The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-01-10 00:00:00

INCOME AND EXPENDITrUE.

The Finance Sub-committee reported that the total
income of the Corporate Estate for the year was estimated
at £171,778; that the obligatory expenses were likely to
be £44,852. From the gross surplus, however, there
would have to be deducted several items of discretionary
expenditure, which amounted to £3,147 ; also for improve-
ments in West Derby-road, Everton, Mount-pleasant,
Brownlow-hill, Chaloner-street, and Cable-street, £1,600 ;
and £lO,OOO voted for the purposes of the Free Public
Library and Museum. After deducting these amounts
there. was still a surplus of £30,105. Out of this was re-
commended the payment of the following sums towards
the watch-rate, in lieu of poor-rates on the Corporate
property, namely, for. Liverpool, £8,525 ; Toxteth-park,
£1,583; West Derby, £685;. Everton, £798; Kirkdale,
£298 • leaving a balance to be expended for the general
benefit of the inhabitants of £18,213.
Mr. Huai/ HORNBT moved the confirmation of the
reports, proposing the various resolutions seriatim, com-
mencing with the recommendation of increased salaries to
Messrs. Walters and Ellis. After some discussion, the
resolution was agreed to as was also one for appointing
Mr. Chamberlain superintendent of the chain-testing
machine.

Mr. HOENBT, after congratulating the Council on the
favourable financial prospects of the year, moved that the
report of the Finance• Sub-committee be printed, and a
copy sent to each member of the Council.

kr. Alderman PAZIEN secondWilieproposition, which
was confirmed.

THE PROPOSED NEW LANDING-STAGE.

Mr. HOaNBY noxt moved that the arrangement made
between the Dock Committee and the Finance Committee
to provide a landing-stage for sea-going steamers be con-
firmed. The Dock Committee proposed to give to the
Council so much of the approach as would be opposite the
landing-stage, about half the length of the Prince's
parade ; the other half being paid for by the Council at a
fair valuation, either in money or an exchange of land
that might be wanted. The Finance Committee con-
sidered, in the first instance, that it would have been
More liberal if the Dock Committee had made a present of
the whole of the land, considering.the amount the Corpo-
ration were about to expend for the. benefit of the port.
(Hearr hear.) It was only just in him to state that the
Dock Committee had granted all the Finance Committee
asked for. The Finance Committee' had only asked for
one means of access to the stage, but they afterwards con-
sidered it advisable to extend it thewhole leng,th of the
Prince's parade. Under these circumstances the Finance
Committee considered the arrangement a fair one, and he
therefore-moved the confirmation of the-recommendation.

Mr. STEW ART seconded the proposition.
Mr. Alderman PARKER rose with a great deal of diffi-
culty, because this was the first time he had had occasion
to oppose anything proposed by the Finance • Committee.
But it was a clhty which every member of the Council' had
to perform,. to carry out what he thought best for the
community at large. He must oppose the, arrangement
which had been made with the Dock Committee. No
doubt, as the- chairman of the committee had said; the
Dock Committee had granted all that they had asked for,
but there- was a condition attached to the grant The
fact was, that there were 1,000 feet of land beyond that
which had been asked, and which the Dock Committee
wished to dispose-of, in order to make their dock,,straight,
and as a conditiim of giving up what the Council. re,
quired, they were-compelled to purchase that additional
land, so that, virtually, before the Corporation got what
they required, they would be compelled to pay for much
more which they did not want. At an expense of £140,000
this Corporation, of their own free will, were going to
erect one of the first lancing stages in the world which
would enable sea-going steamers, in case of necessity, to
land their cattle or deck load. (` No, no t.") Scene-gen-
tleman said " no, nos" but he said so on the authority of
Sir 'Wm Cubitt. The question arose, was this landing stage,
to be for passengers-alone, or was it to be used for tholra-
loading of these sea-going steamers ? He believed the Fi-
ngnce Committee would tell them that it was to be a passen-
Fer stage alone. (" Hear, hear," from Mr. Hornby.) Well,
if it was, what on earth did they require with the width of
land proposed ? They had thirty feet of land along-sthe•
Prince's Pier, and what more than that did they want-for
passenger traffic ? And this being the case, he thought
there could be no necessity for buying any additional land
from the Dock Committee. He did not like to move. an
amendment to the proceedings of the Finance Committee.,
but if any other gentleman would do so, he should cer-
tainly support him. He repeated, that the Corporation
had acted liberally imoffering to erect the landing stage
as they were not under the direction of trustees or any,.
higher power, and he-thought the Dock Committee ought
to have met the proposal 'in a more liberal spirit. He
• object to the paying for land which was of no, use
to them, and which could be of no use except to straighten
the dock wall.
Mr. Alderman BENNETT asked whether the resolution
was to the effect that the dock committee should meet the
finance committee, and make some arrangements, which,
would afterwards be submitted to the council for approval-
Mr. HORNBT said the resolution was proposed to con-
firm an arrangement_ which had been already made.

