 10 2
Irish .... ditto 78 5,144;382 37,525 2 0'

397 35,576,050 443,278 8 2-
YEAR ENDING SEPT. 15, 1837.

Linewspapers. Stinps. issd. Amt. duty.

£. a. P.
London Newspapers.... 85, ' 29,172,797 121,553 6 5'
English Provincial ditto 237 , 14,996,113 62,483 16 1
Scotch ditto 65 4,123.330 17,180 10 10'
Irish ditto 71 5,203,967 16,263 311

--- ~
458 53,496 207 217,480 17 '
HALF•YEAR ENDING MARCH 15, 1838.
No. of newspapers. Stuips.issd. Amt. duty-
L. s• l'' London Newspapers.... 86 14,438,550 60,160 13 0
English Provincial ditto 223 7.366,812 30,695 38;
Scotch ditto 66 2,216,400 9,235 t) „,,
Irish ditto 62 2,620,187 8,197 8 `'

- ;
437 • 26,641,979 108;288: tk 11.
The above table presents some curious-results. It was:
confidently predicted, when the question was agitated in
Parliament, that the loss sustained by ' the reduction et
the stamp duty would be Imre than compeniated for .by
the increase which would take place in the circulation of
favourite
newspapers. •We recollect that this Was aar-
gument in the mouths of the cheap knowledge .patritits•
What has been the result ?' The reduction of the stamp
duty came into operation on the 15th of September.
183(1 During the last year of the old regime, the total
number of newspapers in Great Britain and Ireland was
397, • The revenue arising from this source amounted to
£443,278 for the year. In the following year, ending
Sept. 15, 1837, being the fir,tat year after the reduction
took place, the increase in the number of journals was,
London, 14; English Provincial, 43; Scottish, ll :---all
increase of about a-fifth in each class. Instead of an in"
crease in the Irish journals, we find that they were ac'
tually diminished by eleven. e diminution in. the re-
venue was more than one half, . tear's duty amounting
413
only to £217,480.
On the 15th of March last xe find that the Lonat°
journals were increased by 1 ; the English Provincial
diminished by 14; the Scottish increased by 1 i and the
Irish still further diminished by 9; making- a total de-
crease for Ireland, since the reduction of the duty, of 16
journals, or 'nearly one-fifth of the whole: This great'
diminution may be accounted for in various vraY• In
the first place, it should be remembered that while the
reduction of the duty in England and Scotland was from
threepence one-fifth of a penny, the reduction in Irelanuk
was only about lid., the duty on Irish newspapers hav,-,.
ing been formerly 2d, and being now 1,2,d. The effect' c'f
the reduction was, therefore, to equalise the
e•
English and Irish newspapers, and, in consequence, to,
introduce a far greater number of English neWsPaPers'
into Ireland than in previous years, under the old sYs;
tem. This substitution of English for Irish papers unis,
have very materially affected the circulation of 'the lat-
ter.
Hence we find that, while the increase in the nnws
her of stamps issued•.to the English and Scottish paper.,
for the year ending September 15, 1837, was—L°"°
n
9,931,157; English Provincial, 6,460,717 i. Scottish,
1,468,892; the increase in the cirotilation of the Irish'
- price ci.
papers was only 59,585.
d
The total increase in the number oflourzaals eu er the
new measure is 40, a much smaller proportion than the
. _as,
advocates of the reduction included in their calculati°
On the increase of the circulation we find the following
sensible remarks in the ScoVish Guardian;—' pot
~ The increase in the support of existing journals does
suit
0_
, amount to anything like what was expected to
the reduction. Including the stamps issued to the new Is
which
which have been curitinued, mid. the mushroom 10u,137 were.
have been suppressed, the whole stamps issued in I
ud
tli°
53,426,207, being only 1740,151 more than in 1E36;
5.,../..
returns for the first half of the current year indicate a contute.
_.
able falling-off in this number. T
-A Was anticipated from
a_ebt:
reduction of the ttamp-duty that the number 01 l'ewsfr:abe,
be the
.rueo
oaf:
would be greatly increasad; in Ireland
and the addition to the number in England and caned n
perfectly trivial compared to ;he'expectatioas eaterta.ine.drears_i
of
e'l'ects of the measure. It was anticipated that the tuLdutibuied
circulation should be trebled at least; it is not nettrelYwo..id ja
It was anticipated that the deficiency in the revenue
"
circulation 0
some measut e be compensated by the increased
chnellor (
the journals; the deficiency ;.s enormous, and the .
Chi
s'4°l?
I..iw Ex.chcquer has published the tact at this particular ,
they are on the deian .

MAY 1. 1838.

that irtinfy f.revo its full weight in apolfuzising for the defalcations
Of the is revenue when he brings his financial
,statement
before Parliament. The measure has beep tried in Ihe-rtiost'
advaritikgrairicTrcuinisLrices in which it could have been in-
trodaPduifilEe the paqsing of the Reform Bill The death of
the liiiio4llo-Lraceession of the Queen, the new election, the
rebelliottirr Canada, the discussions in and out of Parliament.
the apti:slavery.aud anti!endowment agitation, and numberless,
other topics, general and local, having in the meantime been
subje,cts of inviting newspaper interest. But with all these
induil'ements, the increase in the consumpt has borne but a
small 'prOPition to ihe decrease in the tax ; and the friends of
the iali4u'ie:cannot flatter themselves that it has been at all
successful, either as regards the-revenue or the public."

MEETING OF WAREHOUSE OWNERS.—We this day_
present to our readers a copious report of the important
proceedings at the -meeling of warehouse owners held
yesterday. We regret that our space will not permit us
to enter at present upon any minute analysis of the argu-
ment brought forward in opposition to the project of the
Dock Committee. The several speeches delivered at the
meeting will amply repay the trouble or perusal. They
abound in statistiel details bearing Upon the question,
and embody the mature views and practical deductions of
Some of the most intelligent and experienced gentlemen
in Liverpool. In fact, we do not see how the statements
brought forward Yesterday can possibly be met by the
advOcates of the Dock Committee scheme. The sapient
airlerinen and. loquacious councillors, whO have already
volunteered a justification of that scheme, will find that
erfry position which they have assumed is untenable,
and' that their empty declamation upon the subject is
ceoMpletely over-borne by the force of reasoning and by
10.7rtri- •
an unanswerable appeal to facts. It has been proved, as
will gliilierceived upon reference, to our report, that the
aggred'ate loss to the public from the erection of the pro-
posed warehouses on the Dock Quays will he far greater
than any saving that can be pOssibly effected by the
avoidance of cartage, &c. This we consider to be at
once conclusive, and more especially so when we consi-
der.upon whom the loss would chiefly fall. The classes
who would be injured by the.contemplatert scheme would
be ten times more numerous than tho'se among'whoni the
saving would he divided; and many -of those classeS must
be considered as entirely dependent for their daily sup-
port upon the emolument arising frOm warehouse pro-
perty. lIOw many widows and orphans, now in receipt
of a bare competency from this kind' of prOperty,-Would
be reduced to a state of comparative penury by the un-
reasOnable competition of the
,Dock 'Trustees? Let us
hope that justice and mercy will 'triiimph over selfish in-
terest and unfounded prejudices.

NATIONAL. LOAN- FUND -AND ASSURANCE
SOCIETY.

" The public is more deeply interested, than •it is at all aware
of, in the zealous efforts of .the catinguished founders of the
National Loan,Fund and Lite 2%.,,surance Society. In the suc-
cess of this vast project, we can clearly perceive the seeds of a
rich harvest of popular comfort--the germs of asocial and moral
regeneration, the influence of which will in time pervade the
humblest h'Ovel in the land. We believe it is now some months
since we directed public attention to the prospectus, published
by thi, able chairman -and original Founder of the Institution,
41r. T. Lauda: Aturray,. when .we stated that the whole scheme
was by no means perfected, although it offered, to persons of
limited income, inducements to the forming of, providential
habits never before held out to them. We haVe now the outlines

of the eotnpiete plan before us, and never was there a proj

submitted to us so well calculated to benefit the humbler clasee
Of society. pritiCiPal inducements which it uffers to prudent
tend economical habiti; among the working classes are the fol-

lowiug:---I.persnuiceisuring his lifefor any sum, no matter how
small; say from' twenty years of age, may at the age of fifty, fifty_
five, or sixty, exchange it fora fixed annuity, to be paid to him
during his life; or he may except in lieu thereof a fixed sum of
money proportioned to the amount "of his past payments, and
:not to the actual market priCe er his policy; or he may at any
time, by depositing his policy with the society, borrow upon it

