The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-01-11 00:00:00

LIVERPOOL CATTLE MAR-ET'

MONDAY. JAN. 10.
.il for all
At this day's market there was a brisk de:ond realised
descriptions of stock, and both Beef and ItT
an advance of fully Id. per lb. over the rat
~,
BEEF. Per lb. of last week.
luwjN. Per lb.
...... lid to —d
Best heifers 6d to —d Best wetbs ditto,
Second-class heifers Second-i 6d to —d
and bullocks .... 54 to 64 and e
(Sinking the off
SUPPLY AT MAT
_AST'
„., week .... 6271
This week . 1888 1 !A-esp. week last year 5760

SHEEP.

BEASTS

Corresp. week last year.. 2168
Last week
Corresp. week last year 1973
irst we 'a‘

-On Fric!ay, at an early hour,
DARING BURGLARNe seat of Lord Ravensworth,
Ravensworth Castl
the
from Newcastle, was burglari-
situate about four ewellery of the value of £3OO, and
ously entered, meEngland notes and sovereigns, were
£lOO in £5 Banl,
ne rooms into which the burglars en-
carried away.,droorn occupied by the Hon. and Mrs.
a dressing-room adjoining, the library,
Ttehreodmaw:eLreidad,tria,vving-room. Those rooms all lie at the
and a 'rn.ff the castle. Between eleven and twelve
west enti
Raverl, i the previous night, the family, including Lord
o'clock ,t,ortb, and the Hon. T. Liddell and his lady, Mr.
Rob c 0 Liddell, and the servants, retired to rest. At
#l, d 'clock in the morning the Hon. T. Liddell, who
Li. rather unwell, had occasion to get up, and seeing the
oor of his room open, he looked round and discovered
that the room had been robbed. An alarm was immedi-
ately raised, and on a search being made it was ascer-
tained that a quantity of jewellery, consisting of gold
watches, seals, rings, lockets, pencil-cases, &c., belong-
ing to Mrs. Liddell, had been removed from the dressin.-
table in the bedroom during the night. Mr. Liddell's
dressing-room had also been entered, and a large quantity
of valuable jewellery stolen from a large box, which was
broken open. A poker lay in this room, and as it had
been removed from the library by the thieves, there can
be no doubt that it was the instrument with which the
box was forced open. From this large box a smaller one
was taken, which contained £lOO in sovereigns and £5
Bank of England notes. Upon an examination of the
premises, it was found that the burglars had entered
by the window of a water-closet at the west end of the
castle, and escaped by the window of a small drawing-
room. No one in the castle appears to have been dis-
turbed by the entrance of the thieves, or to have heard
any noise whatever in the house, which is rather remark-
able, as Lard Ravensworth's bell rang, and was an-
swered, at half-past one o'clock in the morning.