The MAvoi said the council were now asked to sanction
the principal part of the arrangement, but the details
would come before them when they were completed., The
finance committee had made several propositions te/the
dock committee on the subject of the landing-stage,, and
the dock committee- wished to continue the line teethe
Prince's-pier, askinglhe corporation to pay for a moiety of
the land. The finance committee had agreed to this, awl
they asked the contrail to confirm their proceedings.
Mr. Alderman BENNETT inquired if the arrangements
which had been agreed to gave the largest space that bad
been asked'for for the use of the public.
The MAYOR replied that it did.
Mr. CHARLES TURNER assured the Council that the
Dock CommitteeiJn discussing this matter, were anxious
to show courtesy to the Council, and to do what they
thought best for the advantage of the town. They were
all serving the public gratuitously—they were all doing
that which they thought to be for the benefit of the public
at large; and at; to the question whether the Dock. Com-
mittee should. give a little more land, or the Council
should pay a little more for it, they might differ in, opinion
upon it, he thought, without any imputation being
thrown upon. the members of either body. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. Parker. had observed that the second. thousand feet
proposed to be appropriated to the landing stage would
be of no use; but he thought that Mr. Parker must
have come to that conclusion without due. consideration,
for it must be obvious to every one that in erecting a
landing stage of the extent proposed, 1,000 feet long, they
must anticipate a very large traffic. The accommodation
for cabs. and other vehicles would be very limited without
it ; and the moment it was mentioned to the-Finance Com-
mittee-they agreed that it would be very-incomplete unless
the additional width proposed at one end were extended
the whole length of the stage. (Hear; hear.) Then,
with regard to the stage itself, it was not intended that it
should be generally used either for taking ht or discharging
cargo. That it might be used in, very bad weather for
discharging cattle, to prevent them from smothering,
was very true, and no doubt it would be used for that
purpose ; but all channel steamersusing the landing stage,
or almost the whole of them, would have to go into dock
to discharge their cargoes. It was only when they
brought passengers alone that they would not be obliged
to go into dock. (Hear, hear.) That it would be bene-
ficial to the Dock Estate there could be no doubt, nor
could it be doubted that the Corporation would derive
very considerable benefits from it, inasmuch as they
would receive a large amount of dues from the goods
brought by the vessels to the town ; but he thought, on
the whole, that a very fair• proposition had been made by
the Dock Committee to the Finance Committee, which
had been met equally fair by the Finance Committee, and
he hoped, therefore, that the recommendation would be
adopted.
Mr. PICTON said as they had now, belonging to the
Corporation, but a very small portion of the margin of the
river, before they parted with any more of it, let them
have their plans well matured, so that they might not
regret having disposed of what would have been of great
advantage to the public.
Mr. Alderman Coorma said that, as a member of the
Finance Committee, it must be painful to him to differ
from their recommendation ; but, as he had reserved to
himself in committee the right of bringing this matter
before the Council, he presumed he was in order in doing
so then. In the first place, the Council should understand
that they were giving £150,000 of the public money in
building the landing-stage. They were going to keep it
in repair, which would cost £4,000 a year, and which
would make the whole expense upwards of £200,000. The
principle upon which the landing-stage should be built
had been already recognised. Mr. Turner had told them
that they would be benefited by the town dues which
would be received from the vessels arriving at the landing-
stage. Be it so. He (Mr. Cooper) might go so far as to
• say that they ought to erect a landing-stage—he might go
so far as to say they ought to keep it in proper repair ;
but he could not think they should go so far as to pay the
Dock Trustees for a piece of land as an entrance to the
stage—(hear, hear,)—and he thought the Dock Trustees
were not meeting them in a liberal manner in snaking
such a proposal. He would go no further than this in the
matter—that on condition that the Dock Trustees gave
up the land to improve the entrance to the landing-stage,
they (the Corporation) should build the stage and keep it
in order; but he thought the Dock Trustees should give
up the small piece of land required. (Hear, hoar.) He
would, therefore, move the confirmation of the proceedings
of the Finance Committee regarding the building of the
landing-stage, and keeping it in order, on condition that
the Dock Committee would give up that piece of land, but
not otherwise ; and if the Dock Committee did not choose
to meet them, there would be no harm done.
Mr. THoltsox seconded Mr. Cooper's amendment. He
quite agreed with Mr. Cooper, that if they went to so
much expense in erecting the stage, the Dock Committee
ought to have given them the land in question. (Hear,
hear.)