two-thirds of: all the, meneyctire .inaby have paid into the society
without detriment, le hiatillWrest_io such policy; or, in the event
;,,4hia4eath,typtiiiird„,s,nrvall the money he may have paid into
thtiirtiety is made, reterriable to his friends or executors, for
tie.betilit of his family Or legal heirs. To suit the convenience
Rflat9,4-0. the necessities of the humblest classes, the payments
'AillaVtlig(Policies may be made weekly, monthly. quartet ly, or
AtiAllifill§;Nind that the pOorest may not be without a hope of
•.bettering their condition, payments upon policies not exceeding
sixpence weekly are contemplated! Now, there are ve,:.v few
labouring men who —wet e they to frequent the beer-shops and
publie-houseadess than they_ now do, to the ruin of their health,'
their morals, and their families—tnight not pay into such au
institUtion from a shilling to half a-crown weekly. This saving
would amtiant to an independence in old age. A labourer aged
twenty-three, by the payment of "a shilling a week out of his
earnings, would on reaching the age of fifty, find himself in
possession of an annuity of LS 16s 31 for the remainder of his
life, which it., would be 4tianal with hinato exchange for £ll3 6s
,in money., This sum would pay the rent of his cottage, and
'enable hind to paisthe fest of his days with a comparative degree
of comfort. A wiekly(payment of sixpence would produce half
the benefit.; a payinent of two shillings would double it—and so
un in'proportion. Let it be remembered. that the advantagest
held out by this Institution belong as a matter of absolute right I
to the, assured, and its immense superiority to Savings Banks
'and Benefit Societies, as an engine for the moral -improvement
or the people, will be at once perceptible. This society lays no
:claim to the merits of a charitable Institution, cal tied on 'under
the maMigernent of a Committee of self-sacrificing philanthro-
.:Pisti:: .It doer not affect to be guided by'any principles but those
of trade and' its'relatious with the public will be purely of a
eonamercial character. It will not, like the Saving Bank, 'refuse
poor uites-earnings; because they may have accumulated
to something more than would pay.a rich man's glover's bill for
a, year s neither will it, like the Trustees of a Benefit Club, in-
stitute any inquiry, should the assured require a loan to the
amount of two-thirds of his payments. The following Notes to
'the " Tables of Deferred Annuities," which have been pub-
lished .hy
,Alr. Murray, tire Chairman, will place the several
advantages offered to the labourer, the merchant, and the capi-
talist, by the Luan Feud Society, iu as clear a light as it is pus-
to put them
A person, aged 23, by the payment of ls, per week, or
.E? 12s. pehannam, will secure, on attaining the ace of 50, the
Option of an annuity of £8 16s. 3(t.., cash down £ll2 tis , or a
tioliev on his life for 1.:17.15.
"By one-halftime pa) meet, that is 61. pet week, or LI 6s. per
'nnum, he will secure the Option of half the benefits. By five
-times the payment, he will be entitled to the option offive times
thehenefits; and the same may be -extended to any other pro-
'Portion. (All premiums to terminate with the period.). Two-
thirds of the, payments may at any time he withdrawn on de-
.:posit of the policy; and 'Should the party not survive, two-
thirds of his payments will be returned to his representatives."
The substance of this note has been given above, but its re-
'petition will serve to remove all doubts as to the correctness
+with which we have given the Society's views. To-continue:
A, nevem, aged 21, may secure, on attaining the age of 50, the
‘littirin of an annuity of £lO, Cash down £12811x., or a policy on
his life for £2C2 Is. 6d. by the aonual payment of £3 35., or a
single payment of 1:49 Ss.; or by payment of Ell Os. Id. for'
ilisparity of age, he will be entitled to the sante benefits by the
same annual payment at fur the age of 20, viz.; £2'9s. per

•A 1.111,1 .
An annuity-of £5O. or five times the other benefits, May be
.sse,cured by 'five' times- the payment; and, in like manner, any .
,other annuity and corresponding heaeGts may be purchased by
,making the payment accordingly,
A person, aged 25, by the payment of £2 12s. per annum,
.will.secure,. on attaining the age of 55, the option of an Annuity
cif £l2 95.-7 d.; Cash down £ll3 65.; -or a Policy on his life fur
£2OO 1s:
A person aged 25, may secure on attaining the age of 55, an
_annuity of £lO, with the _other options, by the annual payment
of £2 Is: 9d., or a single payment of £34 10s. '3d.; or on pay-
- Aleut of :£8 18s. 4d. for di: parity, he will he entitled to the same
-itenefits by an annual payment of £1 415., the same as for
age 20.
A person, aged:s, by the :payment of a 12s. per annum,
Rill secure on attaining the age of 60, the option of an annuity
„fit' £2O 13s. 4d.; cash down £202 Is: ; a policy on 4iis life fur
"" £259.
A person, aged 26, may secure, on attaining the age of 60,
an annuity of -£l4/, .with the other options, by the annual pay-
'Anent of 'ZI 6s. 9d., sir a single .paytaent of £22 I7s. 3d.; or on
vayut,.ut, of £6 14s. 3d. for disparity, be will he entitled to the
Name benefits by an annual payment of 18s. ltd., the same as
for age'2o.
• A person, aged. 23, by the payment £2 12s. per annum, will
• r !Pcnre, on attaining the ;lip' of 65, the option of an -annuity of
Elo Si.Ss 21. ; cash down, £333 is.; or a policy pn his life for
£393 15s.
.A person, aged 30, may secure, on attaining the age of 65,
an annuity ref £lO, with-the other options. by the annual pay-
ment of 19s. Gd., or a simple payment of £l6 7s. Id.; or on pay-
,3oent of
.Z 7 3s. ltd. for. disparity, he will he entitled to the same
benefits,' by an annual payment of 10s. lid. ; the same as for
age 20.

These are advantages such as are not to be inet with by per-
sons in an humble, or even a moderately respectable walk of
life, in any Assurance-oflice, SavingS'-bank, or Benefit-society
yet established. Extend it so as to include the great majority
Id the labourin„► population, and we shall hear no more about
the anarchical designs of the working classes. The moment the
Working man is Made to feel that he has an interest in the
maintenance of established institutions—that revolutionary
'tharelty, or national bankruptcy, threatens the loss of the little
annuity to which his parents, his friends, and his family, have
Leen looking forward for so many years—from that Moment may
the State rely upon the honest zeal of his endeavours to keep
up its credit and preserve its tranquillity. The best antidote
against revolution is the diffusion of a feeling of indiVidual in-
tivpendence, having constantly in view the certainty of the
_ .

. „.
s. by 11,,ne,t intlividualeYiertion. ludepen-
t',..l‘ol,e I..4req„...o7respeet, and that is the key Co every virtue
sustiwt‘ • " "'
,•

MEETING OF THE
IVARE HOUSE AND LAND ASSOCIATION

Yesterday, at one .o'clock, a u►eeting of the owners of law
and warehouses; and others interested, was held at the Cia►en

don-rooms, S•nith John-street, " to adopt measures to n)se
thi resolution or the. Duck Committee, relative to the buildinj;

of winehn-ses on the yerge of the docks " The meeting was
-'Very numerously attended- by the warehouse holders and laud
owners of the town.
Soon after one o'clock Mr. James Braucker was moved into
the ehair.
The CHAIRMAN then said—Gentlemen, as the object of the
meeting is pretty well understood by all the gentlemen here,
there is no occasion to enter into any long lig u m ents on the
subject. I believe there are some motions p pared, and some
gegtlemen have observations to make. The Chairman then
celled upon Mr. Buiithby • but Mr: Boothby not having arrived,
Mr.-BUSHBY said, it had been intended that Mr. 13oothhy
should move the first resolution "That the committee be fully

authoriSed to oppose any bill which the Dock Trustees may
bring before Parliament, having for its object the building of
warehouses on the verge of the docks." Mr. Busby continued
—lt Was not my nitention to have obtruded myself upon the
meeting, but feelin!, the absolute necessitty acontradictingsome
statements which have been made by the promoters of the mea-

sure in contemplation by the Dock Committee, and the inten-
tion of a friend of mine. Well acquainted with the trade of the
town and the nature of the subject before the meeting, to come
forward publicly to express his opinions, which entirely coincide
with my own, I have been induced to make an endeavour to
answer some of the fallacious arguments which have been used
to induce the publiC fo sanction a measure likely, if carried
into effect, to be ruinous to numerous individuals, as well
as' the corporate estate of the town. And first, as to the
remark of the Deputy Chairman of the Dock Committee,
that the committee was desirous of erecting warehouses, "as
there was a great want of warehouses." Now, when it is
notorious that the warehouses in the town have been nearly

half empty for six months past—when for four years they have
scarcely been full—when rents (in proof of this assertion) have
fallen considerably—when new warehouses have been built in
anticipation of a demand for them, so that no complaint has
ever been made during- that time of a deficiency of room fOr the
deposit ol\produce ; when all these considerations render it
quite palpable that the assertion of the Deputy Chairman is
incorrect, we much wonder that the dock committee should
gioutrd their proceedings upon such a weak foundatibu. The
assertion was, perhaps, made in ignorance—but this cannot be
an excuse, because the4ock committee avoided receiving any
deputation from the warehouse committee, although the ware.
.house committee requested an interview, when they would. have
given the dock connnittee'such information as might have al-

tered their views; theNock committee, however, -decided the
great question without affording the warehouse committee an
opportunity of being heard, but they positively sent an invita-