FRIGHTFUL RAILWAY ACCIDENT.—One of the most
fearful railway accidents we have ever had to record, took
place yesterday evening week, near to the Oxford station
of the London and North-Western Railway. In conse-
quence of the giving way of the tunnel at Wolvercot,
about two miles from Oxford, from the action of the
floods, only one line of rails has been kept open while the
repairs are going on. Tarry, the driver of a passenger
train, leaving Oxford at 5 30 p.m., was ordered by Mr.
Blott, the station-master, to await the arrival of a coal
train, telegraphed as having passed Islip, the next station.
Tarry is represented as having been in a very excited state
at the prospect of meeting his wife, with whom be had
had a serious quarrel on the previous Saturday. Mr.
Blott went to his office, and in the meantime a ballast
train engine, without any train behind it, came on the
down line to the ticket-platform, showing a white light on
its buffer beam, and not a blue light, as would have been
the case with the coal train. As soon as the ballast engine
arrived, without waiting to notice whether it was the coal
train or not, and totally disregarding the signals, the dri-
ver of the passenger train started it, and we are told that
he set off with unusual speed, contrary to the regulations
of the company, which enjoin that he shall start with
great care, observing that be has the whole of his train
before he goes beyond the limits of the station. As they
passed the ballast-engine, Kinch,, the guard, observing
that it was not the coal train which was expected, and
anticipating what would happen, put on the breaks hard,
and displayed the usual flag signal to stop, but no notice
was taken of it, though it was the duty of the stoker to
look back when leaving a station to see that all was right.
Thus the train proceeded, attaining fresh speed as it went
along, the passengers being all second or third class in
front, while the empty first class carriage was behind.
About a mile out of Oxford the expected coal train came
in sight from the opposite direction, drawn by two en-
gines, but even then the infatuated driver is said never to
have shut off the steam, and the consequence was a fright-
ful collision. When be set off, Mayes, the ticket collector,
in vain called to Tarry to stop, and Mr. Blott, the station
master, and the servants of the company, ran along with
the same object, but of course to no purpose. The po-
liceman at the bridge a little way out of Oxford, probably
from habit, appears to have changed thieved for the green,
or "go on" signal, and thus, no doubt, induced the driver
to accelerate his speed, while the weight of the two engines
and the heavy coal train coming in the opposite direction
rendered the crash more terrible. Of all the railway acci-
dents that have happened for some time, this has left the
greatest wreck and ruin behind it. The passenger and
leading coal engine, with their tenders, still ratnain on the
soot, and indicate what a smash it must have been. No
one, without seeing them, could ever imagine that ma-
chines of such enormous weight and strength could be
reduced at one blow to such a state. But the appearance
of the whole scene now is nothing to what it must have
been immediately after the collision took place, for it is
stated that the second coal engine mounted the first, its
tender getting over it, and a luggage van next it having
partially climbed that, so that the top of the pile was
higher than the telegraph wires. It will be observed, that
some of the injuries received have been by burns—a sure
indication of the frightful violence with which the accident
was attended. The whole neighbourhood of the line is
flooded at present, and it is wonderful the casualties did
not include any from drowning among them, for a stream
of water runs close along the up-line, on which the acci-
dent happened, and separates it from the Great Western
Railway, which runs parallel to it, though on a different
level. The two engine drivers. three stokers, and two
passengers, have been killed. Of the latter, one is a la-
bourer, name unknown, and the other Caroline Davis, a
second-class passenger. This list of fatalities is likely to
be added to, for several are seriously injured ; in fact, with
the exception of two boys, all the passengers were more or
less hurt. We subjoin a list :—William Knibbs, head
badly cut ; Sarah Smith, her chest hurt, and it is supposed
that her breast bone is broken ; John Walters, knee and
thighs fractured ; Richard Faulkner, senior, a sawyer, has
had a serious concussion, while his two sons, Richard and
Job, have had, the former his head cut, and the latter one
of his thighs burnt. It has been found necessary to am-
putate the arm of John Williams, a hawker. Jcseph
Townshend, his hip dislocated, if not broken ; Thomas
Monnay, his head cut, and his thigh and jaw much in.
jured ; James Sayers has had four ribs broken, and Gi.o.
Slade has received a spinal injury, A horse dealer, named
Jordan, has had his skull fractured, and a cattle dealer, of
Northampton, named Daniel Lott, is also among the in-
jured. A passenger, named Eliza Davis, has received a
concussion of the brain, and two guards, named Kinch
and Watts, have been slightly hurt. A passenger, named
Edward Jones, has had his skull fractured and his sp►ne
injured, and there is another passenger, who has been re-
moved to his own house, in Walton-place, and
but a controlling
who is said
to be much bruised. The above enumeration must be
tpaaksesennignecrso,nannedetitohnatwoifthtree thatsfiaxctns,en in there were eorfe onlytthe
e2nl-
- five have been killed. The survivor escaped by
jumping into a ditch full of water. There were three or
rt.o train,
the whenspot.
four hundred persons on the spot shortly after the acci-
dheeandt, Cardwell,
who, having expected his wife by
He rendered almost superhuman, exertions, working as
he heardwanads ofnw no lack
kdo—cfc wanted,—and
dinl eetasadisissti
retsncoftea'idi
Aistni at once di
Cr :ononicM•dtel
only a gentleman can work. the gallantry of his exem-
ng
plary conduct may. be, gathered from one simple fact. A
out for a drop of
hat. into wthe'
ell having
iwprooatolherirnfetgoliboce:t°,teisrhiaoliteskl:sanengodiry,cid'ilslied
hls
and thus relieved the sufferer. stream,