Mr. Alderman S. Howls had no hesitation in giving
his support to the original proposition. Allusion had
been made to previous Councils having sold the greater

portion of the frontage. It was the sole circumstance of
the Corporation having sold the foreshore and received
the money, which had gone into the Corporate exchequer,
and been expended in the improvement of the town and
for the benefit of the inhabitants, which, in his opinion,
imposed upon them the necessity of providing a commo-
dious landing-stage for the inhabitants in lieu of the fore-
shore which their predecessors had sold. (Hear, hear.)
The present question was fraught with interest to both
estates. (Hear, hear.) The Dock Committee received
dues upon the vessels entering the port, and the Corpo-
ration received town-dues upon the goods which they
brought. (Hear.) In' fact, the town, he thought, bene-
fited in a larger degree, because the benefit to it was
two-fold—the benefit received for town-dues, and the
benefit received directly for the passengers who filled our
hotels, and became great customers at our shops. (Hear,
hear.) He should have been glad if the Dock Committee
could have made a present of the Land ; but the amount,
after all, was only £:7,500; and looking to the benefit it
would cause to the town and port by increasing the com-
merce of Liverpool, he should give his support to the
original motion.
Mr. TOBIN would support the recommendation of the
committee, because he did not think that even if the
amendment was carried there was the slightest chance of
the resolution of the Dock Committee being altered.
(Hear, hear.)

„
Mr. FEnartrovan hoped Mr. Cooper would 'not press
the amendment, as, if carried, it would stop the scheme
altogether. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. Alderman J. BEANLEY-3100RE said he should not
have trespassed upon the time of the Council upon that
occasion, had it not been for a remark from the chairman
of the Finance Committee, upon which he felt it incum-
bent to say a word or two. -They must never overlook
the fact that they were acting there in the double capacity
of trustees of the Doak Estate and also of administrators
of the affairs of that Corporation, and, looking upon it in
this light, he considered that the offer on the part of the
Dock Committee was not only a fair but a very liberal
one. (Hear, hear.) He was surprised to hear the asser-
tion that they were going to make the landing-stage with-
out any obligation to do so. He dissented entirely from
that remark of the chairman of the Finance Committee,
for he (Mr. Bramley-Moore) said that an imperative ob-
ligation rested upon the Corporation of providing accom-
modation for the landing of passengers at this port. What
were they to do with the town dues, and what was the
proposed accommodation for ? •It Was for that which
brought more money into Liverpool than anything else in
connection with the port—the passengers who arrived by
the steamers, and who spent a large amount of money in
the hotels and amongst the shopkeepers. (Hear, hear.)
He would take the old landing-stage now maintained by
the Dock Estate, and he did not hesitate' to say that the
town had reaped the cost of that landinr,.-stage 500 times
over by the facilities which it had afforded to passengers
to come here and spend their money. They (the corpora-
-1 tion) ought to make this an attractive and cheap port,
I and one-of their first objects with that view ought to be
to facilitate the transit of passengers. The obligations on
the part of the corporation to do this was imperative.
They received upwards of £lOO,OOO in town. dues,. and
what were- they to do in return ? They would not be
doing their duty if they neglected the opportunity now
afforded them of improving the condition of their-port.
Since the ch&rman of the finance committee had: made.
the statement to which he had referred, he. had had put
into his hands a statement (by a proprietor of the steamers)
of the town dues paid by the steamers, and he foundthat
one single boat from Glasgow paid them last year the'smn
of £389 ls. 8d in town dues. The corporation provided.
no accommodation, yet it received that large sum' of
money ; but surely they were called upon to do something
for that money. From. this statement he also found that
Dublin steamers paid during the last year £OOO fdr.
town dnes, and they did- nothing for it in return ; when,
they were receiving:such.large sums of money they ought
to spend it freely in-a way that would benefit the inhabi-
tants of the town at large l. and he did not know a better'
way in which they could do so than this. It had been
said that the support of the: landing-stage would cost the
corporation £4OOO a year; he believed it would, and,
perhaps, a little more-; but he believed it would be the
best spent money which had ever been expended by the
corporation. Holding-these-views, he should support the
recommendation of the
Mr. Tnomsoa- said he was not aware that the sum re-
quired for the purchase of the land was only £7,500, but
as it was so he would recommend Mr. Cooper to withdraw
his motion.

Mr. Alderman COOPER' said; after the general expres-
sion of opinion he had heard: on the part of members of
the Council, he was perfectly willing to withdraw his
amendment. (Hear, hear.) This was unanimously agreed
to.

Mr. HORNBY then said that the other recommendation
of the committee, to increase the salaries of Mr. Strick
and Mr. Cowell, clerks in the town-clerk's office, would
have to stand over, in accordance with the standing orders,
till the next monthly meefthg.
The general proceedings of the finance committee were
then confirmed, on the moticnsof Mr. HORNBY, seconded
by Mr. Alderman COOPER.