Lion ...
non to the warehouse committee after the decision, invitir
them to a conferencea conference was then useless, and I
not admitting a deputation before the decision of the question
their ignorance as to theSiitte.lifthe, Warehouses was a voluntary
ignoi ance, and their neglect to hear the reasons which would have
been adduced in opposttibn to the measuresa very reprehensible
imtsmossding;—Next,• the, Deputy Chairman asserts, that there
Is not a warehouse in Liverpool sufficiently light for examin-
ing-indigo—lila:tit could not be properly exhibited in the pre-
sent warehouses, and that conseqeently that trade was falling
off in 'Liverpool 1! This is a tissue of very bold assertions.
Will auy one who looks at the noble range of warehouses oppo-
site. to the Prince's. Dock, and commanding a strong western
lightsserionsly.says that there is not light'enough foisthe exa-
mination of indigo? Can any one with truth assert that those
warehouses which have been tilted tip for tea with glass windows
in every room, would not be suitable in every respect for the
storing of indigo. One would really. think that the stock of in-
digo- in this port was so large, that it was difficult to find suit-
able warehouses in which it could be deposited. And what is
actually the amountef the present stock? Why, not 300 chests,
and the import- for five years has never in any one year been
more than 2100 chests and 2700 aerons, and the stock perhaps
never 1000 chests at any one tine, not enough to fill one large
warehouse. Can new warehouses be necessary for such a quan-
tity ? We contend that there are warehouses large enough,
and suitable in every respect for chewing indigo, and therefore
that any new warehouses for that purpose are unnecessary. The
Indigo:trade has been long established in London. the great hn-
porters live there,- and London has everyadvantageof Situation,
old connection „ large dealers, and experience in the trade;
whereas, our ' , is comparatively new, and it must require
much time tst : ae increase of the trade, but our contiguity
to the inanutic ring d istricts authorises us to expect an increase
of the trade as manufacture extends ; but London presenting
to the importer of indigo, two markets, the hone and Con-
tinental, will, ,most certainly, always have the preference of
this •part 'of our trade. He also asserts, that the London
and Y orkshire . dealers were deterred from coming here
to buy:indigo, on account of the insecurity of the present ware-
houses, their liability to pilferage, and their want of light. Now
it must be known to every one who has ever attended an indigo
sale, that so. tar from this being the cage, the sale is generally
wellsattended, and every chest sold at a fair market price, if the
holders choose to accept the value of the day. All these alleged
disadvantages of the warehouses, therefore, do not deter the
buyers of indigo from coining to this market. Another asser-
tion. is, that the Yorkshire buyer would wit pay £lO. per cent.
deposit, because he had no security for the safety of his deposit.
In reply, I must recal to the recollection of gentlemen, that
last year a great number of East India merchants entered
into a resolution that they would not deliver any goods be-
fore payment was made, and to require a deposit of 10 per
cent. at the time of . the sale. This being an - innovation
on the old custom, was resisted by the kis-e1.:47 who contended
that at that perilous time they had as much right to refuse trust-
ing their money' to the merchant, as the merchant had to refuse
trusting them with the goods. Altercation arose between buyer
and seller, and the new plan was at length abandoned. The
refusal, therefore, of the buyers to pay the 10 per cent. deposit,
did not arise from .any fear anout the warehouses, but front the
refusal of the-importers to give an order for the delivery of the
go" - until the whole motteY be paid—the' distrust between
buyer and seller at that period prevented the scheme being car-
ried into effect, and not the insecurity of the warehouses—this
will be evident, when we reflect that immense advances of. mo-
ney arescunsfantly made on the faith of a warehouse-keeper's
accepted orders—and that this transfer of propertS is deemed a
sufficientsseeurily by men of business. The imputation, there-
fore, upon the security of the warehmises, as far as respects this
deposit, is an unproved assertion. Charges of pilferage have.
also been brought forward as beim: an objection to the present
warehouses—that pilferage to a small extent may sometimes
take place must be admitted, but what proof have we that pil-
ferage does not take place also in the London Docks? None.
We know that until the nature of malt is altered, thefts will
stametiines occur. Considering the vast amount of property
warehoused in Liverpool, the pilferage is so trilling as scarcely
to excite a complaint, and when we consider that the warehouse
keeper is responsible for any pilferage where due care is not
taken, and that a custom-house officer keeps the keys of the
warehouse, and Must attend to see the goods delivered, we have
all the security which can reasonably b expected.. It. is assert-
ed, also, that the trade from the Brazils. to Liverpool is dimi-
nished in consequence Of oar preSent warehenses;and that it
would be much increased it' we had warehouses such as they
have in London. Well, let us see what an immense import has
been attracted to London by their envier! warehouses. Why,
last year they imported 4500 chests and 5800 -barrels; and in
Liverpool, trifling as our import was, it amounted ,to 2300
chests, which is a moiety of the uumber of chests imported into
London. As much has been said on the advantage which the
Brazil houses would have if theie warehouses were built by the
Duck Trustees, we may remark.that, if they were to charge the
rent which they ought to do, and which must be charged on
Brazil Sugar, as well as on other goods, if the warehouses were
let to individuals, the Brazil importer would lose more by the
rent than he would save by the cartage. - Is it not clear, that as
long as Foreign sugars are subject to a prohibitory duty, and
the-English.refiner is traminelled by restrictions which prevent
his competing with the Foreign refiner, that Foreign Sugar will
naturally go to the Continent, the place of, its consumption.
without coming round by Liverpool (except rarely) to incur all
tin expenses of lauding and transhipment. • Besides, London
has local advantages, of which we cannot deprive her. She is
so contiguous to Hamburgh and . Holland, that we cannot ac-
quire the advantages which she} possesses in point of despatch,
freight, and iusurauce of goods shipped from London to H am-
burghs-hence the command of the continental trade must con-
tinue principally with London, and our distance from Ham-
burgh must continue to prevent onrsuccesSfully competing with
London, even if we had warehouses built agreeably to the Dock
Trustees' plan. The same argument would apply to Indigo, Fo-
reign Coffee, and other produce which is imported into England
for the purpose of transhipment to the Continent. ;Having,
now, I trust, removed the objection to the present warehouses,
I will proceed to the other [whits connected with the question.
The Dock Trustees say they intend to erect fifteen warehouses
only, and that this is too small a number to cause any alarm,
for if they did not build them, some private individual would
build an equal number. These fifteen warehouses are to con-
taiu 35,000squj'e Yards*lvhich is equal to thirty moderate sized
warehouses' of six stories high. Now, these fifteen thick ware-
houses will always be full; it is notorious that the present ware-
houseshave.been half empty, for six months, and what would
have been their state, had produce covering 35,0(X) square yards
been withdrawn from them, and housed its the dock warehouses,
Which would.have. been the case if they had been now in exis-
tence? Were individuals to erect these fifteen warehouses the
case would be very different, they would have to buy the land,
prohably sell for nearly £lOO,OOO, as 17,500 sqeare
guineas it square yard, would come to nearly the
which would
the buildina
garde,ath,nin at t; five.an(l
8 might cost £100,000: thus .these
. warehouses, would cost, when built, 000,000, which must
let for £lO,OOO per annum, to pay five per cent. interest,
or more .thau s£6so per annum for each warehouse, whicif
uu
sr
ei tsy to general warehouse owners-
would not be underlet, and there'
mould be a fair cowl)
twh°aut 1 idhe'S6'ee fifteen.a
warehouses a resheoc
etitien between all warehouse property. But
should the Dock Trustees become the builders anti owners of
these fiftesiti warehouses, what 'security have we that they will
not let them for half price, and thus injure all other warehouse
property in the town ?—because it will affect the rate of rents.
We do not think it fair that such a body should have such power
to depreciate the value of an immense property held by other
warehouse owners. It is evident that the rate of rent must be
dependent entirely upon the discretion of the Dock Trustees; and
is that a sufficient security to the owners of the other warehouse
property of the town ? Can it be maintained that the building
of these Warehouses would not be a preach of public faith, al-
-lhougit. no sealed document can. be produced which hinds them not
to build? But that,such a public faith has grown up cannot be
denied; and the consequence of the shock which has been given
to public opinion, by, the late resolution of the Dock Committee,
may be seen by the depreciation in the price of land contiguous
to the 'docks, and suitable for building warehouses upon. Let
the valuation of such land be now made, and compare it with
the valuation of a few months back, and I feel confident that
the difference would be immense. This circumstance shows
what was the general confidence in the non-interference of the
Dock Trustees, and that a kind of deception has been practised
-upon the purchasers of corporation au
lds, who would never have
given the prices which they have given had the Dock Trustees
ever announced the intention of themselves% becoming builders
of warehouses:- As they state that they may want more dock
room. let them adopt the plan which has been suggested to the
trustees by one of their own body, who clearly shows, by a pro-
per arraitSsement the present dock space is sofficieut to accom-
- • modate all the shipping frequenting port. He shows-that the
eel ships at any time in The port
average number of square-rig;
does not ',exceed about . 570, and that there is at preSent dock
space for 850. If at any time complaint is made of a want of
docks, it will be. found to apply only to two of the favourite
docks, and if the trustees would examine the power which I be-
lieve they possess, Of dispersing the vessels over the different
dosks, that at all times the present accommodation would be
found sufficient : but let them enlarge the Princes Dock, and
convert the basin into half-tide docks, and additional accommo-
dation, perhaps to the extent . of 250 or 300 vessels, which the
presentunoecupied space in time dock will give. room for nearly
500 vesselS more titan on an average are in the pot t. Fire has
been dwelt upon ; but it has been answered, that in case of fire
' the vessels might haul off to the other side. Suppose the dock
s to lie full; how are they then to, haul off? and they could not
haul off except at high water; and in the event of fire the most
.
dreadful consequences would ensue. The despatch given to the
discharge o - . .
f is in London. has been urged as one of time
vess e
' strongest reasons fur our adopting this satoe.system.s One,would
imagine that Liverpool was one of the slowest 'wits' Of the*l4-

dote in the discharge of vessels. and vet is it not notorious thttt
the Atuericita4i.it4ets hay,. generally 'welt eel-brated for their
quickness lellll,llll, hut I believe sonic,
.4ettileinan ,tt the tneoting ,vill enumerate instances of great des-

- .
patch in toe ilisejtar,ze v,sseis, showing that with proper ar-
11111gOilents quay'aml on board t ht,ir St; Fps,:
every ikSpaictii required may be obt•tioed. We admit that des-
patch iu the dtscnar of ships .rs desirable, but 'that it is a
question • nut net:essarily connected with the building of new
warehouses. ;The delay arises front other causes—front the en-
tries • not being - passed in proper time at the Chstom-house--
from the want of inure landwaiters, where there is a large in-
dux of vessels--from the limited number of working hours
allowed. by the Custom-house;•and front the clumsy tackle used
in discharging•the goot.ts. •Tnese are the causes of delay, and
not any want of warehouses, for it will not be pretended, that
when goods are once landed on the quay, that there are not carts
enough to take them away as fast as landed. Great inconve-
nience arises trout the • length of time which outward-bound
vessels are allowed to occupy quay berths during their progress
'of loading; to remove this objection, let a shed be built on the
west side of Plince's Dock, fur the reception of goods intended
• to be shipped on board vessels loading in that dock; when
about halt the cargo is stored in the shed, the vessel may haul
opposite to that part where the goods are deposited, and after
taking-them on board, haul off to make room for another vessel;
by this mode,,vessels loading will not require one-fourth of the
quay room which they now occupy.
The duck trustees should negociate with the Custom-house.
for au alteration in the attendance of the landwaiters, both as
to hours and number. of officers, and it should be considered
whether Some remuneratiisti should not be made per package to
the landwaiter, to stimulate his exertion in discharging the
vessel quickly—it should be made his interest to discharge the
vessel rapidly—at present, the industrious and indolent officer
are equally rewarded. Then, as to some improvement in the
construction of private warehouses, let the cot poration have
plans of warehouses drawn by their own surveyor, combining
every advantage of size, light, and every other accommodation
which they may think requisite, and let them oiler some lots of
theirland by auction, in suitable situations near the docks,
adapted fur the warehouses. Let the conditions cf sale be, that
the buyer shall build according to the surveyor's plan—thus
will.the dock trustees enable the port to aequire that description
of warehouse which they recommend so strongly. In proposing
that private individuals shall build according to the corporation
plan, it inust4te agrecd that nei,her the dock trustees nor the
corporation shall themselves build warehouses, otherwise so
few, if any individuals would venture to purchase and build on
the corporation plan.
If the warehouses are to be built on the very brink of the
docks, so as to allow no quay room, how are vessels to be dis-
charged when the -warehouses are full ?
Raving now replied to the different argumentsof the adyo-
-eutes of this projected plan,. and 'having,. I trust, proved that
the building of these warehouses is unnecessary. I think just
eause.has.been shown why the measure should be opposed iu