THE DOCK COMMITTEE AND THE CONTRACT

SYSTEM

A special meeting of the committee was held on Satur-
day, to take into consideration the veto passed by the
Council, on the previous Wednesday, upon the resolution
of the Dock Committee, with respect to Messrs. Baker
and Son's (of London) contract for the Wapping Docks;
which, it will be remembered, was declined, and the ex-
ecution of the work entrusted to the Messrs. Hartley.
The discussion was openei by
Mr. Nicol, who contended that no statements or argu-
ments had been adduced at the meeting of the Council
to justify the strong measures which had been adopted.
The committee must be aware that, from the commence-
ment. the works had been executed by the engineer of
the Trust. Within the last few years, however, the gen-
tlemen sent from the Council had recommended the put-
ting the works up to public competition, for the purpose
of affording other tradesmen an opportunity of competing
with the surveyor. He had acceded to this wish; but,
so far as his own opinion was concerned, it was not a
question merely between other contractors and their own
surveyor, but it was a case in which they were bound to
do what was best for the Dock Trust and the accommo-
dation of the trade of the port. There was a necessity
for having absolute security for the dock works ; and,
from the experience they had had of the manner in whicY
Mr. Hartley had always executed his work, they did it;
suppose it could be done better ; they only suppokee.
might be done cheaper. Mr. Nicol denied thsirtte"'
~
Hartley bad handed in his statement after the maid on
of works had gone over the other tenders ; it tithe sur-
the table simultaneously with the others,
veyor had no means of ascertaining what
.n
e` expressions
offered other than his own. The offensNicol thought
which had been used in the Council rrs had been
" That the
beneath notice. He concluded by mooring,and, there-
committee do not see any reason forof the 16th of De-
tore, hereby re-affirm their resolutio
nly that it was fully
cember last, being of opinion nr
of the case, but that,
warranted by the circumstanSr resolution would have
under the circumstances, no
consisted with their obvious Arty to provide that all dock
the most efficient manner,
works should be executed
and at the least cost."
.ided the resolution.
Mr. EYRE EVANS SUr. SHAND defended the COM..
Mr. ROBINSON arlg,
mittee, the latter s in reply to a question, that the
and £212,000, tile Hartley's estimate of £223,000
difference between'
business tee contractor's ten per cent. profit.
Mr. BIGHAY • •
some warmth, rebutted, what he
certain me%de,
considered t e imputations cast by Mr. Nicol upon
of the council, who were quite equal, in
to any gentleman sitting at that board.
grgham) maintained that the prosperity of the
,ille,(Mr'even more a subject of interest to the trades-
"r" Ee town than to the shipowners. The Council had
Won r g
on motives for the course which they had pur-
-first, because an injustice had been done to the
sTsrs. Baker; and, in the next place, because they were
winced that it was better for the works to be done by
ontract. He had no doubt that the committee had made
use of the brains of the contractors who bad sent in their
tenders ; and the Messrs. Baker must consider that the
committee had acted disgracefully and dishonestly as a
public body. He would suggest, therefore, that an
acknowledgment be made, on the part of the committee,
of their having inadvertently led the Messrs. Baker to
believe that the lowest tender would be accepted, and in-
advertently led them to suppose that they intended to do
the work by public contract, when they meant to do it by
their own surveyor.
Mr. STEELE referred to a resolution of the committee
previous to the 16th December, to the effect that all the
works should be let by contract, the tenderers being in-
vited either by circular or by advertisement, as the com-
mittee thought fit ; and it was on this account that he had
thought proper to oppose the work being given to Mr.
Hartley.

The CHAIRMAN afterwards denied that the resolution
had such a meaning ; and said that it was still at the dis-
cretion of the committee to contract, or otherwise.

