The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-01-29 00:00:00

MEETING OF THE DOCK COMMITTEE.

The weekly meeting of the Dock Committee was held
yesterday, at the offices in Revenue-buildings. Owing to
the decease of Mr. Leathom, the lamented chairman, Mr.
Beni presided. In addition to Mr. Berm, there were pre-
sent, Messrs. Barclay, Holmes, Middleton, Smith, Aikin,
Booth, Horsfall, G. Holt, Evans, Chapman, Moon, Mar-
tin, T. Holt, and Tobin.

The proceedings of the last meeting were confirmed. The
accounts of the week were also passed.
Several alterations, on the recommendation of the sub-
committee of works were ordered to be made in the shed on
the west side of King's Dock. The same sub-committee
also recommended that the tender of Messrs. Foster and
Stewart, to complete the carpenters' work at several sheds,
for the sum of £3,425 be accepted.—Agreed to.

„_
A report was next read from one of the Harbour-masters,
stating that a fire had occurred, on the night of the 22d inst,
on board the Royal George steamer, which, fortunately was
extinguished without damage. An information had been
laid against the parties.
A return was made of the amount of dock dues received
at Runcorn from the 26th of December to the 23d January.
The amount was stated at £B6 2s.
The CHAIRMAN announced that the Dock Solicitor had
applied to the Solicitor for a supply of money to enable him
to pay the fees connected with the intended dock-bill, in
London, He (the Chairman) presumed that there would be
no objection to the parliamentary sub-committee being
authorised to grant the solicitor the sum which he might re-
quire. A resolution had been prepared, authorising the
treasurer to supply the necessary funds, on the application of
the parliamentary sub-committee.
Mr. TOBIN inquired whether this money would be paid by
the corporation ?
The CHAIRMAN replied in the negative. It had been de-
cided otherwise.
Mr. ToBIN.—By whom ?
The CHAIRMAN.—By the Town-clerk, and in London, I
believe.

Mr. TOBIN.-It is a pity we did not know of that before.
After a few words from Mr. CHAPMAN, which were not
distinctly heard, the resolution was passed.
The Corporation Surveyor applied for permission to let
Canning Dock dry, for one tide, as soon as might be conve
nient, in order to make sonic repairs to the gates of No. 3
Graving Dock. This request was ordered to be complied
with, Mr. Hartley paying attention to the progress of the
repairs.
The CHAIRMAN stated that a letter had been received
from Mr. Wainwright, concerning the order from the Ad-
miralty for Lieutenant Lord, the Marine Surveyor, to pre-
pare for service; in which it was stated that both Lord San-
don and Mr. Cresswell suggested that the committee should
themselves represent the circumstances in which they were
placed by the order, and the urgent necessity there was for
Lieutenant Lord remaining here, as a means of strengthen-
ing the hands of the noble lord and his learned colleague in
their representations.—A resolution was then passed to the
effect that the Chairman should address a letter on the sub-
ject to the Commissioners of the Admiralty.
The SECRETARY then read the report of the Sub-commit-
tee of the council appointed to consider whether alterations
could not be made in the new dock bill to suit all parties.—
The report appears in our account of the council proceedings.
After it had been read,

The CHAIRMAN said great praise was due to the gentle-
men who had made that report from the shipowners and
merchants for their endeavours to bring the matter to an
amicable settlement ; and he hoped that in consequence,
when the Dock Committee were before parliament, they
would not find their labours so onerous as they were last
session.

Mr. EvAss was understood to express a similar wish.
Mr. TOBIN observed that Mr. Evans was very much bet-
ter looking when he came down, after the onerous duties of
attending on the bill, during the last session, than he was
when he went up. (Laughter.)
At a subsequent period of the meeting, sonic conversation
ensued between Mr. HORSFALL, Mr. HOLMES, the CHAIR-
MAN, and Mr. At KIN, as to whether the transit sheds pro-
posed to be erected on the margin of Prince's Dock, in the
committee's report, should be bonding sheds or not, but it
terminated without any definitive resolution. _ _ _