parliament.
Mr. WM. EARLE, Jan.—l would ask Mr. Bushby, if in his
endeavours to ascertain points, if he has ever found this 'ilea-,
sore. in.-contemplation by the old corporation ? There were
souse very laborious exertions took place, I recollect some mer-
chants of Liverpool made great exertions. •
• Mr. BUSHBY—.=Me.- Horridge presided on that occasion, and
have made inquiries for him to get the papers relative to it, but
have not '4uctteeded.
Mr. MONTGONIER Y—l was one of the committee, and resolu,

tions were entered into on that occasion to oppose the measure.
Mr. Ha anotto---4 would beg to state also that a Mr•. Hume,
connected. With the Board of 'l2ratle;-a great advocate for bonded
warehouses, and+sr•ho has advocated the principle in London
short tune afterwards when it was determined that these ware-
houses should not be built, a gentleman took hint round the
docks, and he said after seeing such an immense muss of -ware.
house property, he should never open his mouth upon the sub;
ject again.
Mr. MoNTGomkaY—ln consequence of what. Mr. Hume said,
the warehouses were altered to the bonding system, and it was
agreed that all warehouses built within 6UU yards of the docks
should have the advantage of blinding system. lu consequence
of that agreement, a number of individuals embarked- au mr•
meuse SUM in 'the: erection of warehouses on the faith of teal

promise.
Mr. BIRKETT—I believe the papers were left with Mr. Hol-
linshead, the -chairman. •
Mr. MoNTuosicitY begged to second Mr. Bushby's motion.
The CHAIRMAN put' the resolution, which was unanimously
adopted.
Mr. lie LAM begged to move "that for the purpose of defray-
ing the necessary expenees; a subscription he now entered into,
and placed in the bank of Arthur Heywood & Co. subject to the
resolution of the committee.
Mr. War. EAKLE—I should beg before that is passed to know
iu what way the subscription is to be raised, because 1 under-
derstand that some gentlemen last time • refused to subscribe
guinea for the expenses of the room. It is unfair to pay for those.
who don't choose to 'pay. lam quite wilting to pay my share.
Mr. It:LAN—A very trifling rate Would do it.
Mr. EARLE—But trilling as it is, I think if they will not come
forward with their guinea, they will not pay.
Mr. HARBoRD-1 beg to say, as treasurer, that 1 received
sufficient to pay all expenses; and I. have been also spoken to
by many of the warehouse proprietors, and many or teem have
consented to subscribe 5 per cent. upon the rental, but I should
think if we suberibe 3 per cent. it will he sufficient.'
Mr. MONTGOMEn Y. —What would three percent raise?
Mr. Hocsic.—lt would produce £7260..
Mr. MONTGOMERY.-1 hope that would not be required.
Mr. HAIthOUll.-1.1 it should not be required le,go to Parlia-
meut, it will be returned:to the parties subscribing.
Mr. BoorrißY..—lt will always happen that some will not sub-
scribe; but,a sum of 1.:0000 or £7OUO will ceitaiuly be required
if we go to Parliament, ,Vaud those who put down their udaii6
for three per cent, of cutuse, could not be called upon for auy
further demand. • •
Mr. HA 1:1.E.-1 merely object to the word " subscription," I
would rather that there was a rate levied.
Mr. 11A ItHORD.-4 oeg to state, that the committee thought of
a per centage.;• but SSA'. thought it lather a delicate subject, and
at the same time some gentlemen were ready lo subscribe more
than three .per cent. : . •
Mr; 1.300,1'H8Y:,---,1 think three per cent will be sufficient front
the majority of •warehouse owners,-cud if the others won't sub-
scribe we can't help it,
Mr. BARLR.—I only want to know what we are to come
down. I have no objection to subscribe my quota; if there are
individuals shanby•enough to leave us to protect their property

it cannot be helped.
Mr. 11,6teoiro.—I beg to state, that an indiiidual says he
will give £5O, and it it should be required, though he can ill
ali'ord it,
will
linnn:n'ill
t... ugißi te:es
ttAetghto
111 r, nut to make ho
,t 1
awe
otulas e n
.liberaltsubb ob
servations,
m ri
ue aguinea
the other day.
oushtrihrtt,eannttilLel
rate discussion, I move that a
l of r. Bt
(111 (r)ere'l Hpery. c—
ent rents he sub m ribm d, mu the
place of a subscription.
- This was seconded by Mr. lal.ara, and
The CHAritmAN struck out the hist part, of the resolution,
relating to the subscription, and substituted the amendment fur
it, and tt.was put and carried uuaninsously.
Mr. MotsadostEtty rose to mauve as au amendment, that two
and half per cent. be the rate. This motion was out seconded.
-Mr. DovErt said, I rise sir, to give stinte.account of the ware-
honses in Liverpool. It was necessary that the public should
be put in some measure in possession of the facts or the case.
The warehouses in tie town, it was well known, belong to -pri-
vate individuals in a majority of cases. (Mr. Dover, who was
proceeding ,to read front a document, was here interrupted by)
The CUAIRMAN, who said, Mr. Dover' had some very fm,
portant.matter to readcwhich it was desirable should fora/ a
part. of the proceedings of the meeting.
Mr. BOOTHBY.-1 am fearful, if we get iuto a long essay on
warehouses, there may be a difference of opinion amongst us'. •
Now, agreeing as I do, that the bill should be opposed,Tmay:.
not agree altogether in what Mr. Dove' is stating. In 1819, 1,
as a Brazilian merchant,. feeling the inconvenience.-of some-,
times two-lengths cartage to bond warehouses, was a party in
the application ro the dock committee for the erection of such
warehouses in the immediate vicinity of the docks, andthat
application failed. Neither the corporation nor the dock estate,
nor the merchants generally, did support it. It was sup-
ported by a few, and I was one who applied. Now, the very
circumstance of having applied at that time for the building of
those warehouses, certainly commits me and others to what '
would have been a convenience to the trade of the port at that
time. But it also furnishes a very strong argument against the
corporation now going to Parliament to do that now which they
refused to do some years ago. (Hear.) Because, by so doing,
they have induced we and others to build bonded warehouses,
perhaps on the corporation land,—(hear,)—compellin,g, us to
build our. own warehouses or to take others on lease. Now,
they say we see this ought to have been done twenty years
,ago:
after inviting me and others to build, they would now destroy
our property. (Rear.) l merely wish:to show, that, having
taken that former step, I cannot altogether agree with -Mr.
Dover, that it will not be a convenience to the trade; but they
are not for the sake of convenience to the trade of a few-iudivi-
duals, to sacrifice the property of the warehodse owners. The
dock trustees mire the couservators of the property of the town,
and they- have no right to consult the individual interests of
persons like myself. No person can deny that it will be a great
saving to the merchants to have warehouses close to the docks
if it had been done originally; but not having been done, the
corporation has no right to destroy the property which arose in
cßoonAoisterhqbtlyiesiii:al.,e,B.osiat(Diß(re:Air.i.
)
trh. Chairman, hs.aii,rimnag,n,wileftienruhstavkinnLii,eathrdatwilimt
ware-
houses be built by the town council, they must be adopted on
some system. li they are to be carried on on the system ado:it-
ed by the poll of London, they would. notwithstanding what
has been said of the port of Lonrho., be subjected to 101) per
-cent. higher charges in many instances, at all events, not less
than 2.5 per cent. if conducted by that united body. No,-f, com-
petition has brought things so low, I have papers in my hand,
and find that the charges of the port of Liverpool, taking them
generally, are lower than any other port in the kingdom,. but
'more-especially the port of London. I hear that the docks there
ate of three times the extent that they are here, and are invari-
ably half empty, and that that, therefore, gives the greater fuel-.
lity: I have made inquires whether it is general to have such
facilities to have a cargo discharged in a few days, and they say,
"it is only when our hands have nothing to do, when ad our
hands are applied to the discharge of the vessels; if this was
not the case, we could discharge no quicker than you could.
Mr. Doyda.—l have been requested-to go into some particu-
lars by the committee. 1 am fully aware that they must be
very uninteresting; but I beg to state that the charges brought
avinst the warehouse keepers have never yet been answered,
and I do say that they should be.
Mr. Booinisy was of opinion they should not go into minor
points,
house owners, who had built on the faith of things existing as
but keep to the important one of injustice to the ware-
they are. This was an irresistible argument; but if they went
into details as to the cost of a chest of sugar they should never
all agree. - 1 '
Mr. MowrooriEßY miived that Mr. Dover should proceed.
After a rather lengthy,-discussiun, in which Mr. DOVEIi said
he had written out his statement merely to ensure accuracy
on points of important information which he bad been re-
quested to get by the committee, and not from any difficulty its
communirating his opinions in speaking. It was also contend-
ed by other gentlemen that it was important that these facts
should be laid before the public through time medium of the
press. Mr. Dover was requested to proceed.
Mr. Doves said—l rise, sir, to give some account of the
general management of warehouses in Liverpool. It is neces-
sary that some statement of the kind should be made in order
that the public may be put in possession of a true statement of the
case, and that they May be able to form a just :opinion of
the differences that at present exist between the gentlemen
for Ming-this meeting and the Dock Trustees.
The Warehouses in the town, as it is well known': belong to
private individuals, in the majority of cases, out of business ;
lint some lielimg to merchants, who fill them with their own
produce; in the former case, the warehouses are let to brokers
and warehouse-keepers, the latter being a new class of persons
that the great increase of trade in the port has given rise to—of
which lam one and which has sprung up mainly within the
cvt ditl:aa.4tittee.M
last ten years; formerly the trade, so to speak, wasmarried on
ital iu-
a sled
by the brokers • but, latterly, " keeping warehouers" has be-
nof t
es
to it, manypon,..o
nsionrgdie,:.ihhdiaucvahilus devoting their whole
tine-fourth by the useraraots; one-fourth wg.ara e hina
tbfl large
the 1%1)1

