The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-10-08 00:00:00

The accounts were then read by Mr. Mallaby. The first
was the general statement of the receipts and disbursements
of the company up to the 31st August ; another was a state-
ment of accounts from the 23d September, 1840, to the 30th
June, 1841; and the third a statement of accounts from the
30th June to the 30th September inclusive, the leading fea-
tures of which are detailed in the directors' report.
Mr. JAMES MULLENEU X said he rose to express his
satisfaction at the report just read, and his entire approval of
all the measures addopted by the directors, as far as that re-
port had put the proprietors in possession of them, carrying
out, as he conceived they had, the views and intentions of the
last special meeting. He begged to congratulate the chair-
man and the meeting upon the improved prospects now held
out, that, by attention, the Chester and Birkenhead Railway
would yield something like a fair remuneration for the capi-
tal invested in it; but to obtain that object would require no
ordinary degree of judgment and decision in their future
operations, and he trusted that that meeting, and the pro-
prietors generally, would accede to them their decided sup-
port. It appeared to him that upon the two points alluded
to in that report would depend the prosperity of the concern
—he meant the management of ferries, and the abandonment
of the system of conveying passengers from the ferry to
Grange-lane. With regard to the ferries he was aware that
much unpleasant feeling was created in the minds of many
interested parties; hut he did not hesitate to say, even though
it Might draw upon him a part of the odium which attached to
this measure, that he trusted the directors would not allow
any consideration of abuse or cajolery to cause them to de-
viate from the equitable principle they had adopted of
making every individual pay the same for his passage across
the water. This appeared to him only just and equitable ;
to those who objected and found fault with it, he would say
" we have purchased a property, and the change we are about
to make is to give us a reasonable remuneration for the capi-
tal we have expended." (Hear, hear.) What right had the
proprietors of land or houses in Birkenhead to call upon the
company to make a sacrifice for the sake of promoting their
interest ? (Hear.). He thought it quite unreasonable. If
the company must consent to it as a boon to one part of the
community, let them not give it to the opulent owners of
land or magnificent mansions, but to the squalid inhabitants
of courts and cellars. Let them have a passpge across the
river at least upon equal terms with the rich. Besides, it
appeared from the statements made, that there were between
9,000 and 10,000 inhabitants at Birkenhead and Woodside,
whilst there were only 800 who contracted. So, these 800
were to be on a very different footing to those who could
not, he supposed, afford to pay a large account at once!
Therefore they gave an advantage to the rich which the poor
were deprived of. With these observations he begged to
move the adoption of the report, and the statement of ac-
counts.
Mr. GERARD seconded the motion.
Mr. HUDSON complained that the average charge per mile
for carrying passengers on the York and North Midland line,
stated in the report, on the authority of the engineer, at
3d. was fallacious.
Mr. DIXON, the engineer, explained the mode by which
he had arrived at that result; and a long conversation of no
interest ensued upon the subject. A motion was made by
Mr. HUDSON, and seconded by Mr. JONES, that the passage
be expunged altogether, but on a division it was lost. The
report was then confirmed, and ordered to be printed.
A resolution was next passed, on the motion of Mr.
HUDSON, seconded by Mr. JONES, requesting the directors
hereafter to have the report and a statement of the accounts
printed and ready for delivery at the offices of the company
one day before the general meeting.
Another resolution was passed, on the motion of Mr.
HEALING, seconded by Mr. LAW, to the effect that when
directors were to be appointed a list of those shareholders,
who were eligible for the office, should accompany the circu-
lar convening the meeting.
Mr. MALLS BY, in answer to a question from Mr. M AR-
TINDALE, said there had been a report prepared by the
Woodside Ferry directors, to the board of directors, but it
was not now in the room • but,. if it were the wish of the
meeting, it could be printed along with the report. The ac-
counts, however, were in his bands, and they could, of course,
be read.—He then read the accounts for the year ending the
sth of August, from which it appeared there was a balance of
profit, in the year, of £2,539 19s. Id.
