The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-04-02 00:00:00

TOWN COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS

On Tuesday, at eleven o'clock in the forenoon, a special
meeting of the Town-council was held in the Council-cham-
ber, Town-hall, to take into consideration and determine
upon the report of the Finance Committee on the dock bill,
as corrected in accordance wtih the special report adopted
by the council on the 27th of January last.
THE NEW DOCK BILL.
The TOWN-CLERK read over the former report of the Fi-
nance Committee, adopted by the council on the 27th Jan.
last, suggesting certain alterations in the bill, made as a com-
promise, with the intention of doing away with all reasonable
objections.
The report of the Finance Committee, setting forth that
they had taken due care that the bill was altered so as to ac-
cord with the several items, was read.
The TOWN-CLERK then read those clauses in the bill which
were new, such being the clauses founded on the suggestions
in the report. The clause for erecting warehouses on the
west quay of the Prince's Dock had been struck out, and a
clause substituted for erecting transit sheds on the west quay
of the Prince's Dock had been struck out, and a clause sub-
ststuted for erecting transit sheds on the west quay of that
dock, with huts, offices, &c., was substituted ; such sheds to
be so contracted as to combine security to the revenue with
the greatest despatch to business.
Mr. PROCTER said, it was unfair to the council to call them
together to discuss the clauses of a bill which had only been
placed in their hands the day before. He, for his own part,
had not read the bill.
The MAyoa called Mr. Procter to order for interrupting
the Town-clerk.

The TOWN-cueux read the clause giving power to erect
transit sheds on the west quay of some other dock, on the
completion of those on the west quay of the Prince's Dock,
with a proviso that it was not imperative on the trustees to
do so if they found those sheds did not answer.
Mr. AIKIN said, if the Finance Committee had gone
through the bill, and had found that it accorded entirely with
the recommendations of their report, that ought to be suf-
ficient.

The MAYOR called Mr. Aikin to order.
Clause 50 of the bill, it was stated, had been inserted by
mistake. It was to be obliterated, as clause 83 had been
substituted for it.
_ _

Mr. PROCTER said, if he were in order, it was his intention
to move that the consideration of the bill should be postponed
for one week.

The MAYOR said Mr. Procter was not in order.
MC'TOWN-CLERK read the clause (67) which had been in-
serted to meet that part of the report which stipulated, that
the occupancy of the warehouses by the trustees shall be sub-
jected to the payment of parochial and other rates, in like
manner as other warehouses occupied by private persons.
The Town-clerk said he had, on the preceding night, received
an intimation from the dock solicitor of a clause for autho-
rising the trustees to take charge in their warehouses of goods
as lien for freight, &c. The 12th clause, which related to a
pledge not to erect any other dock warehouses till four years
from the time when the proposed dock warehouses shall be
completed, is to he submitted to the committee of the House
of Commons. and to be inserted in the bill if there were no
parliamentary objection. It had already been adopted in the
council in the report of the committee.
Mr. 11 von HORNBY said the Finance Committee had
acted in accordance with the instructions of the Council ;
they had examined the bill and had found that the report
which the Council had sdopted had been strictly complied
with. Any hurry that might appear in bringing that bill be-
fore the Council arose out of the anavoidable necessity which
existed for the committee to get the measure before the par-
liamentary committee. Though the committee had arrived
at a satisfactory conclusion on the bill, they thought it neces-
sary to let the Council see it first. He moved that the re-
port of the Finance Committee be received, and that the
Council do proceed to the consideration of each clause se-
parately.

Mr. -CASE.—I beg leave to second that.
Mr. PROCTER believed that the Finance Committee had
done all that they could, but, speaking for himself, he must
say that this great hurry was too much for the council to
swallow. He moved, as an amendment, that the considera-
tion of the bill be postponed one week. He thought this
haste was unfair to all parties. He understood that the bill
had already been read a second time to the House of Coin-
mons. He had himself found it impossible to read the bill in
the short time it had been in his possession.
Mr. BIRKETT seconded the amendment. He had been
much startled to find that the committee-day was actually
fixed for Friday next. Surely they ought to have time to
look through the clauses of the bill, and to see if its details
carried out what had been agreed upon. The bill was scarcely
in 'his hands when he learned that the day was fixed for the
sitting of the committee of the house. He wished to have
time for consideration, unless it were intended to cram the
bill down their throats. They had been used in a way they
did not expect, and the result would be that they would be
driven to write to Lord Sandon to request him to postpone
the committee meeting.
Mr. G. H. LAWRENCE was sorry to differ from his friends,
especially as they had some reason to complain on account of
the bill having not been placed in their hands till the prece-
ding day. The fact was, however, that it had been in every-
body's hands much longer, though not exactly in its present
form. They had had it some time back, but without the re-
cent alterations, which were matters that had been agreed
upon and were well known. As Chairman of the West In-
dia Association, he had been in possession of the bill ten
days. All they had now to do was to see that the Finance
Committee had done their duty, which he was sure they had.
He thought they ought not now to throw any obstacles in
the way of the bill, and as to interfering with the parliamen-
committee it was out of the question. Were the really
and bona fide satisfied with the arrangement come to for-
merly ? If so they ought not now to cause any delay, and he
thought the postponement for a week would do no good.
Mr. HARBORD said he had not seen a copy of the bill till
the preceding day, and he had not yet read a word of it. He
had heard the dimensions of the transit sheds, but had heard
no dimensions for the warehouses. Not having read the
bill and not being satisfied that they were protected by it, for
it might he intended to build to any extent for aught he
knew, he agreed with Mr. Procter and thought the subject
ought to be postponed. There ought to be a clause as to the
stories and surface. (Several voices, "It is particularly
specified.")