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD

and one-half ,by ,tike yvt,trehonleikeepers. The system pursned
by the warehOuse-keeoer‘ is 'this: in stone cases he lets
out to the. merchants, tii ,WllOlll lie gives tip, pitsse.:q.jon of th.e
keys; auit. ,in others, ho Bikes in goods, upon a weekly rent,
Ity the packo,P. Li general he •is only the store-keeper, the
inerch:iut doing all porterage, cartage, Sic., himself. The 1111!,/
exception (as far as my themory serves) is in the case of tea,
when, getter:illy, the warehOu,e-keeper does the whole work
from the ship's side—porterage on the quay, cartage to .the
warehouse, and pot terage, cooperage, laving out for sale, Ste ,
in the warehouse, for which and fur rent he receives a tixedsum
rrom the merchant.

It has been the custom, from the commencement, for the
warehousg-keeper to be 'timely the store-keeper, with the fore-
going exception, why, I cannot say ; the merchant has been
satisfied, and we have gone on in the old way; but latterly
there has been some expression of discontent, especially on the
London houses, who have—it- is natural—a predilection for the
London system. Now this discontent is not general, and I
give as my opinion that, if it were put to the vote, merchants
generally would be against it ; and the Dock Trustees,will find .
that, if they.sake the partial expression of dislike to our present
system—of which we have heard so much of late—to be the
getiefal. opinion, . they will .find themselves mistaken. The
merchants generally have been taken by surprise•they have '
not had How to think about the. matter, and, at least, we may
say that public opinion is not up to the mark that they have
anticipated it—if you can correctly so speak of a thing that may ,
never come to pass. But, whenever the time arrives that it is
the general opinion that the old system should be given up, it
will be found that the warehouse-keepers will be very glad to
come into the arrangement.'
However, at this stage, I. hope the Dock Trustees will not
take it amiss if I tell them frankly that the proposal must not.
Come from them; it roust emanate from some other source;
and, if I might be allowed to name that source, 1 should say the
different mercantile associations in the town—that, however de-
sirous they may be to bring the system into operation, it will
not succeed without the aid of these bodies.
The arguments in favour of our present system are, that it
allows every man to look after his own affairs, and do his own
business, and some think, too, that it is an economical plan.
Here,.Sir, -I must protest against the position that our oppo- -
nents take against us. They say, you are interested in the
question; we cannot attend to what you taay ;' your opinions are
of no weight in this matter. Beautiful reasoning this! Who
would defend our property if we did not ! Could we expect any
one else to take up the cudgels for us if we did not defend our-
selves ? Surely not. We have a right to do so; if we did not,
we.should be worthy of the robbery and wrong meditated against
us.
We should be out of the path of,duty if we did not. We owe
it to• our families--we owe it to ourselves,'—nay, we have the
authority of hs4lst writ, that we. should 'be more than blameable
if we did r.0t.9 `.` He that provideth not for his own, and those
of his own household, is worse than an infidel."
Nor can we allow of the assumption, that the dock trustees
are .qualified to be our arbitrators, for, from their almost exclu-
sive connexion with ships, they are apt to overlook all other in-
terests than that of the .ship, pwners. It is possible that self-in-
terest, love of patronage; 'Ur &Sire of change may have some
‘eight•in their deliberations... They have little or no interest
in the warehou'ses ; :they, therefine, may risk their experiment:
if it answers—well; if not, theyile no losers. - -
We' object to the dock trustees building warehouses, on the
ground, that they area public body, and that it is not fair for
them, with the ~public money at thir command, to come into
competition with private individuals Their powers are already
Sufficiently great, tnonopolising the sole privilege of making
docks:in the town, shutting out from that privilege the whole
extent of the shores of the Mersey, from the sand banks of
Crosby-to the rising town of Runcorn—from the bold shores of
New Brighton to the fair dOmains of Sir Thomas Stanley at
Eastham —all must bow before them. Now, Sir, are you pre-
pared to allow them to increase this almost unheard of monopo-
ly? -Is parliament prepared to increase it? Are the Cheshire
members likely to increase? I should say nut.
We.cannot meet them upon the same terms. If to increase
the value of their estate, to allow, for the sake of argument, that
this scheme would increase it, they are allowed to build ware-
houses, why should we not be owed to make docks? They
m
ft
ay erect warehouses—we can claim the privilege of taxing
them ; but if we were to make ks, we should be obliged to
pay their rates. I say, on that ground, we are not on a fair
fhoting. But, Sir, we object to their scheme of erecting ware-
-houses on another ground. Warehouses at present are over-
• done ; and as I wish to assert nothing but what I can prove, I
'have taken the trouble of extracting from the brokers' circulars
the account of the stocks for a period of several years past, on
the 31st Dec. each year. I have taken cotton and sugar as an
example, forming, as they do, the bulk of our stocks, and they
may be ' as an average of the comparative stock of other
- produc
:1827. i. - 828.

COTTON -BA I.F.S.
1829. 1830. 1831. 1832.

313.000 293.000 203,000 258,000 212,0(X) 198,000
• 1833. 1831. 1835. 1836. 1837. ....

.180,000 145.000 184,000 204,000 170,000

1328. 1829. SUGAII43-0.1111 "1831. 18.32. 1833

8,000 n ILOW 11,000. 10,500 10,700 10,500 13,000
/834. 1835. 183 G. • 1837.

9,000 11,000 17,000 7,000
These details are rather dry, but I think you will agree with me
that it is necessary to go into them. We wish, Sir, to conceal
nothing; we'are desirious to put the public in possession of facts
that they may be able.to fiirm a just opinion of our case.
From these tables, it will be seen, that in the article of cotton
there has been a falling off in the stocks; that in the year 1827,
the stock was more than double than in the sear 1837; and in
sugar. the stock was something less; and it is a notorious fact,
that since 1827. the warehouses have increased one th 4; bat, it
will be asked, are there not goods now stored in the town that
we had not in 1827? to whirls we answer—yes—tea—but how
many warehouSes does tea require? Why, Sir, not ten ware-
houses; there are not, at the present moment, more than six
warehouses full with that article, and what are six out of about
1200 warehouses, for there are, at least, that number of ware-
houses in the port.
A 'statement was put forth by one of our dock trustees, show-
ily? by the return of the increase of tonnage of vessels, that the
trade of the port had increased, and hence their conclusion,
that more warehouses were required. It cannot be denied, that
the trade of the place has increased, but that has u.,thina to do
with the warehouses. Warehouses ,are :affected, not by the
quantity of goods imported, but- by the quantity stored, that if
the imports were increaied.one hundred fold, but if the goods
are not stored; or if they were stored, and did not long remain
-in the warehouse, there' would be uo necessity for additional
Warehouses.
Independently of the result shown by my statement of the
stocks, I way mention, that it is a fact well known to every one
connect ed.with warehouses, that at the close of the last year, they
Were not one fourth fell—that they have not been full for
several 'l!eatt,t, pas t, -antlpthat; if nut-oue,tnore, is erected. there
will be' rio'searvity fcirnseveral years. to come. In one part
of theyear'.lB27,- the'-Stock of cotton 4,50,000 bales, and,
taking- into account the. increase of warehouses, we have now
accometadation for 600,000 bales; that is, we have room for at
leaStl,4oo,'ooo 'bales more than the stock at the close of the last
'ear. And if further proof of the abundance of warehouses is
Wanted, it will be found in the present low price of storeage;
showinglB2s-it ai falling"ow off(1 "f
rat inn':
in cotton, for instance, the. rent was Id.. per bale, per-week in
s
consequence of this state of things to all connected with f 25 toe's'7;Peeerk ese ongto
,i‘tn vl
haast will absethe
ware-
houses? ruin abcoltileTiiiii if some change does not soon take
place. To the warehouse owner a falling off lu his income,
aiready of a heavy percentage, and a further falling off if things
do not speedily mend. Whilst to the warehouse occupier, his
business, which for several bests has nut been worth following,
will bring him, if he continues in it, to bankruptcy. Yet, in
the face of these things, the dock trustees are about to erect
from 20 to 25 new warehouses.
Great stress is laid upon the saving of cartage,—now, sup-
posing that these 20 or 25 warehouses were to displace an equal
number of the old warehouses, the saving of cartage would he
about £6OO. per annum, but the loss of interest on the property
thrown out of employment, would be £1,511) ; and thus there
would be a positive loss against the public, of neatly £lOOO. per