The CHAIRMAN aiinounCed that the funeral of the late
Mr. Leathom would take place at St. James's Cemetery, at
half-past nine o'clock this morning, (Friday), when probably
some of the members of the committee would be anxious to
chew their respect to the deceased by attending.
Mr. HORSFALL said it was with feelings of the deepest re-
gret that every member of that committee must regard the
loss of their lamented chairman. His knowledge of the af-
fairs of the dock estate exceeded that of every other member,
and his assiduity in attending to its interests was beyond all
calculation.
Mr. HOLMES coincided with Mr. Horsfall, and considered
that the loss the committee had sustained was irreparable.
Mr. HORSFALL intimated that at the next meeting he
should move that a letter of condolence be sent to the family
of the deceased.
Mr. EvaNs, whilst deeply regretting the departure of their
excellent chairman, conceived that such a course would esta-
blish an inconvenient precedent.
The CHAIRMAN replied that there was already a precedent
in the case of the late Mr. Hollins:head.

In answer to a question from Mr. Holmes, the SECRETARY
stated that Mr. Leathom had been a member of the commit-
tee from the year IS2B.
Mr. CHAPMAN gave notice that at the next meeting he
should call the attention of the committee to the state of
Clarence graving dock. In the meantime he invited the
members to go and examine it for themselves.
Mr. T. HOLT mentioned that the present was not a legal
meeting, inasmuch as there was a vacancy, caused by Mr.
Leathom's death.

Several other members expressed a similar opinion. The
committee thereupon adjourned. The vacancy will be filled
up by the town council at their meeting on Wednesday next.

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CORRESPONDENCE.

lIINT TO TUE ELECTORS OF WALSALL

TO THE EDITOR OF TIM LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

SlR,—Through your instrumentality I beg respectfully to
ask, whether the electors of Walsall be aware of the facts,
that Mr. J. B. Smith was once an unitarian, then a member
of the Church of England, and that he is now (I speak in-
offensively), " as a dog returning to his vomit," again an
unitarian ? Surely, if such be the case, they will no longer
encourage the vanity of a man who is " every thing by turns,
and nothing long."—l am, sir, your obedient servant,
Myrtle.street South, 25th Jan. 1841. H. W. H.

THE MERCANTILE MARINE OF LIVERPOOL

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.
Liverpool, 22d January, 1841.
Sia,—Trusting that you will permit your paper to be made
the medium of what may very greatly benefit an extensively
useful class in society, I have to request you will give this
my letter a place in its columns, assuring you that no object
for public consideration could be of more importance. The
circumstance of the Collegiate Institution, recently founded,
has given me hopes that ere long a neglected portion of the
community, which I would earnestly bring before the public,
will meet with proper consideration ; and should I unfortu-
nately fail in exciting a due interest for my subject, 1 hope it
will be attributable to my inability as a writer, and not to its
want of importance; for, without fear of contradiction, I
assert, the very existence of our country depends upon it,
and the people of Liverpool, more especially, should feel
greatly interested, because the class alluded to has been the
very means by which Liverpool has risen to its present wealth
and reputation in the commercial world. Is it not strange,
that so little has been done for those who are generally
acknowledged to be the very instruments of our country's
good ?—and thousands will bear me out when 1 say, that this
class of persons has been shamefully neglected—and unfor-