Mr. CASE said the plans had already been approved in
Council, and the clauses were framed in accordance with the

The TOWN-CLERK showed that the bill as at present framed
could not have been handed to the members sooner than it
was, and that the bill nearly in that form had been in pos-
session of the Council since October last ; while the heads of
the bill had been at that time made public, the only new
subjects in the present bill being those respecting the transit
sheds.

Mr. HODGSON supported the amendment.
Mr. G. Hour showed that there had not been any delay
but what was unavoidable.

Mr. SHELL would vote for the amendment. As be was
not a member of either of the committees, or of the other
privileged body which had had the bill ten days ago, but
merely a member of that Council, he had never got the bill
till the preceding day. He objected to many clauses of the
bill, but he would not state his objections then, because he
hoped the subject would be postponed.
Mr. ISAAC HOLMES said it would be the safest course to
adjourn. Mr. Birkett had stated that he would write to
Lord Sandon if they proceeded. He thought they would go
on with the bill much faster if they had unanimity. It would
be better to put the committee off till after the Easter recess.
Mr. EARLE said the subject was referred to the Finance
Committee for them to settle it, and be did not think that
there ought now to be any factious opposition. He was sur-
prised at what had fallen from Mr. Sheil, who had not had
time to examine the bill, and yet had many objections to its
clauses.

The Council went to the vote on Mr. Procter's amend-
ment, when there appeared :
For the amendment.—Messrs. Hodgson, Isaac Holmes,
Copeland, Barton, Toulmin, Birkett, Procter, Kilshaw, R.
Jones, J. Smith, Harbord, and Sheil.
Against the amendment.—Messrs. John Holmes, Quayle,
Houghton, Case, H. Holmes, Mellor, Aikin, Woollright,
Bright, H. Horuby, Yates, Robinson, Gladstone, Slater,
Leigh, G. H. Lawrence, M'Kee, Platt, A.. Smith, Mather,
J. llornby, Freme, Booth, Evans, Earle, Berm, Moon, G.
Holt, C. H. Jones, Sir Joshua Walinsley, and the Mayor.
For the amendment, 12 ; against it, 31 ; majority, 19.
In reply to a question from Mr. BIRKF:TT,
The MAYOR said all the. clauses of the bill were not under
the consideration of the Council, but only those which re-
lated to the new matter.

Mr. BIRXETT complained greatly of this, as he had strong
objections to the third clause. _

Mr. EVANS said he had hitherto abstained from speaking,
because he had nothing to add to the observations of the
gentlemen who had remarked on the subject. He found,
however, that there were great drafts on his patience when
he saw parties play fast and loose in this manner. The bill,
with the exception of the few altered clauses, was the law of
the council. It was upon the compromise embodied in that
bill that they had given up one wing of the warehouses, and
made other concessions, and the council was morally bound
to abide by the stipulation. He was astonished at what he
had witnessed, after what had passed. It would be disgrace-
ful to the lowest vestry meeting in the kingdom to act in such
a way. He wished the gentleman knew his church catechism
and the ten commandments as well as he knew that bill and
every part of it. He deplored the course that he saw a dis-
position to pursue, because its tendency would be to degrade
the council in the eyes of the country.
After a few observations from Mr. EIRKtTT, the council
proceeded to the consideration of the new clauses.
Clauses 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, and 49, giving power to erect
transit sheds, &c., were passed unaltered, with some demur
on the part of :Messrs. Isaac Holmes, Birkett, and Harbord.
Clause 50 struck out and 83 substituted. Clause 51, 52, and
55, all altered clauses, were passed, To 56 an addition had
been proposed by the dock solicitor, that, at the new dock
with warehouses, all vessels, save foreign, should be com-
pelled to employ the servants of the trustees. This gave
rise to a very long discussion. Some members wished that
the English and foreign vessels should be put on the same
footing, others wished that all should be allowed to employ
their crews or who they liked on board their vessels, while
only the servants of the trust should be employed on the
quays. The town-clerk at length entirely altered the terms
of the intended clause, and we believe it is to undergo still
further modification, so that it may meet the views of both
the committee and the parties who objected to it in its first
form. The other clauses wereorsee,d3ainrd. p.sausesield.On clauses
77
fromt
someth rleoen gdearyseptauenev.
77 and 71 a long discussion ar wishing
tend the
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Sheil made a motion on the subject, which was immediately
negatived.—The council rose at three o clock.

OF JOSIAH MISTER.—The extreme penalty
ExE.cawurwl7;47.l be carried into effect upon this most unhappy
of the i
twelve o'clock to-morrow. Several petitions Live
behalf, but they are not aipect‘i WA.
obmfe:aznn cartaemseltindpinroincusrmg a nittipticua of )11s sardine• Pt
byes not at present '
made am- kvaressiOn of j.64,gn.3ift-r.