au 0001. •
It will scarcely be credited that the amount of cartage in-
wards, that is, from the ship to the warehouse, on all produce,
does not amount to £30,000. per annum : and if, by the plan of
erecting warehouses around the docks,.the whole of the present
warehouses. were thrown out of employment, and the cartages
saved, there would be a loss against the public. For instance.
the warehouses are valued at £200,000. annually, from which
dedUct the cartage £30,000. you have a deficiency of £170,000.
per annum; for surely the warehouse owner is as much entitled
to be considered a part of the public as the merchant. But it
will be said, that the whole of the warehouses will not he thrown
out of use, but suppose half, then von have a loss of £85,000. or
suppose a fourth, you have a loss of £42,500. Now take the
advocates of the measure, upon the ground of their often re-
peated axiom; that " private interest should give way to public
good" you have a result, in this case against themselves, that
the measure would be against the public good..
• It is said, further, that there are .no warehouses on the dock
quays,—now, if these assertions were made by persons not ac-
quainted with the town, or made to persons who were not resi-
dent. we should not he surprised, but, when they are made by
those who are well acquainted with the localities of the place,
and to those who reside in it, we are surprised. Why, sir, there
are at least, 114 warehouses on the dock quays, on the east side
of the Prince's there are 25 warehouses, 'George's-pock 32,
Canning, Dock 15, Salthouse Dock 20. King's Dock 17, Queen
r 4
Dock 5; with space to erect three tunes the number, at least,
-when they are wanted. Indeed, on the far greater part of the
land the owners are tied down by the corporation to erect-ware- •
houses, and warehouses only. It is further said, however, that
there are warehouses required, for particular descriptiOns of
goods, and great importance is laid upon the necessity of erect-
ing warehouses for Indigo for which, it is asserted, there is a
great want. The stock of indigo both here and in London, on
the 31st of Dec. last' was 26,00() chests, now, suppose we were to,
get the whole of the Indigo trade, there would notbea'sufficient
quantity to fill half a dozen warehouses; Indigo, however, being
so valuable, cartage is no object, therefore, it is about the last
thing for which there is a necessity of having warehouses on the
dock side.

We assert,
.however, that there are already warehouses in
which indigo is stored, and against which I never heard a tan-
gible complaint; but if there really ass wanting a warehouse
for indigo specially, I have, myself, inure than one warehouse,
near to the north docks, and to the Exchange, for that is re-
ally an object, as that article is viewed in bulk by the pur-
chasers; •I say, 1 have more than one warehouse that I sin
ready to devote to that purpose, whenever it is required,—a
warehouse, which for light and security, will vie with any ware-
house in London. The warehouse, of which I speak, was
erected purposely for tea, but which, to my cost, tea has not
' been in for many months; the warehouse room for that as for
every other article having been sadly over done. But, sir, if
this is not enough, I beg leave to mention to you a circum-
stance that occurred a short time ago. . . .•._

A gentleman, having, land in a convenient situation, was
about to erect a warehouse, and -thinking that one might he
wanted for indigo, he called upon the itiiporters of that article,
telling them, that he would erect a.watehouse for the reception
of indigo solely, upon an improved plan, if they would patron-
ise it, asking them at the same time to sign an agreement. to
that effect. But what was the result ? they all declined doing
In corroboration of which, I. with your permission, will
read a-letter which I received from him upon that sub-
. Jest.
[Here Mr. Dover read a letter from Mr. Lancelot Graham.]
1 am afraid that I shall tire you,. but really it is very import-
ant 'that we khould•go into these details. It has been said by
one of the Dock Trustees, that if you had warehouses generally
on the dock quays., you would save the expense of cartage, &C.
on goods that were reshipped; at first this sounds very- plausi-
ble,, but when you conic to examine into the matter you find it
not practicable; suppose, for instance, the goods were dying
in the• Prince's Dock warehouses, and the vessel was in the
King's'Dock ; is it at all likely that she would haul out and
run the risk of going down into the Prince's. Dock ? why the
expense,- not to mention the danger, would prevent it ; the ex-
p-etse would be greater than the cartage Do the goods. If the
vessel happened to be in•the same dock, tHi5 might, perhaps, be

done—though I say only perhaps—as the inconvenience and
even expense would nut be encountered readily by the ship.
WV net.. But the chances are, the vessel wouht niit he in the
same stork, as it will be recollected that there are ten different
docks, having no communicatiim, one with another.
But we are, haprily, in this case, not lef, to reason from
theory.

It is well known to all, the tobacco warehouse is on the quay
side of the Kind's Dock, and, frequently, that article is ex-
ported or sent coastwise; and I have taken the trouble to as-
certain whether, in this case, the vessels do take in this article
from the Kintes Dock Quay; and I find, that they do not;
that tobacco is almost invariably carted from the tobacco ware-
house to vessels. The exceptions would not amount to 1 per
cent. in '2O years.—l state this on the authority of an officer
of the tobacco warehouse. • .

Complaints are made against the systematic pilfering going
on, as t hey say; in the warehouses,—which is not thtl case in Lon-
don. Now, for thesake of argument, admit that there is more pil-
fering here than in London; is it not notorious that the London
chatges are higher than mars? and I think that it is more than
probable that the difference will more than cover what may be
lost by the merchant iu that way. But as a rule, Ido not admit
that the pilferage here is greater than in London.
Another charge brought against us by the Dock Trustees is,
that we, as warehouse-keepers, do nut take any care of the
goods put under our charge; and one,-an alderman,—went so
far as to say, we were regardless of every thing except our own
interest. In one sense he is correct, for if we keep in view our
own real interest, we will look well after the property intrusted
4f
to us, and if he meant the assertion in that sense I plead ugly
—meaning bat if his was, that we look after our own i a'est
only, to the neglect of that of the merchant—in my case, or I
can only answer for myself,--I must be allowed to say, unequi-
vocally, that it is not true. if I did not take care of people'S
property under my charge, I should render myself liable for
any loss, either from pilferage or otherwise.
One alderman tells us that he has suffered loss from the in-
solvency of the warehouse-keeper, that his goods were distrained
upon for the rent of the whole warehouse. But who is to blame
for this, surely himself, he should be more paTticular as to the
person to whom he intrusts the charge of his property. The
same thing might happen to him in the case of his broker, or
ally other person whom he might employ.
But if it is.the general feeling that warehouses should be put
under the management of companies for the better security of
goods, there-can be no objection to it on the part of the ware-
house-owners.

Mr. BIRKETT said he would read an article from a news-
paper, (the,. London and Liverpool Price Current, of April 27th,
41:6,) stating the reason fur the decay of the port of London:—
?.711!!‘'A second cause of this decay is, that merchants in the out-
ports have greater facilities and advantages than merchants
have in this port. There a merchant has his own special
bonded warehouse, and can warehouse his own pro's, which
must be a great rantage and a saving of expenses in rent and
charges; here we have little else but docks; and our merchants
are subject to all the rent and charges which such establish-
ments exact.- Formerly, most merchants had their special
'bonding warehouses, but they have been discontinued for the
protection of these great dock companies.
" A third cause is the high navigation charges and port dues
to which merchants are liable here. Look at the 'charges all
the way up the river, and look at the port charges here, and if
compared with those of the outports they will be found to be
much higher. This will be found to drive trade away, for men
will go to the cheapest port; and hs railways are now in-pro-
gress to transmit goods'all over the kingdom, obstacle-BWhich be_
fore existed to going to these ports are removed and rethoving.',
Mr. Haanotto next rose.and said,—now, gentlemen, you
have just beard sonic of the' statements of the London merchants
read; they are discontented with their arrangements; I think
when I come to show you, that our charges are less than the
charges in London, we shall be satisfied to remain as we now
are. I beg to state that the measurement of the London Docks
are 1,221,049 square yards, and Quay room of 21,796 yards. lu
Liverpool the dock space is 417,625 square yards 74,060 yards,
making in London, three times the extent of dock space, and
twice the extent of quay room. In the West India docks I
made the inquiries there of some practical men, and they said
it was by no means that they did business so quick as we Liver-
.pool folks presumed, that we .were a sad grumbling set, though
they should by no means like to do business in the same petty-
fogging way as we do here.—lt was anticipated that-St. Cathe-
rine's dock would yield a very handsome per ventage, but the
original proprietors don't receive above 2to 2 per cent. on.
their investment, though those who purchased below par re-
ceive 4 per cent. I shall show that the merchants having
these dock-warehouses, have to pay, to use the vulgar expres-
sion, "through the nose" for their accommodation. I have the
account sales of a Liverpool house, and when I give you the
figures you will see how the matter stands—for as Liverpool
folks, we know what figures are concerning pounds, shillings,
and pence. In the article of tea, I hold in may hand the account
sales connected with a Scottish aud Liverpool house. A vessel
went to St. Katharine's docks, and bad on board 8,500, chests
of tea, the charges on which amounted to the enormous sum
of £2,095 6s. Od.
Mr. BIRKETT.—Does that include duty.
Mr. 11 A RBOILD.—No sir, it is merely manageinent of the
docks and charges.
Mr. BOOTHE v.—Does that include all brokerage charges and
so forth ?

Mr. R SOU D.- I will read you the charges.
Management rate
Extra coopering materials
Warehouse rent 30,4 10 9

2,095 6 0,
Mr. BooTnnv.—The warehousing appears to be £3Ol. Are
the merchants obliged to have their management ?
Mr. Bilt K ILTT.—Yes. that is what they complain of.
Mr. Hat: noun.-1 now give you an account of the sales of
some teas landed in this port. There were 3,139 chests of tea,
managed in the same way as that lot I have just mentioned,
which only amounts to the small Suns of (exclusive of the dock
and town dues) £3lB 7s. 6d., making a difference against Lon-
don of 200 per cent.
Mr. Dovca.—For the same time?
Mr. Anrsoun.—Yes, for a similar time; for rent and for
doing the same things; they are exactly upon a par for the
mana,rement and for the rent. In addition to that, putting
on one side these sales' accounts, I have the printed documents
here of St. Katherine's Docks, showing what it is per cent.,.and,
with the printed rates of the Katherine's Docks, taking. it per
chest, it is just 200 rer cent. more than Liverpool.
Mr. Boortin v.—Allow me to state that.the dock charges in-
clude the expenses of re-shipment, and therefore the charge
made to the seller may also include charges which might attach
to the buyer.
Mr. H Amon.---I am fully aware of it, Sir. The charges
mentioned here do not form any part of those charges. The
Liverpool management is three-eighths of a penny per pound,
and we deliver to the purchaser the same as they do in London.
It-is on the seine principle as in London, and my charges are
less than London by 200 per cent. The St. Katharine's Duck
Ciimpany's charge for management, landing, warehouse rent,
setting out for sale, &c., is no smaller a sum than 6s. Bd., for a
bohea chest'oi tea, and is. additional if shipped. Now these
documents are available to any gentleman who may wish to see
them, at my office; they are parallel cases with London. 1
give you the charges on \Vest India sugar—the sales' accountof
'lOO hogsheads of sugar in London. The charges amounted
to £soBs. Bd. The parties were desirous of ascertaining, what
the charges were in Liverpool, and the following is. the re-
sult :—ln•Liverpool, the charges on 100 hog,,sheads of sugar. re-
maining in the house three months, amounted to £3l 18s. 6d.,
making a difference in favour of Liverpool of 15 per cent.
Mr. THOMAS FREME.—Does that include cartage?