tunately they have no power to obtain a remedy for them-
selves, being in a manner entirely isolated : their education
is altogether different from those on shore, their habits are
peculiar, they have a life quite their own. I maintain, that
the properly educating the youth of our mercantile marine,
should be a paramount consideration. Let me then beg,
that the people of Liverpool will consider if they can do any-
thing for that class, in the midst of the general desire for
extended means of education for all others in the community.
Let me assure them, with the experience of nearly forty
years in the royal navy and merchant service, that the
evils existing in the last mentioned service are deplora-
ble, greatly owing to the want of suitable education and
the want of efficient laws and regulations, but more of
this hereafter. I wish it were possible for me to bring
forward my recommendations with such force of language,
as the nature of the subject demands ; that part of the insti-
tntion should be appropriated to the purpose of instructing
young sailors elementarily and practically the use of nautical
instruments, and the whole science of the profession by nau-
tical professors for that purpose; an observatory would be of
immense value to the institution, and with a room for the
reception of all chronometers coming to the port, where, 1
am sure, navigators would be glad of the opportunity of ob-
taining proper rates and errors for them, upon their going to
sea, a very great desideratum in the port of Liverpool ; I
know such wants have been the cause of the loss of several
vessels in the channel, and shortly after leaving port too,
steps such as these would be of vital importance to the coun-
try at large, seeing the merchant service is the great nursery
fur the royal navy, and as worth and discipline is found in
the one service, so will the other be efficient and powerful.
Surely government will readily listen to proper represent'.
tions on this subject, and grant facilities for the accompli,h-
ment. The royal navy must, in case of a general war,
have men, and impressment would scarcely be tolerated, and
how would our ships of war be manned without it? It is
quite chimerical to suppose that men will be induced to leave
merchant ships readily, and enter on board of men of war,
as the two services relatively exist, to leave a life of wanton
liberty, for one of restraint and proper -discipline can never
be expected ; the one service is certainly beautifully arranged,
and with all its parts complete, is like the noble steam engine
working with constant regularity, under the control of the
engineer, its lawmaker and ruler. Whilst the other service
is like the wind mill, in its wildest whirlings, under the guidance
of the ever fitful blast. I have stated my long experience in
both services, and I can speak with certainty as to the state
of our merchant service at this moment. It is a lamentable
fact, that the insubordination and evils existing there are
sapping the very foundations of the nation's bulwark. Let
proper laws therefore be enacted by our merchant service,
then wholesome and judicious discipline will be created, and
the step from this service to the royal navy, would be at
Once rendered easy. It may be asked by the generality
of landsmen, why should such anarchy prevail in our
merchant service, and I would tell them the reason is

because laws have been made for that service by persons ig-
norant of his nature, and their legislation has brought the
service to the very verge of ruin ; the frequent mutinies, and
even mutinies, upon the high seas, should open the eyes of
all to this fact. Nautical men only can be judges of this
wide-spreading disorder and nautical men should be called
upon to assist in the legislation for this peculiar service.
Permit me to mention what I experienced upon a very long
voyage, completed a short time ago. During twenty months
I had visited a great many ships beyond the Cape of Good
Ilope, and in almost every one the crews had been in a state
of mutiny during some part of the voyage, the masters de-
prived of all authority, and the crews wilfully subjecting the
owner's property to very great loss ; those ships were engaged
upon duties far from the civilized world, and their com-
manders, if conscientious, must have spent many months of
misery.

My crew had also shown similar dispositions, excited by
the plunder of the stores of their own ship, having cut
through the planks of the lower deck, and abstracted a large
quantity of wine, and from this they escaped with impunity,
owing to the insufficiency of the maritime laws. It is im-
possible that mere landsmen can ever know the hard neces-
sity of severe rule in that peculiar life, let him try but one
trip to sea, in the present season, and in the dark and stormy
night, be found upon a lee shore, when the sailors have to
hurry from their warm beds, to shift a torn main-topsail ;
then would he discover if any part of his life on shore can
bear a comparison, he would then see the necessity of stern'
and absolute command, of implicit and active obedience.
There are some people, no doubt, obstinate enough, who will
not admit that there is any peculiarity in this life, (but they
must be destitute of observation indeed who have failed to
discover what is so very remarkable,) and may probably ask
why should one class of the community be allowed to legis-
late for themselves; but I hope I have already sufficiently
answered this objection ; and I would now call upon
the merchants and shipowners of Liverpool to leave no
stone unturned till something is done for the reforma-
tion of our mercantile navy. Letter after letter has been
written on the subject, by those who are suffering, and
are doomed to witness this evil insidiously cankering

whole service. It is g the apathy with which this
is lookanKa. I woul I hope, ere-it be too late, the public
will open their eyes to the danger. Let laws and rules for
the government of the merchant service he immediately laid
down by the legislature, assisted by a board of proper officers
chosen from the government and merchant service. Exami-
nat ions of officers should take place for the merchant service,
and certificates of competency be granted by a proper board
in each principal port. The rising generation of young sailors
should be carefully watched and instructed ; the laws enacted
should support the commanders, giving them groper autho-
rity, and ensuring their respectability. These laws should
ensure the comforts of the seamen, and guard their rights.
I am, sir, your obedient servant,
G BE RNATOR.