Sir J. WALMSLEY said this statement should not be al-
lowed to go before the public without some observation. The
statement shewed so much profit, whilst there was a considera-
ble loss by the working of the ferry. In that account there was
no notice taken of the interest upon £25,000 the purchase
money, nor was there any account taken of the depreciation
of stock, which had been very considerable, for when taken
it was valued at £26,000, and, according to a valuation made
yesterday, it was worthy only £12,000. These and several
other items would reduce the £2,500 profit to £lOO. This
he considered was sufficient to justify the directors in no
longer contracting to ferry passengers over the water.
Mr. SOWERBY said he had a few questions to ask the di-
rectors concerning this Woodside Ferry. The first was, when
were the directors of the Chester and Birkenhead Railway
Company authorized to purchase the lease of the ferry ?
Mr. MALLABY read a resolution of the directors on this
subject, which was moved by the Rev. Mr. Folliott, and se-
conded by Mr. James Marshall, and the proprietors were in-
formed of it on the 10th of April, 1839.
Mr. LAWRENCE said Mr. Sanders spoke strongly in fa-
vour of the proposition at the time, and he himself opposed it
as strongly.
Mr. Sow ERBY enquired what amount the directors bad in-
vested in the concern ?
Mr. MALLABY said £24,850. The arrangement was that
one railway share of £5O should be given for two £25 shares
in the ferry company, which were to be taken at par. There
were 1,000 shares in the ferry company, all of which were
taken except six, and the 994 came to £24,850.
Mr. SOWERBY asked whether the Woodside company
were not in debt very largely at the time of that transaction ?
Mr. MALLABY replied that they were, but he did not
know the amount.
Mr. SOWERBY said the concern was insolvent, and he
asked the treasurer (Mr. James) if he knew how much they
owed?

Mr. JAMES was understood to reply in the negative
Mr. MALLABY said the purchase of the ferry by this com-
pany was made exactly as it stood, giving the proprietors
the amount of their shares at par, which was £25. What-
ever debts the ferry company had, of course the railway
company purchased them.
Mr. SOWERBY had always thought as much.
Mr. MAY said the statement of debts ought to have been
furnished to the proprietors at the time of purchase.
Mr. LAWRENCE said it was most desirable the proprie-
tors should know the amount of debt, otherwise they could
not tell what they had actually paid for the concern.
Mr. MAY said that at a meeting subsequent to that which
confirmed the purchase of this property, Mr. Mallaby eulo-
gised it. To eulogise it, and be instrumental in the pur-
chase, without having a statement of allthe liabilities of the
concern, was most extraordinary and strange.
Mr. MALLABY called upon the meeting to hear him.
Every proprietor at all conversant with the proceedings of
that day, would know he had abstained from every thing
that was not legitimately his duty as clerk.
Mr. MAY said he alluded to an occasion subsequent to the
purchase, when Mr. Mallaby was better acquainted with all
the circumstances. Mr. May then quoted a passage from a
speech of Mr. Mallaby, in which he spoke of the purchase of
this ferry being likely to yield a handsome per centage of
profit.
Mr. MALLABY said if that were language of his, he main-
tained it was correct, as he understood the matter ; and he
maintained, at this hour, that the purchase was likely to be
most beneficial to the railway. That was what he said then,
and now repeated.
Sir J. WALMSLEY said that, in consequence of the recent
proceedings of the directors in doing away with the contracts,
or of something else which be knew not, the directors last
night, at four o'clock, received an offer from a gentleman
now present, who informed the directors that he was prepared
to carry it out, by himself and others, to purchase the Wood-
side Ferry—to give to the company the whole amount of their
purchase money of the ferry £25,000, £6OOO for their boats,
which would make £31,000, and £12,000 the whole amount to
Mr. Price for the fee simple of the ferry, paying back to the
proprietors of the railway the whole amount they had ex-
pended, including the sum to be paid to Mr. Price, and giv-
ing them the Monks' Ferry right in perpetuity, to carry rail-
way passengers only to and from Liverpool. Going a step
further, they said that, if necessary, they would carry the
whole of the railway passengers across the river at a rate to
be agreed upon, which rate he (Sir J. Walmsley) believed
would be a very moderate one, and make the condition of
the purchase dependent entirely upon their power to make
the tunnel, which was requisite to make the railway perfect,
and complete it to the water's edge. This offer was not now
in a very formal state ; but Mr. Jackson, one of the directors,
had made it to the directors, and it would be for consideration
of the directors,and then of the proprietors,whether they would
sanction such a sale of their property. Sbme of the directors
objected to the sale on this ground, and he did so too, that
they would not obtain the right of perpetuity of carrying al'
passengers, whether railway or otherwise, by Monk's Ferry
This, then, was the present bone of contention. If the
proprietors thought fit to accept the offer, and to sanction
the sale, it would give them full and entire means either of
carrying railway passengers themselves, or to have them
carried at a low price, and it would ensure to them a tunnel,
and a proper terminus to the railway. These considerations
would obviate some of the difficulties raised by Mr. Sowerby,
inasmuch as it would show there were other objects and views
in, purchasing these ferries than at the moment met the eye
of those unacquainted with the details. If this offer was
carried out fully, then the proprietors would have all they
could desire.