. .
Mr. 0 A RBORD.—Yes sir; it is the whole expense the Hier-
Chant W0.11(1 have to incur in Liverpool, and the whole he would
have to incur in London. This is another glarin, Net. because
this information was obtained in consequence of the dissatisfac-
tion as to the charges of Liverpool, and the party obtaining the
particulars contended that the cha,g es in• London'were mode-
rate, and * t hey were enormous in Liverpool: and would not
'submit for ' until after an investigation. He took a cargo
of .Maurit t gar, and compaied the London !rites on it with
those of erpool, and said, after trying the expbriment,
“ We have Mauritius sugar 15 to 20 per cent. lesili Liverpool
than in London, and .Molasses. 25 per cent." "This I have
front a very respectable broker in this- town, who is ready to
prove the fart if needful. I wrote to Bristol for the charges
there, and obtained rather a laconic reply. The rent upon
sugar in Bristol, is, in some cases, from 50 to 70 per cent more
than they are at this port. Say, 4s. 6d. per hhil.; 3s. 3d. per
tee. ; Is. Id. per brl., fur three months, and we think ourselves
very well off if we get Is. 9d. per hhd. (Hear.) I think this
information will be satisfactory to those gentlemen who are in-
terested in warehouse property, because it will show that there
is no just cause for complaint. I have also investigated into
the Hull Dock charges. Here I have a list of their rates and
1 find in no insta.ncedo they manage their business at a cheaper
late than we do. Now there is a mixture of interests. I he
Dock Committee take part of the management, but if. the suer-
chant wishes,. he can have the management of his own business.
It is not a port we can quote; but looking at the rates, the
charges there are not less than those of LiverpOol; although,
be it remembered, that trust is assessed very heavily for the re-
lief of the pour. In addition to which, I also made an inquiry
as to the length of time it took to discharge a vessel of 100 to
150 tons, and was informed, it would take from four to six
days to discharge a vessel of that tonnage in Hull. I have
also been requested by the committee to state the despatch
given to borne vessels in this port, and, in addition, to show the
cause or causes for some of the detentions which have occurred.
The l'hcenix cargo was landed here not long since in five days.
belonging to Messrs. Strands. It was a general cargo from
Calcutta; the same was landed and weighed in that period, (not
as they do in London,) between 8 and 9,000 packages, besides
[putting 30,000 bricks on board towards her outward cargo.
The Brilliant discharged, as we a-e aware, through the medi-
um of the press, not many days since, about 550 packages of
West India sugar, coffee, and rum, in the short space of twenty
hours,.which is as much as they can do at London docks, all of
which was weighed, and sampled, and- ready for sale.. Now, I
have particulars .of three other vessels discharging in Liverpool.
We have often heard of detention; and it is a great pity when
we have heard so many accusations of those in the town coun-
cil, who must have been ignorant of the trade of the port, if
,a worse motive has not been the instigation, or they would not
have made so many unjust accusations. A friend of mitre, who
is owner of a vessel which arrived here nut long since, with a
cargo of fruit, and who had an export cargo ready for this ves-
sel as soon as the import cargo was delivered, this cargo was
kept. one month on board, while the merchant or dealer was
hawking the samples about to sell the cat go, and thereby making
a warehouse of another person's vessel. Now, the warehouse-
keeper cannot be blamed for that. The cargo has never gone
into a warehouse, but,th vessel has occupied dock space, and
created detention to O
H m W' • essels. I have another friend who
4,,
is part owner. e catty ere with a cargo of wheat, and though
entitled to demurrage.' he never got any : he was kept here a
mouth, when his vessel might have been discharged in four days
after her arrival here, therefore
.no fault could attach to the.
warehouse. keepers in this instance. We should have been glad
to receive the cargo into the warehouses, for we should have had
the best part of a month's rent, which •yre have, course, of
lust. (Hear.) Another friend of mine, who was also inter-,
ested in a vessel called the Manly, front Monis-emit, discharged
from her 308 hogsheads of sugar in the West India docks
in the usual way so termed, and she was fr, m the 13th to the
16th of March discharging her cargo. I think we can manage
as much, if not more, in Liverpool. I have another vessel dis-
charging in St. Catherine's Dock. Mr. Ilarbord then read a
letter from a friend stating that in answer to his inqUiry, from
4 to 500 packages had been discharged in two days. The delays
were considerable, and it was three weeks before they-could ob-
tain an account of the cargo, which prevented them making
sales and settling freight. In Liverpool you are aware that 9
days are sofficient. Twere is only one subject that we have to.
grapple with here, and that is we are told that we detain vessels
in Liverpool an enormous time, and invariably keep them the
best part of a month. I heard a gentleman .complaining of-a
vessel, and I took the trouble of searching the whole of the do-
cuments about it, and I found, although it was stated that she
was detained in Liverpool '29 days in discharging her cargo, the
fact was, it was Only 16 days, and if they had haul covered vans,
the custom-house °Meetswould not have prevented them taking
part of the cargo to the bonded warehouses, where the goods could
have been weighed and sampled, and she then might. have been
discharged in 4. or 2-thirds the time. I found she was boarded on
the 21st of Nov..and. reported on the 23d. Now this unfortunate
vessel we ale accused of so 'detaining had not at this time got
round We rock. They had dated the detention • from the time

, .
. .
. - . - . • -4•,.-. - ~-,,,„, ,
,st.vf:!•\
. .
ti-v. tide waiter was p ..
put iirt board. Ihe vesiel4:44artg-frr . - fir• , ;,)„,
of water to dock till the `.3714,. load dant,- :it*Owiliit.‘.- 4 .••..
latolin,..; .salter and quay berth two da9p•4ur • aridiOLf.;tbW.,:l,,"7::
Tel,
cargo wa, delivered it took imtli;erdav filf-loiirtvttryieairiltg 10.•-•-•'"/
days for tile discharge of the ciii-g;1",-"irtfli'll it -. taightititirts,,,
been reduced to, oue half of I hat time if we tikaAiltaif-oyereik
vans and conveyed the cargo away the same as teß:,:t *jive do:"
statement of the charges upon 100 chests of indigo it . udon-.
))1_?
at 19s. 6d. which amount to £97. 10s. and in Liverpool I would,.
be just £5O. this is 100 per vent. in la‘-rour of Liverpool. I think:
if after th:s Mr. Benn is so much in favour of Loudon, he can'
not do better thau go. there altogether. 1 have been informe.i
of another rapid discharge of cargo,in this port since those t
mentioned: the Gipay discharged 6400 chests of tea and 100
boxes of silk in 23 hours. ! • ' _ __