Mr. EVANS: in an energetic speech, maintained that
the veto by the Council was an illegal and unwarrantable
infringement upon the management of the Dock Estate by
the committee. The power of veto was given to the
Council merely to prevent an undue expenditure of the
dock funds. He further characterised the Council pro-
ceedings as a wanton insult to the honour and character
of the board. Nothing could be more explicit than the
language of that advertisement ; and who. he asked, had
a right to ignore the words " or any," which were put in
advisedly ? The spirit of all contracts was this : we go to
others to know whether they will do things at a cheaper
rate than we can ourselves ; and, after hearing what they
have to say and to offer, we fall back upon our own cal-
culations. He contended that, even if there were a
difference of £lOO,OOO between their surveyor's estimate
and the offer of a contractor, they bad a right, if they
chose, to do the work themselves. He denied distinctly
that the " brains" of the contractors had been sucked ;
and, in allusion to the subject of the expense incurred by
the Messrs. Baker, he observed that the nine contractors
must have known that only one would get the work, and
yet all were willing to incur the expense for the chance of
obtaining that work. The expense was quite an insignifi-
cant matter; and as to the cost of making inquiries
respecting prices of material, &c., a letter here and there
would obtain all the requisite information. It was said
that, if it had been known that Messrs. Hartley were to
execute the work, no offer would hrve been made ; but
the contractors were well enough aware of the character
of the man with whom they had to compete. In his (Mr.
Evans') opinion, the part the committee had taken in the
matter would not deter contractors from making estimates
in future. He went on to characterise as contemptible
the expressions used in the Council as to the " lamentable
want of judgment of the committee ;" described the act
of the Council itself as an attempt to compel the Dock
Committee to prostrate their character as honourable men
at the feet of contractors ; and, repeating Mr. Bighorn's
words of -" dishonourable conduct," he threw them back
with the contempt which, he said, they deserved. Class
feeling, be concluded, had a great deal to do with the
recent misunderstandings.
Mr. JAMES HOLME defended the course be had taken
in the matter, arguing further, that the idea could never
have entered the minds of the contractors that the com-
mittee reserved to themselves the right of executing the
works by their own surveyor; else they would not have
sent tenders.

In the course of the succeeding discussion the CHAIR-
MAN expressed his great regret at the course the Council
had takes. It was not a question whether new works
were to be entered upon, but it was a matter of detail
which belonged more properly to the committee than to
the Council.

Mr. GLADSTONE was also of opinion that, under the
circumstances, the Council were hardly justified in vetoing
the proceedings of the committee.
After several other gentlemen had spoken, the opinion
of the solicitor was asked. The SOLICITOR : Briefly, my
opinion is, that the veto of the Council is within the letter
of the law, but not within its spirit and intention.
The votes were then taken on Mr. Nicol's motion,
which was carried by a majority of fifteen to eight. For :
Messrs. Royden, Gregson, Robinson, Molyneux, Tobin,
Littledale, Brocklebank. Rankin, Bold, Malcolmson,
Evans, Chaloner, Nicol, Lockett, and Shand. Against :
Messrs. Langsdale, Gladstone, Holme, Steele, Bighorn,
Holden, Barber, and the chairman.
Mr. Bighorn's resolution, which was seconded by Mr,
Littledale, was then, after a long discussion as to the
wording of it, put in this form :—" That this committee,
in issuing the advertisement of the 2nd September, 1852,
were careful to insert the words ' or any,' believing that
by such words they not only reserved to themselves the
right to execute the works by their own engineer, but
that the public and the contractors would so understand
it. However, as it appears the advertisements have been
so misunderstood, and that Messrs. Baker consider them-
selves injured, this committee regret the misunderstand-
ing, and refer it to the Sub-Committee of Works, to
inquire what expenses Messrs. Baker and Son have in-
curred in consequence thereof, and to report."
For the motion :—Messrs. Royden, Greeson, Robin-
son, Molyncux, Gladstone, Bighorn, Holden, Tobin,
Littledale, Bold, Malcomson, Evans, Steele, Barber,
Shand, Chaloner, and the chairman.
Against it :—Messrs. Langsdale, Holme, Brocklebank.
Rankin, and Lockett,
The committee then rose.