Mr. JACKSON took the credit, if any there was, and also
the blame, if any there was, for having been the originator
and the suggestor to his co-directors of the propriety of pur-
chasing first of all the lease of Woodside ferry,„§nd secondly,
the fee simple from Mr. Price. The first time the measure
was brought before the proprietors, he stated, very fully, the
necessity of having in their own hands full power and con-
trol over a ferry, otherwise they would be just as subject to
the caprice of a body of owners, as the inhabitants of Birken-
head had, within the last three weeks, been subject to theirs.
He had proved, and he was borne out by the facts, that the
cost of transporting their passengers and merchandize from
Liverpool to the railway and back, taking them at 1100 a
day, would be as much as the receipts of the ferry ; and he
stated that unless they could get a better communication, the
railway was not complete. To attain that object was his desire.
The directors entertained these views ; they purchased the
lease of Woodside Ferry Company, and afterwards agreed
with Mr. Price for the fee simple, without which Monk's
Ferry could not be used, as the whole right of ferry between
Birkenhead and Woodside was vested in Mr. Price. He
felt proud in having accomplished all that the railway
required. A great deal of suspicion had been cast upon him
because he was interested in property at Birkenhead ; but
he hoped and trusted that time would shew he had done hie
duty to the proprietors in this company. (Hear, hear.) He
was prepared to offer, and would stand to the offer even
deserted by those who had undertaken t 6 assist him, to put
the company in the same position as if they had never bought
the ferry, with one exception, that they should have besides
the consent of the commissioners of Birkenhead to give them
the tunnel, and for ever have the right of carrying passengers
of their own as they liked and when they liked. (Hear,
hear.) This, if they accepted it, would prevent the necessity
of their going to parliament ; and the money they would re-
ceive would enable them to discharge all their debts and
make the tunnel. He would ask them whether it was not
better to limit their capital, whether they were railway pro-
prietors or ferry proprietors ? His meaning was, that
Monks' Ferry should be used for the express purposes o 1
the railway, but not as a competing ferry with Woodside foi
passengers. This offer he was prepared to carry out.
A long conversation followed upon the several points in•
volved in this offer, at the end of which Mr. HUDSON
moved, and Mr. HARD/SIAN seconded, a resolution tq the
effect that the directors be authorised to treat w►th Mr.
Jackson and others for the sale of the Woodside Ferry, sub-
ject to the confirmation of their proceedings by a special
general meeting of the proprietors.
A vote of thanks to the chairman and directors was they
passed, on the motion of Mr. HUDSON, and the ineetiN
separated.

bill in the ensuing Session to
It is said that the Bishop of London intends to bring in a
in the city of Londo
n. prevent any further interments

A. BON VIVANT.--AN APPROPRIATE MONUMENT.—MY
Old friend's death, while more melancholy,
was equally re-
markable with that of Anacreon himself, having been killed
by the explosion of a private still, whither he had gone to
purchase some kegs of " mountain dew." He was at his
own request interred by the side of the public road, and over
his grave were piled, in a lofty pyramid, the countless bottles
which had been emptied at his hospitable board—a fitting
monument to raise above his generous and thirsty clay
Nimrod.