Mr. SAMUEL flobsre said—l have . been requested, Mr.
Chairman, to attend here this day by the -committee, but the
proceedings have been extended 31, much by the necessary de-
tails, that I shall nut occupy your attention long. I believe the
question is one of •more- than ordinary importance. I don't
know, in all my experience, that I Have ever attended a meet-
ing in which questions of more primary importance have been
brought forward. It would be quite hypocritical in me to say
that I have no, personal interest in this matter, for now I do
that which I believe to be the right of every man, endeavour to
protect my own property. 1 wilt yield to no man in my desire
to see my native town progressing, and- every facility given on
behalf of commerce ; and when necessary for the to make a'
sacrifice fur the 'iodic good, I trust I shall be always ready to
do so; but when I find a measure brought forward which un-
settles mortgages, and in which faith is broken with, owners and
lessees of warehouses, without any fair equivalent, I must op-
pose such a measure. I believe the Seundation of all property,
to be lasting must be based on the principle of justice; for whets
a measure is propounded on the principle of expediency alone,
it ought always to be looked on with jealousy, for it is alwaye
liable to suspicion. -The dock trustees intend building fifteen
warehouses, but can they stop there? Will they pledge then:
selves that they will stop at that number? I apprehend not,.
sir. When I sin told that the average number of vessels
discharging in the port of Liverpool is generally from two
to three-hundred, and when I tied that only fifteen merchants'
eeuld be accommodated at one time by the warehouses to be
built, I ask if the remainder of the vessels to be discharged'
are to wait for the accommodatiou, because if that is to be the
case, it will unly• aggravate the evil which this measure is pro-
posed to cure. If you adinst the principle that the Duck Com-
mittee have a right, wielding the public funds, to compete with'
individuals, the elan must be extended, and it is ridiculous to.
say that they 'wilt stop at erecting these fifteen warehouses.
think it is wrong id principle to compete against private indi-
vidaals. It may be sport to them but it is death to us. It will
establish a monopoly—it will lessen the value of the great bulk.
of property— it will be a breach of faith—and I think the Dock
Trustees.would-he much better employed than in parliamentary'
litigation, and in endeavouring to ruin a great portion of the
warehouse owners in the town. It will fetter instead of setting
free the operations of commerce; -and I am really surprised than
gentlemen who came into power declaring that trade and every
thing-shouldhe free as the wind, can yet sanction a measure
which will shackle that trade. (Hear.) I trust that those gen-'
tlemen• who are proposing that measure will never again, for
consistency's sake, :rail against the privilege of the East India
- Company, or the monopoly -of She Bank of England. It will
lesseu the value of property; •and I state from my own know-
ledge that 'sales of land are almost at an end; a difficulty is
found in. borrowing an equal sum
.-to that advanced on
warehouse 'property ; and a state of distress Will be the conse-
quence. .1 o s.ty that much' of this is imaginary, and that
those warehouses cannot to that mischief—but will they hind
themselves to those? No, sir, the wedge most be inserted at
the 'thinnest point, and it will afterwards be driven home. It'
ought to he resisted at the-outset as a vicious principle; the
doCk committee have no right, as a public body, to compete
with private individuals; it they want sheds, let them have
thgin, and no oue will object. I believe £2O or £30,000 have
aieaily been expended by the dock trustees to give that accent-
nrodat ism which the merchants seem to•want; but if they go on
with the system of warehouse building, the whole of that sum ot
money would be thrown away, for'the whole of these sheds must
be razed to the ground. (Hear.) F contend that lam very
near the amount, when I slate that the value of the warehouse
property of Liverpool is about £4,150,000. I have made this=
calculation of the value of property before this measure was
proceeded with; but if this. measure be carried on, I have ura
hesitation in sa)ing, that instead of four millions the warehouse
property of Liverpool would not letch three. Very near two
millions and a half of this is mortgaged. The warehouses are;
worth more than three times as much as the Liverpool and.
Manchester Railroad, the mortgages are about double that
amount, and the whole of this property is to be lessened, and
for what purpose? for carrying out what may be a speculative
theory, and not based on any good foundation. Now, sir, there
was one gentleman in the emitted who stated that he was a ware-
house owner, and was nut against the measure. I entertain for
him the highest respect. I believe he, is not a very extensive
warehouse owner, when I state that he does not hold more thatx
one or two warehouses. I am informed that this gentleman'
(Mr. flornhy) was obliged to lower the rent of one of his
warehouses in the Goree Piazzas limn about £3OO to £l5O.
Mr. Horne then proceeded to state that viirrehouse property'
was generally depreciated in value. They had erected some
warehouses in Great Howard-street, which they had been'
obliged to let at a greatly reduced rent. Corporatists land had
been recently bought by gentlemen by auction which, if now,
put up would nut fetch two-thirds or what the Corporation paid
for it. He had himself bought sonic hind near the Queen's'
Dock, for the erection of warehouses, for which ht had given:
£3 per square yard, and he would not now give more than,
30s. a square yard. Mr. Alderman Evaus, who might be called
the father of this measure, ha I talked of laud in Bath-street
selling at £1 per squaw yard. Ile believed that was a mis-
take. Ile remembered Bath-street for twenty years, and
never remembered lifud selling there for less than £5 a square
yard. He did not believe that land there, which Mr. Aldei man'
Evans said was worth £l2 per square yard, would new sell for
£B. He thought. if thismeasure of the Dock Trustees were per-
severed in, the warehouse owners would be entitled to compen-
sation, and the Dock Trustees ought iu common justice to com-
pensate them. If this measure were carried it would increase
the rates of the shopkeepers and the town generally, because
the rents of the warehouses must come down, and they paid
one-fifth of the parish-rates ; the warehouses, at lowered rents,.
could not be assessed at inure than the rack-rent, and the
additional tax would come upon the shopkeepers of the town.
If the Dock Trustees were too plethnric of money, and did nut
know where to lay it out to advantage, there was au opening
fur them at the west side of tho henhouse DoCk. At the•
west side
,of Wapping, there was nearly 40 statute ttereA•
of land close to the Custom-house, and in a very advantageous,
situation, which nobody seemed to think of. If a company 'of
merchants were to purchase this land, the site of the present
Sallhouse Dock, and a large quantity of land which forms an
eddy in the river, and created an injurious depetite, 'two
parrallel docks might be here built, and a 40 or 50 horse power
steam-engine erected at each end too'iriis(Lint
charlssiteithheis,vbeescSaeulssebay
steam; and he could trot see any de
number of individuals would then compeKAithliudividdala.
Mr. Holmes concluded amidst general applaite.
Mr. Dov Er. stated, that complaints had beitr made that Lon-
don possessed superior advantages to Liverpool, in allowances
being made to wine-merchants and others, for deficientes-: iu
strength in their imports. He had no doubt, it 'strung Tepse-
sentat ions were made from Liverpool, thatihe same allowances
would be made to Liverpool.
On the mot;,un of Mr. Tirofass FRENIE, tiseete of thanks was
passed to Mr. Harbord and Mr. Dover for their strenuous ex-
ertions on behalf of the warehouse holders; and on the motion
of Mr. Thmnas Freme, seconded by Mr. John Leyland,4 vote
of thanks was given to the chairman for his conduct in the chair.
Tne meeting then separated at shortly before four o'clock.

TRADESMEN'S CONSKRVATIVE ASSOCIATION.—The monthly
meeting of this association took place last evening, at the,
'York /lotel—lt. Gladstone, Esq., Vice-president, in the chair;;;
who commenced the business by introducing the names of 48;
new members. The chairman. in a very able speech, brought
forward several subjects for the future consideration of the
members. The meeting was also addressed by Mr. Cooper,
Mr. T. Glazebiook, Mt. J. Parke, Mr. Penington, and Mr.•
W. E. Gladstone, who made some excellent remarks upon the
utility of such a society. it gives us great pleasure to witness
the steady progress of this body. The admission of new mem-
bers upon the two last occasions, amounted to 107 persons.

CHESTER THEATRE.-Mr. Raymond commences his Spring
citnipaign at the above theatre on Monday next. The principal
piton of the Liver company are engaged.
•

BURGLARY.—On Saturday night or Sunday morning some
thieves effected an entrance into the house of Mr. Myers, at
Aigburih. They succeeded, we are sorry to say; in obtaining
considerable booty. They got in by the back kitchen window,
and carried off a gold watch, a considerable quantity of plate,
and about £5O in money.

I-AVM:1'001, RIDING SCHOOL—In compliance with the re-
quest of Nimrod" we have inserted the letter of "J. M."
which appeared originally in the Mercury. We are equally
surprisettwith the writer that no adequate encouragement has
been hitherto given in Liverpool to the establishment of a riding
school. We understand that Mr. Smith, of Lime-streets is the
ouly professed riding master in the town, and that, although his
'style of riding is acknowledged to be fitst-rate, he has nut met
with that support to which we believe him entitled. It is to be
hoped that this stigma will soon be removed from the character
of our " good old town."
LONDON AND RIRIDINGII.AM RA itwAy.—The number of pas-
sengers taken hem Birmingham during the second week was
One.half greater titan that of the first ; and we hear that one or
two additional trains will shortly be started, to provide accom-
modation for the increasing traffic. Under this arrangement,
the Lancashire passengers will be forwarded at au cattier hour,
allowing only such an interval as will be desirable for refresh-
ment, after a journey of nearly five hours, and previously to
another of nearly nine more. The passengers have lately been
intituully transferred from and 10 the respective stations of the
London and Grand Junction Companies along the tine of com-
munication, with their luggage.—Birmingham Derail.
DEATH OF THE.DOWAGEH COUNTESS OF WAHWlCK.—llen-
rietta, the Countess Dowager of Warwick,Flaughter of Richard
Vernon, Esq., 'by Lady -Evelyn Gower, seventh daughter of
John the first Earl of Gower, and widow of John the first Earl
of Ossory,) died on Friday last, at her residence in Brighton,
after an illness of considerable duration. Her ladyship was
born iu August, 1760, and consequently in -her 78th year. , •
MELANCHOLY EVENT.—Au inquest was held on Thursday last,
at the Angel Inn, in riacup, on the body of Grace Law, 9 weeks
old, who was smothered in a tutu-up bed. It appeared that the
father of the deceased, who was a shoemaker, and worked in
the same room where the bed stood, before commencing work
On Wednesday morning put the bed up, not knowing the child
was there; anti it was half an hour afterwards before the mo-
ther discovered the fact. When taken nut, it was quite dead.
Verdict, " Accidental death." •
THE LATEST Gossip.—lt is privately whispered, (hate cer-
tain Young actor, who has recently been highly successful in
histrionic assumption, is the most likely person to win the
heart and hand of a certain young lady,, whose tecent immense
acquisition of a ealth, owing to the death ',fa celebrated duchess,
has excited so much sensation in the great world. It is well.
known that the lady has added the tiagedian's name to her
visiting, list; and we are given to understand; that, one even-
ing, a patty was given by the parents of the young heiress, to
which moans' fashionables were expressly invited for the purpose
of being introduced to the successful astor. The report goes,-
that the wedding will take place at the termination. of the gen-
tleman's present engagements.— World of Fashion,
DEATH OF A Cow c INTOXICATION.—Last week Mr..
Castle, farmer, of Nortillionrne, whilst brewing some strong,
ale, left a portion of it in what .is called the well lodge. to cool..
when one, of the cows got front the farm yard into the place,'
and drank so plentifully of the potent beverage, that she was
shortly taken ill.; a farrier was sent for,• who administured the,
proper remedies, but to no effect, for in a few hours the peer
tiniinal died in astate of intoxication, a warning to drunkaids.—
Kentibh.Chruniele. .
•
A CAUTION TO MOTHEES.—On Monday morning the wife of
Joseph Hudson, a weaver, in George-lace, Middleton, had oc-
casion to go to a wedding breakfast, abouta mile from h-r own.
house. -She took with her an infant, nearly four mi n hs old,
wrapped up in a cloak; but nu arriving.at the wedding-house,
she tound that her child, a fine boy, was dead—no doubt, in con.-
sequence of her wrapping it up tit protect it from the inclemen-
cy of the weathet.—Chester Gazette. ,